[User] Going. I took myself on a visit to the room next door. I rang the bell, and shortly thereafter, Misha appeared.

[Assistant] "Sorry," she murmured. "And good evening to you, too. Can I come in?"

[User] I pretended not to see Misha’s tears and waltzed on through the door.

[Assistant] "Um…Hey, Rae. Sorry, were we too noisy again?"

[User] "What’s going on?" Yu looked as she ever did, wearing a composed smile.

[Assistant] "Misha says I haven’t smiled since the incident, which obviously can’t be true."

[User] Weird thing to claim, I thought. You’re even smiling right now.

[Assistant] "You’re forcing yourself. You can fool the others, but you can’t fool me."

[User] "You’re overthinking it, Misha. I’m fine already."

[Assistant] "You’re lying!"

[User] It wasn’t like Misha to get this worked up. I realized the difference might be something only she, having been by Yu’s side for so long, could discern.

[Assistant] "How could she? Your mother! How could she be so foolish as to make her child feel this way?"

[User] Her stance had shifted since their last argument. She had to feel betrayed for having urged Yu to put her trust in Riche. From Misha’s perspective, both the incident with Yu’s gender and the assassination attempt appeared to be sheer selfishness on Riche’s part—actions she’d taken without a shred of consideration for Yu.

[Assistant] "Even so, Mother cared for me. I’m sure of it." Yu’s voice was tinged with a mixture of resignation and love.

[User] "Lady Yu…" Misha could do nothing more than look sadly at her.

[Assistant] "Mother was wrong. What she tried to do was unforgivable. Her actions only ever hurt me."

[User] "Then why—" Yu cut her off. "Because now…I think I understand. That was her way of trying to show her love."

[Assistant] Yu interrupted Misha’s next attempt to speak as well.

[User] "What she did was wrong, but it wasn’t just selfishness. She did it all for me, even if she never understood what I truly wanted. As twisted as it was—it was love." Yu smiled as she spoke.

[Assistant] Misha stared at her, stunned.

[User] "I didn’t understand her. I thought she only wanted to hurt me. But I was wrong. There’s no doubt in my mind now that the one who gave her life to save me was someone I could call my mother."

[Assistant] Yu clenched her right hand, perhaps remembering her mother’s final moments.

[User] Seeing this, Misha overlapped her own hand onto Yu’s. I had a feeling she no longer thought Yu’s smile fake. There would be no further misunderstanding between them.

[Assistant] "Mother and I never truly understood each other. I regret that now. That’s why I never want that to happen to us." Yu took Misha’s hand and stared deep into her red eyes. "Thank you, Misha, for always being there for me."


[User] "I want to be with you for the rest of my life, till death do us part.”

[Assistant] Tears spilling from her eyes, Misha dove into Yu’s arms.

[User] “Lady Yu!” I had never seen her cry like this before. “I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m sure I’ll make you worry from here on out, too. Will you stay with me regardless?”

[Assistant] “Yes! Always.” Misha continued to nod wordlessly as Yu gently stroked her hair.

[User] “Um… Should I…go?” I gingerly suggested. I’d come over because I was worried about them, but I’d ended up not doing a single thing.

[Assistant] “Ah. Sorry, Rae! The mood was just kind of right—and before I knew it, this happened.”

[User] “Don’t give me that! Do you have any idea how awkward it is to see your friends profess their love to one another?”

[Assistant] “What? Like you did during the revolution?” Yu teased.

[User] “Wha—well, that’s…” sighed. “Anyway, I take it you two are fine now?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, we’re fine. Right, Misha?” Yu grinned.

[User] “No, we’re not fine. If you really meant what you said, then prove it to me, right here and now,” Misha challenged.

[Assistant] “Prove it?” Yu's eyes had gone wide.

[User] “Yes, prove it.”

[Assistant] “Hmmm… Well, there you have it, Rae. Gonna stay and watch?”

[User] “Good night!” I turned on my heels and fled the room. A brief instant before I turned, I saw their shadows overlap.


[Assistant] "How were they?”

[User] Claire asked. She was waiting for me in our room, looking concerned.

[Assistant] “I feel stupid for even worrying…” I chuckled. “Hey… Tonight, can we, you know?”

[User] “Hm? Oh—jeez… Don’t try to seduce me, it’s time to sleep.”

[Assistant] “I can’t sleep. I need to work off my frustration over what I had to deal with over there.” Plus, I was still in Claire withdrawal from my time acting as the pope’s body double. Normally, I’d be able to reel myself in, if only just barely, but I just couldn’t do it after watching those two flirt.

[User] “W-wait, if we’re going to do this, then do it properly—”

[Assistant] “Nope.” I sealed her lips with mine and allowed my desire to take over my body. "Love is blind”—perhaps that was the phrase that best described Riche.

[User] If it were me, would I be able to give my life for May and Aleah like she had for Yu? What if it were Claire’s life on the other end of the scales? I chose to run from such torturous thoughts, instead allowing myself to be lost in Claire’s body.


[User] The BAUER KINGDOM was in a period of transition. I released a long sigh. I know things are tough for us all, but still… Claire wasn’t with me at the moment. She was off working to establish the new government. I was in the Academy dormitory kitchen making cream stew. I found a scrawny carrot and an onion to cook with.

[Assistant] “Rae,” A familiar, high-pitched voice called out to me as I turned. “Welcome back, Miss Claire. You’re early today.”

[User] “Our session got a bit heated today. Everyone agreed to call it a day and cool our heads.”

[Assistant] “Is that right? Sounds rough.”

[User] “It really is.” Claire sat on a chair and rubbed her eyes.

[Assistant] I stopped cooking for a bit, washed my hands, and brought over a towel I’d warmed with hot water. “Here, put this over your eyes. You’ll feel better.”

[User] “Thank you. Ahh… This feels great…” Claire stayed like that for some time.

[Assistant] It must have been a tiring day.

[User] “Today, we were discussing whether women should be allowed to vote. I, of course, said we should, but many others insisted otherwise.”

[Assistant] “Figures.”

[User] “They skirted around the issue on account of my gender, but it’s clear the men all shared the same doubt: ‘Do women even understand politics?’”

[Assistant] Such a statement sounded utterly nonsensical to me and my inherited sensibilities, but I had to remember that Japan and the kingdom were very different.


[User] "Despite the issues, I believe we need to at least give it a shot. There might be some bumps in the road at first, but I’m sure it’ll gradually work itself out." Claire insisted.

[Assistant] "Their misogyny runs deep." Claire said sadly.

[User] "Indeed." Rae hugged her from behind. She relaxed, leaning onto Rae. They stayed like that, basking in each other’s warmth for some time.

[Assistant] "Mmm. It smells good. What’s for dinner?"

[User] "I made cream stew."

[Assistant] "Sounds delicious. Wasn’t it tough finding ingredients with things as they are?"

[User] "Anything for you. Now, let’s return to our room and eat."

[Assistant] "Thank you, Rae, I really do appreciate all you do for me."

[User] Rae returned to their room and set some stew and a baguette on the table in front of Claire. Rae set out her own portion and then took a seat. They put their hands together and said, "Bon appétit."

[Assistant] "My! The chicken is so juicy! How’d you find such good chicken?"

[User] "The chicken’s nothing special. Just ordinary breast meat. The real secret is in the preparation."

[Assistant] "And what’s that?"

[User] "I rubbed it lightly with salt and cooking wine, then left it to sit. After that, I coated it in flour."

[Assistant] "That’s it?"

[User] "That’s it. I hope I curbed the dryness a little."

[Assistant] "A little? I thought I was eating thigh."

[User] "Such kind words." Rae was glad she enjoyed it.


[User] "Whew… That was delicious. Thank you, Rae." I made some coffee for Claire, who flipped through a newspaper as she drank. I turned my back to her and began washing the dishes. Alas. I enjoyed cooking, but I didn’t care much for the washing.

[Assistant] "Rae."

[User] "Yes?"

[Assistant] "When are we doing…‘that’?"

[User] "Hm? What’s ‘that’?" I responded confused, not looking back.

[Assistant] "You know… Our wedding."

[User] "Wha—" I almost dropped a plate. "Our wedding? You’re not teasing me right now, are you?" Times weren’t exactly great—not to mention that this would be a same-sex marriage. There were so many reasons why it wasn’t realistic to have a wedding, at least not right now.

[Assistant] "Oh? Do you not want to marry me?"

[User] "I do!" I responded instantaneously. Of course I wanted to marry her. The problem was whether we could. "I thought the constitution they’re drafting didn’t recognize same-sex marriage." Done with the dishes, I sat down across from her. Claire folded up her newspaper.

[Assistant] "You’re right. Legally, we can’t get married."

[User] "So why bring it up now?"

[Assistant] "Because I don’t think a wedding itself poses any legal issue."

[User] "Go on…"

[Assistant] "Regardless of what the law might recognize, I believe a wedding is an occasion where two people who love each other can reaffirm their bond, witnessed by their family and friends."

[User] "I agree, but where would we get the money?" I asked. Weddings involved banquets. That cost money, and it wasn’t like the invitees could just take a day off work, with the current state of the country. I wouldn’t be surprised if many found themselves unable to attend.

[Assistant] "Let’s keep it small. Most of the people we know have some position in the new government. I’m sure they can afford to attend the ceremony."

[User] "Now that you mention it, yeah…"

[Assistant] "Of course, I’ll pay for your parents to attend. There’s no point in a wedding without them."

[User] "No, let me pay for them." Most of Claire’s aristocratic assets had been seized after the revolution. The only reason she could maintain her current lifestyle at all was because the citizens had raised some funds for her in recognition of her contribution to the country.


[User] “Let’s meet halfway and split it. I just want to make sure your parents can attend, no matter what.”

[Assistant] “Right…” She kept talking, making plans for our wedding.

[User] Happy as I was to hear her do so, I still thought it might be better to wait until circumstances improved. But I also didn’t want to rain on her parade. I’d just let her keep going and see what happened…

[Assistant] “Who else do we need to invite? There’s the royal siblings, Lene, Lambert, Misha, Father… Sister and Cardinal Lilly might be a bit difficult.”

[User] “The royal siblings, Lady Manaria, and Cardinal Lilly probably can’t come.”

[Assistant] “I understand Sister is too far away and Cardinal Lilly is still under investigation, but why the princes?”

[User] “Did you forget you’re an ordinary citizen now? Royalty can’t just show up to our wedding.”

[Assistant] “Ahhh… That’s right.” Despite her best efforts, Claire still sometimes forgot she wasn’t nobility anymore—perhaps because she spent so much of her time meeting with members of the new government, debating them on equal footing. Despite being a citizen, her social circle remained composed of powerful people.

[User] "I should have known that… Oh, well. That means the only ones we can invite are your parents, Father, Lene, Lambert, and Misha.”

[Assistant] “What about your noble friends?” I asked.

[User] “Some of us still write, but I doubt they can come. It’s taking all they have to adjust to life after losing their titles.”

[Assistant] “Maybe it’s better to wait for the situation to improve,” I said. “That way we can invite your friends, too."

[User] “You’ve been pretty against the idea for a while now. Were your words about wanting to marry me a lie?”

[Assistant] “Of course not! I really do want to marry you!”

[User] “Then why are you against it? !” For reasons beyond me, Claire seemed in a rush to marry.

[Assistant] I grasped her hand and asked, “Miss Claire, why are you hurrying this?”

[User] She was silent.

[Assistant] “We’ve already confirmed our feelings for one another. Something like a wedding can wait. So why?”

[User] “I’m…worried.”

[Assistant] “Huh? Am I doing something to make you worried? Tell me what it is, I’ll fix it!”

[User] “That’s not it! There’s nothing wrong with you… What’s wrong is…me.”

[Assistant] “What do you mean?”

[User] “I’m no longer a noble…”

[Assistant] “Okay, yeah?” At a complete loss, I accidentally gave a ruder response than I intended. "That's it."


[User] I’m no longer a noble. No status, no prestige, no assets—all I have is an education no longer fit for my station and meaningless pride. How much longer could you love such a person…?”

[Assistant] “Oh, Miss Claire…”

[User] How could I have not noticed? Some part of me wanted to believe Claire had grown accustomed to her new life. But she was a former noble—and a high-ranking one at that. Of course she would have insecurities about becoming an ordinary citizen. All this time I’d spent telling myself I was supporting her—did I ever stop to really look at what she was feeling?

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, everything’s going to be okay.”

[User] “Rae…” I stood and hugged Claire from behind, trying to ease her worries, even if just a bit. “Even if you’re not a noble anymore, my feelings for you are unchanging. I didn’t fall in love with you because you’re a noble.” I spoke from the heart.

[Assistant] “I know… That’s just how you are. But what about your family? What about Lene or Misha?”

[User] “Miss Claire…” To her, being a noble was a way of life—one she’d once quite literally chosen to die for. She welcomed her new life with me, but it didn’t change the fact that one of the pillars she’d founded her identity on had disappeared.

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, you should run for election.”

[User] “Huh? Rae, what are you talking about? We’re discussing our wedding right n—”

[Assistant] “I know. But I have a feeling if we hold a wedding as you are now, you’ll regret it.”

[User] “Why?”

[Assistant] “What you need right now is a new way of life. Something to give you purpose, something that’ll guide you. Until you find that, these worries will stay with you.”

[User] Claire grew silent. Something told me she’d already been aware she was searching for a new pillar to lean on in her life. I wouldn’t lie—I kind of wanted to be that pillar. Somewhere in me was a dark desire to lavish my affections on a version of Claire that was completely emotionally dependent on me. But that wouldn’t be right for her. If, by some odd chance, I were to die, then she would truly be left with nothing to support her. I couldn’t allow that to happen.

[Assistant] “I think…I understand what you’re trying to say,” Claire murmured after a long silence. Her face lit up as her determination gradually returned.

[User] “So how about it?” I asked.

[Assistant] “No. I’m not running for election.”

[User] “Huh?”

[Assistant] Claire smiled at my confusion. “I think joining the new government as a politician would be respectable work, one that could give my life new meaning.”

[User] “So why not do it?”

[Assistant] “Because it wouldn’t be right. If I, a symbol of the old system, were to take office, then the revolution would have no meaning.” I had no good counter. Examining the history of the world would show you many examples of former government officials staying in power after revolutions or coups.


[User] "But that wasn’t what Claire wanted. That being the case, I would simply have to respect her decision. But I’ll look for something. A new way of life.”

[Assistant] Claire's worries had been dispelled. “Yes. And I’ll be there to help you.”

[User] I kissed Claire on the head. She giggled, ticklish. I hoped she’d find a way to live the life she wanted to lead. And when that day finally came, we would get married. I would wait, no matter how long it took, because the only one for me was my ever-so-marvelous Claire.


[User] "Nervous?" Claire stood by my side, looking amused—relishing my rare moment of anxiety. Her face was covered by a veil.

[Assistant] "I think so…"

[User] "So even you have moments like this. I was under the impression you weren’t afraid of anything."

[Assistant] "That’s not true. There are lots of things I’m afraid of."

[User] "He he… I suppose even you’re only human in the end."

[Assistant] "To give an example, I’m afraid of you when you’re drunk."

[User] "I don’t recall being so terrible!"

[Assistant] "You were so cute, it was scary."

[User] "A-again with your jokes… Enough, it’s time. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine." Claire held out her white-gloved hand and squeezed mine.

[Assistant] I squeezed back.


[User] Some time ago, Claire abruptly said, “Hey, Rae. Don’t you think now’s a good time?” We were sitting outside on the terrace as the sky grew dark. May and Aleah ran around the yard with Ralaire.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, good time for what?"

[User] Claire frowned. “Our wedding. Don’t you think it’s about time, now that I’ve found my own way of life?”

[Assistant] "Oh, right."

[User] "My school friends have also settled into their new lives, so they should be able to come. We even have proper salaries now; I imagine inviting your parents won’t pose a problem." Claire tried her hardest to sell the idea to me.

[Assistant] "Yeah. Now might be a good time."

[User] "So…?"

[Assistant] "Yes." I stood and walked toward Claire.

[User] I got down on one knee and took her hand. "Will you marry me, Miss Claire?"

[Assistant] Claire looked shocked for a brief moment before erupting into a wide smile. "Yes!"

[User] "Are Mama Claire and Mama Rae getting married?" Two sharp-eared twins came riding over on Ralaire. "Will there be a wedding?"

[Assistant] "Yes, we’re having a wedding. Will you two attend?" I asked.

[User] "Yeah!" "Of course!" The two girls began to chant, “Wedding!” over and over.

[Assistant] "Now that we’re settled, we need to start preparing. How does holding the wedding in two months sound? Enough time?" I asked.

[User] "Sounds about right to me."


[User] "We’re not doing anything too fancy." From then, the two of us spent day and night planning our wedding. We decided to hold it not in a church but in a restaurant affiliated with Frater. We were swearing our bond to our friends and family, not God—not that we could use a church, given that the Spiritual Church didn’t approve of same-sex marriage. Regardless, Lene’s influence nabbed us a pretty lovely venue. We sent invitations to Dole, Lene, Lambert, Claire’s school friends, my parents, and Misha. We decided not to invite the royal siblings or Manaria, given the difference in our social status now that Claire was an ordinary citizen, but we still wrote them letters letting them know we were getting married. Unfortunately, we also couldn’t invite Lilly, as she was off wandering who-knew-where.

[Assistant] "It seems we’ll have to rent our wedding attire."

[User] "Looks like it. I wish I knew how to sew for times like these."

[Assistant] "I’m not sure an entire wedding dress is something anyone would consider sewing on their own…" Claire would later go on to learn sewing in earnest, but that’s a story for another time. Two months passed in a flash and before we knew it, the day of our wedding was upon us. Our guests arrived at the restaurant, their lively chatter audible all the way from the dressing room Claire and I waited in. We’d had the restaurant prepare a buffet, so the guests enjoyed food and drink as they chatted.

[User] "It’s almost time, Miss Claire, Rae."

[Assistant] "Got it."

[User] "Thank you for all your trouble, Lene."

[Assistant] Lene—the young proprietress of Frater, a trading company that was practically a household name in the Alpes and the Bauer Kingdom—was our mistress of ceremonies for the night, garbed in a modest dress that complemented ours. She and her brother Lambert had amassed a small fortune through their trading company, but even though she now technically had higher social standing than either of us, she remained loyal to Claire. She’d helped us with a number of things, not just finding us a venue. Even now, she was personally running the show rather than delegating it to a subordinate. "Not at all. I have to say though…you two look beautiful." Lene was overcome with emotion as she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. Claire wore a pure-white mermaid-line wedding dress, while I wore a white pantsuit.

[User] "Claire being beautiful goes without saying, but I’m not so confident I look acceptable."

[Assistant] "Nonsense. If you kept that mouth shut, anybody would find you wonderful."

[User] "Is that a compliment?"

[Assistant] "Of course." Lene smiled. "The stage is set. All that’s left is for you two to make your entrance."

[User] Lene’s brother, Lambert, prompted us, garbed in a morning coat and holding open the door. It was time for our wedding to begin.

[Assistant] "Shall we, Miss Claire?"

[User] "I suppose we shall, Rae." We held hands as we made our way through the door.


[User] We were greeted with applause as we made our way to the front.

[Assistant] “Everyone, thank you for gathering here today.” Claire started with an opening speech, and I gazed at her profile. Her contented smile made me emotional as the memories of all the trials we’d faced leading to this moment came to my mind. “Today, Rae Taylor and I will marry. While our union may not be recognized by law, I believe what we share to be something greater.”

[User] The guests applauded Claire’s confident declaration.

[Assistant] “As many here likely know, my first impression of Rae was—to put it plainly—the worst. And yet here I am, marrying her. It just goes to show that life is full of surprises.”

[User] The guests burst into laughter as Claire recounted the past.

[Assistant] “But as I am now, I don’t think I can imagine a life without Rae. To the one who stayed by my side and supported me through it all, I want you to know that I’m truly glad I met you.” She looked deep into my eyes. None of what she’d just said had been in our rehearsals. That’s not fair, Miss Claire. What am I supposed to do with these feelings all of a sudden?

[User] “Mama Rae, are you crying?” May and Aleah approached with a handkerchief.

[Assistant] “Did Mother Claire make you cry?”

[User] “I’m all right, you two. Just got a little too happy.”

[Assistant] “Mama Rae’s being weird!”

[User] “How odd!”

[Assistant] Now’s not the time to get overly emotional, I thought as I wiped my tears.

[User] “I wish for everyone who gathered here to stand witness to the bond Rae and I share. We vow to live proudly, sincerely, joyously, and happily together for the rest of our lives.”

[Assistant] Applause again.

[User] As we waited for the applause to die down, Claire took my hand. “Once again, thank you all for coming. Please, enjoy yourselves to your hearts’ content.”

[Assistant] The venue roared with applause as we bowed our heads to the guests.

[User] “Congratulations, Miss Claire!”

[Assistant] “I’m so happy for you!”

[User] "Thank you, Loretta, Pepi. I’m glad you two could make it.” The first ones to congratulate us were two girls I didn’t recognize. I assumed they were former nobles based on how naturally they wore their party dresses and the way they carried themselves.

[Assistant] “But still… To think you would marry her…”

[User] “We’ve done some terrible things to her…”

[Assistant] Hm? Have I met these two before? “Miss Claire, who might these two be?”

[User] “E-excuse me?! Do you not remember us?”

[Assistant] “Even after all the torment we put you through?” They looked so alarmed by my question. I felt bad, but I truly couldn’t recall them at all.

[User] “These are Loretta and Pepi, our classmates from school. Don’t you remember? You used to tease them a lot.”

[Assistant] “Ohhh!” Thing One and Thing Two from Claire’s entourage. Yeah, no surprise I didn’t recall them.


[User] “I remember now. Pardon my rudeness.”

[Assistant] “No, perhaps it’s best if you don’t remember…”

[User] “What we did was terrible. Could you find it in you to forgive us?”

[Assistant] “Well, to tell the truth, there’s nothing to forgive. I don’t remember a thing.”

[User] “Ah, but of course! You were always a peculiar one, after all…”

[Assistant] “Unbelievable… I apologize for my rudeness, but just what do you see in her, Miss Claire?” They seemed genuinely worried for their friend.

[User] “I love her for her virtues, even if I am alone in understanding them.”

[Assistant] “Oh, my!”

[User] “To think I’d ever hear you speak so fondly of another!”

[Assistant] “Rae’s actually quite endearing once you understand her. A little too endearing, sometimes… I always have to worry about her attracting the eyes of others; it’s happened more than I care to admit.”

[User] No, that’s all your misunderstanding, Miss Claire!

[Assistant] “You better—er… Please, take good care of Miss Claire, okay?”

[User] “You absolutely must make her happy!” They left those words behind as they departed.

[Assistant] “You have good friends.”

[User] “He he. I do, don’t I?”

[Assistant] I had once seen Claire’s entourage as a single entity, but I now understood that Claire had enjoyed real, living, breathing friends back at the Academy. No wonder she’d been so upset when I first started pursuing her.

[User] “You know, it’s thanks to you that they weren’t executed. But also partially my fault the aristocracy was deposed.”

[Assistant] “Come on now, none of that.” Claire smiled wryly.


[User] Lene, on break from running things, arrives with Lambert. "Congratulations on getting married!”

[Assistant] “Congratulations, Miss Claire.”

[User] “Thank you.” Lene hugged Claire as she cried tears of joy.

[Assistant] “I just know Rae will make you happy.”

[User] “Oh?”

[Assistant] “What makes you so sure?”

[User] “Call it a maid’s intuition.”

[Assistant] “I see.”

[User] Lene seemed to put a lot of stock in me for some reason.

[Assistant] “You’ve grown so much. I remember when you were little and threw tantrums whenever the tiniest thing didn’t go your way.”

[User] “Oh, stop it, Lene. You sound like my parent.”

[Assistant] “Why not? Just for today. You used to be such a handful when you were younger. Why, I remember—” Claire looked like her soul was leaving her body as Lene dredged up the past. My wife was just the cutest.

[User] “Please, leave it at that, Lene. I’m about to lose all face here.”

[Assistant] “What’s wrong with that? You’re not a noble anymore.”

[User] “I’m still in front of my beloved!”

[Assistant] “You catch that, Rae?”

[User] “Already etched in my memory.”

[Assistant] “Augh! You two!” Lene and I teased Claire to our hearts’ content. Such a scene had seemed impossible at one point. Back when Lene and Lambert were first exiled, we’d said goodbye for what we thought would be the rest of our lives.

[User] “Hey, Lene.”

[Assistant] “Yes, Rae?”

[User] “Are you happy with the way things are?” Lene blinked in surprise at my question.

[Assistant] “Of course."


[User] "I have Lambert, and two people very important to me are getting married!" He smiled broadly.

[Assistant] "We are gonna be just as happy as you two, if not more!" Lambert said, putting his arm around Lene.

[User] "Oh, my, is that a challenge?"

[Assistant] "I suppose it is. May the better couple win." Lene shook Claire’s hand before returning to her post.

[User] Lene hands Rae and Claire some letters.

[Assistant] The contents of the letters all congratulated Rae and Claire on their marriage—save for Manaria’s.

[User] "Come to me if you split up. I’ll welcome you both with open arms."

[Assistant] Get real, I thought. There were some other letters, but only one of them really stood out. It was a worn-out letter with a single name on the envelope—Lilly.

[User] Written in immaculate handwriting, the letter explained that in the course of her aimless wanderings, she’d stopped by Manaria’s place and learned of our marriage. She gave us her congratulations, followed by a postscript. “P. S. Is the mistress spot still open?”

[Assistant] "There never was one!" Claire said, about to tear up the letter.

[User] Thankfully, I managed to calm her down.

[Assistant] "Goodness… If only you weren’t such a womanizer, Rae."

[User] "Huh? It’s my fault?"

[Assistant] "Whose else could it be?"

[User] What did I do?! I thought. Still, seeing Claire get jealous was adorable in its own regard.


[Assistant] "Congratulations, you two."

[User] "Thank you very much, Misha."

[Assistant] "Thanks."

[User] Misha had shown up in her nun’s habit rather than a dress, but she wore it so naturally that she didn’t stand out at all. That was a former noble for you.

[Assistant] "Yu wrote a letter, but she also wanted me to convey something in person. She says your marriage has the blessing of the Great Spirit."

[User] "But I thought the Spiritual Church didn’t approve of same-sex marriage?"

[Assistant] "You’re right, the church doesn’t. But the original scripture itself never condemns it. According to Yu, all are equal in the eyes of God."

[User] "How very like her." Claire smiled.

[Assistant] "I agree. She’s done nothing but look for trouble ever since she left the royal family."

[User] Misha sighed deeply. "Are you worried about Yu as her partner?"

[Assistant] "Partner? Me? You realize the gulf in status between us, right?"

[User] "You could say the same of Miss Claire and I."

[Assistant] "That’s…true, but…" It appeared Misha still had doubts about her relationship with Yu.

[User] "Why don’t you just take the plunge and go for it?"

[Assistant] "It’s easy for you to say."

[User] "It is. I’ve done it, after all."

[Assistant] "Oh, right." Misha smiled bitterly. "That’s enough about me for today. Congratulations, you two. I mean it. Come by the convent sometime."

[User] "Yes, of course."

[Assistant] "Catch you later, Misha." Misha left, not staying to attend the party.

[User] "Congratulations, Claire, Rae."


[User] It was Dole, accompanied by May and Aleah. He’d mellowed out greatly since his time in politics. Not a trace of his former arrogant noble facade remained. "Congratulations, Mamas!"

[Assistant] "Congratulations, Mothers."

[User] "Thank you very much, Father, girls."

[Assistant] "Thank you very much."

[User] We exchanged hugs with Dole and the girls. "Rae… I really can’t thank you enough."

[Assistant] "I haven’t done much at all, Master Dole."

[User] "Nonsense. If things had gone as I originally planned, a great deal more blood would have been spilled during the revolution. Neither Claire nor I would be here to see the new era."

[Assistant] "But it wasn’t through my efforts alone. We achieved this because of you, Claire, and many others."

[User] "You’re far too modest."

[Assistant] "You just give me more credit than I’m due."

[User] "Grampa, are you and Mama talking about something hard?" Neither of us gave an inch until—

[Assistant] "We’re hungry." May and Aleah tugged on Dole’s clothes.

[User] "Ha ha ha, sorry, sorry! All right, what’ll it be? Grandpa will grab you two whatever you want."

[Assistant] "Crème brûlée!"

[User] Dole broke into a grin, becoming the very image of a doting grandfather. The mastermind who’d once supported the revolution from the shadows was long gone. "Oh, one last thing. Claire?"

[Assistant] "Yes, Father?"

[User] "Do you love Rae?"

[Assistant] "I do."

[User] "Well, judging by what I’ve seen from long before the revolution, she loves you at least a hundred times more. Do your best to reciprocate those feelings."

[Assistant] "I’ll keep that in mind…"

[User] "Very good." With that out of the way, Dole left for good this time, bringing May and Aleah with him.

[Assistant] "Seems like not even you’re a match for Master Dole." I grinned.

[User] "Indeed."


[Assistant] We giggled before seeking out the last group we needed to meet with. "Congratulations, Rae, Claire. You both look wonderful."

[User] "Congratulations." A youthful woman and a reticent man congratulated us as we approached.

[Assistant] "Thank you very much, Mother-in-Law, Father-in-Law."

[User] "Thank you."

[Assistant] My parents. They had prepared their best clothes and traveled all the way from Euclid just for our wedding. But that wasn’t all. "I’m glad we made your wedding clothes in time."

[User] "I’m sure they’re nothing compared to what a former noble is used to."

[Assistant] "Not at all. What you made for us is wonderful," Claire reassured my parents. In case you’ve forgotten, my family were tailors. Claire and I had planned to rent our wedding attire, but my parents had offered to make them for us instead. We paid for the materials and labor, of course, but it was still nothing short of an incredible feat that they’d sewn them from scratch in the span of two months. It was starting to dawn on me that my parents might just be masters of their craft.

[User] "Thank you, Mom, Dad."

[Assistant] "Of course. Anything for you, dear."

[User] "Mm-hmm." Tears began to leak out of their eyes. "You were always a bit odd as a child, but you’ve grown up so splendidly."


[User] "I guess our job as parents is really over…"

[Assistant] "Of course she turned out wonderful. She’s a lost child of the spirits, after all.” My dad wrapped an arm around my mom, the latter’s tears showing no sign of ending.

[User] "That’s not it. I’m your child and your child alone. And I’ve always been proud of that."

[Assistant] They weren’t my biological parents. They weren’t even the parents that had raised me, Rei Ohashi. But I knew, from the memories of the Rae Taylor I also held, that the love they had for me was real. It was thanks to them that I could be who I was today.

[User] "Rae…"

[Assistant] "I see… Thank you, Rae, our beloved daughter.” My dad hugged me tight. “Miss Claire, please take care of Rae."

[User] "Of course. I know we’re going to be very happy together."

[Assistant] "Thank you.” My mom hugged Claire. Today, we’d become a family in the truest sense.


[User] "Everyone, I’m sad to say it is time for the banquet to come to an end. But before it does, our brides would like to show you all something." Just as the first empty trays began to appear and the guests’ spirits were buoyed by alcohol, Lene made an announcement.

[Assistant] Huh? Was there something else left? I thought. I looked at Claire in confusion, only to find her equally perplexed.

[User] "Our two brides would like everyone to bear witness to their vow of eternal love!" Lene smiled impishly. Excited cheers came from the guests.

[Assistant] Ah… I see what Lene was doing. Claire looked like a pigeon nailed by a BB gun. I figured I should help her out.

[User] "Miss Claire, they’re waiting for the kiss to seal our vows."

[Assistant] "Ohhh, yes, that… Wait, what?!" Claire looked visibly flustered. She was the very definition of cute.

[User] "K-kissing isn’t something you do in front of other people!"

[Assistant] "It is at a wedding."

[User] "Th-that’s true, b-but…!"

[Assistant] "Ready? I’m starting."

[User] "W-wait! Let me sort out my feelings fir—"

[Assistant] "Not happening.” I put my hands on Claire’s shoulders and looked solemnly into her eyes. Claire shifted in her seat before regaining her composure.

[User] "Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "Yes…"

[User] "I love you."

[Assistant] "As do I, Rae."

[User] "I vow to love you for as long as I shall live."

[Assistant] "And I vow to support you for as long as I shall live." The venue erupted into cheers as our lips met.

[User] "There’s no turning back from here, Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "That’s fine. I have no intention of turning back."

[User] "Are you absolutely sure?"

[Assistant] "That’s what I should be asking you." There was neither artifice nor elegance to our words. But that was fine. We were perfect as we were.

[User] "Let’s be happy together, Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "No. We’ll definitely be happy together, Rae.” We sealed yet another vow with one more kiss.


[User] "WHEW…"

[Assistant] "Are they asleep?"

[User] "Yep, out like a light." I returned to the living room after putting the children to bed to find Claire waiting for me. Having finished bathing, she was already in her pajamas, sitting alone at the living room table and enjoying what seemed to be a drink. On the table sat a bottle that held about a liter of a tawny liquid.

[Assistant] "What’s that, Miss Claire? I thought we were out of juice." I had plans to go to the market for some more tomorrow.

[User] "This? It’s alcohol."

[Assistant] "Huh?" I froze. Alcohol? As in, alcohol-alcohol? "Miss Claire! You can’t be drinking that!"

[User] "Hm? Why not?"

[Assistant] "Because you’re under twenty!"

[User] "Okay? And?" Claire looked at me quizzically, after which I remembered—the drinking age in the kingdom was fifteen. In other words, we could drink with no legal repercussions whatsoever. In fact, we had good reason to, as some kinds of alcohol were cheaper than water—though I suspected what Claire was drinking was of the premium variety.

[Assistant] "It was a gift from Lambert. It’s quite quaffable."

[User] "How nice of him. Try not to drink too much though; it’s not good for your health."

[Assistant] "I know. Always in moderation."

[User] I suspected Claire had been drinking at aristocrat parties and other social events since before she was of legal age. She probably knew her limits better than I did. "How about I make some snacks to go along with the drink?" I offered.

[Assistant] "No need for that. Just come join me."

[User] I saw no reason to refuse, so I fetched a glass and sat down with her. She poured me some of the drink, which looked like mead. "Cheers, Rae."

[Assistant] "Cheers." After clinking glasses, I gingerly brought the alcohol to my lips. While mead contained honey, it wasn’t necessarily sweet, as the fermentation process broke down the sugars. It was closest to beer in terms of taste, although beer wasn’t really ever sweet, so perhaps that was a poor comparison. This mead seemed to have spices mixed with it—perhaps cinnamon? Claire was right; it was quite quaffable. An uncomplicated yet delicious drink. "How is it?"

[User] "Delicious. Not harsh at all."

[Assistant] "Isn’t it? Lene remembered the brewery I was fond of and had Lambert deliver it."

[User] "Oh, really." That was Lene for you. Even if she was no longer Claire’s maid, she still respected Claire as her master. With gratitude toward Lene in our hearts, we drank glass after glass.

[Assistant] "Hey, Rae… This is happiness, isn’t it?" Claire spoke softly, as if in a dream.

[User] "Huh?" I looked at her in confusion, only to see her whole face lit up in a smile.

[Assistant] "There’s you, and May, and Aleah… Every day feels like I’m living in a dream."

[User] "It’s not a dream. This is the future you’ve earned."

[Assistant] "The future we’ve earned."


[User] "Clear distinction, Rae.” Even after a few drinks, she remained as sharp as always. She didn’t think for a moment that this happiness was hers alone.

[Assistant] “How’s teaching going?”

[User] “It’s rewarding work, though the students can be awfully unruly at times.” Contrary to her words, she sounded utterly delighted.

[Assistant] “I can’t have my way in all things, like I could when I was a noble. But I suppose that’s what makes life so enjoyable now.”

[User] “Is that so? I’m glad to hear that.” I’d secretly been a bit worried that Claire’s pride would negatively influence her teaching, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. I was happy to see she found meaning in her new work. "How about you, Rae? Are you enjoying life as is?”

[Assistant] “As long as you’re with me, life’s perfect. It’s also nice that May and Aleah have warmed up to us.” I was content to just have Claire in my life, especially after I had come so close to losing her. May and Aleah opening their hearts to us was wonderful, too. It was as Claire said—this really was happiness.

[User] “Good. Although, there’s one thing I’m dissatisfied with.”

[Assistant] “Oh? What?”

[User] Claire set her glass down before looking at me sheepishly. “I feel like you’re not as assertive recently.”

[Assistant] I choked on my drink. Her words reached my ears but ran just shy of reaching my brain. What had she said just now? “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

[User] “Ugh! I said I’m sad because you haven’t been all over me lately!”

[Assistant] I understood her words clearly this time, but now I couldn’t believe they had come out of her mouth. Had the haughty Claire just said what I thought she did? “Miss Claire… Are you drunk?”

[User] “I am not drunk!” she said, but her face was utterly red and her speech was turning slurred. Come to think of it, no drunk person ever admits they’re drunk.

[Assistant] “How many glasses have you had?”

[User] “What? There’s still half a bottle. Something this light wouldn’t get me drunk.”

[Assistant] I checked the bottle to find it nearly empty. I’d only had two glasses, meaning around eighty percent of the missing liquor had gone down Claire’s gullet. She was so far gone that she couldn’t even tell how much she’d drunk. “Miss Claire, let’s call it a day here.”

[User] “Nooo! I wanna talk with you more.” Claire pouted. She avoided my hand as I tried to reach for her glass and took a large gulp.

[Assistant] “Miss Claire…”

[User] “You were so aggressive back when we were students, clinging to my side, saying ‘Miss Claire! Miss Claire!’ Oh, how cute you were.” Now she was being outrageous.


[User] "Hey, Rae. Do you love me?"

[Assistant] "I do."

[User] "Really, really?"

[Assistant] "Really, really."

[User] "He he… I see."

[Assistant] Claire smiled, as if in a trance. Oh, man. While I did love her usual determined smile, I was weak against this kind that she so rarely showed. It took everything I had to restrain myself.

[User] "Come on, Miss Claire. It’s time to go to bed."

[Assistant] "Nooo! I wanna flirt with Rae more!" I was struck dumb. What was this being made of pure cuteness before me? Claire was always adorable, but something about her right now was unreasonably cute. I supposed the alcohol was making me feel a certain kind of way, too. My judgment was weakened. If this went on, I might make a mistake. Claire and I were close, but it didn’t feel right to let alcohol dictate my urges.

[User] "Raaae?"

[Assistant] "Y-yes?" Her sickly sweet, coquettish voice called my name. It suddenly became far more difficult to resist the temptation to give in. I thought my heart would stop beating at her irresistible cuteness.

[User] "Will you kiss me?"

[Assistant] "We should stop here. I don’t think I can resist your temptations any further."

[User] "Why do you need to resist? Rae is mine and I am yours." Claire tilted her head teasingly. I felt the last of my good judgment start to crumble away.

[Assistant] "Claire, I really do love you."

[User] "He he. Thank you, Rae. I love you, too."

[Assistant] "That’s why… You can’t keep saying such adorable things, or else I might really do something."

[User] "Eh he he, really? That makes me happy." Claire’s smile was that of a goddess’s. I didn’t care what happened anymore. I tried my hardest. Everything was Claire’s fault for being too cute. I stood and knelt by Claire’s side, taking her hand.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, may I carry you?"

[User] "He he, so you’ve finally come around? Of course, with pleasure." She kissed me. I used magic to supplement my strength and lifted Claire’s dainty little body up.

[Assistant] "To the bedroom?" I asked.

[User] "Yes." All that was left was to spend the night in each other’s embrace. Or so I thought.

[Assistant] "Ah."

[User] "Oops." I stood there in shocked silence.

[Assistant] "What’s the matter, Rae? Weren’t you taking me to the—? !" Claire noticed as well.


[User] Peering out from the children’s bedroom were two sets of eyes. "They found us, Aleah!"

[Assistant] "We’ve been caught, May!" They cried out without an ounce of guilt.

[User] "Why are you two awake?" Claire asked.

[Assistant] "We could hear Mama Rae and Mama Claire having fun from our room—"

[User] "--so we were watching to make sure nothing bad happened." Claire and I gasped, mouths agape. Try to imagine, if you would, how we felt at that moment.

[Assistant] "What are you going to do now?" May asked innocently.

[User] "Are you going to play in the bedroom?" Aleah followed up. My head, ablaze with lust just moments prior, had completely cooled off.


[User] I imagined Claire had sobered up in a hurry, too. "We're not going to do anything. Just say 'goodnight,' then go to sleep." I reassured the two.

[Assistant] "Really?"

[User] "That's dull."

[Assistant] "That's why you two better go to sleep, too. Stay up too late and you won't be able to play as much tomorrow."

[User] "I don't want that!"

[Assistant] "We're good girls, so we'll go to bed." With that, the two girls obediently crawled back into bed.

[User] There was one thing left to do before I could truly breathe easy. "Hey, Miss Claire." I looked down at Claire in my arms to see a look of great shame on her face. "I take it you've sobered up?"

[Assistant] "Yes." Her voice was faint.

[User] I get it. I want to crawl into a hole, too. "Let's add a new rule."

[Assistant] "Agreed."

[User] In this house, we had some ground rules. That night, a new one was added: Drink responsibly.


[User] The end of the rainy season finally came to the Bauer Kingdom, and with it summer. The Academy was on break, so we spent the day relaxing as a family. Claire and I were helping May and Aleah with their studies. They had been taught basic reading and writing at the orphanage, but they hadn’t had much time to familiarize themselves with it. Even so, they proved to be fast learners and could now write as well as anyone in their age group.

[Assistant] "Mama Claire, what’s this say?" May asked from atop Ralaire. She’d taken a liking to sitting on the water slime as of late.

[User] "That says ‘birthday.’"

[Assistant] "What’s birthday?" May asked curiously.

[User] "I know what it is." Aleah cut in with a proud look. "It’s a day to celebrate someone being born."

[Assistant] "That’s right, Aleah. Do you two remember when your birthday is?"

[User] "I forget. Do you remember, Aleah?"

[Assistant] "Of course. It’s the thirteenth day of the twelfth month."

[User] Dates in this world were based on the solar calendar, just like in my world, but they ran a bit simpler. This world had twelve months, each with thirty days. "That’s right. We’ll celebrate your birthday then."

[Assistant] "Yay!"

[User] "Sounds fun!"

[Assistant] Claire watched the two fondly as they rejoiced before looking my way. "Come to think of it, I don’t know Rae’s birthday."

[User] "Of course you wouldn’t. Not even I know my birthday."

[Assistant] "What do you mean?"

[User] "Did you forget? I’m a lost child of the spirits."

[Assistant] "Ah…" As a young child, Rae Taylor had been found wandering Euclid and taken in by the couple who adopted her. Hence, my true birth date was a mystery.

[User] "So you didn’t celebrate birthdays?" Claire asked.

[Assistant] "Commoners don’t have the financial leeway to celebrate birthdays. At most, we celebrate New Year’s and the Harvest Festival." Bauer commoners were poor and tended to have many children. Celebrating birthdays regularly could put a real dent in a household’s finances. Extravagant birthday parties were a luxury that only nobles enjoyed.

[User] "I see… Then what was your birthday in your previous life?"

[Assistant] "My previous life?"

[User] "Yes. I believe you were from a well-off family, were you not?" Some time ago, just before the revolution, I’d told Claire how I’d once lived in another world. She seemed to remember the details quite clearly.

[Assistant] "Let’s see… The calendar in the other world was a bit different, but in this world, I think my birthday would equate to around the nineteenth day of the seventh month?"

[User] "That’s right around the corner! You should’ve said something sooner!" Claire said angrily.

[Assistant] "Is it Mama Rae’s birthday soon?"

[User] "Are we going to celebrate?" We’d caught the children’s attention. They seemed to be quite taken by the topic of birthdays.

[Assistant] "It’s fine, we don’t need to worry about my birthday. Let’s just use the money on your birthdays."

[User] "Absolutely not!" Claire protested. "You’re a precious member of our family."


[User] "We have to celebrate your birthday!”

[Assistant] “Yeah!”

[User] “Indeed!” I gave in, unable to resist all three of them. Birthdays weren’t exactly something I’d looked forward to in my previous life, especially when I’d reached an age that didn’t make me want to acknowledge I was getting on in years. Even now, I couldn’t say I was too thrilled about celebrating my birthday.

[Assistant] “We only have three days until Rae’s birthday! May, Aleah, let us get to preparing!”

[User] “Okay!”

[Assistant] “Yes, Mother!”

[User] “Um… What should I do then?”

[Assistant] “You don’t need to do anything special, Rae. Just do your usual chores, like you normally do.” It seemed Claire and the girls would be handling the preparation themselves.

[User] “Things are going to get busy around here!” The next three days went by quickly. Claire and the twins cut and folded colored paper to decorate the rooms, making our house suddenly feel a lot more festive. Claire seemed to be planning a surprise for me, but, as I wasn’t part of the preparations, I wasn’t allowed to know what it was. I felt a little left out, yet I found myself actually starting to grow a little excited.


[Assistant] “Happy birthday, Rae!”

[User] “Happy birthday, Mama Rae!”

[Assistant] “Happy birthday, Mother Rae!” We decided to celebrate at dinnertime.

[User] “Thank you, Miss Claire, May, Aleah.” I hugged them each individually with all my heart.

[Assistant] “Now then, let’s sit down and eat."

[User] “Today’s dinner is quite the feast… Although Rae is still the one who made it. Sorry.”

[Assistant] “Ha ha, it’s fine. Thanks for covering the cost of the ingredients.”

[User] “It wouldn’t be much of a birthday party if I didn’t.” Claire had insisted she would cook right up until the very end, but unfortunately, cooking happened to be one of the very few—if not only—things she was still hopeless at. She settled for covering the cost of the ingredients, allowing me to go all out for the first time in a long while, as we’d kept meals on the frugal side ever since the revolution. Today’s dinner consisted of roast beef, potato salad, onion soup au gratin, baguette, and crème brûlée.

[Assistant] “Time to dig in.”

[User] “Would you please wait a moment, Rae? May, Aleah, can you fetch it?”

[Assistant] “Okay!”

[User] “Yes, Mother!” The two girls disappeared to their room, immediately returning with something in hand.

[Assistant] “Here you go, Mama Rae!”

[User] “It’s your birthday present!” They politely handed me a wrapped package.

[Assistant] “Can I open it?”

[User] “Uh-huh.”

[Assistant] “Of course.” I wonder where they got the wrapping paper? The clumsy wrapping made clear that the twins had done it themselves. I carefully unwrapped the present, taking care not to tear the paper in case it could be reused.

[User] “Oh, a portrait?” Drawn in crayon on paper was a picture of me. I took up the whole space and had a big smile plastered on. Was this how they saw me?

[Assistant] “We worked really hard to draw this.”

[User] “How is it?"


[User] "Does it look like you?"

[Assistant] "It looks just like me! Thank you, May, Aleah."

[User] Nearly moved to tears, I hugged them again. The twins hugged me back, smiling. I had the best daughters in the whole wide world.

[Assistant] "I also have something for you." Claire handed me something as she blushed profusely.

[User] That face alone was a gift in itself. "A handkerchief?"

[Assistant] "It’s nothing special, but I hope you like it."

[User] Claire was being beyond modest. The handkerchief was embroidered with myriad small flowers. It was far fancier than the sort an ordinary citizen would usually possess, more befitting of a noble, its beauty so fine you might hesitate to even use it. She had doubtless embroidered it herself. At the edge, I found delicate writing: For my beloved Rae, from Claire. And to think she’d done this in only three days! This was nothing short of a treasure. "Thank you, Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "He he, I’m glad you like it."

[User] I honestly hadn’t even expected to receive a present, so I was caught off guard by all of this. If May and Aleah hadn’t been there, I might have cried. "Let’s eat, shall we? I’m sure Rae’s cooking will be delicious."

[Assistant] "Mmm, it’s yummy!"

[User] "Ah! May’s already eating!"

[Assistant] "He he!"

[User] The four of us enjoyed a boisterous birthday dinner together.

[Assistant] "The birthday went by so quickly."

[User] "Indeed."

[Assistant] May and Aleah were already fast asleep. After helping them get to bed, Claire and I quietly drank tea together. "Did you enjoy it?"

[User] "I did. This was the most enjoyable birthday I’ve ever had, previous life included."

[Assistant] I’d gotten along with my family in my previous life, and birthdays had been pleasant. But celebrating with the family you’d made for yourself was a joy all its own.

[User] "He he. Glad to hear it."

[Assistant] "Thank you for today, Miss Claire." I meant it. Thanks to Claire, I’d learned how wonderful it could be to spend your birthday with the ones you love. "If it weren’t for you, I’m sure my life would be dull indeed. Thank you for being born, Rae."

[User] "Miss Claire…" Her words had a special meaning—she was saying she loved our current life more than her old life as a noble, where she had enjoyed everything she could have ever wanted. That made me unbelievably happy to hear. "I actually…have one more present left for you…"

[Assistant] "What is it?"

[User] "You have to guess." Claire said bashfully.

[Assistant] I had an idea of what she meant. "Today’s been so much fun, I don’t know if I can control myself tonight. I might just devour you whole if you’re not careful."

[User] "I’ll allow you to try, just for today. But I get the feeling the one who’ll be devoured won’t be me."

[Assistant] "Is that a challenge?"

[User] "It might be."

[Assistant] I grabbed Claire’s hand and headed to the bedroom. As for her last present? Let’s just say it was wonderful.


[User] TODAY WAS THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY of the twelfth month. In the modern world, today would have lined up with the day called Christmas Eve. But this was the world of Revolution. There was no Christmas here—or so you might think. Instead, you see, we had this holiday called the Holy Night Festival.

[Assistant] “The prevailing belief is that the Great Spirit descended to the earth on this day. That’s why the Holy Night Festival is an important event to the Spiritual Church.”

[User] “Uh-huh.” I already knew that, but I let Claire talk anyway. She looked so cute when she haughtily explained things to me. As you might have guessed, the Holy Night Festival was a game event modeled after Christmas. Yet another aspect of Japanese culture inserted into the world-building—although I suppose Christmas was originally European in origin.

[Assistant] “So what do you do on this day?”

[User] “Well, nobles often held marvelous parties and invited guests, but I believe the common—ahem, the citizens didn’t celebrate so lavishly.” As a noble, Claire did seem the type to like parties. “To my knowledge,” Claire continued, “citizens would decorate their rooms and set up fir trees, then invite family, friends, and lovers over to exchange gifts.”

[Assistant] “Oooh, that sounds wonderful.” It sounded exactly like Christmas in Japan. I’d thought it might be a bit different, since I’d heard Christmas in Western countries was more of a quiet affair spent with family. Christmas in Japan was a party, kind of like New Year’s Eve in the west, while New Year’s Day in Japan was generally the quiet family event.

[User] “Will we be celebrating like citizens?”

[Assistant] “Of course we will. Do you have any idea how much it’d cost to hold a party and invite people?”

[User] “That’s true.” We’d have to reserve a place, pay for food, and prepare entertainment for the guests. We weren’t poor by any means, but that wasn’t feasible on the salary of two teachers. If we had that kind of money, I’d rather use it on Claire, May, and Aleah first.

[Assistant] “But I do want to have a small celebration with our family.”

[User] “As do I, Miss Claire.” Spending the Holy Night with family without having to worry about guests sounded pretty great. A good way to end the year with the ones you love.

[Assistant] “We can afford to indulge ourselves with a feast, I think. Can you do the cooking, Rae?”

[User] “Of course. Leave it to me!” I struck my chest with pride. This was a good opportunity to show off my stuff.

[Assistant] “All that’s left are the presents, then. For us and the kids.”

[User] “Let’s go shopping first thing tomorrow.” We could leave the two children behind and go on a shopping date. No impure motives—we just needed to keep the presents a surprise from the girls.

[Assistant] “Sounds like fun…”

[User] “Sure does.”


[User] Although I did relish the thought of a little alone time with Claire for other reasons as well. "All right, here it comes!"

[Assistant] "Whoa!"

[User] "It's huge!"

[Assistant] On the night of the Holy Night Festival, Claire, May, and Aleah sat around the dining table as, wearing oven mitts, I carried an herb-roasted whole chicken over and set the heavy platter down on the table with a thud. Many dishes were already set out in addition to the chicken: roast beef, green soybeans and burdock potage, root vegetable salad, and a decorated cake. I’d learned the herb-roasted whole chicken recipe from my mother in this world, but I’d added salt, pepper, and extra herbs to make my own deluxe version. The roast beef was lovely, especially as it was our first time having beef in a while. The potage was made with green soybeans and burdock that was boiled, mashed, mixed with milk, and then seasoned with salt and pepper. I made the salad by cooking up lotus root, carrots, potatoes, and onions, then covering them in dressing for a simple but flavorful dish. The decorated cake—the highlight of the spread—was a bit misshapen because I’d had May and Aleah’s help in decorating it.

[User] "Shall we eat?"

[Assistant] "Yeah!"

[User] "Yes, Mother!"

[Assistant] And so our party began. Ornaments made from colored paper decorated the walls—May and Aleah’s handiwork. We hadn’t been able to get a fir tree and instead had made our own miniature one out of colored paper and placed it in the center of the table. We’d poured our hearts into making our own inexpensive yet special Holy Night Festival.

[User] "The meat's yummy!"

[Assistant] "This potage is delicious."

[User] The children sang the food’s praises as they ate. Everything but the soup was served in large communal dishes, so we each had our own small plates to transfer portions to. Little by little, we whittled the food away.

[Assistant] "It’s all so delicious. I especially like the salad."

[User] "Thank you, Miss Claire. Feel free to eat as much as you like."

[Assistant] "Of course."

[User] I took a slice of roast beef and nibbled on it. I’d cooked it in my own brand of onion sauce, and I had to say the outcome was so-so. May and Aleah had eaten only a small lunch in anticipation for tonight, and they were now stuffing their faces enthusiastically. With their help, all the food was soon cleaned away. We finished the whole cake as well, sharing it two slices per person. At last, I carried the empty plates to the sink with a satisfied smile.

[Assistant] "Rae, can you do the washing later? I don’t think the kids can wait for their presents any longer."

[User] "Oh, all right! I’ll go get the presents, then." I went to and from the bedroom, returning with wrapped presents in my arms. "Here you are, May, Aleah. Happy Holy Night Festival."

[Assistant] "Thank you!"

[User] "Thank you very much!"

[Assistant] Claire and I had chosen their presents.


[User] Inside the wrapping, they found—

[Assistant] “Shoes!”

[User] “So cute!” The shoes were on the expensive side, cobbled and sold by Frater. Made from water python leather, they resisted water and stains. They were also quite cute, being meant for children.

[Assistant] “They’re so light!”

[User] “Yeah!” Most leather products were heavy, but water python leather was light—perfect for children who liked running around.

[Assistant] “Thank you, Mama Claire and Mama Rae!”

[User] “Thank you, Mothers!” The twins hugged us.

[Assistant] Claire and I happily hugged them back. “This is for you, Rae.” Claire said as she handed me a present. I didn’t know what I’d find in the wrapping, as we’d agreed to keep our presents for each other a surprise.

[User] “And this one is for you, Miss Claire.” I handed Claire a present. We opened our presents at the same time. “A comb? Such delicate fretwork…” I gave Claire a brushing comb made from boxwood crafted by the guildmaster of the woodworking guild. Astute readers might notice the significance of gifting a boxwood comb. (In Japan, boxwood combs symbolized an eternal bond and were well known for being used to propose during the Edo period.)

[Assistant] “Looks like my present is a scarf. Wait, did you make this?”

[User] “It’s nothing special, but yes, I did make it.” Claire blushed.

[Assistant] “Nothing special? The pattern is so beautiful, you’d think it was made by the tailor’s guild.” It had an argyle pattern, for goodness’ sake! That wasn’t something an amateur could pull off.

[User] “Can I put it on?”

[Assistant] “Of course.”

[User] “Hmm… Wow, it’s warm.”

[Assistant] “I knitted it from snow rabbit wool.” Snow rabbits had soft, bushy fur, and they didn’t hibernate in winter. No wonder the scarf was so warm.

[User] “Thank you, Miss Claire. I’ll treasure it.”

[Assistant] “Thank you for the comb as well, Rae.” We moved closer and kissed. Such happy times.

[User] “Look, Aleah! It’s snowing outside!”

[Assistant] “It is!” Prompted by the children’s voices, I looked outside the window to see heavy white snow falling from the sky.

[User] “It looks like it’s a pure-white Holy Night.”

[Assistant] “Is that something like a white Christmas?”

[User] “Sorry?”

[Assistant] “Ah, nothing. Just talking to myself.” The four of us just stood there, watching it snow for some time. No words needed to be shared, each of us comforted by the presence of our family.

[User] “It’s been a busy year, Rae. I look forward to spending the next with you.”

[Assistant] “As do I, Miss Claire.” We shared a kiss before pulling away and smiling at one another. That night was a passionate one, but that will be a story for another time.


[User] It was late evening when I knocked on the door. The dim twilight allowed me to make out the shape of a feather on the wood, the symbol of the Spiritual Church. I’d arrived at a branch of the Spiritual Church located in Sousse, known as the Northern Sousse Convent.

[Assistant] "Yes? Who is it?" An elderly nun peered out from within.

[User] "H-hello, my name is Lilly." I stammered. "I-I’m a nun of the Spiritual Church and am currently on a pilgrimage of sorts. Would you be willing to share some food with me?"

[Assistant] The nun took a long, scrutinizing look at me before saying, "Why, only the truly devout go on pilgrimages these days. I’m Sister Rellette, and I’d be more than happy to share what we have with you. Please, come inside." She smiled, deepening the many creases around her eyes.

[User] "Th-thank you very much." I brushed some dust off my habit before entering. The Northern Sousse Convent was far smaller than the Bauer Cathedral.

[Assistant] I followed Sister Rellette as I continued to observe the interior.

[User] "You’re no doubt shocked at the state of this place."

[Assistant] "Y-yes… I mean, n-no!"

[User] The elderly nun laughed heartily. "It’s okay. It’s true, after all. This convent and I are both old grannies now."

[Assistant] "Wh-why not have it rebuilt?"

[User] "I’ve thought about it, but it’s already been decided that this convent will end with me. A bigger, newer one was built nearby, you see."

[Assistant] "O-oh…"

[User] "That’s why I’m keeping it as is. It’d be a waste of funds to repair it, so instead, we use it knowing full well it’ll be torn down someday."

[Assistant] "Oh, dear, I’m sorry. Not many people come by here, you see, so I just started jabbering away about unimportant things."

[User] "N-no, it’s quite all right. U-um, do you live here alone?"

[Assistant] "No, I live here with two younger nuns. They’re about your age, I’d say."

[User] Just as she said that—two nuns, slightly taller than me, appeared.

[Assistant] "A guest, Sister Rellette?"

[User] "Rae?!"


[User] She looked quizzically at my outburst while the other nun hid behind her back.

[Assistant] "Um, no. My name is Elie…"

[User] "Not…Rae."

[Assistant] Their words brought me back to my senses. Of course Rae wouldn’t be here. She was off enjoying her newlywed life with Claire. That was right… Newlywed… "Uunh…" I sniffed.

[User] "Wha—hey, are you all right?" Elie asked, looking like Rae.

[Assistant] "I’m okay," I said between tears. "Just remembered something sad all of a sudden."

[User] "This person seems…emotionally unstable." The other nun just seemed exasperated.

[Assistant] "Oh, my, what should we do? I was going to ask you to eat with us, but perhaps it’s best you stayed the night as well?" Sister Rellette asked upon observing my state.

[User] "N-no! I couldn’t possibly impose."

[Assistant] "Oh, you’re not imposing at all. Elie, Marie, could you prepare Lilly a room?"

[User] "Yes, ma’am." The taller one seemed to be Elie.

[Assistant] "Yes…ma’am." Which meant the quiet one was Marie.

[User] "N-no, really, I’m fine!"

[Assistant] "Hey, don’t worry about it, just accept her kindness. And, with all due respect, I don’t think you’re in any shape to decline." Elie put a hand on my back and urged me toward the room with surprising force. I looked down at myself, realizing my habit was torn here and there and covered in grime.

[User] "Do you know how to mend clothes?" Elie asked.

[Assistant] "N-not really," I said, faltering.

[User] "Figures." She smiled wryly and passed me some casual clothing once we reached the room. "Wear this in your room for now. I’ll mend your habit."

[Assistant] "S-sorry…"

[User] "It’s fine, we nuns have to look out for each other, you know? All right, let me know when you’ve changed."

[Assistant] "Dinner…soon." They left the room, leaving me behind. I guess I’m staying, then. I’ve stayed the night at many a convent over my journey, but this was the first time I’d been so openly welcomed. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.


[User] "We thank thee, Almighty Great Spirit, for the nourishment we shall now receive."

[Assistant] "Amen."

[User] The four of us ate dinner together in the refectory. Well, I say refectory, but it wasn’t as big of a room as the word might suggest. I started with my bread after saying grace. The meal consisted of bread, fava bean potage soup, and a boiled egg—a standard meal for clergy. Apparently, Elie made the food. You know who else could cook? Rae. My heart ached once again.

[Assistant] "Are you feeling better now?" Sister Rellette inquired as I finished my bread.

[User] "Y-yes, sorry about earlier…"

[Assistant] "Ha ha, not at all. Did you remember something painful?"

[User] "Y-yes… Heartbreak…" I reluctantly confessed.

[Assistant] "Oh, my." Sister Rellette smiled kindly. "How could they turn down someone as pretty as you?"

[User] "They have…no taste." The other two nuns chimed in sympathetically.

[Assistant] I couldn’t bear it. I was about to change the subject when—

[User] "What kind of person were they?"

[Assistant] "Yeah… What kind?" The topic seemed to have caught the two young nuns’ attention.


[User] Living out at this convent, I imagined they were starved for entertainment, and my love troubles were just the thing to satiate that hunger. "Sh-she’s wonderful. Very wonderful. But she already had her heart set on someone…" I mumbled.

[Assistant] "Oh…"

[User] "That’s…too bad." They sympathized with me further.

[Assistant] I had yet to realize my careless blunder.

[User] "She?" Sister Rellette didn’t appear taken aback but was clearly eliciting further information out of me.

[Assistant] "Ah… Um…" I floundered. Should I say it?

[User] "Did you perhaps have feelings for a woman?"

[Assistant] "Y-yes…" I couldn’t lie in the face of Sister Rellette’s calm but clear voice. The Spiritual Church disapproved of same-sex relationships. They didn’t go so far as to openly persecute people, but it was clear they believed love should only exist between a man and a woman. I braced myself for a scolding.

[User] "I…see." But it never came. Sister Rellette said no further than that, quietly returning to her meal.

[Assistant] The atmosphere after that was hard to describe. It was awkward, yes, but there was something else in the air. I ate my meal silently, not understanding the meaning of that strange tension.


[User] "Lilly, are you awake?" I heard a knock on my door just as it was time to sleep.

[Assistant] "Y-yes, I’m still awake." I rose off the bed and fixed my clothing.

[User] "May I come in?"

[Assistant] "G-go ahead."

[User] It was Elie who had knocked. "Sorry to bother you so late at night."

[Assistant] "I-It’s fine. Did you need something?"

[User] "Yes… I was hoping I could have your advice on something." She looked serious. Her face looked so much like Rae’s—so much so that it felt like Rae herself was before me, eliciting my help, making my heart ache yet again.

[Assistant] "O-of course, anything." As a cardinal, I’d been trained in giving effective counsel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t often make use of this skill at the Bauer Cathedral, as they didn’t offer such a service. But now, I finally had a chance.

[User] "Thank you. I wanted to ask you about… Well…" Elie hesitated. It had to be something difficult to talk about.

[Assistant] "Please, sit down, Elie." I slid over and opened a spot on my bed, inviting her to sit with me. She hesitated but eventually did so.

[User] "Some worries are hard to talk about."

[Assistant] "Yeah…"

[User] "The person I like, Rae—the one I talked about at dinner—she helped me with my own worries." I started by talking about myself. I told her how I’d met Rae and how she had shown me my love wasn’t something to be ashamed of. I told her of how we had helped Claire expose corrupt nobles, and finally, I told her of my betrayal. I left out the fact that I was technically a cardinal, as well as some details about the people involved, but I gave her the gist of everything that had occurred before my journey.

[Assistant] "I never would’ve thought you’d lived such a rough life."


[User] "I mean…you seem to not have a care in the world."

[Assistant] "Th-that’s mean!"

[User] "Ha ha, sorry." Elie laughed for a moment before growing grim again. "I need some advice about me and Marie."

[Assistant] "The other young girl? You seem to get along well to me…" I recalled seeing Marie hide behind Elie. She seemed to put a lot of trust in her.

[User] "Yes, we do get along. We do, but I think the feelings she has for me…aren’t the same as the feelings I have for her."

[Assistant] "Ah…" I understood where this was going.

[User] "Hah. I think I might be homosexual, too." Elie spoke jokingly, but her smile was pained. "I’ve been with Marie ever since I was young, you see. We were both abandoned by our parents, but Sister Rellette took us in and raised us as a family. From the outside, I bet I look like Marie’s older sister. And I’m sure Marie and Sister Rellette think the same. But I don’t. I can’t anymore." The guilt of having romantic feelings for your foster sister. The fear of being found out. And the teachings of a church that so clearly labeled such feelings impure. It was as if the world itself was rejecting her, Elie explained to me. "What am I supposed to do, Lilly? Why am I like this? I…I wish I wasn’t." No longer able to fake a smile, Elie hung her head and cried. Unable to do nothing, I hugged her as she did. I stroked her hair and tried to think of a way to comfort her scarred heart.

[Assistant] "Elie, I want you to know that the pain you feel is not punishment." I said as Elie raised her head. "Love is not bound by logic; it is out of our hands. Therefore, your love cannot be sin."

[User] "But the church—"

[Assistant] "Do you remember the most important of all the church’s teachings?" I interrupted. Elie looked at me doubtfully yet racked her brain regardless.

[User] "All are equal in the eyes of the Great Spirit?"

[Assistant] "That’s right. All other teachings were merely added over the course of history."

[User] "But what does that matter?"

[Assistant] "If we are all equal, then why should we alone have to deny our feelings?"

[User] "Ah!" That must have been unthinkable to her. I saw my past self reflected in her.

[Assistant] "I think Rae explained it more logically back when we met, but I’m not as wonderful as she is. Even so, there’s one thing I can confidently say." I chose my next words carefully. "God would never create a world where you alone were a sinner." This was the answer my faith had led me to. Such words might be meaningless to those without faith, but to those who believed, it was an undeniable truth. "The world may seem unfair because of our sexual orientation. But know this—that unfairness isn’t willed by God but humankind." Faith was built upon trust in God.


[User] “You first need to understand that your feelings are not wrong. Then you can take the next step.” Elie fell silent, deep in thought. Night in the convent was still, the two of us seemingly removed from the world. But we of faith knew: God was always by our side, watching over us.

[Assistant] “But…Marie might not return my feelings.”

[User] “That’s just how love is. It’s the same for straight people. That part, you’ll just have to accept.”

[Assistant] There was some truth in Elie’s words. Our feelings often didn’t bear fruit because of the prevailing social norm being heterosexuality. But that wasn’t the fault of those we loved, just the fault of those social norms themselves. I believed we had a duty to fight to change those norms for the better. At the very least, I knew the person I respected more than anyone had always been fighting against something.

[User] “I…still need some time to think this through, but I think I understand now. Thank you. For telling me my pain wasn’t God’s punishment,” Elie whispered as she rubbed her eyes and smiled.

[Assistant] “I don’t know if Marie will return these feelings, but…that’s all right. From now on, at least I won’t deny I have them. Thank you.”

[User] Seeing her break through her own doubts, I couldn’t help but think she truly reminded me of somebody else I knew.


[Assistant] “And then?! And then?! What happened after that? !”

[User] “U-um, well…”

[Assistant] “Ease up a bit, Miss Claire. You’re scaring Miss Lilly.”

[User] I had since returned from my journey and was visiting Rae and Claire at their house, recounting the events of my travels. Claire seemed utterly fascinated by this one story in particular, not giving me time to so much as drink the tea I was served. Seeing this, Rae tried to reel Claire in a bit.

[Assistant] “U-unfortunately, I don’t know what followed. I embarked for my next destination the next morning.”

[User] “Let’s write a letter to her!”

[Assistant] “U-uh, I don’t know… That seems a bit much.”

[User] “Not at all! She looked just like Rae, right? I absolutely must meet with her, then!” Claire really did love Rae. Not that my love would lose out to hers.

[Assistant] “I can’t believe it! Miss Claire’s trying to cheat on me? !” Rae lamented as she poured me a new cup of tea.

[User] “Of course not. You know my heart’s only for you.”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire…”

[User] “There’s no need for formalities between us!”

[Assistant] “Rae!”

[User] “Claire!”

[Assistant] “Should I leave?” I gazed blankly off into space as I took a sip. In truth, I was curious about what had happened to Elie. But I was also afraid.


[User] “OH, ISN’T TODAY the first day of the fourth month?” Rae asked me out of the blue.

[Assistant] The arrival of spring brought with it kinder weather, allowing us to comfortably spend the night chatting over tea in the living room. May and Aleah were already asleep in their room. "It is—why?”

[User] “Well, it’s a bit of a strange day in my old world, you see.”

[Assistant] “How so?”

[User] “It was a day where it was okay to lie.” Rae brought up some nonsense I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. Then again, most of what she said was nonsense I couldn’t wrap my head around.

[Assistant] “Your world must have been pretty strange to have a day like that.”

[User] “I suppose. Although I guess it wasn’t a custom from the country I lived in but one adopted from somewhere overseas.”

[Assistant] “Is that right? That happens everywhere, it seems.” Even Bauer had customs adopted from the Alpes and Sousse. I even heard that the Alpes were starting to adopt the Amour Festival. As long as countries interacted in some form with one another, there would be cultural diffusion.

[User] “But the tradition of lying on this particular date gained a lot of traction in recent times,” Rae explained. “Even commercial businesses, ah—they’re kind of like the trading companies in my world—would pull pranks and such.”

[Assistant] “Trading companies would pull pranks?”

[User] “Yeah. Like making a weird announcement or changing the name of their business for the day, for instance.”

[Assistant] “What’s the point of that?”

[User] “People simply liked doing those kinds of things.” Rae talked about her world every now and then, but my image of it remained that of a strange and peculiar place. All I understood for sure was that she’d lived in a peaceful country with values far different than Bauer’s.

[Assistant] “I don’t understand. Wouldn’t it cost money and labor for a trading company to do that? How could a silly prank be worthwhile?”

[User] “You’re right about it just being a silly prank, but if people found it amusing, the company’s popularity would soar. There were even some that became famous overnight.”

[Assistant] “Tr-truly?”

[User] “Truly. My world was advanced in fields other than magic. It was possible for such companies to send information across the world in the blink of an eye.” Rae often claimed magic was convenient, but it seemed to me her world was far and away more convenient to live in despite the lack of magic. It was hard to believe… So much so in fact, I had to wonder if it was true.

[Assistant] “What you said just now wouldn’t happen to be one of those lies, would it?”

[User] “Wow, you got the point of the day rather quickly. Lies were frequently exchanged in conversations like this in my world. But no."


[User] "What I said was all true.”

[Assistant] “Really?”

[User] “Yep!”

[Assistant] It was difficult to accept that a prank could so easily change the success of a business. But while Rae did sometimes lie, she never did so maliciously. She was probably being truthful. “Who knows? You might even have a strange dream tonight.”

[User] “Is that a thing?”

[Assistant] “It is. On April Fool’s Day—oh, that’s what the day was called—you’re supposed to see a strange dream. And for a main character such as yourself, I’m sure quite the terrifying nightmare awaits.”

[User] “Oh, stop it. If I’m going to dream, I’d rather it be a good one.”

[Assistant] Besides, the main character here was Rae. I was more like the heroi… No, I was being overly self-conscious. “If you’re worried about sleep, we can do some ‘exercise’ before bed.”

[User] “Quit it. I’m not in the mood today. Let’s just go to sleep.”

[Assistant] “Aww.” Rae gave up with ease. That was one of her virtues. Despite having a higher-


[User] If I called for her, she would surely come running. That was simply how she was. But I felt particularly stubborn that night. I suppressed my feelings and closed my eyes. I better not see any strange dreams… The Sandman visited sooner than I anticipated. I relaxed my body and soon found myself drifting into a deep slumber.

[Assistant] "Is something the matter, Miss Claire?"

[User] "Hm?" When I came to, I wasn’t on my bed anymore but a different place entirely. I recognized the face before me; a small, oval one with chestnut-brown hair and hazel eyes. "Pepi?"

[Assistant] "Yes, Pepi Barlier. Thank goodness. I was worried something was wrong—you’ve had this blank look on your face for some time." By her side, a round girl with black hair and dark-brown eyes nodded in agreement.

[User] "It’s quite unusual for you to be like that."

[Assistant] The two girls in front of me were Pepi and Loretta, my close friends from my time at the Academy, the very same who had attended my wedding. In fact, I noticed we were all wearing the Academy uniform. "We’re at…the Academy?"

[User] "Um…maybe you aren’t so well after all. Do you feel sick?" Loretta asked worriedly, but I felt perfectly fine. I appeared to be in a Royal Academy lecture hall. Looking around, I saw many familiar faces from before the revolution but not a single one I’d met since becoming a teacher.

[Assistant] "Loretta, what’s the date?"

[User] "Huh? What do you mean?"

[Assistant] "Just answer me, quickly!"

[User] "B-by the royal calendar, it’s the second day of the fourth month, 2015!"

[Assistant] The color drained from my face. That was the day I’d met Rae. "Is this…a dream?" Rae had mentioned I might see a strange dream. In that case, this was a nightmare.

[User] "What are you doing, Miss Claire?!" Pepi exclaimed in shock as I pinched my cheek.

[Assistant] "This is a dream. I have to wake up."

[User] "What are you saying, Miss Claire?! Get a hold of yourself!" Loretta tried to pull my hand away, but I wouldn’t stop. My cheek hurt from my pinching, yet no matter how much pain I felt, I wouldn’t wake up.

[Assistant] "Why…?" I was dumbfounded. That was when a most dreadful thought surfaced to mind: What if that turbulent year itself was the dream? Could this be reality, and the days I’d spent with Rae were the dream? The word despair didn’t even begin to describe what I felt.

[User] "Um… You don’t seem too well. Maybe you should go to the infirmary?" A female student spoke to me, noticing my sudden pallor.

[Assistant] My head went blank the moment I looked at her. "Rae!" I hugged her, released from the depths of my despair. Thank goodness she was here. As long as she was with me, I could bear something like being sent back in time.

[User] "Um… Is something the matter?" Rae looked at me, bewildered, regarding me as if I were a stranger.


[User] My heart sank as I slipped back into the depths of despair. “You’re…Rae Taylor, are you not?”

[Assistant] “I am. And who might you be?” She regarded me with suspicion as she asked.

[User] “Excuse me! Who do you think you are to address Miss Claire so impolitely? Do you not see these curls?! Do you not see how clearly charming, albeit tiresome, she is? !”

[Assistant] “Yeah! I haven’t seen your face before; you must be a commoner. Know your place! I especially don’t approve of girls prettier than me!”

[User] I wasn’t sure if Pepi and Loretta were trying to support or embarrass me. They weren’t bad girls, but they could be a bit absentminded at times, frightfully so.

[Assistant] “Is that right? Pardon me, then.” Rae began to briskly walk away.

[User] “W-wait!”

[Assistant] “What?” she said, a little sterner this time.

[User] “Uh, well, umm…” I floundered, not knowing what to say.

[Assistant] “I’ll be off then, seeing as you have no business with me.” Rae left for good this time, rejecting me flatly with a turn of her heels.

[User] “Rae Taylor…isn’t that the name of the top student in the incoming class?” I already knew that.

[Assistant] “How awful. I bet her house is some old clothing store.” I already knew that.

[User] “What was she thinking? She should know we nobles live in a different world.”

[Assistant] I knew it all, more keenly than anyone else. And despite all that, Rae had found a way to surmount those obstacles and find a place in my heart. “Excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave for the day,” I announced.

[User] “Huh? Miss Claire? !”

[Assistant] “G-good day!” Pepi and Loretta called after me as I ran off, but I didn’t listen. I had my hands full holding back my tears. I couldn’t believe Rae could look at me with such indifference. She’d always openly displayed her affection for me, ever since the very moment we first met. Not once had she looked at me as coldly as she had just then. I’d toyed with the idea of what it might be like if I hadn’t been the object of her love, but I could never have imagined it would be this painful. Out of shock, I holed up in my bed for two days. The first time I slept, I hoped I would awake back in my world, but no such luck. Pepi and Loretta paid me a visit, worried, but I wasn’t in the mood to see them. My heart hurt, the memory of Rae’s cold, piercing gaze still fresh in my mind.


[User] “Good day, Rae.”

[Assistant] “Hm?”

[User] “M-Miss Claire? !”

[Assistant] “Wh-why is Miss Claire bothering to greet an inferior like her?"


[User] !” Pepi and Loretta were spouting off something or another, but I paid them no mind.

[Assistant] I wore my best smile and continued to talk to Rae. “Are you not going to greet me back?” I asked.

[User] “Forgive me… Good day, Miss Claire,” she responded impassively, eyes regarding me with suspicion.

[Assistant] I felt hurt but continued, nonetheless. “Have you grown accustomed to the Academy? Let me know if you need any help with anything, okay?”

[User] “Right… Thank you very much.” Rae responded flatly, without so much as a smile. The conversation petered out immediately. I never would have imagined talking to Rae when she had no interest in me would be so difficult.

[Assistant] “Th-the weather is nice, isn’t it?”

[User] “I guess.”

[Assistant] “How about we go for a walk?”

[User] “No, thank you.” She curtly denied my attempts. Each time she did so, motivation drained from my body.

[Assistant] “Why, you! Who do you think you are, taking that attitude when Miss Claire is so kind as to talk to you?! Although I must say, I’m absolutely delighted at how depressed she looks! Well done!”

[User] “Yeah! You think you’re special for a commoner just because you’re a little smart?! You should be tutoring me!” Pepi and Loretta snapped at Rae. Once again, it wasn’t clear if they were supporting me or not. They likely thought they were helping me but were in truth hurting my chances at getting closer to Rae. Even if I couldn’t have the relationship we’d had before, I wanted to be her friend, at the very least.

[Assistant] “Pardon my impoliteness, then. I’ll be off.” But such a wish seemed impossible to realize. Rae kept me at arm’s length as she returned to her seat to study.

[User] “Honestly… This is why commoners are no good.”

[Assistant] “Don’t waste your breath on her, Miss Claire. She doesn’t know her place.” Pepi and Loretta’s words made my head hurt. But I didn’t blame them; their values were the same as the ones I’d once held, after all. Just how hard had Rae worked to change those values of mine? Just how spoiled was I to have her?

[User] “Hey, let’s make it so she can’t bear to stay at the Academy anymore. Either she leaves or I get to see Miss Claire grieve—it’s a win-win for me!”

[Assistant] “That sounds great—let’s do that, Miss Claire. After she quits the school, I’ll be kind and hire her as a maid.” Pepi and Loretta grinned sinisterly. Really, what was going on with them? Regardless, they seemed to be suggesting we bully her. I was about to object when an idea came to mind.

[User] “Yes… Why not?” I agreed, though for a different reason. You see, I’d suddenly remembered how Rae had been back when we were students—particularly how she’d taken joy in being bullied. Wouldn’t she enjoy this then? I thought. I was getting desperate.


[User] "You were standing there staring into space, so I thought you were a statue." She fell, catching herself.

[Assistant] "Is that right? I’ll be more careful." That was all she said before standing up and entering the classroom.

[User] "You did it, Miss Claire! I just love how uncouth you are, deigning to dirty your own hands!"

[Assistant] "That was perfect! That unhappy look on Rae’s face was just… Ehe… Eh he he."

[User] I felt miserable. But I couldn’t stop here. Next time, it would work for sure.

[Assistant] "Ohhh, beg your pardon. I thought you were an insect." I said as I stepped on her foot.

[User] Rae looked at me doubtfully. This feels terrible, I thought. How could my past self bear to do such an awful thing? "I apologize if I’ve done something to displease you. Now, if you’ll excuse me." She brushed me off curtly before leaving to who-knew-where.

[Assistant] "She’s a stubborn one. Miss Claire, if you’re to beat her, then tomorrow you must put an extra ringlet in your hair to increase your curl power!"

[User] "Don’t give up yet, Miss Claire. I still haven’t seen Rae suffer enough. For my sake, you mustn’t give up!"

[Assistant] In contrast, I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Next time, surely.


[User] "What’s wrong with you? Is the peasant too poor to even buy textbooks?" I hid Rae’s textbooks. I felt terrible. This was going too far. How could I have done such a thing?

[Assistant] Rae just sighed; she knew exactly what I’d done. "It’s true, my family is poor. But I’ve already memorized the contents of my textbooks, so you don’t need to worry about me." Unfazed, she took class as she was.

[User] "She thinks she can be cheeky just because she’s a little smart?! How dare she! Doesn’t she know being cheeky is Miss Claire’s job?!"

[Assistant] "Good…good… We’re making progress, eh he he he…"

[User] I tried excluding Rae from my assignment group. It was childish. I wished I could slap my past self for coming up with such a pathetic idea. "Oh, you don’t have a partner? That’s what happens when you’re a pathetic peasant."

[Assistant] "It’s fine. I’ll partner with the teacher." Rae said as she went to explain the situation to the teacher.

[User] "Miss Claire, please remember this is a place of learning."

[Assistant] "I’m sorry…" I got scolded by the teacher. I felt so pathetic, I wanted to cry.


[User] "You’re just so dirty that I thought you were mud.” Claire doused Rae with water.

[Assistant] Rae didn’t say a word, just stared daggers at Claire as water dripped down her face.

[User] “Wh-what?” Silence. “If you have something to say, then say it!”

[Assistant] "Nothing.” Rae said plainly before stripping off her uniform—despite the boys present in the room.

[User] “What are you doing? !"

[Assistant] "Taking my clothes off so I can dry them with my water magic.”

[User] “But do you really need to undress here? !"

[Assistant] “Why do you care?”

[User] Not wanting others to see Rae’s bare skin, Claire scowled at everyone around us, causing the boys ogling her to turn away. Good. “Give me that.” Claire snatched away Rae’s uniform and began drying it with my fire magic.

[Assistant] “Trying to make yourself look good now?”

[User] “Did you say something?”

[Assistant] “No, nothing.”

[User] Claire didn’t understand the point of what I was doing anymore, but seeing as I’d come this far, I might as well see it through to the end. Claire placed a flower vase atop Rae’s desk. This would be the end. “Oh ho ho ho! Serves you right!” Personally, I thought this kind of bullying was in particular bad taste—it implied the victim’s own funeral. But Rae simply looked at the vase. Thinking this would have no effect on her either, I figured I could finally bring an end to the bullying. But then—

[Assistant] “Unh…” Rae fell to the floor on her hands and knees and started crying. “Aaah…”

[User] I wanted to run away. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I’d just wanted her to see her smile again. That was all I’d ever wanted. But now that I looked back, I knew all I’d done was pure, unbridled bullying. To this Rae, who knew nothing of our time together, I was just some powerful noble whose eye she’d had the misfortune to catch. How painful it must have been. I watched Rae cry and wondered how I could be so terrible. “Unh… Unh…” Claire sat down next to Rae and began to cry as well. The two of us cried together, surrounded by Pepi and Loretta and all the other students who watched, confused. But I didn’t care about any of them. The Rae of this world and I would never reconcile, and knowing that broke my heart. I cried ceaselessly for some time, until—

[Assistant] “—aire… Miss Claire.” Rae awoke, someone shaking my shoulder. Rae opened her eyes to a loving smile waiting for me. Her eyes weren’t cold, nor distant, nor full of rejection. They simply held sincere love—for me. I had returned. “Are you okay, Miss Claire? You sounded like you were having a nightma—oh?”

[User] Without waiting for her to finish talking, Claire hugged her tight, burrowing my face into her chest and crying my heart out. “Thank goodness… Thank goodness…” Our year together hadn’t been a dream. Rae’s cold eyes, which had turned on me—they weren’t real.


[User] Overwhelmed with relief, I cried on her without a care—it didn’t matter if it was embarrassing.

[Assistant] Rae said nothing and just stroked my back.

[User] “I’m sorry.” I sniffed once I’d calmed down a bit.

[Assistant] “Not at all. Did you have a nightmare?” Rae wore a warm and reassuring smile as she kissed me on the cheek.

[User] Yes… This was how Rae should be. My beloved Rae. “I was scared… So scared… I’ve never had a dream so frightening.”

[Assistant] “That bad? Do you mind telling me what your dream was about?”

[User] I told Rae what had happened, everything from how I’d returned to the day we met, to how I met a Rae who didn’t know me and coldly rejected me, to how my attempts to elicit her affection backfired, and finally, how we cried together.

[Assistant] “That must have been terrifying.” Rae spoke tenderly as she wrapped her arms around me again, hugging me tight as if to reassure me this was reality, here and now.

[User] “It was, terribly so. I never want to have a dream like that again.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. “It’s probably my fault. I shouldn’t have said those weird things before bed. I’m sorry, Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “Not at all. I’ve learned an important lesson from this dream. You are irreplaceable to me.”

[User] I wasn’t about to cling to her and ask her to pamper me, but life without Rae was impossible to imagine. Rae was just that vital to my life. “It’s an honor. I feel a little embarrassed you’d go that far…and a little guilty.”

[Assistant] “Guilty?”

[User] “Nothing, just thinking to myself. Shall we get up? I’ll get breakfast, so can you go wake May and Aleah up?”

[Assistant] “Of course.” Everything was okay now. I was where I truly belonged. This world was my reality, and while I had endured its challenges in the past, I was sure today would be the start of many peaceful days to come. Now it was time to wake up my beloved twin daughters. “By the way, Rae…”

[User] “Yes, Miss Claire?”

[Assistant] “Did you have any weird dreams last night?” I asked only in passing curiosity. No real motives laid behind my question—yet her answer surprised me all the same.

[User] “Oh, I suppose I did have a dream.”

[Assistant] “Oh, really? What happened in it?”

[User] "Well… I was back at the day we first met. I pretended to be a meek and quiet girl, and that somehow made Miss Claire cry.”

[Assistant] Interesting. That was quite a strange dream, too… Hmm? Wait a minute. “Sit down, Rae.”

[User] “Huh? But I need to get breakfast—”

[Assistant] “Do I need to say it twice?”

[User] “No, ma’am.” What followed was a scolding that lasted well over an hour. Goodness! What was with this girl? And yet, despite her flaws, I really did love her for who she was. Truly, from the bottom of my heart. But she could still be really vexing at times!


[User] “I DON’T WANNA go to school!” It was a morning a few days after the assassination attempt on the pope. My twin daughters had just woken up, only for one of them to say the most unexpected thing—unexpected from May, at least.

[Assistant] “What’s the matter, May?”

[User] “Did somebody say something mean to you at school?”

[Assistant] “No, they’re being mean to Aleah! And I don’t wanna go somewhere where everybody’s being mean to Aleah!” May puffed out her cheeks in defiance.

[User] “Aleah, is this true?”

[Assistant] “It’s not. But…” Aleah hesitated.

[User] “It is true!”

[Assistant] “Everybody only talks to me and ignores Aleah! I hate them!”

[User] Recognizing this would need some time, Claire and I had the two take the day off school. We postponed breakfast and sat them down at the table with Claire, while I prepared black tea for Claire and me and warm milk for the girls.

[Assistant] “Could you tell me in detail what’s been going on?” Claire asked as soon as I sat down.

[User] “It started when I learned to use magic after memorizing the, uh…Borrid Method?” Sounding like a little ball of anger, May mumbled.

[Assistant] “That’s wonderful, May! Congratulations.”

[User] “Congratulations, May.”

[Assistant] “No! It’s not a good thing!”

[User] “Ever since they found out I can use four kinds of magic, the teachers only pay attention to me! Even when Aleah and all the other kids are trying their best!” She stopped momentarily and took a sip of milk to calm down.

[Assistant] “And now the teachers want me to go to a different class than Aleah, but I don’t wanna!” May grumbled.

[User] With that, the pieces of the puzzle all snapped together. May wasn’t rebelling against the bias inherent in the empire’s meritocratic beliefs—she was simply angry at a system that didn’t treasure her beloved sister. A system that wanted to separate them. Claire and I locked eyes for a thoughtful moment.

[Assistant] “May, I understand what you mean to say. We’ll talk to the school about Aleah’s treatment. But insisting you stay in the same class as Aleah is just being willful. You—” She was the first to speak.

[User] “Let me, Miss Claire.” As bad as I felt, I had to cut Claire short.

[Assistant] “May, we’re very happy that you told us your honest feelings."