"I like you, Chris."
Time in the dream flowed quickly.
No, rather than flowing, it felt like everything was cut out except for the scenes that needed to be shown.
Before Chris knew it, she was watching two people shyly facing each other in the training grounds.
'Uh, uhh…?'
The two people before her were, naturally, Emil and herself from the dream.
And from Emil's lips, unbelievable words flowed.
"I like you."
"...Ugh."
The words 'I like you.'
The very same words Chris had said to Emil yesterday.
It was a confession.
"What, su-suddenly…. Such…."
"You don't like it?"
"...It's not that I dislike it."
'What is this…?'
The translucent Chris stared blankly at the scene.
Emil was confessing to her, and she was blushing, frowning with embarrassment.
Emil smiled as if even her embarrassed self was cute.
Though it was a dream, it was literally a dream-like scene.
'Why am I having a dream like this…?'
Chris couldn't understand the scene she was witnessing.
Emil had confessed to her.
It was the exact opposite of the reality where Emil had rejected her.
"Be my lover."
Finally, Emil conveyed his firm intention to her.
Holding her blushing hands, he earnestly pleaded with her.
And.
"...Yes."
Her dream self nodded, accepting his proposal.
The two of them.
Became lovers.
'....'
Chris watched the two of them shyly smiling as they returned to the dormitory.
A happy sight.
The very scene she had so desperately wished for in her heart appeared before her eyes as a real landscape.
Chris's feelings upon seeing it were simple.
Envy.
Only envy, completely filling her heart, bloomed.
'This… isn't a dream….'
Suddenly, Chris realized.
Emil and herself, now lovers, happily attending the academy.
Eating lunch together on the rooftop, hidden from others.
Spending time together on weekends.
Looking at those passing scenes, Chris realized this wasn't a dream.
'This… is something that could have actually happened….'
Or.
Something that is actually happening in another world.
There were several reasons why she realized that fact.
Primarily, a sense of unfamiliarity.
The Emil in this scene Chris was watching was definitely Emil, but he was subtly different from the real Emil.
He wasn't the top of his class, nor did he have talent in combat.
Moreover, he felt a little purer than his real-life counterpart.
From these subtle differences from reality, Chris instinctively realized that this was not a dream, but a memory from another world.
Besides, for a dream, it was too vivid and full of realism.
'I'm envious….'
Chris, in her translucent form, watched the two of them and sank to the floor.
And she shed tears watching the two dazzling people.
'Ugh…, I'm envious….'
To be jealous of herself.
It's foolish.
But it felt so natural to be that foolish.
Chris was envious of her dream self.
'Why, ugh, why are you showing me something like this…. Why….'
Because she was rejected by Emil?
Perhaps a bored goddess intervened?
Telling her to look at her outcome in another world and be satisfied with it.
It was as if it was telling her that.
'Urgh, ugh….'
They certainly looked happy.
They were happy lovers whom anyone would envy.
Therefore, even more so.
Chris was in pain.
…Perhaps that was the outcome she might have achieved.
'What was I lacking…?'
She clearly had a good relationship with Emil too.
The Emil shown in this dream scene was different from the real Emil, but his actions were similar to reality.
He had first approached her, asking her to teach him swordsmanship.
He had helped her when she was in a panic in the dungeon.
It seemed they had gone on dates together.
…Even during the practical evaluation, he had saved her, risking his life, which was also the same.
It was clearly the same.
But the outcome was different.
Chris was curious about the reason.
Perhaps if she knew the reason, she could also be with Emil in reality.
Holding onto that hope, she craved the answer.
And.
The entity showing this dream, as if granting Chris's request.
━showed her the reason she couldn't be with Emil in reality.
"Anyway, since that's how it is…. Please be careful with your main family."
"...."
"Let me say this again, you were the one who proposed it first, Edric. …You know that, right?"
"...."
'What is it…?'
Chris was meeting with Edric.
That part wasn't particularly strange.
After all, Edric was her fiancé, so it was Chris's duty to report her relationship with Emil to him.
However, what made Chris feel doubtful wasn't that situation.
Edric's face.
"Right, I see."
"Re-really be careful! Don't make any unnecessary slip-ups!"
"Haha, impossible. Don't worry."
For a moment, Edric's expression subtly changed.
Of course, it immediately returned to his usual bright demeanor.
Chris, watching from the side, noticed.
Edric's appearance, which had briefly shown signs of displeasure.
And.
The reason he showed displeasure also.
Soon after, the dream showed her.
"Hey, Chris."
"What."
Just before summer vacation, Edric called Chris aside.
The location was the rooftop.
The two of them were talking while watching other students return to their respective dormitories.
Then, Edric suddenly declared to Chris.
"Are you interested in getting serious with me?"
"...What?"
Edric, who had been looking down at the students, turned his body and looked at the surprised Chris.
Chris expressed her doubt to him.
"Serious relationship? What are you talking about?"
"Literally. The truth is, we're not proper fiancés, are we? …So, I mean, let's become proper fiancés."
"...."
At Edric's explanation, Chris immediately twisted her expression.
And glared sharply at him.
"You understand what you're saying right now, don't you, Edric."
"Haha, did I, your fiancé, say something strange?"
"I'm already Emil's lover. …And now you're asking me to be your fiancé? Don't be ridiculous. Even if it's a joke, you shouldn't cross the line."
'E-Edric…, why are you doing this….'
The translucent Chris looked at Edric with a bewildered expression.
She couldn't properly understand the story unfolding now.
Certainly, she and Edric were engaged, but it was merely a formal engagement.
Edric and she didn't treat each other as fiancés.
That should be the case….
Clutch.
"Ugh…! A-aren't you going to let go of this?!"
"Why? If you dislike it, shake me off. You can do it. With your skills, you could even throw me over the rooftop."
"...."
"Hahaha, you can't do it after all."
Edric held one of Chris's hands and laughed pleasantly.
Chris glared at such an Edric with a displeased expression.
"As expected, your mother is the concern, isn't she?"
"...."
At Edric's subsequent words, Chris closed her mouth.
"Our family is absolutely necessary for your mother's knightage, isn't it?"
"...Shut up."
"Coincidentally, summer vacation starts tomorrow, and I'm going to my main family. …What do you think will happen if I tell my father that you're having an affair?"
"What nonsense…! Once Mother obtains her title, after that our engagement…!"
"Precisely."
Edric looked down at Chris and smiled like a snake.
"Now, I no longer have that intention."
"You…! Don't talk nonsense, Edric…! This kind of joke isn't funny at all! You don't feel anything for me anyway…!"
"I like you."
"...What?"
"I'm not joking. It's real. So I want to have you. Even if I have to use such coercive methods."
Slide.
Edric released Chris's wrist.
Chris then touched her wrist, which had been held, with a bewildered expression.
And Edric took a step back from her and spoke softly.
"Instead of that, let's do this."
"...."
"What, you don't want to hear it? Then I'll just go straight to my father tomorrow and…"
"Tell me, what is it?"
"See, you understand when I speak, Chris."
Step, step.
Edric walked past Chris, opened the rooftop door, and spoke to her.
"Let's return to the main family with me starting tomorrow. What, I'm just asking for a chance. If the chance disappears… I won't bother you anymore."
"...."
"Summer vacation. Just give me that time as a chance. I swear, I will never do anything to you coercively. I won't even threaten you. …Just give me a chance."
"...."
"Then I'll go. I'll hear your answer… at the main family's house tomorrow."
"...."
Creak…
Thump…
"...."
Chris was left alone on the rooftop where Edric had left.
No, more accurately.
She was left alone with her translucent self.
Of course, the Chris in the dream couldn't recognize the translucent Chris.
She simply stood there, staring at the floor with a stiff expression.
'…No, right?'
To that Chris.
The translucent Chris cautiously approached.
Swoosh…
As she reached out her hand, it passed through Chris's body.
'…You're not, …going to go, right?'
The translucent Chris looked at herself with trembling eyes.
Stiffened, unable to curse, unable to scream, not even able to shed tears.
She looked at herself.
'…It's not, right? Huh?'
Though her voice couldn't possibly reach her dream self.
Still, Chris continued to speak to her dream self.
Denying the ominous future.
'Because, you….'
To her self who lived in such a dazzlingly happy world.
She continued to speak, as if pleading.
'You have Emil…!'
"...."
Her dream self did not respond.
Naturally.
This was a world where they couldn't communicate with each other.
Just.
A world that existed only to show Chris something.
And Chris knew.
"Emil."
"Hm?"
"Summer vacation starts tomorrow, you know."
"Haha, that's right. Are you already looking forward to it?"
She would follow Edric.
'....'
Because it was her mother's matter, more precious to her than anything else.
"I think I'll have to go to the main family's house starting tomorrow."
'....'
The world that was so enviable and simply full of happiness.
Anxiety swept over Chris, who had been watching that world.