“I had no idea Gilles had weakened this much. If just standing around talking is too much for him, I’ll have to recommend to father that he not be allowed to leave the house for a while.”
If Gilles didn’t go into town, he’d never run into Claude. If I could lock him in his room and prevent that fateful encounter at the same time, I’d kill two birds with one stone. No, seeing Gilles turn pale with the shock of taking away something he was looking forward to made it three birds with one stone.
This was nothing compared to what Kreis had endured. Not even one bit.
“W-Wait, Kreis! I’m fine, really!”
“Lord Gilles, please stay calm! Lord Kreis, do you plan on locking Lord Gilles away?!”
“Do you really think it’s a good idea to let someone in his condition go out and about?” I retorted.
“W-Well...”
“Letting Gilles do whatever he wants isn’t kindness, you know. Sometimes you have to speak up against his wishes for the sake of his own health. Isn’t that your job? To take care of him?”
“Kreis, they’re only saying that because they care about me.”
“I’m sure they do. That’s why you have to be careful not to overexert yourself, for their sake as well.”
“You sound like a completely different person.”
Of course I do, because I am a different person! The Kreis you used to toy with and manipulate is gone. So sorry. My condolences.
“It’s amazing what a lifetime of resentment can do, huh?”
Maybe you should try getting stabbed to death and see how you feel, Professor. Then you’d really understand how I feel.
Whatever sympathy I might’ve had spilled out along with my blood the night I died. That experience was still deep inside of me, even though I’d taken Kreis’s place.
I would never reconcile with the person who killed me just because fate changed. It would never happen. That boy, no matter the circumstances, was the kind of person who could harm someone else without even blinking. So no matter how many lives I lived, I’d never trust him.
I buried those thoughts deep inside and shook my head at Gilles with a sad smile.
“I’ve just done some reflecting. I used to avoid you because I was afraid of father, but perhaps that only made things worse. Father loves you so much that he turns a blind eye to everything, even when it’s harmful to your health. And the only one who can point that out to him is me. I’m sorry I let it continue for so long.”
“That’s not... I’m really fine, I promise!”
“Take it easy. I’m going to get stronger for your sake too.”
“Kreis... Nngh!”
“See? Go ahead and get Gilles back to his room,” I commanded the maids.
They sprang into action, supporting him on either side. As they led him away, I watched them leave and muttered under my breath, “I’d say I win round one.”
“I wish you could’ve heard what that boy was thinking,” Professor said.
“What?”
“Ah, ah. No cheating, remember?”
“Then don’t tease me.”
Not that I needed to ask. I had a pretty good idea already. The second Gilles was alone, he’d be cursing Kreis’s name.
Kreis’s change in personality and behavior triggered a change in the entire atmosphere of the Louboutin estate.
First, the servants who used to take out their frustrations on Kreis now kept their distance from him, perhaps after hearing what happened to Elly. I was encouraged by that and began to make a point of speaking to the servants who’d held weaker positions. This was all part of my plan to gain more allies inside the estate, of course.
Meanwhile, I told Albert to keep Gilles from going out. I made sure to say it in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion, acting like it was just in Gilles’s best interests and I was being a caring older brother.
With that framing, surprisingly enough Albert accepted my suggestion right away. And so for the past few days, Gilles hadn’t been allowed to leave the estate.
Then, just yesterday, Claude appeared incognito in the Louboutin marquisate. One of the servants who’d begun to open up to me told me the news, and I internally struck a victory pose. Gilles couldn’t leave the estate, so I’d succeeded in blocking their first fateful encounter.
But my joy didn’t last for long.
“What? A birthday for me?” I repeated.
“That’s right.”
Albert had told me to come to his study immediately, and then dropped that bomb out of nowhere, leaving me momentarily stunned.
There hadn’t been a birthday party held for Kreis in years. In noble society, the heir’s birthday was usually a grand affair. It was also a way to maintain social ties and secure future political connections. Gilles never had his own elaborate parties due to concerns for his health, and once he had complained about it, saying, “It must be nice to get birthday parties like Kreis...” And just like that, there were no more birthday parties for Kreis.
At first, the nobles had been suspicious about it, but Albert shut down the speculation with a lie. “Kreis insisted on skipping his party in consideration of his sickly brother.” And everyone fell for it. Years passed without anyone bringing it up again.
So why have a party now, after all this time?
“You’re aware that Prince Claude is currently in the area, aren’t you?”
I tried not to let a reaction show on my face.
“Nobles from neighboring domains have been pushing to get close to him. A birthday party seems like the perfect occasion to invite him.”
Of course I hadn’t been expecting that he would celebrate my birthday out of genuine affection, but this was the worst possible reason I could imagine. I’d gone to such lengths to prevent Gilles and Claude from meeting, and now this party would make all those efforts pointless.
“Well, things can’t be too easy...”
You’re acting like this has nothing to do with you, Professor, I thought back. Actually, come to think of it... It doesn’t have anything to do with you. And that’s infuriating.
“Why not send an invitation to the king while you’re at it?” Albert asked.
Tweet, tweet. I heard birds chirping outside the window. It was such a lovely day. Maybe I should just jump out the window and pretend this conversation never happened.
“His Majesty is a busy man. It would be inappropriate to bother him with something like my birthday.”
“Send the invitation by tomorrow.”
Of course. It’s already been decided...
There was a lot I wanted to say, but I managed to push it all down and just replied, “All right.”
I already knew once Albert made up his mind, there was no going back. There was no way this vulture was going to miss the chance to have both the king and the prince in one room with him.
“Oh, come on. Calling him a vulture is insulting to vultures. They’ve got way more dignity,” Professor quipped, lounging peacefully behind me, in stark contrast to Albert who loomed over me. It almost looked like Albert was his owner. Traitor.
“‘Traitor’? Don’t be rude. I’m gracing you with my presence to comfort you, you know.”
Oh, I see. I wonder if divine beasts taste good spit-roasted?
“Wh-What?! You’d eat me?! But that’s blasphemy!”
“If you understand, then get out.”
“Of course. Excuse me.”
And that was that. My birthday party was definitely happening. That would be another event that differed from how I wrote the story, so I needed to prepare myself.
“What’s even the point of birthdays, anyway?” I grumbled.
The hall was beautifully decorated and a lavish spread of food had been set on the tables, with servants standing by, ready to wait on the guests. All of it had been arranged by me, of course. The irony of having to plan a party I didn’t even want wasn’t lost on me.
“Come on, don’t be like that. At least you get to eat a bunch of delicious food! And if you don’t eat properly, you’ll just end up worrying Siegfried again.”
“If anything, I think I’ve gained weight.”