“Any other type of slave will bind you down, but a slave to authority is different. Authority will set you free. If you wish to become the master of authority then the only path you can take is to become a slave of authority first! This is the land that freedom lives and breathes. Therefore, this is a kingdom where the slaves soon become the master, and masters become the slaves.”
I had presented a proper milestone to my still young junior.
Similar to the time that I had kindly taught this to my younger half-siblings.
…… Unfortunately, my siblings were not the same as me.
Regardless, I was certain that this girl in front of me was going to walk the same path which I had walked and was still walking.
Sure enough.
“…… Haa, aaah.”
Miss Farnese let out a breath.
It was a breath that contained the warmth of her heart.
“Lord. This young lady…… has never had her chest pound as much as this moment. This is strange. This young lady can much too clearly feel the truth in your lordship’s words. My heart keeps beating……”
She was unable to show emotions well on her face.
But it did not matter. Her heated breaths were more proof than anything else of her sincerity.
One’s expression was minor, anyway. Was Lapis Lazuli not always expressionless, and yet was more taken in by the desire for power than anyone else? Authority had leaped over emotions long ago, and was much too deep to express with one’s face.
“Do you feel like you are alive?”
“Yes, lord. This young lady feels alive……”
“Inscribe into your memory that you are the type of human who can only feel life from this. If you ever feel like things are going wrong, then look back at what kind of human you are. If you do not forget your root, then you will never stray from your path……”
It was at the moment I was about to give her my last advice.
Someone’s voice played in my head abruptly.
Ο
‘I’m sorry.’
‘What for?’
‘That’s……’
Ο
Huh.
Piece by piece, like the sound that resonated whenever a raindrop fell into water, each memory was quietly rippled by a voice.
Ο
‘That is not the problem.’
‘The real problem is something else.’
‘Does your highness not know?’
Ο
The wavelength spread out like a circle and slowly drifted away.
Eventually, different parts of my consciousness responded to it.
It was not only the voice, but her face, the gaze of her eyes, and the dynamics of each and every one of her words remained intact and played.