Chapter 01 ….
1. A Foreign Land — Japan
1. Reunion in Another World
In a certain mansion, a group of nobles had secretly gathered.
Who was the true heir to the throne?
Rumors fed upon each other, and the nobles, aiming for power, schemed in the shadows.
They didn’t actually care who the real heir was.
As long as the rumors existed, they would use them to their advantage.
“So how are things progressing? Why does that brat refuse to be swayed by power even though we’re offering to make him the next king?!
If he insists on rejecting our proposal, then bring that ill-omened red-haired boy here—even if he gets a little injured in the process!”
“Injured? Are you out of your mind? He’s under the protection of the Captain of the Knights and the Wind Spirit King!
Do you realize how terrifying it would be to make enemies of both the spirits and the knights?”
“At this rate, Lord Renapald will learn of our scheme. Our positions will be in jeopardy.”
“Exactly. Lord Renapald has already secured future dominance by making his son the prince’s aide.
Before he catches wind of our plan, we need to take that red-haired boy and negotiate with Lord Ragunberk of Besrem, who favors him.”
Just as their heated debate continued—
“My lord! His men are here! You must flee!!”
“What?! How did they find us?!”
In a panic, they all rushed toward the door at once.
But the moment one of them reached for the doorknob, it swung open from the other side.
“Well, well, everyone is gathered here so splendidly.
Excuse my intrusion. I am Sharl Goat, a member of the Royal Guard.
All of you here are under suspicion of treason.
By order of Chancellor Sarakaan, you are all under arrest!”
“The Chancellor?! Damn it! That Renapald—he’s managed to manipulate the Chancellor!”
The Chancellor was the king’s brother, and in this kingdom, the royal family’s orders were absolute.
If they were found guilty, their noble titles would be stripped, and their entire families would be cast out into the streets.
“Treason? What nonsense is this?! Please—please let us speak to Chancellor Sarakaan! We swear, we’ve done nothing treasonous…!”
Even as they were bound, they cried out in desperation, but the soldiers coldly led them away.
This was the fate of the nobles who schemed to enthrone Lilith as a puppet heir, ignoring his own will and pushing their plans recklessly forward.
Summer had passed, autumn was over, and the footsteps of the year’s end approached with the onset of winter.
Taking advantage of the winter break, Ai and Yoko were enjoying some window shopping in a big city a few hours away by train.
It had been nearly two years since their journey to Atlana.
Now in their third year of junior high, both of them attended a private school, so they didn’t have to worry about entrance exams. They would simply move up to the same high school through the internal system.
Not having to take exams was nice, but it admittedly left things feeling a bit lacking in tension.
“Hey, don’t you think this coat is cute?”
Ai pointed at a famous brand store’s display. It was a pure white long coat.
Aside from the fur on the collar, the design looked strangely familiar.
“Doesn’t it feel like we’ve seen something like this before?”
“Yeah… Someone wore something similar, didn’t they?”
“Kyaaah! I want it! I want it sooo bad!”
A sudden shriek from a girl echoed through the area, drawing everyone’s attention.
They turned to see a girl of about ten years old—or rather, an extraordinarily beautiful girl.
She had an adorable face with golden eyes, and her glossy black hair flowed down to her waist. A white fur beret suited her perfectly.
She wore a red velvet dress with a cute bear-shaped purse. Stamping her feet, she was stubbornly pleading with someone, clearly giving them a hard time.
“Haha, she’s so cute. Is she foreign? She’s got black hair though.”
“Seriously, what a beauty. Ah—”
“C’mon! Buy it for me as an early New Year’s gift! Pleeease!”
“The New Year hasn’t come yet! There are no early New Year’s gifts! You just received this bag for Christmas, remember?
Now, we’re going home. You promised earlier, didn’t you?”
It was the high, pre-pubescent voice of a boy.
And that voice—they’d heard it before.
Ai’s eyes widened as she ran toward them.
The person the girl was pestering was a boy about the same height as Ai and Yoko.
He wore a sleek white coat over white pants and white short boots—everything was immaculate white. Even his leather gloves were white as he gently patted the girl’s head.
His slightly long, wavy red hair fluttered behind him like fire. As always, the all-white attire suited him perfectly.
“Lilith!”
There could be no mistaking it. Ai called out confidently—no other boy could be this beautiful.
“Ah… Lady Ai?!”
The boy turned, revealing smooth, porcelain-like skin so flawless that anyone would look twice. His straight nose and heterochromatic eyes—one red, one gray—shone like gemstones as he gazed at Ai.
“Lady Ai!”
Ai threw her arms around him. Yoko raised a hand with a wry smile.
“Long time no see, Lilith. You’ve grown a bit taller, huh?”
“Ah, yes. I’m glad to see you’re well too, Lady Yoko.”
“Heh, you’re still so formal, Lilith.”
“Huh? Am I? …Oh—excuse me!”
Suddenly, Lilith lifted the little girl into his arms.
“Huh? If you’re going to carry me, I want a princess carry!”
He clearly didn’t have much physical strength, but the girl begrudgingly wrapped her arms around his neck anyway.
“My apologies for not meeting your request. Everyone—run.”
“Eh? Run where?”
“This way for now.”
Without warning, Lilith took off running. Ai and Yoko hurried to follow.
When they glanced back, they saw a middle-aged man and a woman in a suit chasing after them.
“Don’t tell me—you’re being chased again?!”
“Yes, my hair tends to stand out, after all.”
Their encounters with him always seemed to begin with someone chasing him.
And each time, it led to something far bigger than they ever expected.
