Chapter 31

I sold you, my daughter.

For my son.

As I mulled over Oscar's words, I tried to act calm.

'I see.'

Given Dad's personality, he wouldn't have run away with a child he had together without Mom knowing.

It seems he informed Mom of his whereabouts. He probably didn't expect Mom to reveal his whereabouts to the Emperor.

'So, the start of this tragedy was none other than Mom?'

In the original story, I was kidnapped.

Then I was moved to a breeding facility.

After my class was confirmed, I was imprisoned in the royal palace.

'Mom was working at the breeding facility. So, Mom knew everything, then.'

The entire process of being kidnapped, separated from Dad, having my class revealed, and being imprisoned in the royal palace... Mom knew about it all, saw it all, and pretended not to know.

'...This is quite a shock.'

The fact that my own mother contributed to the tragedy of my life was quite shocking.

"Huh, huh."

"Surprised this time?"

"Yes... a little."

Answering honestly, Oscar looked at me with a strange expression.

"Go straight to the magic tower after the breeding facility. I'll get you an early appointment using my authority."

"Huh... Why me? I don't want to."

"What? Why?"

I felt depressed and absentmindedly scribbled on the paper.

"I want to stay with Dad at home. What would I do there?"

"If you don't enter the magic tower, you'll have to go to the battlefield. No one will show you any mercy. Even the young soldiers go to fight the monsters with a hundred teeth."

"Still, I don't want to go. I don't want to be separated from Dad."

"You have some confidence."

Oscar sneered.

"Why, did Dad tell you to do nothing? To live like a princess who doesn't lift a finger?"

"..."

"You can't enjoy such luxury without a price. Just like your mother sold you to protect her son."

Oscar pressed his index finger against my forehead and added,

"Your father is the same. He probably thinks he'll go to the battlefield in exchange for you living like a princess."

"..."

"You know your father is a terrifying person. Even the Emperor couldn't order him to go to the battlefield. Especially... in an invasion war. Your father opposed it every time. But."

Oscar paused and laughed.

"Then, he had a daughter? The Emperor probably wants to strip off his clothes and dance. It's easy to threaten with you."

"..."

"Would you want your father to be silenced by the Emperor, to go and kill innocent people, and still be okay with it?"

That won't happen. As long as I'm not in the top three classes that have conscription duties, it won't be a problem, and I've already prepared for that.

But I was curious about Oscar's true intentions, which seemed to be helping me.

'Is he really the most inscrutable character? From what he says, it seems he doesn't like the Emperor.'

Then, why in the original story...

Did Dad refuse to help the revolution even when he asked for it?

I recalled the ending of the original story with wide eyes.

The final destination of Dad and Cheshire's successful rebellion was the palace.

They had to cut off the head of the tyrant Emperor who ruled the corrupt empire.

When the rebels arrived at the palace.

Surprisingly, the head of the magic tower, Oscar, was by the Emperor's side.

'I thought Oscar was on the Emperor's side when I saw that.'

Strangely, Oscar only watched as the Emperor's head was cut off.

Even when the Emperor reached out for help, calling out, "Oh, head of the magic tower!" Oscar didn't even glance at him.

Oscar only stepped in.

'After I, the final villain, appeared, right?'

I, who was thought to be dead, appeared in a brainwashed state.

The last stronghold secretly hidden by the cruel Emperor. In other words, I was on the Emperor's side, not by my will, but as his enemy.

Cheshire tried to kill me, taking Dad's place in panic, but Oscar stopped him.

Oscar, who had never used his power recklessly, strangely fought Cheshire, even spitting blood.

Anyway, I thought he was an enemy because he sided with the villains in the conflict between the protagonist and the villains...

'It's confusing. Then why did he protect me and just watch the Emperor die?'

I frowned, pondering.

Oscar chuckled and rubbed my forehead.

"Smooth your forehead. You'll get wrinkles."

"Phew, it's complicated."

"What is?"

"The head of the magic tower. I can't figure out what he's thinking."

"Ha ha ha...!"

Oscar laughed, holding his stomach.

It's funny. I glared at Oscar, who was laughing with tears in his eyes.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Not only in the original story, where he desperately protected me,

But now, offering to recruit me to the magic tower to avoid conscription.

It was strange that he was so kind to me, despite being an inscrutable character.

'Could it be that he has some connection with me?'

Maybe something romantic?

It didn't appear in the original story, so I had no way of knowing.

I wanted to grab Oscar by the collar and shake him, asking why he would protect me in the future.

"Because he loves you?"

"Wh-what?!"

Really romantic? Oscar burst into laughter at my wide-eyed expression.

"I love geniuses. I do."

"Ah, you scared me!"

Oscar pounded the desk and laughed.

"Ha ha! Oh, this kid is crazy. Did you get scared?"

"Yes, a bit. I almost misunderstood! We have too much of an age difference, so it's not possible!"

"Ha ha ha ha!!"

What a tease. I puffed out my cheeks and glared at Oscar.

"Ha, hey..."

"What?"

Oscar wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and nodded toward the window.

"They're fighting."

"Huh?"

I turned around and saw two boys entangled in the garden on the first floor.

Cheshire and...

'Leon?'

Cheshire, who was on the bottom, was being punched by Leon one-sidedly.

"What, what's going on!"

I ran out in shock.

* * *

Lilith, with her short legs, ran out of the window.

Oscar watched Lilith with a smirk, resting his chin in his hand.

"You like the age difference, don't you?"

A tender look flashed in his eyes as he watched Lilith.

For some reason, it felt like a very long time...

"He's completely old inside. But he's a good actor."

* * *

"Stop!!"

As I shouted and ran over, Leon, who was punching Cheshire, flinched and looked up.

"What are you doing right now!"

"..."

"Move! Let Cheshire go!"

Leon ground his teeth, looking at Cheshire on the ground, and then stood up.

"Are, are you okay?"

I rushed to Cheshire. His lip was already split as he sat up.

The barely healed wound was...

"Why!"

Given his trauma from being beaten, he was hit again just a day after I saved him.

I promised to protect him from everyone.

"Why did you hit him! Why!"

I shouted, turning to Leon, feeling a lump in my throat.

He didn't answer, just glared at Cheshire as if he wanted to kill him.

"Tell me! Why did you hit him!!"

"Don't be friends with him."

"...What?"

"Don't. He's a bad guy."

"What do you mean?"

"He...!"

Leon started to say something but clamped his mouth shut.

"Anyway, listen to me. Don't play with this guy. I don't like how he acts so arrogantly even though he's a commoner."

"What did you say?"

Did I hear that right? Did Leon really talk about commoners?

Everyone could look down on Cheshire, but not Leon.

He was the cool older brother who scolded people who talked badly about Cheshire behind his back.

'Why did it turn out like this?'

I realized there was something wrong with their relationship, unlike in the original story.

What went wrong? Where did it start to go wrong?

Was it a mistake to save Cheshire earlier?

No, regardless of that...

I was disappointed in Leon.

"Am I a commoner?"

"What?"

"I've lived my whole life thinking I was a commoner. If I wasn't Dad's daughter, you wouldn't have talked to me."

"Hey, that's not what I meant..."

"I had commoner friends when I lived in Zeon. Susan and Joe were commoners. They were all nice, and I miss them."

"..."

"I won't choose friends based on class. Cheshire is my friend. So don't hit him or look down on him."

I looked at Leon straight in the eye, tears welling up.

Leon laughed bitterly, his eyes slightly red.

"You..."

"..."

"Do you like him more than me? Is he better?"

At the childish question, I lost my fighting spirit.

Right. Leon is still young.

I should understand, but it wasn't easy.

"I used to like you more, but now I don't know. I hate violent people the most."

I said coldly to Leon, who looked angry. I don't know if this would change his behavior.

"..."

Leon's eyes widened in shock, and he clenched his teeth, trembling for a while before turning and running away.