I Start with a Bad Hand!

“Why didn’t the ducal house recognize their own child in the first place?”

Agnes asked with a face full of questions. I was curious about that too.

“…You’ve seen it yourself; I clearly resemble the governor. Since her existence wasn’t known to the ducal house, they wouldn’t have considered that possibility.”

“Even so, couldn’t they have figured it out somehow?”

“I don’t know all the details, but I heard there’s a record of my biological father, the head of the orphanage where Roxanne was, confessing to the switch. Given how I look and how Roxanne looks, they probably found his confession credible.”

It felt strange to refer to someone I didn’t even know as my biological father. With Godwin’s sudden appearance, it seemed like I had too many parents. My real parents in Korea, Dietrich’s adoptive parents in Heylem, and now possibly Dietrich’s biological parents…. Even counting all my friends here, they were fewer than the number of mothers and fathers connected to me.

“So for now, that letter is the only evidence we have, but if the ducal house doesn’t believe it, there’s not much I can do.”

“Can’t they recognize their mother’s and wife’s handwriting?”

“If they can’t recognize their own child, I doubt they’d recognize handwriting.”

Then Icarus, who had been quietly listening from the corner, spoke up.

“We can confirm it, definitely.”

“See!” Agnes exclaimed, grabbing my arm and shaking it again. Ignoring my bewildered expression, she continued triumphantly. “That’s why you should go to the ducal house!”

Rubbing my soon-to-be dislocated joint, I asked, “How can you confirm it? By examining the handwriting?”

“We can request it from the archivist.”

“Archivist…?”

Leaning against the window frame, Icarus explained, “More precisely, a time mage. Not all archivists are time mages, but many hold both positions because of their abilities. You know one—Horatius.”

The ability to pry open the gaps of past moments and glimpse into that time—a time mage’s power. Most citizens of the empire were born with negligible magical abilities, each manifesting differently, but time magic had the unique trait of being hereditary.

‘Which Horatius would that be?’

I knew two Horatiuses, and I pictured both. One had a steely expression, unlikely to flinch even with a knife at their throat, while the other had a softer demeanor, as if welcoming a stab.

‘If one of them is an archivist, it must be Irene.’

Irene seemed like the type who would chase down a fleeing emperor to record something, even documenting his reluctance to be recorded.

“There are probably conditions for using the power. I don’t know much about time magic either, but since we have a letter presumed to be written by the Duchess of Elexion, it should be possible to investigate.”

You could find out what you’re curious about with that. Despite willingly sharing his knowledge, there was a peculiar, subdued look in Icarus’s eyes.

“Then let’s go ask the senior right away!”

There was no time to wonder why Agnes was so excited. Following her lead, we headed to the student council room where Irene was.

“It can be done.”

See? Agnes quietly whispered in my ear after Irene’s first words.

“For an archivist to trace the past, three things are officially needed: a time mage, a living being from that time, and an object to compare the traces engraved on that being. That object must have existed at the same place and time.”

“How close?” I asked.

“Close enough to have been perceived by the senses of someone who was alive at that time. If the person wasn’t aware of the object, it’s hard to identify. That’s why it’s rarely used, usually to identify tools used in crimes… most people remember what hit them unless it was poison or a back attack.”

Agnes raised her hand quietly in the somber atmosphere.

“Can’t you use it on a corpse?”

“I said ‘living being.’ A corpse is no longer living.”

Although we gained valuable information, the term “living being” left an unpleasant feeling.

“Then, will you be doing this work in the future, senior?”

Irene glanced at Agnes’s sparkling eyes and then looked away.

“I can’t. The rules in the family have changed… Only those with the Horatius surname can be archivists now.”

If my engagement is successful, my surname will soon be Elexion. Irene’s comment completely sank the already somber mood. Icarus seemed distracted for a while, and I was always feeling down.

“Officially, huh? So what about unofficially?”

“There’s one more thing needed, but it’s confidential, so I can’t say.”

Irene glanced at her watch, though she didn’t seem to be in a hurry. 

“I have to go now.”

Our investigation seemed to be ending there… until it restarted with a sudden, frantic knock.

“Hey! I found out. But why are you… already in your pajamas? It’s just a little past nine.”

“Managing my health. What did you find out?”

“The unofficially needed thing.”

“…What?”

Pushing past me as I frowned, Agnes quickly entered my room. How did she find out? I couldn’t imagine Irene telling her.

“Did the senior tell you after all?”

Mentioning Irene made Agnes pout briefly.

“No, we fought about it because she wouldn’t tell me!”

“What? Why?”

“She wouldn’t tell me no matter how much I begged! I almost clung to her legs.”

I laughed at the mental image of Agnes clinging to Irene’s legs.

“Wait, so you fought with her over this?”

“I don’t care. I’m not talking to her for a while now.”

To think that Agnes fought with Irene rather than just getting scolded. Where did she get that kind of spirit? I admired her tenacity but also wondered if it was really necessary to go that far. Am I the only one feeling awkward in the middle of this?

“So how did you find out the secret?”

“Klaus told me.”

After asking him a few times, he finally gave in. He said he couldn’t sleep knowing that we were so curious. Agnes, unable to hide her excitement, took off her coat. I genuinely worried about the future of the Horatius family if their secrets could be pried out so easily.

“The required thing is a sacrifice.”

“A sacrifice?”

…No wonder Irene was adamant about not telling. A sacrifice inherently involves loss, and if the public knew about such a condition, it would surely cause chaos.

‘What was Klaus thinking, revealing such a secret?’

As I lamented the future of another family once again, Agnes continued, likely thinking my expression indicated confusion.

“You need an object that has existed for as long as the time you want to observe. So, if you want to look back 17 years, you need something that was born or made exactly 17 years ago. It can be either a living being or an inanimate object, but it depends on the time mage’s capability. The less powerful ones need to draw energy from other living beings. Skilled time mages can extract the needed energy even from a single grain of sand.”

“It’s more complicated than I thought.”

“No, it’s not. That letter mentioned it.”

“What do you mean?”

“It said that an idol was made to commemorate your birth.”

Ah, that letter. I had shown Godwin’s letter to Agnes due to her insistence. I didn’t expect her to remember it so thoroughly and use it like this. Impressive memory. Maybe it’s because she’s an actress? As I stared at her, she smiled cutely, and then said something that left me speechless.

“We’ll steal… I mean, borrow it.”

“…Isn’t that a crime?”

Agnes’s eyes gleamed with excitement again.

“We’ll just use it secretly and then put it back.”

“That’s absurd. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

Not knowing where to begin, I naturally rubbed the back of my neck.

“Do you think the grand ducal house is a joke? Or the ducal house? It’s already outrageous to think of sneaking in, let alone stealing something. Absolutely not. If we get caught, it won’t end well.”

“We won’t get caught. We’ll put it back afterward.”

“How do you expect to not get caught? Outside the academy, we’re not protected by the rules like we are here. You can’t just act recklessly like you did with Aiden.”

Even though I often acted recklessly, Agnes’s situation was different from mine, with her bright future ahead of her.

“…Aren’t you curious about your past? I’m going crazy with curiosity, but don’t you want to know what happened in a past you don’t even know?” Agnes said with a face full of pure curiosity. The sincerity in her voice and expression drove me mad.

“I’m curious too.”

“See? You’re curious too.”

“But it’s not as important as your future.”

Agnes, who had not backed down a single word until then, fell silent. I felt sorry for Dietrich, but I didn’t want to involve others in uncertain matters that might put them in danger. When it comes to conflicts between the living and the dead, the living take precedence, especially if the living person is a friend.

“Are you my mother?”

“Even if I’m not your mother, anyone with common sense would say the same thing. And since we’re talking about mothers, what would I say to your parents if something happened to you?”

“…Why would you face my parents?”

“Hey! Stop splitting hairs!”

Our dragging argument reached a temporary lull as my voice rose. The room was filled only with our heavy breathing.

‘Wow, it’s been so long since we had a fight like this.’

We never fought like this, even as students. I swept my hair back roughly and glared at my stubbornly silent friend.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you interfering in my affairs?”

“…What?”

“No matter how much of a friend you are, meddling in my personal life is overstepping. I never asked for your help, and I won’t in the future either. So stop it.”

“How will you find out? You have the materials and the method, yet you’re hesitating. How will you do it?”

“Hey. Does it matter so much to you whether I’m part of the Ducal House or not? Is that why you’re doing this?”

It might have been a harsh thing to say, but I had no choice. Agnes’ plan was not only irrational but also too dangerous, and as the person involved, I needed to stop it.

So… I definitely needed to.

“…Do you really think I’m doing this for such a trivial reason?”

It wasn’t necessary to say something that would make her cry. Agnes, who was glaring at me with eyes brimming with tears, left, slamming my dormitory door before I could stop her.

That night, I couldn’t sleep.