kscans

Chapter 39 - Remnants of What Should Have Been

A voice called out to her. A soft, gentle voice calling for Lupia as she was having tea.

"Oh, Your Highness. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Lupia's responding voice was just as serene. The man who had called to her walked straight over, smiling as he sat down beside her.

"I heard you were having tea here. Are your official duties keeping you busy?"

"I'm managing just fine. Shouldn't I be the one asking if you're overwhelmed, Your Highness?"

"I'm fine. After all, I have you to support me, Lupia."

"Oh my…"

The surrounding servants, and even the Queen who happened to be passing by, all watched the exchange between Lupia and Liam with warm smiles. The ideal, affectionate Crown Prince and Princess were highly regarded by neighboring countries. It was clear that their bond was not just for show; they truly cared for and supported one another. There were no issues with foreign relations, either. If there was any problem, it was the young couple's lack of experience, but with their aides, the King and Queen, and the backing of the ducal family, it wasn't a major concern.

"Lupia, after your tea, there's something I'd like to discuss with you about tomorrow's duties. Would that be alright?"

"Of course. Shall I head to your office once I'm finished?"

"Yes, please."

"As you wish."

Lupia smiled and bowed as she watched Liam's back while he returned to the palace. She finished the rest of her tea, took a breath, and then, as requested, walked toward Liam's office.

"…………………!"

Falty gritted her teeth in frustration. She didn't understand why she was being shown this, but if asked whether she had built such a peaceful relationship, the answer was 'no'. Once the ending was reached and the main story was cleared, she had been abandoned as if she were no longer needed. That had been the condition for receiving help, but to Falty, it was synonymous with being cast aside. In reality, she wasn't abandoned; it was merely that 'the period of subtle assistance when needed had ended,' but Falty refused to accept that.

"What is this…!"

Recently, even Liam had begun to doubt their relationship. The groundwork for her to become queen was being steadily laid, but something about Liam seemed off.

"…The moment the ending was confirmed, my happiness was confirmed too…"

Falty muttered, as if trying to convince herself. While that was true in a sense, the people not involved in that future were slowly abandoning her, though she remained oblivious.

The first to leave were Lupia's 'true friends.' These young ladies were all high-ranking nobles, but before she knew it, they had distanced themselves. Not only that, but their families, who were supposed to be part of the royalist faction, one by one declared they would no longer support the royal family. The reason was obvious, but she wanted to deem it an act of rebellion. That wasn't an option, so the King and Queen had no choice but to silently accept it. Her foundation was crumbling, bit by bit, but it seemed they didn't notice—or rather, didn't want to.

"That's right, I am happy… I have to be happy…"

Falty whispered in a faint voice, hugging herself tightly. She repeated 'I am happy' as if to drill into herself the completely baseless assumption that Lupia, who had been cast aside by the royal family, and the nobles who had left, couldn't possibly be happy.

What is happiness, and what is not?

It was likely a far cry from what Falty considered happiness, but she couldn't understand why the young ladies who had distanced themselves, like Lupia, could still smile.

"I won't accept it…!"

Her own nails dug into her shoulder. Though it was through her dress, she winced at the momentary flash of pain. No, I mustn't injure myself. They might think I've gone mad, she told herself, regaining her composure.

"……………They're in the way. Those fake friends… I can't even see their statuses anymore. They're useless…!"

Her selfish thoughts just grew larger and larger. The 'System' observed her from a position where Falty couldn't see it.

Falty-Ardia, whom it had believed to be brilliant, had indeed been exceptional during her student days. She didn't dislike studying, and her grades were outstanding. That was why it had offered her a deal.

'I shall lend you a hand in achieving your desire. In return, I would like you to assist me as well, if you would be so kind? Oh, rest assured. I am not asking for anything unreasonable,' it had rattled on. The desire Falty had reached for was 'to become the beloved of this country's Crown Prince.' The System had heard this and thought, 'Hmm.'

Ah, there just so happen to be routes remaining, aren't there? The 'Queen Route' and the 'Grand Finale Route'. Given the strength of Falty's feelings, it thought she might even be able to reach the 'Grand Finale Route'—the most difficult of all, one that required an incredible amount of caution to ensure not a single event was missed. That was precisely why it had supported Falty so thoroughly, to an almost excessive degree.

The result was a complete disappointment.

Still, she had entered the 'Queen Route', so it let her proceed. To ensure it could say 'I'm handling it properly' even if she complained, it had displayed it on the status screen. Sadly, Falty had entered the wedding ceremony completely unaware, believing she was on the 'Grand Finale Route'. This gave the 'System' a headache, but those things moved quickly. All it had to do was prepare the next protagonist and have them aim for the most difficult route. But here, too, a miscalculation occurred.

It had tried to make Lupia the protagonist, but she had flatly rejected the offer. She had refused without even considering it.

Nothing was going as planned, but first, it had to do something about Falty, who seemed to be accepting her reality but was only doing so halfway. If it didn't, it was certain she would keep calling on it to complain forever. What a monster of a protagonist, the 'System' thought, conveniently forgetting that it was the one who had tempted her and fed her sweet bait all along. It then melted back into the space around it.

A short while after the 'System' vanished, Falty was at her desk, preparing a letter set.

"…You're probably planning to run, but I won't let you…"

She was properly fulfilling her duties as Crown Princess. Yesterday, and today, she had received the Queen's approval. The Queen had even smiled and told her that her conduct was becoming more beautiful.

"See… I could do it after all… Lady Cassandra… what an idiot… To be so obsessed with Lupia that she left the capital and threw away a life of luxury… what a complete fool."

With a twisted smile, Falty began to predict Lupia's next move based on the information she was having gathered.

"Lupia's mother is from the Qua Kingdom… So, she should be heading there. Let's see…"

She spread out a map and stared at it intently.

"Ah, I see."

Her finger slowly traced the path from the Calmond Ducal territory to the Qua Kingdom.

"…Found you."

Falty said, her twisted smile still in place. The finger holding down the map pressed harder, the tip turning white, but she paid it no mind.

"I won't let you escape."

She could come up with any reason she needed. Falty smirked, her distorted expression finally vanishing. Afterwards, she was in the best of spirits.

"Just you wait………………Lupia."

The words echoed softly in the room, dissolving without anyone to hear them.