Noah tilted his head. He seemed to think I had misunderstood.
"I've never done anything that could be misunderstood. I've always worn this."
He slightly lifted the bandage on his right hand and showed the wedding ring on his ring finger, making a very aggrieved expression.
“You didn’t see this, did you? I’ll make sure you see it better from now on.”
“That’s not it... Yes.”
In another sense, I was so empty that my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the sofa and decided to slowly untangle the tangled thread.
"If you keep dwelling on your own understanding, it will eventually lead to misunderstandings. So please explain again. Why did you break up with me and go to war? Why must I become Queen?"
Noah, sitting cross-legged on the sofa in front of me, had a remarkably impassive face. His clearly discernible gaze turned in my direction, and his tightly clenched lips slowly opened.
“Diana, it was for you.”
It was something I heard in a dream. I opened my eyes and was caught up in the feeling of a dream. The following words followed calmly, as if to remind me that it was real.
It's something the Queen and he always say, but this time it seems like they're trying to convey something different.
“Are you saying the Queen will kill me? She doesn’t seem to have any intention of doing so now.”
To my question, he straightened his silver-white hair and answered one by one.
"Yes. In fact, the Queen didn't want you to die. That's why she invited me to join the war, and I agreed. To protect you from everyone."
He didn't specifically mention the target. He must have meant that countless dangers lurk. Assassination by those seeking war would be one of them. I bit my lip, recalling the Queen's cynical attempts at coaxing and threatening, trying to secure me as her rightful successor.
Noah's quiet words continued.
"Our family, the tycoon families, and the financial families share a common goal. Since time immemorial, even before we were born. To achieve this, we've been eliminating any obstacles and dismantling the aristocratic system centered on the monarchy."
“What is your specific purpose?”
"It's about changing outdated standards and metrics and entering a new era. They hope this war will be the catalyst for those with the power and financial resources to dominate the world. Some hereditary monarchs were quite incompetent. Two families of the Knights of the Round Table even agreed with Frogen's plan to cleanse humanity. It's called a self-purification."
Ultimately, the goal was to expose the weakness and incompetence of the monarch, dethrone him, and then seize his place. This was a transitional period, a time of conflict between the class system and capital, a time suffering from the growing pains of modernization. The sacrifice of lives for personal gain was of no concern to me. In short, this world was about to usher in a new era. I asked, clutching the hem of my skirt at my knees.
“I want to know. What is the premise behind everything you’ve done?”
"My Diana seems to enjoy asking the same questions. I always give you the same answers."
"The answer I want to hear varies depending on the situation. Because thoughts change constantly. Instead of just giving me the gist, try explaining in more detail and length so I can understand."
Noah snorted faintly at my urging. He stopped calling me "Princess."
"At first, it was purpose, then curiosity about something I'd always wondered about, and before I knew it, I liked you and cherished you. So I changed my mind and tried to keep it a secret, without anyone knowing. I had another replacement, Erita. But the Admiral and Mastiff interfered, so I had to change my plan several times."
Just as things don't go as planned, like a snowball, irregularities have become rampant, leading to the current dire situation. The New World is likely already dominated by capitalists. If our interests don't align with theirs, we'll become enemies at any moment. As Noah said, there's no escape. But now that I know, I, too, am complicit in countless deaths and massacres. The consequences will come back like a boomerang, so emotional pleas to stop such a terrifying act won't work. Noah lifted the whiskey glass in his hand.
“It’s a plan I’ve prepared to protect you.”
“You didn’t run away with me. Was it because you were afraid of failure?”
"Yeah. I'm afraid it might be irreversible. It might just be you."
He smiled brightly.
"You like to live comfortably, don't you? I'll take care of all the hardships and suffering. That's the responsibility of what you've tamed."
It wasn't that I wanted comfort; I hated being miserable and in pain. It wasn't that I didn't want to do anything; I was just exhausted. It was a lethargy born from the experience of having fought for happiness, grasping for it, only to find it turned into suffering. I knew better than anyone that if I remained still, nothing would change, and that others would suffer.
"That's right. I'm a selfish, individualistic person. Perhaps I'd be the ideal leader, as you and they imagined."
I paused for a moment and wiped my face as if I was washing my face dry.
"Noah, you can be King if you want, but I won't join the best plan you've prepared for me. Especially the development of the atomic bomb."
Beneath his lowered eyelashes, his blue eyes darkened like the night sky. He seemed to be trying to understand my thoughts.
Capitalists follow only capital, are controlled by it, and will do anything for profit, regardless of the means. Their apparent morality and humanity are merely a social mask, designed to facilitate smooth business relationships.
I cannot stand by and watch this terrible tragedy solely for my own safety. It's not because I'm kind or righteous. Even if I feel a slight sense of responsibility and guilt, I'm actually afraid of karma and cause and effect. Noah shook his head, his face a pitiful expression.
“I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to be hurt.”
"Most statements about 'for someone else's sake' are extremely subjective. They're hypocritical, based solely on your own perspective."
Instead of hating him, I must stop him from committing even greater sins for my own sake. I declared in a firm voice.
"I will end the war early. After becoming Queen, I plan to withdraw from the Peace Alliance, establish an international financial institution to rescue bankrupt nations, and establish a new monetary order through financial reform. The enormous assets of capitalists around the world are concentrated in the Medea Bank."
Noah's eyes became terrified at the dangerous remark that was no different from a suicide warning.
"Impossible. Capitalists have invested heavily in Frogen, ensuring it plays the villain role effectively. With astronomical amounts of global stock market and investment funds evaporating, capitalists won't sit still."
I nodded curiously as I opened the lid of the clear sugar cube bottle and stacked the sugar cubes one by one on the table.
"You told me everything about the true nature and purpose of capitalism, even about the atomic bomb. Even though you held the opposite view."
The sharp, narrowed blue eyes slowly widened. Seeing this unusual expression of bewilderment brought a sense of elation. His clouded gaze remained fixed on me.
If we set aside our emotions and personal opinions, Noah and I are in a confrontational relationship, standing on opposing sides: the state and the market. I knocked over the stacked sugar cubes with a flick of the wrist.
"So, it's entirely possible. If we communicate this to the rulers of the great powers and formulate countermeasures, establishing beneficial relationships will be easier than stacking sugar cubes. And collapsing them will be just as easy. I intend to completely destroy your plans and the capitalist forces."
He sat motionless, seemingly frozen in time. I stared into his eyes, trying to read the thoughts of a man who neither said nor did anything. Those familiar yet sometimes unfamiliar blue eyes seemed to follow my thoughts. I leaned toward him, sitting like a passenger, and spoke.
"Common sympathy can unite the majority. And the best kind of sympathy is irrationality, you know?"
Those who wield the sword point their swords at the object of their wrath. Instead of progeny, capitalists are now considered terrorists and become public enemies.
"No way."
Despite the smile on his face as he hummed, the depth in his blue eyes grew extremely deep. His fragile face, almost ready to crumble, seemed to be begging me to stop. I didn't stop.
"I will stop this inter-state war, which is a waste of national power, and declare war on your faction. I will be constantly exposed to the threat of assassination, but the Queen will protect me. I won't be without you when I need you. That's why you keep me here, isn't it?"
It may have been the best possible ending scenario. But it was also the beginning of another, unpredictable war.
I had no intention of doing it, as it was not something I desired and would be a perfect pretext for assassination. I would only use it as a threat.
“Wouldn’t ending our relationship and turning hostile be the best way for both of us to survive?”
This time, let me make you understand me. It's all for your sake. I smiled meaningfully at him.
He forced me into a situation I'd rather run from, then elegantly coerced me into understanding. It was the way he, a nobleman to the core, treated me. In short, it was mutual. I narrowed my eyes and added.
“I can do it too. With sincerity that doesn’t care about the means or methods.”
Noah still stared at me, silent. The raindrops were hitting the window with a loud crash, as if the rain had gotten heavier. The smell of cedar, soaked with water, permeated the dark room even more.
He sighed softly and leaned back against the back of the sofa. His gaze flicked to the ceiling, then back to me. One corner of Noah's mouth twitched, and a sigh, almost an exclamation, escaped his dislocated lips.
"Oh my god."
The blue eyes that looked at me again were sharp and sharp.
I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. It was a posture of absolute compulsion.
"My fate rests with you. Will you end our relationship, thwart my plan, and face a just death? Or will you cowardly flee together?"
Silence fell between us. A sense of solitude filled the luxurious room, the only sounds being the slowing rain and the ticking of the clock on the nightstand. Noah, his arms crossed, stared at me, his eyes rimmed with red. The chill that had momentarily settled in his eyes had vanished. Instead, his gaze was filled with admiration, like a refined work of art. He slowly parted his lips.
"Diana. What you want is to go somewhere else, right?"
It seems like he doesn't want to drag me into a dangerous fight.
I looked down at Noah's bandaged hand. Every time I saw the scratches and bruises, my stomach stung. But I didn't try to persuade him emotionally anymore. I simply pushed through with my thoughts.
"I'll create a brief ceasefire by crippling the power grid due to the economic chaos of Frogen. Then, you and I will board a plane and fly to a distant, unknown place, starting over. That was my escape plan."
"Where?"
"The final destination is the New World. For now, we'll just go as soon as we have fuel. The best plan is no plan."
I couldn't plan everything perfectly like Noah. The war might not unfold as I envisioned, and it didn't really matter where it went. He tugged on his uniform tie a couple of times, his eyes widening.
"Oh my goodness. I tried to treat you like a commander, even though you're of a lower military rank than me. You're so unsatisfactory."
"You're saying I'm not good enough? I joined the Air Force and even got my pilot's license. And if you have money, you can live anywhere, right?"
I raised my nose with an arrogant expression. A familiar warmth touched my cheek. I felt his hand gently cupping my face.
“Can you live without me?”
The corners of his eyes, which were always upturned, now looked pitifully downturned, making him look quite pitiful. I narrowed my eyes, trying not to fall for her vicious behavior.
“You still don’t know, even after seeing me? I won’t die, right?”
At my raspy voice, he covered his eyes with one hand.
“How could you do that to me?”
In local culture, it roughly means admitting defeat. This time, I felt like I'd beaten him, and my shoulders rose in pride. I put on a smug expression.
“How long did you think I would give in?”
The expression on his neat face was not one of defeat, but of a conclusion reached with complete confidence.
“Diana, you knew all the consequences.”
“Maybe so.”
I'm not superior to others; I can only vaguely guess what's going on. Among all the things that are swept away by the current, there are certainly things I cherish. Wealth and power can be restored, but life cannot. Life, while a person's destiny, can be determined by someone's trivial choices. I hate regret. I hate being left alone.
He asked, observing my expression carefully.
“What was your world like?”
It was a sudden question.
Living in a parallel world with a different yet similar history, I held values completely different from those of the people here. I knew that this wasn't something an ignorant woman could have done just because she'd read a few books. I tried to keep it a secret, but it was inevitable.
He decided to tell the truth, thinking that they could no longer deceive each other in a situation he had been certain of from the beginning.
"I am..."
But there were a few things I didn't want to say that got stuck in my throat.
I couldn't say anything because I didn't want to admit that I wasn't the Diana he was looking for, that I was a fake. After a moment of hesitation, I looked up and saw him looking at me with an expression I'd never seen before. A languid voice flowed from between his loosely curved lips.
“It doesn't matter where you come from or who you are. You are my one and only.”
"I've never done anything that could be misunderstood. I've always worn this."
He slightly lifted the bandage on his right hand and showed the wedding ring on his ring finger, making a very aggrieved expression.
“You didn’t see this, did you? I’ll make sure you see it better from now on.”
“That’s not it... Yes.”
In another sense, I was so empty that my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the sofa and decided to slowly untangle the tangled thread.
"If you keep dwelling on your own understanding, it will eventually lead to misunderstandings. So please explain again. Why did you break up with me and go to war? Why must I become Queen?"
Noah, sitting cross-legged on the sofa in front of me, had a remarkably impassive face. His clearly discernible gaze turned in my direction, and his tightly clenched lips slowly opened.
“Diana, it was for you.”
It was something I heard in a dream. I opened my eyes and was caught up in the feeling of a dream. The following words followed calmly, as if to remind me that it was real.
"If deemed an unfit leader, you will die. As a former officer and high-ranking noble of the defeated nation, I am merely an obstacle to your succession."
“Are you saying the Queen will kill me? She doesn’t seem to have any intention of doing so now.”
To my question, he straightened his silver-white hair and answered one by one.
"Yes. In fact, the Queen didn't want you to die. That's why she invited me to join the war, and I agreed. To protect you from everyone."
He didn't specifically mention the target. He must have meant that countless dangers lurk. Assassination by those seeking war would be one of them. I bit my lip, recalling the Queen's cynical attempts at coaxing and threatening, trying to secure me as her rightful successor.
Noah's quiet words continued.
"Our family, the tycoon families, and the financial families share a common goal. Since time immemorial, even before we were born. To achieve this, we've been eliminating any obstacles and dismantling the aristocratic system centered on the monarchy."
“What is your specific purpose?”
"It's about changing outdated standards and metrics and entering a new era. They hope this war will be the catalyst for those with the power and financial resources to dominate the world. Some hereditary monarchs were quite incompetent. Two families of the Knights of the Round Table even agreed with Frogen's plan to cleanse humanity. It's called a self-purification."
Ultimately, the goal was to expose the weakness and incompetence of the monarch, dethrone him, and then seize his place. This was a transitional period, a time of conflict between the class system and capital, a time suffering from the growing pains of modernization. The sacrifice of lives for personal gain was of no concern to me. In short, this world was about to usher in a new era. I asked, clutching the hem of my skirt at my knees.
“I want to know. What is the premise behind everything you’ve done?”
"My Diana seems to enjoy asking the same questions. I always give you the same answers."
"The answer I want to hear varies depending on the situation. Because thoughts change constantly. Instead of just giving me the gist, try explaining in more detail and length so I can understand."
Noah snorted faintly at my urging. He stopped calling me "Princess."
"At first, it was purpose, then curiosity about something I'd always wondered about, and before I knew it, I liked you and cherished you. So I changed my mind and tried to keep it a secret, without anyone knowing. I had another replacement, Erita. But the Admiral and Mastiff interfered, so I had to change my plan several times."
Just as things don't go as planned, like a snowball, irregularities have become rampant, leading to the current dire situation. The New World is likely already dominated by capitalists. If our interests don't align with theirs, we'll become enemies at any moment. As Noah said, there's no escape. But now that I know, I, too, am complicit in countless deaths and massacres. The consequences will come back like a boomerang, so emotional pleas to stop such a terrifying act won't work. Noah lifted the whiskey glass in his hand.
“It’s a plan I’ve prepared to protect you.”
“You didn’t run away with me. Was it because you were afraid of failure?”
"Yeah. I'm afraid it might be irreversible. It might just be you."
He smiled brightly.
"You like to live comfortably, don't you? I'll take care of all the hardships and suffering. That's the responsibility of what you've tamed."
It wasn't that I wanted comfort; I hated being miserable and in pain. It wasn't that I didn't want to do anything; I was just exhausted. It was a lethargy born from the experience of having fought for happiness, grasping for it, only to find it turned into suffering. I knew better than anyone that if I remained still, nothing would change, and that others would suffer.
"That's right. I'm a selfish, individualistic person. Perhaps I'd be the ideal leader, as you and they imagined."
I paused for a moment and wiped my face as if I was washing my face dry.
"Noah, you can be King if you want, but I won't join the best plan you've prepared for me. Especially the development of the atomic bomb."
Beneath his lowered eyelashes, his blue eyes darkened like the night sky. He seemed to be trying to understand my thoughts.
Capitalists follow only capital, are controlled by it, and will do anything for profit, regardless of the means. Their apparent morality and humanity are merely a social mask, designed to facilitate smooth business relationships.
I cannot stand by and watch this terrible tragedy solely for my own safety. It's not because I'm kind or righteous. Even if I feel a slight sense of responsibility and guilt, I'm actually afraid of karma and cause and effect. Noah shook his head, his face a pitiful expression.
“I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to be hurt.”
"Most statements about 'for someone else's sake' are extremely subjective. They're hypocritical, based solely on your own perspective."
Instead of hating him, I must stop him from committing even greater sins for my own sake. I declared in a firm voice.
"I will end the war early. After becoming Queen, I plan to withdraw from the Peace Alliance, establish an international financial institution to rescue bankrupt nations, and establish a new monetary order through financial reform. The enormous assets of capitalists around the world are concentrated in the Medea Bank."
Noah's eyes became terrified at the dangerous remark that was no different from a suicide warning.
"Impossible. Capitalists have invested heavily in Frogen, ensuring it plays the villain role effectively. With astronomical amounts of global stock market and investment funds evaporating, capitalists won't sit still."
I nodded curiously as I opened the lid of the clear sugar cube bottle and stacked the sugar cubes one by one on the table.
"You told me everything about the true nature and purpose of capitalism, even about the atomic bomb. Even though you held the opposite view."
The sharp, narrowed blue eyes slowly widened. Seeing this unusual expression of bewilderment brought a sense of elation. His clouded gaze remained fixed on me.
If we set aside our emotions and personal opinions, Noah and I are in a confrontational relationship, standing on opposing sides: the state and the market. I knocked over the stacked sugar cubes with a flick of the wrist.
"So, it's entirely possible. If we communicate this to the rulers of the great powers and formulate countermeasures, establishing beneficial relationships will be easier than stacking sugar cubes. And collapsing them will be just as easy. I intend to completely destroy your plans and the capitalist forces."
He sat motionless, seemingly frozen in time. I stared into his eyes, trying to read the thoughts of a man who neither said nor did anything. Those familiar yet sometimes unfamiliar blue eyes seemed to follow my thoughts. I leaned toward him, sitting like a passenger, and spoke.
"Common sympathy can unite the majority. And the best kind of sympathy is irrationality, you know?"
Those who wield the sword point their swords at the object of their wrath. Instead of progeny, capitalists are now considered terrorists and become public enemies.
"No way."
Despite the smile on his face as he hummed, the depth in his blue eyes grew extremely deep. His fragile face, almost ready to crumble, seemed to be begging me to stop. I didn't stop.
"I will stop this inter-state war, which is a waste of national power, and declare war on your faction. I will be constantly exposed to the threat of assassination, but the Queen will protect me. I won't be without you when I need you. That's why you keep me here, isn't it?"
It may have been the best possible ending scenario. But it was also the beginning of another, unpredictable war.
I had no intention of doing it, as it was not something I desired and would be a perfect pretext for assassination. I would only use it as a threat.
“Wouldn’t ending our relationship and turning hostile be the best way for both of us to survive?”
This time, let me make you understand me. It's all for your sake. I smiled meaningfully at him.
He forced me into a situation I'd rather run from, then elegantly coerced me into understanding. It was the way he, a nobleman to the core, treated me. In short, it was mutual. I narrowed my eyes and added.
“I can do it too. With sincerity that doesn’t care about the means or methods.”
Noah still stared at me, silent. The raindrops were hitting the window with a loud crash, as if the rain had gotten heavier. The smell of cedar, soaked with water, permeated the dark room even more.
He sighed softly and leaned back against the back of the sofa. His gaze flicked to the ceiling, then back to me. One corner of Noah's mouth twitched, and a sigh, almost an exclamation, escaped his dislocated lips.
"Oh my god."
The blue eyes that looked at me again were sharp and sharp.
***
I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. It was a posture of absolute compulsion.
"My fate rests with you. Will you end our relationship, thwart my plan, and face a just death? Or will you cowardly flee together?"
Silence fell between us. A sense of solitude filled the luxurious room, the only sounds being the slowing rain and the ticking of the clock on the nightstand. Noah, his arms crossed, stared at me, his eyes rimmed with red. The chill that had momentarily settled in his eyes had vanished. Instead, his gaze was filled with admiration, like a refined work of art. He slowly parted his lips.
"Diana. What you want is to go somewhere else, right?"
It seems like he doesn't want to drag me into a dangerous fight.
I looked down at Noah's bandaged hand. Every time I saw the scratches and bruises, my stomach stung. But I didn't try to persuade him emotionally anymore. I simply pushed through with my thoughts.
"I'll create a brief ceasefire by crippling the power grid due to the economic chaos of Frogen. Then, you and I will board a plane and fly to a distant, unknown place, starting over. That was my escape plan."
"Where?"
"The final destination is the New World. For now, we'll just go as soon as we have fuel. The best plan is no plan."
I couldn't plan everything perfectly like Noah. The war might not unfold as I envisioned, and it didn't really matter where it went. He tugged on his uniform tie a couple of times, his eyes widening.
"Oh my goodness. I tried to treat you like a commander, even though you're of a lower military rank than me. You're so unsatisfactory."
"You're saying I'm not good enough? I joined the Air Force and even got my pilot's license. And if you have money, you can live anywhere, right?"
I raised my nose with an arrogant expression. A familiar warmth touched my cheek. I felt his hand gently cupping my face.
“Can you live without me?”
The corners of his eyes, which were always upturned, now looked pitifully downturned, making him look quite pitiful. I narrowed my eyes, trying not to fall for her vicious behavior.
“You still don’t know, even after seeing me? I won’t die, right?”
At my raspy voice, he covered his eyes with one hand.
“How could you do that to me?”
In local culture, it roughly means admitting defeat. This time, I felt like I'd beaten him, and my shoulders rose in pride. I put on a smug expression.
“How long did you think I would give in?”
The expression on his neat face was not one of defeat, but of a conclusion reached with complete confidence.
“Diana, you knew all the consequences.”
“Maybe so.”
I'm not superior to others; I can only vaguely guess what's going on. Among all the things that are swept away by the current, there are certainly things I cherish. Wealth and power can be restored, but life cannot. Life, while a person's destiny, can be determined by someone's trivial choices. I hate regret. I hate being left alone.
He asked, observing my expression carefully.
“What was your world like?”
It was a sudden question.
Living in a parallel world with a different yet similar history, I held values completely different from those of the people here. I knew that this wasn't something an ignorant woman could have done just because she'd read a few books. I tried to keep it a secret, but it was inevitable.
He decided to tell the truth, thinking that they could no longer deceive each other in a situation he had been certain of from the beginning.
"I am..."
But there were a few things I didn't want to say that got stuck in my throat.
I couldn't say anything because I didn't want to admit that I wasn't the Diana he was looking for, that I was a fake. After a moment of hesitation, I looked up and saw him looking at me with an expression I'd never seen before. A languid voice flowed from between his loosely curved lips.
“It doesn't matter where you come from or who you are. You are my one and only.”
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