ch61-ch80 · 072-ch71

Chapter 71: The Usurper

"...What I told you before wasn't a lie. I wanted to be a cook, so I ran away from the royal capital because I hated fighting."

　　--That's not right.

"In the same way, Iris-sama and Satchio left the royal capital and lived in hiding in the countryside."

　　--That's wrong, that's not it.

"But they lost their means of escape with the Ceylo Kingdom chasing them everywhere, so the two of them planned to transfer to this world. I was also a fugitive, so I decided to help them."

　　--What I want to know most is...

"For that, they had to return to the royal capital and pass through the mirror. During that life-threatening infiltration, Satchio protected me and..."

"I want to hear about that kind of thing!!!"

　　I couldn't help but interrupt Papa's explanation.

　　I'm happy that he's explaining it in detail, but what I want to know more than anything is...

"...Am I not your biological child?"

　　―　◆　―

　　I knew that someday, I would have to tell her this.

　　Ai is a half-blood of Ceyloan and Limilaru. Since she already knew that, if she learned that her mother was Iris-sama, my clever Ai would realize it immediately.

　　I'm Ceyloan. It's impossible for a child between me and Iris-sama to be a half-blood.

　　Even so, I didn't want to tell her that yet.

　　It might be parental selfishness, but I wanted to keep it secret until at least Ai came of age.

　　...I was scared. In my life, these 14 years I've spent with Ai as parent and child have been the most peaceful, the most wonderful. I was afraid that would change.

　　So last time, without touching the core of the matter, I gave a clever explanation, trying not to lie, and deceived her.

　　In truth, Ai probably felt that something was off too. But she's such a kind child that she stayed quiet about it.

　　And yet, Ai probably never imagined that she and I weren't connected by blood.

　　Right now, my beloved daughter before me is looking at me with a face mixed with sadness, regret, pain, and... various other indescribable emotions, yet she continues to gaze at me with composure.

　　--I have to answer.

　　If I lose my sincerity here, I can never again call myself this child's father.

　　―　◆　―

"Ai's biological father is my best friend... the White Knight Satchio Shirakawa."

　　Shirakawa?

　　Shirakawa, could it be--

"Shirakawa Rokuro. A Japanese person. In ancient legends, those who could perform Unison with swans were people from another world who crossed over from Limilaru. That's why Satchio was chosen as the White Knight of this generation."

　　Then, that means I--

"At the moment of his death, Satchio entrusted his newborn daughter to me. He asked me to raise her in peace in Japan. I used that promise as an excuse to cross through the mirror holding the infant in my arms... I abandoned my best friend and ran away."

　　....

"I used Satchio's name and family registration. Since Satchio was originally all alone in the world, it wasn't that difficult to take his place... But I couldn't bring myself to call myself Satchio. I couldn't bear taking away Satchio's life, his child, his world... everything. So I changed the reading of the name and called myself Rokuro."

　　.........

"Excuse me, would it be alright if I asked something?"

　　The green-haired woman who had been respectfully silent until now... Charru-san, but since I remained bowed and silent without answering, she hesitantly asked Papa.

"What happened to Iris-sama? I had heard that she was bedridden from illness after the battle with the Demon King Army, and then she wasted away and passed away after learning of Satchio-san's death..."

"The story about her being bedridden from illness is a lie. They probably wanted to hide the fact that the princess had eloped... Iris-sama passed away before Satchio and I headed to the royal palace with Ai. Raising Ai in Japan was Iris-sama's wish."

　　Ah...

　　He's being somewhat vague, but I understand.

　　It must be because of me. Because of me, she died.

　　What am I, really?

　　If I hadn't been born, Iris-san wouldn't have died.

　　If I hadn't tried to raise me in Japan, Satchio-san wouldn't have died either.

　　Above all, because of me, Papa couldn't live the way he wanted to.

　　For my sake—not connected by blood, not understanding anything, just growing up ignorantly and carelessly.

　　He probably gave up on romance too.

　　And with his job too—he might have wanted to train at a big restaurant, but he chose a food truck where he could work while taking care of me.

　　Papa said he took so much from Satchio-san, but the one who took the most was me.

　　I took away Papa's best friend, his princess, and his life.

　　---I SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN BORN.