A Good Life Is Long Enough

I dragged my aching body out of bed. Lately, I could count on one hand the number of mornings I'd woken up feeling refreshed.

Thanks to Rapid Growth, my body was trained far beyond what my age should allow—so the fact that I still felt this exhausted suggested that fatigue beyond my limit was steadily accumulating. Stamina recovery and fatigue recovery only affected the body, after all. The mind was a separate domain entirely.

Well, this is unusual.

There were times when I overslept, but never Aria. Yet Aria, who had fallen asleep facing away from me, was now resting her forehead against my shoulder, breathing softly. Had her assigned workload been wearing her down that much too?

This morning seemed better spent in the same room as Aria, just the two of us, rather than eating with our parents. Until then, I would let her sleep soundly.

"Ah... Your Highness! Did you sleep well? Good morning."

When I stepped out through the door, my personal maid Mary and Aria's maid, who had been chatting away, hurriedly offered their greetings. I wrote on my paper and showed it to the two of them.

「 I slept fine, but I'm tired. Could you bring breakfast? Enough for my sister too. 」

Reading my note, the two maids bowed their heads and hurried off to carry out the request. I watched them go, closed the door, and returned to the bed, slowly stroking Aria's platinum hair as I opened the window to let the room air out. The warm spring breeze brushing gently across my cheeks was a sensation that healed me all on its own.

"It's here."

「 Just set it down there. 」

At my words, Mary and Aria's maid laid out breakfast for two and withdrew. It seemed it was about time to wake this little princess who was still sleeping.

"...What is it?"

「 It's morning. 」

Aria, apparently still convinced it was nighttime, swiveled her head around, then raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glittering sunlight. Then, catching the scent of food drifting into the room, she realized breakfast had been laid out as well and pushed herself up on unsteady limbs.

「 If you're tired, wouldn't it be best to rest for the day? 」

Holding Aria's shoulder, I wrote gently and showed her the note.

"I'm just short on sleep, that's all."

「 That's exactly what being tired means. 」

"None of your business."

She brushed my hand away, sat down in her chair, and silently began her meal. Seeing that stubbornness in her face, I decided there was no point in pushing, and took the seat across from her to eat my own breakfast.

Afterward, we finished our baths and each set off along our assigned schedules of instruction. A routine pressed into a mold didn't breed anxiety—but it didn't erase boredom either. Still, if I wanted to rapidly grow the talents I'd been granted through All-Rounded Genius with Rapid Growth, grumbling was a luxury I couldn't afford. Compared to my past life, I'd been born clutching a golden spoon beyond all comparison; complaining would be considerable childishness indeed.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

When my lessons ended, I was greeted by the beautiful sunset as the sun that had risen that morning began its slow descent. At this hour, I would walk to the training grounds for physical conditioning, and with that, my day was complete.

All that remained, then, was to think of names to add to the Hundred Ghosts before bed. In truth, I'd already given it some thought.

The vampire, along with the Hydra and the Sphinx of Greek and Roman myth. The Imugi, condemned to remain on earth without ascending into a dragon. The Kraken, the great monster of the sea. And honestly, if I climbed high enough up the ladder of mythology, the Cthulhu Mythos existed too—but the entities of the Cthulhu Mythos all carried the premise of being "gods" from their very foundation, so I couldn't inscribe their names.

"Y-Your Highness!"

I had just arrived at the training grounds and was about to begin when someone frantically called my name. It was unmistakably a woman's voice—the knights around me could never produce such a delicate sound.

Aria's maid?

She dashed up to me in a panic, gasping for breath, unable to get the words out.

「 Calm down. I'm not going anywhere. 」

"A-Aria... Lady Aria has collapsed!"

At those words, I abandoned my training then and there and followed Aria's maid to her chambers. From what I heard, it was a feverish cold. The physicians of this world could compound medicines well enough to prescribe exactly what she needed, so there was honestly little reason for them to seek me out.

Except that I could cure Aria outright with the power of the Dragon Tongue. That must have been why.

"Rohen!"

The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, Father rushed toward me. Mother was beside him as well. Only Aria, lying in the bed, turned her eyes away with labored breathing.

「 I heard the story on the way here. 」

"Then can you treat Aria at once?"

「 Of course. 」

In moments like these, he was every inch a father of a child—not an emperor.

"Heal."

I imbued the word heal with my Lingual Magic and applied it to Aria. The fever that had taken root in her body vanished in an instant, and her complexion gradually regained its calm. The aches that must have left her unable to move would no longer be crying out either.

"...I know I am not your birth mother, but can you not lean on me all the same?"

"Aria. If you are in pain, if you are struggling, speak to me. You are still young enough to be spoiled. Nothing is solved by suffering alone in silence. When there are people beside you to ask for help, why insist on walking alone?"

At Mother's and Father's words, Aria simply closed her eyes in silence. Taking that to mean she wanted to rest by herself for a while, they left me with nothing but a request to look after her and stepped aside.

Watching the door close behind them, I walked slowly to the bed. It had been quite a while since I'd been alone with Aria in one room at this hour.

"Converse."

Imbuing the word with the power of my Lingual Magic, I sat down at Aria's side.

"Why did you do it?"

"...What kind of answer are you looking for?"

"Unless there's some special circumstance, nobody knows your own condition better than you do."

With a cold of that degree, there must have been warning signs beforehand. The reason she'd been so listless and weary this morning must have been the prodrome.

"Ruining your body to push forward isn't effort. It's closer to self-harm."

"...And you?"

"I have the power of the Dragon Tongue backing me up."

Frankly, if any other child tried to follow my daily schedule, they might die.

"Won't you tell me?"

At my question, Aria slowly turned her head away—silence as her answer. Emotions buried in the heart eventually burst out, sooner or later. That didn't mean one should vent recklessly every time they piled up. Each person has their own way of managing their own condition.

But Aria, it seemed, did none of that. She simply endured, and endured, and endured some more.

"Tell me."

"You—!"

"This is a command."

At my words, Aria whipped around to face me with a look of utter outrage. But it was too late, and she began pouring her emotions out to me.

"I wanted to change how people looked at me...! That's why I worked myself half to death! If I became better than you, then surely everyone would finally see me differently! That's what I thought! My mother and my father call it expectation, but the truth is nothing changes unless I achieve it myself, doesn't it?!"

"Don't you think you're too anxious? Too hasty?"

"...Are you an idiot? When a person grows slowly, step by step, the people around them never feel it's remarkable. It's only when the change comes so suddenly that they think—ah, that person is extraordinary. You were exactly like that."

It wasn't wrong, so I had no grounds to dispute that part.

"Still, how about allowing yourself a little breathing room? Keep this up and your body will break completely."

I slowly stroked Aria's platinum hair. Even with her body healed, the mental exhaustion it had caused would not simply vanish.

"A long life may not always be a good one. But a good life is more than long enough."

"..."

"A person can't sprint forever, after all."

"Then what about you?!"

"Those who would wear the crown must always bear its weight."

"..."

"What I aim for is Father's throne. I'm simply acting the part."

"I too—!"

"The imperial seat isn't some endlessly happy place. Even when my mother faced execution, Father—without justification—could do nothing. You said you wanted to be happier than me, didn't you? If you marry someone who looks at you without prejudice, bear lovely children, and live out your days like that, you'd be more than happy enough compared to me."

By the time Aria had claimed a life like that, I would be sitting on the throne, ground down by endless duties and wrangling with the nobles.

"And if that's not it, then what? Were you aiming to become my empress or something?"

"Are you insane?"

"Then we're fine, aren't we."

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sunset faded, and darkness settled outside. The temperature swing was considerable this time of year, so I walked over and closed the window before returning.

"You've been through so much."

"..."

"It must have been so hard."

"..."

"You can pour it all out."

"...I just—I just!"

"Mm."

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only want to be happy...! So why is that so hard?!"

Spilling tears, her eyes flushed red, Aria buried her face against me and let out a sorrowful sob. I simply stayed still, reaching out to gently smooth down her back.

In a way, from the closest distance of anyone, I was the one who had watched her struggle more closely than anyone else. If not me, who could offer her even a sliver of comfort?

"When you wake up in the morning, I hope I get to see my usual sister again."

I wiped away the tears pooling beneath her red eyes, tucked the blanket over her, and laid her gently down on the bed. Her sobbing breaths gradually evened out, and I watched her eyelids slowly begin to fall. Having vented her grief along with the mental exhaustion, drowsiness was surely washing over her.

"I told you, didn't I? That I'd try to find your lost happiness together with you."

"..."

"And at this point you have nothing left to lose—so all that's left is to gain."

"That's what you call... comforting someone?"

At my words, Aria gave a derisive little laugh, closed her eyes, and offered no further reply. Before long, soft, steady breathing told me she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Gazing at her, I let out a sigh and turned my attention to my remaining consonants and vowels.

I nodded along, surprised by the unexpected lore. Well, more abilities could only be a boon for me—no loss there.

"Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts."

Through the Night Parade, I summoned only the Mongma into the room. Blossoming out of the pure white mist appeared a woman with pink hair and horns that curved in reverse, her bewitching crimson eyes seeming to capture the very heart. She carried a figure of enthralling allure, and settling herself before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me, the Mongma fluttered her distinctly demonic wings and inclined her head.

The traditions had named her incubus as well, so a masculine image must exist too—but like the Dullahan, she had apparently appeared in female form to win my favor. At least she was properly dressed, mercifully leaving my eyes somewhere respectable to rest.

"Could you give my sister Aria a happy dream?"

"If it is my master's request, I shall gladly oblige."

At my command, the Mongma placed her hand on Aria's forehead and smiled sweetly.

"Would you look at that—she's already dreaming a happy dream."

"What?"

At the Mongma's words, I blinked.

"There seems to be no need for interference. So then, master—shall I make you dream a happy dream?"

"I don't need that."

Who knew—she might very well drain my vital essence, and then tomorrow would be exhausting.

"As your subordinate, wouldn't it be wise for you to know what my abilities can do, Master?"

Hearing that, I thought—fair point. No, wait. Was it? Yes. Yes, it seemed right. I couldn't quite place why it left me with an uneasy feeling, though.

Anyway, heeding the Mongma's words, I took my bath and lay down at Aria's side. She'd said she was dreaming a happy dream—I had to admit, I was a little curious what it might be.

"May your hours be happy, my Master."

With the image of the Mongma's beautifully smiling face the last thing I saw, I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Within the dream, Aria was running—endlessly running.

Even with her breath burning up to her throat, there was no refuge anywhere she could lean on and rest. ...Mary. If her pace slowed for even a moment, her body began to sink, starting from her feet.

The infamous name of "traitor's daughter" had draped itself over the color of "herself" and devoured it mercilessly. And so, however exhausting it was, the option of pausing to rest simply did not exist. When would the end of this endless road finally appear? It was no longer willpower driving her—only the momentum of everything she had walked to get here.

Move...!

Her trembling legs buckled and collapsed to the ground. She tried to rise, but her legs refused to obey the will of her mind. Again and again she attempted to stand like a newborn calf only to fall to her knees, until at last Aria gave up and quietly looked down at her sinking body.

If giving up was this easy, what had all that effort ever been for? She closed her eyes quietly and, as if resigned, didn't so much as twitch a struggle.

"What are you doing?"

"..."

But at that very moment, her sinking body stopped short. A sensation of floating upward, and a warmth pressing against her skin. She opened her eyes and looked back—and there stood Rohen.

"You've run one incredible distance."

"You've already caught up... and you're saying that to my face? Isn't that just mockery?"

"No. It's praise."

Rohen smiled, pointing behind her. There, the beautiful fireworks she had seen on her birthday bloomed again, driving back the surrounding darkness. And beneath that light, she could see it: the footsteps of everything she had run, stretching vividly all the way past the horizon.

So I've come all this far.

At that belated realization, Aria gazed down quietly at her own legs. After sprinting without a single moment's rest, perhaps asking her body to move even further was simple greed.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"They hurt, don't they?"

Rohen, who had been quietly touching her swollen legs, lifted her onto his back, rose to his feet, and began to walk forward without a word. A pace that couldn't compare in the slightest to the speed she had run at.

And yet the darkness around her no longer tried to swallow her whole.

"You can lean on me if it's hard."

"..."

"I said I'd look for it together with you, after all."

"..."

Such a small back—was it her imagination that it felt so impossibly large? If she buried her face into it carefully, an overwhelming sense of peace washed over her. The very person everyone pointed fingers at as the traitor's daughter was, ironically, the one who looked at her most uprightly of all.

"Sister."

"Be quiet."

"..."

"Just for now—stay like this with me, without saying anything."

It was a trivial request, but Rohen didn't refuse it. Carrying her on his back, he simply walked on in silence. And the bright flames illuminating the two of them still refused to die out, blooming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soft and hazy into the dark.