TEWMDD08

Chapter 8

It was unmistakably the child’s presence.

Even the faint aura—everything was unmistakably Cecilia’s.

Just earlier, when the door had opened, hadn’t her figure been faintly visible?

Then why? How?

Why on earth was this bizarre contraption lying neatly on the bed in her place?

“…Why are you just standing there—what the hell is this?!”

Kyle, who had followed Derek into the room, froze at the sight and spat out a curse.

So, this was…

“The Slacker Project prototype.”

Kyle instantly recognized it, his eyes going round.

“Wow, it still works? I made this back in the Academy when I didn’t feel like attending class.”

“…”

“It might look small and shabby, but it actually worked pretty well. It could create a temporary illusion, mimic someone’s habits, even emit their mana signature—good enough that professors wouldn’t notice if they passed by… Wait.”

His excitement abruptly faded into a blank stare.

“Why is something that should be in my lab here?”

“Idiot.”

Derek muttered lowly, lifting the sheet of paper neatly placed beside the heap of scrap metal.

Daddy’s are gonna live here.
Cici is gonna go with Mommy!
Bye!

The words were scrawled in crooked, childlike handwriting.

…She was going with her mother?

Yuria?

“Damn.”

Sure enough, Kyle’s face went slack as he read, then he whipped his head toward the window.

There was nothing there anymore—no Imperial soldiers surrounding the house, no detestable count, no even more detestable Harzen Walker.

Not Yuria. Not Cecilia.

“…Damn it.”

Kyle’s frustrated curse rang hollow in the now-empty room.

And then again—

“No, seriously, what the hell is this—!”

This time his words burst into a full symphony of colorful expletives, echoing through a room whose owner was long gone.

By now, they must’ve read my letter.

I’d even deliberately made a few spelling mistakes so it wouldn’t look suspiciously perfect.

Anyway, I—Cecilia Miller, codename Cece—had completed my initial mission.

Progress toward full activation: Unable to calculate due to error.

I glanced at the floating message and shrugged.

Hehe, just me stepping in solved everything so neatly.

I’m a genius.

Though this probably isn’t the end. I’ll have to keep planning.

But that could wait until I safely arrived at the Imperial Palace.

Lifting my eyes from the system window, I took in the scenery that had changed in an instant.

The first thing I saw was, in fact, a sea of armored soldiers.

Guess I snuck in a bit too deep.

I slipped carefully between silver-plated legs.

Unlike the wide, open plains in front of our house, here was a dense forest.

Magic really is amazing.

A spell that could teleport every living creature within its range…

Only Harzen Dad could cast something on this scale.

And not just living creatures—he’d brought along carriages and cargo, too. This was nothing short of revolutionary in magical history.

“I could almost hear Blake’s swearing in my ears.”

Harzen Dad stretched a hand behind his neck, looking slightly tired.

Well, no wonder—teleporting this many people at once would wear anyone out.

“Seems it consumed more mana than I expected, too.”

You can even measure that?

I clutched my invisibility cloak tighter, eyes wide.

Derek Dad, Harzen Dad—both were terrifying in their own ways.

“The capital’s under a protective barrier, so we can’t teleport inside. It would be best to continue by carriage from here,” said Count Lionel, bowing deeply.

Harzen Dad tilted his chin in an arrogant gesture.

“That barrier that could break at any moment, you mean.”

“Duke Einhalt.”

“No need to be so wary. I’ve no reason to shatter it… for now.”

“…In that case, please take the carriage.”

Count Lionel—looking years older in mere minutes—gestured toward the waiting vehicle.

I trotted after Mother and Harzen Dad.

Before long, a magnificent carriage came into view over their shoulders.

A white carriage!

As expected of a palace carriage, the craftsmanship was impeccable.

If I’d seen this before regaining my past-life memories, it probably would’ve been my dream to become one.

“Cece would have loved this,” Mother murmured as she stepped aboard.

I followed her closely, carefully climbing the steps.

Perfect—once again, I’d gotten in without being—

“I’ll close the door now.”

Yikes!

The sudden slam sent me rolling right across the plush interior.

I pressed a hand to my spinning head, hurriedly sitting up.

Thank goodness for the invisibility cloak—at least it muffled the thud.

I’d nearly ruined everything at the last step.

“Didn’t you hear something just now?” Mother tilted her head.

“Maybe the carriage is just a piece of junk,” Harzen Dad replied dryly, still clearly displeased with the situation.

I settled into a corner, knees drawn in.

A piece of junk? This was one of the finest carriages I’d ever seen.

Typical royalty.

“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden in something this fine,” Mother said, running her fingers over the velvet seat.

“When I left the capital, I didn’t think I’d ever ride one again.”

“You vowed never to set foot in the capital again.”

At Father’s words, she closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again.

“…The situation was bad back then.”

Her gaze shifted to the window.

“Leaving was the best choice for us.”

“It still is.”

I nodded, understanding their meaning.

Before Mother possessed her, the original Yuria Miller had been infamous in the capital—not truly evil, but…

You know the type—someone who doesn’t fit society’s standards, so people ostracize them.

The original Yuria had been flashy, conspicuous, and out of step with the norms.

Even after possession, Mother was much the same.

After defeating the Demon King and saving the world, she’d won the people’s unwavering support…

Which only made her more of a thorn in certain eyes.

The nobles of the capital, green with envy, had started the rumors of her being a villainess. And now, with her achievements and popularity, their jealousy could only deepen.

That was why she chose to leave the capital.

I thought it was a happy ending… until this happened.

From my perspective, it had been a good enough ending. But apparently, not so.

“At least things are better now than a few years ago. Sion’s back in the Imperial Knights—”

“Dragged back, you mean.”

Harzen Dad’s lips twisted in a cold smile.

“A hero who slew the Demon King, the greatest Sword Master of our time, still serving as the Emperor’s lapdog. Excellent propaganda, isn’t it?”

“If that were really the goal, they would have summoned all five of us…”

“And let the Emperor’s glory be overshadowed? As if he’d allow us to gather in one place.”

“….”

“Sending Sion Owen to the harsh borderlands again and again—he’s probably hoping Sion dies a glorious death out there.”

How could they?!

That wasn’t in the original story at all—I hadn’t known.

Why is everyone so desperate to make my family suffer?

True, Harzen Dad tended to be negative about anything involving the palace, so I shouldn’t take his words entirely at face value…

But he also knew the place better than anyone.

Even if it’s true, Sion Dad won’t die.

You have to be alive to destroy the world, after all. And honestly, who in the world could kill him?

Mother, though—that was different.

She was strong, yes, but softer-hearted than any of my fathers. If someone attacked her through her emotions, she might not withstand it.

“I just hope he comes back without incident,” Mother said at last, a faint smile touching her lips.

“Cici will be waiting for him.”

Don’t worry, Mom. Cici’s here—right next to you.

“We’re almost there.”

Just then, the silhouette of a vast castle appeared beyond the carriage window.

With a ding, a system window suddenly popped up before my eyes.

The issue preventing progress measurement has been resolved.

Progress toward full activation: 5%

I had known it wasn’t over—but this soon?