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chapter 32
“Since I went back from twenty-seven to seven years old, you could say I’ve returned roughly twenty years into the past.”
“…….”
“…You may not believe me, but it’s the truth. If you wish, I can provide information about the near future so you can verify it.”
Illei stopped speaking there.
The reason he revealed this tremendous truth to Caesar was simple:
‘This is the only place I can ask for help.’
It would have been different if he hadn’t gotten involved with Ersioni, but that was already done.
On top of that, he had left the temple two years early.
The future had already started to diverge.
There’s a saying about getting the first button right. To recreate a situation similar to before his regression, the church needed to be exposed.
A blemish would make them easier to manipulate, and eventually, easier to bring down.
But right now, he had no power to do that.
Therefore, to seek help from a powerful duke, he chose the method he knew best:
Throwing himself in as the sacrifice.
‘It’s fine. Even if the duke uses me, it’ll work in Ersioni’s favor. He loves his daughter, so nothing bad will happen to Lilian.’
Lilian wouldn’t be threatened.
That was the decisive reason Illei could reveal the truth of his regression to Caesar.
How he would be treated afterward didn’t matter.
Trying to hide his inner tension, Illei stared straight at Caesar.
Soon, Caesar broke the silence and spoke.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes.”
“What kind of person was Lilian to you?”
“…Excuse me?”
Illei hesitated, thinking about what information he should reveal to earn Caesar’s trust, then froze.
He unconsciously repeated, his tone flustered.
“What do you mean…?”
“I mean, how did you feel about Lilian?”
The location of weaknesses, buried treasures, future disasters—
A flood of information capable of changing the future collapsed in his mind, replaced by Lilian’s face, like a full moon, floating before him.
A girl with black hair, slightly shorter than him, gemstone-like eyes, and soft, fair cheeks.
Illei was at a loss for words.
The boy, usually as cold and rational as an adult, blushed like a child for the first time and spoke hesitantly.
“I… thought of her as… a younger sister.”
“…….”
“I wanted to protect her, to cherish her… that’s what I felt.”
Though he ultimately couldn’t protect her.
As he lightly bit his lip, Caesar, who had been staring down at Illei coldly, sighed.
“Phew… really.”
Soon, his gaze softened slightly.
The look of a responsible adult, observing someone who would one day leave, had vanished.
Caesar’s expression hardened again.
“Twenty-seven, my foot. You’re even worse than an ordinary seven-year-old. Even a seven-year-old knows to take care of their own plate. Why on earth did you tell me about your regression?”
Illei, scolded out of nowhere, was taken aback.
“What? You’d tell me about future events? That’s exactly the kind of thing to get tortured over! There’s nothing a kid like you won’t say!”
The scolding continued.
“I thought you might resemble the emperor because you look so cold, but no. You’re soft as can be. Kids like this should be wrapped in blankets and fed cocoa. Tsk tsk.”
Hearing this, Illei felt wronged.
Being treated like a little kid…
“I called you ‘Duke’ because we had a connection before my regression…”
“That’s exactly the problem! I don’t know what happened before your regression, but apparently, I was kind to you! I have no memory of it, so I’m a stranger. And strangers should be treated with caution. So you just go and spill vital secrets that could be your weakness? You were asking to be devoured, weren’t you?”
Prepared to be “devoured,” Illei kept his mouth shut.
He hadn’t expected to be scolded, so he didn’t know what to say.
“Someone who can’t even handle their own plate doesn’t deserve adult treatment.”
Caesar said bluntly.
Then he slammed open a drawer and dumped a bunch of cute snacks in front of Illei.
Illei stared blankly.
Caesar, arrogant as a demon lord, crossed his legs and said,
“Eat.”
“Bu….”
“Talk while you eat. Judging by the fact you revealed such important information, I guess you need my help.”
Illei was bewildered by the hand of help extended so easily.
“I haven’t even shared the information yet.”
Caesar chuckled.
“Lilian also regressed.”
“……!”
“She ran straight over, just like you.”
Illei felt wronged—he hadn’t exactly run over—but he was too surprised by the fact Lilian had regressed to even deny it.
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
Hearing Caesar confirm, Illei’s heart raced.
Lilian remembered, and had memories with him.
Seeing her in the temple had seemed strange, but he had no idea they had both regressed.
It was already impossible that he returned, and now both of them had come back to life.
Unlike the time of the Abyss incident, this time he wasn’t alone, and a sense of relief washed over him.
He let out a long sigh.
Caesar asked,
“So, what exactly do you need my help with?”
“We need to expose the church’s corruption. There’s a massive illegal experimental site in Zerkino. We must reveal it and weaken the church’s power.”
“I was already investigating that. Understood.”
He already knew? Illei’s eyes widened in surprise, and Caesar nodded.
“That’s settled. Now, I told you to eat.”
“Well…”
“Any child under ten must eat a snack before leaving my office.”
Illei tried to argue he wasn’t a child, but Caesar’s gaze flashed dangerously.
“Your plate.”
“…….”
Resigned to being completely treated as a child, Illei quietly picked up a piece of candy.
One week later.
“I’m… revived!”
Lilian, who had been suffering, was fully recovered.
The attending doctor even remarked that it was worthy of a medical journal, but her remarkable recovery was useless in front of her family.
“Did you misbehave or not?”
“Eeeh!”
“What’s ‘eeh’? Can’t you sit properly?”
The day Illei discovered that Lilian had run away with just a sheet of drawing paper, the youngest daughter, who had always been spoiled by her father, finally caused Caesar to explode with anger.
He was nearly murderous in his rage, vowing to discipline her once she was found…
“Ahem.”
…But after Lilian had suffered for a week, that resolve evaporated like fried chicken once she awoke.
Caesar anxiously glanced at Lilian.
So who was scolding her from over there?
“Illei, isn’t the princess also reflecting?”
“You stay still. Lilian, your arms are down. Raise them properly.”
“Eeep, my arms, mamaaa.”
“Who talks like a baby at five? Ten more minutes if you don’t raise them properly. Illei, sorry for interrupting, continue.”
“Yes.”
Right, it was Illei.
During the week Lilian was sick, Illei, having lost his temple and nowhere to go, stayed at the duke’s residence.
Lilian was quite pleased about this.
‘But I don’t want to be scolded!’
She pouted.
Then Illei’s firm voice reached her.
“Are you going to act on your own again?”
Lilian wriggled and replied,
“Nooo…”
“Do you want to make your family worry? Like this time?”
“I won’t…”
Watching the children, Lessa stifled a laugh.
‘So clever.’
She had already noticed Illei’s intentions from the start.
No matter how much the father loved his daughter, this time he was truly angry and wouldn’t have let it end lightly.
But Illei had acted first.
With her arms effectively trapped inward, Caesar thought, ‘This is probably fine…’
‘Though the husband and the youngest child probably didn’t think that far.’
The eldest stayed quiet, the second looked the other way, and even the third, normally intent on teasing her sibling, remained quiet. Clearly, they were all in cahoots.
Doing whatever they could to ensure the youngest got scolded less.
Satisfied with her observations, Lessa grabbed her flustered husband and stood up.
Since everyone was so worried about the youngest, as the adult, she would pretend not to notice.
They’d probably work it out among themselves.
‘Such cute kids.’
