私の社交界デビューとなる王宮舞踏会を明日に控え、私は侍女のハンナと共に昨日侯爵家に戻ってきている。着いて早速父の書斎に呼ばれ、父と兄と話をした。
父と兄は改めて私と話しておきたかったようだ。特に私が魔力を失った後に、ルドルフから自分の記憶と、「一つの可能性」として、私も逆行したかもしれないという話を聞かされていた父とは異なり、突如突拍子もない話を聞かされた兄はかなりの衝撃を受けたらしい。
「エラ…。ルドルフや、お前が見てきたその…未来のことだが…。俺には信じられないんだ。誤解しないでくれ。疑っているわけじゃない。父上のおっしゃった通り、ルドルフが何の疑いもなく聖女のこととか、政治的の施策とかを進める様子とか、お前が魔力を失ったこととか…ミア・オットーの監視がやたらときついこととか、色々説明がつくし…。だけど、実感がわかないんだ。お前に冤罪をかけてまで…魔塔に幽閉させて…死においやるとか…。どうお前に謝罪すればいいのか…」
「謝っていただきたいのではありません。全部お父様やお兄様の本心ではなかったということはわかりましたから。命を賭して私を復活させようとした、そのお気持ちで十分です。そもそも、現在のお父様やお兄様ではないですし。」
「エラ…ありがとう」
「はい…」
父と兄は私に頭を下げた。魔術師団長であり、王国内で王に次ぐ力をもつ人。国王以外の人に頭を下げるところなど誰も見たことがないだろう。その父が、自分の娘とはいえ18の小娘に頭を垂れるなんて。そもそも「今の」父が謝ることではないのだが。だが私は、父の責任感を受け止めることにした。
「だがエラ。これからお前が進むのはそうたやすい道ではない。聖女であり、王太子妃、王妃となるのだから。二つの立場を兼ねることは初代聖女以来なかった。お前にすり寄る者もいるだろう。これまでにない命の危険の晒されることもあるだろう。」
ミアのように魅了の体質がないから、周りの人間が皆私に好意的とは限らない。しかもカレンベルク家の出身で、強い権力を持つことになる。僻みや妬みの対象だ。
「だが。私はお前を、そして殿下を信じている。お前は小さい頃から能力も高かったし、努力家だった。優秀な娘に見合う相手をと望めば、王太子殿下以上の方はいない。だが、そんなお前を王太子妃にするにはかえってもったいないとも思っていたのだ。侯爵家に力が集中しすぎるというのもあったがな。だから一時は反対もした。でもお前が魔術の訓練や勉学に勤しむのは全部殿下のため、国のためだったから私も止めることはできなかった。」
私の両親は、私を積極的に殿下に売り込むようなことはしなかった。厳しい教育も全部自分が望んでやったことで、両親はむしろ私がルドルフに積極的にアピールするのを止めるようなこともあった。
「殿下は小さい頃は穏やかで人当たりも良くて優秀で、非の打ち所のない理想の王太子だった。帝王学も早くに修め、剣技も優秀。将来は賢王間違いなしと言われた。だが、ご自分の意思を示されたのを見たことがなかったんだ。周りの意見をよく聞かれて、それから判断なさっていた。もちろん周囲に耳をかすことは大事だが、子供らしいわがまま一つおっしゃらないことが不安でもあったんだ。その殿下が唯一執着を見せたのが、お前だ。重臣たちや私が何と言ってもお前を妃にすると譲らなかった。真剣にお前をもらい受けたい、と私におっしゃった。人が本気かどうかということは私にはわかる。本当にお前を好いてくださっている、とな。そのときに私は、殿下ならお前を任せてもいいと思ったんだ。互いに望んでいる以上反対する理由もないしな。」
私への求婚の言葉はあまりに分かりにくいものだったが、父に対しては義理堅く筋を通していたのが何だか口惜しい。
「カレンベルク家は王家の鉾と呼ばれてきた。王の右腕となって戦うこと。それが我が家系の宿命だ。だが、同時に、王が国や民をないがしろにして道を誤ったときにはお止めする、それも使命だ。お前は殿下をお支えし、そして聖女として民のために尽くしなさい。そして殿下と共に幸せになりなさい。お前と殿下が時間を遡る前にどう生きて来たか私は知らないし、これ以上知りたいとも思わない。私は今を生きているし、今のお前たちしか見ていないし、見る必要もないと思っている。私は確信しているよ。今のお前と殿下なら、必ず二人で国を守り、民を幸せにできる。」
父は私が幼い頃から事あるごとに言ってくれていた。私ならルドルフと共に幸せになれる、と。父のその確信は、私の心の支えであった。今は喜びであり、希望だ。
「わかりました。お父様」
私は父の想いを幸せな気持ちで受け止める。胸に温かな温もりが広がるのを感じた。
「なぁ…父上はああ言ったけどさ…」
父の書斎を退出して二人で屋敷の廊下を歩いているときに兄が言った。
「…一つだけ教えてくれないか？」
「何です？」
どこか思いつめた顔をしている。
「俺さ…結婚とか…婚約者とか…いた？」
―真剣な顔で聞くから何事かと思ったらそんなことか…
「お兄様は独身でしたし、婚約者もいませんでしたよ。…というか、聖女ミアに夢中でしたね。話すのはミアのことだけでした。今も仲良くしているようですね。私は心配になりました。」
「仲良くって…俺、女の子にはあんな感じだぞ？」
「そうですか？随分親し気でしたけれど」
みんなにあんな感じだとは、我が兄はチャラいのか…
「いやいやいや！そんなことはない！…でも、そうなのか…もし誤解されてたらどうしよう…」
「誰にです？」
兄はびくんと肩を震わせ、頬を赤らめて栗色の髪を掻いた。
「ソフィー・ロイス…」
「ロイス…伯爵のお嬢様？」
兄はこくんと頷いた。
「…ああ。アレク様の従妹ですよね。」
以前はルドルフの婚約者候補の一人でもあった。
「兄のマリウスが騎士団にいて、時々顔を出してくれるんだ…」
「なるほど。以前はお兄様が騎士団に行かれることはありませんでしたから。そもそも出会っていなかったと思いますよ。」
「そうか…。」
兄は納得したらしい。
「ルドルフが逆行したことで、色々と事情が変わっています。私たちの見てきた未来とは変わっていますし…変えなければなりません。お兄様もご自分の思うままに行動なされたらいいのです。」
「ああ、そうだな」
兄エリアスは、ぱぁっと明るい顔をした。この兄は素直なのが良いところだと思う。
ソフィがルドルフの婚約者候補のままだったら、兄にはチャンスがなかっただろう。エリアスが騎士団に通うようになり、私が婚約者になったことで、兄にも出会いが回ってきたのだ。
「でも。女性に対する態度は考えられた方がいいですわ。」
「…わかった」
兄はまた素直に頷いた。
I returned to the Marquis’ house yesterday with my maid of honor, Hannah, in anticipation of the royal ball tomorrow, which will be my debut in the social world. As soon as we arrived, I was summoned to my father’s study to talk with him and my brother.
It seems that my father and brother wanted to talk to me again. My brother was quite shocked to hear the unexpected story, especially unlike my father who had been told by Rudolph about his memories and the “one possibility” that I might have regressed after I had lost my magic power.
He said, “Ella…. Rudolph and the future that you have seen…. I can’t believe it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not doubting. As your father said, there are many explanations for the way Rudolph is proceeding with the saints and political measures without any doubts, for your loss of magic… for Mia Otto’s close surveillance…. But I don’t really feel it. I don’t know how to apologize to you for what I did to you, for imprisoning you in the tower, for sending you to your death. I don’t know how to apologize to you.
I don’t want you to apologize. I know now that it was not your father’s or brother’s true intention. I understand that you risked your life to revive me, and that is enough for me. In the first place, I am not your father or brother today.”
“Ella…thank you.”
Yes…”
My father and brother bowed to me. The head of the magician’s corps and the second most powerful person in the kingdom after the king. I was so excited to see my father and brother bowing to someone other than the king. I was surprised that my father would bow down to an 18-year-old girl, even if she was his own daughter. It is not something that the “current” father should be apologizing for in the first place. But I decided to accept his sense of responsibility.
But Ella,” he said. But Ella, what you are going to do from now on is not an easy path. You will be a saint, a crown princess, and a queen. Not since the first saints have you held both positions. There will be those who will come to you. You will be in more mortal danger than ever before.”
Not everyone around me is as friendly to me, because I don’t have the same constitution of enchantment as Mia. Moreover, I come from the Cullenberg family, which means I will have strong power. I am the target of backbiting and envy.
But. I believe in you and in His Highness. You have been capable and hardworking since you were a child. If you wanted someone to match your daughter’s excellence, there is no one better than His Royal Highness the Dauphin. But I also thought it would be a waste to make you the Dauphin’s daughter. There was also the fact that too much power would be concentrated in the Marquise’s family. That is why I was against it at one time. But I couldn’t stop you from training in magic and studying because it was all for His Highness and for the country.
My parents did not actively promote me to His Highness. I wanted to do everything, even the hard training, and my parents would rather stop me from actively appealing to Rudolph.
His Highness was calm, good-natured, and brilliant as a small child, an ideal crown prince with impeccable character. He mastered imperial studies at an early age and excelled in swordsmanship. He was said to have a future as a wise king. But I had never seen him express his own will. He listened carefully to the opinions of those around him and then made his decision. Of course it was important for him to listen to the people around him, but the fact that he did not say a single selfish thing like a child made me uneasy. You were the only one to whom his highness showed any attachment. No matter what the chief vassals or I said, he would not budge from his decision to make you his queen. He told me that he was serious about accepting you. I know whether a person is serious or not. I know whether a person is serious or not, and I know that he really likes you. At that time, I thought that I could entrust you to His Highness. As long as we both want it, there is no reason for me to oppose it.
His words of marriage proposal to me were so cryptic that it was somewhat regrettable that he had been so loyal and reasonable to my father.
The Kallenbergs have been called the spears of royalty. The Kallenbergs have been called the royal spear, the right hand of the king. That is the destiny of our family. But at the same time, it is also our mission to stop the king when he makes a mistake and neglects his country and people. You must support His Highness and serve the people as a saint. And be happy together with His Highness. I don’t know how you and His Highness lived before you went back in time, and I don’t want to know any more. I live in the now, and I only see you now, and I don’t think I need to see you now. I am certain of it. With you and His Highness as you are now, I am sure that together you will protect your country and make your people happy.”
My father had said this to me at every opportunity since I was a little girl. My father had always assured me since I was a little girl that I would be happy together with Rudolph. My father’s confidence in me was the support of my heart. Now it is my joy and my hope.
I understand. Father.”
I accepted my father’s thoughts with happiness. I felt a warmth spreading in my chest.
‘Hey…you said that, Father, but…’
My brother said as we left my father’s study and walked down the hallway of the mansion together.
‘…Can you tell me one thing?”
What is it?”
He looked somewhat thoughtful.
‘Did I…get…married…or…have…a fiancée?’
-I wondered what was going on because he asked with a serious face, but I didn’t know if he meant that.
I was single, and I didn’t have a fiancée. He was crazy about Mia, the saint. All he talked about was Mia. It seems that they are still getting along well. I was worried.
‘Getting along…I’m like that with girls, you know?
“Really? He seemed to be very friendly.
Is my brother a flirt, if he’s like that with everyone?
No, no, no, no, no, no! But, well… what if they misunderstood me?
By whom?”
My brother’s shoulders shook with fear, and he scratched his chestnut hair with a blush on his cheeks.
Sophie Lois…”
Lois…the Count’s daughter?”
My brother nodded his head.
She’s a cousin of Master Alec’s, isn’t she? She’s Master Alec’s cousin, isn’t she?
She used to be one of Rudolph’s potential fiancées.
My brother Marius is in the knighthood, and he comes to see me from time to time…”
‘I see. I’ve never met your brother before. I don’t think we met in the first place.
I see…”
My brother seemed convinced.
Rudolph’s regression has changed things in many ways. It has changed from the future we have seen…and it must change. Your brother should do as he sees fit.”
Yeah, I guess so.”
My brother Elias looked at me with a bright and cheerful face. The good thing about this brother is that he is honest.
If Sophie had remained a potential fiancée of Rudolph, my brother would not have had a chance. Elias started attending the knighthood and I became his fiancée, so my brother also had a chance to meet her.
But. You should think about your attitude toward women.
“…I understand.”
My brother nodded again frankly.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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