Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 525

525.

“Why are you reacting like that? Didn’t you say you liked him too?”

“I do, but…”

“Then why are you hesitating? You’re the first one he’s ever said was more beautiful than Elquines.”

“Well, he said I looked more lovable, to be exact.”

“But isn’t that the first time you’ve gotten that kind of reaction?”

“Who knows if he meant it or not.”

“Do you want to know if he meant it?”

Trowel, who had been listening silently, smiled prettily. It was such a beautiful smile that it even felt ominous. Lantasha seemed to feel the same way, recoiling in disgust.

“No, thanks. I’m not curious at all. Don’t tell me, ever, because I don’t care.”

“Good attitude. Keep doing that. It’s better to not know some things.”

“Can you stop talking like that? Do you know you seem really mean when you do that?”

“Thanks for the advice.”

The sweet smile deepened. It didn’t seem to faze her at all; in fact, she seemed pleased. Ifrit sighed at Lantasha, who was even more disgusted.

“Stop obsessing over looks so much. I know dragons like pretty things, but you’re going too far. Aren’t you tired of it? I bet you’ll discriminate against your own kids based on their looks later on.”

“Of course. My kids have to be the prettiest. They have to be so good-looking that people can’t decide who’s better, them or the Spirit King. Otherwise, their dragon life will be tough, you know?”

“Is that something to be proud of?”

“What’s wrong with it? If I can’t do it, I’ll achieve my dream through my children. Just you wait and see.”

*Congratulations. You finally achieved that wish.*

No, should I say it *will* be achieved here? Now that I think about it, Lapis’s preference for flashy appearances must have been heavily influenced by Lantasha. I swallowed a bitter laugh and bit my lip. It’s only natural, but I keep thinking about Lapis today. Everything reminds me of him, making my emotions a little overwhelming. It feels like someone is forcibly digging up something I’ve been trying to bury. What kind of expression would Lantasha make if she knew that the soul of that wonderful child, who fulfills her wishes, is wandering around here?

“Anyway, that’s not the point right now. Stop changing the subject. Why are you suddenly talking about a random gathering?”

“Well, I thought something like this might be nice sometimes.”

Ifrit scratched his cheek and glanced at Minerva, who was sitting quietly. He cleared his throat lightly and spoke in a casual tone.

“Minerva, you should bring him next time too.”

That must have been what he really wanted to say. Minerva, reacting to her name, looked up and froze in place. Her eyes blinked slowly, clearly surprised. It didn’t take long for a small smile to spread across her face as she seemed to choose her words.

“…Okay.”

Ifrit’s face flushed at her smile, and he cleared his throat again. Lantasha, filled with laughter, patted him on the back as if he had done well. Trowel’s gaze, watching the scene calmly, was also peaceful. Elüen was observing everything, but he didn’t seem to dislike the atmosphere. The expression he usually wore when he didn’t like something wasn’t visible today.

It seemed like I was the only one who couldn’t adapt to this situation and blend in. Seeing everyone in such a harmonious scene only made my heart more complicated. I already knew where I was, but I suddenly felt like I had realized something I didn’t know before.

Lantasha and Diagon didn’t get married. Lapis wasn’t even born yet, Karyuan hadn’t become corrupted, and Bluster hadn’t even been created. It was a peaceful era where none of that had happened. That’s why I felt like an outsider, knowing the end of this peace. Like I was in a place where I shouldn’t be, like I had become the root of disaster.

The reason for this absurd guilt is obvious. The fact that nothing has happened yet means there’s a chance to turn back. Knowing that, I was acting like I didn’t know anything. Because if I changed that, there would be many things I would have to give up.

“You just have to give up.”

A mocking voice whispers. It was what I had said to myself in the dream.

Yeah, that’s really what it was. I swallowed a hollow laugh, admitting that I couldn’t argue. The me in the dream knew me better than I did. Even the words that I understood but pretended not to were right. I understood what he was saying from the beginning. But I guess I wanted to make a futile attempt.

But there are moments when you can’t help but admit it, no matter how desperately you try to ignore it. The moment you realize that the most painful thing is ultimately the truth. Standing before that solid fact, I was just a trivial and insignificant creature who couldn’t do anything.

It was like this the day I accepted that my old family didn’t love me.

If only I give up, everything will be alright.

This was the truth this time too.

“It’s late, go to sleep.”

By the time everyone had left and silence had settled in, it was already well past midnight. I stared blankly at the sky, swallowed by ink, and the stars scattered above it, when a familiar presence approached and closed the window. I watched as the curtains were drawn, then looked at Elüen.

“Father.”

As I called out cautiously, Elüen stared at me without a word.

“Would you have lived well even if you hadn’t met me, Father?”

“…What?”

His gaze asked what I meant, so I smiled sheepishly. Even I thought it was a very random question. So I hoped he would just think I was talking nonsense.

“I’m just suddenly curious. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t meet you, Father. But you lived well before you met me, so you would have lived well even if we hadn’t met, right?”

I prepared to be hurt in advance, expecting an answer that it was obvious. I had confidence in the future Father, but honestly, I didn’t know the current him very well yet. No, even if that wasn’t the case, Elüen wasn’t the type to think about these kinds of answers. But he didn’t say anything.

“Well, I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.”

“…Why don’t you know?”

Why *doesn’t* he know that? There’s no way. Maybe it’s because so many unusual things happened today, but even Elüen is acting absurd. It’s obvious that he would have lived well. It was strange that he wasn’t choosing the answer that was already set.

“Of course, it’s true that I lived well before I met you.”

It seems I accidentally blurted out what I was only thinking inside. I heard Elüen’s voice lightly affirming. Relieved that my expectations were correct, I looked up.

“Ah, so that’s right?”

“But it’s also true that meeting you has made things more interesting.”

“….”

“If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have known about these things. I don’t know if you can really say that’s living well.”

After saying those dreamlike words, he gazed at me intently.

“And I don’t really want to assume such a thing.”

I completely stopped the breath I was barely holding in. My face, wearing a dumb expression, was reflected in his eyes, which were as calm as a lake. What did I want to say? I thought I had many thoughts, but they had already disappeared long ago.

“…Thank you, Father.”

I forced a smile, feeling like I was going to cry.

Hey, what’s wrong with me? I had braced myself, but all of that crumbled. It ended too easily, so I felt a little dumbfounded and empty. Why can’t I have anything my way? No matter how I think about it, this era is too harsh on me. Is it discriminating against me because I’m not supposed to be here in the first place? Still, couldn’t it at least consider my situation a little? It’s not like I did it on purpose, there’s no need to be so cold.

Actually, if I had heard the answer that it was obvious, I was just going to stay like this. Even if I was angry, annoyed, and stubborn. I was going to try to only think about myself somehow. But I heard this answer. My father said that his life was better after meeting me. He gave me the strength to live my whole life so casually. And all I did was beg him to make me his son. I don’t even know what he’s plotting inside. He was such a good person, to the point where I wanted to awaken my lost sense of shame and look at him with a confident and dignified heart.

“Thank you so much.”

I love you, Father. Thank you for making me your son twice. I think this is enough for me. I’m receiving so much overflowing love that I keep getting greedy. I want to repay you too. I want my precious people to be happier than me.

So I made up my mind. To change the future. Instead of all those things happening… even if it means I don’t become his son.

* * *

The attending angel wore a puzzled expression as the documents fell without reaching his hand. It was a very rare mistake for the master he served.

“Lord Elüen?”

The slightly stiff face reacted to the cautious call. The blue eyes, which had regained their light, slowly looked around as if belatedly recognizing the situation. Even that appearance was unlike his usual self, and the attending angel asked without realizing it.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, the voice that returned was the same as usual. Relieved by that, the attending angel turned his gaze back to his work, while Elüen put down the pen he was holding. There was a mountain of work to be done today. It was an amount that didn’t allow for even a moment of laziness, but he didn’t feel like continuing.

A scene he didn’t remember flashed through his mind. It was a phenomenon he occasionally experienced after his only son left on a long journey. There were pleasant scenes and scenes that made him sigh, but he was always pleased because he was satisfied with the fact that he had regained what he had lost.

But today’s memory was a little strange. No matter where he looked, his son’s face, which was smiling as usual, looked sad. He couldn’t know the details of the conversation they had before, but his son stared at him particularly intently that day. As if he was trying to remember this moment.

Was there something that made him feel a change of heart? The expression that seemed to have made a decision seemed to have given up, but also seemed relieved. A dull sensation rose from inside his chest. It was clear where the unfamiliar pain originated from. It was a feeling of unease.

“…El?”

* * *

What should I do to change the future?

Now that I’ve made up my mind, I made a list of things I need to do and reviewed them. When I was standing by and watching, I was worried that it would change too easily, but now that I’m seriously thinking about getting involved, there were many tricky parts in many ways.

First of all, emotional things like Ain Idris burning with rivalry towards me or being attracted to the princess are not areas I can do anything about, so messing with them won’t have a big effect. If I were to try something, it would be to change a few situations. The incident happens earlier than Trowel predicted, or the host of the incident changes. Even that alone would mean that the future I know is no longer the same. But I wasn’t confident that the change would turn out well. Rather, if those things were really happening because of me, the more I interfered, the more likely they would only worsen in a bad direction.

Fortunately, there was also a side that was easier to touch and had a visible ending. If Karyuan dies here now, the future of him becoming an evil god will not happen. Then I won’t be born wrong in Korea, and there won’t be a 10-year drought in Arkadon. Innocent children will not be sacrificed as offerings, and Isana will not lose her parents at a young age and be chased by her uncle. Lapis won’t get hurt and die, and Kanos won’t disappear.

Even better, the fact that I come to this era will also disappear. If this happens, there will be no one for Ain Idris to feel competitive with. Without meeting me, he wouldn’t be greedy for swordsmanship. Even if his change of heart is unavoidable, at least I can prevent Bluster from being created. Even that much would mean that Trowel wouldn’t be so angry that he would want to kill all humans. There were so many advantages just thinking about it. It was almost embarrassing how much time I had spent worrying.

“Stop before you regret it.”

It was as if someone was warning me. I didn’t know if it was the usual hallucination or the voice of my inner self. Anyway, my answer is the same, so whoever’s words don’t mean anything.

“I won’t regret it.”

I muttered as if swearing, closing the notebook. I won’t regret it. After all, even the future Sibelius didn’t know the ending of this journey. I might not be able to find Lapis in the end. So I’m going to do what I can do here now. Even if there’s nothing left at the end. It’ll be better than just watching and letting it flow.

“This is really unexpected.”

The man walking into the drawing room had a face full of surprise. He was in a state where his clothes were not even tidy, as if he had come out urgently while doing other work. The aide or knight who followed him glared, but he just sent his gaze without getting up from his seat. Everyone watching had a stiff face, but the person involved sat across from me with a face that didn’t care at all. The crown prince, who had his bangs down more comfortably than usual, smiled at me.

“I didn’t expect you to contact me so soon.”

Even I didn’t know that until a few days ago. The thought that I might regret this made me sigh involuntarily. Who would have known that the day would come when I would find this guy first. He’s a face I want to live without seeing for the rest of my life if possible, and that thought hasn’t changed even now. But there were things in the world that I had to do even if I didn’t want to.

“Does the fact that you came here mean that you have accepted my offer positively?”

“Don’t interpret it as you please. I told you when I contacted you. I just have something to ask.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, it seems like you did. A question. It’s a good sign that you’re curious. Okay, what do you want to know? I’ll answer within the limits of what I can tell you.”

Can’t he stop acting so cheesy? I haven’t even brought up the main point, but I’m already tired of this place.

“First of all, this is just asking, but what kind of power does the princess have?”

“Haha, is that where we’re starting? Even if you pretend you’re not, you were interested in our side. You should already know roughly, right?”

“I’m not asking about the fake information you released to the press. It’s a lie that the demon god cursed the mermaid. So I don’t believe the words that the princess is the key to solving that curse either. But the fact that the demons are persistently targeting the princess is bothering me.”

I found out that she can use sound waves, but Karyuan wouldn’t pay attention to that much. It’s a great power that can sway the public depending on how you feel, but in that case, the crown prince’s ability to bewitch is the same. It wasn’t enough as a reason for their family to be obsessed with their daughter.

“It doesn’t seem to be just about gaining the favor of mermaids.”

The smile gradually disappeared from the crown prince’s relaxed expression. His face, which had become tense as if nervous, was much more to my liking. Hoping that he would continue to be like that, I calmly stared at his wary gaze.

“Can she control the mermaids?”

For a moment, the surrounding air sank. The crown prince’s expression didn’t change, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his eyebrows twitched slightly. So that’s it. Nodding, I took a sip of the tea placed in front of me. Well, she has to be *that* powerful to be called the real power.

I wasn’t too surprised because I had expected it to some extent. It was said that mermaids were monsters from the time they were created. Since they don’t have souls, even if they increase their power with the divine power of the demon god, their egos won’t be perfect. They must have been acting to look plausible in front of people. I wondered how they tamed something that was no different from a beast, but I understood if they had the power to control them. I don’t know how they got that power, but considering that there aren’t many female infants born normally, it wouldn’t have been a very normal method.