第１５０３堀：私と彼女ともう一人 (Part2)
"……I wonder. There is no doubt that I was offered up, but I believe I have actually been saved."
"Saved?"
I tilted my head, unable to grasp the meaning behind her words. She, however, continued without a pause.
"Yes. To be perfectly honest, after I was bought as a slave, I did not expect any future beyond the moment I finished divulging my information."
"My, you certainly understand your own situation well."
"My only value lay in knowing the location of the treasure and the fact that my body remained unblemished. I assumed that once I revealed the treasure's location, I would be reduced to a plaything, sold, and then sold again, over and over."
"……"
I couldn't deny it.
It wasn't just Asu and the others who told me; I’d heard enough from the slave traders who frequented our lands to know that such was the fate of most women as beautiful as her. That was precisely why I worked so hard to ensure Weed remained a sanctuary.
"My father and mother treated their own slaves with such callousness; I simply assumed my turn had come. I thought of it as my final duty as the head of a nation."
"You say that so easily. That’s a terribly harsh reality. You never know—there might have been someone who would have truly taken you in."
"I would not say the probability was zero, but it would have been fleeting at best. Given my position, any organization that possessed me would inevitably become a target of resentment. Especially if the treasure were never found, or if it proved to be a forgery. They would have tried to recoup their investment by any means necessary. By using me."
She was right.
Knowing the circumstances of her sale, the chances of her being treated with care were slim to none. They would have squeezed every drop of value out of her. And if they failed to do so...
"But my expectations were wrong. Dressa, Seraria—the mistress of Ria—and Yuki-sama took me in with entirely different intentions. And I have been placed in this environment. I suppose one could call this a 'good future.'"
I was happy to hear her say that, yet that was precisely why one thing remained unclear.
"Tell me, Canaria—if you think things have turned out well, why don't you smile?"
That was it. She was in a situation that should be incredibly favorable to her. She ought to be showing some sign of happiness. But there was absolutely none to be found.
"……I do not see the point in smiling. There is no longer any need for me to put on a mask for the sake of politics. Besides, I still harbor doubts as to whether I have truly been 'saved.'"
"Doubts, you say? Do you think we would treat you poorly?"
"I do not yet know you all well. And I know better than anyone that a nation must be prepared to discard someone when the situation demands it."
I wanted to tell her that wasn't the case, but Canaria didn't know Yuki-sama. That man would never cast his own kin or companions into the abyss of misfortune.
……Though he was certainly merciless to his enemies.
"Well, I understand what you're saying. It’s asking a lot to expect you to trust us after only two or three days."
Ah, she was right.
Even I, and even Dressa, had needed a fair amount of time before we could trust the people of Weed and Yuki-sama from the bottom of our hearts.
"That's true. In that case, how about you let us get to know you from here on out?"
"I have no right of refusal. If the masters have granted permission—if they have issued an order—I shall simply follow it."
*Ugh.* She was truly thorough, or perhaps it was more that she had closed her heart off entirely; it sounded like a business report. I felt that, while she was broken in a way similar to me, the nature of that fracture was fundamentally different. Still, there wasn't much I could do about that. In times like these, it was best to be straightforward.
"Well, we have permission from Yuki-sama and the others, so let's go get some breakfast first."
"That's right. Being together is the first step toward becoming friends, don't you think?"
"I am in no position to judge that. I do not believe that time is the only factor in becoming 'friends,' but since it is an order, I shall comply."
*Yeah*, this was going to be difficult. I exchanged a wry smile with Dressa, and in that moment, our hearts connected.
Ria wasn't the only one with a similar background. Dressa was surprisingly similar, too. It’s something everyone tends to forget, but Dressa was a princess, after all.