◇002 Reunion with My Parents
“What!? Does that mean that man was a kidnapper!?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s regrettable that we couldn’t bring him to justice with our own hands.”
According to what Tanya told me inside the carriage, the man who had struck me three years ago wasn’t my father or anyone related to me. In fact, he was the one who had kidnapped me.
Three years ago, I was taken by my parents to visit my maternal grandfather’s estate. It was there that I was kidnapped. One of the maids working at my grandfather’s house had been the kidnapper’s mistress and had helped him with the crime.
After being handed over to the man by the maid, I was forced into shabby clothes to avoid drawing attention, and then taken to the slums. It was there that I was struck, and that’s when I regained the memories of my previous life.
“We received a ransom note and went to the designated meeting point, but even after several hours past the scheduled time, there was no sign of the kidnapper. Eventually, the maid’s involvement was uncovered, and when we rushed to the slums to apprehend the man, we found he was already dead in the street. After that, we lost all trace of you, Sakauraile-sama.”
I remember… after that, the old apothecary woman found me, and I was quickly taken out of the country. I spent a year wandering from place to place.
It made sense that I couldn’t be found, as I had been in a foreign country. Later, when I returned to this country, I didn’t go back to the city where I was kidnapped but instead ended up in that remote town.
I never imagined I had already left the country. In fact, my disappearance had been kept a secret from the public. The search for me in my grandfather’s city had been extensive, but it was all done covertly.
The daughter of a duke, a family tied to the royal bloodline, had been kidnapped. That would cause a scandal for sure. There must have been political enemies, and revealing such a thing could have brought more danger to me. I understood the desire to keep it a secret.
Large cities typically have strict procedures when entering, but leaving is usually more lax, unless there’s a special order. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and we had already left without being found. I had been exhausted and lying in the covered cart the entire time, so the gatekeepers at my grandfather’s estate may have overlooked us.
Wait… Does that mean if I had just stayed there after the man died, help would have arrived soon enough? Because I ran, I ended up spending three years in the slums…?
If I hadn’t escaped from the man in the first place, maybe I could have been saved and returned home safely…
Ughhh, what was I thinking?!
…No, no. There’s no point in dwelling on what-ifs. The important thing now is what happens next.
“Um, I… I don’t have any memories before my time in the slums…”
“It seems so… However, you may remember something once you meet your parents. Please try not to worry.”
The carriage continued on its way to the capital. It would take about five days to get from the remote town I had been living in to the royal capital. I never imagined I’d be heading to the capital.
One of the knights had already ridden ahead to notify the Duke and Duchess of Philharmonie. They were eager to inform them as quickly as possible.
I see… So, I’m a Duke’s daughter now. I can’t quite wrap my head around it. In my past life, I was just a commoner, a poor student.
While I was caught up in my thoughts, my attendants were making sure my clothes and hair were properly arranged before we reached the capital.
When I looked in the mirror, I was shocked. I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’d say, “Is this really me?” Sigh… When I’m dressed up, I almost look like a Duke’s daughter. So this is what they mean by “you can dress up a donkey, but it’s still a donkey.”
But this face… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before. Not in the mirror, but… maybe somewhere in my past life? Where was it? …Well, never mind.
And then, five days later, the carriage finally entered the royal capital and headed toward the Philharmonie Duke’s estate.
The capital was huge, and everything I saw felt new and unfamiliar, but my emotions weren’t focused on the city. My nerves were on edge.
“I’m starting to feel nervous…”
Is this really okay? I don’t have any memories of my parents at all. Even though I was only three, I believe my personality should have been formed by then. Will they think I’m a completely different person because my character has changed so much?
No, wait… My memories from before I was three are gone, and my previous life’s memories resurfaced, so I’m essentially a different person now.
“It’s okay. You are definitely Sakauraile-sama, without a doubt. Look, we’ve arrived.”
The carriage comes to a quiet stop. Tanya gently pulls me out of the carriage, and in front of me is an unbelievably large mansion.
It’s huge...! As expected of a Duke’s house. There’s even a garden with a fountain. Over there looks like a rose garden. I wonder how many square meters this property covers...
As I’m lost in such pointless thoughts, someone suddenly starts running towards us from the front entrance. It’s a woman. Oh, she tripped.
As I’m flustered seeing the woman fall, she quickly stands up, runs towards me with all her might, and immediately embraces me tightly.
“Ah, Sakauraile…! You’re alive…!”
“Ah…”
I immediately realized. This woman must be my mother. She looks much younger than I expected, in her early twenties, but since I’m six years old, I suppose it’s not impossible.
With her face all blotchy from tears, my mother lifts her face and gently cradles mine in both of her hands.
“Let me see your face properly. Heh, you haven’t changed. Do you remember me? I’m your mother.”
“Ah, um… I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything from before I was three…”
“I’ve heard. It must have been difficult for you. But you are definitely my daughter. Sakauraile La Philharmonie.”
With that definitive statement, my mother smiles through her tears again. She has the same pale pink hair as mine. Her eyes are blue, so they’re different, but I can tell that I definitely share her blood.
“Hey, hey, Ashley. It’s not just you—this child is my daughter too, you know? You can’t keep her all to yourself.”
“Wha!?”
Suddenly, a large hand reaches out from the side and lifts me up. Standing before me is a man, also tear-streaked, just like my mother.
“Well, well, looks like you’ve gotten heavier! This is going to be tough on my arms. Haha, I’ll have to start training a little more!”
With long blonde hair and the same jade-colored eyes as mine, this handsome man in his early twenties lifts me up. Could this be my father? He’s so young!
“Ah, um…”
“Our daughter has come back to us…! Goddesses of Creation, thank you…”
I’m speechless as the man, whom I assume is my father, embraces me. For some reason, tears begin to well up in my eyes as well. It’s because I can feel the deep, unwavering hope and longing my parents had while they searched for me, never giving up even in their despair.
I feel guilty, though, as these are objective tears—just like the ones shed during a touching movie or drama.
However, I do understand that these two people care for me deeply, and I must never put them through such anguish again.
As the three of us are reunited, the surrounding maids, the elderly butler, the knights, and even the other servants are all in tears as well. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I bury my face in my father’s shoulder.
◇ ◇ ◇
"What about Sakauraile?"
"She's asleep. Heh, she looks so adorable while sleeping. I could have just stared at her forever."
Ashley, who had returned to the living room, smiles happily.
Her husband, Cloud Li Philharmonie, the head of the Philharmonie ducal family, gazed at his wife's heartfelt smile, seeing it for the first time in three years, as if it were dazzling.
As if to escape that radiance, Cloud's gaze shifted to Tanya and Ewan, who were standing by his side.
"So, you’ve properly seen the apothecary’s wife’s burial?"
"Yes, I’ve requested the priest to take care of the grave on behalf of the Duchy. She will surely travel peacefully to the heavens."
"Good. She was the one who protected and raised our daughter up to this day. Normally, we would offer our respects to her family as well, but her son seems to be nothing but a worthless scoundrel. We’ll have no further dealings with them."
"Understood."
The point being, even if the apothecary’s son were to come and demand some kind of reward, claiming his mother had been the benefactor of a duke’s daughter, they would not entertain such demands.
On the surface, Sakauraile has been said to have been ill and receiving treatment on the estate for the past three years. There is no mention of her having been abducted.
No one would believe the claims of some common scoundrel who abandoned his own mother’s body.
"Still, to think she has no memory of anything before three years ago…"
"It seems that Sakauraile-sama was repeatedly struck on the head by the man who kidnapped her. The shock of it caused her memory loss…"
"That bastard!" Cloud’s anger flares, but the kidnapper is already dead. The maid who helped him was executed as well. There is no one left for Cloud to direct his anger toward.
As Cloud clenches his fists, Ashley gently places her hand on top of his.
"Let’s be happy that she’s returned safely, my dear. We must love her for three years, no, even more than that."
"...Yeah, you’re right. From now on, we have to make her happy."
With his wife’s gentle words, Cloud regains his composure. Yes, this is just the beginning. To restore those peaceful days, he knows he must put in even more effort.
"Have you informed your father?"
"Yes, I’ve sent word by courier. He should be here in a few days."
The person who regretted Sakauraile’s kidnapping the most was Ashley’s father, and Sakauraile’s grandfather, Zarbach On Einzatz, the Baron of the Einzatz Borderlands.
After all, it was during a visit to his estate that his granddaughter was abducted. And it was by the very maid he had hired.
The Philharmonie Duke and his wife had been repeatedly apologized to by the Baron of Einzatz. Once known as the "Lion of the Imperial Nation" and feared on the battlefield, the man had aged rapidly, perhaps due to the immense strain.
But now that his daughter has safely returned, Cloud hopes that the old man’s guilt will be alleviated.
"I’ll have to inform my brother and mother as well. I should send a messenger immediately."
"Surely, they will be overjoyed."
Cloud Philharmonie, the Duke, is also a royal prince. His older brother, Wyndham Li Symphonia, is the emperor of the Symphonia Empire.
Since Sakauraile’s kidnapping, his brother had provided both visible and invisible assistance for his niece. Cloud is certain his brother will be overjoyed at the news.
There is much to be done starting tomorrow. For now, they will watch over Sakauraile’s health, and afterward, she must undergo the "Revelation Rite" to receive her "Gift."
Normally, the "Revelation Rite" is performed around the age of three, but Sakauraile had been kidnapped before she could receive it.
Given that she had been living in the slums, it’s likely she had never undergone the "Revelation Rite." This means she’s already three years behind other children.
The "Revelation Rite" can only be performed before the age of seven. There is still plenty of time to catch up. Cloud reassures himself that there is no problem.
"I hope she receives a good 'Gift'..."
Cloud cannot help but pray to the heavens for his daughter, who must have endured so much suffering.
◇ ◇ ◇
"...Ah, I remembered!"
With a sudden motion, I threw off the blanket and returned from the dream world.
The room bathed in moonlight was not a small six-tatami apartment nor a familiar makeshift hut, but the room of a young lady from a ducal family—Sakauraile La Philharmonie.
I leaped off the unnecessarily large bed and, standing in front of the vanity in the dim light, I carefully examined my reflection. Though not in ringlets, the resemblance was unmistakable. There was no doubt about it.
"Philharmonie family, Symphonia Empire, and Sakauraile... This is the world of the otome game 'Starlight Symphony,' isn't it?"
In the mirror, a child who resembled Sakauraile La Philharmonie, one of the villainous daughters in the otome game Starlight Symphony, stood frozen, staring blankly.
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