Since what I was about to tell him must never be revealed, I took Perdes to my bedroom, the most secret and private space in the mansion.
And as soon as I sat down on the sofa, I opened my heavy mouth.
“To get straight to the point... Yes, that’s right. The person Gnosis saw 20 years ago was my father.”
Since you probably already know the process, I will just state the conclusion clearly without adding any further explanation.
Perhaps because it was something he had already expected, Perdes wasn't surprised or anything.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly as if he was a little puzzled and asked.
“Was it really the late Duke Leopold that was depicted in that painting?”
“Yes. It was definitely my father.”
“Is it possible that the person Gnosis saw was someone who resembled your father?”
“That’s not possible. This red hair is a trait that is only passed down to the bloodline of the Duke Leopold family.”
“That’s true, but... your father said he was ignorant of magic. He only knew swordsmanship.”
“As far as I know, that’s true, but I think my father had more secrets that I didn’t know about, so he may have kept these from me as well.”
It was something he kept hidden not only from me but from my mother and from my entire family.
No, maybe my mother knew.
“If he is indeed the late Duke Leopold, he was only in his early twenties when he met Gnosis.”
Perdes, leaning against the back of the sofa, crossed his arms.
“Even if he is a genius, it is impossible for him to be proficient in not only swordsmanship but also magic and magic circles at that age. It is impossible for a human.”
“That’s right. It’s absolutely impossible for a normal human being.”
When I responded indifferently, Perdes looked at me with meaningful eyes.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you know something about your father.”
“Rather than knowing something, I discovered something strange and came up with several hypotheses, and this incident happened because it fit one of those hypotheses.”
“The weird part? What is that?”
Well, what should I do? Should I tell the truth or not?
“If it’s difficult to say, you don’t have to.”
“No, I’ll tell you. Actually, before...”
Rather than struggling alone with a problem that doesn't have an answer no matter how much you think about it, talking about it can help you get some clues.
Everything from what I had seen in my father's diary, to seeing the estate plan that my father supposedly wrote 100 years ago, to the fact that Haness had never seen my grandfather and father together.
“It’s strange.”
After hearing the whole story, Perdes muttered with a serious expression and asked me.
“Can I see the estate plans?”
“Yes. I’ll show you right away.”
Although it was a rule that official documents were to be stored in the archives, they were kept separately under the authority of the Duke.
I took out the estate plan that was hidden deep in the dresser drawer and showed it to Perdes.
Perdes looked over the plan carefully and scratched his head.
“For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the document has been rewritten.”
“If that was the case, he would have attached it as if he had rewritten it.”
“Yes. And if the handwriting written here is really that of the former Duke Leopold...”
“That means my father lived about 100 years ago. I know he was 47 years old.”
If he were still alive, he would have been a bit older, but he passed away three years ago, so my father's age will always be 47.
...That is the officially known age.
“It’s just a hypothesis, but I think my father and grandfather might be the same person.”
When I think about it that way, I can understand these absurd phenomena little by little.
Of course, the hypothesis I set up itself was a story that made no sense.
But since I had personally experienced the even more absurd thing called the 4th regression, I thought that this absurd hypothesis was also quite possible.
Perdes asked cautiously.
“Does that mean... that you also think that the former Duke Leopold was not human?”
"Yes?"
What the hell is this?
When I asked back in bewilderment, Perdes waved his hands and spoke hurriedly.
“No. Sorry, if you didn’t think so. Just dismiss it as bullshit and move on. No, it is bullshit. So forget about it.”
I heard something too strange to forget.
And I think I know why Perdes said that he said with a faint smile.
“Did you know that Duke Leopold was blessed by the Red Dragon?”
Perdes nodded, his lips forming a straight line.
“Thanks to the blessing, the Duke’s bloodline has had superior physical abilities to humans for generations. Thanks to that, they excel in areas such as swordsmanship.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“I guess so. I didn’t tell people that fact.”
“But can you tell me?”
“It’s okay. It’s not a secret, it’s just that it hasn’t been made public.”
It was also a fact that the twelve noble families belonging to the royal family or Aletheia already knew.
“But what I’m going to say from now on, you have to keep it a secret.”
As I spoke seriously, Perdes also made a serious expression and put his hand on his left chest.
“I’ll bet everything I have and never tell anyone.”
“That’s a good attitude.”
I intended to believe him and tell him even if he didn't say it like that.
“This is also my hypothesis, but I think the blessing that the Red Dragon bestowed upon the bloodline of Duke Leopold was not only superior physical abilities.”
Only then did Perdes, sitting across from me, ask.
“Does that mean you don’t know what another blessing is?”
“Yes. But I think it’s a blessing related to time.”
“I think so because time in the Duke’s basement flows differently from real-time, and I think your father and grandfather are the same person?”
“Yes.”
Rather, it's because I've gone back in time four times... I shouldn't say that.
“Hmm, that’s difficult.”
Perdes muttered, scratching his head.
“I thought I had a clue to solving the problem, but it just got more complicated and I don’t know where or how to solve it.”
I nodded and agreed with Perdes.
“So what do you plan to do going forward? No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like a problem that can be solved in a day or two.”
“So I’m going to give up.”
"What?"
Perdes's eyes widened for a moment.
“Are you serious? Are you really going to give up?”
“Yes. As Perdes said, this isn’t a problem that can be solved in a day or two, and there are more important things to do, so I think it would be right to give up for now.”
Yeah. I was just giving up now.
Later, when everything was over, I planned to enjoy the victory and gradually unravel my father's secrets that were shrouded in mystery.
“If there’s something more important than this... you’re talking about taking revenge on the Emperor?”
“Yes.”
“And then I asked Prophetes IV for help in getting revenge.”
Why is Prophetes IV suddenly being mentioned?
Oh, really?
“What did the Duke of Lucien say about Prophetes IV?”
“...”
Judging by his expression, he must be right.
“Tell me what the Duke of Lucien said.”
“...”
“Lord Perdes.”
When I urged him, Perdes sighed deeply and opened his mouth heavily.
“It’s not like your plan was discovered or anything.”
"Sure?"
“The man said he was planning to make you... his Queen.”
“Oh, that’s it.”
I was nervous that the Duke of Lucien might have figured something out, but fortunately, it didn't.
As I sighed deeply in relief and brushed my chest, Perdes' eyes narrowed. His lips tilted slanted.
“I guess it’s real because you don’t seem surprised at all.”
“Oh, that’s not it. Prophetes IV has no intention of taking me as his Queen, and I have no intention of becoming one either.”
I have to protect the Duchy of Leopold, which I cherish and love, and yet I am the Queen.
It was an absurd story.
“But Duke Lucien is certain. If he is so certain, doesn’t that mean he has some basis for it?”
“It’s probably because when Prophetes IV was Crown Prince, he asked me to be his wife.”
"What?!"
Perdes jumped to his feet in surprise.
“Is that true? Really, that kid asked you to be his wife?”
He was that man in Prophetes IV, and now he's that bastard.
“Yes. Of course, I declined. As I said before, I have no intention of becoming Queen.”
And he also suggested me because he thought I would be a good candidate for Queen. It wasn't because he had any ulterior motives or anything like that.
“It’s been almost a year since the story happened, but it seems the Duke of Lucien has only just now heard of it.”
When Prophetes IV told that story, I was the only one there.
But where and how did the story leak out?
And now why has it reached the ears of the Duke of Lucien?
“Are you sure you don’t want to marry that kid?”
“That’s right. I only think of Prophetes IV as a colleague who helps me.”
When I repeatedly told him that I had no intention of ever getting married, Perdes' expression brightened for a moment.
“Then me?”
"Yes?"
“What do I think?”
“Of course...”
I wanted to say that he was a good colleague, but strangely, my mouth wouldn't open.
My throat felt so itchy like a huge thorn was stuck in it, that I couldn't even speak.
Perdes, who had been looking at me with meaningful eyes, suddenly moved to the seat next to me and sat down.
This isn't my first time sitting next to him, but today I felt particularly uncomfortable.
I don't know if it's because of Perdes' eyes.
Anyway, I thought I should avoid it, so I slowly moved my butt back, but Perdes grabbed my hand.
And as soon as I sat down on the sofa, I opened my heavy mouth.
“To get straight to the point... Yes, that’s right. The person Gnosis saw 20 years ago was my father.”
Since you probably already know the process, I will just state the conclusion clearly without adding any further explanation.
Perhaps because it was something he had already expected, Perdes wasn't surprised or anything.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly as if he was a little puzzled and asked.
“Was it really the late Duke Leopold that was depicted in that painting?”
“Yes. It was definitely my father.”
“Is it possible that the person Gnosis saw was someone who resembled your father?”
“That’s not possible. This red hair is a trait that is only passed down to the bloodline of the Duke Leopold family.”
“That’s true, but... your father said he was ignorant of magic. He only knew swordsmanship.”
“As far as I know, that’s true, but I think my father had more secrets that I didn’t know about, so he may have kept these from me as well.”
It was something he kept hidden not only from me but from my mother and from my entire family.
No, maybe my mother knew.
“If he is indeed the late Duke Leopold, he was only in his early twenties when he met Gnosis.”
Perdes, leaning against the back of the sofa, crossed his arms.
“Even if he is a genius, it is impossible for him to be proficient in not only swordsmanship but also magic and magic circles at that age. It is impossible for a human.”
“That’s right. It’s absolutely impossible for a normal human being.”
When I responded indifferently, Perdes looked at me with meaningful eyes.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you know something about your father.”
“Rather than knowing something, I discovered something strange and came up with several hypotheses, and this incident happened because it fit one of those hypotheses.”
“The weird part? What is that?”
Well, what should I do? Should I tell the truth or not?
“If it’s difficult to say, you don’t have to.”
“No, I’ll tell you. Actually, before...”
Rather than struggling alone with a problem that doesn't have an answer no matter how much you think about it, talking about it can help you get some clues.
Everything from what I had seen in my father's diary, to seeing the estate plan that my father supposedly wrote 100 years ago, to the fact that Haness had never seen my grandfather and father together.
“It’s strange.”
After hearing the whole story, Perdes muttered with a serious expression and asked me.
“Can I see the estate plans?”
“Yes. I’ll show you right away.”
Although it was a rule that official documents were to be stored in the archives, they were kept separately under the authority of the Duke.
I took out the estate plan that was hidden deep in the dresser drawer and showed it to Perdes.
Perdes looked over the plan carefully and scratched his head.
“For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the document has been rewritten.”
“If that was the case, he would have attached it as if he had rewritten it.”
“Yes. And if the handwriting written here is really that of the former Duke Leopold...”
“That means my father lived about 100 years ago. I know he was 47 years old.”
If he were still alive, he would have been a bit older, but he passed away three years ago, so my father's age will always be 47.
...That is the officially known age.
“It’s just a hypothesis, but I think my father and grandfather might be the same person.”
When I think about it that way, I can understand these absurd phenomena little by little.
Of course, the hypothesis I set up itself was a story that made no sense.
But since I had personally experienced the even more absurd thing called the 4th regression, I thought that this absurd hypothesis was also quite possible.
Perdes asked cautiously.
“Does that mean... that you also think that the former Duke Leopold was not human?”
"Yes?"
What the hell is this?
When I asked back in bewilderment, Perdes waved his hands and spoke hurriedly.
“No. Sorry, if you didn’t think so. Just dismiss it as bullshit and move on. No, it is bullshit. So forget about it.”
I heard something too strange to forget.
And I think I know why Perdes said that he said with a faint smile.
“Did you know that Duke Leopold was blessed by the Red Dragon?”
Perdes nodded, his lips forming a straight line.
“Thanks to the blessing, the Duke’s bloodline has had superior physical abilities to humans for generations. Thanks to that, they excel in areas such as swordsmanship.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“I guess so. I didn’t tell people that fact.”
“But can you tell me?”
“It’s okay. It’s not a secret, it’s just that it hasn’t been made public.”
It was also a fact that the twelve noble families belonging to the royal family or Aletheia already knew.
“But what I’m going to say from now on, you have to keep it a secret.”
As I spoke seriously, Perdes also made a serious expression and put his hand on his left chest.
“I’ll bet everything I have and never tell anyone.”
“That’s a good attitude.”
I intended to believe him and tell him even if he didn't say it like that.
“This is also my hypothesis, but I think the blessing that the Red Dragon bestowed upon the bloodline of Duke Leopold was not only superior physical abilities.”
Only then did Perdes, sitting across from me, ask.
“Does that mean you don’t know what another blessing is?”
“Yes. But I think it’s a blessing related to time.”
“I think so because time in the Duke’s basement flows differently from real-time, and I think your father and grandfather are the same person?”
“Yes.”
Rather, it's because I've gone back in time four times... I shouldn't say that.
“Hmm, that’s difficult.”
Perdes muttered, scratching his head.
“I thought I had a clue to solving the problem, but it just got more complicated and I don’t know where or how to solve it.”
I nodded and agreed with Perdes.
“So what do you plan to do going forward? No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like a problem that can be solved in a day or two.”
“So I’m going to give up.”
"What?"
Perdes's eyes widened for a moment.
“Are you serious? Are you really going to give up?”
“Yes. As Perdes said, this isn’t a problem that can be solved in a day or two, and there are more important things to do, so I think it would be right to give up for now.”
Yeah. I was just giving up now.
Later, when everything was over, I planned to enjoy the victory and gradually unravel my father's secrets that were shrouded in mystery.
“If there’s something more important than this... you’re talking about taking revenge on the Emperor?”
“Yes.”
“And then I asked Prophetes IV for help in getting revenge.”
Why is Prophetes IV suddenly being mentioned?
Oh, really?
“What did the Duke of Lucien say about Prophetes IV?”
“...”
Judging by his expression, he must be right.
“Tell me what the Duke of Lucien said.”
“...”
“Lord Perdes.”
When I urged him, Perdes sighed deeply and opened his mouth heavily.
“It’s not like your plan was discovered or anything.”
"Sure?"
“The man said he was planning to make you... his Queen.”
“Oh, that’s it.”
I was nervous that the Duke of Lucien might have figured something out, but fortunately, it didn't.
As I sighed deeply in relief and brushed my chest, Perdes' eyes narrowed. His lips tilted slanted.
“I guess it’s real because you don’t seem surprised at all.”
“Oh, that’s not it. Prophetes IV has no intention of taking me as his Queen, and I have no intention of becoming one either.”
I have to protect the Duchy of Leopold, which I cherish and love, and yet I am the Queen.
It was an absurd story.
“But Duke Lucien is certain. If he is so certain, doesn’t that mean he has some basis for it?”
“It’s probably because when Prophetes IV was Crown Prince, he asked me to be his wife.”
"What?!"
Perdes jumped to his feet in surprise.
“Is that true? Really, that kid asked you to be his wife?”
He was that man in Prophetes IV, and now he's that bastard.
“Yes. Of course, I declined. As I said before, I have no intention of becoming Queen.”
And he also suggested me because he thought I would be a good candidate for Queen. It wasn't because he had any ulterior motives or anything like that.
“It’s been almost a year since the story happened, but it seems the Duke of Lucien has only just now heard of it.”
When Prophetes IV told that story, I was the only one there.
But where and how did the story leak out?
And now why has it reached the ears of the Duke of Lucien?
“Are you sure you don’t want to marry that kid?”
“That’s right. I only think of Prophetes IV as a colleague who helps me.”
When I repeatedly told him that I had no intention of ever getting married, Perdes' expression brightened for a moment.
“Then me?”
"Yes?"
“What do I think?”
“Of course...”
I wanted to say that he was a good colleague, but strangely, my mouth wouldn't open.
My throat felt so itchy like a huge thorn was stuck in it, that I couldn't even speak.
Perdes, who had been looking at me with meaningful eyes, suddenly moved to the seat next to me and sat down.
This isn't my first time sitting next to him, but today I felt particularly uncomfortable.
I don't know if it's because of Perdes' eyes.
Anyway, I thought I should avoid it, so I slowly moved my butt back, but Perdes grabbed my hand.
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