I vaguely thought as I looked at Arcelia’s face.
She looked like a puppy that had been abandoned.
Tears were falling from the corners of her eyes, and her eyes were swollen and red.
Her face was pale, with all the blood drained from it, and the phrase “deathly pale” fit perfectly.
The bags under her eyes were intense.
Her lips were dry too.
She was completely worn out, likely at her limit.
To think she’d end up like this after just twenty-one days… No, perhaps it was that significant to her.
Arcelia just stared at me in a daze.
Her expression was like she had just seen something unbelievable.
I had never seen such a foolish face on her before.
“…Sorry for confusing you. But as the king—no, I think it’s time we had a real, honest conversation.”
Since there was nowhere to sit, I perched on the bedding.
In the dim, quiet room, darkened by the window curtains, the bedding creaked loudly as I sat down.
“…Hey, Arcelia. What does family mean to you?”
I looked at Arcelia, who had propped herself up but was still hanging her head, and asked.
The root of all this was Arcelia insulting my brother.
In other words, Arcelia and I might have different views on what family is.
…From what I learned at the birthday festival, Arcelia’s family was awful.
At the very least, her father was a scumbag.
You can’t really compare these things, but… given his power, he might be worse than my father from my previous life in some ways.
“…My… enemy.”
Arcelia answered in a hoarse voice.
It was nothing like her usual strong tone.
“Enemy, huh… I see.”
I thought she would say something like, “Just blood-related strangers.”
But she called them enemies.
…Arcelia is fundamentally strong.
Whether it’s her intellect or her magical talent, she rarely sees people as enemies.
Which means her family must have attacked her to the point that she sees them as enemies.
“So that’s how it is. I understand now. I’ve been a fool…”
To put it simply, it’s a difference in perspective.
My family is good people, and Arcelia’s family is bad people.
That’s the broad, simple version of it.
…In my previous life, it was somewhat similar for me too.
I was so busy living up until my death that I didn’t have time to think about it, and it never occupied a significant part of my life like it does for Arcelia.
It’s just a vague memory for me now, something I can think, “Oh, that happened, didn’t it?”
Besides, Arcelia is only fourteen.
Though I may be fourteen as well, my mental age is easily over thirty.
I’ve been nothing short of immature.
Come to think of it… I made a lot of mistakes in my previous life.
I focused too much on the sword and becoming stronger… I didn’t consider the people around me and acted selfishly.
In the end, I regretted countless things when it was too late.
That’s why I began to think more carefully about things.
“I thought I understood… but I didn’t.”
I sighed as I spoke.
But this time, it’s not too late to turn back.
Unlike before, it’s not too late now.
I have no idea why I was reincarnated, but not learning from my first life would be foolish.
Now then… time to break down these strong walls and untangle the mess of knots.
“Arcelia, sorry for touching on a sore spot, but… isn’t your mother considered family?”
What had been bothering me since the birthday festival was how Arcelia acted on her way back from the restroom.
Four noble sons insulted her mother… and Arcelia blew them away with magic.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see her expression at that moment, but she was clearly furious.
Typically, a mother is considered family.
But Arcelia had said her family was her enemy.
So what did her mother mean to her?
That’s where I had to start.
“…Family? My mother is… my mother.”
“I see…”
It seems that, to Arcelia, her mother and family are separate things.
I can’t say I understand it, but now that I know this, it’s no longer an issue.
“You know, at the king’s birthday festival… when those noble sons insulted your mother, you were angry, right?”
“…”
Arcelia slowly got up and sat on the bed, nodding slightly.
“Though the target was different… what you did was the same as those noble sons.”
“…!”
Arcelia’s head turned toward me as she looked down.
“Of course, there are many differences. But your mother and my family are the same for you. It’s just that our perceptions of the word ‘family’ differ.”
Arcelia’s eyes lowered slightly.
Her dull, golden hair fell over her shoulders.
I don’t know what Arseria is thinking right now, but I want her to think it through carefully.
It’s important to come to a solid understanding.
“…So, you’re saying that what I did is the same as you insulting my mother…?”
“From a broader perspective, yes.”
“What does that even mean… That’s just the worst…”
Clenching her hands weakly, Arcelia scoffed at herself.
It seemed she had truly understood what she had done.
In that moment, she lacked her usual dignified strength.
She looked fragile, as if she might break if touched.
“Well, as long as you understand, I think that’s good. Plus… as you said, your family was your enemy, right? It’s impressive that you managed to find yourself again.”
“…That’s because you helped me in various ways…”
“You can’t do that without something solid at your core. So it’s your own strength.”
I leaned my weight onto the bedding with both hands.
At least one crisis has passed.
Now, it would be best to hear Arcelia’s thoughts and feelings.
“Since we’re at it, why don’t you spill everything you’ve been holding back?”
“Holding back…?”
“Yeah. Anything’s fine. Complaints or desires, whatever.”
It struck me again that human relationships can crumble over the smallest misunderstandings.
This situation is no different.
If we had known more about each other or shared our values, we wouldn’t have ended up here.
Both Arcelia and I are selfish, so we don’t really know each other well.
“…Complaints, desires…”
Arcelia muttered softly.
“I don’t care about home. I don’t want to think about it. I wish they would just self-destruct. I want to be with you. But you only care about swords. I want to go on adventures. I want to visit many places. But I hate the idea of being without you. I want to hone my magic skills more. I’m still not good enough. I want to become stronger. I don’t want to interfere with your path. But I don’t want to be left behind. I want you to look at me. I want you to look only at me. I don’t want to say selfish things and be hated. I don’t want to be scolded. I don’t care about anyone else. I have no interest in them. I want to be by your side. I don’t want to be away from you for even a minute. You need to take responsibility.”
Arcelia’s frame is relatively small.
She still has her head slightly down.
But.
“Whoa, that’s scary…”
She poured out her words without taking a breath in a short amount of time.
The content of what she said was quite unsettling.
“Hey…”
“Y-Yeah…”
Her head swayed slightly as she stared at me.
“What about you…?”
In the dim room, I could hear Arcelia’s breathing.
Before I knew it, Arcelia had grabbed my wrist.
“I won’t force you anymore… Please tell me what you’re thinking…”
Her eyes reflected anxious feelings.
Arcelia seems to be learning.
She’s trying to listen to the thoughts of others without imposing her own.
I found it somewhat amusing and almost laughed.
“Well… First and foremost, swords are my top priority. So I’m going to become an adventurer. That’s something that won’t change, no matter what. But…”
That part is unchangeable.
However, everything else is different.
“As for everything else, I don’t have any particular attachments. As long as you don’t get in the way… that’s how I feel.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… it’s not a problem if you’re around.”
“Hmm.”
Arcelia made an indescribable expression.
Well, realistically, Arcelia has high magical skills, so traveling together is a pretty good choice.
“Just, you know… if you’re around, things will be easier for me. Right now, I’m struggling against level four monsters, and I’m worried that once I grow more, I won’t find much challenge until level three or so.”
“Then just fight level three monsters or higher.”
“They’re not easy to find. They only appear in remote mountains or deep labyrinths… places like that.”
“I see…”
Silence filled the room.
In the awkward atmosphere, I decided to speak up.
“Well, that’s something for the future. We can think about it later.”
“Yeah…”
Arcelia nodded and then collapsed onto the bedding.
At the same time, she sighed.
“Hey, Kraze.”
“What is it?”
Arcelia called my name while hiding her face in the blanket.
“…I’m sorry.”
And she uttered an apology.
It was a small, hoarse apology, but she had indeed apologized.
“…It’s fine. I was a bit thoughtless, too. I should have considered various things.”
It’s true that the catalyst and cause were Arcelia.
However, considering my response afterward, I also share some responsibility.
After all, I was the one who approached Arcelia first.
It’s only right to take responsibility.
I had almost forgotten, but I’m glad I remembered my regrets from my previous life.
I should be grateful to that prince.
“…I’ll apologize to your brother later.”
“Sure.”
Chances are, my brother won’t mind, but apologizing is still important.
Well, I think it’s about time I head out.
“Okay, I’ll take my leave now…”
Just as I tried to stand up, Arcelia’s arms wrapped around my waist.
Pulled back, I sat down on the bedding again.
With my left knee resting slightly on the bedding, I turned around.
“What’s wrong?”
Arcelia silently wrapped her arms around my body and pressed her head against my stomach.
“Well, I guess it’s okay…”
I didn’t know what she was thinking by doing this, but… I’ll let her do as she pleases.
Feeling a bit at a loss, I gently placed my left hand on Arcelia’s head.
