Chapter 03
I feel like I just learned another truth I really didn’t want to know.
I had only looked over naturally because the person had a hair color somewhat similar to mine.
And honestly, wasn’t this an even bigger revelation than my sister regressing, or future me dying young, or Minabel being able to see something called a status window?
This was the kind of secret that could decide the future of the Empire.
“Bell, do you know what red eyes generally signify?”
“Ah, even if I came from somewhere else, I know that much. According to the oracle, only those with red eyes have the right to inherit the throne. Right now, only the First Prince has red eyes.”
“That’s what people believe, at least.”
Though throughout history, there had been plenty who painted their eyes red and stole the throne, and others who started rebellions because they resented not being born with red eyes.
There was even a saying that the redness of those eyes came from the amount of blood spilled before ascending the throne.
“But why all of a sudden? Don’t say things so ominously. Every time you talk like this, it feels like you’ve uncovered something terrifying.”
Instead of answering carelessly, I kept my mouth shut.
That reaction only seemed to deepen Minabel’s fear, but if I said it aloud, I might actually die.
Crown Prince Vincent had brown hair and red eyes.
Anyone looking at him would think he appeared neat and warm-hearted, yet his gaze alone felt hollow, as if he had already lost everything.
But people never noticed that emptiness. Instead, they praised his legitimacy and cold judgment.
They claimed they could see the qualities of an emperor capable of commanding the masses.
Anyway, the important point was that Crown Prince Vincent definitely had brown hair.
But the person I had just seen clearly looked almost silver-haired.
“Tie, what are you staring at so hard?”
“…There’s something I want to ask my sister.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll tell you too once I’m certain.”
Perhaps Minabel thought I was plotting something grand, because she nodded solemnly along with me.
“You’re asking whether changing hair color with magic or changing eye color is harder?”
“Yeah.”
“Why? Did someone covet your hair or eyes? Who was it?”
My sister, who had been delighted just to see her younger sibling visit, instantly hardened her expression.
She was definitely murdering some faceless criminal in her imagination for daring to covet her little sister’s eyes or hair.
Before an innocent person was unjustly executed, I hurriedly waved my hands.
“No, not me. I just think someone else might be doing it.”
“Someone’s hiding their identity and approaching you? Trying to hurt you?”
My sister looked ready to draw her sword and overturn the Empire on the spot. I grabbed her wrist and shook my head frantically.
“Tie.”
“With how much you protect me, what could possibly happen? Don’t worry. The person I want to ask about has absolutely nothing to do with me. No, I want them to have nothing to do with me. Please, just answer the question so it can stay that way.”
Only after my desperate explanation did my sister finally begin thinking seriously before arriving at a conclusion.
“The eyes.”
“So changing hair color isn’t that hard?”
“If you’re talking about permanently changing it, that’s different. But temporarily altering hair color is basic magic. Eyes are dangerous, though. If something goes wrong, you could go blind. And the effect doesn’t last very long.”
So I had happened to meet his gaze at the exact moment the spell wore off.
“……”
Right. This really was entirely my problem.
The world kept trying to reveal every hidden truth to me, so there was no way I could avoid it through pathetic human effort alone.
Maybe she noticed my expression darkening by the second, because my sister hurried closer.
“Why do you look like that? There is a problem, isn’t there? If you don’t know the name, then at least describe what they look like. I’ll handle everything myself.”
“No, Sister.”
If this counted as “a problem,” then your enemy would become the entire world itself. Though maybe you already fought it once before.
“Right now, there’s only one imperial family member with silver hair, correct?”
My sister frowned slightly, as if wondering why I was suddenly asking something so obvious.
“Third Prince Lucian Advein has silver hair. He inherited the Empress’s hair color exactly.”
“And his eyes are blue, right?”
“Right.”
I had only seen him from a great distance, so I hadn’t gotten a clear look at his face, but the circumstances made it obvious.
The person I saw was the Third Prince.
And he was hiding the color of his eyes.
Keeping this secret until my grave wouldn’t be difficult.
But everyone whose truth I ended up discovering always shared one thing in common.
Somehow, in some way, I inevitably became entangled with them.
So what would it be this time?
If a prince was hiding the color of his eyes, wasn’t the Empire practically doomed already?
“Tie?”
As if noticing the darkness clouding my expression, my sister called my name seriously.
“Why are you suddenly asking these questions? It’d be better to eliminate the cause before you wither away from worry.”
No. If we eliminated the cause right now, it would count as treason.
Actually, if we succeeded, would it become a revolution instead?
Ah, no. Stop thinking about it.
“No, it’s just that Minabel and I thought we saw him passing by earlier! There’s no reason someone like him would suddenly come here, right? But maybe I just saw wrong!”
I waved both hands wildly while defending myself in panic, and only then did her expression gradually soften.
“Oh, I see.”
Thankfully, my sister tended to accept my words rather generously.
After that, utterly exhausted, we lay side by side on her bed, chatting about various things until we fell asleep.
Well, technically, my sister fell asleep first, and I watched her sleeping face.
Maybe because I had learned such an overwhelming truth, it was hard to fall asleep despite how heavy my body felt.
Come to think of it, something about this was strange.
If he was wandering around near the Duke’s estate for no reason, I could simply assume the reckless prince was searching for taverns or women.
But shouldn’t I first be asking why nobody had noticed?
Then again, my entire life always drifted along vaguely like this.
Passed off as coincidence.
Besides, if it were my sister—the young duchess—I had expected her to immediately report my words to Father.
But instead, she focused entirely on reassuring me, as though she had expected this all along.
And right before falling asleep, she muttered something that lingered in my mind.
“Don’t worry, Tie. No matter what happens, our family will be safe. We’re almost done preparing to leave whenever necessary.”
Her words—almost done preparing—echoed endlessly in my head.
Didn’t that sound like they were planning to spirit only our family away from an approaching disaster?
I needed to know what was going to happen.
But how?
My mind began spinning furiously.
“First, let’s set aside my sister’s plans and get help for me.”
At times like this, there was a simple solution.
Ask a smart person for help.
Though I’d need some preparation first.
The next day, I called Minabel over and had tea with her as usual.
Minabel Cherita—the very first person I could ask for help.
“Tie, couldn’t sleep? You look tired.”
“A little? Is it that obvious?”
“Mmm, sleep deprivation. Lots of worries. The Third Prince’s secret… Huh? Tie! Don’t tell me—you saw the Third Prince’s eye color? Lucian Advein’s red eyes?”
She really was an all-purpose chalkboard.
That was exactly why I had called Minabel before asking my sister for help.
“You really did know and kept quiet about it all this time, huh?”
“Ah, ahhh, ngh—”
Because she was the only person capable of confirming the truths I had pieced together through intuition.
And—
“I want to apologize… for hiding the truth from you all this time. But even so, can I still remain your friend?”
Because, just like my sister, she genuinely loved and worried about me.
“No matter what you tell me, our friendship won’t break, Minabel.”
“Then I’ll tell you. Actually… this Empire is destined to fall, and your sister is making plans to escape in order to save you.”
I had suspected it somewhat, but it was actually true?
“I approached you because I wanted to survive by relying on your sister. I know it’s selfish, but please don’t hate me.”
But thanks to that, I learned what my sister was preparing—there’s no way I could hate her!
“Everyone wants to live. I understand.”
Maybe because my smile was sincere, Minabel seemed to relax slightly and began spilling out other information she knew as well.
That this world was inside a book.
And in that story, my sister had never regressed.
“But your sister now has returned through time! Maybe because of that, your sister possesses the title ‘Regressor Who Refuses to Regret.’ And your maid Elian has the title ‘Secret of the Imperial Family.’”
