Chapter 96

SIDE: Third Lady Lucretia

It seems I've managed to lure her into the dream. While my blessing's trait prevents me from directly harming her, even with that restriction, my ability is more than enough. After all, in the dreams induced by this magic, memories gradually fade, leaving only the memories of the dream world. Eventually, she will forget everything about the real world.

"Hehehe, such a cute sleeping face... I can't believe the executives and the dragons couldn't stop a child like this... If my child were still alive, they would be about this age now..."

Still, what the child said earlier is concerning. Perhaps I should prepare sooner rather than later.

For now, it should be fine to leave this child here. By the time a day passes here, a year will have passed in the dream world. When she wakes up from the dream, the shock will likely drive her to choose death.

"Sorry, dear... It's necessary for my long-held wish... At least, enjoy yourself to the fullest in the dream world for a year..."

In this dream, there are limitations, but one can see dreams that are favorable to oneself. If the person desires it, even world domination is not impossible. ...Even bringing back the dead is possible.

"I can't stop here... I'm sorry..."

---

SIDE: Owl

The giant red iron tower, the high-rise buildings, the salarymen walking in suits. I've seen this scenery many times before. This is undoubtedly...

"...Tokyo."

I pinched my cheek to test, and it hurt. ...Wait, why am I here? I remember going to meet the Third Lady, and then...

"Hey, who's the Third Lady again...?"

"Ah, there you are! I've been looking for you!~"

I turned to the familiar voice and saw a woman I knew standing there.

"Nanami...? Why are you in Tokyo?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? You told me to come to Tokyo with you! I followed you from Sapporo's JR Tower observatory where you proposed while we were looking at the night view, remember? And today, we decided to go on a date in Tokyo, didn't we?"

This woman is definitely my girlfriend, Nanami Honda. But Nanami and I were in a long-distance relationship... and I brought her to Tokyo because she didn't like it?

My head feels foggy, and I can't remember clearly. But if Nanami says so, it must be true. She's a very reliable woman, more than I deserve.

"Sorry, sorry, maybe I was just tired. Anyway, I'm hungry, so let's have lunch."

"Alright, I'll take care of everything for lunch! Hehe~"

"Leave it to me. What do you want to eat? If it's something simple, I can make it. I have the ingredients in the storage, like pasta..."

Wait, what's this storage? What was I trying to do? There are so many restaurants around, why was I trying to cook?

Phew, calm down. I must be tired.

"What are you talking about? But I agree with pasta! Actually, I already found a great pasta place around here, let's go there!"

"Sure, you did your research well."

I didn't do any research at all. But why was I trying to make pasta? I like cooking, but I felt like I was planning to make it completely from scratch. And I even thought about making a stove... It feels like my thoughts have regressed to a primitive lifestyle.

"We're here! This Italian place has great reviews. Not just pasta, but the pizza is also highly recommended!"

"Indeed, it looks delicious. Let's go in."

Wow... It looks stylish inside too. The seats are not too close together, which I like. The staff are all cute, and if the food is good, I might become a regular.

"Ah! I saw you checking out the staff, didn't you? With a cute girlfriend right in front of you, really. Men are so..."

Hehe, here we go again. Nanami's lecture time. It feels nostalgic, like I haven't heard it in over 10 years.

Still, it's hard to believe such a cute girl is my girlfriend. Her short black hair suits her well, and her features are beautiful. You can tell she's pretty at first glance. Yet, her style and personality are not pretentious. She's a bit competitive, but that's what makes her attractive.

"Are you listening? ...Ah, you were staring at that brown-haired staff member, weren't you! She's cute and sexy, right? Is that your type?"

Oh, I was thinking too much.

"Stupid, that's not it."

Well, I do think that staff member is cute and has a lot of charm, but... I feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Where was it?

"Hey, Nanami, have you met that staff member before? She feels familiar..."

"Hmm, I don't know her. ...Maybe you went to the same school? If the atmosphere is similar, maybe high school or college?"

But it's rude to ask based on such uncertain grounds, and we're on a date.

...Let's drop it.

"Hey, let's get the uni and salmon cream pasta. And maybe a Margherita pizza."

It's been a while since I had uni and salmon. If I made pasta with these, everyone would enjoy it. ...Everyone, who are they? I feel like I'm forgetting something, but what?

"They all look delicious. I'll have... this! Japanese-style mentaiko pasta! Of course, extra large with soup and dessert. Hehe, itadakimasu!"

She really eats a lot! But that's not new. She keeps eating until the last minute at all-you-can-eat places and still maintains a model figure. She must have a very high metabolism.

After ordering, the pasta, soup, and salad arrived in about 15 minutes. The uni and salmon were generously used, and it looked delicious just by looking at it.

"Let's eat!"

Delicious!! I didn't know uni cream pasta could be this good! This is worth the high price. The side salad and soup complement the pasta perfectly without overpowering it. The only downside is that I can't dip the leftover pasta sauce with bread.

"Good choice. Thanks, Nanami."

"Hehe, you're welcome! Hey, let's share the pasta!"

This feels nice. It's like a normal couple, and it's refreshing. Sharing food and laughing over small things... This is what happiness feels like.

Nanami was right; the pizza here is delicious too! I remember the pizza I had in Italy before I died was also amazing.

Ouch...

It hurts...! My head suddenly hurt, but it's better now. Wait, I've never been to Italy. Why did I think I ate pizza in Italy? And I died...?

Ouch, ouch...

"Hey, Nanami, have I ever been to Italy?"

"As far as I know, you haven't. What's up? Oh, but you said you wanted to go to Italy before. Maybe we can plan a trip together! I'd love to try authentic pizza!"

If Nanami doesn't know, I must not have been to Italy.

...Was I just imagining it?

Since Nanami came to Tokyo with me, I shouldn't say anything strange and make her worry. ...Wait, if Nanami is in Tokyo, that means...

"By the way, Nanami, is it okay to leave your mother in Hokkaido? I remember she was very ill..."

"Yeah, but I wanted to follow you, so I came here despite feeling bad for her! It just shows how much I love you! Don't make me say it, it's embarrassing~"

!!

...Something has been bothering me, but now it all makes sense.

"Hey, Nanami, do you know why I fell in love with you?"

"What, all of a sudden? Well, maybe because I'm cute? And because I'm a reliable and caring woman?"

Well, that's part of it...

"That's true. But the main reason is that you're a kind woman. When your father passed away early, and your mother, who raised you alone, fell seriously ill and had to be hospitalized, you didn't complain once. Even though you were a college student and still wanted to have fun. I thought you were amazing and wanted to support you."

...But when I got a job in Tokyo, it was a tough decision. Should we continue the long-distance relationship or part ways and start new lives?

"..."

Nanami is looking at me with a gentle face. Her face seems to radiate kindness and understanding.

"...You're not the real Nanami, are you?"

The moment I thought that, my head cleared up. Compared to before, it's obvious my mind wasn't functioning properly. ...This must be a dream world. When you realize you're dreaming, you can suddenly grasp more information. I think it's called a lucid dream.

I believe that's what's happening to me now.

"Hehe, you're sharp. My job was to keep you here. I'm a creation based on your memories. So I am Nanami, but I'm not Nanami. ...I'm sorry."

"No, even if that's the case, I had fun. Thank you."

"You're welcome! ...Oh, now that you've realized this is a dream, the world is becoming unstable. I think we have about three days left."

Three more days... If the time flows the same as in the real world, that's not good.

"That look on your face is worrying about the time, right? I can see right through you! But don't worry, one year here is just one day in the real world."

...That's like the Room of Time. But even if I spend three more days here, it will only be about four minutes in the real world.

"Can you stay with me for a few more days?"

I didn't want to break up with Nanami. But she couldn't leave Hokkaido, and it wasn't right for me to tie her down when I couldn't be with her.

"Hehe, sure. Let's go on lots of dates?"

She's a great woman. Meeting someone like her in a past life wasn't so bad...

"Even if it's meaningless to ask the current Nanami, can you tell me one thing? ...Was breaking up with you the right decision?"

This has been on my mind. Even after reincarnation, I didn't dwell on this, but if I could ask, I wanted to.

"Seriously, I can't say if it was the right decision or not. But the Nanami in your memories always seems so lively. It must have been hard for both of you in a long-distance relationship, and you probably thought it would hurt me less. I think that's your kindness. Since we decided together, you should have confidence. Even if we broke up, the happy times we spent together didn't disappear, right?"

I don't know if it was the right decision. That's true. I had a lot of fun with Nanami. I hope the real Nanami is happy now. No, I want her to be happy.

"Thank you. I feel lighter now."

"I'm glad. Let's enjoy the rest of our dates?"

...Right! Let's enjoy it!

---

"Soon, this dream world will collapse."

"I know. These three days have been really fun. Thank you."

"Hehe, me too. It was great to meet you again."

In these three days, we did everything we could think of for dates: movies, amusement parks, theme parks, high-end restaurants, and drives. In this regard, I might have to thank the Third Lady.

I got to see Nanami again and enjoy Tokyo after a long time. I couldn't go to Hokkaido, but I got to try many foods. I even came up with new recipes I want to make. I gained a lot.

My life on Earth ends here. When I wake up, I'll be Owl again. I need to catch the Third Lady and talk to her.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Don't blame the one who cast this magic too much? She's actually a kind person. She's a bit twisted now, but if you can, please listen to her. I believe you can do it. Remember, don't make women cry unless it's from happiness!"

"...Ha, you're tough, Nanami. I'll try to listen to her."

"Yay! Thank you, bye-bye!"

---

Hmm...

This is... the Third Lady's room, right? I'm lying on the bed. The Third Lady... Oh, she's still in the room.

"Good morning, Lady."

"---?!"

She seems quite surprised. Of course, I was supposed to sleep for a whole day. But I should listen to the Third Lady first. It's a promise to Nanami.

"Thank you for the pleasant dream. ...Please tell me, what do you plan to do by manipulating the royals?"

I don't think she'll talk just by listening, so I'm using my intimidation. If she talks, that's good...

"Ugh... I didn't expect anyone to wake up from the dream... You're quite special. It's as if you're blessed by the gods."

You have a good intuition... I don't know if I'm blessed, but I am special.

"Will you tell me everything?"

"...Trying to listen to me without capturing me is unusual. But for some reason, I trust you."

The Third Lady started explaining in a faint voice.

I'll update slowly.

I'd be happy if you could rate, bookmark, etc.

Thanks to everyone, I won the [Net Novel Award] and will be published by Futabasha.