TL/Editor: Butter Cat
Status: 4/week mon-thurs
Illustrations: none
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〈 Chapter 12 〉 Episode 12. Princess Maker.
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**
Amidst everyone's cheers, the competition began, and I ran towards Anna, who was waiting for on horseback.
What about Remi, you ask?
Remi? Sorry, I forgot about her.
"—Ariiiiiiiiis!!!"
"Buh~Bye~!"
Well, she'll probably be with our parents, cuddling with them. She might sulk, but I hope big sis Anna can soothe her later.
Next to the horse Anna was riding, there was a relatively smaller horse, and I realized at a glance that it was prepared for .
"Aris, can you ride by yourself?"
"Yes!"
I had countless mories of riding horses, so I could easily handle a docile and small horse like this.
Good boy, good boy.
Neigh!
If you don't listen, I'll neuter you?
!!?
I held the reins of the horse that acknowledged as its master and looked at Anna, who was setting off to hunt.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, she turned to and smiled brightly.
I smiled back, and Anna blushed, turning her head away, and awkwardly looked at her open palm as if embarrassed.
She looked just like an older sister who adored her younger sister. Anyone who saw her would think she was a girl who was shy and excited about the upcoming "date" with her younger sister.
Excited?
What could my dear sister be so excited about?
Going on a trip alone with ?
Being able to bag a ga soon?
Or maybe...
—The fact that she can kill ?
"Let's go. Follow carefully."
"Okay! You be careful too, big sis!"
"Okay, okay."
How will she kill ?
To be honest, it's surprisingly easy for her to kill .
She trusts people too easily, which causes problems. She's been tricked by maids who promised to show her sothing interesting and ended up getting dressed up like a doll a total of twenty tis. A kind little princess who would grant any request, no matter how unreasonable.
That's the evaluation of the current third princess, 'Aris Akaia'.
And Anna must know this better than anyone.
Poisoning.
All she needs to do is offer a cup of tea laced with a deadly poison, and that would be enough to kill . Even if it's a clumsy poisoning using a poison with a strange taste and sll, the little lady nad Aris Akaia wouldn't suspect a thing and drink it if Anna offered it to her.
She could even mock her sister as she vomits blood from every orifice, holding the antidote in front of her and making her beg for it.
Murder.
Just one word, "Trust ," and even if a knife is held to her throat, the foolish little sister would obediently close her eyes. The youngest princess, unwilling to betray her older sister's trust, would believe her words and wait until the very mont the knife severs her neck.
Thud, perhaps even after her head falls, the naive little princess would still whisper her sister's na?
Honestly, I didn't care what she did. I was always ready to entertain her obsession. My love is an open door. Love is an open door.
But she didn't choose that path.
She deliberately refused the easy way and chose the hard way.
She even went so far as to wear a mask and try to take sowhere.
Who could refuse such growth, such effort?
Anna Akaia is ordinary.
But at the sa ti, she was born with a talent that no genius possesses.
That's effort.
Look at her eyes. Look at her touch.
The warm hand extended towards , the worried gaze, but within them lurks a monster darker than the abyss.
She must be itching to tear my throat out right this instant. She must want to hang my corpse in the marketplace, spit on it, trample it, defile it, and laugh in front of it.
But she's holding back that urge, enduring.
I can tell. How much effort she's putting in right now.
Isn't it admirable?
That's why I thought she was truly worthy of being a ruler.
Even though her current efforts are fueled by murderous intent and hatred towards , the reason or motivation can easily change.
If the direction of her efforts shifts to devotion to her people, she will truly beco a great ruler, admired by all.
And the catalyst for that change will be my death.
By the ti I turned three, I already noticed that she would live steeped in inferiority for the rest of her life.
A destiny that wouldn't change, no matter how hard I tried.
So I thought— of the best scenario.
I would break the shackles of her inferiority complex here. No, not break them, but replace them with even heavier shackles.
My dying words will beco shackles for her, shaken by guilt, and I will whisper, just like I always told her.
—Big sis, please be a good queen.
And she will obediently accept those shackles. The birth of the kind, wise, and benevolent queen she longed to be.
Only then will I truly exist forever in her heart.
That's all I wish for.
**
An ordinary hunt continues.
For her, it must be nothing more than an unpleasant play, filled with irritation.
?
I'm always having fun.
I secretly follow her gaze. Until she leads to a secluded spot, I have to keep playing this comical act. That's why, for now, Anna was acting normal, scanning her surroundings for ga.
Ah, that's the direction where the rabbit is.
She'll find it soon.
A faint wrinkle appears between Anna's brows. A sign that she's staring intently at sothing, sensing sothing amiss.
In the snow-covered field, the rabbit, its fur camouflaged with the white snow, will soon be exposed to my sister.
Anna will realize this and imdiately draw her bow to catch the rabbit.
That's why—
—Whiiiz!!
"I got it—!!"
"......!!"
I threw my knife at the rabbit Anna had just found.
I knew it was right after she spotted the rabbit because her mouth was slightly open.
The plump rabbit, unaware of the knife flying towards it at high speed, readily offered up its life.
Thud, red blood splattered on the white snow.
I exclaid cheerfully.
"Heehee, I got it!! Big sis Anna!! I caught it—!!"
"......Ah, yes. You did. Aris caught it. Again. Again."
Leaving Anna behind, I ran towards the fallen rabbit's carcass.
How is it, big sis?
Isn't hunting fun?
As if answering my inner question, I heard Anna's laughter behind .
Yes, it seems big sis is enjoying it too. I'm so happy.
It was a good idea to co here, right?
I proudly raised the white rabbit with the knife embedded in it as if showing it off..
I felt a burning gaze from behind, hot enough to scorch my skin. I turned around, but there was only my kind sister, congratulating on catching the rabbit.
Hahahahaha.
After laughing while looking at for a while, Anna looked at and spoke.
So, So naturally.
As if it was all for .
"Aris... It seems like we've caught all the ga here—"
"...Yes?"
"—Shall we go to a place I know well?"
I looked up at the sky. It was still a long ti before the sun would reach its peak.
Is it about ti?
The librarian must have started organizing the books by now.
Tessa is lazy, but she's not slow-witted.
She would take the book out of the return box to put it back on the shelf, as always, and the book I had prepared would slip from her hand and scatter on the floor.
It wouldn't matter if she dismissed the notes as childish ramblings, but knowing her, I'm sure that won't happen.
Good, perfect.
I answered.
"Okay! Let's go!"
Tap, I mounted my horse again and followed Anna. Soon, we entered a dense forest where the trees grew thicker and darker.
The smile on Anna's lips widened, stretching into a long, thin line.
Tessa would definitely run to where the King and Queen were. And she would surely risk her own neck to inform them of my danger.
Remi, who would 'happen to be' there, would hear that I might be in danger and rush to find , without a second thought.
A crudely written stage setting, conceived the day before. A script that could be considered an ad-lib.
Well, it doesn't matter if she doesn't co—
But the more audience mbers, the better, so I hope she cos.
Ah, I miss big sis Remi.
I wish she could see die.
**
I see an iron fence. A sign that this is the royal family's hunting grounds. Those who entered without permission had to be prepared to face death.
It was also a sign that no one's safety could be guaranteed beyond this point.
"B-Big sis...?"
"It's alright, Aris."
Anna easily cut through the fence and stepped into the deep forest.
I stood outside dumbfounded, hesitantly, acting like a scared child who was afraid to follow and get scolded.
Haa, a small sigh escaped Anna's lips. Hearing that, I lifted my head, which I had lowered.
Because Aris Akaia hates upsetting others.
If Anna sighs as if annoyed, I have no choice but to go, right?
Heeheehee.
'There are monsters in the forest, so don't go in there carelessly.'
A line from the fairy tale book that Remi used to read to every night. It's what the protagonist, Alice's parents, say to warn Alice when she tries to enter the forest.
That's right, Alice. The forest is dangerous.
Because there are scary monsters living inside.
Very, very fierce monsters that eat people.
In the end, Alice in the story ignored her parents' warning and entered the forest, only to encounter the monster.
"I... I'd like it if Aris followed ... Is that okay?"
"...!! Ah, okay!"
A sweet voice tempts .
With a determined expression, I step past the fence. Swish, in my haste, the sharp edge of the cut fence grazed my skin, and small drops of blood welled up.
Drip.
Drip.
Blood drips down.
Ignoring the wound, I quickly run to Anna's side.
Anna had seen the whole thing, but she didn't seem to notice that I was hurt.
Or maybe she saw the blood but no longer cared?
Well.
It doesn't matter either way.
Choose whichever reason you prefer.
We tied our horses to the fence and walked into the dark forest, where not a single ray of light penetrated.
Deeper.
Even deeper.
A journey with no destination in sight. Only the sound of our footsteps echoed in the forest.
If I were a child who ca here expecting to find a lot of ga, it would be about ti I started to feel disappointed and wanted to go back.
Suddenly, Anna let out a gasp.
"...Ah!!"
"....?"
As if she had found sothing, she pointed her finger behind .
I knew there was nothing there except dense bushes and trees, but I deliberately turned my head.
There were no rabbits, deer, or even insects or birds.
"Hmm....~?"
"......"
A place where only tall grass and trees blocking the sun existed, like a prival rainforest.
But I, pretending to not notice Anna's lie, diligently stared in the direction she pointed.
I furrowed my brows, closed one eye, then closed both eyes.
I couldn't find anything, but did big sis find sothing?
Crrreak, I heard the sound of the bowstring being drawn from behind .
Wow, I can't see anything at all.
But big sis, you've managed to find sothing after all.
Amazing.
In just a few seconds, the bowstring was drawn and released.
That ti was very short, but the ti it took for the arrow to reach its prey was even shorter.
Thwang, the first thing I felt was the vibration of the air brushing past my body. I knew Anna had shot an arrow.
A soft sound followed. Thud, it seed the arrow had deeply embedded itself in its target.
And then, a warm sensation rising from my calf.
Anna's affection towards .
The hunt has begun.
**
Screams and laughter echo through the forest.
The prey has been decided.
The monster gives chase.
The girl wanders in search of them.
**
This is what happened up until Aris was hit by an arrow and started crawling.
What happens after that?
Didn't it already appear in the previous chapter?
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