72: If There Is No Equality in This World
What if my sister wasn’t the [Protagonist] of [Moonlight Liberium]?
Leticia had said, “I’m the only one.”
There were many others like her, who had to survive alone.
In that “back alley.” In the dilapidated district we formally called the ‘old town district,’ where officially, no one lived.
There were many girls who didn’t have a matching pocket watch, a letter from their mother, or a noble father.
Many girls who weren’t ‘my sister.’
The Vanderwaals family’s support was, after all, just a limited, temporary fix.
There was no lie in my words when I called myself the embodiment of inequality. I had only saved my sister from the “back alley.”
I believed that would save many more people. That was the plot.
Even so, I had abandoned them.
The other children in the same situation as my sister.
Even now, there might be children dying, resenting the world, cursing their fate.
I possessed the coldness to dismiss them, to consider it unavoidable.
…But I hadn’t completely abandoned the weakness that made me ache for them, the helplessness I felt at being unable to save them.
Leticia looked up.
She looked at the two of us and then averted her gaze.
“Even so… I wanted… a little more equality. I wanted a job where I would be paid fairly, a position where I wouldn’t be exploited…”
…What I was giving her wasn’t ‘equality.’
What I was offering her wasn’t an independent life, but a future tied to the seat of the family head.
That was the ‘happiness’ I envisioned for her.
I wished true equality existed.
I wished there was another way to protect people’s happiness, a way different from the inequality we nobles had perpetuated for generations.
…Perhaps that was what the revolutionary government of Ruins had wanted.
They called themselves a republic. They tried to create a peaceful nation where everyone worked together.
But no one knew how.
I didn’t know either.
…I suddenly thought of [Moonlight Liberium].
I didn’t understand how that romance simulation game worked. It was similar to reading a book. The [Event Stills] were like illustrations.
But it was more than that. It had elements that enhanced immersion.
The character illustrations sometimes moved, and their voices played simultaneously.
Music played in the background, changing with each scene. Sometimes calm, sometimes unsettling, sometimes passionate.
They couldn’t possibly have a live orchestra… how did they do it?
My sister’s voice acting was good, and so were the voices of the others… the confession scenes, in particular, were whispered as if directly into your ear. It was a moment of weakness I would regret for the rest of my life, being moved by Prince Konrad’s voice, of all people.
It was like magic—and yet, the story it told was a typical romance, the kind you would find in a bookstore or see performed in a theater.
What a waste of technology.
…A world where such magical technology could be used for entertainment…
If only it were just a playful stage for romance.
…No, wait, what would I be doing in that case?
There was no one suitable for a political marriage right now.
No man I would entrust my everything to.
…I glanced at Leticia, who was still looking down.
“I’m from the ‘back alley.’ I wasn’t born a noble…”
She murmured, as if reflecting on her circumstances.
She took a deep breath and looked up defiantly.
“—But I am a noble of Eustasia now. If there is no equality in this world, we will bear the burden. To bring us a little closer… to equality.”
We were the embodiment of inequality.
We couldn’t abandon the ruling class.
The peace we sought was maintained by a power structure built on inequality.
It wasn’t perfect. There were those who suffered. Those who couldn’t be saved. Even rulers struggled.
There was no such thing as perfect governance.
Even so.
If there was no equality in this world…
――We would bear the burden.
Her words were the words of a noble.
“There must be something only I can do. And something only Your Highness can do—as the future ruler of this country.”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
Konrad smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
“Duty and loyalty. Lady Leticia, I swear on your words that I will strive to be a good king. —That is the duty I bear.”
The more a king strived for perfection, the lonelier he became. A benevolent ruler couldn’t be without a human heart, yet a ruler who couldn’t see people as numbers was surely a foolish one.
――That’s why we were needed.
The nobles who swore loyalty to the king and fulfilled their duties.
Those who were granted territories, each bearing their share of responsibility, passing it down through generations.
Leticia undoubtedly had noble blood flowing through her veins.
But at the same time, she was the one who denied the very idea of aristocracy.
If someone from her background could acquire such noble ideals and the ability to act on them… then nobles weren’t necessary.
We nobles received education from birth—not from the age of sixteen, like her.
Well, there were some who hadn’t absorbed their noble education.
Even so, the underlying principle was that it was better to educate and raise children from a young age, ensuring a minimum level of competence, rather than selecting those with aptitude… perhaps aristocracy was, surprisingly, a system that believed in the power of education.
And a considerable number of commoners, like Judith and Ciel, were involved in the actual governance of the country.
The people weren’t powerless.
While they might not have succeeded in creating a better nation, the revolutionaries of Ruins had instilled a sense of crisis in the ruling class—they had reawakened the fear of the dormant guillotine.
The fear they had awakened was surely one of the reasons I would be sent to the guillotine.
Konrad, who had likely been reflecting on his own words and renewing his resolve, spoke hesitantly.
“…As the First Prince, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I am destined to be king. Much is expected of me.”
“? Yes.”
Konrad looked nervous, while Leticia, though her expression was serious, seemed to have returned to her usual self.
“…Wi… wi… —Will you… support me from now on, Lady Leticia?”
“Yes, Your Highness. As a noble, I will support the royal family in any way I can.”
My sister smiled in response.
Prince Konrad breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, his guard down.
What a heartwarming scene.
He was probably about to ask her to support him… by his side.
…While it wasn’t an official line, it resembled a [Confession Line] from later in the game, after their relationship had deepened.
That line went like this—[“I want you to support me, by my side, from now on. As my queen, as my wife… as my lover… Leticia, will you marry me?”]
And then he would offer her a wedding ring in a beautiful box.
While a bit… no, very cheesy, it was a grand gesture that would surely make any woman swoon.
It was also a risky move, considering the possibility of rejection.
Incidentally, the [Choices] were [1. “Yes!”] and… [2. “I’m sorry.”].
The fact that there was still an option to refuse after becoming so close was terrifying.
It truly was a romance simulation game where everything depended on the [Protagonist]’s choices.
Since I had only followed each route along a linear path to the [Ending], I didn’t know what would happen if she chose “I’m sorry.”
While I would never refuse such a confession, I was slightly curious about his reaction if she did.
Konrad cleared his throat and composed himself.
“So, um… Lady Leticia.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“If you have some free time in your schedule… I was wondering if we could… spend some time together…”
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