Care to Sit Beside Me?

"But, Your Grace. That statement..."

Leman's eyes widened. I could understand his reaction—he was clearly anticipating friction with the princess's people.

"Inform the trade company's treasurer. The Balder Trade Company will not fulfill any requests from the princess's side without documents bearing my personal seal. Do not prepare supplies in advance or respond in any way."

I spoke firmly, my mind already made up.

Of course, I did sign the patronage contract.

But that didn't mean I was signing up to be the princess's fool. I'd take what was mine and give only what I owed in return.

"Are you sure this is wise?"

"Sir Leman. How dare you speak to the duke that way?"

Cecile cut him off sharply from my side.

"No, I didn't mean to overstep with Your Grace. I was merely concerned about the friendly relations we've built with Her Highness the princess so far. If I've been presumptuous, I apologize."

Leman bowed his head to me in a hurry, and I slowly shook my head.

"It's fine. This doesn't mean I'm refusing to patronize Her Highness."

Right now, Leman was probably reacting the same way everyone around me had in the past. That's why I had to change it all.

"We'll continue supporting Her Highness as before, but the Balder family will no longer provide unconditional aid."

Silence.

Surprise spread across Leman's face. Cecile watched me from the side, her gaze full of wonder, as if she still couldn't quite believe the change even after seeing it.

So I continued slowly, deliberately.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"We'll review official requests properly when they come in line with the patronage contract I signed—including funds for political preparations. So, no need to worry."

I tapped the letter I'd handed to Cecile with my fingertip.

"We won't approve requests like this anymore."

Leman's face was now completely speechless. As someone from the trade company, he probably knew better than anyone just how much of a pushover Kairon had been, lavishing everything on the princess.

And it wasn't just a few items or funds.

Even when the North was in crisis, he gave it all away.

In the story, Kairon had been like a leashed dog in front of the princess, spilling his guts and all. Even I, reading the novel, had felt frustrated—so I could only imagine how his close aides like Leman must have felt.

"Relay this to the trade company as well."

Leman bowed deeply, belatedly.

"Yes! I'll keep it in mind, Your Grace!"

There was a hint of quiet joy in his vigorous response.

"And tell the princess's people too. All future requests must follow the terms of the official patronage contract."

"Yes!"

Leman's voice rang out even stronger. When he cautiously lifted his head, his eyes held more than just surprise.

Relief. Yes, it was relief.

The trade company must have been anxious all this time.

The lord of the North was giving away everything without return. Even if it was the duke's orders, from the perspective of the company calculating Balder's interests, it must have burned them up every day.

After Leman left, Cecile and I boarded the carriage.

Rumble, rumble.

As the carriage started and swayed faintly, Cecile stared at me for a while without speaking. Then, suddenly, she opened her mouth.

"...You've really changed."

"That again?"

I'd expected it, but a laugh slipped out anyway. Was it that shocking that I wasn't a pushover anymore?

"Yes. This time, I truly believe it. The resolute attitude you showed Sir Leman—it impressed me deeply as your escort knight."

Cecile looked at me with emotion in her voice.

"You've led the North well, Your Grace. I've seen it with my own eyes—no doubt about it. But whenever Her Highness the princess was involved, your judgment always clouded."

"Well, yeah..."

Even though it wasn't me, it left a bitter taste.

A man blinded by love.

But there was a reason rooted in the princess's trait, so it felt off to just call Kairon a fool or an idiot without nuance.

"Yes. But today, you've changed completely."

Her voice was low.

"You drew the line first, Your Grace, and made your decision firmly. Hearing that you even drew up a new contract in front of Her Highness... I can fully believe it now."

I turned my gaze calmly out the window at her words. The streets of the Imperial Capital we'd passed were slowly receding behind us.

Ornate buildings. Well-paved roads. It all overlapped with the original story's descriptions.

But now, it all felt vividly real. This world was my reality now—one I had to survive.

"Cecile."

I spoke calmly.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Send a messenger to the North too."

Cecile's eyes sparkled.

"What shall I relay?"

I thought for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Reduce all events to curry favor with Her Highness, funding procurement, and even lobbying funds for nobles close to her people."

"Your Grace... but that would mean scaling back relations we've built until now."

"I know. But it's fine. It doesn't matter. I'll handle relations with Her Highness myself."

Once I'd made up my mind and started acting, there was no hesitation.

This is right.

I was convinced this version of me was just and rational.

"Yes. I'll relay Your Grace's words exactly."

When I glanced at her, Cecile's lips curved up ever so slightly.

"And one more thing."

"Yes?"

I looked down slowly at my hand. The one that had signed the contract. A strange sensation lingered at my fingertips, as if still connected to Elysia.

Oddly, Kairon's body hadn't rejected it. It had even reacted with something like joy.

"Balder no longer belongs to Her Highness."

I said lowly.

"Include that in the message so everyone remembers."

Cecile gazed at me for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"I shall obey, Your Grace."

...What?

The familiar phrases and the golden die dominating my vision again.

Damn.

The probability was abnormally low. What fate had my words and actions defied to drop it this much?

Roll...

The die spun dramatically before slowing to a stop.

It wasn't the highest number like the first time.

The message had downgraded from "greatly" to "slightly," sending a chill down my spine.

The world resumed flowing amid the barrage of messages.

"...Damn."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing... just... it's nothing."

I brushed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it off to the startled Cecile and ran a hand over my face. My heart pounded fiercely. Confusion crashed like waves, but I forced myself to steady.

More dangerous than I thought.

Stopping the pushover act and diverging from the story's Kairon was defiance of the world's fate itself. I'd felt it clearly now.

My actions, my intent to change Kairon—they were attempts to reshape the world.

Right, the protagonist of this world is the princess.

It was simple when I thought about it. The original plot revolved around Elysia at its center. So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this world's core was her too.

"...Your Grace, is something troubling you? Whatever worries you have, I can listen to them all."

Cecile noticed my shift and spoke urgently. I let out a small sigh and met her eyes. Beneath her long gray hair, her beautiful blue eyes gazed at me with concern.

"I'll think it over, and if I decide it's okay, I'll tell you then."

"...Yes, Your Grace. Do as you please. I'll always be by your side."

Her comforting words eased me a bit as I turned my gaze blankly out the window.

I don't want to be a pushover like the story's Kairon.

But did I need to pretend on the surface? A contradictory thought surfaced.

To resist her absurd trait, I figured adjusting my attitude while moderately placating her would work.

But maybe that was too naive, too simplistic.

Crackle, crackle.

The campfire's soft sounds filled my ears.

The journey from the Imperial Capital to the North was long, making campfires an inevitable necessity.

"Your Grace."

"...Yeah."

I looked up from the flames at Cecile's call.

"Are you perhaps troubled over Her Highness the princess?"

Her cautious question drew a chuckle from me.

"That obvious?"

"N-no, I didn't mean it that way. I think taking such a big step by changing your mind and showing it in action is commendable. But changing in an instant... it's surely not easy."

In her lengthy explanation, Cecile waved her hands frantically, worried ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she'd hurt me.

"Don't panic like that. It's not like that."

"R-right. Good."

With that, silence enveloped us again. Camping in the forest midway along the long highway.

Honestly, I thought my dilemma was resolved. What I needed to do, how to act—it was simple.

But one problem remained.

So what exactly is this calamity coming for me?

I focused my awareness slightly, and the red message reappeared.

Yeah, the calamity was what worried me. The price of my actions—the backlash for trying to change the world. How dangerous could it be?

I didn't know, and that was my biggest concern right now.

"Cecile."

I looked at her across the fire.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Care to sit beside me for a bit?"

"...Pardon?"

She blinked blankly, so I patted the spot next to me calmly.

Tap, tap.

"Come sit by me."

Cecile froze, her lips hesitating. She seemed more flustered than before, making me wonder if I'd said something odd.

"Cecile, what are you doing?"

"Ah, understood! Right away."

At my urging, she stood awkwardly and approached, her demeanor suddenly amusing.

She knows I was smitten with the princess, yet here she is, acting all flustered now.

Why get so worked up at this point?