Showing it off

58

“Kaius. The world is watching us. Seeing them deploying forces to ‘misaligned’ locations ever since the World Conference in the capital… I can’t help but wonder if they’ve caught on to the False Star’s materials…”

At Oblivion’s intelligence officer Lumiere’s speculation, Kaius slowly shook his head.

“It’s highly probable they still don’t know about the crucial ingredient. If they did, they would have already made some move to acquire it.”

Kairos suspected that, for the moment, all they’d realized was that something existed in the ‘discrepancy’ between the records and actual history.

“But even so, material acquisition will inevitably be hampered.”

“Hmm.”

Swallowing a sigh, Kairos raised his glass, sipping the elixir of life as he fell into thought.

The existence of the Imperial Intelligence Minister was proving far more troublesome than anticipated.

The fact that nations around the world were deploying troops to locations with discrepancies was due to him sharing information.

‘I should have killed him, no matter the cost, back then.’

He knew regretting past actions was pointless, but the bitterness in his mouth was unavoidable.

“What will you do? Even if we wanted to strike the Empire, we can no longer muster a large force now that Reto is dead.”

“The size of our forces is meaningless. As long as the Empire has that new weapon, numbers are inconsequential.”

The Empire’s new weapon Kairos referred to was the Staff of Merlin.

‘The Staff of Merlin, eh? A well-chosen name indeed.’

Finishing his elixir and setting down the glass, Kairos rose from his seat.

Their time was running short.

In any case, preparations for the plan were complete.

All that remained was execution.

“I would have preferred to ensure every possible advantage, but it can’t be helped. Let us begin the Recreation of Ruin.”

“Where?”

“Is it not obvious?”

Among the locations where historical discrepancies had occurred, the place with the greatest disparity.

Even more so than the small kingdom of Clamor, where recorded and actual history differed.

It was none other than the Acherus Imperial Archipelago.

—

As an aside, medicine is ineffective against me, given I possess Laplace’s Demon.

It’s only natural that poisons wouldn’t work, but even if someone were to secretly administer a sleeping draught, for example, it wouldn’t have any effect.

Therefore, it’s impossible for someone to drug me and assault me without my knowledge.

Especially if it’s repeated every night.

On the first night, I was bewildered and flustered, and tried to resist with all my strength, feigning sleepwalking, but I was easily subdued by Christina, who possessed monstrous strength.

Perhaps because she harbored no animosity, Laplace’s Demon didn’t activate.

Besides, Celine had shoved something into my mouth to block me, probably as a precaution, so I couldn’t even call for the guards.

In the end, I was violated that day by my secretary and subordinate.

One after the other, in turns.

The shame is so intense I can’t even breathe a word of it to anyone.

“Minister? Is there something about the food that doesn’t agree with you?”

Celine and Christina, who have been coming over every day lately to cook dinner for me, as if it were the most natural thing, were looking at me with worried eyes.

Frankly, I’m not sure what emotion to feel toward them.

I’m angry, but I’m also ashamed of being victimized so completely, so the words just won’t come out.

That’s why I keep pretending to be asleep when it happens, and perhaps because of that, the two of them repeat the same act every night.

Well, I suppose the first time is always the hardest; it’s easier after that.

But do they really think I don’t know? Or perhaps they know that I know, and I’m just pretending not to know?

Even though they always clean up meticulously before they leave, they should know that some traces are impossible to completely erase.

“Minister?”

“Minister?”

“…It’s nothing. I just spaced out for a moment. Don’t worry.”

The funny thing is, my physical condition has been getting steadily better ever since the two of them started forcing themselves on me.

What principle is at play here? I have absolutely no idea.

But I can’t just let this continue as it is.

After a moment’s contemplation, I put down my spoon and said,

“It’s not going down well. I’m sorry, but I’ll stop eating for today.”

“You’re stopping? But you’ve barely eaten anything…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to eat even a little more…?”

Celine and Christina, their faces as if they had witnessed the end of the world, urged me to continue eating.

More precisely, they want me to ingest the sleeping pills mixed into the food.

It wouldn’t be difficult to humor them and eat, but I simply don’t want to today.

I need time to think about things, one way or another.

“I have somewhere to be for a while, so both of you should head back for now.”

“Huh? Where are you going at this hour…?”

“I, I want to go with you too!”

“No.”

Restraining Christina, who was about to follow, I practically forced them both to turn back before leaving the house.

Naturally, the escort detail stuck close, and Christina would surely be tailing from behind, but it didn’t matter.

I didn’t really have a destination anyway. I simply wanted to walk.

Or, perhaps it wasn’t entirely without purpose.

With the Eye of the Heavens constantly active, I could roughly imagine where and what those I knew were doing.

Therefore, if I were to run into someone on my stroll, it wouldn’t be by chance.

For instance, if I turned right at the crossroads with the café, then veered left…

“Oh? Erwin?”

I would find myself face to face with Francesca.

It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to see her… impulsive? Yes, that felt like the right word. Impulsive.

Though accompanied by guards, Francesca, presuming we were alone since other knights were absent, greeted me familiarly, calling out my name.

“What are you doing out here at this hour?”

“Taking a walk. Are you just getting off work?”

“Yes. I was training alone, and before I knew it, it was this late.”

So diligent.

Even though there was likely no one in the Empire who could match her one-on-one, Francesca never skipped her training.

“Um, Erwin? If you don’t have anything special planned, would you, perhaps, like to stop by my place for a bit?”

“The Cirner family estate?”

Even so, barging in at this hour seemed impolite, but Francesca shook her head, continuing.

“Ah, no. I moved out a while ago, to live on my own.”

I wasn’t aware of that.

“Why the sudden change?”

“Just felt like… trying living alone? Ah, anyway, how about it? The weather’s getting chilly. Maybe you could come in for some warm tea…?”

With a glint of hidden motives in her eyes, Francesca glanced up at me furtively.

Ordinarily, I would have refused outright, but today was different.

It wasn’t because my body was already tainted, or anything like that, but simply because I wanted to do something I normally wouldn’t.

Perhaps I wanted to see something unexpected.

I’ve been rather impulsive since a while ago, huh.

“Alright.”

“Haa, yes. I thought you would… say that? W-what did you just say?”

“I said I understand.”

“Really!?”

This far was as expected.

Following Francesca back to her place for tea and cozy conversation was also as expected.

Even her coming to my side and suddenly knocking me over while we talked.

All as expected.

“Francesca.”

“It’s Ervin’s fault! Because Ervin is so defenseless! That’s why!”

Isn’t that usually what a man says to a woman?

No, rather, it’s something that shouldn’t be said at all.

Well, either way, I anticipated this, so it didn’t matter much… come to think of it, I already abandoned myself, so I was just letting loose, wasn’t I?

I’m not some tragic heroine from a story, so what is this shameful display?

Of course, I was shocked when the restraint I had been exercising to the best of my ability since her death crumbled in a moment of weakness, but even so.

Suppressing a sigh at my own wretchedness, I waited for Francesca to act as expected.

But she did something that defied my expectations.

“Ah, no. This isn’t right. No matter what, I can’t do this!”

Francesca, who had been on top of me, knelt on the floor and bowed her head to me.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! It was unbecoming of a knight! How could I, the Captain of the Guard, do such a thing…!”

“Francesca.”

“I won’t make excuses. I will pay the price with my life in this very spot…!”

“Francesca.”

I lowered myself, raised her up, and kissed her.

Then, I spoke to Francesca, whose eyes had widened like a startled rabbit’s.

“If it’s merely about joining bodies, I don’t mind.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Really. If you desire something more than that, you should reconsider.”

“A-ah! I won’t! I won’t desire anything more… can I, can I do it?”

“Do it.”

That night, my experience count became four.

All four of them virgins, even.

What this whole affair revealed was that my…function, which I’d assumed had died along with her, and thus would never be used again, was not only intact, but overflowing with vigor. And that, unexpectedly, I had developed a taste for unforeseen developments.

Strange. I used to despise anything unexpected, no matter what it was.

I must be getting old.

—

On the rooftop of the building next to Francesca’s.

Hidden in the shadows, Christina watched the spectacle of their fervent coupling, her fists clenched tight.

‘I have to use sleeping pills just to get him going, but with that woman, he does it just like that? Why? Why? Why? Director Jang is mine. I liked him first, I’ve been by his side longer… why in the world!’

She couldn’t comprehend it, and she didn’t want to.

Yet, Christina couldn’t tear her eyes away from them.

It was the same feeling she’d had watching Celine with the Director.

She clearly hated it, and yet, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the Director as he intertwined with someone else.

And so, she didn’t notice.

That Francesca, as she writhed with the Director, was deliberately displaying herself for Christina’s benefit.