His Majesty the King, who came to visit me in my room, greeted me politely and then walked into the room.
　Then he turned his eyes with a mixture of sharpness and calm and slowly opened his mouth.

''........Miyama-dono, I may be rude, but do you mind if I break my words?''
'What?　Oh, yes. I'd rather not even need a lord or anything like that.
Well, thank you. Well, I'll call you Miyama-kun. You will also call me by my name, Lasse, not His Majesty the King.
Yes, sir.

　

''Well, let's move on to the main topic of my sudden visit.
Yes, sir.

　After preamble to that, Lasse-san moved to the front of me and bowed deeply with both knees on the ground.

''Once again, I want to apologize to you. I'm truly sorry.
What?　Huh?　Or, look up!　If you want an apology, I got one a while ago!
"No, that was only an 'apology as the King of Symphonia'.
Okay, okay!　Because Mr. Lasse was fully aware of how you felt!　Please look up!

　Mr. Lasse is apologizing now, not as a king who owes his country, but as a human being.
　He wants to apologize from the heart, not for the national interest, etc... I was very happy about that feeling, but the fact that he is being made to fall on his knees by someone who is more than 10 years older than he is makes me feel rather sorry for him.
　Anyway, when I told her that I would accept her apology, Lasse-san bowed her head for a few seconds and then slowly stood up.

''........Thank you. The anxiety of being forced to spend time in a strange world, away from a familiar land, albeit for a limited period of time, by means of a means such as summoning a hero. With that in mind, I should never have acted like that.
....
'And while you do that, if you get to know the mighty, you'll return your palms and apologize for it you'll look ridiculous. I don't mind being laughed at as a foolish king.
...There was a reason for that, wasn't there?
....

　The words spoken by Lasse-san show a certain sincerity, and the emotions I read in the sensory magic also show a deep regret.
　After all, I couldn't believe that I did that for the reason that this person just didn't like it.

''It's not just because Lilia-san is pretty, is it?
"...Lillianne's pretty, you know. She's a really precious sister....
But isn't that the direct reason for the incident?
From what I've heard from the vixen, she's got a pretty good eye for detail.

　After saying that and letting out a slight sigh, Lasse-san looked at the couch provided in the room and asked me if I would mind sitting down.
　When I nodded in response, Lasse-san sat down on the sofa and opened her mouth while looking straight at me.

''I ... maybe I was ... afraid of you.''
...Scared?
'Oh, you're not the only otherworldly person who 'can't find out what you did in the past'... Aoi-kun and Kusunoki-kun, I think?　I'll have to apologize to the girls again. I'm sorry for causing them unnecessary anxiety...
Extra anxiety, sir?
I was the one who instructed Count Dukas to use the coloration against them.

　Count Doukas?　Who was it?　...Oh, you're the Count Toad from the Temple!
　I mean, what?　Did Mr. Lasse give you the go-ahead?　What do you mean?

''........If that frightens you, the position of the protector, Lilianne, will also rise. From the bellicose count to the former princess who protects the guests of the other world, the people around her will remember her better. If that happens, Lillianne's position will also...
....
'Your anger is understandable. When we're done talking, if you want to beat me up, I'll accept it.

　Hearing Lasse-san's words about using Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san to improve Lilia-san's position, I seem to have unknowingly looked at her with anger in my eyes.
　But after all, I could feel deep regret from Lasse-san, and I couldn't just yell at her without thinking about it.

''Well I guess I really didn't have the luxury of time. I regret, even now, that I did a foolish imitation to incite anxiety against you guys who are no different than my own children...........................It will sound like an excuse.
''No, I can see why you really think that, Mr. Reiss.
Thank you.

　Saying that, Lasse-san bows her head to me once more, and then her eyes become somewhat distant as she stares into the distance.

''.........I am by nature not the vessel of a king.
....
'But I couldn't. I would put Lilianne before the national interest.

　After talking that far, Mr. Reis returns his gaze to me and is silent for a bit before continuing.

Did you know that I'm a member of the inner circle?
"...Yes. Lilia told me about it.
'Well I ... used to be 'sparse' about Lilianne.
What?

　I am astonished by the words Mr. Lasse told me.
　Ms. Lasse, who was famous for being a Ciscon according to Luna Maria, and in fact, told her that Ms. Lilia was more important than her country even now, was she alienated from Lilia?

'I've only had a mediocre or slightly above average talent. For years and years, since I was very young, I studied hard to become a future king, suppressing my desire to play. And when it finally began to bear fruit, the Queen's son, Lilianne, was born, and there were calls for her to be king.
....
'I really resented Lilianne's existence at the time. I had worked so hard all my life, and now I might not be king and all the things I had built up over the years might come to nothing. That made me angry.

　I think that's a terribly difficult question.
　Lilia-san said that she and Lasse-san had a bit of a dispute over which of them would be king, but in reality, they may have been quite at odds with the queen's faction.

''........In the end, because Lillianne was too young and my father was a bit frail and wanted to hand over the throne early, it was decided that I would be the king, but my fears didn't go away......''
....
'Lilianne was a rare genius. All the knowledge I spent years learning and the skills I cultivated, that girl acquired in the blink of an eye... it was scary. Objectively speaking, I am far inferior to Lilianne. I'm afraid that I'll be dragged down from the throne of the king eventually...

　Even though he told her that he was afraid of Lilia-san, Lasse-san's expression was somewhat kind, as if he was nostalgic for the past.
　And after a little silence again, Lasse-san opened her mouth with a gentle smile.

''........But Lilianne adored me. She missed me by calling me brother, brother, and always cared for me. When the unfamiliar duties of a king made me tired and I was not feeling well, she was there to take care of me. I cried at my own stupidity and wondered why I had neglected such a kind sister. Since then, that girl has been irreplaceable to me...
Okay.
'After that, I couldn't help but feel pretty about Lilianne. I tried harder than ever to be a king who would be ashamed of that girl. More than anything else, I wished her well... even when it was suggested that Lilianne should have a fiancé at her age, I was sad, but I was pleased if she would be happy... yes, I thought... It was.

　I knew that Lilia-san had a potential fiancée, but looking at Lasse-san's expression now, I felt that there was a slightly different aspect to what I heard from Luna Maria-san.

''I heard that the engagement was rejected by a frightened opponent when Lilianne was the runner-up in a martial arts tournament... Isn't it strange?
...What?
'No matter how strong Lilianne is, she's a sweet girl. Why should she be scared?　And at the time, Lilianne was a princess don't you think it's normal for her to want to be engaged by all means?
Speaking of which...

　Indeed, if you ask me, no matter how strong Lilia-san is, I don't think she would turn it on her fiancé, and as a royal, Lilia-san is supposed to be the best marriage partner for a nobleman.

I was also curious and looked into it, but it seems that while hiding behind the goodness of her outer appearance, she has been doing bad things behind the scenes. The fact that he was frightened by Lilianne is just an excuse, and it seems that he originally planned to refuse the engagement because he didn't think he could handle the girl with her strong sense of justice... Well, he politely asked her to leave the stage.
....
''It's just that Lilianne was quite shocked about it. For that sweet girl, it was really hard for her to say that someone scared her.......she was crying out loud in her room.

　Even when I heard about it from Luna Maria-san, Lilia-san didn't want us to be afraid of her.
　To the gentle Lilia-san, it must be more painful than anything else for her to be scared of her power by others.

''........So, Rise-san.......''
'Yeah, after that incident, I decided to look into the background of any guy who approaches Lilianne. As my brother, I have to say, that boy seems to have really bad luck with men.
....
Are you aware of what happened four years ago?
Yes, sir.

　I nodded with a serious expression to Lasse-san, who changed to sharp eyes and asked me.
　Four years ago........the knight's group of which Lilia-san was the divisional commander was switched out of information.
　And as a result, the incident that resulted in a large number of demons attacking and Zeke-san getting seriously injured.

''........I still can't forget Lilianne's face at that time. The sad and painful expression on that girl's face as she apologized to Sieglinde, who had lost her voice, with tears streaming down her face.......
....
And even more than that, I blame myself for my disappointment. Why didn't I protect Lilianne, why didn't I protect her, why didn't I take action before this happened, when I knew the factions were opposed to each other on the throne?

　Lasse-san's expression is really tainted with strong regret as she clenches her fist tightly and bites her lip as she tells me.
　Because Lilia-san is sincerely important to me, I can't forgive myself for not being able to protect her....

"I swore then that I would never let him do that again. I vowed then that I would never let Lilianne look at me in such a heartbreaking way again, and I didn't care if I was disqualified from being king. I scrubbed the other person's background, and if there was even the slightest bit of blackness, I smashed them without any compassion whatsoever.
....
For whatever reason, those men were all men. Before I knew it, I was rumored to be the one who would smash Lilianne if a man came near her, and I can tell you it was actually like that.

　From Lasse-san's bitter smile, I could see a certain resolve in her expression, and I could understand that she had different feelings than I had imagined from what I had heard from Lunamaria-san.
　And Rise-san continued to speak, scratching her head with a somewhat troubled look.

''That's why I was afraid of Kite and the others, who are otherworldly people. There's no way to find out who you are as an otherworlder. I couldn't tell if you guys were good guys or bad guys. But maybe it's because only men have been the target of exclusion in the past, and I've dealt with you with a particular prejudice.
"...Mr. Lasse, can I ask you one question?
What is it?
Why are you telling me this?

　Mr. Reis told me a story that I was willing to open up to. Thanks to that, my impression of this person has changed a lot, but I didn't know why she was talking to me about it.
　After hearing my question, Lasse-san was silent for a bit.....................a gentle smile.

''........I have something else to say to you besides my apology.
'What?　What?

　Immediately after saying that, Rise-san puts her hands on the ground again and bows her head deeply.

''..........Thank you so much.......''
What?
'I know from the letters you sent to my father that you have restored the rapport between Lilia and Sieglinde, and that you have given Sieglinde her voice back. I don't know how much I could ever thank you for that.
No, no, I'm not...
'Thank you ... thank you so much ... for saving Lilianne's heart ...'
Mr. Lasse....

　Drops fell on the couch, and from the trembling voice, I could see that Lasse-san was crying.
　He really cares about Lilia-san, and he must love her with all his heart.
　Lasse-san tells me many, many times to thank her, and after bursting into tears for a while, she stands up.

''Well I really should have told you earlier, but I'm sorry it took so long.
No, it's good to hear what Mr. Lasse really thinks.
Thank you. Miyama-kun, there is one thing I need to ask of you.
You want me to do something for you?

　Saying that, Lasse-san looks straight into my eyes and tells me the words she probably wanted to convey the most.

''........I don't care what choice you make in the end. However, whether you remain in this world or return to your former world.................I want you to face Lillianne's feelings with sincerity. That's all I wish for.
Okay. Okay.
Thank you very much. If you ever need any help in the future, you can always tell me and I will be happy to help you.

　Seeing Lasse-san smiling with a calm expression on her face, I firmly imprinted the weight of her words on my heart.

　Dear Mom, Dad--The impression you get when you meet someone in person is often different, and Lasse is a much different person than I had imagined. And most of all - he was a brother who cared for his sister.










　After Lasse-san left the room and looked after him, he exhaled.

At least a cookie - ouch!
You need to learn how to read the air!
'Geez!　Cheeks coming off!　I'm sorry!　There's something about the air of seriousness that makes me want to tease... well, flirt?　--Huff!
That's even worse!

　He punched the idiot who shattered the new air with a blow.
　Hey this guy.........preaching decision....