Let's Play at the Ducal Manor (7)
Even knowing it was impossible, she couldn't leave right away.
I need to figure out what this thing is.
Fortunately, it was a mental barrier meant for the imperial family, so Irene wouldn't be attacked. Had someone from House Katram or an ordinary Academy professor seen this barrier, a mental assault would have come right back at them.
But to Irene, the barrier felt strangely familiar. That was unusual. An imperial-family-exclusive mental barrier ought to feel repulsive, given its purpose.
The barrier Irene was touching now didn't feel repulsive at all—it felt familiar. Even though it was clearly a severed wall that could neither give nor receive information, she could feel love from it.
Let's look around. It's vast enough that there might be something here.
Irene examined the enormous barrier from every angle. Just as Frey had said, its nature closely resembled the Unobserved Area she herself had created.
But she couldn't interfere with it through mana.
My level just isn't high enough.
She felt it instinctively. If she raised her magical ability three or four times higher than it was now, she could interfere with this barrier. But that was an absurd condition.
Besides that damn Emperor, almost no one can keep up with me and Frey. Who the hell set up this barrier?
It was bizarre. As far as Irene knew, no living member of the imperial family could erect a barrier like this. Magical technology capable of building something like this would make brainwashing the entire citizenry easy.
Of course, the current empire didn't have that kind of capability.
I can't recklessly experiment either. This is only the second time I've felt this stuck.
The first time Irene had felt this stuck was trying to turn Frey's heart around. And for the record, that was still ongoing.
I'll look around a little more, then get out.
In the end, Irene had to stop examining Frey's mind without much to show for it.
Irene took her hand off my head.
"Irene, did you find something?"
"Yeah. I found something. Frey. Sit on the bed."
Irene patted the empty spot on the bed. Her face was full of worry for some reason.
"What on earth did you see to make a face like that?"
"It's very serious. I feel like I'd even want to time-travel if I could."
"Excuse me?"
What had she seen to say something like that? More than that—time travel? That was nothing more than legendary storytelling. Something about the First Emperor being so exceptional he even crossed through time, or whatever. Probably a later embellishment meant to deify the First Emperor.
"Frey, listen carefully. From now on, you must never try to show anyone your memories from before you were six years old."
"Why is that?"
"There's an imperial-family-exclusive mental barrier planted in your head. And it's the most powerful barrier among those currently in existence."
"I-is this some new joke to show off your sense of humor?"
It was as good as a pointless joke. An imperial mental barrier? The one supposedly planted in most imperial family members' heads?
Why would that be on me? It made no sense. I looked at Irene with a smile. But her expression didn't ease.
"Is it real?"
"I'm not joking, Frey. I'm confused too."
"Is this a dream?"
"I wish it were a dream too."
Irene and I fell into a long silence. Confronted with this suddenly discovered strange fact, we'd lost our words.
From Irene's perspective, it might still be somewhat passable. After all, I was disguised as a branch family member of the Katrams. It wouldn't be strange for someone in that position to have had contact with the imperial family once or twice.
But my true self was a commoner who'd lived in grinding poverty before being taken in by Young Miss. Someone like me having contact with the imperial family? There was no way that had happened.
"Frey."
"Y-yes?"
"Shall we sleep for now?"
Irene said that and lay down on the bed. She naturally settled in beside me, then hurriedly scrambled off the bed.
"What do you mean, naturally trying to sleep together?!"
"You lay down so casually I thought you wanted to sleep together."
"Absolutely not! Do you want to get tied up again?"
"Getting tied up after a long time might not be so bad?"
Irene grinned. Aaaah, really!
"No."
"Tch, Frey's so mean."
"This is about following the rules. I have my own room, so I'll sleep there."
"Then do something else for me."
"Pardon?"
"My time as your attendant isn't over yet. Were you planning to freeload like this?"
"I had no such intention at all. What should I do for you?"
"Read me a book until I fall asleep."
"What are you, a baby?"
"I want to fall asleep listening to Frey's voice. Is that not allowed?"
Irene looked at me pleadingly. Thump-thump. My heart pounded roughly. Was that a signal that I wouldn't be able to refuse that pleading look?
"Irene really is full of sins."
"What is?"
"You know I have feelings for the Katram young lady, and you're still doing this."
"What, does just reading a book make you feel guilty? You even washed me earlier."
"I'd say it's a somewhat different issue. Fine. I'll read to you."
I pulled a decent book from my subspace pouch. It was Ten Fairy Tales Perfect for Falling Asleep.
"Heehee."
"Is it that good?"
"Frey's reading a book for me. I love it so much."
"Acting all pure like that won't work on me."
"I really am just happy, though?"
"Yes, yes."
Lately I felt like I was getting shaken more easily by Irene's advances. Should I study some magic that dulls emotions a bit?
I slowly read the fairy tales aloud. Irene, who'd been listening with her eyes pleasantly closed, slowly opened them.
"Frey? What's the title of that book?"
"Ten Fairy Tales Perfect for Falling Asleep."
"What do you think of the content?"
"Perfect for falling asleep, isn't it?"
"Do fairy tales usually have a grand mage explaining the structure of spell formulas for five minutes straight?"
"But it's good for falling asleep, right?"
"Haa, was I an idiot for expecting something?"
"What's wrong with this?"
Young Miss had liked it, though. Irene was being a bit too picky.
"Don't you have another book?"
"I do, but I don't have any fairy tales good for falling asleep."
"It doesn't have to be fairy tales for falling asleep. Just read something."
In the end I pulled out a different book and read. This time the content seemed to suit her, as Irene closed her eyes comfortably.
Before a few minutes had passed—soft, regular breathing. Irene was asleep. Not just asleep—she was holding onto my pant leg with one hand. If she'd been wearing long sleeves, she probably would have grabbed the sleeve.
I looked at the sleeping Irene for a moment. With her eyes closed, her long eyelashes were clearly visible.
How do I get her to give up on me?
I'd been saying it continuously, and I was still thinking it now. Having Irene love me like this and give me her love was burdensome. But being friends was a lot of fun.
Anyway, Irene and I can't be together.
Same reason as with Young Miss. My original status was nothing more than a commoner. Even as the steward of House Katram, that didn't make me a noble.
The imperial family wouldn't recognize a marriage with me either, and even if we did marry, extremely difficult days would follow. That wouldn't be good for either of us.
And suppose I came to like Irene. But would that be truly liking the person called Irene?
Strangely, Irene has a lot of similarities to Young Miss.
Same favorite foods, or body measurements that were oddly identical. Glimpses of Young Miss appearing here and there.
Clearly their personalities and ways of speaking were completely different, yet strangely, I often saw Young Miss in Irene. That could explain the phenomenon so far.
I'm projecting Young Miss onto Irene. That's why my heart raced.
There was no other explanation. I, who couldn't reach Young Miss, was finding vicarious satisfaction in Irene, who actively approached me.
The problem was that Irene held a far higher position than Young Miss, and I had not the slightest intention of using someone as a tool for my vicarious satisfaction.
They say everyone has a double somewhere in the world. Irene and Young Miss must be the same type. So the reason my heart flutters for Irene is my ugly heart projecting Young Miss onto her.
I really was full of sins. Pushing away Young Miss who said she liked me, and projecting Young Miss onto Irene who said she liked me.
I needed to come up with a proper plan. If things continued like this, it might be better for everyone if I simply weren't here.
And on top of that, an imperial-family-exclusive mental barrier supposedly in my head. I couldn't even begin to guess what kind of threat this might hold.
Come to think of it…
Why had Irene said she liked me in the first place?
I'd asked countless times so far but never gotten a proper answer. She probably wouldn't give a proper answer after this either.
I need to find out.
I had to find out. Dig into Irene's past activities. Investigate her background.
If investigating her background revealed that Irene hated me, that would be fine too. I didn't match Irene, and I shouldn't match her.
What I wanted was to spend my life assisting Young Miss, who had saved me. Not projecting Young Miss onto a friend and grasping at fake happiness.
Once Irene went back tomorrow, I'd start the investigation immediately. Since it was an imperial secret, access would be difficult. But I could catch a lead.
"Good night, Irene."
I said goodbye to Irene and left the room. Looks like I won't be able to rest tomorrow.