Chapter 2: The End of the Dream, Reunion Across Time (Part 1)
The first time I had that dream was when I was playing princess in kindergarten.
A sudden daydream.
The vivid replay of "memories of my execution."
The shock was so overwhelming that I fainted, and an ambulance took me to the hospital.
Since then, whenever I encountered anything resembling a princess – be it playing princess or with dolls, or even wearing frilly skirts – the dream would haunt me, replaying the memory, and I would scream and collapse.
This continued throughout my childhood. I was deeply anxious about what would happen if this persisted forever. Fortunately, the frequency of the dreams decreased at a certain point.
The turning point was when I found twin teddy bears in a variety store at the shopping mall.
Two teddy bears that looked exactly like "Coco and Mel" from the dream.
I welcomed those two into my life, and the content of the dreams changed. The frequency of the dreams also decreased.
So, did this mean that the impact on my life and future had completely disappeared?
To cut to the chase, that wasn't the case.
In the dream, "I, Letitia," was the daughter of a noble family skilled in creating magical tools through generations.
Drawing blueprints, wielding tools, and handling magical metal Mistril were family traditions. She, too, had a strong desire for magical tools and aspired to become a magical tool craftsman.
However, her modest dreams were shattered by an engagement with the second prince.
If she married into the royal family, she wouldn't be able to create magical tools due to both time and social constraints. Upon hearing about the engagement, she was deeply shocked and fell into a period of despair.
Nevertheless, she managed to pick herself up and, alongside rigorous bride training, actively learned the techniques passed down in her family.
But a few years later, she was unjustly accused, labeled as a criminal, and executed without the opportunity to use her knowledge and skills.
Arrested the day after the incident, immediate trial, execution of servants and her father, and finally, Letitia's execution.
Without a chance to defend herself, on the fourth day of her arrest, she met her untimely end.
It was frustrating.
It was unbearable.
Why did it have to end like that?
The helplessness of the girl whose desired path was closed and snuffed out by the circumstances around her, leading to her unjust death.
Whether it was sympathy or empathy, it's not clear, but one fact remained: "I" inherited Letitia's feelings.
I, who pursued graduate studies in engineering, became an engineer at a certain industrial machinery manufacturer after graduation.
In other words, just like the Letitia in the dream, the current me—Mitsuki Miyahara—chose the path of creation.
☆
"Are you attending a wedding?" the driver asked.
To his question, I snapped back to reality.
A wedding... Ah, did he think that because of my dress? I belatedly realized.
"Due to work reasons, I have to attend a small ceremony," I replied.
"Oh, I see. Heading to the Imperial Hotel in a dress made me think it was a wedding," he chuckled.
I smiled wryly and shook my head.
What I'm about to attend is an award ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
Our team achieved practical application of "AI self-learning integrated control mechanism" in the joint development of a certain robot. Recognized as groundbreaking technology, we were to be honored by the country.
Five years of hard work.
A stage shining bright for engineers.
I thought it would be nice to wear a dress for this occasion, but was that a mistake?
It was at that moment, as I looked ahead, that something unbelievable happened.
Despite the rain and wind since morning, the sky remained dark even at noon.
The taxi I was in was just approaching a large intersection.
The light was green, and due to the straight road, we were moving at a decent speed.
From the left side of my field of vision, I saw something like a white plastic bag dancing in the wind.
The bag was lifted irregularly by the wind—of all things, it got tangled in the helmet of a motorcycle rider in front.
"!!"
The rider shook his head to get rid of it.
However, the bag clung to his head like a living thing, obstructing his vision and causing him to lose balance.
Crash, crash, crash.
The motorcycle and rider fell, skidding across the road.
"Damn!"
The driver swerved by turning the steering wheel.
With a screech, the taxi narrowly avoided a collision with the fallen motorcycle.
But the car entered the intersection, crossing into the opposite lane.
"Huh!?"
Headlights of an approaching truck from the left front.
Honk! The horn sounded sharply.
And then...
"!!!!!!"
Tremendous impact struck me.
☆
"Ughhh!"
I jumped up, tossing the blanket aside.
"Haa—haa—"
In the dim silence, the sound of my rough breathing echoed.
What a dream.
Of all things, a dream where I die on the way to a momentous occasion.
I guess I should skip the dress. My parents, seeing the photos from the ceremony, would probably sigh, but I should attend in a suit to be safe.
Thinking so, I lifted my face.
"...Huh?"
In the dim room.
What met my eyes wasn't the familiar 1DK room I knew.
No, to begin with, the size of the room seemed different.
A canopy bed.
A table set by the window.
A fireplace installed on the wall.
And a large oil painting hung above it.
A room that seemed like a noble palace from somewhere was spread out before me.
Familiar furniture and decorations.
The scenery I used to see every day.
"No way..."
My hand holding the blanket trembled.
It can't be. There's no way.
Two dreams, memories, became muddled.
—Why am I here?
It was an inconceivable reality.
Just as panic was about to set in, a young woman's voice reached my ears.
"...Milady?"
From beside me, I heard the voice of a young maid.
Startled, I turned to the source, and there, sitting on a chair next to the bed, someone was there.
Someone rubbing their eyes and looking up while sitting on the bed.
Red-tinted brown hair.
Slight freckles on the cheeks.
The familiar face from the dream.
"Anna...?"
The Anna who was executed in front of 'me' as a demonstration. To reassure me, she smiled until the very end of the execution.
The maid who served me from my childhood to the day of execution, like an older sister, was there.
"Milady...!"
She stood up with tears in her eyes, rushed towards me, and threw herself onto the bed.
In one swoop, she tightly embraced me.
"Milady! Milady!!!"
While embracing me, Anna sobbed uncontrollably.
My precious family, whom I thought I would never see again.
In her voice. In her warmth. Something warm overflowed from my eyes as well.
"Anna..."
I embraced her strongly, strongly.
We cried for a while, holding each other.
How long has it been?
Once Anna, who seemed to have
calmed down a bit, separated from me and wiped away her tears.
"Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness that Milady woke up."
"...Huh?"
"I'm glad. You've been sleeping for five days now."
"F-Five days...?"
"At the royal castle, during the audience with the king, you collapsed. The Earl brought you back, and since then, you've been sleeping like a log. Don't you remember?"
At that moment, intense dizziness struck me.
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