Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

TL Note: My all important right shift key has been f.u.c.ked for a few days now. I could just buy another keyboard for my laptop, but this would be the third one already. Rather than the cost, I’m more worried that my parents will be wondering ‘what the f.u.c.k are you always doing to waste the keyboards you buy?’.

Should I get one? It’s becoming quite painful for my right pinky, and even if i press it hard, it’s unresponsive a lot. But then, I could just adapt by changing my typing style, instead of dealing with parents.

“Hey you, won’t you come with me for a little bit?”

The one who called out to me was a girl in the same Spades cla.s.s as I was. She was Claire-sama, the Ten of Spades.

She loves, loves, loves Raiga-sama… so at every given moment, she’ll make me her target. In the past, there was also the time when she locked me in a storeroom. After being rescued from the storeroom, Raiga-sama scolded them, but… it looks like her heart won’t chance with only that much.

Honestly speaking, I didn’t want to follow her. Because I know what kind of result it has. I’m sure it will be a repeat of the time with the storeroom. That time, Raiga-sama and Oneesama saved me. But today Raiga-sama has gone out, and Oneesama said she would be out having a picnic in the mountains as well. It’s only at times like these that the two of them are both gone. That might be why she chose today to target me.

“I’m sorry, I have something to attend to and…”

“Whatever, just start walking.”

“St-…Stop this.”

My wrist was forcefully caught by Claire-sama, and when I unconsciously strongly shook it off, an expression of rage floated onto her face.

“You! Seize this woman and go!”

At her command, her servants and followers came out from hiding, and drew near me. In terror, my legs began to unconsciously retreat.

“No…!”

I immediately moved to escape, but I was already encircled by them. Behind me is a wall.

One of the servants grabbed my skirt. With that as a sign, the servants, and the girls who were her lackeys stretched out their hands towards me.

“No-, let go! Stop it…”

I resisted, and the hem of my skirt was torn. In the chaos, one of girls kicked me in the stomach.

“Uu…”

I immediately curled up to defend myself, but this time they grabbed my hair.

“It hurts, it hurts-”

“Start walking!”

One of the other follower girls pushed me in the back. Will I be taken to the storeroom again…? The terror from that day was brought back to my mind. Being pulled and dragged along, I was brought to the deserted back school gate. In front of the gate were a number of carriages.

“Get on this!”

Claire-sama ordered me, but I shook my head. Even though I don’t know where I’ll be taken to. There’s no way I’ll get on such a thing. I frantically resisted.

“No! I will not get on!”

I’m more than prepared for the trivial bullying of the daughters of n.o.bles. I chose Raiga-sama even so… But.

“How annoying! A woman of low birth shouldn’t complain so much!”

My arm was firmly caught by a follower, and my other arm was grabbed by another woman. The two of them intentionally sank their nails into my arm. Their long nails dug into my skin.

“It hurts-!”

I lost myself and sw.a.n.g my arms about. Even if by some chance they got hit, it would only be their own fault. Even I have no reason to accept this one-sided treatment. However, the next moment, an electric current ran through my whole body, and my body suddenly lost its strength.

“Nuoh… St-”

My whole body was numb, and I couldn’t speak properly. No matter how I tried, my body wouldn’t move.

“My… You’ve saved me. As you can see, she was tough so I had trouble.”

Claire-sama is speaking to somebody. But I can’t turn my head, so I couldn’t see them. Aahh, I hate my weakness. If things were going to end up like this, then I should have learned magic for self-defence from Oneesama.

Even if I regret it, it’s too late now. The carriage I was riding on clattered as it left the school behind. On the other side of the carriage were two servant women. One of them was restraining me, but I couldn’t resist at all. It’s pathetic, and frustrating… Tears flowed down my cheek.

“What’s the meaning of this? This… It isn’t what we agreed.”

“This woman resisted. It’s not my fault!”

I woke up to men arguing. It seems that after that, I lost consciousness. I’m laying on the floor of a broad, white room that I’ve never seen before. My back is up against the hard floor, which hurts a little. The coldness from the smooth and pure white stone floor is spreading through my entire body.

“Nn…”

Ah, I’ve become able to make a sound. It seems that the numbness in my body is gone too. But my arms and legs are bound, and I can’t move freely. I’m just barely able to move my neck, so I looked towards the source of the voices. There was a fat, middle-aged man who looked like a n.o.ble… If I remember correctly, that’s the head of the Royal Prince Faction, Count t.i.to. He’s also Claire-sama’s father.

“You, injured her…”

“I already said why!!”

A small built boy with navy blue hair and dark skin argued with the count even more. That’s…

“Kai…?”

I looked at the person who was speaking to the count, and unconsciously let out a voice. Why? Why is he at a place like this?

“Mei…”

Kai turned his face, and our eyes met. He was looking at me with a bitter expression.

“Kai, why-…”

“Sorry… You, got injured.”

Kai was looking painfully at the wounds I got when I was taken away. The way his words come out intermittently are the same as before. Aahh, it’s Kai… He suddenly disappeared from the castle, and because he was missing I was worried, but I’m glad that he seems well. I have my doubts about why he’s in a place like this, but I’m relieved at the fact that he’s safe. But why is Kai apologising to me?

Kai ran over to me, and kissed the wounds that the servant’s nails gave me.

“Sorry, Mei.”

He kissed it again, and again.

“Kai…? I’m okay. So, umm…”

To have my wounds kissed like this by my younger brother is really quite embara.s.sing. I’m glad that he’s worried about me, but…

“Mei, Mei.”

“Kai, stop it. It’s a little embara.s.sing.”

Kai obediently obeyed my words. My cute younger brother. Even though he has the same face as me, he has a completely different personality to me. He’s a kind boy, who’s always looked after me since I lost my memories at 5. In the time that we’ve been apart, he’s become just a little more mature looking.

“Mei, just bear with this, for a little… After I’m done tidying this up, we’ll go together.”

Go together, where?

“Kai, what do you mean?”

“Mei… You’ll come with me, and leave this country.”

“Why are you saying something like that?”

I’m going to school at the academy, and I’m also engaged to Raiga-sama. But despite that, to suddenly leave the country…

“Mei, your life is going to be, targeted from now on… By the Royal Prince Faction. So, let’s excape.”

“What do you mean?”

“This man, is partic.i.p.ating in the Royal Prince Faction’s usurpation of the throne. And, he wants his daughter, to marry Raiga.”

“I’m being a hindrance?”

If they’re aiming to marry Raiga-sama, then I who am his fiancée would be a hindrance no matter what.

“Right… Made a deal. In exchange for letting you escape safely, I, would bring the prince.”

“His Higness Royce is here too?”

“Yes. In a cell.”

Such a thing… It looks like Kai abducted His Majesty. He’s always been strong. But, to use Kai in such a manner…

“I won’t forgive you. Using me to make Kai do something like this…”

“Oi, oi, that has nothing to do with me. Your little brother suggested that on his own. He doesn’t want to hand you over to Raiga-sama, and I want to marry my daughter off to Raiga-sama, so our interests aligned, that’s all.”

“No way…”

In disbelief, I looked at Kai. Right. He left the castle right after Raiga and I got engaged.

“Mei…”

Kai gazed at me with a bitter expression.

“…What do you plan on doing by having Kai abduct His Highness? What is it that you’re trying to do?”

I glared at the count. The count pulled a cigar out of his pocket, lit it, and after a pause, answered my question.

“Fuu, isn’t that obvious? Right now, it’s as your brother says. Royal Prince Kuuga… Because he’s aiming to have Raiga-sama rise to the throne in the very end… By marrying my daughter to Raiga-sama, I’ll seize this country through the mother’s bloodline.”

“That kind of selfish thing won’t be permitted, you know.”

“Shut up, girl. Even though you’re a n.o.ble at the very bottom of the Royal Prince Faction, for you to be a traitor who colludes with the King Faction… Switching Raiga-sama’s position with the prince, and then having him rise to the throne. After that, there won’t be a thing anyone can do, since the real power will lie with us, after all.”

The count was looking down at me scornfully, and trampled my body.

“Uu… Gu…-”

“This is different than what we agreed… We agreed that Mei would not be injured.”

“It’s the fault of that woman for saying something disagreeable. Take the girl, and get the h.e.l.l out.”

“I would even if you didn’t tell me to.”

“Listen up, we’ll have the national boarders guarded. Don’t come back to this country again.”

“I know.”

Shouldering me, Kai walked towards the door.

“No… Stop, Kai. I still want to stay in this country. I don’t want to part with Raiga-sama in such a way, please.”

“…Mei, give up, on Raiga-sama.”

“No. No…! Kai… Please.”

I frantically pressured him. To be unallowed to meet with Raiga-sama again, would be too unbearable. And, I have not even the slightest intention of parting with Raiga-sama. Moreover, it looks like at this rate, His Majesty and His Highness Royce will be in danger. I can’t abandon them and leave the country, knowing this. When I tried to oppose, a door in the room quietly opened.

“Otousama, you haven’t killed that woman yet?” “Claire…”

In front of the door appeared the culprit who brought me here, Claire-sama. She was the polar opposite of I who was beaten up with my clothes torn. She was wearing a beautiful violet dress, and make-up.

“You said that you would kill her, didn’t you!?”

“But, these two agreed that they would leave the country.”

“I don’t care about that! Even if this c.o.c.kroach woman leaves the country, isn’t it obviously that she’ll immediately turn up back at Raiga-sama’s side!?”

The moment she said ‘c.o.c.kroach woman’, Kai’s expression became severe. However, it’s just as Claire-sama says. I have no intention of quietly living overseas. I’d probably immediately head back to Garnet, to Raiga-sama’s side.

“Kill, her, kill her, kill her! That woman is in the wrong! She seduced and deceived Raiga-sama… It’s because of that woman that I was rejected! Even though the one that fits him best is me!”

Claire-sama went mad, and continued complaining to the count.

After making a show of of thinking for a while, the count turned to Claire-sama.

“There’s really no helping you, huh… I’ve got it. The prince is also in our hands. There’s no problem with having these two disappear as well.”

It seems that he’s a father who’s sweet on his daughter, and he immediately changed his opinion.

“Thank you, Otousama! I’ll be the one to finish that woman off~!”

The crazed Claire-sama was cackling shrilly. I’d endured a number of her hara.s.sments, but to think that she hated me enough to do this… It’s a shock.

“Kai…”

“It’s okay.”

Kai produced a blade from his pocket, and undid my bindings. Having my arms and legs freed, I stood up by myself. He was blocking me from the count, as though to shield me.

“No matter how strong you might be, can you protect your older sister while fighting off a large number of people?”

Behind the count appeared a number of large men, who were obviously in a combat profession. Altogether, there were probably fifty people. Fighting off this many opponents… It’s crazy.

“Kai, I’m fine, so escape.”

“It’s okay, I’ll, protect you…”

Even though it’s at a time like this, Kai gave me a smile to rea.s.sure me. Even though had it just not been for me, he might have been able to escape with his ability.

The men who were after us, expressionlessly drew closer, step by step. I’m sure that these people think nothing of killing a human.

“Ahaha, hurry up and be killed. I’ll feed your corpses to the pigs.”

Claire-sama is looking at me, while laughing enjoyably. …She’s insane.

The moment Kai set up his knife in a guard, an explosion rang out from downstairs.

“What’s going on?”

The moment I was thinking that I could hear the sound of running footsteps from outside the room, a man who seemed to be the count’s subordinate appeared.

“It’s an intruder! Somebody has destroyed the gate to the estate!”

“Tsk… We’re already found out, huh?”

The count clicked his tongue with a loathesome expression, and then gave an order to the man.

“Gather the soldiers we have hired, and eliminate the intruder. After that, bring out the prince from his cell. Got it?”

“…Understood.”

The subordinate man ran down the hallway with a pitter patter. It seems that somebody has come to this mansion. Just who is it, I wonder… Since it seems that His Highness Royce was captured, I wonder if it’s the people from the castle.

I don’t know who it is, but please come quickly…! As though praying, I thought this, and clenched my two hands tightly.