Is That My Alter Ego - Chapter 128



Chapter 128 – Reunion

It was surely around evening when we set off from the heart of the Empire, yet when I awoke, the morning sun had risen, and we had arrived at the Frost Domain.

During our journey in the automaton carriage, we had gazed at the passing scenery and exchanged words, but I could not resist the tide of drowsiness and fell into slumber.

However… there was something peculiar. Each time I briefly awakened, my position had shifted slightly.

And I felt an unknown warmth and gaze upon me… but perhaps it was merely my imagination.

“Everyone, disembark. This is our domain, the Frost Domain.”

At the voice of the Northern Duke echoing from outside the carriage, we hurriedly stepped out.

From the heights of the Frost Citadel, the Frost Domain below had changed more than I had anticipated.

Roughly… there were far more people than the last time I had seen it, and there were strange, machine-like things I had never encountered before.

It was said that due to the recent efforts of countless scholars and workshops, remarkable advancements in technology had been achieved. Seeing those sights, it truly seemed so.

Whoosh—

“Ugh… ugh… Achoo!”

Shiver, shiver, shiver…

And then, as a frenzied cold wind swept in, a chill surged through me as if my entire body would freeze.

My body trembled involuntarily, as if I might become an ice statue at any moment…!

“D-Duchess! Are you cold? Come to me!”

“No, come to me! I’ll warm you up!”

As I shivered in the cold, Celis and Kali approached me, their eyes gleaming sharply.

Normally, I might have fled, but given the biting cold… was there any choice?

Thwack-!

“Uh… huh? I’m not cold anymore…!”

“I cast a spell. You should be fine now.”

And at that moment, as Ariel snapped her fingers, the maddening cold vanished in an instant, replaced by a warm embrace that enveloped me.

I expressed my gratitude to Ariel, and she responded with a bright smile.

Though Kali and Celis glared at Ariel as if they might kill her… well, I, I knew nothing of it.

“This is the Frost Citadel… it’s my first time actually coming here.”

“Wow. Is this home? It’s filthy huge…!”

“…It’s been a while. This place too.”

As they entered the Frost Citadel along the Northern Grand Duke’s path, the others, except for Ariel, gasped in awe at the sight of the beautiful, grand Frost Citadel.

Well… I was surprised too. I thought I had grown accustomed to it after seeing it so many times, but seeing it again after a long while felt fresh and majestic.

“Venice. We’re back… again.”

“Yes, yes… it’s been a long time.”

“…Really. I thought I would never… see this again.”

Ariel’s eyes glistened with moisture. Perhaps she was recalling our past together, and in the end, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

As I comforted her, she quickly wiped her tears and managed a smile. She said she was no longer sad, having forgotten the painful past and thinking of the future that lay ahead.

– It’s Lady Ariel…! How many days has it been?

– Uh… Lady Ariel. Are you really smiling…?

– Am I dreaming?

– Who’s that next to her? So cute…

As we stepped into the grand interior of the Frost Citadel, I could see the butlers and maids gasping, their faces reflecting disbelief.

…The maids I once knew were nearly all gone. A few recognized me, rubbing their eyes as if they had seen a ghost, but most were strangers.

“…Since you left back then, many maids have been disappointed and departed. That’s why.”

“Th-There was no reason for that… It was all my fault—”

“Don’t say that… okay?”

“Y-Yes…”

Ariel’s expression hardened as she spoke firmly, so I refrained from continuing the conversation.

So that’s how it was. They… hadn’t done anything wrong. I felt a twinge of guilt, wondering if it was my fault.

“…This is the dining hall. Please wait a moment.”

“Do you remember? We were always here together.”

“Y-Yes… I remember.”

“This is the dining hall? You must be really rich.”

“Let’s stop that, Kali. It sounds cheap.”

“What did you say?”

There was a brief commotion, but nonetheless, we settled into our seats at the Frost family dining hall.

It’s been a long time since I was here. Unlike the much-changed Frost territory, this place seemed untouched by time.

After a short wait, the maids brought out simple snacks, cookies, and tea.

The snacks and cookies were delicious, but to be honest, the tea wasn’t to my taste… I opted for milk instead. Drinking tea might seem sophisticated, but I simply couldn’t manage it.

Om nom nom.

“Eat more. Here.”

“Y-yeah…”

Perhaps it was the long absence from these treats, but they tasted even better.

KWAANG—!

“E-Eriel—!”

“Brother!!”

And just as I was lost in the sweet embrace of dessert time, the door of the closed restaurant burst open as if shattered, and someone stepped inside.

“…Brothers?”

As I turned to see who it was, Jake Frost and Kyle Frost entered. Eriel’s older siblings had arrived.

“Pfft… cough, cough!”

“I-I’ll give you a beating!”

“…You really must be their son. How can your behavior be so identical?”

“Hoho… that’s the mystery of genetics.”

“What does that even mean?”

Of course, I was so startled that I spat out my milk, choking slightly as tears welled up in my eyes.

“Eriel—! Where on earth have you been!”

“…At least tell me before you leave…”

“Brothers. I… I’m okay now.”

“……….!”

The Frost brothers froze like statues at the sight of Eriel’s smile, slapping their own cheeks in denial of reality.

Those cold, psychopathic brothers soon had tears brimming in their eyes as they took Eriel’s hand.

“…This is my butler. Remember?”

“What? That doesn’t make sense…”

“…………”

“Ah… hello?”

A long silence stretched between us. Perhaps they thought it was a dream upon seeing me, for Eriel had to cast a spell to stop them from bending their fingers in disbelief.

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As soon as they heard the explanation of the situation, they knelt before me, apologizing profusely, and I found myself sweating again, trying to calm them down.

“…Wait, S-S-Selris the Deputy Director?!”

“Pa… fan! Please, a signature…!”

The sight of them, bouncing like children beside me, eagerly requesting an autograph, was quite amusing as I glanced at Seris, who sat quietly sipping her tea.

*

“Ke, Keil! Lady Pria…! You are both as beautiful as ever today!”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“So, um, about our family… this opportunity…”

As lunchtime arrived, Keil and Pria greeted the wave of students crashing in once more, their faces forced into smiles.

Though many students had dropped out or faced execution due to the ‘Dark Sorcerer Incident,’ the sheer number still made fatigue inevitable.

Yet they laughed, and laughed again, wearing false masks that no one could see through.

No one knew of the plight that had befallen Ariel, nor the trials that Keil and Pria had endured.

The Empire had silenced the truth, but it was also a matter so difficult to grasp from the start.

And who could have imagined? That beneath their smiling faces, behaving as they always did, their insides were rotting away.

After finishing their morning classes as usual, they quietly brushed off their followers and returned to their dormitory room.

Normally, they would have gone to the secret garden known only to Ariel and her ‘younger sibling.’ But since that day, they had not set foot in that garden.

Creeeak… thud.

“”………””

As the dormitory door closed, the false masks vanished, leaving only hollow expressions where laughter had once lingered.

Without a word, they sat quietly on the edge of the bed, staring into the void.

Since that day, they had been broken.

Not only had they failed to save their dearest friend, Ariel, but after the departure of the ‘younger sibling’ who had protected countless lives, they had not truly smiled even once.

Now, to cry out for the sibling who had already left would be a burden. They should have apologized, but that apology would never reach him.

Ariel had not shown her face at the academy since that day, nor had she stepped outside her home.

The sudden silence of Ariel, who had left home without a word and had yet to return, filled them with anxiety, yet they had to keep living.

They were the Empire’s princesses, daughters of the greatest merchant lord. They could not crumble.

If they fell apart, the future of this Empire, of the world, would be bleak. Even if they suffered daily from maddening pain, despair, and sorrow, they had to endure.

Thus, they wore their false masks in front of others. They forced smiles and acted as if everything was normal.

Every day, they behaved as usual, and the moment the gazes turned away, they sank into despair and regret.

They were sinners. They had condemned a hero without understanding his intentions or actions, merely judging based on fragmented circumstances, contributing to the death of that very hero.

Thoughts of wanting to die crossed their minds every single day, but they could not. They had to remember him, never allowing themselves to fade away.

“Black… huff…”

“Stop… ugh…”

They were all caught in the same plight. Knowing each other’s hearts better than anyone else, they wept quietly.

Today too… remembering you. Even now, and forevermore, they must never forget. Clutching at their hearts, which felt as if they had already been pierced, they knew they must move forward.

Shedding tears of sorrow and despair that even their parents did not know of. Today, they swallowed their tears through hearts that had grown cold.

Knock, knock, knock—

After a long while, the tears ceased, leaving only an empty heart behind. At that moment, someone knocked on their door.

They paused to check their reflection in the mirror. Before the gaze of others, they had to become the perfect women.

Creeeak—

“Who is it…?”

“It is the dormitory head. The servant of Frost has summoned you, young ladies.”

Curious, they opened the door to find a woman designated as the next dormitory head, following the sudden departure of the previous one.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yes… let’s.”

If it were anyone else, they might have hesitated. But for the servant of Frost… they had to go.

Once again, wearing their false masks, they pushed aside the stories of countless cadets and stepped out of the academy.

*

The automated carriage, after a long run, led them to a familiar place, a space where their guilt lingered.

“…Ariel has returned.”

“That’s such a relief… I was worried.”

According to the servant, Ariel had returned. Their most precious friend.

The news that their friend, who had left without a word, had returned safely was a long-awaited piece of good news for them.

Even if Ariel were in a situation of danger, it could be said that the entire Empire was in peril… still, Ariel was their friend.

In this place, there was no need to wear a mask. With expressions void of emotion, they headed toward the dining hall.

Creeeak…

“…You’ve come.”

As soon as they opened the door to the dining hall, their eyes fell upon Ariel.

They felt relief at the fact that their precious friend had returned safely, and though it was hard to believe that she was smiling after having been shattered by a much stronger shock than theirs, it was not the only reason tears flowed from their wide-open eyes, trembling uncontrollably.

“Class… mate?”

—

Surely, they were much changed from the last time I had seen them. But as I beheld the figure with black hair and crimson eyes occupying the seat beside Ariel,

they burst forth with the tears they had so desperately held back, collapsing into their seats.