The place where Fenrir took Presepe was inside the forest.
It was a very scenic flat area. Flowers were in full bloom all around.
"Please wait a moment."
Fenrir settled down under a tree and slowly took off his upper garment. Then, he spread it directly on the ground.
"You may sit down now."
“Ah. Thank you.”
As Presepe sat down cautiously, Fenrir also took a seat next to him.
"..."
Even after sitting side by side, the two were silent for a moment.
The sound of birds chirping could be heard from afar, and as Presepe felt the subtly warm spring breeze caressing her cheek, she fidgeted with her hands for no reason.
"I told you to get some sleep, but it seems you weren't able to."
“I’m anxious.”
“What?”
"Because Dietrich—no, His Majesty—must surely be angry."
Presepe, lowering her head slightly, muttered in a timid voice.
"I am afraid that doing so might cause trouble for the Grand Duke."
At Presepe's words, Fenrir smiled quietly.
"Were you worried about me, not your safety, Lady Presepe?"
"Well, as for me... I've had plenty of annoying or awkward experiences because of His Majesty, so I can let that slide, but it's not the Grand Duke."
Presepe, who had been muttering quietly, realized her mistake belatedly.
Even so, Dietrich is the Emperor and the Grand Duke's superior. Did I go too far?
"It’s annoying or awkward."
"No, that’s not what I meant to say. I mean, well..."
Before Presepe could come up with an excuse, Fenrir asked the question again.
"Have you ever felt annoyed or embarrassed even when you were with me?"
It was a sudden question, but Presepe's answer was quick.
“No, there wasn’t.”
"..."
"Really, not even once."
"That's all I need."
Fenrir continued in a low voice.
"To put it another way, wouldn't that mean you feel most at ease being with me? It is my duty to keep you safe, Lady Presepe, and that safety includes peace of mind as well."
"Yes?"
"Of course, physical safety is the top priority. To be honest, I am confident that I can protect you."
Instead of answering, Presepe stared intently at Fenrir.
And then, after a considerable amount of time had passed.
She asked in a very cautious voice.
"Even if the opponent is the murderer who killed Prince Attar and Noah DeVern?"
This time, Fenrir hesitated.
"...Even if he is the Emperor?"
"Yes."
Fenrir did not hesitate for the slightest. His answer was clear and incredibly fast, as if he were someone giving an answer to a very obvious question.
She didn't understand.
"Why?"
So Presepe asked him again.
"Why are you going to such lengths for me?"
A question she had never asked before. A question she had never thought about.
Unlike just now, Fenrir's answer did not come back quickly.
Fenrir seemed to be organizing his thoughts in some way, and also appeared to be agonizing over how to refine them enough to be able to speak them out appropriately.
Without rushing him, Presepe waited for his answer.
"..."
Fenrir, biting his lip slightly, slowly turned his eyes toward Presepe.
...Where, what, and how can I say it?
All my beginnings and endings leading up to this point.
And how can I be honest?
Those drunken things I did to reach you.
Fenrir was not unaware. On the contrary, he knew better than anyone. He knew that this heart he held for Presepe, shining murkyly with a mixture of various emotions, was not normal.
It was too heavy to simply call it love, and it crossed the line to call it pity. And that was a very long time ago.
Even when he realized that his existence in this world was nothing, what made him angry was Presepe.
The suffocatingly terrible anger stemming from the fact that he could not save her, who was being violated and unjustly dying repeatedly.
You, who made me live and gave me a reason to endure, only to make me realize that I am nothing; you, who made me curse myself for being unable to do anything, only to eventually open a door to another world—how could I even define these feelings I have for you?
Is that possible?
"Lady Presepe is..."
It was only after quite some time had passed that Fenrir rubbed his dry lips.
"You are someone precious to me."
In a very cracked voice that was completely out of character for him and had never been heard before.
"That one fact, at least, has never changed. To me."
If he were to pity her easily, he would have hated the noble girl, but while wandering from battlefield to battlefield, the only thing he thought of was that one girl.
Fenrir always ruminated.
Even when pierced by arrows, even when stabbed by swords. And even when rolling on the filthy ground like a corpse, shedding blood like rain.
"So... you try throwing it away too."
That moment when he first received someone's sincere warmth.
Just as touching an object for a long time leaves a trace, do memories also leave a mark?
In that case, Fenrir thought that the moment he first met Presepe must have been so worn out that not even a trace remained.
It was a wretched life with not even a single memory to recall or cherish, except for the events of that day.
Fenrir would occasionally wonder. Do other people live like this too? Do they live holding onto precious moments they cling to with all their might, like straws, just to endure? I suppose so. That must be what it means to be ordinary.
...But if that is the case, wouldn't I be the same?
The only difference is that for her, the only moment to reminisce about was that moment.
So, it couldn't help but be precious.
Even though the emotions coiled up like snakes emit a rotten stench.
"..."
Presepe's violet eyes, which had been quietly gazing at Fenrir, trembled violently.
If there had been even just one person like this among the characters.
No...
If Grand Duke Fenrir were the real male protagonist.
It would have been nice if that were the case.
Then Presepe in the game, and me too.
Couldn't it have been possible to be this broken and avoid such pain?
However, it was a pity. Presepe still remembered. The notification window that appeared when she looked up Fenrir's name when he first appeared.
In the game, Fenrir was just an ordinary NPC whose name could not even be found.
Even though she was aware of that fact, it felt like her heart ached.
"And you need not worry about the aftermath regarding His Majesty. The same goes for the Archmage."
Fenrir, who had been silently gazing at Presepe, opened his mouth as if to comfort her.
"Those two will have something very big to do for a while, so they won't be able to pay attention to us."
“Big deal?”
"To borrow Presepe's expression, you are about to realize that Archmage Ivan was far from a trustworthy human being, but a crazy bastard."
Moreover, even if Ivan finds out that Presepe has run off with Fenrir, he will not be able to chase after him.
Dietrich said so in front of everyone that since the Knights and Fenrir were away, the Archmage Ivan would guard the Imperial Palace.
"Even after arriving at your destination, you may stay at your accommodation, Presepe. Please relax and think of it as a trip."
Dietrich and Ivan are in the capital, but Siegfried is heading to the same place. However, even so, he had absolutely no intention of letting Siegfried meet them. Especially considering he was by Presepe's side.
"Just enjoy this moment for now."
Fenrir plucked a profusely blooming flower, placed it in Presepe's hand, and spoke.
"There is nothing here that would dare annoy or put Lady Presepe in a difficult position."
At his words, Presepe slowly looked down at the withered flower in her hand.
The flower petals were swaying faintly in the ceaselessly blowing gentle breeze, the distinctive scent of grass in the forest, and the sound of mountain birds coming from afar felt incredibly peaceful.
Ironically, despite the situation, she even had the illusion that she was actually traveling, just like in Fenrir's story.
'Yeah, I've already come this far, so what can I do? Even so, Dietrich wouldn't kill me again, right? I have an idiot now, after all.'
It was the moment of choosing between ‘I’ve come this far, so what am I supposed to do?’ and ‘But how will I clean up the mess afterward?’
In any case, Presepe was gradually approaching a clue to finding the real male protagonist.
Even though the process might not have been what she intended.
***
"...Therefore, it is said that Lady Presepe went to the Forbidden Forest with Grand Duke Fenrir."
"..."
"I visited earlier than the time I mentioned just in case. I do not understand why you acted that way..."
Vivid anger was visible on Dietrich's face as he received the report from the escort knight.
You asked for it.
Come back to my side, come back to the Imperial Palace.
You even promised you wouldn't hurt me.
However, Dietrich realized with a bone-chilling realization that his pleas were of no use to Presepe.
Are you saying you hate it that much?
I?
"...Grand Duke Fenrir."
"Yes?"
"The possibility that Grand Duke Fenrir forcibly took Presepe away."
He thought he might be less angry if that were the case.
"Since I haven't seen the situation clearly, it seems impossible to know for sure."
The sound of teeth grinding came from between Dietrich's tightly closed lips.
"Therefore, I wish to be with Lady Presepe."
Right, he shouldn't have allowed it in the first place.
"I am Your Majesty's loyal subject. There is no room for doubt that I will fulfill my duty and protect Lady Presepe."
He shouldn't have just left it alone.
Dietrich's hand, gripping the armrest tightly, trembled.
Whether Presepe volunteered to leave with Fenrir or Fenrir forcibly took her away, the outcome did not change.
'A person of the lowest and most despicable lineage, how dare you...'
This was a clear betrayal.
They had to unleash the troops right now and capture Fenrir. By any means necessary.
However, before Dietrich could give any orders, the guard continued speaking.
"And the maid, Hannah, gave me this."
"...What?"
"Grand Duke Fenrir said to convey this to His Majesty."
What the escort knight handed over was a small package.
What could be inside? No. Even if something magnificent were inside, could you really quell this rage, Fenrir?
Dietrich gritted his teeth and took the package.
Then, with a hand bulging with blue veins, he began to unravel it.
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