Chapter 55: Stars' Ball (1)

There is a saying in the Empire.

If you fall asleep holding someone's possession, you will dream of that person.

Charlotte Eschenwald was not the type to believe in such superstitions.

But in a world where magic existed, there might be unknown laws she was not aware of.

That was why she clutched a silver coin in her hand as she pulled up the covers.

She rationalized that this was merely an exploration of the unknown, that she was different from other girls.

Some time passed.

When she came to her senses, she was looking down at a waterfall.

The sound of the water plunging tens of meters below assaulted her eardrums.

The spray had turned to mist, rising up to her waist.

Within that dreamlike scenery,

she spotted a man standing at the edge of the waterfall.

"Yulian Schnabel."

Charlotte's lips began to move of their own accord.

At her call, the man at the edge of the waterfall turned around.

The young man looked to be just over twenty.

His black hair, like a crow's feather, half-covered his forehead.

Beneath that hair, a pair of cold, lifeless blue eyes turned to Charlotte.

"So you've come, Miss Hausen. No, perhaps you'd prefer I call you Her Highness Eschenwald?"

Charlotte ignored his greeting.

A scroll had appeared in her hand.

The end of the parchment trailed off into the mist, its end nowhere in sight.

Beyond her control, Charlotte's lips began to recite the contents of the parchment.

"Yulian Schnabel. Ruler of the Shadow Empire, scriptwriter of all the world's unsolved cases, the Godfather of Corruption."

"You mustn't forget 'the darkest starlight.'"

The man with the cold impression smiled faintly.

It was a smile that had made countless young ladies unknowingly contribute to his crimes.

But Charlotte's expression did not change at the sight of that smile as she continued to list his charges.

"You pickled the living wisdom of the Empire in lead and turned him into a dementia-ridden old person."

"It was necessary. Humanity cannot learn to walk on its own if it only leans on a pillar. Only after that pillar fell did humanity begin to stand on its own two feet. The Great Sage saw this and chose to remain a dementia-ridden old person of his own will."

Charlotte ignored his rebuttal and continued.

"The crime of involvement in the disappearance of ninety-five nobles throughout the empire."

"They were those who had forgotten why nobles receive special treatment. Don't you remember, Miss Charlotte? Among your clients were those who used a Beastkin tribe as targets for their magic, then hired you for a subjugation mission when they escaped. I merely removed such profligates from the stage."

"The crime of corrupting the 152nd Class of the Hero Academy."

"You have the cause and effect wrong. It was the world that first abandoned them."

Yulian waved his hand and continued speaking.

"I took them in and gave them the opportunity to display their talent. Therefore, the word corruption is incorrect. They were my people even before they entered the academy."

"...The crime of inciting corrupted heroes to throw the Empire into chaos."

"They are the heroes who have pioneered the most Demonic Realms in human history and received the most support from the citizens. If they are to be branded as corrupt simply for displeasing the high-ranking people, then what, I ask, is the definition of corruption?"

"The crime of distributing drugs across the entire continent through your order and organization."

"There is no absolute medicine, nor any absolute poison in this world. Only the dosage matters. It is the same with me. Evil is nothing more than another form of justice that changes with perspective."

"..."

The sound of water filled the space between them.

Charlotte couldn't bring herself to refute his last words.

Because what this man said was not, at least, incorrect.

He was unequivocally evil.

But he had carved out the rotten flesh of the Empire, and in its place, new flesh had clearly grown.

Yulian Schnabel was far too complex a man to be dismissed as simple evil.

"..."

And so, she chose to throw the warrant into the mist.

The parchment was swept up by the spray and disappeared over the cliff.

"Honestly, the rest is just the crime of insult, defamation... things the nobles wrote down to pass off their own filth under your name. It's embarrassing to even read them."

"Now you're finally acting more like yourself, Miss Charlotte."

The man's smile changed.

It was no longer the smile that charmed women, but one of warm greeting for a dear friend.

Charlotte sighed at him.

"I know you don't lay a hand on the innocent. They were all rude people. But there were more moderate methods. Especially the serial murder... even I can't defend that."

"When a tumor grows too large, medicine is no longer an option, Miss Charlotte. There comes a time when resection is the only way."

Charlotte looked at him for a moment.

She couldn't refute it because he wasn't wrong, but she had swallowed too much to admit he was right.

She looked down at her empty hand where the scroll had been, then raised a finger.

"Then I'll ask just one thing."

"Any question at all, Miss Charlotte."

"Can you say you had no personal feelings while committing all those acts?"

The man laughed.

It was a silent, small laugh, just a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"While working for a great cause, is it not acceptable to satisfy a little selfish desire and appetite along the way? I was merely providing the rude an opportunity to become useful in their final moments."

"Does that usefulness have to do with the dining table?"

"Indeed."

"I knew it."

Charlotte took a step forward.

Charlotte glided over the mossy rock, moving toward the cliff.

As she came one step closer to the cliff's edge, the spray soaked her ankles.

"You are someone I must stop."

"That is what I had hoped for. For the brightest star of the Empire to personally declare herself my adversary."

The man's smile deepened.

"But there is one thing you have forgotten, Miss Charlotte."

"..."

"There was a girl who was ostracized in the Imperial Castle. A child pickled in ennui in a corner of the palace, whom no one approached because of her Eyes That See the Past."

"..."

"Who was it that manipulated the Great Sage to teach that child magic, cleared away the rude people who stood in her way, and brought her to this very spot?"

"..."

"You must not forget, Miss Charlotte. You, too, are my creation. Whatever choice you make, that too is part of my plan."

Charlotte shook her head.

"No. There is one option you haven't predicted yet."

As soon as the words were out, she shot forward.

Burying her face in his chest, she embraced him.

The rock beneath their feet disappeared.

As the sound of water turned to the sound of wind, as up and down inverted, and as the sound of the man's rapidly beating heart reached her ears,

"Hmph!"

With a dizzying sensation of falling, Charlotte's eyes flew open.

What she saw was the familiar ceiling of her room in the Annex Palace.

Awake now, she habitually checked outside the window.

The sun was high in the sky.

'...I overslept today.'

It was probably because she had gone to bed too late yesterday.

But Charlotte didn't mind.

She was a forgotten member of the Imperial Family, a child half-given-up-on, anyway.

She had almost no public activities, so oversleeping for a day wasn't a problem.

As she kicked off the blanket, she shivered for a moment as the cool air brushed against her bare skin.

Charlotte glanced down at the hard sensation in her left hand.

When she opened her fingers, a silver coin lay on her palm.

'A silver coin?'

At that moment, a certain person's face flashed through her mind.

'...I think I dreamed about that person.'

She couldn't remember what it was about.

But one thing she was sure of.

Even in a dream, being by his side would not have been boring.

***

Some time after the incident's aftermath had been settled,

that day, as always, five people were seated in the dining room of the Nihilrit Mansion.

While the servants prepared today's meal, our family, already at the table, engaged in light conversation.

"Older Brother. I heard about your great deeds at a tea party today."

Young ladies and young masters of this age, like Freya, usually socialized with their peers.

I was the strange one.

It wasn't just that I was on a different level than kids my age; I was also too busy with other things to have time to meet them.

And today, it seemed Freya had heard about me through those friends.

"What did you hear?"

"The rumors are everywhere that you saved the baby at House Belheim that even the healers couldn't help, and that you provided the decisive clue to find the real culprit."

According to Freya, identifying the baby's symptoms and treating them first became the decisive clue in solving the case,

and the daughter of Inspector Hausen used that process as a lead to finally arrive at the truth.

'It seems Miss Charlotte spoke well of me.'

For me, the rumor was just right, not too much and not too little.

Since I hadn't solved the case directly, I didn't have to worry about political pressure, and at the same time, my contribution was known to be far from insignificant.

On top of that, my skill as a doctor was further emphasized, so it could be said that things wrapped up as well as I could have hoped.

"Older Brother, you're amazing. Did you know you've been given a byname?"

Freya said, her eyes sparkling.

In this world, they liked to give bynames to 16-year-old noble's children who distinguished themselves in high society.

It's basically the same as giving bynames to the rising generation in Wuxia.

"In the sense that a hidden genius has finally soared into the sky—"

Oh. Something like 'Crouching Dragon'?

Yes. If I'm the protagonist, a byname like this is to be expected...

"is what they're saying."

"...Black Swan?"

"A swan is said to be ugly when it's young and then suddenly grows beautiful, right? That's why you got that byname. Your hair is also black, Older Brother, and your face is..."

Freya's voice trailed off.

Hearing the explanation, I couldn't hide my slight disappointment.

I wanted to be known as a genius, not become famous for my looks.

"That's my Older Brother for you. They say a gold coin can't help but stand out among silver coins, and I knew you'd make a name for yourself right away."

But seeing Freya so happy about it, the title didn't feel all that bad.

"By the way, about that incident, I heard a certain spice was the poison..."

"It was star anise."

"Right, star anise. Is that spice so dangerous?"

"No. Star anise itself isn't the problem; it was an accident that happened because it looks similar to a poisonous herb. It's the same with some mushrooms, you know."

"I think I understand. Then, do you happen to know how to tell them apart?"

"Just be careful with the star anise that comes from D-Sector."

Dribble.

Hearing that, Erika let the water she was drinking dribble back into her cup.

She stared at me, her face aghast.

"Wha? I ate star anise every day when I lived in the alley?"

"...How?"

"I was hungry, so... I just picked it up and ate it off the corners of the slaughterhouse."

"Why?"

"Well... uh... it smelled similar to what they use when making Dongpo pork in the restaurants sometimes... I thought it might be leftover ingredients from cooking... and I was hungry..."

Good heavens.

"How much did you eat?"

"An uncountable amount?"

"Did you know it was rat poison?"

"No wonder. It felt a bit tingly every time I ate it."

"Have you ever vomited?"

"No? Other than my urine turning dark, nothing."

Putting aside the change in urine color as part of her chronic illness,

"Any other symptoms?"

"Nothing really comes to mind?"

What is this?

First Charlotte, and now Erika.

Do the maidens of this other world come with immunity to all poisons as a basic skill?

"Ahem."

Just then, my father cut off our conversation with a dry cough.

The food was starting to be served.

We stopped our pre-meal conversation and focused on the bowls being placed before us.

Today's menu was veal thymus butter sauté.

A dish also known as Sweetbread (Ris de veau).

It goes without saying, but I was the one who cooked it.

Who else in this world would cook with such an ingredient.

And it also goes without saying that I had cooked it with the resolve to brazen it out even if my parents caught me.

For one, the plating style was different from our family's exclusive cook.

Sure enough.

My father's eyebrow twitched upon seeing the unfamiliar dish on his plate.

"...Yulian."

"Yes."

"Do you have no intention of hiding it whatsoever?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

This is my new strategy.

Pushing forward shamelessly.

No one had seen me going in and out of the kitchen, so all I had to do was feign ignorance.

"..."

My father glared at me, but I placed the napkin on my lap as if nothing was wrong.

However, my father's next words were enough to make me freeze on the spot.

"Enough. Now that your marriage prospect has been decided, it seems meaningless to stop you. I doubt that family will care if you cook. Do as you please from now on."

...What?

I almost let out a stupid sound.

Clatter.

Freya, sitting next to me, dropped her fork.

My father, ignoring Freya's reaction, wet his lips with his aperitif and continued.

"I was originally going to tell you after the meal, but since it's come up, I'll tell you now. Yulian, your fiancée has been decided."

"So suddenly?"

I'm only in my early 16s.

I haven't even finished making my appeal.

Wasn't it supposed to be decided a year from now?

"It's not sudden. Haven't you met her already?"

"Who... Ah."

The face of a certain woman flashed through my mind.

The blonde-haired, golden-eyed, and rather peculiar detective.

"Don't tell me... is it Young Lady Hausen?"

"Yes. They say the young lady is completely smitten with you."

As soon as my father finished speaking, Freya's gaze bored into my temple.

"Older Brother, you didn't tell me you met a young lady there!"

Freya puffed up her cheeks.

They were puffed up just enough to make me want to poke them.

"Didn't you hear the rumors? They said Inspector Hausen's daughter solved the case. Naturally, since I provided the clue, we would have met, wouldn't we?"

"Th-That's... I wasn't interested in stories about other young ladies, so I didn't listen properly."

Oh dear.

It seems Freya is also the type to only hear what she wants to hear, just like me.

This won't do if it's my influence...

Then, perhaps becoming curious about her future sister-in-law,

Freya's sudden interrogation began.

"I've never heard of the Marquis Hausen Family. Is there something wrong with the family?"

It was my father, not I, who answered.

"It's natural that you don't know of them. They are an inspector's family. Inspectors have a duty to maintain political neutrality. They must not join any faction and rarely show their faces at social gatherings. The Marquis Hausen Family is a newly established family among such inspector families."

"Newly established?"

"The current head of the family's innate magic and talent were suited for an inspector's aptitude, so he was promoted to marquis in one fell swoop. However, little is known about them due to the nature of an inspector's work, so I don't know much more. I've only exchanged greetings with them a few times for work."

Something about that answer must have displeased Freya, as she pressed her lips together.

Then, after thinking deeply about something, she asked my father again.

"Then what is that family lacking that they chose Older Brother? Is there some kind of problem with their family?"

"A sharp question, Freya."

"What? It was true?"

"Yes."

My father paused for a moment, then glanced around the dining room.

After checking the faces of the servants present in the dining room one by one, my father spoke again.

"The young lady of that family has her own circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

"Her personality is a bit peculiar... It seems other families are reluctant to get close to her."

At those words, I couldn't help but nod.

Charlotte is peculiar, indeed.

She unearths your entire past with her deductions the moment she meets you for the first time.

Especially since most nobles have their own behind-the-scenes circumstances.

And married couples often consider it a form of respect to tacitly not dig into such circumstances or secrets.

In an era like this, Charlotte, who could know everything about a person just by looking, was bound to be seen as difficult.

Besides, if Charlotte has a personality like some great detective...

'Hm. As a marriage partner, she is indeed someone to think twice about.'

Great detectives are cool from a distance, but they are, to put it mildly, not good people to live with.

People would probably rush in after seeing the signboard of a marquis family, but after meeting her, they would have no choice but to retreat, thinking, 'This is a bit much...'.

"Then why would you give Older Brother to such a problematic woman...!"

"When I saw them last time, they seemed to get along well. It might be different for someone else, but with Yulian, I thought there would be no problem."

Hm. That's true, too.

Great detectives do have somewhat problematic personalities as roommates.

But I'm not the type to care much about such things.

"Especially, look at your older brother's room. I haven't known the young lady for long, so I can't be sure, but I suspect her room is probably similar to Yulian's."

"..."

"Inspector Hausen also seemed to think highly of Yulian's performance from this incident alone. I suppose it's no coincidence that he became a marquis at his age."

From my perspective, the conditions were perfect.

A marquis, no less. A marquis.

The rank right below a duke.

A dukedom is a title of nobility granted only to families who have performed a great achievement on par with my teacher, the Great Sage.

Naturally, it is a position that ordinary nobles can't even dream of.

Therefore, a marquis is the highest title of nobility a noble can realistically attain.

'The marquis thinks highly of me.'

Honestly, I don't know what part of me he paid attention to.

But how many times does the protagonist of a misunderstanding genre get acknowledged without even realizing it?

Besides, it wasn't all bad news for me.

'An engagement with Charlotte...'

Her social status as the daughter of a marquis family was one thing, but what I liked more was the fact that it was Charlotte herself.

Honestly, it was a brief meeting, but my encounter with her was worth it.

I don't know about for others, but to me, she felt like a rather ideal partner.

'And if it really doesn't work out, I can just break off the engagement.'

And there is also the option of breaking off an engagement.

The weight of an engagement isn't as light as dating, but it isn't as absolutely heavy as marriage, either.

The institution of engagement was created in the first place to check if there are any problems with each other before getting married.

Therefore, it's not all that strange to break off an engagement if you don't get along or if circumstances aren't good.

I can tell just by looking at the cases of my biological parents and my current parents.

Above all, in the game of noble engagements where choices are limited, this is honestly the best possible outcome.

"I understand."

"Good. Let's coordinate a date with the marquis and just have a simple mealtime together."

My father also spoke calmly, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Beside him, my mother clapped her hands softly, saying I had found a really good marriage prospect.

In the dining room, only Freya's expression was a little dark.

Clink.

Just then, Erika, who had finished her plate and was reaching for another, spoke up.

"Hmm. Then do I have to go to that meeting too?"

"You have to. You're a member of our family now."

First, I need to make it known to their side that Eri is a person of the Nihilrit Baronial Family.

Especially if you view marriage from the perspective of an alliance between nobles.

At this, Eri muttered with the fork still in her mouth.

"Nobles are complicated. Already preparing for marriage at this age. Well, as long as I get to eat delicious food."

"Unnie... Haaah..."

Freya let out a deep sigh next to Eri.

Erika snickered at Freya.

And so, with the talk of engagement, dinner came to an end.