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"Happy 16th birthday, Cecilia. Have you decided on your birthday present?"  

The scene was in the dining room, with only three people — her mother Frelia, her brother Randy, and Cecilia herself — seated at the large dining table.

The dining table was decorated with a traditional stew of the Dosperior, plain bread, and sweets.

The only other people in the house were the head maid Anna and the head chef Mesai— just a few select individuals. The vast dining hall gave off a somewhat lonely atmosphere. Even for the servants, there was only the maid Anna and the chef Mesai in the huge dining room, giving the scene a desolate touch.

This was all out of consideration for Cecilia, who recently came to dislike luxurious meals and avoided appearing in front of large groups of people.

Since Vardi, Cecilia\'s father, had died in the last great war, his wife Frelia inherited the title of Marquis, while Randy inherited the title of ‘Von,’ which symbolized the heir of the noble house.

Cecilia coughed a little, but her face was unusually bright as she nodded.

"Yes, I’ve decided. You won\'t go back on your word, right? That you will comply with any of my wishes."

As they looked at Cecilia\'s playful gesture, Frelia and Randy exchanged glances, their faces morphed into happy grins. They hadn\'t expected any fuss from her since she had recently adopted a more pensive mood after being made aware of the grim reality of her impending death.

That was what had happened on her last birthday. Cecilia just said \'I’ll think about it,\' but as time passed, she never made her request.

“Y-You just have to say it! No matter what it is, this brother of yours won\'t let you down! Yes, even if you want a dragon egg, I’ll get it for you.”

Randy, who was still young, stood up and declared so with a puffed chest, causing Cecilia to smile playfully.

"Take it easy brother. You’re the heir of the Desperior family, a very crucial position. You’ll only make Mother worry about you if you put yourself in danger without a second thought."

"You shouldn’t care about such things! Besides, men of the Dosperior family aren’t cowards, especially its heir. For you, my adorable sister, I’ll gladly charge into a dragon\'s nest! Just say the word!"

Frelia let out a sigh.

"Sit down, Randy. Cecilia is right. Courage and recklessness are two different things. If it\'s something that can be bought with money, then just buy it. Anyway, Cecilia, what do you want for your present?"

Cecilia nodded with a determined look on her face.

"My wish... is to go on a journey. I only have about one year left to live. I don’t want to sit here in my hometown and quietly wait for my death. I want to see the nation that Father… that the Dosperior family has risked their lives to protect. Please let me do this."

"Th-That is..." 

Frelia and Randy were left speechless upon hearing Cecilia\'s wish.

Her illness had already progressed to a severe stage, and embarking on a journey now was nothing short of a death sentence given her current condition.

Randy\'s face twisted in agony, but he shook his head.

"No... no, I can\'t allow this. At least, you can still rest here, and live for one more year. I want you to live for as long as possible, Cecilia."

"That would be no different to me being dead already."

Cecilia stared directly into her brother\'s eyes as she spoke, her voice unwavering.

"I want to live the remainder of my life on my own terms, even if it shortens my miniscule one year of life into half a year. I want to live my remaining life with purpose."

Randy was momentarily stunned by the intense determination in his sister\'s gaze. But he looked away, once again shaking his head.

"...Please understand, Cecilia. There’s still a tiny bit of chance that a cure could be found in due time. No matter how slim the hope, I won\'t ever give up on your life."

The mana collapse disease Cecilia had contracted was said to be incurable. 

Whether it was trying out all sorts of medicine from cheap to expensive ones, or healing magic from high-ranking priests, the Dosperior family had already exhausted every possible method they could think of. 

Cecilia accepted every treatment her mother and brother had arranged — some of which were painful or had severe side effects — without a single complaint.

Yet, despite all their efforts, there was no stopping her disease, and now, here they were.

"Please... allow me this last act of selfishness."

Cecilia spoke again, her voice subdued, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"...You\'re the head of the family, Randy. The final say rests on your hands."

As Frelia uttered this, Celia repeated her request to her brother.

"...Please, brother."

As a tear fell down Cecilia\'s cheek, Randy\'s expression twisted in grief.

Tears. It was the first in a very long time that his brave little sister had cried to him. 

She had not shed a tear ever since the night she was diagnosed with the mana collapse disease before she turned nine. At that time, she slipped into his bed and quietly sobbed on his back. 

As for Randy, he cried more than Cecilia herself. But perhaps it was due to this that Cecilia never cried again since then. 

To date, he still felt regret for that night. He had cried so pathetically like a child that he even robbed her sister of her tears.

".........Give me some time to think."

Randy said, barely holding on to his own tears, and quickly left the dining room. But once outside, his tears gushed forth like a broken dam.

◆◆◆

The next morning.

When the eastern sky was still dyed in white akin to the belly of a fish, Frelia called Cecilia who was quietly sneaking her way out from the back door.

"So you\'ve made up your mind to go on a journey."

"Mother... How did you know?"

Frelia approached her with a wry expression.

"I am your mother for crying out loud. How could I not know what\'s going on inside your head? You wouldn\'t want Randy to make a decision, after all. With how much he adores you, any decision he makes will only carve another deep wound in his heart."

Explaining so, she took Cecilia into a strong embrace.

"I love you, Cecilia. You are stout-hearted, but just as kind. You are our pride. I\'m sure if he had been alive, your father would have encouraged you just as much."

"...Thank you for understanding, Mother. Please tell brother… that I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye."

Frelia chuckled. 

"Don’t sweat it. Given Randy, I bet he would rather follow you to the end of the world, rendering any farewell hopeless."

"Haha. I bet he will… I’ll pray for your eternal health, mother. I\'m leaving now!"

Frelia watched her daughter walk away, her fingers interlaced. She then raised her hands to her face, bending her knees slightly in an old knight’s salute.

"Take care of yourself, Cecilia. May your journey be safe."

◆◆◆

"Where do you think you\'re going without an escort, young lady?"

As Cecilia stood in line at the riverbank ferry, someone approached her from behind.

Turning around, she saw Dio carrying his spear on his back and dressed for travel, luggage in tow. 

Dio was five years older than Cecilia and came from the Ringart family, a vassal family of the Dosperior household. From a young age, he had been rigorously trained to one day serve Cecilia as her personal guard.

"Dio... Why are you here?... Is that my luggage?"

Dio nodded.

"Randy-sama visited me late last night and said that the young lady would attempt to sneak out in the morning for sure. He also said that you\'re still very much unaware of the world, being the sheltered princess that you are, and that you would struggle if you were left alone. So he asked me to stay by your side."

Cecilia was surprised. She couldn\'t believe her brother had foreseen what she would do.

All sorts of emotions welled up inside her, but—

"Aha, I can\'t have you making such expressions, young lady. And the Master\'s concerns weren’t unfounded. Standing here without any luggage and lining up for the ferry without purchasing a ticket. There is no end to the riffraff and scoundrels that would take advantage of you. It\'s unthinkable to let you go out without a follower. 

Society outside needs more than just brawn to weave your way through. \'As much as I would like to dispatch hundreds of attendants with her, that girl would never accept it.\' These were the words of Randy-sama, so please accept his kind intentions."

"...I’m merely treading on my path to death, so your company is for naught, even for you. Please convey my strong reluctan—"

As Cecilia tried to refuse, Dio gave off an aura that could almost be described as anger.

"Until a while back, I, Dio Ringart, was... prepared to follow the young lady to her grave. But I had to rethink my conviction after my conversation with Randy-sama. Now, I would like to watch how you will draw your life from this point onward, young lady, and... when that end arrives, I will convey the details to Randy-sama and Frelia-sama. 

At the very least, the tales of your travel would soothe, even if only by a small amount, the wounded hearts of the Dosperior family which has become so desolate and grief-stricken after losing their light."

"......Understood. I appreciate your devotion, but you have to live your own life once you pass the news of my departure to them… And I bet he must be watching us from up there right now."

Cecilia turned toward the central part of the city where the towering Rabeldin Tower stood, and waved with a smile.

The tower, being the tomb of their ancestor and harboring a multitude of secrets and legends within, was a place of significant meaning for the Dosperior family. 

The top of the tower provided an overview of the entire city in all directions.

Cecilia knew that even if her eyes couldn\'t see that far, her brother must be watching her through a telescope, shedding tears with a smile.

E/N - You thought it was the translator, but it was I, Dio—- *cough cough* I mean the editor! But seriously, do you guys still remember that explorer who escorted Allen to Dragreid in the earlier chapters?