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A letter arrived from Alice, who was in the palace.

It was a lengthy letter expressing her complex emotions, but to summarize roughly, it said this:

She had received the holy baptism and officially became a knight of light.

It wasn’t just a matter of being initiated; she received her first mission immediately after the baptism.

Though she couldn’t disclose the details due to their confidential nature, her determination to do her best as always was evident.

“I will become a sister you can be proud of.”

Somehow, this last line left me feeling uneasy.

Is this how it’s going to be in the end?

A fate no different from my past life’s?

Alice couldn’t reveal the mission’s details, but I already knew what it was.

Escorting the Emperor on his frontier visit.

The crucial point is that the Emperor doesn’t attend this visit in person.

To be precise, it should be called escorting the imperial family’s frontier visit.

I heard this inadvertently from the ailing Princess Arin.

“His Majesty seems to have fallen ill again. It’s not a serious concern, but he decided to forego this visit. Instead, it seems Violet will be going in his place.”

“You mean the second princess?”

“Yeah. I was surprised too. Normally, it would be brother Louisnel going at times like this. But this time, it seems he isn’t feeling well either, so he asked Violet to go instead. And it looks like Fabian and Norobian are going along as well.”

A lineup centered around the eldest daughter instead of the eldest son.

In other words, everyone is going except for the eldest and youngest.

This, too, is no different from my past life.

Just as the mainstream flow remains unchanged despite some tributaries shifting slightly, in the end, if this trend continues, my sister will accept the same fate as in our past life.

Suddenly, such thoughts crossed my mind.

I am a so-called regressor who lived one life and is living a second life that no one else will have.

So, what are the advantages of being a regressor?

Knowing the future and being able to change it.

Over the past two years, I’ve altered the futures of countless individuals, including my own.

But one of the most critical futures has yet to change: my sister’s death.

It’s the first moment in my life that must be changed.

If I don’t change this future, I’ll experience regret once again, something I won’t have another chance to undo in my lifetime.

“Papa! Why do you look so gloomy? What’s wrong?”

As I sat there with a face like I’ve chewed on dung for ages, our little one approached and asked.

“People say you should eat something sweet when you’re feeling down to lift your spirits! Have one, Papa!”

Nana handed me a large candy she was holding.

Taken aback, I chuckled and ruffled her hair.

“Lately, both Papa and Kaeram have been acting strange! Just sighing without a word! It’s not pleasant to see!”

What’s going on?

Am I getting scolded by this little one now?

It wasn’t just me feeling uncomfortable; Kaeram, with an uneasy expression, asked.

[Look at his grumpy face! Hey, kiddo! What do you know anyway?]

Nana replied without batting an eyelid.

“Whenever Papa’s not around, Kaeram, you mumble to yourself with a serious face, you know? I’ve heard it all!”

“Why? What did she say?”

Curious now that I’ve heard this, I asked.

“It was mostly curses. If I had to pick one that stood out, it’s when you said you’d crush all these fucking things… ”

[This kid never runs out of things to say!]

Startled, Kaeram quickly covered my mouth.

Huh?

Did I just hear that?

I never imagined such vulgar language would come out of those innocent lips.

Is that why people try to filter their words in front of children?

“I don’t know what’s going on! But don’t worry too much! Papa and Kaeram have me! Even if something dangerous happens, I’ll fly over and rescue you in a jiffy!”

With a puzzled expression, Kaeram chuckled and said,

[Hey kid, you’re unbelievable. If you don’t want to go outside and accidentally get killed… ]

Perhaps both I and Kaeram momentarily forgot about it at that moment.

How peculiar dragons can be.

I had no idea what would happen when that peculiarity collided with the innocence of young humans.

* * *

With a sigh that could be interpreted as either admiration or resignation, Alice looked around at the panorama of Velias laid out before her.

It was her hometown, looking much the same as it always had.

However, today felt different.

“Look! It’s Alice!”

“That lovely and gentle girl has grown up already! Look at her dignified figure!”

“I want to become a knight like Alice when I grow up!”

She appeared as if a goddess from the heavens, donning armor to vanquish evil, and the praises of the inhabitants of the territory spread through the streets.

Alice didn’t mind the attention.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

For now, she was here as a knight, not as the daughter of the lord.

She had to protect everyone in this territory with her own hands, not under someone else’s protection.

With renewed determination, she headed towards the fortress gate.

Eventually, she arrived at the rear camp barracks.

As always, the atmosphere was solemn and tense.

A familiar knight approached her, somewhat tense himself.

“It’s been a while, Lady Alice.”

It was Eulken, a knight from the Duke of Vert’s household, positioned as her direct superior within the Order of Light.

“Please drop the formalities, Knight Eulken. I’m not here as the Duke of Vert’s beloved daughter.”

As someone who wanted to be treated as a knight in her own right, Alice felt extremely uncomfortable.

Eulken responded with a faint smile,

“The Duke awaits you. Shall we go together?”

It was a call from her father and her highest authority.

Alice couldn’t refuse.

Accompanied by a familiar yet unfamiliar escort, she entered the central barracks where the Duke was situated.

“Alice Vert, Intermediate Knight of the Order of Light. I present to you the guardian of the continent, Duke Vert.”

Without daring to look at the Duke’s face, Alice bowed her head immediately.

“I’m very pleased to see you like this, Alice.”

The Duke’s face bore a satisfied smile.

“Before we begin our discussion, there’s something I’d like to request.”

Seated, Alice spoke with a restrained expression.

“What is it?”

“I’d appreciate it if you would refrain from showing me any special treatment. I wish to be seen as just a knight serving on the front lines.”

“All the knights here see you as a perfect knight.”

“Before being knights, they see me as the Duke’s beloved daughter.”

The Duke’s expression subtly changed.

“You are indeed a knight above all. But before that, you are also my precious daughter, carrying on my bloodline. What do you think that means?”

Alice couldn’t answer readily.

“It means that someday, you’ll inherit my position and lead this place, and beyond that, it means inheriting the duty of being the continent’s guardian. It’s not just about me, but all the knights here. They all believe it’s right. They should believe, without doubt. I have never instructed anyone to treat you specially. They do so voluntarily.”

Guardian of the continent.

The obligation that had been ingrained in her since childhood.

Alice felt the weight of that obligation pressing heavily upon her, a burden she hadn’t fully understood until now.

“Don’t bear too much burden. But that doesn’t mean I’ll burden you with everything. You have Aschel, don’t you?”

A strong resonance echoed within Alice’s heart in that moment.

A single bead of sweat trickled down her neck, and the words she had suppressed for so long began to itch at her throat.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Alice realized that if she didn’t speak up now, she might not get another chance.

“Your Grace…, or should I say, Father, may I ask you something?”

It had been so long since she had used that title, it felt almost unfamiliar.

But in this moment, Alice saw Willius not as a Duke, but as her unmistakable father, and she had something to ask him.

“What is it?”

The Duke responded calmly.

“If, hypothetically, if Aschel and I were unable to fulfill the obligations of our family, what would you think if someone else had to take on that responsibility?”

The Duke didn’t answer immediately, and Alice didn’t expect him to.

As the air grew heavy around them, the Duke finally spoke.

“…Are you talking about Cyan?”

It was a question that seemed to understand her intentions.

“You mentioned it before, didn’t you? That my brother might be even more remarkable than I imagined…”

“I did. I have no doubt that he, like you, will grow into an exceptional knight.”

While the Duke spoke positively of Cyan, it wasn’t the answer Alice had been hoping for.

“Would he be able to replace us?”

The Duke remained silent.

“If, despite not being the eldest son or daughter, if the youngest were to surpass Aschel and me in growth, would you be willing to pass on that position to Cyan?”

Until she took another breath, over a hundred heartbeats echoed throughout her body.

Unable to meet the Duke’s gaze, Alice fixated on his lips.

Finally, from the Duke’s parted lips came laughter.

“Haha… Seems like you hold your brother in high regard.”

“The potential of the youngest is vast, to the point where even I cannot fully gauge it. Your statement about him surpassing you is not entirely implausible…”

The Duke’s acknowledgment of the youngest.

Alice was taken aback by his unexpected response.

“But Alice…”

“…?”

“That doesn’t mean Aschel can be replaced.”

Alice’s pupils shook for a moment.

“Isn’t the very idea meaningless? To find someone to replace your brother? Aschel is the one who leads our family, the trustworthy brother you can truly rely on. Why would you even ask such a question?”

Even to the Duke’s question, Alice couldn’t offer a response.

But inwardly, she asked herself many times over,

‘Why? Why is this happening? What’s going on?’

It wasn’t that she doubted Aschel’s abilities.

Her question stemmed from a doubt that had arisen from what she had always taken for granted.

‘Why does Father cling to Aschel so much?’

He had always wanted only capable children to carry on the family legacy, regardless of birth order.

Alice had always believed that as long as the conditions were met, Father would give everything to them, whether they were the eldest or the youngest.

But seeing the Duke now, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

A consistent fixation solely on Aschel.

Alice couldn’t understand it at all.

Instead, she found herself questioning why she had only realized this now, and she even doubted herself.

“It’s about time. The imperial carriage will soon arrive at the estate. Go and welcome them in advance…”

“…Yes, understood.”

Alice immediately rose from her seat and bowed to the Duke.

As she was about to leave the barracks, the Duke spoke again.

“By the way, among the attendants accompanying the imperial family right now…”

Once again, the Duke’s voice broke the silence.

“Aschel is there.”

“…!”

Alice couldn’t turn her head away.

Her left hand, gripping the hilt of her sword, trembled with emotion.