Chapter 21: The Decision to Return.

His Highness gazes at me steadily, as though waiting to hear what I will say.
Yet the gentle warmth in his eyes feels like it would accept anything I might utter.

Encouraged by that look, I steel myself and meet his gaze directly.
Then, I open my mouth.

「I am thinking of returning to our territory.」

♢

Several days earlier—

Now that I could walk a fair distance, I decided to spend dinnertime in the dining hall.
When I opened the doors, Mother was already seated.
The moment she realized I had walked there myself, her face bloomed into a radiant smile.

「Rachel—you came to the dining hall today.」

「Yes, Mother.」

「We can never thank the spirit and Viscount Frion enough.
To think you would be able to walk like this again!」

「Fufu… I’m truly grateful to Kuro and Theodore-sama as well.」

「I can’t see the spirit myself, but I must offer daily thanks and prayers to it.」

Mother takes out her handkerchief and dabs at eyes already moist with tears.
She must have shed countless tears during this time.
The thought makes my chest ache.
At the same time, I feel the depth of her love so strongly that my own eyes grow warm.

A soft creak—
I turn to see Father standing just beyond the doorway.
Seeing Mother and me, he smiles gently and gives a slow nod.

「Rachel… I’m so happy to share a meal with you.」

「Father, thank you for your hard work today.」

「Ah—seeing your face makes every bit of fatigue vanish.」

Father approaches, enfolds me in his broad chest and strong arms in a tender embrace.
Then, slowly releasing me, he escorts me to my seat and pulls out the chair for me.

「Now—let’s eat.」

Ever since receiving the wheelchair, I had taken breakfast and lunch in the dining hall.
But by evening, fatigue accumulated and I could no longer leave my room—so dinner had inevitably been taken alone in my chambers.

Thus, a family dinner like this feels truly nostalgic.

The three of us gathered together, laughing and sharing a meal.
This is nothing short of a miracle.

Before my mana depleted—in my previous life—this had been ordinary.
A father who cherished me, a mother who loved me.
I had never once treasured such blessings.
That was why I ended up causing my family such grief.

But now… my precious family is right here.
I finally understand how warm and gentle their embrace truly is.

「By the way, it seems Viscount Frion has been coming to our house every day.」

「Yes.
Theodore-sama is helping me and Kuro attune to each other’s mana more quickly.
Since I had lost my mana entirely, even forming a contract was possible—but merging our mana would have been difficult without his assistance.」

「Indeed.
I used to take having mana for granted.
But because of what happened to you, Rachel, I’ve had to rethink many things.」

「Yes…」

My high mana was inherited from Father.
He too possesses strong mana and, just like my former self, has contracted with a mid-tier water spirit.
It rarely appears, but it takes the form of a majestic, winged horse.

Incidentally, low- and mid-tier spirits almost always manifest in animal shapes.
High-tier spirits appear as child-like humanoid figures and can speak.
However, the number of people in this country who have contracted with high-tier spirits can probably be counted on both hands.

As for Spirit Kings… they are said to appear as adult humanoids.
“Said to,” because nowadays only books record such things.
The paintings in the palace depict figures wrapped in divine, radiant light—beautiful beyond words.

Father sets down his knife and fork for a moment, his expression turning slightly grim.

「A dark spirit… that’s what it is.
I reported it to His Majesty, but for now we’ve decided to withhold any public announcement.」

「Yes.」

「It would be best to wait for the decision of the Holy Church.」

Ah… as expected.

That was the first thought that crossed my mind.
I had already anticipated something like this to some degree.

The Holy Church is the state religion of this kingdom, worshiping the Light Spirit King as God.
Its origins are said to trace back to the founding Saintess who was connected to the kingdom’s progenitor.
Thus, any Saintess who receives the Light Spirit King’s blessing is temporarily placed under the Church’s care.

The discovery of a dark spirit is a monumental event even for the Church, which has long held deep ties to spirits.

The Church wields considerable influence in the kingdom and enjoys profound faith among the people.
To preserve its dignity—and to avoid friction between crown and church—His Majesty likely judged that an announcement should come from the Church itself.

Father lets out a deep sigh, takes a sip of wine, and continues slowly.

「And then… there is the matter of your engagement to His Highness.」

「Yes.」

「His Majesty intended to leave the decision entirely to His Highness.
If dissolution became necessary, the royal family would take full responsibility and find you a suitable match.」

So that’s how it was.

I had wondered why His Majesty hadn’t simply ordered the engagement dissolved.
Even though Father and I had discussed breaking it off the moment my mana depletion became clear.

But no word ever came—because His Majesty had deferred to His Highness’s wishes.

But… why?

The position of Crown Princess carries immense importance for the kingdom.
Regardless of my personal feelings, from the perspective of the nation, it cannot be ideal for me to remain in that role in my current state.

「However… the situation has changed slightly.
A dark spirit… what exactly it is, how the people will react…」

「Yes… that makes sense.
I looked into it myself, but there is nothing in the books.
Even in stories, darkness is portrayed either as the counterpart to light’s goodness—or as a shadow that supports the light.」

「Precisely.
We know almost nothing.
Yet it undeniably exists.
That’s why His Majesty is still undecided about the engagement.」

Indeed—if we don’t even understand what a dark spirit is, we cannot know whether it brings benefit or harm to the kingdom.
Water, fire, and earth spirits allow their contractors to manipulate those very elements, as their names suggest.

But light and darkness remain shrouded in mystery.

Light is revered, yet its true nature is unclear.
Darkness was thought to be mere myth—until now.

Yet through Kuro, I now possess—even if I cannot yet use it—dark mana.
And thanks to Kuro, I can walk on my own again.

Truly… I owe Kuro everything.

But this time, I refuse to walk the wrong path again.
That is why I resolved to speak my true feelings and intentions to my parents here and now.

I know they will listen.
With that conviction, I straighten my posture and look first at Father, then at Mother.

「Father, Mother… there is something I must tell you.」

「Yes?」

「What is it, Rachel?」

「Until now… I never once considered what I could do, or what I ought to do.
I simply walked straight ahead without thinking.
But after losing my mana… I deeply regretted never using the abilities I had for someone else’s sake, or to achieve anything meaningful.」

「…I see.」

Father listens gravely.
Mother nods gently with a calm expression.

「This time… I don’t want to have regrets again.
I want to discover what I am capable of.」

「Yes… and what do you want to do?」

What do I want to do?
The question nearly chokes me.

「Specifically… nothing yet.
My world has been so narrow.
So first… I want to see the outside world.
I want to search for something I can do with my own hands.」

Something.
I want to move.
I want to find something.
Anything.
With no clear answer, no vision—I simply feel the urge.

Mother smiles warmly and nods.

「I understand.
Then… come home with Mother—to our territory.」

「To the territory…?」

「Yes.
In the capital, you are known as His Highness’s fiancée.
Moreover, you are currently on leave from the academy for health reasons.
In such a state—what could you possibly do here?」

「…Yes.」

She’s right.

Now that my condition has stabilized, I should return to the academy.
Especially since neither Father nor Mother knows I once died.

But… I still lack the courage.
The academy holds former friends… and the Saintess.
I know I must face them eventually if I am to move forward.
Yet even knowing that, I cannot yet take that step.

Mother sees my conflicted expression and deepens her smile.
The tension in my body eases slightly.
I watch as she continues.

「But the territory is different.
Unlike the capital, the Marcel lands are by the sea.
You have hardly left the capital since childhood, so the people there barely know your face.
Surely… it will allow you to broaden your world more freely than here.」

「Mother… thank you.
Father… is that all right?」

Father—who had remained silent, listening attentively throughout—gives a firm nod.

「Yes.
But don’t overdo it.
And speak properly with His Highness yourself.」

「Yes.」

Father assesses the situation calmly; Mother offers the solution.
Truly… my parents are irreplaceable treasures.
This time, I will never betray their kindness.

I carefully tuck the warm light they have given me deep within my heart.

After that, the atmosphere at the table shifts completely.
Laughter fills the room; the meal becomes a gentle, joyful time.