TDSM 11

Chapter – 11

“Aiden… p-please… I’m begging you.”

“…Liliana, stop getting up.”

“Ignis… what do we do… Sie— Dam— just like that… Aiden too…”

“Aiden is… gone. Accept it, Liliana.”

“—Hah!”

I jolted upright, my body drenched in cold sweat.

What… was that dream just now?

It was definitely a dream about the future—about people other than Liliana and Ignis.

“Why can’t I remember it?”

Up until the moment I woke, it had felt vividly real, as if it were actually happening. But the instant I opened my eyes, everything vanished, like someone had played a cruel prank on me.

The original story ends in a happy ending, so why did I dream about something so ominous involving the others?

I rubbed my face dry, then suddenly lifted my head.

Ignis and Liliana’s happy ending is certain—but what about everyone else…? That’s not so clear.

I’d been careless.

I’d just assumed that if Ignis and Liliana reached a happy ending, then everyone else would too.

With my memories incomplete, everything felt uncertain, unsettling.

“I need to recover my memories as soon as possible.”

“Miss, are you feeling unwell?”

“Huh? Oh, no. I think I’m just a little carsick. Don’t worry about it.”

At least I’ll have plenty of time to look into things on my own.

I was riding in a carriage with Miarr, my personal maid, heading toward our residence in the capital. She’d come a few days ago to help me pack.

At least that man won’t be there, so it should be peaceful.

…No, wait. Come to think of it, there’s that contract I wrote last time, and Serdian’s brain would actually be incredibly useful.

As much as I hate to admit it, Serdian was a once-in-a-generation genius of the Empire.

“It looks like we’ll arrive soon. Please hang in there just a bit longer.”

“O-okay.”

I’m certain the war doesn’t start until after I graduate from the academy.

But if the war caused by the dark magic faction in the original story truly does happen in the future, it will take countless lives—and torment Liliana and Ignis, the people most precious to me.

That’s why I want to stop it, as much as I possibly can.

Which is also why I’d already been thinking that recovering my memories of the original story would be important.

And after that unsettling dream… that feeling has only grown stronger.

If I really can’t remember anything, should I just slam my head into something?

Lost in serious contemplation, I stepped down from the carriage—and immediately felt a chill crawl up my spine at the sight before me.

…No, wait. Why is he here?

“Renia!”

“W-what…?”

He definitely said he couldn’t come this break because he was busy.

A man with deep green eyes different from mine, red hair, and looks handsome enough that anyone would stop to admire him ran straight toward me.

Before I could react, he wrapped me in a tight, all-encompassing hug.

“My little sister. I missed you so much.”

“You said you couldn’t come because you were busy…”

“I wanted to see you. What was I supposed to do?”

“……”

“I wrapped everything up and came anyway.”

The man holding me was Serdian Verenor—my blood relative who had forcibly dragged me out of the academy two years ago by making the mage tower graduate him early.

Thanks to his overwhelming magical power from birth, Serdian had become the Mage Tower Lord at just nineteen, filling a position that had long been vacant.

“Where’s eldest brother?”

“…Did you want to see him more than me?”

I messed up.

Ah. Now I’ll have to soothe him again.

“N-no? Of course I missed you more. Why would you even ask that?”

“……”

“I just heard eldest brother might be in the capital too, so I wondered if you came together.”

“Renia.”

Upon hearing that, Serdian looked deeply moved and rubbed his cheek against my forehead.

“Renia, let’s go inside and eat dinner together.”

“O-okay.”

Watching Serdian walk ahead while holding my hand, I let out a small sigh.

I’m already exhausted, and this just started.

He escorted me to my seat, only releasing my hand once I was fully settled. Then he sat down across from me, staring happily as he launched into an endless stream of stories.

I listened to him while we ate.

“Renia, you worked hard this semester.”

“Oh. Yeah. Thanks.”

Noticing the empty seats, I suddenly thought of the rest of our family and brought it up first—for once.

“It would’ve been nice if Father, Mother, and eldest brother were here too.”

“Right? It’d be great if Mother and Father were here, but they’re so busy with the territory.”

…Why are you deliberately excluding eldest brother?

“Oh, right. Renia.”

“Yeah?”

“Your theory grades were a bit disappointing again.”

Here it comes.

Seriously—how does someone stuck in that isolated mage tower always know my grades?

I didn’t think I’d need this since he supposedly couldn’t come this time.

Guess I have no choice.

“So that’s why we should study togeth—”

“Brother!”

I waved a fluttering sheet of paper in front of his eyes before he could finish.

“What’s that, Renia?”

“If I get the highest grade in even just one subject next time—!”

“……”

“You promised you’d leave me alone during break!”

“……”

“…I got first place in swordsmanship.”

Try getting around that.

You signed it yourself.

The paper I shoved in front of Serdian was a contract bearing his signature.

It stated that if I earned the top grade in even one of my subjects, he’d let me rest freely during break without forcing private tutoring on me.

Serdian had known I always fell just short of the top grade, and used that as leverage to force me to spend three hours a day studying with him every break.

So for the past two years, my vacations had been nothing but—

Being dragged around by Liliana, then dragged right back home only to be captured by Serdian again.

Teaching me? Please.

All he did was keep me by his side and “play” with me like when we were kids.

He might call that playing, but to me, being treated like I was still five was exhausting.

“…Alright.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. A promise is a promise.”

I brightened at his answer, then quickly forced my face back into neutrality as my smile threatened to break free.

This break will actually be relaxing.

I should focus on recovering my memories.

“Renia… are you happy that you won’t be spending as much time with me?”

“Huh?”

I tried so hard not to show it. Did he notice anyway?

Seriously, his intuition is terrifying.

I gave the sulking Serdian an awkward smile.

“It’s not that. The food’s just good, so I guess I got into a good mood.”

“……”

As I resumed eating, memories of all my failed attempts to escape Serdian flashed through my mind.

Studying desperately… trying to tell on him to our parents, only for him to preemptively report my grades and ruin everything…

I really did my best.

I was far more talented at swinging a sword than sitting still studying theory. No matter how hard I tried, I could never earn the highest grade.

For nearly two years, even swordsmanship had been evaluated through written exams, so I never had any chance.

But this time, the swordsmanship exam was changed to a practical test.

For the first time ever, I got the highest grade in at least one subject.

And since Serdian hadn’t known about the change when he signed the contract last break—

It became his mistake.

Guess the mage tower really is keeping him busy if he didn’t even know about that.

If he’d known, he definitely would’ve rigged things somehow.

…Wait. What if he tries something sneaky now?

Suddenly uneasy, I spoke firmly to Serdian, who was poking at his food.

“This is a promise. If you try anything weird, I really won’t see you anymore.”

“That would tear my heart apart, Renia.”

“Then don’t do it in the first place.”

“…Okay.”

“And stop just picking at your food. Eat properly.”

At my warning, Serdian drooped even further.

But seeing him like that doesn’t exactly make me feel good either.

He must’ve worked nonstop at the mage tower and rushed out without rest just to see me.

Sniff.

“…Brother, are you crying?”

“No. Why would I cry…?”

This is insane. Is he actually crying?

“Why are you crying? Is spending time with me really that important?”

“I… I secretly cleared out everyone who tried to stop me, just so I could come see you.”

…So that’s what you meant by ‘wrapping things up’?

I stared at the sniffling Serdian for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

“Then let’s go on a date next week, on this day.”

“……”

“Just the two of us.”

“Just the two of us… on a date?”

“You’ve always said you wanted to go on a date with just me.”

“……”

“Now that I think about it, we’ve never gone out alone. Eldest brother was always there.”

Fine.

We’re family by blood, after all.

I’ll show some mercy.

Definitely not because soothing him is exhausting.

And definitely not because it’ll be easier to ask him about memory recovery afterward.

“Even during breaks without eldest brother, I spent all my daytime with friends.”

“……”

“And you always made sure not to interfere with that time.”

“Then write your name here, Renia.”

“…Do we really have to go this far?”

At some point, Serdian had already conjured paper and pen with magic, still sniffling as he prepared another contract.

Shaking my head, I scribbled my name down anyway.

The moment I did, Serdian wiped his tears—and instantly returned to a perfectly calm face and voice.

“Well… I’m not completely satisfied.”

“……”

“But it can’t be helped. I made the mistake.”

“……”

“And since it’s a promise, you won’t get any strange ideas either, right?”

With that, Serdian curved his lips into a languid smile.

“Miss! Please restrain yourself!”

“Everyone, come help stop the young lady!”