Chapter 4

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"It's terrible! That person has lost their mind!"

Leaning against the wall, Lean turned pale as she watched a student suddenly start rampaging in the auditorium. By her side stood Mordred, the school’s medical doctor, as if to support her. The bracelet that the messenger from the king had just held was now wrapped around his wrist, indicating he had been chosen as a knight.

"That is a 'Hindrance.' I’ve never seen one before, but I’ve heard it’s a kind of demon that possesses people."

Another person stood beside Lean. It was the crown prince, Oscar. He, too, had a similar bracelet wrapped around his wrist.

"I’ve only read about it in books, but apparently, a 'Hindrance' appears when the power of a godchild weakens. It appeared during the previous selection ceremony and was subdued by the godchild candidates and the knights."

"But who is the godchild candidate...?"

Lean looked around. Even though she had been an orphan until recently, she had heard of the godchild. She had read in a storybook that this person was a holy maiden who protected the country from the shadows. The godchild candidate was among the students, but the student had started rampaging while the messenger was explaining, and it was still unknown who the candidate was.

"You are the godchild candidate, aren’t you?"

"Huh?"

A bright voice came from behind her, and she was suddenly grabbed by the hand. The hand had a strange mark that had appeared recently, resembling a snowflake. The person who grabbed her hand was a young man who had been standing diagonally behind her. His fluffy brown hair made him look like a dog. Given his position, he was likely in the same class.

"My name is Jade. For some reason, I’ve been chosen to be your guardian knight."

He held up his wrist, where a silver bracelet was glowing.

"Um, Jade, why am I the godchild candidate...?"

"Didn’t you know? Before the selection ceremony, a flower-like mark appears on the godchild candidate. That’s why I have the duty to protect you."

"Godchild..."

Lean’s voice trembled. Until recently, she had been an orphan in a welfare home, but then she was suddenly revealed to be the illegitimate child of a baron and became a noble. Now, she was a godchild candidate. It was no wonder she was flustered.

"If that’s the case, this is easy. Let’s exorcise that 'Hindrance' together! Can you lend me your power?"

"You need my power?"

Both Mordred and Oscar looked at Lean with intense eyes. Feeling their passionate gazes, a sense of mission welled up in Lean’s chest.

"If my power is needed..."

Lean took a step forward. And thus, they successfully completed their first mission.

---

That was how the prologue should have been.

"AAAAAAH!! My past self!! Why did you skip the prologue!! If only I had remembered! If only I had remembered, this wouldn’t have happened..."

Cecilia, who had stolen Lean’s godchild candidate debut and even obtained Gilbert’s bracelet, was holding her head in frustration. Gilbert, who was standing beside her, looked exasperated. It was lunchtime, and the two had brought sandwiches to their usual greenhouse for a strategy meeting, which had turned into a major regret session.

"It’s already happened, so there’s no point in regretting it. We should hurry and eat before we’re late for the next class."

Gilbert, speaking in an unusually calm tone, was glared at by Cecilia with teary eyes.

"Gil doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation!"

"What do you mean?"

"The selection ceremony is a vote between the godchild candidates. If I get Gilbert’s vote, it means I’m one step ahead of Lean! If Lean doesn’t form any connections, I’ll be chosen as the godchild!"

In that case, Cecilia would be baptized by the church and then killed by bandits on the way. Without a godchild, the country would be invaded by 'Hindrances' and eventually decline and fall. Hearing this, even Gilbert’s face twisted in shock.

"If your sister dies and the country falls..."

"What’s with that reaction?"

"I’m just surprised. I didn’t expect it to be such a big deal."

Cecilia had always described her future to Gilbert using vague terms like 'dark future,' 'destruction,' and 'tragedy,' without giving specific details. So, Gilbert was taken aback by the future she described this time. Conversely, it was a mystery why he had cooperated without asking for specifics.

"Then, maybe I shouldn’t have given you the bracelet?"

"No way! That quick decision was really helpful! Without it, I would have been in trouble right there!"

Cecilia shook her head vigorously at Gilbert, who looked a bit apologetic. If she hadn’t taken the bracelet from Gilbert, she would have been recognized as a mysterious person who could exorcise the 'Hindrance.' After a physical examination, her true gender would have been revealed, and she would have been forced to become a godchild candidate, leading directly to the inevitable destruction route.

So, Gilbert’s decision at that moment was correct, and she couldn’t thank him enough. The current situation was entirely due to her past self, Hino, skipping the prologue.

"Gil, was it okay to give me the bracelet? It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..."

Cecilia tilted her head. Being chosen as a holy knight by the godchild was the most honorable position in the country, ranking just below the king and above other nobles. By giving the bracelet to Cecilia, who had no intention of becoming a godchild, Gilbert had essentially given up that right.

"It’s fine. I’m not really interested in that kind of power. Besides, I only intended to give it to you anyway."

While munching on his sandwich, Gilbert looked a bit sulky, almost as if he was hiding his embarrassment.

(Come to think of it, Gil is a bit shy around people. He might find Lean a bit intimidating since they just met...)

Even when they lived in the same house, Gilbert was very cold to everyone. He never approached the gardener El, who always brought her flowers, the soldier Hans, who taught her swordsmanship, or Donny, the son of the butler who often took care of her. He even avoided her as his step-sister. This was also depicted in the game. The introverted and reclusive Gilbert initially didn’t open up to Lean at all. She had to try repeatedly to win his trust, and only after she refused to give up did he gradually warm up to her.

"I think I’ve liked you since we first met. I think it was love at first sight. Thank you for taking me out of that dark room. Thank you for broadening my world."

The scene where he confesses his love is so touching that it’s impossible to watch without tears. In other romance routes, he completely disappears from the story due to his personality, as if he never existed. Gilbert fans on social media even lamented this.

Cecilia patted Gilbert’s shoulder encouragingly.

"You need to work on your shyness during this school life!"

"Shyness? What are you talking about?"

"Come on, you really want to get along with Lean, right? It’s love at first sight! I understand how you feel, not being able to talk to the person you like!"

"I don’t understand what my step-sister is saying..."

With a puzzled expression, Gilbert looked at Cecilia, who smiled broadly.

"Don’t worry, leave it to your big sister! But I want to avoid interacting with Lean as much as possible, so I’ll only provide support from the back. I’ll always be here to listen to your concerns, so come to me anytime!"

Gilbert didn’t respond to his step-sister’s words. He just looked at her with half-lidded eyes, as if to say, "This is hopeless."