The Shut-In Prince’s Splendid Social Debut — Me, a Villainous Imperial, Have Spent the Last Fifteen Years Fighting the “Wicked Thoughts” Eating Away at My Mind. When I Finally Returned to High Society, There Were Way Too Many People I Didn’t Recognize — - Chapter 22: Fryure Miare Grayash

I was dreaming, seeing memories from a distant past—my previous life.

I had been a normal child you could find anywhere. I visited my grandparents during Bon and New Year holidays, went on family trips, and still remembered playing in the sea. If nothing had happened, we probably would have been a happy family.

I had liked heroes of justice and admired the way they defeated villains, so I vaguely thought that someday I wanted to become an “ally of justice” myself.

But the future painted by that child’s dream disappeared quickly.

I contracted a state-designated incurable disease, one that gradually stopped the body from moving. I was hospitalized in a specialized hospital and underwent clinical trials alone.

At first, both my father and mother visited often, and as a child I looked forward to those visits and regretted the moment they left.

Before I knew it, however, those visits quickly became less frequent. Even then, I thought it could not be helped. People have their own busy lives, and sometimes they prioritize their own convenience.

Besides, perhaps they simply could not stay sane while watching me grow weaker day by day. Not everyone can face such harshness directly, and even as a child I tried to understand that.

—But that was not the truth.

Each time we met, my mother looked flashier, and my father had darker skin from golfing. Eventually I realized they simply wanted to get away from me. The hospital was paying money for the clinical trials, and they merely behaved politely toward the doctors and nurses so that funding would not stop.

They were that kind of carefree parents.

One time, my sister came to my hospital room and said something like, “Just die already.” I think she had realized the family itself had already become strange.

So I told them, “You don’t have to come anymore.”

My existence always made someone unhappy, and watching the people I made unhappy caused me pain as well.

I was an existence needed by no one—something worthless.

What saved me during that time was games.

Games were truly wonderful. They made me forget painful reality and constantly offered new discoveries.

In dating simulation games, I experienced school life I had never known and simulated what romance might feel like. FPS games were also fun, requiring precise aim and maneuvering.

But what I liked the most was hack and slash.

Instead of me, who could not move my own body, the protagonist could move freely. Many times I felt as though I had entered the game world myself.

Especially ERT.

Yet even then, the emptiness somewhere inside never disappeared. The loneliness that came when I was alone could not be deceived.

So when I reincarnated into the world of ERT, I thought, This time for sure.

I wanted to believe my life had meaning.

Although I never expected to die so quickly.

Had I managed to become someone needed by another person?

Now… I did not know.

“…………Please…………-sama…!”

Hmm…?

“…………Come…… back…… -sama…!”

I could hear something.

Was I not dead?

“…………Don’t…… die…… Yoa… -sama!”

Wait.

Did that mean I still had consciousness?

I felt a soft sensation beneath my head, along with the warmth of human skin.

And then—

pita.

A drop fell onto my cheek.

My consciousness awakened rapidly.

“…………Thank…… goodness. Yoan-sama…… Really………… really……”

When I opened my eyes, I saw the face of a beautiful silver-haired girl. Tears spilled from her crimson eyes and fell onto my cheeks.

What situation was this?

“Au, e?”

I felt like I recognized her, yet my mind still was not working properly.

“…………When I thought you might die………… I…… I… tsk…………”

Then I remembered.

This person was Fryure-san.

The one known as the “Ice Lady.”

It seemed she was giving me a lap pillow.

“…………Please, don’t leave me alone anymore… Don’t make me…… feel like that…… ever again…………”

Her emotions were incredibly heavy.

But somehow, it felt comforting.

I thought—

she had probably saved me.

…And at that moment, the Wicked Thought appeared.

[If it were Yoan, he would stick his finger into a nostril.]

…No, wait.

That was wrong.

This was a very touching scene, wasn’t it?

Besides, Fryure-san looked like the type of refined young lady who would stand on the balcony of a luxury hotel on the Mediterranean coast at sunset, wearing a white sun hat and a white dress.

There was no way I could do something like that in such a beautiful moment.

However, in my weakened state, I could not resist that urge.

“Ei.”

I stuck my finger into the nostril of that silver-haired beauty.

◇◇◇◇

“…I’m sorry. I was a little confused…”

I had done it.

My mind had relaxed too much.

“N-No… Um, I don’t mind, so…”

Fryure also seemed to have regained her composure.

The fact that she did not get angry at such bizarre behavior showed how composed she truly was.

She slowly took out a handkerchief and gently wiped my finger.

…The timing had really been bad.

“…”
“…”

It was awkward.

Extremely awkward.

I had just stuck my finger into a noble lady’s nostril.

Naturally, she would be cautious now.

“…Um.”
“…Ah.”

We both tried to start speaking at the same time.

And then both stopped.

“…”
“…”

Silence returned.

Fryure fidgeted slightly and avoided my gaze.

There was no trace of the so-called “Ice Lady.”

Had she always been such an emotional person?

(…More importantly, what should I do about this situation.)

I had no idea how to talk to a girl who was basically a stranger.

With Naphna and Serta it was different because I knew them to some extent, but I knew nothing about Fryure.

(…Still, she really was beautiful.)

It truly was a tragedy that she became the first victim in ERT.

Her eyes were bright red.

She must have cried terribly.

Had she really worried about me that much?

It was a little embarrassing.

Well, there were too many things I needed to ask.

“Fryure-dono, can we talk a little—Fryure… Eh?”

A faint voice interrupted me.

“—Could you call me… Fryure?”

She spoke shyly, glancing up while hiding her mouth.

(What is this adorable creature…)

Something felt strange.

It felt like she was looking at me favorably.

Even though I had stuck my finger in her nose, her affection had not dropped at all.

That was a first.

“…A-Ah. Then Fryure, I want you to tell me what happened until now.”
“Yes, please ask anything.”

She smiled gently.

“…Just a moment ago I was on the verge of death. But now all my wounds are gone, and even my severed left arm is attached again. What exactly happened?”

For some reason, all the wounds I had received were closed.

My body still hurt and was not fully recovered, but I could move.

“Regarding that—”

According to Fryure’s explanation, she had prayed for my recovery to the god worshiped in this world, the Sorrowful Mother.

The Sorrowful Mother had granted her power.

Using that power, she healed me.

The Sorrowful Mother is one of the aspects of the world’s god known as the Seven Aspects and is widely worshiped in the Azellan Empire. In simple terms, she is like a holy mother overflowing with compassion.

In ERT she had only appeared briefly in passing dialogue, but in this world she seemed to be a deeply rooted religious figure.

“Does Yoan-sama… know about my constitution?”

Fryure asked hesitantly.

I could guess, but I pretended ignorance.

“No.”
“Then it will be faster if you see it.”

Fryure extended her hand.

Then she spoke the words.

“‘Spirit Armament’—Manifest.”

I could not hide my surprise.

From her chest appeared a staff shaped like a scale.

“…Now you understand, right? I draw the blood of the Ancient Romanians.”
“…I see.”

Ancient Romanians were said to be a race from an ancient civilization who alone could handle Spirit Armaments.

They possessed crimson eyes, and the stronger their power became, the whiter their hair turned.

For reference, I belonged to the Adelian race.

Yet somehow I had ended up harboring a Spirit Armament as well.

“…Disgusting, isn’t it? As Serbul said, I am a detested cursed child.”

Fryure said that with self-mockery.

Because of the tyrant emperor Hywin, the reputation of Ancient Romanians had become extremely negative.

“That’s not true. Fryure is beautiful. You are not a cursed child.”

“…Tsk.”

“…”

Fryure suddenly turned bright red.

Perhaps she was not used to receiving praise.

Then I also became embarrassed for saying it.

“Tsk… Ancient Romanians are born with something called a Spirit Base in their bodies. It is like an immature vessel before becoming a Spirit Armament. I also possessed one.”

She placed a hand on her chest.

Only a handful of Ancient Romanians ever evolved their Spirit Base into a true Spirit Armament.

Which was why I had been surprised.

“And this is the Spirit Armament awakened by the Sorrowful Mother. Its name is [Scale of Equivalent Retribution]. It grants wishes equivalent to the price offered. Healing Yoan-sama was possible because of this power.”

“…You saved me. Thank you.”

Without thinking, I grabbed her hand.

“N-No… I was the one saved by Yoan-sama. If I had failed to save you, I would have killed myself right there…”

She said that with trembling relief.

“…Then Fryure—what was the price?”

The moment I asked, her face turned pale.

“Tsk… Um… my life alone was not enough as payment… so I had to restrict a part of Yoan-sama’s power…”

She trembled.

Clearly she felt guilty.

“Good. Then Fryure didn’t suffer any disadvantage, right?”

“Eh?”

My own power being restricted did not matter.

Both of us were alive.

That was enough.

“There is nothing for Fryure to worry about. As long as we are alive, there is hope.”

“B-But…”

Fryure still looked troubled.

“If not for Fryure, I would have died.”

“It cannot be fine!”

She suddenly shouted.

“…Fryure?”

“It cannot be fine… because Yoan-sama will never again—”

“Level up.”

“…”

“…Level is everything in this world.”

She explained that being unable to level up meant experience would never increase again.

For people in this world, that would feel like having a rope tied around one’s neck.

But—

“What… that’s all?”

For me, it was trivial.

If my strength stayed around Lv.380 equivalent, it was already more than enough for the human world.

I had even obtained a Spirit Armament.

If anything, the biggest issue was that my stats would appear as Lv.1.

Still, I would worry about that later.

“Eh?”
“I really don’t mind. See? I can move like this. Even my left arm—tsk… it’s still numb but it will move soon.”

Fryure had reattached it.

“B-But…”

“Until recently I couldn’t even move my body properly. You know the story of the Shut-in Prince, right?”

“…Tsk.”

Compared to those years, this was nothing.

“I’m actually happiest right now.”

“…But I cannot forgive myself.”

She bit her lip.

Then an idea suddenly came to me.

(…Wait.)

Her family was wealthy.

If I brought Fryure into my faction, my pitiful Third Prince faction might finally gain some power.

“…If Fryure still feels guilty, then there’s only one thing to do.”

I smiled.

“—Lend me your strength from now on.”

I extended my hand.

“Tsk…!”

Before the Second Prince faction could reach her first—

I would recruit her.

“How about it?”

“…B-But Yoan-sama has Naphna…”

“I’ll handle the Perdraon family matter. So please—take my hand.”

I said quietly.

“I need you, Fryure.”

“Tsk…?!?!?!”

Her face turned completely red.

Then she took my hand.

“…Yoan-sama, please allow me to stand beside you forever from now on. In sickness and in health, I swear to support you.”

(Nice.)

My faction had gained its first real ally.

“Then let’s return. Everyone must be worried.”

“But how do we leave?”

“I’ll use the Teleportation Jewel. Hold my hand.”

I activated [Spatial Transfer].

“Yes… H-Husband-sama.”

…I definitely heard something strange.

“What did you say?”

“N-Nothing.”

Her ears were red.

But before I could think more about it—

the teleportation activated.

Now then.

What excuse should I make to Serta?

I had already begun thinking about that problem.