The Final Route

05 | white lies

An hour later, our journey finally reached its end. Klein and I stood by the doors of the steam train, flanked by our servants who dutifully hauled our luggage as the carriage slowly lugged to a stop. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as they handled everything for me, but I quickly squashed the urge to offer my help — definitely not something Seira Kopas would ever do.

Besides, they were already tiptoeing around me like I was a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at the slightest provocation. The way they flinched whenever I so much as opened my mouth — you'd think I was a rabid dog just waiting to sink my teeth into them.

I guess I'll just have to get used to it for now.

As the train doors rumbled open, my heart gave a little leap as we stepped off into this strange new world. The wintry air hit me like a frosty slap, its icy fingers instantly nibbling at my skin, while a crisp breeze swept through the station.

"Shall we?" Klein extended his arm, and I hesitated, caught between the familiar and the strange. This was routine for them, but for me, it felt a little awkward. After a brief pause, I decided to go along with it, cautiously linking my arm with his. As I tried not to stumble over the unfamiliar gesture, Klein carried on as if it were another day at the office.

Just keep it cool, Ayane...

We walked into an expansive space that looked like it had jumped straight out of a period drama, complete with stationary carriages and actual, living, breathing horses. Back in my normal life, the only time I'd seen horses was on those rare trips to farms or on TV. But here, they were as common as stray cats in a back alley. I couldn't help but stare, mesmerised, at the multicoloured stallions decked out in reins and saddles, their presence hammering home the fact that I was in a different world.

"This feels unreal..." I murmured, unable to hide my amazement. Klein shot me a curious look, and I quickly backtracked, "Uh— I-I mean, it feels unreal that we're finally going to see Grandfather after so long..."

"Ah... yes, I suppose it has been a while since we've been home," Klein replied in his usual aloof tone, completely unfazed by my near slip-up.

Phew. If I'm going to survive in this world, I've got to get better at pretending everything is normal...

Soon after the carriage was ready, Klein and I boarded without any fuss. The silence that ensued once our journey began was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even though Seira's memories told me that she and Klein hardly ever spoke, it didn't make this any less suffocating.

I couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of the situation. Seriously — one moment, I'm playing a game where Klein Kopas is a love interest, and the next, I'm suddenly his sister.

Talk about a plot twist. No problem, just slip into this role like an actress. Easy as pie, right?

As I sat there, lost in self-pity, Klein suddenly let out a soft sigh. "Is something wrong? You seem unusually anxious today."

He wasn't even looking at me, yet his cold intonation sliced through the air, laced with a hint of impatience. I knew Klein and Seira weren't exactly best buddies, but I was utterly clueless about how to respond.

Should I keep pretending to be Seira and lie through my teeth? Am I even capable of acting like that?

"...Nothing is wrong."

The words nearly choked me on their way out, but I managed to spit them out with as much Seira-esque firmness as I could muster. It took every ounce of willpower not to stumble over my own tongue. Please, Klein, just buy it and let this conversation die...