A Shift in Destiny
“Hmm-hmm-hmm~♪”
Afternoon tea. It was a perfectly peaceful afternoon, but I was in such a good mood that a hum escaped my lips.
“Princess, you seem to be in high spirits today. Did something wonderful happen?”
“Yes, indeed. Something very delightful occurred.”
The maid likely couldn't even begin to imagine why the princess she so admired was so pleased.
The reason for my good mood was, of course, yesterday's event. The memory of stripping Carmel bare, kneading her flesh, and utterly playing with her body. Just recalling the sensation and the thrilling tension of that moment made my body temperature rise even now.
Naturally, it must have been the ultimate disgrace and humiliation for Carmel.
Seeing Carmel vent her fury after losing to me was no longer a novel sight. It had practically become a routine. However, the significance of this latest defilement would not be the same as before.
From this incident, Carmel must have realized it beyond a shadow of a doubt: my true objective was her very body.
If she lost next time, she would truly be violated, or at least subjected to a degradation equivalent to it. She herself must have sensed that instinctively.
Driven to such desperation, Carmel would undoubtedly try to rely on her dark magic once more. This time, she would make a desperate, genuine attempt to lay her hands on the Book of Enekra.
The Book of Enekra, penned by the black witch. In the original novel, there was a setting where grimoires chose their own masters. The master recognized by that book, which had rested in the Gerard Magic Library for ages, was none other than Carmel.
And as if to support that setting, in the latter half of the novel, Carmel—holding both the complete Book of Enekra and her authority as Queen—becomes an unstoppable force that no one in this kingdom can oppose.
Before things reached that point, I had to ensure she could never obtain that grimoire. I drained my teacup and rose from my seat.
“Welcome, Lady Sera Rustier. I am Fon Gerard.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Fon.”
Even the drawing room is packed with bookshelves. Or perhaps a proper drawing room doesn't even exist here. They didn't seem to care much for cleaning either, as dust lay thick in the corners.
The place I had visited was the estate of the Gerard family, one of the Six Great Families. Despite a princess visiting, Fon had paid little attention to his appearance, looking thoroughly disheveled. His ruggedly designed glasses gave him a distinctly academic air.
“Before I ask the purpose of your visit, may I be so bold as to guess, Princess? You wish to obtain permission to enter the Magic Library, do you not?”
“Yes, that is correct. But how did you know? Magic?”
“Well, the Queen requested entry permission just this morning. So I assumed you shared the same goal. Goodness, has there been a sudden boom in academic magic within the royal family?”
“Fufu, I see.”
I knew she would move soon, but she is even faster than I anticipated. Feeling a slight sense of urgency, I questioned Fon.
“Then has Mother already entered the Magic Library?”
“No. Her entry was denied.”
What a relief. Secular power and status meant nothing to the Gerard family, who styled themselves as the guardians of knowledge. Even if the petitioner was the Queen, or the King himself. However, this was a departure from the novel's plot. In the original story, Carmel's acquisition of the Book of Enekra had been exceptionally smooth.
Has the flow of events warped because the timeline for acquiring the Book of Enekra was pushed forward? This was an opportunity. A chance to claim the Book of Enekra before Carmel could. Looking into Fon Gerard's eyes, I spoke.
“In that case, I would like to request permission to enter the Magic Library myself.”
“Very well. Would you please place your hand here?”
Fon Gerard retrieved a crimson orb and set it upon a pedestal. I placed my hand on the orb as instructed. At that moment, a voice echoed inside my head.
Sera Rustier. First Princess of the Rustier Kingdom.
“Hm?”
“The Tree of Knowledge, which governs the Magic Library, is currently reading your information, Princess. Please remain still.”
The one truly governing the Magic Library was not the Gerard family, but the Tree of Knowledge. The Gerards were merely sentinels guarding it. I recalled learning in my royal lessons that the Magic Library and the Tree of Knowledge had existed long before the Gerard family itself.
The voice of the Tree of Knowledge did not echo in my mind any further. Only a strange, mechanical-sounding beep— rang out intermittently. The crimson light inside the orb beneath my hand flickered and swayed, as if some mechanism were at work.
And finally, the movement within the red orb ceased entirely, and the sound faded away.
“Ah, the result is in.”
Peering into the red orb, Fon Gerard wore a look of regret as he spoke.
“Your entry has also been denied, Princess. My apologies, Lady Sera.”
“...Oh?”
It was said that no one understood the inner workings of the Tree of Knowledge. There were only speculations that it read the destiny of those who touched it through the profound wisdom accumulated within. Does this mean I am not destined to obtain the Book of Enekra? But what about Carmel, then? That wasn't how it went in the novel.
“Fon Gerard, is there any way to check the reason why entry was denied?”
“I am afraid that is impossible, Princess. The Tree of Knowledge is a great legacy handed down from ancient times. Even we of the Gerard family cannot touch upon its profound intentions. It is much like the royal family's Sacred Ritual.”
“The Sacred Ritual...”
Hearing that didn't inspire much confidence. After all, the Sacred Ritual was the very thing that had been so easily fooled by Carmel's hastily prepared trick.
“I understand. I shall return another time, Fon Gerard.”
“Yes. We shall be waiting. Our Gerard family always welcomes those who wish to challenge the boundaries of knowledge.”
Upon returning from the Gerard estate, I immediately lay down on my bed. For now, neither Carmel nor I could gain access to the Book of Enekra. However, this was due to an unknown entity called the Tree of Knowledge. For reasons beyond my comprehension, Carmel might suddenly be granted permission to enter the Magic Library. After all, that was exactly what had happened in the novel.
At the very least, once we reached the point in the timeline that aligned with the novel, there was a high probability that the Carmel of this world would obtain the Book of Enekra. If so, time was not on my side. I had to find a way before then—either by claiming the Book of Enekra first, or by ensuring Carmel could never lay her hands on it.
For once, my greatest weapon—my knowledge of the novel's plot—seemed of little use. Most of what I knew about the Gerard family and the Tree of Knowledge was information I had learned after arriving in this world. In the novel, they were treated as mere background lore. Well, not that I have any intention of losing, though.
This was no time to be lying around. I immediately went to find Monas. Draped in his blue robe, Monas let out a soft sigh the moment he saw me.
“Ah, Princess. Is it defensive magic again? If you keep chasing after such dangerous matters...”
“No, I came because I have something to ask this time. Monas, you have entered the Magic Library before, haven't you?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. Of course. But why do you ask so suddenly...?”
There were others besides Carmel who had been chosen by a grimoire. Monas was one of those extremely rare individuals.
“Today, I requested permission from the Gerard family to enter the Magic Library. However, the result was a denial.”
Monas looked intensely curious, but he seemed to decide that offering an explanation was the priority.
“Yes, well, that is only natural. Those qualified to enter the Magic Library are, after all, only those who have been chosen by a grimoire. Being chosen by a grimoire is a one-in-a-hundred-thousand occurrence, so please do not be too disheartened.”
“Chosen by a grimoire? Does the Tree of Knowledge represent the choice of the grimoires?”
“Well... rather than representing it, it would be more accurate to say it discerns whether one is destined to be chosen by a grimoire. Of course, it is such a magnificent tree that even I do not know the details.”
Listening to Monas, I realized something was slightly off. My rejection was perfectly understandable. I had not the slightest interest in academic magic; my only interest was Carmel. But why was Carmel rejected? If the qualification to enter the Magic Library was being destined to be chosen by a grimoire, Carmel should have met that condition. Her destiny to be chosen by the Book of Enekra had already been proven in the novel.
Why? The novel and the present reality. There was only one difference: my existence. And because of that, Princess Sera's actions had changed. In other words, had my actions warped Carmel's destiny to obtain the Book of Enekra?
“Monas, is it possible for one's destiny of being chosen by a grimoire to be warped by something? For instance, if their personality or disposition undergoes a drastic change?”
“Hmm... it would not be easy. Grimoires are surprisingly consistent. Unless the person themselves changes entirely down to their very core.”
The changes occurring in Carmel because of me. Every time we clashed, she suffered shame and humiliation, and the intensity of it only escalated. To the point where defeat was becoming a habit. Perhaps the change that had already begun within Carmel had crossed a critical threshold—enough to make the grimoire, which had so readily chosen her in the novel, turn its back on her now.
At the end of that change—that change known as training—just what would become of Carmel...?
Covering my mouth slightly so Monas wouldn't notice, I let a smile of dark, insidious ecstasy spread across my lips.