Prologue: Memory with my older brotherI, Airi Arcadia, had always found this unbelievable since childhood.
It was something that happened when I was still a frail little girl.
Nii-sama, Lux Arcadia, had the rights to inherit the throne. But then, he was neglected by the rest of our family because he was only the 7th prince, the youngest one.
I supposed even members from the other imperial families look down on Nii-sama for this fact.
All that happened when the empire was still a patriarchy.
Back then when I was young, I could tell that the environment we grew up in was a harsh one.
However, Nii-sama"s concern was directed at something else.
“You"re feeling alright? Is there anything I can get you?”
Those were that questions that he always asked the bedridden me.
That was shortly after mother died in the carriage accident.
The shock from the event had worsened my sickness.
It was a sad time for the young me.
“Call for me if anything happens. When you are feeling better, let"s go play in the park!”
His gentle smile always put my mind at ease, but because I was still feeling tortured by the many emotions that came after mother"s death——
“Nii-sama, please leave me alone …”
Why did I say that? I still regretted it to this day.
“In two months, I’ll be going to the count on the border … Even if you keep spending your time on me, Nii-sama won"t achieve anything.”
The sadness from being forced to leave the family due to father"s orders.
The sickness that was slowly eroding my body.
In this helpless reality, I could only feel desperation and sadness.
Under these circ.u.mstances, I made that remark.
I supposed, even Nii-sama will get angry when hearing that.
[ I really can"t stand talking to you, especially since that"s how you feel about me.] Was what I expected to hear.
I also expected him to shout at the hopeless me who had refused his treatment.
However, Nii-sama just smiled awkwardly.
“Sorry, Airi, I made you worry.”
He then softly stroked my hair.
“But, don"t worry. I will find a way.”
“… … !—— I’m sorry, Nii-sama. I-I"m s-sorry… "
Tears came flowing out of my eyes.
He lifted the sobbing me close, and hugged tightly.
“So, do not worry. You don"t need to cry anymore.”
His gentle voice penetrated my mind, freeing me from my worries.
In my cold, dark world, this was the only thing that brought peace into my mind.
(… but, why?)
I wondered since long ago.
When I was still in the palace, mother and me were but "women" living with Nii-sama.
Even if he had no rights or power, as long as Nii-sama complied with the patriarchy and treated mother and I roughly, then Nii-sama wouldn"t be looked down upon by the rest of the royal family, … …
Indeed, Nii-sama was different from the others.
How was he different? I honestly couldn"t describe it in words.
Why didn"t Nii-sama abandon me?
Since childhood, I have never been able to ask this, and I —.
“—Airi, are you feeling alright?"
“… It"s nothing … I always feel alright.”
I answered Nii-sama coldly.
“Okay, but if there’s anything, please tell me immediately.”
Nii-sama smiled gently, and his footsteps slowly faded into the distance.
Recently, I thought I had been making Nii-sama worry about me again.
Whenever we met I always avoided eye contact and refused to talk.
The reason for this, was in the pages of the ancient texts I"m holding.
Its contents differed greatly from our current knowledge.
It was recorded there that the existence that was called the Lord(Creator) of the Ruin, they were called with the name Arcadia, the same name like us, the imperial family of the old empire.
The first imperial princess Listelka Rei Arshalia
The second imperial princess Aeril Vi Arcadia
The third imperial princess Hayes Vi Arcadia
……There were no traces of these names.
I had flipped through a lot of the old Empire family genealogy and history books, but their names didn"t exist.
A few decades ago, we confirmed the existence of Ruins for the first time. We also learned about the prosperity of the Arcadia Empire since centuries ago.
So there was a possibility that a Lord did exist. There was a girl named Hayes who was trying to destroy us from the darkness.
This situation had left me confused and uneasy.
"Who are we, Nii-sama……"
That question that I had whispered many times wasn"t heard by anyone"s ear and disappeared into the void.