The World Has Become Kinder to Her

The food and snacks that Theodore had selected were delicious, and his tea-brewing skills remained impeccable. From a culinary standpoint, the meal and tea time were perfect.  

“Perhaps… the way my brother treated me so harshly in the past was due to Gaap’s manipulation,” Lotus mused.  

“It’s highly likely. Gaap is a high-ranking demon skilled in illusion and mind control. But, keep in mind, Sir Hession was never particularly warm or affectionate to begin with,” Theodore responded coolly. Still, his response lightened the heavy weight on Lotus’s heart a little.  

Perhaps Hession wasn’t entirely different now but was merely reverting to his true self.  

“Theodore’s right. Hession only ever tolerated people who looked like Loti. He should be thankful for his own looks,” Frederick chimed in.  

“In society, my brother had a good reputation. I know he was popular with the ladies as well… Ah…” Lotus’s face darkened as she remembered something.  

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”  

“Go ahead,” Theodore said.  

“Was my brother’s wedding successfully carried out in the past?”

Frederick froze for a moment. That reaction alone told Lotus everything she needed to know. Theodore responded in his usual calm voice.  

“Sir Hession called off the engagement.”  

“…It was my fault, wasn’t it?” Lotus whispered, guilt creeping into her voice.  

“I wouldn’t say that. It was a political marriage, after all. The Marquisate of Lantis, with which he was supposed to be allied, wasn’t very stable.”  

“Don’t worry about it. Hession was living well—better than Loti or me, for sure. It was annoying how well he was doing,” Frederick added with a sigh.  

Now that Lotus had learned about the men’s regression and Rikheus’s true nature, the restrictions were lifted, and they were able to speak more freely.  

“Lotus, by now you must have realized that distinguishing between gods and demons is largely meaningless,” Theodore continued.  

From a conventional standpoint, gods were considered holy beings, while demons were regarded as their evil counterparts. But Lotus had already started to recognize that such beliefs were nothing more than biases.  

“Is it more accurate to simply call them transcendents?”  

“That’s what spirits, including Salia, call them. The so-called gods often think of themselves as representatives, though there are true agents selected by the dimensions, distinct from them,” Theodore explained, glancing at Salia. Lotus came to the realization that the Spirit Kings had once been seen as gods themselves.  

“So, the demons who oppose the gods are just transcendents who failed to be worshipped as deities?”  

“Precisely. Personally, I use the terms false agents and demons.”  

“But why would Gaap and other transcendent beings target me out of all the humans? What did I do to get on their bad side?” Lotus asked, a frustrated frown appearing on her face.  

“This isn’t about being disliked. You were simply unlucky, Lotus. Gaap was trying to assist one of the false agents for his own benefit,” Theodore explained.  

*Unlucky.* Few words felt as powerless as that. A bitter smile formed on Lotus’s lips.  

“Sometimes there are people who act mad for no reason at all. I imagine that these false agents and demons, after millennia of existence, exhibit similar behavior,” Theodore added, his tone sharp and biting. He hesitated for a moment, something uncharacteristic for him.  

“It’s alright. You can speak freely,” Lotus encouraged him. “Are you saying that these demons, or false agents, might have chosen me randomly, like some twisted fairy tale where they play games with humans, and I was unlucky enough to be their target?”  

Her remarkably accurate deduction left Frederick’s mouth slightly open, and Kenneth’s eyes widened a fraction. Theodore, familiar with Lotus’s near-supernatural intuition, merely let out a quiet sigh.  

“Yes, unfortunately, that’s the case.”

“The God of Misfortune, or rather, the false agent who embodies misfortune, must really have a particular fondness for me,” Lotus said with a faint smile, though her trembling lips betrayed her inner turmoil.  

How could she not feel wronged or afraid when she was the one forced to endure this? Only now did she fully understand Kenneth’s earlier vow to protect her at all costs.  

“It’s alright,” Theodore murmured in a soothing voice.  

“I’ve told you before—until you understand the root of your fear, it’s your battle to fight. But once you’ve uncovered it, you don’t have to bear the burden alone.”  

“That’s right, Loti. You don’t need to worry. That’s why I’ve joined forces with this insufferable guy,” Frederick added with a grin.  

“Since learning about their existence, I haven’t slacked off in my training even for a single day,” Kenneth chimed in, his tone resolute.  

Theodore, having patiently waited for both of them to speak, finally continued, explaining the situation regarding the false agents’ wager.  

“Lotus, since you and the others are still bound by restrictions regarding these false agents, let’s call them the God of Fortune and the God of Misfortune for simplicity’s sake. I suggest reading *The Era of the Twelve Gods* carefully—it will help. The wager was simple: if you, Lotus, harmed someone directly, the God of Misfortune would win. If you didn’t, the God of Fortune would claim victory.”

A chill ran down Lotus’s spine, a sensation difficult to describe.  

“But… I didn’t kill anyone. So, did the God of Fortune win? And is that why I was regressed?” she asked, uncertainty in her voice.  

“No, Lotus, you’re misunderstanding something,” Theodore said, adjusting his glasses.  

“You took your own life, didn’t you?”  

“…!”  

“But it seems those fools didn’t clearly define the rules of their wager. Your choice stirred controversy. The debate arose over whether ‘harming someone’ includes oneself and how far the term ‘direct harm’ extends.”  

“….”  

“Until a verdict could be reached by a majority of the false agents who hadn’t participated in the wager, Gaap and the God of Misfortune, who had much to lose, kept a low profile. That’s when Frederick, Kenneth, and I seized the opportunity to attack Gaap. His goal was to help the God of Misfortune win, hoping to overthrow the God of Fortune and become a new god himself.”  

Theodore’s speech quickened slightly as he detailed Gaap’s manipulations and the suspected schemes that Rikheus, as Gaap, had carried out against Lotus.  

“Gaap specializes in sowing discord and deceiving humans. He likely used enchanted objects or cast subtle spells to manipulate Estelle and the people in your household, as well as the nobles of Bahamur’s social circles, to treat you more aggressively and antagonistically. His goal was probably to push you into harming someone, foolishly thinking that it would increase the chances of you doing so.”  

“I did notice how people seemed to become more hostile toward me, especially in my presence. And some men claimed they were drawn to me when there were plenty of other beautiful women around. It all seemed strange,” Lotus reflected.

As she met Theodore’s gaze, he frowned slightly.  

“I can’t help but feel you’re thinking something offensive about me,” he remarked.  

“Me?”  

“I want to make it clear. My attraction to you, and my offer of a contract relationship, had nothing to do with that demon’s schemes,” he said firmly.  

“….”  

“It was entirely my own decision. I’d appreciate it if you could distinguish that fact. My mental fortitude is far stronger than to be swayed by such a low-level demon.”  

Lotus couldn’t respond. She had, after all, briefly entertained such a thought, so she remained silent. Frederick and Kenneth, noticing the tension, quickly added their own reassurances.  

“Loti! Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m a high-level mage—cheap tricks like that don’t work on me,” Frederick exclaimed.  

“The same goes for swordsmen who have reached a certain level,” Kenneth added.  

“If I recall correctly,” Lotus said cautiously, “when Kenneth encountered Gaap, disguised as Rikheus, not too long ago, you didn’t seem to be in the best condition.”

The fact that Kenneth had been mentally vulnerable at the time due to focusing on breaking through a wall in his swordsmanship made him feel somewhat wronged. It wasn’t as if he had been weak-willed on his own.  

Theodore glanced at Kenneth as if he were a troublesome child before speaking again. Despite being annoyed by the situation Kenneth had caused, this was an opportunity to clarify that his own proposal to Lotus was made with a clear mind.  

“Sir Kenneth was at a critical juncture, trying to break through to the next stage of his swordsmanship. This caused his mental defenses to be more fragile than usual, which is why he seemed off. Lotus, Sir Kenneth is a man of great mental fortitude. He even quit the infamous Mellinia drug without needing an antidote,” Theodore explained, defending Kenneth’s situation.  

The three men then spent the next several minutes passionately defending their mental strength, so much so that Lotus, with a slightly exasperated look, had to reassure them more than ten times that she understood.  

Time flew by as they continued their conversation, and soon darkness had settled outside the window.  

Theodore’s eyes began to droop, clearly worn out from the extensive use of his mental and magical strength that day. As his eyes fluttered shut again, Lotus’s soft voice called to him.  

“Theodore.”  

“Yes, Lotus?”  

“I’m heading out for the night. You should rest as well.”  

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. My eyes may feel heavy, but even if I lie down, I doubt I’ll sleep,” he responded, his words meandering as if he were trying to convince both her and himself.  

Lotus, however, noticed that his insomnia, which had always plagued him, seemed to have worsened. In the past, at least when he was this exhausted, he would eventually fall asleep. Now, even that seemed out of reach.  

*What should I do…* she thought.  

In the past, Lotus had been able to help Theodore with his sleeplessness. When he held her, the warmth of her body seemed to ease his mind, allowing him to sleep.  

*But things are different now!* she reminded herself. Back then, they had been in a contract relationship, and sharing a bed was a natural part of their arrangement. Now, they had no such connection.  

*Still… he needs sleep after all the spells he’s cast. Not to mention the painful side effects he endured,* Lotus reasoned.  

After some thought, an idea came to her.  

*I’ll take him to his room and get him to lie down. He might just fall asleep once he’s settled. If not, I can always read him some poetry to help him relax.*

“Either way, you won’t know until you try. Let’s head to your bedroom. I’ll help you get some rest,” Lotus blurted out.  

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.  

Had she become too relaxed after discussing demons, regressions, and all the secrets of her life? She had spoken too freely.  

All three men turned to stare at her.  

If she had been in a relationship with Theodore, like in the past, such words would have been normal. But for an unmarried noblewoman to say such a thing to a man she wasn’t in any clear relationship with—it was highly improper.  

To any outsider who heard her, she would have sounded like Theodore’s lover.  

“Uh, I mean… I chose my words poorly, but I didn’t mean anything strange by it. You’re probably very tired from the side effects of your magic, and even if you have insomnia, I just thought it would be good for you to try to sleep,” Lotus hastily tried to clarify, her ears turning red with embarrassment.

Theodore, however, seemed rather pleased. He quickly dismissed Frederick and Kenneth, who both looked somewhat stunned by the turn of events.  

“Well, if Lotus is going to put in that much effort, then I’m happy to oblige. Since I’ll be heading to bed, I won’t be seeing you off. Prince Frederick, Sir Kenneth, I wish you both a safe return.”