Chapter 4
Yuria Miller.
If you ask who she is, well, it’s only polite to answer!
Yuria was one of the Five Heroes who defeated the Demon King, and without a doubt the greatest healer in the Caelum Empire.
And her motto was none other than—
“A true healer kills the enemy before an ally can get hurt!”
—there you have it.
For that reason, my mother, Yuria, personally hunted down just as many monsters and demons as any front-line fighter.
An exceptional feat for a healer, a role usually known for supporting the party from the rear.
“Why are these people gathered in front of our house, making me want to… slip back into old habits… hmm?”
While I was lost in thought, my mother beamed like an angel and murmured again.
Then, spotting me standing there blankly, she instantly brightened as though nothing had happened.
“CeeCee!”
“Hiii, Mom…”
I waved at her awkwardly.
At the same time, she quickly hid the weapon—I mean, the instrument—behind her back.
She did it so fast that it looked as if she’d never been holding it at all.
“Oh my, why is there suddenly smoke, I wonder? Hoho…”
Her lashes fluttered innocently as she added the words, wearing an expression that could fool anyone into thinking she was pure and harmless.
“♬♪…”
Watching this unfold, Dad—Kyle—murmured blankly.
“She’s… honestly… terrifying.”
“Ghastly.”
“She’s just single-handedly ended the Empire’s peace today…”
Hey, wait a second.
It sounds way too believable coming from the man who’s destined to bring about the end of the world!
This won’t do.
At this rate, I really will meet my end at the age of seven.
Without hesitation, I dashed forward and latched myself onto Harzen Dad’s leg, just as he was shifting into attack mode.
“Nooo!”
It was supposed to be another day steeped in that familiar, bone-deep boredom.
A simple, monotonous cycle turning like a wheel—bland, repetitive, and therefore peaceful.
The kind of perfect day Harzen Walker had longed for all his life while enduring the frigid Imperial Palace.
The kind of day he had fought tooth and nail to finally win for himself.
A day he’d expected to last forever.
But that hope shattered when his well-worn wheel suddenly flew off its track.
“His Majesty has commanded the return of Duke Einhalt and Lady Miller to the palace.”
By a pack of gnats like these, no less.
When those absurd words reached his ears, Harzen felt more than disbelief—he felt deep, simmering fury.
After all, it was the Imperial Family and the capital’s nobles themselves who had all but driven Yuria out.
If he could, he would have happily swept away every last one of the pests before him.
But—
Not now.
Acting on his temper here would be foolish.
Because Cecilia was here.
He exhaled slowly, picturing the small child who stood behind him.
A child who deserved to see nothing but the most beautiful things the world could offer.
A child so precious that he would gladly lay down his own life to protect her.
He would not scar her heart with a memory like this.
So, he endured.
“My apologies for the discourtesy.”
At least, he endured… until they took Yuria hostage.
“You’ve no regard for your own life, I see.”
He was moments away from unleashing large-scale magic when—
Ding! KWA-BOOM!
A blast rang out, so familiar it froze him mid-spell.
For an instant, Harzen even forgot how to breathe as he stared past the dust cloud.
A woman stood there—unyielding, unafraid of anyone or anything, striking back no matter the odds.
Not even the dust could dim her brilliance.
The woman he had once fallen for and still loved beyond measure: Yuria.
“Oh my, why is there suddenly smoke, I wonder? Hoho…”
Thanks to Yuria’s arrival, the worst didn’t come to pass.
But this wasn’t something he intended to let go.
Harzen’s gaze stayed cold as it swept over the soldiers before him.
Living a peaceful life without threats… loving someone openly without hiding it…
These were things he had only just begun to truly have.
And anyone who dared lay a hand on Yuria would pay dearly for it.
Harzen was not the sort to let such an offense slide.
In fact, wiping them out here and now might ensure they’d never try such a thing again.
He took one step forward—
“Nooo!”
A bright, innocent, yet urgent voice stopped him again.
Tiny arms clung tightly around his waist, and soft, cotton-candy-pink hair brushed against him.
His other most precious, beloved treasure—his daughter, Cecilia—had appeared.
Still clinging to Harzen Dad’s waist, I cried out,
“No fighting! No fighting!”
Let’s solve this peacefully! Love and peace!
“Cici.”
He seemed thrown off by my sudden outburst, his hand coming up to touch my arm.
I only hugged him tighter.
Still dangling me from his side, Dad finally spoke, stern and serious.
“Your plan has failed. It’s time you tell me your true ‘purpose,’ Count Leonard.”
His voice was still icy, but hey—at least he was willing to talk now!
“That…”
Count Leonard’s reply was stiff and strained.
“I cannot speak of it in such a public place.”
“Now that you’ve raised the matter, everyone will soon know regardless.”
A crooked smirk tugged at Dad’s lips.
“Seems His Majesty is finally on his deathbed.”
“Duke Einhalt!”
“You were never short on skilled physicians in the capital—so why refuse them and only now come seeking Yuria?”
Wow. My dad sure could dish it out—cutting, but refreshing.
“If you treated her so cruelly, at least have the decency to—what, afraid of dying so you’ve lost your senses?”
“…It is not His Majesty.”
Leonard finally cut him off, eyes shut tight.
When he spoke again, it was with visible strain.
“…The one bedridden… is Her Majesty the Empress.”
At that moment, the scroll floating in front of me flickered faintly.
[Original Plot Route Activated]
Side Story, Chapter 1 – The Threat That Remains
The Imperial Knights’ visit has partially fulfilled the conditions for the side story to proceed.
Continuing down this path will fully activate the original plot.
Progress to full activation: 8%
Huh?
My eyes widened.
The progress bar went down a bit.
Why?
Was it because of what Count Leonard just said?
“Your mother…?”
Dad raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
But the one most shaken was Mom.
“Her Majesty the Empress?”
She stepped forward, her expression now hard and grim.
“Is her condition truly that dire? Beyond even the skills of the palace physicians?”
Her voice was sharp, her questions coming rapid-fire, as if she might seize the count by the collar.
Progress to full activation: 5%
The scroll flickered again.
Wait.
Judging from this conversation… could it be?
The moment Mom says ‘I’ll go to the palace’… the side story will begin?
“All the finest doctors have come and gone, but each left saying her illness cannot be cured with medicine.”
“I see…”
“We have no time to waste. I beg you—please show mercy, just this once.”
Count Leonard bowed low.
Progress to full activation: 3%
The percentage was dropping mercilessly.
So I was right—the instant Mom accepts, the side story begins.
But how am I supposed to stop her?
Telling her not to treat a sick person—wouldn’t that make me a terrible daughter?
I mean, Dad’s earlier comments were a bit unfilial, but still…
Wouldn’t that make me the “unfilial daughter” following the “unfilial father”?
But if I don’t stop her, Mom will be in danger!
“Harzen…”
At Mom’s troubled tone, the scroll flickered again.
Progress to full activation: 1%
In that instant, my mind cleared.
Forget filial piety—
We’re one percent away from locking into Mom’s death route!
“I will—”
The moment Mom opened her mouth—
I shut my eyes tight, gathered every bit of strength left in my little belly, and screamed with all my might.
“WUUUAAAAHHHH!”
When in doubt, just yell first!
