With a slow tread, Charlotte walked through the quiet graveyard. Allen followed a few steps behind her. They stopped in front of a small gravestone in the corner. The name engraved on it read: Maria Evans.
Charlotte drew in a small breath and murmured, in a trembling voice, “I’m home, Mom.”
Allen stepped up next to Charlotte and bowed deeply to the gravestone. “Nice to meet you, Mother.”
After that, they went to work cleaning up the patch of earth around the stone. There wasn’t much to do, though—the villagers seemed to have tended to it when they visited their own family’s graves, so there were hardly any weeds. The couple placed the bouquet of flowers they’d brought, and Charlotte crouched down in front of the stone.
“Um...first, I want to give you this,” she said, taking out a thick envelope from her breast pocket. The white envelope was pristine, and it was sealed with beeswax. It was almost bursting with the sheets of paper packed into it. Just the weight of it told volumes about the powerful emotions and determination of the writer. “It’s a letter that Father wanted me to give you. He’ll be here soon to see you too.” Charlotte gently placed the envelope next to the flowers. Her voice perked up as a smile played on her lips. “I have so many things I want to tell you, Mom. Would you like to hear them?”
Charlotte told her story to the gravestone—about what happened with the Evans family, about all the people she’d met, and about Allen, who was standing next to her now. Her voice was the only sound in the quiet graveyard, blown by a pleasant breeze. As he listened, Allen closed his eyes. He was recalling something that had happened about a week ago when everyone who had been involved with Prince Cecil’s arrest gathered at Allen’s mansion.
A man was shown into the living room, and as soon as he saw Charlotte, he took in a sharp breath. “Charlotte...!”
He was a well-dressed gentleman. His hair was graying, but his mustached face had good, handsome features, and his blue eyes were full of deep wisdom. He staggered toward Charlotte.
“Father...” she murmured.
“Who’s this? Is he a bad guy...?” Roo snarled, getting ready to pounce on the stranger.
Allen stopped her with a hand. “Wait, Roo.”
With wavering steps, the gentleman finally reached Charlotte. He grasped her hands and sobbed, “I’m so glad you’re safe! Thank heavens...!”
“Father, you already told me that the other day...” Charlotte said, unsure of what to do. She gave him a handkerchief to try to soothe him, but that only made him weep even more.
“What a kindhearted girl she is...!” he gushed. Once he calmed down a little, he gave her a deep bow. “I’m sorry to break down like this... It’s just that I still can’t believe what’s happened.”
“That’s my line,” Natalia said in a disgruntled tone. She was eyeing the man coldly from a distance. She asked ruthlessly, “Are you really our father...Frank Evans?”
“It’s hard for me to prove that myself...” Frank murmured, hanging his head. He was the very picture of sorrow. Even Natalia was quieted by his pained expression.
“He really is the man himself,” Harvey, who had followed Frank into the room, replied on his behalf. Holding Lydie in his arms, he dexterously flipped through a bundle of papers. “I’ve managed to track down the records of his visits with a wizard doctor too. And there’s plenty of evidence that matches Lydie’s testimony... All in all, it’s a classic case of reincarnation syndrome.”
The personalities of the past life and present life had existed independently of each other inside one body, fighting to gain control over it. The circumstances were slightly different from the case of Charlotte and Lydie, but it was a similar phenomenon. Harvey explained that for the last ten years, at the very least, Frank’s consciousness had barely ever risen to the surface.
“Normally, the patient’s family and friends would notice the inconsistencies in the words and actions between the personalities...but in this case, Robert’s spirit managed to go unnoticed. Even if some had noticed, they might not have been able to say anything because of Frank’s high rank.”
“Does that mean he didn’t even know I was born?” Natalia asked.
“Well, I was aware of that, at least,” Frank replied with a thin smile. “Though I didn’t have control over my own body, I was conscious of things around me. I had a grasp of what was happening.”
“That’s...more cruel than not knowing,” Natalia murmured.
For ten long years, Frank had been a prisoner in his own body. He could only watch helplessly as a stranger did as he pleased in his place.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Lydie hopped down from Harvey’s arms and said with a shrug, “Well well, what a troublesome condition, eh? Not that I can talk.”
“Look who’s talking, indeed.” Allen ruffled Lydie’s head. “But well done, Lydie. You must be tired from the whole investigation.”
“Hee hee, it was a breeze for me.” Lydie laughed, holding up her head with pride. “And I had a lot of fun at the Athena School of Magic!”
“That’s good to hear,” Allen said.
After his diagnosis, Frank stayed at Athena for his medical treatment. Lydie had gone with him as a witness to what had happened to him, so she had been gone for the last few weeks.
“You didn’t feel conflicted?” Allen asked quietly. “The one who was inside Frank—he was your younger brother, wasn’t he?”
Lydie flashed him a bold grin. “It’s because he was my brother that I could do what I did... I felt I had to settle the matter by my own hands.”
When Lydie had turned up with Frank right after Allen and Co had sorted out everything with Cecil and Cordelia, everyone was startled. But Lydie had maintained her aloof composure as she explained the story to them, as cool as she was now. Allen sensed a dark shadow hidden underneath her calm veneer, and he stroked her head reassuringly.
“Well, the responsibility lies with me too, as your guardian. Don’t bear the burden all by yourself,” he said.
“Mm-hmm.” Lydie gave a small nod. As if to shake off the gloom, she pointed straight at Allen’s face. “In any case, this means I’ve broken with the Evans family in every sense! Be prepared to support my new life all the way, Allen!”
“Now that you say it, it’s almost spring...” Allen put a hand to his chin and thought over it, then his face cracked into a mischievous grin. “I know. What do you think about attending a school in town?”
“Huh?! A-A school...you say?”
“Uh-huh. It’s a place where you can study and have fun with kids your age.”
“D-Don’t tease me! I know that!” Lydie swatted Allen’s hand, turning away her face in a huff. But she couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips, and she started fidgeting in excitement. “A school, eh...? N-Not a bad idea. I’m allowed to go to school? Wow...”
Apparently, Allen’s suggestion was much to her liking.
Looking at Lydie, Frank laughed weakly. “Who would’ve thought the legendary saint that my ancestor was searching for was such an adorable little girl? I would never have guessed while he was controlling my body.”
“Father...” Charlotte looked at her father’s face pitifully. Trying to sound cheerful, she said, “But I’m so glad you’re here now. You’re back to your real self.”
“It’s too late now...” Frank’s head drooped again. He slumped down on a chair nearby and squeezed out his words in a trembling voice. “The first time I noticed something odd was before you were born, Charlotte...”
Frank had fallen in love with one of the maids. He knew a union between a nobleman and a servant would never be celebrated, but he was planning to marry her at any cost. However, he began to notice that there was a stranger within him.
“I became frightened of myself... I let Maria escape far away so that she wouldn’t come to any harm...but where did that get us? I couldn’t even be with her as she was dying, let alone bring her back home—and I was powerless to do anything as my own daughter suffered.” He buried his face in his hands, grieving for all that he had lost. A small teardrop fell between his fingers. “I’ve done something irreparable. How can I ever make amends?”
“I’ve often wondered...” Charlotte said quietly, “When Mom was still alive, she always told me how kindhearted my father was. But when I actually met you, you only looked at me coldly...”
When Charlotte paused, Frank raised his tear-streaked face. The father and the daughter stared at each other.
Eventually, Charlotte whispered, “Father... Do you still...love my mother?”
“Of course. I’ve never forgotten her, not for a single moment...”
“Just knowing that makes me very glad.” Charlotte squeezed her father’s hands. Shaking her head slowly, she gave him a bright smile. “You don’t need to make amends at all. I just want to ask you to do one thing... Could you please go see Mom someday?”
“What right do I have to go there? Would she even want to see me...?”
“Of course. She was always missing you, so I’m sure it would make her happy.”
Frank choked back tears at her words. He pondered over it for a little while, then quickly wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes. He gave a deep nod as if to muster up the courage. “All right. I promise to visit her soon. If you don’t mind me asking...could you please come with me when I do, Charlotte?”
“Yes. I’d love to.” Charlotte nodded with a warm smile.