“Vania.”
A bewildered Ryan approached.
Not knowing what to do, he simply hugged her small body. Vania began to cry bitterly in hia arms.
“Ugh. Huh...”
“...”
There is something. Something...
“Hey, can I ask a question now…?”
Vania asked, still sobbing. Ryan stared blankly at Vania's face, then nodded.
"...Uh."
“Did you... regress together?”
The question is whether Nike found out through companion regression that he was a person with superpowers.
"Uh."
“That person... must have been very, very surprised...”
“...”
...You really did love him.
A bewildered Ryan approached.
Not knowing what to do, he simply hugged her small body. Vania began to cry bitterly in hia arms.
“Ugh. Huh...”
“...”
There is something. Something...
“Hey, can I ask a question now…?”
Vania asked, still sobbing. Ryan stared blankly at Vania's face, then nodded.
"...Uh."
“Did you... regress together?”
The question is whether Nike found out through companion regression that he was a person with superpowers.
"Uh."
“That person... must have been very, very surprised...”
“...”
...You really did love him.
Ryan felt a bit bitter and tried to make it sound playful.
"He was surprised. He probably knew I had superpowers. So, he was surprised... but it's okay."
“...”
"I've been acting so well that I've put my mind at ease. The Third Prince now thinks I'm incompetent."
"...What?"
"I hid it so well that he came to me first and asked if I was incompetent. So you too, relax."
Vania sniffled and frowned.
"What do you mean...? You regressed together... and acted in that short time? You felt time go back right away?"
“Yes.”
"So, you knew right away that he was a person with supernatural powers? And you even pretended to be afraid that someone would find out?"
“Yes. That’s me.”
“...”
Vania burst out laughing at Ryan's playful words.
“What happens when you cry and then laugh?”
“Ha, really... You're a scary person..."
“Do you understand now?”
“Dad, I... I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“...”
Vania, who was trying to calm her tears and catch her breath to speak, began to sob sadly again.
“Wait, sorry... Ah...”
“It’s okay. Speak slowly.”
Ryan hugged Vania and patted her.
It must have been difficult to confide in someone for the first time after holding onto it all to yourself.
***
“Aren’t you going to sleep? What the heck, you’re not saying you two are going to sleep in the same bed, hugging each other right now, are you?”
When Revan came into the room late at night, he was shocked to see the two of us lying side by side in our pajamas.
Ryan waved his hand.
“Why can’t we sleep? Daddy and daughter can sleep together! Get out, get out!”
“What the heck...”
Tsk tsk, Revan clicked his tongue and closed the door as he left.
Hmm, I swallowed my nose and lay still, staring at the ceiling.
“Ha, so...”
Ryan, who was lying in the same pose as me, rubbed his face and said.
“Is this because the Third Prince is a bit lacking in supernatural abilities?”
“Oh, why do you say that!”
"That's right! Then what if someone with the ability to only regress for 30 minutes with their memories isn't lacking?"
"Good."
I told Ryan all of Nike's secrets with my own mouth.
Since Ryan had already found out Nike's secret, he had something to ask for comfortably.
"But isn't your boyfriend a bit retarded? He told you every last detail of his life-threatening secrets. Didn't Wassenberg just tell you to take him away?"
“No! Because he trusted me!”
“Yeah, let’s say that’s true.”
Ryan clicked his tongue and paused.
“Wait. Then why didn’t you obtain the Third Prince’s blessing in advance? If you’re that close to telling him all your secrets, couldn’t you have asked him to regress with you, even if it was just for a little while?”
“...”
...Well, my biggest regret is not having Nike’s blessing.
"Actually, he asked me to hold his hand. He said he'd show me."
"However?"
“But I didn’t do it.”
"Why?!"
"The reason he told me his secret was that I kept doubting his feelings. I kept asking him if he really liked me, and he kept pestering me. So he had no choice but to tell me his secret. He wanted me to know his true feelings."
“...”
“I felt so sorry after hearing that. It's a secret that could cost someone their life. I'm sorry for forcing him to tell me... I didn't want to say, ‘You won't believe it unless you see it yourself, so take my hand and go back.’”
“And, even if I told him the secret, it would still weigh on my mind. What if I passed my special ability on to him, too? There'd be no way to deny it, and evidence would remain. I... didn't want to make him feel even more uneasy.”
“…In a way, it seems fitting. The Third Prince, madly in love, blurting out everything—things he should and shouldn’t say. Or you, who dated for two years yet refused that wonderful ability for some trivial reason.”
“To be honest, yeah.”
"But Dad, if you love, you'll know. When you love, everyone becomes like that."
“Yeah, I absolutely would not do that.”
Ryan said firmly.
"What if I fall in love later? What if that person desperately asks me for something? Like, tell them my secret? But I will never, ever tell them. Never!"
...This isn’t working.
“Don’t you have someone you love?”
"What?"
“I’m born.”
I said it shamelessly. Ryan's expression turned weird.
“I love you so much, Dad. Do you love me too?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
"Uh, yeah. I told you earlier that I had a favor to ask. Could you possibly tell His Highness the Third Prince about my father's secret?"
“..Are you crazy?!!!”
Ryan yelled, and I immediately covered my ears.
My eardrums almost burst.
“Are you kidding me right now?”
"Please. I beg you. Tell His Highness the truth about my father's ability and your resentment toward Wassenberg."
“Wow, this kid is really crazy.”
"The imperial family will have to know eventually anyway. They'll have to sentence Wassenberg to death. With no executioner, who would they trust to judge Wassenberg?"
If the imperial family knew that Ryan was a special ability user with an instant death ability, they could prepare the Wassenberg execution squad with peace of mind.
"Oh, I know. I'm not stupid, I know that. But that's a very, very late problem. It's something we have to deal with at the very end. When we have power, have built trust with the royal family, and have properly aligned ourselves, as you planned."
“That’s right. So, just tell His Highness the Third Prince in advance! Please...”
“So why! Could it be because he’s your boyfriend?”
“That’s... that’s...”
...I can’t refute that.
“A rabbit blinded by love?”
"I won't deny it. Because from now on, Father will meet His Highness the Third Prince every time your goes on a campaign. There's something I need your help with, then."
“What can I help you with?”
“I wish you would return with him when there are casualties.”
Ryan's mouth fell open.
“That person... is someone who tries to save all of his comrades to the best of his ability.”
Death is inevitable on the battlefield.
But the pain of losing a comrade was not something that could ever be dulled.
It was natural that Nike could not save them all, but he was still tormented by guilt every day.
It was because he was a person with superpowers, even though he was imperfect.
He can regress.
If he could turn back time, he could save his comrades.
He was a man who blamed himself for his comrade's death, even though he knew that he couldn't do anything about the 30-minute limit.
“So what you’re saying is...”
Ryan said with a hollow laugh.
“So you're saying we should bare our souls completely to the Third Prince and become true soulmates? If we had memories, we could turn back time and save those doomed souls. But the Third Prince can only remember for thirty minutes.”
“Don't tell me to clean up your mess by holding my hand and going back together.”
“That’s true, but is it really necessary to express something good about saving lives in that way?”
“It is inevitable that soldiers will die among monsters.”
"I know. I can't save them all. But, Dad, imagine Sir William dying right before your eyes."
“...What the hell is that guy! What a punk with no manners!”
"You say that, but I know you're close. If you could turn back time and save him, wouldn't you want to?"
“...”
Ryan was silent.
"The Third Prince can turn back time, but his memories are incomplete. Father remembers everything, but you can't turn back time. But if the two of you just confide in each other... You could save many people who would otherwise die."
Before returning, at the age of 16, to the Western Front.
I remember where I first met Nike.
I treated Nikke's best friend, Reiner, there. His injuries that day were so severe that he couldn't have survived without his powers.
“Before my regression, I... used to follow him around and help him a lot with healing blessings. But that’s no longer the case.”
Unlike before my regression, I'm not free. Because I can't let anyone know I have superpowers.
After the regression, it was the most fatal damage I could do nothing about.
"So, Dad, help me. That person... There must have been many colleagues he wanted to save but couldn't. Even after all these years, he can't forget those memories... It was so hard."
“...”
Ryan, who had been staring at me silently, soon looked up at the ceiling with a sigh, “Huh...”
“So you’re telling me to do something crazy right now...? You want me to reveal all my secrets and even tell the Third Prince that I hold a grudge against Wassenberg so he can put me on a leash...?”
I know it's a bit much to ask.
Ryan still doesn't know who Nike is, so he can't trust him blindly.
I woke up.
And then I looked down at the lying Ryan, clasped my hands together as if praying, and said:
“I ask you this...”
“Damn.”
“...You won’t listen?”
“...”
“You don’t love me...?”
“No, come on!!!”
Ryan jumped up and clutched his head.
“I love you, Dad...? I’ll do anything you ask of me...?”
“Ah! Stop glaring!!”
Ryan squeezed his eyes shut.
Then, after grumbling to himself, he slowly opened his eyes again. I was still sending him a look.
"Ha..."
He finally collapsed back down with a soulless expression.
“Yes, let’s do something crazy.”
“Wow! Dad, that’s awesome!”
I hugged Ryan tightly. He muttered, “Crazy, crazy...” as if he still wasn’t sure if this was right.
“Oh, that’s right!”
I woke up with a start.
“Surprise. What is it?”
“If the Third Prince grants my request!”
"Yes?"
“I came here with a favor to ask, you know? If you just agree to it without a fuss, I'll do something crazy.”
“What did you ask me to do?”
“Did that person say they'd listen?”
“Well, I said he'd listen... but I'm not so sure.”
"What?"
I said confidently.
“That person always keeps his word.”
***
The Imperial Palace, the Crown Prince's office.
Nike, who had come to the capital after settling the situation with the demon, immediately went to find the Crown Prince.
Crown Prince Bane, as always, put aside his work and sat down with his younger brother.
“You’ve worked hard. You must be tired. Why didn’t you rest right away?”
“I have something to tell you.”
"Hmm?"
Nike got to the point.
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