Chapter 6 …
(If it were Chloe, she should have known properly. Just how overbearing that father was—and how he treated his daughter like nothing more than a tool. But my past self had selfishly convinced herself she was finally free.)
Erich gently patted Chloe’s shoulder as if to comfort her while she sank into gloom.
“Don’t look so down. It’s not like I’m telling you to give up on your dream of becoming an adventurer.”
“Yeah…”
Chloe understood that much.
They were fugitives.
Instead of acting recklessly, they needed to move carefully—at the right time, and in a safe way.
She had only grown a little anxious.
She had gained the power of magic, and she had gained a partner in Erich.
Everything had been going smoothly, and she believed she could finally live freely. But just one small stumble had already made her uneasy.
“You don’t need to worry. Leave dealing with them to me. Chloe, you can just enjoy the life of a commoner in the royal capital. That’s better than a noble lady suddenly becoming an adventurer, right?”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
Now that he mentioned it, Chloe remembered—she had been a sheltered noble lady.
Because she had regained memories of her previous life, her mindset had completely shifted to that of a commoner.
But in this different world, common sense might be entirely different. It might be a good idea to experience life in the city.
“If you use magic to change your hair and eye color, I think it’ll be safe for you to walk around outside.”
When he asked if she could do that, she answered, “Probably.”
(I’ve only just awakened… I don’t even know what I can do yet.)
Her lack of knowledge about magic was a problem. While living in the city, she might need to study a bit.
(In games or novels, you immediately become an adventurer and set off on a journey—but reality isn’t that simple.)
She realized that her lack of knowledge and common sense was what made unexpected situations so unsettling.
First, she needed to learn.
“I’ve only just realized that I can use magic. I need to study a lot of things.”
“…Is that so?”
Erich widened his eyes in surprise at her response.
“Yes. That was the first time I ever used it by my own will.”
“And yet you blew away a princess’s magic. That’s impressive, Chloe.”
Being praised so openly made her blush.
“I-I don’t know about that… But there’s still so much I don’t understand, so I have to study. If there’s a library, I’d like to go there too.”
But would simply changing her coloring really be enough?
“I can change my hair color and such, but is that really enough?”
“Yeah. Your hair and eyes are very beautiful, Chloe. They stand out a bit too much.”
“I’ve only ever been told they were plain.”
Her pale golden hair and light blue eyes—this was the first time anyone had ever called them beautiful.
“Let me guess—was it Prince Kirif or your father, the commander, who said that? Chloe, whose words do you trust more—theirs, or mine?”
There was no hesitation in her answer when he brought up her unfaithful fiancé and overbearing father.
“Of course… yours, Erich.”
“Good. That’s all that matters. You are beautiful, Chloe. So make sure you disguise yourself properly.”
“…Okay.”
She had never thought being called beautiful could make her this happy. Blushing, she nodded, and Erich smiled in satisfaction.
“First, we need to find a base. Staying at an inn would cost too much, and there are too many eyes around. Let’s rent a small house somewhere in the lower district and live there.”
“The two of us?”
“Of course. It’s dangerous to be apart, and I’m relying on your magic too. It’s better if we stay together.”
Hearing that he relied on her made her happy, and she nodded.
“…You’re right. Okay, I understand. I’ll leave finding a house to you.”
“Got it. I’ll look for something small—probably with only one bedroom. Of course, that’s for budget reasons. We don’t know what lies ahead, so we can’t waste money on a place that’s too big.”
“Ah, right…”
Considering that this might turn into a long-term situation, a low budget made sense. As she nodded, Erich gave her a refreshing smile.
He said he would go look for a place right away.
“I’ll also check on the security in the royal capital. Chloe, make sure you don’t go anywhere near the castle gates.”
“Got it. Be careful.”
It felt like she had been somewhat swept along, but leaving things to Erich was probably safer.
After seeing him off, Chloe gently touched her own hair.
Her pale golden hair.
She had always hated it.
She had envied her brother’s brilliant golden hair and Erich’s shimmering silver hair.
(…Beautiful, huh.)
But if Erich said so, maybe it wasn’t as bad as she had always thought.
Touching her hair, Chloe let out a small, soft smile.
