Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139844562875129
How long had the carriage been moving now?
By the time we left the cobblestone streets behind and turned onto the Royal Capital Road, my heart had calmed somewhat. The restless fluttering in my chest from the moment of departure had subsided.
All that remained was a fierce vow: I would return alive, no matter what.
For a villain, it felt oddly strange to be thinking such heroic thoughts.
“They were crying, everyone…”
Liene murmured softly from the seat beside me.
Her eyes were puffy, and her voice was slightly nasal. No wonder. It seemed she’d reached her limit after boarding the carriage, putting on a crying fit that rivaled the head maid’s.
She’d practically shed tears in my place, and it took quite a while to console her.
“It was pretty much like that every time I went on an expedition, wasn’t it?”
“I-Is that so…?”
“Yeah. You’ve always been the one seeing me off, so you probably don’t know.”
“That’s true. Come to think of it, this might be my first time being the one seen off.”
“So now you understand how it feels to be the one getting bawled over every expedition?”
“Ugh… But but, for me, being separated from you, Rai-sama, is just unbearable…!”
Liene’s words lightened the mood a little.
Though she wouldn’t say it, the role of sobbing hysterically and seeing me off was usually played by Liene right in front of me. It was a set routine: screaming “Don’t leave me behind!!!” until the head maid scolded her.
It’s not like we’re parting forever. It’s overkill to make such a fuss when I’ll be back soon.
How many times had I thought that?
Perhaps because I kept telling myself that, my mental recovery was still relatively quick.
Leaning my elbows on the window sill, I enjoyed the passing scenery.
“…We have a good family, don’t we?”
LIene murmured.
“Yeah, they’re my pride and joy.”
“It really is… such a warm home.”
Her voice sounded almost painfully earnest.
――Suddenly, I remembered something from long ago.
The Labyrinth Disaster that struck within the Arkberg territory.
Without warning, a labyrinth had sprung forth and run amok, spilling monsters that attacked several surrounding villages. While inspecting the devastated village to assess the damage, he found a girl sitting alone in a corner.
In the unfortunate rain, her light brown hair drenched, she neither cried nor screamed. She just sat there, teeth clenched, trembling.
Her family was, of course, wiped out. She was the sole survivor.
That girl was Liene.
[Would you like to come home with me…?]
Before I knew it, I had brought her back to the mansion.
I persuaded Father to let her live in and work as a servant. She was slow to learn and made mistakes constantly at first, but her innate brightness and stubborn refusal to give up gradually reduced her errors.
Before I knew it, she’d become my personal maid.
It’s been like that ever since.
Morning, noon, night. She’s always right beside me. She follows me when I go out, turns pale and panics if I get hurt.
She must… be afraid of being left behind.
“I think I understand a little why Lord Rai is so kind.”
“…Hm?”
“Because growing up in a place like that? You’d become kind, absolutely.”
In the past, I could have instantly retorted, ‘Of course!’ But now, having recalled my past life’s memories, her words left me a bit at a loss for a reply.
After all, the original ‘Rai Arkberg’ was a hopeless piece of trash.
Born into such a warm family, yet he became a petty, arrogant, selfish, condescending little man by default. It’s hard to put into words.
Smiling awkwardly, I looked straight at Liene.
“You too, right, Liene?”
“Huh?”
“You’re just as kind as me, and above all, adorable.”
I know I’m biased, but for a character with barely any screen time in the original work, I think she’s quite well-designed. Bright brown bob haircut, large eyes the same color. Her facial structure is definitely anime mob-face material, but even among mobs, she’s the cute type.
In other words, she’s just plain pretty.
She shouldn’t lose to the main heroines either.
As I said that, pouring my feelings into it, Liene froze completely.
“……”
“…?”
Slowly, her entire face flushed red.
“Wh-what is this all of a sudden…!”
“Well, I just said what I really think.”
“Stop saying things like that out of the blue!”
My chest gets patted softly.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt at all. Liene, who’d been patting me with a “Moou!” kind of feeling, stopped after a while, calmed down, and looked down.
“That’s bad for my heart…”
“I was just complimenting you.”
“Th-that’s exactly why it’s bad…”
She mumbled her complaints.
Huh, what’s so bad about a compliment?
Sometimes, I just don’t get this side of Liene. If I ask why, she dodges the question. When I resign myself to consulting Mother or the Head Maid, they just smile and say, “Oh dear,” or “Now, now.” …What on earth is it?
—Maybe that’s why I was thinking about it.
“If I like you any more, I don’t know what’ll happen…”
I didn’t notice when Liene murmured it in a voice as faint as wind.
“…Huh? Did you say something just now?”
“N-no!? It was just imagination!!”
Her ears turned bright red as Line denied it.
Well, whatever. That’s just typical Liene.
I decided not to dwell on it and immersed myself in chatting with Liene. We talked about things at the mansion, about what lay ahead. I enjoyed that kind of casual conversation.
I didn’t dislike spending time talking about such trivial things.
Not worrying about battles, or the labyrinth, or fate. I genuinely felt that time spent in such a peaceful mood was the most enjoyable of all.
“Um, Lord Rai…”
“Hm?”
Liene’s voice changed.
The cheerful expression from our conversation vanished, replaced by one that seemed filled with anxiety, hard and stern.
“Aren’t you… scared?”
“…Of what?”
“The academy… the labyrinth… It’s dangerous, right…?”
As a servant of the Duke’s household, Liene knew all about the Chosen Ones.
She knew it was no honor. She knew it was a system akin to sacrifice. And as a victim of the Labyrinth Disaster, she should understand the fear of entering the Labyrinth better than most.
That was precisely why she asked, ‘Aren’t you scared?’
“Of course I’m scared…”
I answered honestly.
“But… More than that… Leaving the labyrinth unchecked, letting its poisonous fangs reach my family and the people I care about… That scares me ten times more…”
“…Lord Rai.”
“That’s why I’m going. To save them all. To bring everyone back alive and safe.”
“…”
After my reply, Liene remained silent for a moment before smiling softly.
“…You really are sneaky, Lord Rai.”
“What is?”
“The way you just casually say things like that.”
Isn’t that just normal?
I think it’s perfectly natural for anyone to do everything in their power to prevent harm from reaching their family. Well, maybe it’s an unusual way of thinking for a noble.
Unable to grasp the true meaning of her words, I tilted my head in confusion. Reine merely smiled softly at me.
I was thinking, “I don’t really get it,” while looking at her smile when—
CLANG!!
The carriage came to a sudden halt with a loud clatter.
From outside came the panicked neighing of horses and the coachman’s angry shouts.
“Young master! Monsters! A horde appeared on the road!!”
It seemed to be a monster attack.
How unusual. They say monsters rarely appear along the main roads. Perhaps traveling without guards had been our undoing.
“Lord Rai.”
Liene stood up.
Gone were the earlier blushing expression and sweet atmosphere; her face now bore the calm, composed look of a warrior.
Following her lead, I rose too, gave a short “Ah,” and opened the carriage door.
The scent of spring vanished, replaced by a faint, lingering beastly stench.
Looking out, I saw a group composed of black and brown figures approaching from a distance.
Gravehounds. Monsters that appear early in the game, attacking humans in packs of five to twenty. They looked like emaciated wild dogs with ribs protruding, and were creatures possessed of an obsession that drove them to pursue anything they recognized as ‘prey’ no matter how far it fled.
“…Well then, let’s go. Liene.”
“Yes!”
Exchanging a brief exchange, both simultaneously kicked off the ground.
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