Otomege Volume 3 Extra Story

Extra Story – Rude and Rauda

.

The cemetery of Fanoss House territory.

The new tomb that was prepared beside both her parents belonged to her little sister Hertrauda.

It was decorated with many flowers. Her elder sister Hertrude also placed a flower bouquet there.

「Rauda──I can finally visit.」

The duke house was busy after they lost the war.

From a princess, now Hertrude was a duchess. Her days were busy as the acting duke.

Because of that, she was unable to visit the grave until now.

Hertrude shed tears.

「I wonder why it turned out like this. Even though originally I should be the one who died while Hertrauda survive. How can I be the one who survive.」

There were also the maids who took care of Rauda and her guardian knights at some distance away.

Originally it should be Rauda who survived.

Because of that the number of people who took assisted Hertrauda numbered a lot more than Hertrude.

But right now they were assisting Hertrude.

「Everyone is gone. Father, mother, and even Bandel are gone. Onee-chan is all alone if even Rauda is gone.」

When they were children, they decided to use the magic flute in order to take revenge against the kingdom.

The user would die if they summoned the guardian deity.

That was why Hertrude volunteered herself in order to protect Rauda who was younger than her.

「Actually I should be──and yet I’m the one who live.」

After losing their parents, they only had each other as family.

Sometimes they also quarreled, but they would reconcile right away.

Her previous little sister Rauda──Hertrauda, she wanted her little sister to live.

Hertrude remembered the time before they proclaimed war toward the kingdom.

That day, Rauda came to her room and said she wanted to sleep together.

She accepted and the two of them sisters slept together after so long.

Even now Hertrude could recall Rauda’s face that was crying when she saw her off.

「If only, I was smarter」

Thinking back now, they were just used by their retainers as they pleased.

Hertrude burst into tears and clung on the gravestone.

「Rauda, I’m sorry. Because Onee-chan is unreliable, you became a sacrifice──I’m really sorry.」

Just where did they go wrong?

The people around left alone Hertrude who was crying in front of her little sister’s grave.

Amidst those people, a man who was dispatched from the kingdom looked at his pocket watch and spoke.

「Acting duke, it’ll be time soon.」

The man informed that it was the time to return to work. The people around him protested.

「Be more flexible for this kind of time at least.」

「There is no way you don’t know how long Hertrude-sama has been waiting for this.」

「This is why the kingdom’s people is just」

The principality──the duke house’s people defended Hertrude.

But, the man who was dispatched from the kingdom made a cold expression.

「The procedure in the kingdom will be slowed if the affairs here are delayed. Besides, I wish that you all can be thankful just from me allowing you to take time for this kind of chore.」

Both countries were at war just a little while ago.

From the perspective of the kingdom’s people, they wouldn’t care about the circumstance of Fanoss House at all.

「A lot of people died in the territories that were trampled by all of you. This result came from your own doing.」

The man didn’t hold any positive feeling toward the duke house.

In the first place, it would also be a bother for the kingdom to spend effort to crush Fanoss House.

They simply let them live. That was the kingdom’s attitude.

Hertrude wiped her tears and stood up before returning to the carriage.

「Excuse me. Let’s return quickly.」

The people of the duke house looked down with frustration welling up inside them hearing that.

The man who was dispatched from the kingdom scoffed.

「Very well. I wish that you will be obedient to the kingdom from here on too. Well, even if you oppose us, I don’t think the Fanoss House right now will be able to do anything though.」

「You!」

One knight was about to punch the man, but Hetrude stopped him.

「Stop! ──My apologies. Let’s hurry to the castle.」

When Hetrude hurried toward the carriage, the man turned toward the knight and said.

「If something happen to me, Count Bartfalt will be dispatched next. Do you have the resolve for that?」

The knights of the duke house averted their faces when Leon’s name came out.

But, Hertrude knew──.

(A small fry who is getting full of himself by hiding behind Count Bartfalt’s name.)

──That Leon wouldn’t march against the Duke House just from this much.

Hertrude got into the carriage and gazed outside the window. She recalled when she went into an adventure before.

She only entered a ruin in the elf’s village, even so that memory felt really nostalgic right now.

(Come to think of it, the village chief told me at that time.)

If you can walk together with your fated partner──when she recalled the result of the fortune-telling, it would be Leon’s face that came to mind no matter what.

(──Would my fate change if I persuaded him more seriously?)

Rauda would still be alive, and Leon would be here──would the principality be able to continue as it was and not getting reduced into a duke house?

Hertrude imagined that, but she immediately shook her head.

(No good. I have to get a hold of myself right now.)

Hertrude couldn’t just keep grieving for the sake of the duke house.

While the cemetery was getting distant, Hertrude talked to Hertrauda and others inside her heart.

(Rauda──and Bandel. Please watch over us together with father, mother, and everyone else.)