Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

The next day, I went with Lord Cyrus to liberate Ogran.

When we unlocked the treasure house—what we now called the prison—Ogran at first seemed to think he was going to be executed.

He begged, saying, "Just once before I die, could you let me eat my fill?"

I made sure to clear up that misunderstanding and explained that it was Mr. Angelo, the victim, who had recommended this. Ogran’s black eyes widened, and he tilted his head so far I thought it might fall off.

"Got a hole in my stomach, and yet he’s forgiving the culprit not for his own sake but for his master’s? What a strange old man."

"…You’re not much different, giving your comrades the good jobs even though you’re just scraping by yourself," Lord Cyrus said.

Ogran gave a look that said, “I kind of get it, but I don’t.”

"Anyway, you and your comrades are completely pardoned thanks to the victim’s mercy. Count yourselves lucky. Live well."

Lord Cyrus threw the iron shackles behind his back and turned away immediately. His footsteps quickened as he crossed the courtyard. Ogran tilted his head the opposite way from before.

"That guy looks pretty upset. What’s wrong?"

"…Lord Cyrus is a real gentleman."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"No matter the reason, he hates seeing women in danger and can’t forgive the man who caused it."

"Women? Who are you talking about?"

"Never mind, it’s nothing."

I said that, feeling the matter about those two was no longer anyone else’s concern.

After last night, Kaede woke up before me and disappeared from the room. Worried, I searched the entire royal palace and found her back in Mr. Angelo’s room.

Her eyelids were swollen from crying all night, but she forced them closed and buried her face in the injured man’s bed, sleeping with her head down.

As for Mr. Angelo, he was calmly eating breakfast alone. His first words were, "Good morning. The food here in Ips is quite delicious." Somehow, I lost all motivation and went back to my room for a second sleep.

"…By the way, Ogran, what will you do from now on?"

The Ogran boy was sharp. Sensing the implication behind my words, he gave a wry smile.

"Nothing different. I’m living the same way. You mean I should seriously study and get a proper job?"

"…That might only be possible for you."

"You’re saying that knowing I don’t mean it."

I nodded.

Ogran is excellent. Orphaned as a child, he survived by squeezing every drop of knowledge and wisdom he could. But the reason he shares wealth with his comrades isn’t because he has plenty—it’s because he knows the pain of hunger all too well.

Because he knows that pain. They are his past self.

—The self who once needed saving is right there.

Ogran isn’t saving others but his own past self. That’s why he can’t help but save them. Just like I can’t help but save them now.

"…I want to help you all."

I whispered, not to Ogran, but just my own feelings.

"I want to help you all. But… I don’t know how."

I want to save them. But just giving alms and temporary shelter isn’t enough. Especially relying on Lord Cyrus’s wealth to do so isn’t right. This is something I want to do myself.

From now on, I will fulfill my duties as a countess and eventually call all the children here to Dilz with the assets I gain. But children will be born again. What they need isn’t bread, but fields to grow wheat. A vast wheat field where the children born in Ipsandros can be full forever.

What can I do before returning to Dilz in a few days?

As I struggled to think desperately, I must have become expressionless. Ogran, uncertain of my true intentions, circled me, watching my face. Eventually, he gave up and started walking ahead.

This morning was clear and sunny. Even though it was midwinter, the courtyard was bursting with winter flowers, vibrant and bright.

The Old Royal Palace—the place that became a ruin as the Ipsandros dynasty fell. At the same time, the former capital changed as well.

People disappeared from the city, and buildings deteriorated rapidly. In the ghost town that formed, homeless boys and girls—and those who had grown to adults—lived huddled together.