MTLNOVEL 60
“Your Highness Kyle, His Highness Belial is requesting to see you for a moment. Are you inside?”
Suddenly, at the sound coming from outside the door, we both flinched and sprang apart like people burned by fire.
‘……Cra, cra, cra-crazy.’
A rush of heat surged up my neck.
What was I just about to do? Was I serious? I almost kissed Kyle!
This was completely different from pressing my lips against a hamster just because it looked cute. More than anything, I needed to prepare myself. I did like Kyle, but having him suddenly charge in like this was just…!
“Your Highness?”
The voice beyond the door, as expected, belonged to Sen. When no response came, she knocked again.
“Are you not here? That’s odd. I was told you’d be in your bedroom until morning…”
At that, Kyle quickly responded.
“I’m inside. Come in.”
I was still sitting on his lap. Even though I had leaned back a little, I was still half-leaning into him.
“How can you just say that so casually!?”
I hissed in a whisper, but at the sound of the doorknob turning behind me with a click, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Oh my.”
Sen, who stepped inside, covered her mouth as she took in the sight of us.
“Both of your faces are red… Was it a bit warm in here?”
“Cough.”
“…….”
As I choked and started fanning my face with my hand, Kyle smoothly turned his head toward the window.
“Sorry. I seem to have barged in at an awkward time.”
There was no need for her to be so sharp even in moments like this…
Perhaps feeling embarrassed as well, Kyle cleared his throat once and changed the subject.
“Has the situation outside been handled?”
“For now, yes. That’s why His Highness requested to have you both brought over.”
Sen added in a cold voice.
“Leaving a debt to be repaid wouldn’t be a bad idea, Your Highness.”
“…….”
“I would recommend at least hearing him out. Depending on how things unfold, this could serve as a form of leverage. If, in the future, His Highness Belial ever threatens the Blake territory, this could be a shield to stop him.”
Kyle replied impassively.
“That makes sense. However, I wouldn’t expect such words from Belial’s fiancée.”
“It’s a political marriage. We’re just using each other, there’s no loyalty involved.”
“Sen.”
Kyle clearly didn’t believe her. His crimson eyes scrutinized her, as if admonishing her.
Sen clenched the fabric of her skirt tightly in both hands, then let out a deep sigh.
“…I can’t fool you, can I, Your Highness? You’re right, it does bother me. He’s not a good match for me. Objectively speaking, his personality isn’t particularly great either…”
“…….”
“But… at the very least, I don’t want the person I chose to die miserably. I suppose I’ve grown a bit attached after all. These days, it feels like His Highness Belial is standing at the edge of a cliff, like someone running headlong into it because he’d rather die than turn back.”
At those words, my heart dropped.
A chilling sense of déjà vu.
I sucked in a sharp breath, and Kyle looked at me.
“Shu? What’s wrong?”
“……”
“Shu.”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
I shook my head, unable to bring myself to meet Kyle’s gaze as he leaned toward me. Then, I quickly whispered to the system.
‘There was a similar scene in the original work! There definitely was! What part was it?’
The system blinked as if hesitating before responding.
[Do you really wish to access that information?]
‘Is this some kind of Pandora’s box?’
But I hated standing around doing nothing, not knowing. If I knew, I could prepare.
I nodded.
Immediately, a bright blue system window appeared in my vision.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt was facing a dead end. Though he knew that beyond it lay nothing but a sheer cliff, he still ran forward without hesitation. The reason was simple. He could not turn back. This was the only choice left to him.]
Kyle and Belial’s fates had been reversed.
[Belial Serena Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately 10 days remaining.]
“Shu!”
Kyle called my name loudly. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to lift my head, his trembling eyes scanning me intently.
“What did you see? The future? Can you suddenly have prophetic dreams like this?”
“……”
“No, what exactly did you see? Your complexion is…”
Had fate truly changed?
I opened my dry lips but couldn’t find the words to answer. Instead, I called upon the system again.
‘…Then what about Kyle? Can Kyle still live a long life?’
Immediately, several system windows popped up in succession.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately 170 days remaining.]
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately 10 days remaining.]
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately 170 days remaining.]
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately 10 days remaining.]
He could die.
But he could also live.
The date matched the one when Belial might die. Were they involved in the same event?
If that was the case, then perhaps following Sen to meet Belial wasn’t a good idea. This meant it was something so dangerous that Kyle’s life would be on the line.
“…Don’t help him.”
I knew how selfish that sounded. But to me, Kyle was more important than Belial. That was the only reason I could say such a thing.
Sen might be disappointed in me for saying this, but I didn’t want to act recklessly and end up losing both of them.
I was just someone who had the misfortune of dying and was struggling to survive again. I only knew what I did because I got lucky.
I wasn’t omnipotent or even particularly capable. If anyone called me a coward, I wouldn’t have a single word to refute it.
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous here. Let’s return to the North. We can leave today if necessary—”
“Shu!”
“Please, don’t get involved in Prince Belial’s affairs anymore. This has nothing to do with us, does it? The North should focus on preparing in its own way…”
Kyle placed his hand gently on my forehead, cutting off my words.
“Sen. Wait outside for a moment. I’ll convince him.”
“…Understood.”
“I know he’s only saying this out of concern for me, so don’t worry too much. Go on ahead to Belial. Tell him I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After Sen left the room, the hand on my forehead slid down to cup my cheek.
Kyle’s voice was careful as he asked me,
“What did you see?”
After a moment of silence, I answered.
“…In ten days, Prince Belial will die.”
“The same way as the chandelier incident?”
“……”
“Back then, didn’t you throw yourself forward to block it for him? Wasn’t that because you didn’t want him to die?”
“That’s true, but… this time, it’s different.”
I hesitated before adding, hoping my words wouldn’t sound too cowardly.
“If Belial had been hit by the chandelier back then, he would’ve been injured, but he wouldn’t have died. I saw it in my dream.”
“Hm.”
“But the injuries would’ve been significant, and since the accident happened in the North, people would have naturally blamed you, Your Highness. That incident would have completely broken your relationship with Belial, leading to ongoing repercussions for the Northern territory, making life difficult for the people there…”
“You could see all of that in such detail?”
Kyle pondered for a moment before asking,
“So, you intervened in that fate for my sake.”
“…Yes.”
“The reason is simple. By doing so, I remained safe. In other words, you altered fate to reduce the possibility of my death…”
“……”
“Just now, you decided that I might die.”
“I don’t know what exactly will happen in ten days.”
I whispered with a voice so dry it almost cracked.
“But if you go, Your Highness, you’ll be in danger too.”
“Shu.”
“Not yet. Without you, the North will waver, and I’ll have nowhere to go. Prince Belial was never your ally to begin with.”
“But Sen is involved.”
“……”
Kyle gently stroked the corner of my lips and the side of my face with his thumb, as if soothing me.
“Hasn’t fate already changed? During the Northern festival, what should have happened didn’t, because you interfered.”
“That was only possible because I was lucky. I can’t guarantee success every time. And strictly speaking, what was supposed to happen did happen. I got hit by the chandelier instead, and the attack that was meant for you, Your Highness, ended up targeting Prince Belial.”
Success isn’t such a simple and easy word. At least, not in my life.
To achieve a single success, how much sweat and blood must be shed? How many failures must be endured and overcome? Only those who have experienced it would understand.
That’s why I couldn’t say it lightly. I couldn’t say that I would succeed this time too. That I would use the system’s power to change fate once more.
“I… don’t want to gamble. Especially not when your life is at stake.”
Besides, this wasn’t something that could be solved with effort alone.
I pleaded desperately.
“I can’t promise that I can save both Your Highness and someone else at the same time. If I fail and both of you die, then who will be left with the regret?”
“Shu.”
He pressed his forehead against mine as he spoke.
“I understand now that you have the power to change fate. I know that you’re trying to use that power to save me and help the Blake territory. I also see that your power is far greater than I initially thought. Perhaps… you possess something even more omnipotent than I can imagine.”
“Your Highness, that’s…”
“But.”
“……”
“Even so, not everything moves according to your will. You may have seen the future, but we are living in the present. And every single moment, I, Belial, Sen, and you—we are all making choices.”
“……”
“If we both die, then that is simply the result of our choices. You will do your best in that moment, but you don’t need to bear the regret.”
The words I had spoken earlier had been arrogant. I had flattened them into mere characters in a story, when to them, this was their real life.
They had their own will, and when they reached a crossroads, they had the right to choose their own path.
And I liked Kyle for his unwavering spirit. I had before, and I still did now.
“I will hear Belial out. It’s not because I feel any particular brotherly affection for him. It’s for Sen’s happiness. If I determine it’s too dangerous, I will refuse. But at the very least, I will make that decision after listening to what he has to say.”
“…Alright.”
“You’ll come with me, won’t you?”
He spoke as if he already knew my answer. The gentle pull of his arm as he held me was warm.
I grumbled,
“Who else would you go with if not me?”
“Haha.”
Kyle let out a short chuckle before pulling back slightly. Then, as always, he extended his hand, inviting me to accompany him.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I placed my hand over his, gripping it as tightly as I could.