CHAPTER 155
The 1st Princess, Perasis Gladion.
True to her nickname, "Little Giant," she was a truly insane woman.
“Well then, I will inform you of the time.”
To say something so explosive and then immediately get up to leave was just like her.
“I haven't agreed to do it.”
“But if you don’t, we’ll both be in a difficult position, won’t we?”
She really does her research thoroughly.
“It’s not difficult. All you have to do is use Resurrection magic once.”
How is that "just using Resurrection magic once"?
A deep sigh escaped my lips.
“If the situation doesn’t look right, I’m dropping everything, resurrection and all.”
“Let’s both hope such a situation doesn’t arise.”
Perasis prepared to leave with Beltemon.
“May I ask one favor?”
At my question, Perasis turned back with a grin.
It was the smile of a true stateswoman, one that made me understand why she was called the Little Giant.
“As people in the same boat, I suppose I can grant any favor you ask.”
“I’m not that reasonable of a person.”
“The fact that you haven’t argued with my story means you’re no fool either.”
Just looking at the story itself, the fate of the Empire was at stake.
It was a story that would clearly burden anyone.
But anything related to Asheria Eve had to be dealt with decisively, or problems would undoubtedly arise.
“I would like you to pardon Rapiel, the daughter of the Master of the Grace Magic Tower, from her banishment.”
“Hmm? A disciple who cares for his master, I see.”
“If you’ve investigated me, Your Highness must be well aware that it was not my master’s fault.”
She stroked her chin for a moment, then placed her hands on her hips and nodded.
“Alright, I will do so. It wouldn’t do to be harsh to the Saint’s master. As the next emperor, I suppose I must also show a generous side.”
She was already certain she would become the emperor.
Her ambition was no small thing.
“Well then, until next time.”
With that, Perasis strode away confidently.
“I apologize for my part in this,” Ririran said quietly after a moment of silence.
“What’s there to be sorry for? In fact, it’s a good thing for me that my master no longer has to worry about the Empire's scrutiny.”
I had wanted to do this for a while now.
I had only stayed quiet because I knew I’d get a proper scolding from Rapiel if I acted rashly on my own.
I had been planning to make a move like this as soon as an opportunity arose.
With this, the matter concerning Rapiel was resolved.
Though I hadn't expected a completely new problem to arise.
“Well then, I’ll go and get Rapiel.”
“Yes, please head straight to Lord Rapha Hastel’s side. We’ll meet you there.”
Ririran left with a final word of thanks.
With her loved one on his deathbed, she was in a very urgent situation.
This was no time to hold her back.
“Harua.”
Aranseol called out to me cautiously, coming to my side.
Even to her, it was clear that we had been caught up in something unexpected.
“Aranseol, sorry for getting you caught up in this.”
“Your business is my business. Don’t worry about it. I’m more worried about you.”
“It seems fate won’t leave you be, Harua,” Aigis added with a nod of agreement.
Whether it was because of my Resurrection magic or my innate personality, I had a knack for getting entangled in all sorts of incidents.
“Let’s go.”
My business at the Imperial Palace was done.
Originally, I had planned to learn about the internal affairs of the palace through Vanessa, Babiyen’s great-aunt.
But I had heard something far more significant, and my head was a mess.
I couldn’t figure out what Perasis was thinking in the first place.
If even one of the people here decided to side with another royal, her own words would put her at a disadvantage.
‘Is she so confident she can get away with it and not be implicated in the Emperor’s death?’
I could feel a massive, unpredictable movement within the Imperial Palace.
Whether it would lead to ruin or a new revolution was something only time would tell.
When I stepped outside, I saw the sun had not yet set.
The world was in this state, yet the sun rose and set with unwavering consistency.
Even the sun, so much larger and older than any person, repeated the same task.
Why couldn't people just stay still?
It was truly a mystery.
“I should go see Babiyen.”
She must be struggling in this palace too. I should at least offer her a word of comfort.
As I started walking, Aranseol slowly came up beside me.

“Harua, you said Babiyen confessed to you.”
“Ah, right.”
It wasn't something to hide at this point, so I answered. Aranseol smiled brightly.
But for some reason, her smile didn't feel as radiant as usual.
“...Aranseol?”
“Yes?”

She replied cheerfully. Was I mistaken?
I glanced back and saw Aigis quietly shaking her head.
So, it wasn't my imagination.
Now that Aranseol and Babiyen had expressed their feelings, I understood.
This was, without a doubt, jealousy.
“Aranseol, about Babiyen…”
“Harua, are you worried I’m going to say something to Babiyen?”
Honestly, I was worried.
I had only ever seen the emotion of love in dramas, but what kind of feelings were portrayed in those shows?
They always caused incidents and problems.
There was a very real possibility that Aranseol and Babiyen’s relationship could be ruined.
“Don’t worry. Babiyen and I both noticed each other’s feelings a long time ago.”
Why am I always the last to know?
Why am I the only one in a world where I don't notice anything?
A sense of sadness washed over me, but what could I do?
People are surprisingly dense when it comes to their own affairs.
‘To be precise, it was probably a matter of self-esteem and perception.’
These this-worlders are uncivilized.
They are not the same as me.
Since I was always telling myself this, my brain couldn't possibly make normal assumptions. It was a simple, foolish calculation: if I don’t show goodwill, the other person won’t show goodwill either.
At times like this, the human heart is truly fickle.
It was a case of seeing only what I wanted to see.
Just then, I saw someone rushing towards us from a distance.
Seeing the flash of red hair, I knew instantly who it was.
“Babiyen.”
As I called her name, Babiyen stopped running.
She quickly looked around.
It was easy to tell who she was looking for.
“The 1st Princess finished her conversation and left a while ago.”
“Haa…”
A sigh of both lament and relief escaped Babiyen’s lips.
She must have been waiting for me for a while, only to hear I’d been taken by the 1st Princess. She must have been terrified.
It was an absurd situation for me as well, but what could be done?
There was nothing I could do at the time.
“...Why do you always attract so much trouble, Harua?”
“This isn't my fault.”
“I suppose not, but still.”
Babiyen looked at me with a complicated expression, but when our eyes met, she slowly averted her gaze.
“...I’m glad to see you’re safe. Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I heard about the Radiance Faith incident?”
She tried to cover up her behavior by changing the subject.
What’s this?
Somehow, her atmosphere was strangely different from usual.
The Babiyen who had so actively expressed her feelings before we parted ways was gone.
But today, I sensed a kind of confusion from her.
I wasn't sure, but I decided to talk about recent events for now.
“It’s all over now. Thanks to that, I was able to complete my secret weapon.”
“A secret weapon?”
“I’ll show you later.”
She showed interest, but still wouldn’t meet my eyes.
Yeah, something definitely happened to her.
“Babiyen.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Something happened, didn’t it?”
As I asked the question, Babiyen’s shoulders flinched.
She slowly lowered her gaze to her toes and her lips trembled.
“What do you mean, something happened? Nothing happened.”
“No, anyone can see something’s up. Stop beating around the bush and just tell me.”
As I kept pressing her, Babiyen finally shouted in an annoyed voice.
“I told you, nothing happened!”
Why is she being so stubborn today?
She seemed surprised by her own outburst, flinching before biting her lip hard.
“...I’m sorry. My head is a bit of a mess from magic research. It was good to see you after so long. I’m going to go rest.”
I didn't expect her to run away.
As I watched Babiyen with a dumbfounded expression, Aranseol stepped forward.
“Harua, I’ll go.”
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes. It’ll be much better if I go than if you do.”
What am I lacking?
I couldn't tell, but I decided to leave this matter to Aranseol.
As the clueless party involved, all I could do was wait forlornly.

After shouting at Harua and leaving, Babiyen was regretting her actions.
It was only natural.
After finally reuniting with the person she liked, she had gotten angry instead of trying to make a good impression.

She knew better than anyone how pathetic and regrettable her actions were.
But what could she do?
The thoughts she had painstakingly sorted out came flooding back the moment she saw Harua, throwing her mind into chaos.
The possibility that her feelings might be something fabricated, implanted by Asheria Eve.
That thought terrified Babiyen.
She had run to the garden behind the Imperial Palace.
Stepping into it, Babiyen caught her breath and slowly came to a stop.
“Babiyen.”
“Aah!”

At that moment, she jumped and cried out in surprise at the voice behind her.
When she turned her head, a girl of stunning beauty was standing there.
A girl so pretty that even Babiyen, who had some confidence in her own looks, felt inexplicably crushed.
It was frustrating, but it was Aranseol, who was clearly prettier than she was.
Moreover, for some reason, half of her hair was now white, different from before.
Normally, it would look strange, but it acted as a highlight that blended well with Aranseol, giving her a mystical aura.
Before, she was a girl who still had a hint of youthfulness, but now, the word "woman" suited her well.
Furthermore, her presence was strangely faint.
That was why Babiyen hadn’t noticed her right away.
It was a feeling she often got from powerful individuals.
She could sense that Aranseol had grown to a level incomparable to her past self.
“It’s been a while. We didn’t even get to say hello since you were talking with Harua.”
As Aranseol spoke, Babiyen’s lips parted.
Then, she avoided Aranseol’s eyes and said quietly,
“Yes, well, I suppose so.”
“I confessed to Harua.”
And then came the bombshell.
The hair on Babiyen’s head stood on end as she slowly turned to look at her.
Aranseol was standing there with a smile.
A smile that held no trace of falsehood.
“I… I… This girl confessed too!”
Compared to the composed Aranseol, it was a pathetic reply.