The Name That Never Was
Before spring had fully passed, the fallen blossoms scattered the same petals over their heads.
Lucius made no move to brush them away. He knew Momo would laugh at him if he saw, but for today, it didn’t matter.
“Lucius, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
He had every intention of answering whatever she asked.
“My other name. Besides Morgan le Fay and Morgana, what name would I have been given if fate had followed its original course?”
Though there was no candy in his mouth, Lucius’s tongue suddenly twisted.
“That… you don’t need to know something like that, do you?”
A past more sorrowful and cruel than the already bleak one they knew. A remnant of events that had never occurred, yet would have if their paths had never crossed.
He had tried to keep his answer as brief as possible, but of all things, she had to ask about that!
“Tell me.”
“Pay!”
“You can just give me a hint. I’m curious.”
The one who loved more always lost. Lucius’s lips betrayed him without the slightest resistance.
“It was… Jena.”
Pay let the light word drift into the air.
“Hehe… Tiana, Morgana, Jena… My names really can’t seem to escape the ‘na’ ending, can they? Is this fate too?”
“……”
What could he possibly say? Lucius could only close his mouth.
But the words that followed made his face flush bright red all the same.
“I still think the name Pay suits me best. The one you gave me yourself, Baroa.”
“R-really…?”
“Of course. Doesn’t it fit me well? What do you think, Lucius?”
Lucius had one hand holding Pay’s and the other carrying the herb basket, so he couldn’t even scratch the back of his head.
There was no helping how awkward he felt.
“If you say so, then I suppose it does.”
Even after ending such a heavy conversation, Pay showed no sign of discomfort toward Lucius.
She didn’t put any distance between them. They were still… holding hands.
Lucius knew his ears had turned just as red as his already burning face, yet he felt like he could die from sheer happiness.
Should he whistle? No, that would be too undignified…
While he was lost in such thoughts, Momo, who had been sound asleep at his usual spot in the Magic Tower, suddenly jolted awake from a light doze.
For some reason, he felt disgusted.
“Kueee, krrgh…!”
Even after burping, nausea kept rising and bile threatened to come up. He didn’t know why, but it was true.
“Kuu?”
Momo tapped his empty stomach with his wing, barely managed to stop retching, then pulled a face and went back to sleep. He wondered if someone near the Magic Tower had done something to offend him…
Those insolent humans—had they caused trouble again somewhere?
* * *
After finishing his difficult report to the Crown Prince, Cassel found himself with plenty of free time lately, as even minor tasks had nearly come to an end.
‘Hmm, should I send a letter and ask to meet? Lady Pay… No, if I keep calling her Tiana, I might slip up in front of others. I need to be more careful from now on.’
To avoid drawing attention, they had agreed to use her original name and maintain formal speech outside of their private meetings at the Mizuang Hotel. Even when they were alone.
So perhaps he should suggest meeting at the Mizuang Hotel again.
A warm smile was just beginning to form on Cassel’s lips when—
“Cassel, are you there?”
“Mother.”
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
This was neither his office nor the knights’ quarters, but somewhere within the Imperial Palace.
The Duchess, who had suddenly appeared, led her son to a nearby reception room.
“What is it?”
The Duchess spoke in a rather restrained tone.
“Why haven’t you been coming to the estate lately?”
“……”
It wasn’t simply because he didn’t want to see them.
Facing Dotricia—Dorothea—the one who had dared to steal Tiana’s place and act as if she were the true daughter of the Klein ducal house, was unbearable.
The moment he saw that shameless face, he feared he wouldn’t be able to contain his rage and might cut her down, so he had been deliberately avoiding her.
When Cassel turned his head away, the Duchess pleaded.
“This is truly too much. Even if Tiana seems lacking in your eyes, she is still your sister and the daughter of the Klein ducal house. Everyone in high society is busy praising her, yet you, her own blood, can’t even bear to look at her. Does that make any sense?”
If there were no restrictions on him, he would have revealed the truth immediately.
But he had promised Pay, so there was no choice. Instead, he offered a meaningful remark.
“Mother, I would do anything for the sake of poor Tiana. And I ask that you, too, refrain from doing anything you might later regret. No matter who the other party is.”
“What? Do you even understand what you’re saying right now? You said something similar before as well!”
“I am speaking with full knowledge of the situation.”
‘No…’
The Klein Duchess was genuinely startled.
Weren’t Cassel’s red eyes burning with a terrifying intensity? He had never once behaved so domineeringly in front of her before.
Why? Should she speak more calmly about Tiana?
“…Just because things went wrong between you and Tiana at the beginning doesn’t mean you can keep acting like this. I’m not saying anything unreasonable, am I?”
Even if she couldn’t mend his relationship with Morris, she had to at least make things smooth between him and Cassel.
If she failed at that, then no matter how much his parents doted on her, Tiana would ultimately remain only a half-baked noble daughter.
“You are the heir of the Klein ducal house. You must become that child’s support. What your father and I can do for her is different from what you can offer, isn’t it? Not to mention your relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince…”
Cassel swiftly cut off his mother’s words.
“She has already made her debutante appearance. She is no longer a child.”
Even as he spoke, Cassel thought to himself:
‘To me, Tiana—Pay—will always remain a precious little sister. I understand Mother and Father’s feelings, but at the same time, it’s incredibly frustrating.’
The Klein Duchess once again suppressed the anger quietly rising within her and said,
“This is truly too much. Fine. From now on, I won’t ask you for anything regarding Tiana. I’ll handle everything myself from here on. But just you wait! Even if you remain lukewarm, I will make our Tiana the empire’s most desirable bride.”
So she was still trying to push her toward the Crown Prince?
He would absolutely prevent that, no matter what.
A bitterness sharper than unsweetened tea lingered in Cassel’s mouth, leaving him in a foul mood.
After the Duchess stormed off, the Duke soon entered the reception room. It seemed the two had come together.
“You should try to be more understanding.”
“……”
As expected, he had been waiting outside and heard everything.
The Duke cleared his throat awkwardly.
“While you were away from the capital, both Morris and your mother’s hearts were greatly wounded. From the moment they caught even a trace of the daughter they believed was dead, it must have been difficult to regain their composure.”
“Yes.”
“How is Morris doing these days?”
Truthfully, even Cassel didn’t know for certain.
These days, he found himself thinking of Morris far more often than when he had been at the Logia border.
He had only heard bits and pieces through Raphael, and he had hesitated several times, fearing that visiting might shake his brother’s resolve.
The Duke’s thoughts were no different.
“Haha, every time I come to the palace, I want to see him. But I’m afraid that if I go just to look at his face, I might waver his determination. When the day of his knighthood ceremony comes, he’ll probably call me heartless, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“From what I’ve heard from other knights, he’s adapting well.”
“I’ll have to believe that. He’s my son, after all. Well then, I should be going too. Tiana is doing fine, so don’t let it weigh on your mind. I’ll send her a gift later—she’ll like that.”
“Take care.”
Cassel, who had never once promised to do anything for the fake daughter, fell into deep contemplation after his parents left.
Being a parent was difficult. And yet, the desire to do anything and everything for one’s child—that, too, was what it meant to be a parent.
Dotricia, Capia. The two of you will never be forgiven.
After reaffirming his resolve, he sent a letter to Pay suggesting they meet, his heart feeling somewhat lighter.
This time, he arrived at the meeting place first.
‘Tiana.’
The Arcan Empire was vast beyond measure.
He had felt it when he rode a Drakan all the way to the southernmost Sionel territory. Even flying at tremendous speed, it took nearly an entire day to reach the place they called home.
That was how many places he wanted to show Tiana. Though the capital was wide and boasted the finest trends and living conditions, it was not the entirety of the world.
Even the rugged Logia border region had plenty of worthwhile sights.
‘Once everything is over, I should ask her to travel anywhere she wants after I step down as knight commander.’
Partly to keep away the men who kept approaching Tiana.
Just as his heart was swelling with hope—
Thud—
From a distance came the sound of a door closing, followed by quick, light footsteps hurrying toward him. Cassel’s heart filled with joy as he turned around.
Tap-tap-tap—
Without wandering through the many rooms on the top floor of the Mizuang Hotel, she ran straight to him and threw herself into his arms.
“Oppa!”
Still mindful of prying eyes and ears, her voice was hushed.
Yet it reached his ears clearly.
Cassel smiled so brightly that even his parents would have been shocked if they saw, and replied,
“Welcome, my Tiana.”
All the pain and anguish he had endured before coming here vanished as if washed away. No matter what hardships he faced, seeing Pay—seeing Tiana—always brought peace to his heart.
As was his habit, he first had refreshments brought out and let her eat her fill before finally bringing up the matter at hand.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the former Saintess Capia sent a letter saying she would come to the Imperial Palace. Instead of riding straight here, she’s been traveling around begging for alms. It seems she’s reached just outside the capital but still hasn’t entered.”
“I heard. She stopped by Grace Monastery and stayed for a day before leaving.”
Pay fell into thought as she ate strawberries topped with fresh cream.
After learning that the Saintess had visited the monastery, she had gone there in person instead of sending a letter, so she knew the details well.
The Mother Superior Beryl and Priest Cheryl, along with the other nuns and novices who knew nothing, had welcomed the Saintess with joy.
That night, the Saintess had asked the two of them in detail—while pretending to be gentle and pleased—about Dot becoming a noble daughter and about Pay becoming the Crown Prince’s right hand.
‘Since I had already given them a warning about Dot beforehand, they didn’t mention the silk robe or ruby pendant. Capia also had enough intention of using the noble daughter that she didn’t ask first either.’
It was truly fortunate.
If the Mother Superior had praised Pay and mentioned that she had been entrusted with precious items like the silk robe and ruby pendant, wondering if Pay might be the child of some noble house—
‘She would have revealed her murderous intent at the monastery. Just like when she dealt with the Caris viscounty, she would have staged another “accident” with fire.’