Confession

Thank you for reading!

I am truly surprised to have ranked fourth in the daily rankings under the Low Fantasy category.

I am deeply grateful, and my thanks know no bounds—it is entirely due to the readers’ kindness.

Truly, thank you.

I regret that I have not been able to dedicate much time to writing, and that my updates have been delayed. I will continue to work hard toward completing the story.

Please enjoy the world of “Fade and Nurture,” the continuation.

“You are calling me grandmother, are you not, Grandmother?”

“Yes, I’ve been meaning to say this for so long… Now, let us speak more fully inside our home. This is no place for such words.”

She said this, then gently pulled my hand, leading me away from the spot.

I followed, drawn by her hand, like a child.

After leaving the room and passing through the building, we arrived once more at the familiar capital of the Emmental province—Kiwa.

Even in the dead of night, the lingering warmth of the Foundation Festival remains strong. The stalls are shuttered, yet signs of life persist—faint voices from inns and taverns, light spilling through cracks in the shutters.

Yet it is profoundly quiet.

It feels a little like my heart right now.

A darkness heavy with anxiety, yet strangely warm—like the breath of those awaiting dawn, their quiet resolve pushing forth new growth…

“…Will I become a proper young lady…?”

The hand I hold—my grandmother’s—tightens once more around mine.

No words were spoken, yet I felt the certainty of “of course” beneath my palm.

Without hesitation, we step into the carriage. We do not head toward the church, but toward the lord’s manor.

“Are we not going to the church?”

“After so long apart, I should like to speak with you a little longer.”

“I have already informed His Lordship. May we remain together until the ceremony?”

The immediate reply reassured her that she was not alone, yet she felt flustered by the shift from her usual solemn grandmother to this unexpected warmth.

Upon returning to the lord’s manor, I began speaking with the two of them.

I was led to a sitting room adjacent to their private chambers.

Having settled onto the offered sofa, my grandmother herself prepared tea.

The rich, fragrant aroma tickled the nostrils, and the tension that had held her body taut since earlier began to ease.

Her tea was blended differently for each guest—a quiet expression of care for the drinker.

“Now then, where shall we begin, Kekka?”

My grandfather spoke to my grandmother. Her expression softened slightly, and her gaze, previously fixed on the tea set, turned toward me.

“I know… We must begin with an apology…”

Spica, I have treated you more harshly than anyone else in the family. I knew—knew that you suffered, that you were hurt. I am truly sorry.”

“N-no, Grandmother, I knew you would not act without cause! There must be a reason…?”

I gently stop Grandmother from bowing further, guiding her to sit on the sofa. Her hand, when I take it, returns my grip.

“See, she… was given by the divine. A Gifted one. Spica, just like you…”

I tilt my head, unfamiliar with the word.

What is a Gifted? If she is like me… does that mean Grandmother also bears the sacred sight?

My confusion must be visible, for Grandmother speaks softly, answering without hesitation.

“A Gifted is exactly what the name suggests—an endowment from the divine.”

This is a truth known only to a select few among the imperial family and high-ranking officials… Perhaps you were taught it when you became part of the royal line.

A Gifted is, as the name suggests, a divine endowment—though it manifests differently in each person. The most commonly observed pattern, however, is in physical traits.

Like you, Spica…

When such traits appear visibly, concealment is difficult, and thus they become known to the common people.

She strokes my head as she says this.

“But there are those whose Gift does not show physically.

Some see the future in dreams. Others know when a person lies. There were even those who could eat enormous quantities.

Such individuals are so rare that their existence is spoken of like a tale from a fable. I’ve heard that if one is found, the nation quietly takes them in and safeguards them.

And I possess a sharper intuition than most.

Though I seldom pay attention to such gifts, there are times when I intuitively grasp matters that can alter a person’s fate.

It was the same when I first met you ten years ago. I intuitively saw your future tied to the royal line. And at the same time, I saw your future—eternally unaging—and I was shaken to the core.

That must have been when I came here at the age of seven.

I only understood later that my grandmother’s stubbornness then was a sign of her own turmoil.

I once used this gift to change the fate of one person…

She said it was her own choice, yet I still feel deep regret.

I vowed never to speak of this gift again… never to alter destiny again. But if you are summoned to the royal house, you must be prepared. You must have the resolve, the discipline, the training. I have seen it up close.

Especially you, as an adopted daughter—there are many court sparrows who speak without restraint. That is precisely why I have been so strict, striving to arm you with as many tools as possible… I feared you were too pure, too unblemished by the world’s deceit… I treated you thus because I knew you could not withstand the court’s malice if left as you were…

All of it, I might say, was for your sake. Yet I am aware of the suffering you endured…

“Then, the countless times I was made to redo my礼仪 in childhood, and the many times I was sent to the second-floor chamber—was that also done with such intention?”

“Yes… I had you perform the ritual several times so that, even after long journeys, you would still carry a steadfast grace. I prepared the second-floor chamber simply to ease your weary body, and also to set aside a room you would use after marriage. I had hoped that, should you ever return to this land, the younger you might one day support the older you, as you once did.”

That’s right… Since that time, Grandmother has been thinking of me all along…

“Kekka was adept at managing affairs and etiquette, but clumsy in how she lived—so I’ve repeatedly advised, ‘If she’s bound to be misunderstood, better to indulge her.’”

Grandfather spoke with a teasing tone, and Grandmother narrowed her eyes at him sharply.

“Back then, wasn’t everyone else already indulging this child without regard for family bias? If no one had been strict with her, how could she have grown straight and true?”

Without another word, they began arguing past me, yet it was somehow endearing.

From fragments of their conversation, I came to understand how much they had cared for me, how they had quietly offered their help in so many ways.

Even the words I had spoken to the Empress Dowager—those had come from Grandfather and Grandmother.

When Grandmother sighed, regretting she had not meant to tell, Grandfather replied, “Then take this chance—speak it all, and ease your heart.”

I could not help but let a smile slip out.

I murmured how fortunate it was I had not known how wonderfully endearing Grandfather and Grandmother truly were, and Grandmother straightened her face, clearing her throat once before turning to face me.

“Truly, our future was the one with the smaller chance. But then, that woman—Stella—came, and fate turned its course toward us.

I believe she is gifted, too.

My intuition tells me so.

I suspect she wields powers akin to enchantment or temptation.”

“Grandmother, that is simply impossible. We nobles wear magical talismans to protect ourselves from such magics.”

I instinctively protest. I, too, had questioned the sudden change in my family’s demeanor, had doubted the influence of enchantment. But protective talismans do include defenses against such magic…

Grandmother gently shakes her head.

“Giftedness is not magic. It is a gift from the divine—power that is not magic. Thus, it is impossible to create a magic eye such as yours through enchantment, and equally difficult to shield against it with magic.

Yet it is said that such power is less effective against the Gifted themselves. Whether by accident or intention, the use of their abilities must carry some restraint.

In my case, it seems the condition is that I cannot wield my power at will, and I only perceive fragments of truth—fragments that are not guaranteed. That is why I have never been confined by the nation. She, too, must have some constraint of her own.”

Stella had once tried to do something for me, but she seemed puzzled when my attitude did not change.

Do you recall nothing of the sort?”

As I reflect, I remember feeling a certain irritation—more than once—after her words, when things did not go as I wished.

Was it because I was gifted…?

If so, then perhaps she grew frustrated when her influence could not reach me…

“Grandmother, if that is true, will the Emmental house be safe? To wield such power even against the imperial family…?”

“We feared that very danger, which is why we kept Cain and his wife within the Emmental lands. So that, in the worst case, the fault would be laid at the head of the capital, and the next generation would not bear the consequences…

We cannot even imagine the extent of her power, nor the reach of its influence…”

Ah… I see now. Cain Elder had originally wished to reside in the capital for the sake of his research, yet even before marriage, he had remained in Emmental.

I had been told that once the transfer of land management was complete, he would return to the capital. Yet there had been no sign of such intention—now I understand, it was because Grandfather and Grandmother had prevented it.

“Have you informed the imperial family of this?”

I asked hesitantly, and received the reply: “Of course.”

The thought that not only my sister’s bloodline, but also the divine favor bestowed upon her, may have influenced this decree, stirs within me a complex emotion.

Grandmother quietly sipped her tea and said, “We must now leave the matter to the imperial judgment.”

Grandfather too looked into the distance and murmured, “I am no expert in the arcane. If that so-called power were subject to physical force, I would have shattered it long ago…”

It was said that, beyond age, another reason for not visiting the capital city in recent years had been to avoid contact with her.

Among the household staff, there were those who had become utterly devoted to her, as if transformed, and others who now questioned the actions of their former masters. At present, they were implementing measures in response to these differing tendencies, as I was informed.

Though those who had changed gradually showed some easing over time, there was a tendency to be drawn back again upon renewed contact. Combined with the fact that certain matters had been pursued in secret, progress had been slow and difficult, I was told.

"Why were you not made aware of this, even with me?

Had you told me, I might have found some way to manage it…"

When I voiced my anger, the two of them replied again, “We are truly sorry—we were too late with the information. By the time rumors of Spica reached us, we did not know who might already have become a victim of her power… We were left behind, and we are deeply ashamed.”

“Moreover… even if the effect was weak, upon further reflection, I may have been under her influence as well… I did not think to contact you… I might not have thought to reach out even if you had not written to me.”

Yes… upon further reflection, when Grandmother met your elder sister, she was likely already using her power—consciously or not.

If it is judged that I was under her influence, I can accept no less. And if even fellow gifted ones can be affected by such power…

“I’ve pleaded countless times with the royal family to lend us a sacred artifact capable of suppressing the power of the gifted, but they’ve always turned us away…”

The depth of your efforts to protect Emmental within your means is clear. And with it, the sorrow of having done nothing at all.

If I think of Grandfather and Grandmother fighting here, it feels wrong to direct my anger toward them. I understand their suffering, somehow…

“Thank you for sharing this with me…”

“Now then, Spica, worry not. We’ll manage what needs to be done for the family’s future… So please, rest easy. Tell me more about yourself. Let us hear of the Spica we do not yet know.”

With that, Grandfather gently pats her head, as one would a child.

Ah… I truly am powerless…

Even you two must know there are few options left now…

The use of enchantment or temptation magic upon members of the royal family is an absolute taboo.

A grave disrespect, one that could lead to the extinction of the house…

How bitter it is, now, to realize my own helplessness…

And yet, the resentment toward my family for not believing in me remains unerased… even if my sister-in-law truly possessed such unnatural power…

After a brief silence, I contained my anger within my heart and spoke to the two of them.

My story—beginning from just before my sister-in-law’s return…

They listened to me with deep sincerity.

Nodding at times, showing sorrow at others, rejoicing together… and shedding tears for me, with me.

They offered me companionship as family.

In but two years, they gave me what I had felt so distant from in the empire.

As I became aware, sunlight was already streaming into Emmental—the place that welcomed the earliest dawn in the empire.

It was so warm, so comfortable, so difficult to part from, that I felt a stirring of hesitation at the thought of continuing on my duty.

It seemed to be the same for the two of them, for I was gently asked if we might extend our stay by a few more days.

Yet I shook my head.

“This is my decision.”

Yes, this is my decision.

My chosen life.

My chosen fate.

That day, I entered the church of Emmental as the next Virgin of the Barrier.