Chapter 11: The Shape of a Dream – 1
ㅤI had a dream. A girl’s dream. A dream of a girl laughing in a soft light. It seemed happy, warm, and I reached out, wanting to go there too. This is a story about my dream.
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ㅤ”—……Your Highness, Prince Arnold.”
ㅤ”……Yes, I’m awake. I’m awake.”
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ㅤAfter replying to the discreet knock and the following voice, several maids and my aide, Joshua, entered.
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ㅤ”It’s unusual for you to still be asleep when I arrive.”
ㅤ”Hmm……I was having a dream.”
ㅤ”What kind of dream?”
ㅤ”It was a happy dream.”
ㅤ”You sound detached.”
ㅤ”Haha.”
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ㅤIndeed, I think it was a somewhat detached dream. The girl wasn’t someone I knew. It was too vague to be a premonition, and too unfamiliar to be a desire.
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ㅤ”Cherish it, for it’s a dream you saw.”
ㅤ”I know.”
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ㅤI replied, stretching out on the bed.
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ㅤMy name is Arnold. The royal family of this country doesn’t have surnames, so I’m just Arnold. I hold the position of Crown Prince in the country ruled by my father, the King.
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ㅤThere are a few characteristics that distinguish the royal family from others. First, strong magical power doesn’t reside in their bodies. Second, perhaps as compensation, their eyesight and hearing are superior to that of ordinary people. Third, they sometimes have dreams related to the future. And a few others.
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ㅤEach characteristic has a reason, passed down from ancient times. They don’t possess strong magical power so that they won’t oppress the people with that power. Their keen eyesight and hearing are for seeing many people and hearing many voices. They dream to guide the country towards a better future.
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ㅤIn short, I was someone with moderate magical power, slightly better eyesight and hearing than others, and occasional strange dreams.
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ㅤStill, it was a vague dream. There are times when I see the future more clearly, or when the deceased stand by my bedside and give me advice, so today’s dream might not be a royal characteristic, but simply a”dream.”
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ㅤ”Hmm……”
ㅤ”Please pull yourself together. You have a meeting with the Saint before your official duties today.”
ㅤ”Ah……That’s right.”
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ㅤI listen absentmindedly to my schedule for the day as the maids help me get dressed. That’s right, the Saint requested a meeting, and I’m supposed to meet with her instead of my father.
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ㅤThe current Saint, Lily, is apparently twenty-one years old, two years younger than me. She’s the eldest daughter of Count Carvel and has platinum blonde hair, a symbol of strong magical power. I’ve seen her at parties a few times, and she must have come to greet me with her parents at royal events……But what color were her eyes? She’s said to be highly capable as a Saint, diligent, and personable, but there’s one not-so-good rumor about her. Well, I try not to believe such stories until I see it for myself.
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ㅤ”A petition before setting out to subjugate the beasts……”
ㅤ”I wonder what kind of request it will be.”
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ㅤMy busy father has instructed me to grant her wishes as much as possible, unless it’s something extraordinary. This shows how much the Saint, who can purify the land where magical beasts periodically emerge, is valued in this country.
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ㅤ”Well, I’ll know when I hear her out.”
ㅤ”Indeed.”
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ㅤI’m not exactly free myself, with the reconstruction efforts for the areas affected by magical beasts and all that, but I must show her every courtesy as she fights for the country.
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ㅤI’ve barely spoken to her before. What kind of person is the Saint? Does she care about the country with a broader heart and deeper love than me, the Crown Prince? I was slightly curious, thinking I might be able to learn something from her.
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ㅤWhen I entered the audience chamber, the Saint was already kneeling. I sit on the throne and say,”You may raise your head.”
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ㅤ”I apologize for the intrusion.”
ㅤ”You may relax. I thank you for your service to the country this past year.”
ㅤ”I’m honored to receive such gracious words. But I’ve only done what I could.”
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ㅤI’m impressed by her humble attitude. Is this what a Saint is like?
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ㅤFor me, love is something to be shared widely. As a member of the royal family of this country, loving the people is a kind of duty. I’ve never disliked it, and I’ve actually tried to do what I can for the country. I’m desperately trying to follow in the footsteps of my father, who is renowned as a wise king.
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ㅤBut that’s all it is. I’m happy when the people’s lives improve, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m praised for my achievements. But somewhere in my heart, a voice tells me that I’m only doing it out of duty. I don’t have a broad and deep love, but I wave my hand, pretending I do, and perform acts of hypocrisy. I have that kind of feeling.
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ㅤI wouldn’t say I don’t know love. My mother passed away when I was three, but my father and my wet nurse took good care of me. I think I’m blessed with the people around me, including Joshua. But this is a little different. There’s always a question mark hanging over my love.
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ㅤIs the Saint different from me? Unlike me, who does it out of duty, is she trying to save and protect the people with genuine, broad love? I think it’s amazing, but at the same time, I think it’s something I could never do.
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ㅤ”I hear you’ll be completing the purification of the heavily damaged land in the next village. But I’ve heard the situation isn’t very good.”
ㅤ”Yes. That’s why I’ve come to make a heartfelt request to Your Highness before I depart.”
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ㅤWe’ve already dispatched knights and magicians to the village where the situation has worsened in the past three days, and the residents have been evacuated. However, it seems they’re struggling because of the sheer number of magical beasts. If the fields and houses are ravaged, it will affect the residents’ lives afterward. It’s urgent that we deal with the situation, so the Saint is apparently leaving right after this, even though she just returned from another village yesterday.
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ㅤ”My father has instructed me to grant your wishes as much as possible. Speak.”
ㅤ”Thank you…….I believe this subjugation will be a difficult one. I’ve heard that large magical beasts have appeared, the mountainous terrain makes it difficult to fight, and the area to be purified is vast. Therefore, I’m prepared for the possibility of something happening to me.”
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ㅤThe possibility of something happening. It’s a heavy burden for such a young woman to bear. I hear that the Captain of the Magic Division, Oswald, who is renowned as one of the best magicians of all time, is accompanying her, but it seems the situation is still worrisome.
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ㅤ”Therefore, I have a request. If something should happen to me, please ensure my sister doesn’t suffer any hardship.”
ㅤ”Yes, I underst……Hmm……?”
ㅤ”Please ensure my sister doesn’t suffer any hardship.”
ㅤ”Yes, no, um, I heard you, but……”
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ㅤI have good hearing, you know. That’s not what I meant.
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ㅤ”……Your sister……?”
ㅤ”Yes. Her name is Chelsea, and she’s four years younger than me.”
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ㅤThat’s not it either. The Saint continues speaking, leaving me dumbfounded.
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ㅤ”My sister is inherently shy and rarely attends social gatherings. She also has little magical power and, naturally, no means of fighting. My parents love her, but unfortunately, they’re both a bit naive, so I can’t say for certain that she won’t be taken advantage of by others. After I’m gone, I want you to promise to protect my sister, to ensure that she won’t be forced to take my place, or be mistreated, or even worse, be left to fend for herself. I don’t want her to suffer.”
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ㅤThe Saint, after speaking in one breath, looked straight at me with her slightly upturned, pale green eyes.”Ah, so that’s the color,”I thought vaguely, as I was surprised by her strong will.
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ㅤI wasn’t expecting her to demand an enormous reward, but perhaps I wouldn’t have been as surprised if she had. Of all things, her sister. Really?
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ㅤ”……I thought you didn’t think highly of your sister.”
ㅤ”Don’t be ridiculous. My sister is the most precious person in the world to me. I’m protecting this country not because I’m the Saint, but because I’m her older sister. So that she won’t be unhappy.”
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ㅤJoshua, who was standing beside me, glances at me. The rumor that the Saint doesn’t think highly of her incompetent sister has been circulating occasionally. I nod slightly at Joshua and turn my gaze back to the Saint.
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ㅤ”Alright. I promise.”
ㅤ”……Do you believe me?”
ㅤ”You mean your concern for your sister?”
ㅤ”Yes.”
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ㅤNow it’s her turn to be dumbfounded, so I reveal the truth.
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ㅤ”I can tell when people are lying.”
ㅤ”Huh?”
ㅤ”It’s not just a vague feeling based on experience or intuition. It’s because of my royal blood. I felt that there was no lie in your words, so I swear to keep my promise.”
ㅤ”……You’re telling me this?”
ㅤ”It’s fine. It’s just a rumor, but some of the higher-ranking nobles know about it.”
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ㅤJoshua is glaring at me, so I might get scolded a bit later.
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ㅤIt was a shock. There was no lie in the Saint’s words, and I think the rumors of their discord were probably to protect her sister. Holy magic has always been said to reside more easily in those with honest and pure hearts, so the Carvel family, which has produced many Saints throughout history, must have many people with such a disposition. They’ve probably been taken advantage of because of their good nature. The fact that they’re still only Counts, even though more than one or two Saints have been chosen by the King and married into the royal family, might be a sign that they’re indifferent to status and power. Remembering the Saint’s parents, the current Count and Countess Carvel, whom she described as”a bit naive,”they were indeed always smiling and gentle. It’s a bit rude, but I understand her concern.
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ㅤ”I swear I won’t let your sister suffer. And of course, the Carvel family as well.”
ㅤ”Thank you.”
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ㅤAs the Saint bows deeply, Joshua calls out to her. It seems it’s almost time for the troops to depart.
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ㅤ”Then I shall take my leave.”
ㅤ”Yes…….Lily.”
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ㅤWhen I call out to her as she’s about to leave the room, she turns around, her white dress swirling.
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ㅤ”I’ll keep my promise. But don’t do anything reckless that will lead to your death. If you think it’s dangerous, retreat. Oswald and the knights are there too, so you can withdraw and regroup. Don’t fight recklessly……”
ㅤ”Your Highness is so kind.”
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ㅤ”It’s alright,”she said.
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ㅤ”I came to make this request just in case, but I have no intention of dying easily. If I d*e, my sister will be sad.”
ㅤ”……I see.”
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ㅤSeeing her confidently declare this, I think her sister must also be fond of her. They have mutual affection, I think, and my heart warms slightly.
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ㅤ”I don’t want to make my sister sad. That feeling is, you know, invincible.”
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ㅤSmiling brightly, Lily left the room. My heart, which suddenly started pounding, sends blood rushing through my body, and my face feels hot. The last smile I saw on her face is burned into my mind.
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ㅤ”……Your Highness?”
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ㅤJoshua peers at me worriedly as I cover my face with one hand. Oh no, what should I do?
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ㅤWhat should I do? This unfamiliar pounding in my chest might turn into an”invincible feeling.”
