The food Viol had been carrying scattered across the floor.
She tossed the rest aside and rushed to me, snatching the paring knife from my hand.
“What is this? Where did you get it?!”
Her voice blazed as she snapped the blade in one motion.
“I made sure everything dangerous was removed!”
“You left it yesterday.”
“Why did you hide it?”
“I didn’t hide it. I was holding onto it to give back to you—but you never came.”
I started to explain, but before I could finish, she seized my hand and checked it herself.
“Good, you’re not hurt.”
No, I was hurt. I just healed.
Of course, Viol wouldn’t know that.
She looked relieved, then scowled fiercely at me.
“You crazy bastard.”
“…”
“You mean to tell me you tried to self-harm just because I skipped one meal?!”
…Huh?
The atmosphere turned weird. I watched her carefully, but she completely misunderstood.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Don’t lie to me. I saw it with my own eyes!”
“I was just testing whether I could heal myself with my power.”
“So your first idea was to slice your wrist?! Who the hell does that?!”
I told her the truth, but she didn’t believe me at all.
“Oh, I get it. The great imperial beauty got his pride hurt, huh? All because someone dared to defy him, right?”
“That’s not it—”
“If you wanted to make me regret it, you should’ve tried stabbing me with that! Instead, you went and cut yourself like an idiot where no one could even see it!”
Screw this! Think whatever you want!
She wouldn’t listen no matter how I explained, so I snapped back just as loudly.
“Don’t act like you care when you’re the one who locked me in a solitary cell!”
“What?”
“Anyone would go crazy enough to self-harm if you keep them locked up alone for days!”
Sure, I’m used to lying in bed for days.
But most people would probably lose it in this kind of isolation.
When I pointed that out, Viol’s expression shifted.
She flinched, then…
“Then… wanna go out for a walk?”
She made the offer, reluctantly.
“I can’t let you leave the palace, but I can at least show you around the imperial grounds.”
“At night?”
“Why not? Just dress warmly, it’s chilly out.”
I didn’t argue. I swapped my light clothes for something warmer.
Even if it was based on a misunderstanding, going outside for the first time in a while didn’t sound bad.
***
Once we stepped outside—
“Did something happen?”
The guard outside asked, and Viol’s gaze turned icy.
“Useless bastard. I told you to watch carefully…”
“Let’s go!”
She looked ready to beat the poor guy to death, so I quickly dragged her away.
“Weren’t you gonna show me around? Focus on that instead.”
“…Right.”
Reluctantly, she walked on and led me around the imperial palace.
“Is that…”
“Lord Ceres?”
Since we were openly walking together, everyone who passed by in the palace recognized me and stared.
“Why is he out?”
“Wasn’t he locked in solitary confinement?”
They were shocked that Viol had brought out someone she’d supposedly imprisoned.
“Why’s she treating him so gently?”
Viol was unusually gentle, hovering right next to me in case I stumbled, watching me closely the whole time.
“Is that really Her Majesty?”
“I heard she even brings him food personally.”
“Wait, then that’s just like…”
“Like Lord Ceres said at the party… maybe Her Majesty really…”
As the whispers spread—
“What, this is a freak show now? If you don’t shut up and scram right now, I’ll kill you all!”
Viol snarled.
The crowd fell silent and scattered in panic.
***
“Too noisy here.”
Even after scattering everyone, Viol wasn’t satisfied.
She changed direction.
“Follow me.”
She brought me to a garden.
“This is the royal garden. Only royalty are allowed here. …Do you like it?”
“It’s pretty.”
The flower-filled garden was beautiful, and I gave a simple, neutral comment.
It’s not like I’m into flowers or anything, so there wasn’t much more to say.
Still…
The real Ceres really loved this place, didn’t she?
In the original story, there’s a scene where Viol brings Ceres to this exact garden.
Ceres was so depressed from being locked up in the palace that Viol took her here to cheer her up. It was a rare good decision.
Wow, it’s so beautiful!
You like it?
It’s the first good thing you’ve done.
Heh, still so sharp-tongued even now.
…Well, I’ll say thank you, at least.
Ceres liked it so much that, despite being imprisoned by Viol,
she even managed to say thank you for once.
And now I, having become Ceres, am standing here in her place.
I wasn’t sure how to describe the emotion that welled up.
Did the real Ceres really love this place that much?
Hmm… Personally, I don’t feel it quite so strongly. It’s nice, but not that nice.
I imagined how Ceres might’ve looked playing in this garden.
Visualizing myself in this current body, dressed in a soft, feminine outfit, striking a pose in the flower garden—
***
“…Who were you thinking about just now?”
Suddenly, Viol asked something strange.
“What?”
I answered curtly at first, but seeing her serious expression, I changed my tone and asked sincerely:
“What do you mean?”
She was dead serious, her expression looked grim.
“Tell me, which woman were you thinking about just now?”
“…I wasn’t thinking about any woman.”
I was thinking of female Ceres, but I couldn’t exactly say that.
“I was thinking about myself. Like, when is this going to end.”
Since I’m Ceres, it’s not completely untrue.
In a way, I did tell the truth, but Viol’s face twisted even further.
“You look at yourself with such tender eyes?”
“What?”
“Are you pretending not to know, or do you really not get it? Just now, your eyes looked like someone thinking about someone they love. I’ve never seen that look on you before. Not even once.”
What kind of misunderstanding is this?!
Unable to take it anymore, I decided to give her something almost true.
“Honestly, I was thinking about a character I like from a novel.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, it wasn’t anything like that. Was it Alios? You were thinking about her, weren’t you!”
She grabbed both my shoulders and shook me.
“I did everything for you! I let your mother and that mutt Alios go, just like you asked! Isn’t it basic courtesy to at least show me some consideration? I brought you all the way here, and you’re not even impressed, just thinking about some other girl? Do you not have a conscience?”
“Enough.”
Getting interrogated unfairly, I gritted my teeth, unable to take it anymore.
“If you keep this up, I’m not going to just sit back.”
When I shook her arms off, Viol scoffed.
“And if you don’t sit back, what then?”
“Then I’ll resist.”
When I took a stance, Viol looked dumbfounded.
“Are you crazy? You’re gonna fight me?”
“Of course not. There’s no way I could beat you. I’m not going to fight, just resist.”
“You think some lame resistance is going to stop me?”
“Who knows. But at the very least, I can make it difficult for you.”
I pointed something out to her.
“You’ve never actually learned martial arts or hand-to-hand combat, right?”
“Of course not. Why would I? I’ve been strong since birth.”
That’s what I thought.
After spending all this time observing her, I could confirm that Viol really didn’t know martial arts.
It was odd.
As I recall, the original male Viol had trained in martial arts as a hobby.
He had the overwhelming body strength and layered on technique, he was supposed to be second in physical prowess among the male leads. Why is she different?
I don’t know the reason, but it gave me a small chance.
***
I quietly stretched.
I’m weak, but at least I can move how I want.
I should at least be able to dodge if I can predict her movement.
“Let me warn you in advance. From now on, I won’t let you lay a finger on me.”
“With what skills?”
“I’m actually a martial arts master. For someone like you, a beginner, I can easily avoid any attack.”
“And when exactly did you train, you shut-in who’s been stuck in bed your whole life?”
“Meditation training. I lay in bed and meditated to feel the energy of the world.”
“You really are insane.”
Viol gave me a laugh, like she’d heard something absurd.
She ignored my warning and reached her palm toward me.
She was trying to give me a light push, but just as I moved to dodge—
Suddenly, my body lost all strength.
I couldn’t even dodge. Her light touch pushed me back, and I collapsed.
“Ugh!”
When I fell backward, Viol gasped.
“D-Don’t fake it. I barely pushed you.”
“…”
“Ceres?”
She called out to me, but I couldn’t answer.
“Aah, aaahhh!!”
My body, hurts so much!
All the endurance I’d built up felt meaningless.
This pain was on a completely different level from anything I’d felt before!
It felt like every part of my body was being sliced apart, bit by bit!
W-Why is this happening?!
Not even in the original story did Ceres suffer pain like this. Not even when she was terminally ill!
It’s not like I did anything that would’ve made my condition worse.
Sure, I was locked up, but I ate and rested well.
I even got healthy enough to walk again!
…Could it be backlash?
Unlike the original Ceres, I didn’t recover over months. I forced the recovery in just a week.
Maybe it happened too fast, and now my body is suffering the rebound effect?
Damn it, another unreasonable setback?!
“Ugh… ah…”
I cried out for a while, unable to bear the pain, but eventually even that was too much.
I was about to pass out completely.
The last thing I heard as my consciousness faded—
Was Viol’s voice, calling my name.
“Ceres, what’s happening?! Get a hold of yourself! Ceres!!!”