historical

This girl just won't leave my side.

I couldn't help but twitch my expression as Sylvia continued to follow me wherever I went.

Whatever.

I let out a sigh and nodded at the knights, who immediately recognized me and opened the doors to the hall.

As I stepped in, the previously noisy atmosphere hushed, and all eyes turned towards me and Sylvia. Their expressions were a mix of surprise and shock.

"This is getting annoying," I muttered under my breath, making my way towards Aunt Belle. "Aunt--ouch!" I grunted as Aunt Belle forcefully fixed my tie, almost choking me in the process.

"You're attending an important ceremony, Edward. Show some restraint," she scolded.

I shrugged my shoulders, casually poking Orlin's cheeks as he tried to reach out to me with his small hands. "I'm no longer a Falkrona, anyway."

"Yes, but you're still from the Olphean House. You should visit your birthplace one day to understand," Aunt Belle said, glancing briefly behind me. "Oh, isn't this Sylvia? You've grown up beautifully, Sylvia." She affectionately patted Sylvia's head.

"Aunt Belle, is he your son? He's so cute!" Sylvia exclaimed, playing with Orlin's hand.

"Well, he's Edward's familiar, but since he didn't know how to take care of children, I took him under my wing."

"I take good care of Annabelle, though," I retorted.

"Annabelle is mature and really fond of you, that's why. But it's different with Orlin. He's scared of you."

"That's harsh..."

"Uh? Who is Annabelle?" Sylvia asked curiously.

"My daughter."

"Y-Your daughter?! Since when did you-!"

I quickly covered Sylvia's mouth before she could blurt it out and create misunderstandings. "I adopted her!"

Fortunately, Aunt Belle was there for me.

I confided in her about my memories of past lives and my possession of several legacies. I didn't want to hide anything from her, even though I couldn't be certain if we were truly inside a game. Surprisingly, Aunt Belle didn't seem to care at all.

("Regardless of how many past lives you've had, you'll always be my adorable nephew," she said.)

Her words lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders.

I shared with her everything about Annabelle and Orlin, and I even told her what had happened to Mary. While she expressed concern over my crazy plan to kidnap Persephone, Hades' wife, she didn't try to dissuade me. Instead, she assured me of her support.

"How's Tihana?" Aunt Belle asked.

"Tihana? She's doing well," I replied with a smile. "But she refuses to leave my side."

Tihana, my second familiar, hatched three weeks ago. Despite being born after Orlin, she displayed an incredible maturity and acted like an older sister to him. Unlike Orlin, who was closest to Aunt Belle, Tihana grew close to me.

"Sylvia." Queen Edith's voice cut through the air, drawing our attention.

Sylvia glanced at me before sighing and making her way towards her parents. They began conversing, their discussion seemingly tense, though I couldn't overhear the details.

"Hm?" I scanned the room and realized that everyone was still looking at me. Most of the girls... they were staring at me intently, their cheeks flushed.

[<You're becoming quite popular, Amael.>]

'I used to yearn for this kind of attention, but now I couldn't care less.'

[<The old you would have embraced it like a wild beast--->]

'Can we stop talking about the old me, please?!'

"Oh, Edward, every girl is eyeing you," Aunt Belle nudged me teasingly. "Until Mary comes back to you, you might need some warmth."

"A-Aunt Belle...?" I stammered, caught off guard by her remark.

"Oh, come on! I made a promise to your mother to bring in plenty of daughters-in-law for her!"

"What kind of promise is that?!"

But as I remembered my mother, always joking around, it didn't seem too far-fetched for her to make such a request..

"How about Myra? You still love her, right? Look, isn't she adorable?" Aunt Belle pointed towards Miranda, who was accompanied by Elona.

Elona was eagerly trying to drag Miranda towards me, while Miranda resisted, her face flushed with embarrassment.

In the end, Elona gave up and approached me herself, hugging me tightly before playfully punching my shoulder. "You didn't even respond to me!"

"My bad."

"This isn't enough, and you didn't even tell me about your cute familiar," Elona pouted, attempting to reach for Orlin, but he clung to Aunt Belle's clothes. "Brother..."

"What is it?" I asked, noticing Elona's tone becoming more subdued.

"...It's about Simon and Father," Elona said, her expression filled with sadness. "I don't know exactly, but ever since he left the dungeon, Simon has been asking Father about his parents... He even asked if Father killed them... I can't get through to him, and he refuses to talk to me about what he saw..."

"...," I fell silent, taking in Elona's words.

So, he found out, huh.

That wretched father of ours killed Simon's father, who was corrupt and responsible for Mother's death. I don't know the full extent of what happened, but...

I glanced at Father, who was engrossed in conversation with the chancellor, completely ignoring me.I think you should take a look at

He could have simply told Simon the truth about his father and why he killed him. But he chose to remain silent?

"I'll talk to him," I finally said.

"Really?!" Elona's face lit up with joy at my words, and I nodded.

I didn't want to bring up that topic with either of them, but Elona was worried, and I had no other choice.

"Edward!" Jayden's voice called out as he approached me, accompanied by Carla and Milleia. "How are you? We were so worried!"

I looked at him for a moment before responding, "I've been a little busy. Oh, and congratulations on the engagement. Finally, huh?"

"Oh, thanks!"

"Father immediately agreed once he found out he was an Apostle," Carla chimed in with exasperation.

"E-Edward..." Milleia tried to meet my gaze, but her nervousness was apparent.

I sighed, understanding what was on her mind. "I may hide my face for personal reasons, but I never deceived you," I assured her sincerely.

All those times I concealed my identity, it was to avoid getting too close to the main characters, to hide my abilities, and perhaps to escape the responsibilities that came with them. I might have been a coward, but not anymore.

"I-I see...!" Milleia nodded before quickly running off.

"Huh?" I was taken aback by her sudden departure.

Jayden looked at Milleia with a conflicted expression before speaking to me. "I'm glad you're safe, Edward."

"I'm glad too," I replied, before glancing at the table filled with food. "I need something to eat." With that, I walked away.

'Hypocrisy at its finest.'

[<He's only alive because of your words, Amael. Laima would have killed him long ago, and the same goes for me after what he did to you.>], Cleenah's voice echoed in my mind, ice-cold.

I smiled at her words. 'Jayden is still an Apostle. He'll serve his purpose as a good meat shield and diversion in the future.'

| As soon as I deem him a threat, I will kill him, regardless of what you think. |

Laima's chilling voice resounded within my head.

'I don't care about him, Laima. But right now, I don't want Zeus as my enemy. I don't want him to discover both of you. You're weakened, and I'm not strong enough to protect you from a god.'

|...|

Zeus and Hades.

Both Olympian gods.

Antagonizing either of them would be a grave mistake, and I would be defeated in less than a second. For now, I choose to be patient with Jayden.

"Your Majesty!" A voice called from outside the hall, followed by a knock. "The Emperor and the royals have arrived."

"Let them in, fool," Charles immediately responded, and the doors swung open.

At the forefront stood a tall, handsome man with a pale complexion. He exuded a powerful aura that made everyone flinch. He was undoubtedly a freak.

A monarch-level freak.

Following behind him were the duo I caught a glimpse of earlier.

The one with a grin on his face was Colton Arvatra, the Second Prince of the Arvatra Empire.

Beside him was a beautiful girl, Azeliah Arvatra, the Second Princess of the Arvatra Empire.

I didn't know much about them, as I rarely saw them even in the game.

"Oh, my god..." The girls in the hall squealed upon seeing Colton, but what happened next left them speechless.

Walking beside him, with a dark blue suit, night blue hair, and mesmerizing cold blue eyes, was Rythvel Arvatra, the First Prince of the Arvatra Empire and a pretender in the Third Game.

He moved through the crowd with an impassive expression, paying no attention to anyone around him.

And next to him...

"Ah..."

[<Is she even human?>]

Cleenah's voice rang in my mind, and I had to admit, it was hard to tear my eyes away from her.

With night blue hair cascading down to her waist, elegantly tied together with strands beautifully mingling with her stunning night blue dress, she was a sight to behold. Her cold blue eyes held no trace of emotion.

All the men in the vicinity were left speechless, their mouths agape.

She possessed a beauty that transcended mortal boundaries and was undoubtedly the most perfect being in the entire hall.

It was my first time seeing her in both worlds.

Arsethya Sienna Arvatra.

The [Legendary Heroine] of the [First Game].

She was the only heroine guaranteed to become a villainess in the Third Game if you failed to capture her heart—which was an impossible feat.