The night after returning from the picnic:
I took out a green book from the drawer that I hadn't seen for a long time.
In the book were written plans for how to behave for a year after the breakup with Elena and before entering the academy, and what to do next.
"No, is this a good thing…
If I were to metaphorically describe the plan sheet here, it would be like a well-organized vacation plan made during childhood, which was really strictly made according to the parents' wishes without including any free time for the child. It was like a schedule that was bound to give me admission into a prestigious university if I moved according to the plan.
In fact, I had been living under such a schedule until I met Elena. No one had ordered me to do so, but I pushed myself into an endless hamster wheel, calling it preparation for the future.
As a result of faithfully following such a plan, I became someone who was suited to be the successor to Count Kraus's family, which I had initially set as my target.
However, as the incident with Alphonse showed, following this did not necessarily lead me to the happiness that I wanted.
The reason I made up my mind to become a person worthy of this family and not to be ruined like Damian in the original novel was to enjoy a happy life with my family.
However, the effort to do so had rather neglected the relationship with the family, so even if it made 'me' better as a human being, it was no longer necessary.
"Come to think of it, I haven't taken this guy out much since I met Elena."
The contents of the book were not just my time schedule. It also had written events that had happened in the novel, those that would happen in the future, and those that happened in the past.
The Kraus family was not an ordinary noble family. It was an elder prestigious family of the empire on this continent. It had been reigning as the ruler of the South since before the founding of the empire.
It was only a count family, but it had refused to be crowned from generation to generation, and should not be identified with other counts families.
As the successor to such a prestigious family, I had been able to easily obtain information about events happening throughout the continent since childhood. And such information gave me confidence in the information I got through the book.
There was a causal relationship in everything.
'What happens in a few chapters in the novel happens because of what happened here now', I knew the future that followed from here, so the information I heard became a reason to be sure of the future I knew.
Therefore, I was able to find a sense of security in the fact that I knew the future while watching this book.
But it also ended up with me continuing my engagement with Elena.
The story of Damian Kraus and Elena Edelweiss was a story that could not be found in the novel and it was a future I did not know, so I could no longer rely on the contents of this book for peace of mind.
After skimming through the book, I put it back in its original drawer.
Even so, the engagement with Elena did not completely rid me of any lingering attachments to the future I knew. The weight given by the word 'future' was heavy. Even if it was uncertain, I couldn't make a hasty judgment because it might be helpful someday.
Unable to let go of my lingering attachment to the book, I had no choice but to put it back in the drawer without tearing or burning it.'Let's stop thinking about it for now.'
I had learned in the past few days how foolish it was to get entangled in an uncertain future.
And the same goes for my relationship with Elena.
The distance between us had become too close to think of it as simply a relationship that would break someday. I thought I could easily let her go at first, but now that we'd spent just a few days together, I didn't want to let her go. Moreover, even though I knew the future that I would go through by her side. In the end, in order to keep her by my side even a little more, I even told my father to hand over the Isilia Mansion.
Even though I knew that my action was equivalent to walking into hell on my own to be by her side, strangely, my heart felt refreshed like drinking a soda.
I shook my head, feeling the conflict between reason and emotion.
"What's wrong with my head?"
I was not a heroine trying to keep her position as a royal family, and I didn't know what I was doing right now.
In order to clear my complicated mind, I lay down on the bed and recalled the events of the day to remember the happy memories.
When I thought of Alphonse and my father laughing, my head seemed to clear up a bit.
This was the first time our family had had this kind of atmosphere since my mother passed away. If I truly wished for my family's happiness, I should have paid more attention to this aspect. But now, thinking of how we regained this sight, I was both regretful and happy about it.
So just like that, my memory film turned and reflected Elena sitting in a flower garden.
Sitting side by side with my family, she was smiling, but for some reason, a small disappointment was also reflected on her face. It didn't take me long to realize why. I immediately opened my eyes and got up from my seat.
"What have I done?"
Looking back, the promise I made with Elena was almost like a date. However, trying to include my family in that promise, no matter how much I was focused on improving our family relationship, was clearly my mistake.
Elena smiled and followed me because she was kind-hearted, but who would like to see other people on a date? Although she looked fine, she was surely disappointed inside.
Come to think of it, she seemed a bit tired on our way back home today, maybe it was because of this.
Just thinking about it made me feel like an arrow was piercing my heart.
"I should apologize right now…"
It was too late to do that. Even if she came to my room last time as an exception, now it wouldn't be strange if everyone was asleep, but visiting her room at such a late hour crossed the line, even if she was my fiancé.
And it was doubtful whether she would forgive me simply with an apology. No, if it was Elena, that might be the case. But I didn't think my heart would be comfortable. Wouldn't it be best to at least fulfill what was promised then?
Lost in thought, as I wandered around the room, a book caught my eye.
"This is it."
'I guess I've found a way.'
***
The book I found in the room was a map of Sarham's city plan.
As soon as I found that book, my mind instantly came up with a solution. I started unfolding the plan and creating a route for us to travel.
As Sarham was one of the leading cities in the south, it could be said that the street scenery was also beautiful as it was well-developed. The information I knew about Elena was limited, but I've decided where we shall go based on things that might be interesting to her.
And I could see her delight the whole time I walked down the street with her, to the point that it was worth staying up all night.
Although this world was not one where science had advanced, but rather one where magic had, there were still some familiar foods that I knew.
One of them was cotton candy, and when I bought one for her and handed it over, she touched it with her fingers, put it in her mouth, and made a funny expression as the cotton candy melted away, leaving a sweet taste in her mouth.
The person who sold it said he had never been to a place to sell other than Sarham. Perhaps that was why she had never tasted cotton candy before.
Of course, I couldn't eat anything sweet, so I didn't buy any for myself. I took a small bite from what Elena offered me, but the strong taste of sugar made me unable to help but make a complex and strange expression. She found it amusing, though.
"Damian, your face looks weird."
"This is because Elena fed me that…"
"Hmm. Think of it as punishment for what happened yesterday."
"Wasn't I forgiven in carriage earlier? You even pinched my cheek too."
"Damian did the same to me. Hmmm? Would you like another Damian cotton candy?"
"That's okay."
Today, unlike usual, the situation had been completely reversed. Even though I was quiet and submissive due to what I did, I couldn't stand the fact that she fed me cotton candy.
Let's get paid for it by kneading Elena's cheeks about ten times on the way home.
So after wandering the streets for a while, we finally arrived at the highlight of today's trip, the workshop. Elena was curious as to why we suddenly came to buy furniture, but when I explained that she couldn't use the old items in Isillia's mansion, which was to be hers, she seemed to understand.
However, there was one fact that both Elena and I had forgotten.
"Ah."
Elena suddenly stopped walking and looked at me.
"I forgot to contact my father."
"Yes?"
"I was supposed to contact my father…"
Elena's words made me feel like I had been hit in the head with a hammer.
There was a description that Elena in the original story lived in Kraus Castle before entering the academy, so I took it for granted that Elena stayed here, but I forgot that she needed someone else's permission to actually do so.
Duke Joachim Edelweiss.
Elena's father, and someone I had only met once.
He was currently the head of the Tower of Dawn, one of the seven Magic Towers, and was known for his excellent magic skills. However, I knew one more thing about him, that he had an enormous temper.
There was no way that Elena in the original story would have forgotten to contact her father. If that were the case, Joachim would have come to this place and declared the engagement over upon seeing Damian. So she would have probably contacted him previously under Damian's surveillance.
So, this was an incident that occurred because I was different from the original Damian.
Thinking about it made me feel relieved. Unlike that guy in the original, I had nothing to say.
I asked Elena "Does Elena want to stay in Sarham?"
"Yeah? Uh, uh, what do you mean by that?"
Elena blushed at my words. For a moment, my mind went blank at her reaction, but then I realized what my words might have implied. Since I was so absent-minded, the words that I had kept inside my head came out as they were.
"Oh, no, not this… Wait a minute. I just wanted to ask what you think about staying here until the entrance ceremony to the academy. I guess I forgot to think about it."
At my words, she stared blankly at me for a moment, then replied with a smile.
"Of course. That's right, I'm the owner of Isilia Pavilion now. So it's right to stay in Sarham from now on, right?"
I hurriedly covered the wagging tail of my mouth with my hand at her response, which seemed to be seeking my agreement and confirming that she would stay here in the future.
"Then…for now, let's go back today. Let's go back and tell the Duke."
She took my hand and smiled, saying that she understood.
Perhaps even in the original work, it was Joachim who allowed her to stay in Kraus Castle for a year, so if Elena asked for it, he would not refuse. He could contact us often from now on.
Thinking that everything would work out smoothly, we climbed into the carriage and returned to the lord's castle.
But I didn't think that, as soon as I entered the castle, I would meet my father holding a crystal ball.
A face that Elena and I both knew well was reflected in the crystal ball my father was holding.
[Elena. It's been a while.]
"Ah, father…"
It was Joachim face that reflected in the crystal ball, however, his warm voice seemed a little angry now.
[Please return to Merohim for now.]
"yes?"
Elena, I, and even my father, who was holding a crystal ball, were taken aback by Joachim's sudden words about her coming back.
"Hey! What are you talking about…"
[You shut up. Of course, you there, come along too. This is all I have to say. If I don't hear that you left within two days, I'll come there myself to take Elena away. That's all.]
"What? Hey! Hey Joachim!!… This bastard just said something and hung up?!"
My father kept knocking on the crystal ball and kept calling out to the duke, but Elena and I just stood there blankly, unable to say anything as duke's figure passed by like a storm.
'What on earth is happening here?'