House Exner’s domain had been developed so much with House Banfield’s assistance that it was practically unrecognizable, yet Baron Exner still made use of the same small mansion he’d always lived in. He hadn’t had a new one built as Liam had, instead living frugally.
Kurt lived the same way and didn’t find it burdensome at all. Presently, he was strolling in the mansion’s yard alongside two other people. Ahead of Kurt and his fiancée, Cecilia, 3588 was frolicking, wearing a dress.
Kurt called her name. “Lily, don’t get too far ahead of us!”
“Okay!”
Just like other little kids, Lily enjoyed running around and getting covered in mud.
Cecilia watched the girl alongside Kurt. She lived with House Exner now, and her marriage to Kurt was coming up soon.
Cecilia was a mellow woman, and she watched over Lily warmly. “My—Lily really is a tomboy, isn’t she? She reminds me of Lysithea when she was young.”
Kurt smiled awkwardly. “I’m sorry that my selfishness forced us to take her in.”
Cecilia shook her head. “She’s an orphan you found on the battlefield, isn’t she? I think that’s what a noble should do.”
Lily’s presence didn’t bother Cecilia at all. That was in part because Kurt hadn’t told her that Lily was a clone Cleo had created of Liam, but mostly, it was because Cecilia was good-natured, like Kurt.
Although Cecilia believed that Kurt had only taken Lily in because he felt sorry for her, a small part of her did wonder.
“Would you say that she’s your type, Lord Kurt?”
“I guess…I can’t deny that.” Kurt decided not to hide how he felt. “And, while it’s true that I want to help her, she does have a somewhat complicated past. She won’t be able to live that long a life either. I at least want her to be happy for whatever time she has.”
“Will you make her a concubine?” Cecilia asked worriedly.
“Never!” Kurt replied, flustered. “I think of her as a cute little sister, that’s all.”
Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m a little glad to hear that.”
“Huh?”
“Well, it’s rather embarrassing, but I found myself getting a little envious of Lily. When you brought her back with you, I worried a bit that you might start ignoring me.”
“Lady Cecilia…”
Cecilia explained why she’d felt that way. “I heard about what happened on the Capital Planet from Lysithea… That Cleo broke things off with House Banfield. So I worried that our engagement would be called off too. I still can’t believe that Cleo betrayed the duke like that.”
Kurt hugged Cecilia gently. “There’s no need to worry. I’ve already checked in with Liam, and he’s not against our marriage.”
Cecilia wrapped her arms around Kurt’s back, embracing him tightly. “I do so adore you, Lord Kurt.”
Cecilia and Kurt’s marriage would be a political one, but they had put in effort to grow closer to one another. By now, Cecilia truly loved Kurt. When she laid bare her feelings to him, Kurt felt nothing but apologetic to her in his own heart.
“Yes. I feel the same way.” But I’m sorry… I can’t betray Liam. Even if Cleo is your brother, I’ll point my sword at him if Liam tells me to fight the crown prince. Even if that saddens you.
Watching Lily run around and play, Kurt felt enraged by what Cleo had done.
I understand betraying Liam. It angers me, but it’s politics. Even if it doesn’t sit right with me, I can accept it. There are some lengths you simply don’t go to, though, and Prince Cleo crossed those lines only too easily.
In an effort to beat Liam, Cleo had created clones and made use of AI. Stealing another noble’s assets was also a bridge too far. All that was starting to show Kurt how foolish Cleo really was.
If he takes the throne, the Empire will decline.
While Kurt was worrying about the future, Lily tripped and fell. Kurt and Cecilia ran over to the girl and picked her up.
“Goodness,” Cecilia said. “It’s because you cavort about like that!”
“Hee hee hee… I fell.”
“Come here.”
Kurt and Cecilia led Lily to a nearby fountain to wash the dirt off her. Though it was just an outdoor fountain, it washed the dirt off Lily completely when she submerged herself, and as soon as she got out, she dried off immediately.
Lily clapped her hands. “Wow! I’m already clean! This is amazing!”
Cecilia looked confused. “Is it? Don’t they have these everywhere?”
At that point, Kurt explained a bit about Lily’s background to his fiancée. “Lily grew up somewhere a little special, so she doesn’t know about a lot of everyday things like this.”
“Really? Oh, I’m sorry, dear. That was inconsiderate of me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
When Cecilia apologized, Lily only shook her head. “It’s okay. I had Mr. Hat back then, after all!”
“Mr. Hat?” Cecilia cocked her head at Kurt.
He shook his head to indicate that he didn’t understand either. “I think that was the person who looked after her where she grew up, but Lily doesn’t seem to know many details herself.”
Lily did her best to explain who she meant. “Well, see, Mr. Hat knows all about a lot of stuff. He helped me when I was in trouble, and he made me feel better when I was hurt. Hee hee hee… You gave me a name, so someday, I’ll get Mr. Hat to call me by that name instead of my number.”
Kurt stroked Lily’s hair gently. “Uh-huh… We should tell Mr. Hat your name if we ever meet him.”
“Yeah! He was my only friend. How can I meet him again, do you think?”
“Hmm…” Kurt folded his arms and thought.
I’m sure the facility where Lily was created is top-secret, and they may already have destroyed all the evidence around it. This “Mr. Hat” might be gone by now too. Even if he is still alive, there’s almost no chance we’d ever meet him.
It was highly unlikely that Cleo would’ve left any proof of his taboo-breaking behind. Even if it did exist, it wouldn’t be kept in the same place as before.
Thus, all Kurt could say to Lily was, “Let’s pray that you’ll meet him again someday.”
“Pray? Like this…?” Lily put her hands together as she’d learned in her education capsule, then suddenly began looking around.
“What is it, Lily?”
“Um…um…there was a dog just now! It said it would tell him!”
“A dog?” Kurt looked around; he didn’t see a dog anywhere.
Meanwhile, Cecilia tilted her head. “I know you have dogs at your house—are any out here?”
Both checked, but they didn’t see any sign of a dog or another animal. Not even a trace of one. “I don’t think so… Maybe she was mistaken.”
Lily has been so happy about whatever she’d seen that Kurt and Cecilia figured correcting her would be rude. They decided not to say anything.
✦ ✦ ✦
Somewhere in space, the Guide was weeping, reduced to only a hat. His tears became tiny droplets of water that floated around him.
“I can’t even curse Liam!” he lamented. “And that level of holy power could never have deflected me before!”
His own strength had declined so much, while Liam was more powerful than ever. The gap between them was only widening.
“I won’t give up! I’ll never give up! I’ll plunge Liam into the depths of despair and make him suffer one day—I swear it!”
As he muttered to himself, a dog appeared behind him, carrying a knife in its mouth—a knife imbued with all Lily’s gratitude. This materialization of goodwill pierced the Guide’s hat.
“Gyaaah! Th-this gratitude—is it Liam’s?! N-no, it’s not… Is this…from 3588?! Why is her gratitude reaching me?! Ah…no! Don’t stab so deep! You’ll melt my true form! You’ll melt meeee!”
As the Guide struggled desperately to remove the knife, the dog disappeared, evidently satisfied.
“I was so good to you, and yet you betray me despite that, 3588?!”
The Guide’s scream managed to echo around him even in the void of space.