This is from Lisanna’s perspective.
My name is Lisanna Roses von Pathos.
I just turned fifteen, the age of adulthood.
My hair is a mysterious blue-silver straight, and I keep it grown to the middle of my back.
My eyes are a cool ice blue, signifying my dignity as a noblewoman.
In other words, I am, by all accounts, a beautiful lady and a daughter of nobility.
However, my slow breast development is a flaw, but my sensitivity is outstanding, and I am confident I can please men.
That said, I have never engaged in base acts like masturbation, nor have I been involved in questionable affairs like improper heterosexual relationships. However, there have been times when my underwear rubbing against me felt… pleasurable.
Of course, I’d also prefer to avoid impure homosexual relationships like those between Sophie and Nemea.
After all, a noblewoman must remain pure until she is married.
My father is a central figure in the Yver Duchy, holding the important position of Prime Minister.
This means I am a genuine daughter of high nobility.
As this is important, I’ve repeated myself.
My homeland, the Yver Duchy, is a small country sandwiched between two great powers in the west vying for hegemony: the Wahl Imperial Kingdom and the Espana Imperial Kingdom. However, once the children of the Yver Ducal family and noble families turn fifteen and reach adulthood, they are permitted to make their debut in society within the Wahl Imperial Kingdom, our suzerain.
I had been eagerly counting down the days, looking forward to my dazzling debut in the Wahl Imperial Kingdom.
“What!? I should have been killed by bandits… why am I here?”
Princess Lyushenne Silveria Wahl, the Fourth Princess of the Wahl Imperial Kingdom, renowned as a beauty of national significance and known as the “Ice Flame Beauty,” and Princess Liliana Emilia Yangas, the First Princess of the Yangas Kingdom, whose beauty is said to rival that of the aforementioned princess and is known as the “Melancholy Azure Moon Princess.” These are individuals I might have the chance to become acquainted with.
“I see… Until this moment, I believed in my bright future and had no inkling that I would endure a miserable life on the run.”
However, the Espana Imperial Kingdom, a parvenue nation in the neighboring country, suddenly invaded.
The barbarian Espana Imperial soldiers mercilessly ravaged the Yver Duchy, and my father died defending Isbel Castle.
Following my father’s instructions, I escaped my residence with my maids, Manua Linbase and Yuliania Pentos.
Our escorts are Count Bent Jaeger, a formal knight of the Yver Duchy, his subordinate, the squire Hans Sadat, and Clotho Chart, making a total of three.
Incidentally, my mother and younger brother escaped separately.
Although it was deeply saddening, my father’s letter stated that this was a necessary measure for the continuation of the Pathos family.
Indeed, during our escape, I read a public notice stating that my mother and brother had been captured and publicly executed, plunging my world into darkness.
Meanwhile, thanks to my good deeds, I had been escaping without a single loss among my own party.
“No… I don’t want to see this outcome! Run, run!”
The situation worsened. Shortly after we escaped, Isbel Castle fell, and the Yver Duchy was annihilated.
Since then, we have been constantly moving from place to place, continuing our flight from bounty hunters.
Rumor has it that Nemea Charlotte von Sisilien, Sophie’s milk sister, has been hailed as the leader of the rebels (terrorists), but I detest Nemea intensely because we don’t get along!
After all, Nemea is a shameless and filthy creature who opens her legs to her master, Violette, the Second Princess. As a noblewoman who demands chastity, I cannot condone her existence.
Of course, I am aware that Sophie is the one who approached her, but as milk sisters, it is her duty to admonish her.
“It’s too late to regret now, but I should have humbled myself and asked Nemea to join me…”
“I should have asked Nemea to join me… But we were ambushed by bandits on our escape and should have been raped and killed… This is… surely it’s the flashback one sees just before dying. And the flashback continues, my end is near.”
The carriage carrying me approaches the hill.
“I should have been hanged, but why must I witness such a cruel replay again?”
◇ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◇
“Princess Lisanna, even those wicked Espana soldiers probably won’t pursue us this far into the countryside.”
Inside the carriage, which had its external decorations minimized to disguise it as a commoner’s wagon, Manua and Yuliania, my maids, sat opposite me.
The older Manua offered an optimistic opinion, perhaps trying to reassure me.
Count Bent was holding the reins of the carriage.
Furthermore, Hans and Clotho, squires, were riding ahead and behind the carriage, guarding us, as we advanced along the rural road in a perfectly secure formation.
Clunk, clunk, clunk-clunk, clunk.
“Manua, it’s good that the Espana soldiers aren’t pursuing us, but my bottom hurts because the road is so bad.”
I complained about thecarriage jolting violently on the rough road.
However, being on the run, my expression offered a hint of resignation despite my words.
Manua seemed to sense this and brushed aside my complaint.
“Princess Lisanna, I agree with you. Let’s return to town!”
However, Yuliania, who had been listening to our conversation, seriously agreed with my opinion.
While I was happy to have her agreement, it was impossible to go to a dangerous town in our current situation…
Young Yuliania, still inexperienced, is truly too shortsighted.
“Yuliania, this is an emergency. Princess Lisanna is enduring her grumbling, so you must be patient.”
The older maid, Manua, immediately reprimanded Yuliania.
“Manua, you’re so bossy.”
Reprimanded by Manua, Yuliania lowered her head and murmured something.
“Did you say something? Yuliania!?”
Manua, a blue vein appearing on her forehead, threatened Yuliania in a low, emotionless voice.
Despite our bickering, we were using our chatter to dispel the weariness of our escape.
Up to this point, we had been enjoying trivial conversations.
Ugh!? Hii-hii-iin!!
Sudden growls were followed by the horses pulling the carriage rearing up.
Then, through the window, I saw Count Bent’s back collapse as an arrow pierced him, spurting fresh blood.
“Princess Lisanna, I will protect you!”
“I… I will too! Kyahhh!”
Instantly, my maid Manua threw herself over my body.
Yuliania followed a moment later, but she was clearly terrified and screaming.
I wanted to cry out too, but as the mistress, I must endure – grunt – and hold back.
Thump, crash, rattle-rattle.
The next moment, we felt as if we were thrown into the air.
It seemed the carriage had veered off the road and overturned.
I fainted from the terrifying experience and the shock.
“Boss, there are three young ladies in the carriage. And they’re all alive, we’re lucky!”
My consciousness returned to the sound of a vulgar, scoundrelly voice, and I saw that the ceiling? was bright.
Then, I was stunned.
What I thought was the ceiling was the carriage door.
And Manua and Yuliania were holding onto me protectively, acting as cushions.
“Please… someone… help me…”
My voice emerged as a raspy, withered sound, like that of an old woman, breaking off intermittently.
I was probably too terrified to speak.
In any case, the frantic beating of my heart was the only thing I could hear clearly.
“This middle one, I’m taking her. The other two are yours to do with as you please.”
Then, we were dragged out of the overturned carriage.
At that moment, I saw that Manua’s left leg was bent at an unnatural angle as she shielded me.
Her leg bone was probably broken? Then, Yuliania, who was pulled away from me, had blood streaming from her forehead.
What kind of barbaric individuals have captured us?
Despite this sudden situation, my two maids had risked their lives to protect me.
“Please… don’t do anything… horrible to us…”
My words, fragmented by terror, could barely form a sentence.
Glancing around, I saw Count Bent, Hans, and Clotho lying in pools of blood.
They had been caught by surprise. Count Bent, who was holding the reins, had an arrow protruding from his back near his heart and had likely died instantly, thrown from the driver’s seat.
Squire Hans had a large indentation in his side and his neck was cut.
He was probably struck in the side with a blunt object, knocked off his horse, and then finished off.
And squire Clotho also had two arrows in his back and his abdomen gashed open, having met his death.
Because we were on the run, they were not in the glorious armor of the Yver Duchy knights but wore plain clothes, disguised as commoners. This proved to be their undoing.
Thank you for reading.
Episode 31-6 “Flashback!? I Hate Nightmares Replaying (Again) ②” is scheduled for posting at midnight on April 4th.
