[It’s been a long time, immortal one.]

The deity appeared as a small fairy.

‘That fellow!’

No, I correct myself. The one that appeared before me was a divine messenger.

‘Ah!’

I moved quickly, thinking I shouldn’t let the children see the divine messenger.

[During this time…]

The divine messenger, who was about to say something, was taken aback when I gently pushed Berith and snatched him away.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, it’s nothing! Just doing some exercise, working out!”

It must have looked strange to suddenly start moving after being so quiet until now. I hurriedly made an excuse while deliberately waving my arms and legs around.

“I see!”

The innocent children believed even such an obvious lie. Carlyle didn’t seem suspicious either.

“Then you’re not sleepy anymore, right?”

Ronowe said with a fresh smile.

“Y-yes, I’m wide awake now.”

I smiled awkwardly.

“Then play with us, Your Highness!”

Why do they have so much energy to spare? Feeling the divine messenger squirming in my hand, I said:

“No! You go play first.”

I spoke while tightly gripping the hand holding the divine messenger, afraid he might escape.

“Aww…”

“I understand…”

Ronowe and Berith were disappointed but didn’t insist.

“Please rest comfortably.”

The children, along with Carlyle who was supposed to be looking after them, soon became one and started running around here and there.

“Phew…”

It’s fortunate there’s someone reasonable. I waited for the right moment and loosened my grip.

[Don’t worry. Those children won’t be able to see me.]

The divine messenger flew around me once before sitting on my left side.

[Why has the divine messenger come here? Has the deity decided to forgive me?] [Not a chance until you find the answer.]

I used telepathy because I disliked appearing to be talking to thin air. I chose this method to avoid being treated like a madman.

[Then why are you here? You haven’t visited for centuries.] […]

Then why did you fly all this way? I frowned and demanded angrily, and the divine messenger suddenly clamped his mouth shut before abruptly saying something irrelevant.

[It seems you’ve made some interesting friends this life, unlike in the past.]

Instead of giving me the answer I wanted, the divine messenger observed Ronowe, Berith, and Carlyle.

“Oh my, young masters! You shouldn’t lie down and roll around here.”

Even the adult maid couldn’t see the divine messenger. It seemed that due to the divine messenger’s ability, none of the people nearby were aware of our conversation.

‘These kids…’

I clicked my tongue inwardly as I watched the children panting and exhausted.

“Ronowe, Berith.”

At that moment, Carlyle, who had closed the book he was reading, approached the children.

“Did you forget what the Marquis said about not lying on the floor?”

Carlyle, you’re a complete nanny. I snickered before feeling the divine messenger’s gaze.

[They’re not my friends.]

Embarrassed, I quickly denied it, and the divine messenger who had been staring at me intently said:

[Still, why don’t you try finding the answer with their help for now?]

The divine messenger’s tone softened a bit as he sipped his tea.

[Are you trying to provoke me?]

I became irritated as I remembered the moments when I had placed hope in these little ones and was greatly disappointed.

[I was a fool to expect anything from these young ones. They all just spouted nonsense.] [Is that so? But this is the first time you’ve lived like this. Isn’t it worth expecting something this time?] [Expect what…]

A sneer escaped me.

[It’s not like I’ve only heard those words once or twice.]

The blonde noble lady, the woodcutter, the merchant… My past lives flashed before my eyes like a kaleidoscope.

What did the divine messenger say in each life? That I might be able to find the answer this time, giving me false hope.

‘But I failed every time.’

The bitterness led me to think this way.

[Has the deity abandoned me?]

I was once a favored being. To demand such a harsh quest for answers from me and make me repeat endless reincarnations felt like nothing but hatred.

[You’ll know when you find the answer.]

However, the divine messenger only repeated the same words, and soon, as if hungry, he began to eat a biscuit he had brought.

‘How annoying.’

Does this guy even intend to have a proper conversation? I feel like throwing him. I glared at the divine messenger.

[But you’ve been watching me all this time, haven’t you? Why don’t you come directly?]

Eventually, I burst out in frustration with a pained expression.

[Is there even an answer? Living like this for so long, I often forget why I’m living. I’m not even sure if I can find it!] [Then you’ll have to live like this forever.]

This guy is talking seriously! I was incensed by the divine messenger’s casual attitude.

[I’m being serious.]

I gave him a look that said I wouldn’t let him off if he didn’t speak properly.

[Give me at least a clue.]

As much as I wanted to hit him, I suppressed my anger and managed to speak calmly.

[Even when I asked supposedly intelligent humans, they all said they didn’t know.] [I’m telling you this because you still don’t seem to understand, but that method is useless.]

The divine messenger, having made his point, sighed.

[Even if you receive help, in the end, you must realize the answer yourself for the eternal cycle to end.]

I was dumbfounded by the divine messenger’s words.

It was shocking because it meant that all my efforts so far—pestering scholars, bothering friends, starting wars, or living at the bottom of society—were all wrong. It felt like being hit by a hammer.

[Why are you telling me this only now! Wasn’t it enough just to figure it out?]

Feeling dejected and angry, I clenched my fists, crushing the cookie I was holding.

[Anyway, it would be impossible for someone else to find the answer for you…] [What does that mean?]

What are you muttering about? The divine messenger, seeing my confusion, sneakily took another biscuit.

[It’s nothing.]

Making crunching sounds as he ate the cookie, the divine messenger, now full, prepared to leave.

[Well then, immortal one, I hope you find the answer in this life.]

In the end, the divine messenger who appeared without really doing anything proper disappeared, carrying a plate piled high with snacks.

“Hey…!”

I should rip off his wings. Unable to contain my rising anger, I ended up letting out a sound.

“Yes?”

Simultaneously, the three children popped up like meerkats, turning their backs and looking at me.

“Ah… No, the cookies were just so delicious…”

Seeing the empty plate, I felt embarrassed.

“Your Highness must have been very hungry.”

“Eat a lot, Your Highness.”

The kind children understood exactly what I said, and I smiled awkwardly.

“Y-yeah…”

I ordered the waiting maid to bring more snacks and leaned back against the sofa.

‘Life…’

Wouldn’t it be better to just dig a mouse hole and disappear?

I stared at the ceiling, feeling complicated.

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, Carlyle approached.

“Huh?”

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I sit next to you?”

I nodded. I was curious about what he was going to say.

“Do you have something troubling you? Your expression has been poor for a while now.”

I naturally took the handkerchief Carlyle offered and wiped my hands that were covered in cookie crumbs.

“If you tell me what’s wrong, I’d be happy to think it through with you.”

The budding loyal subject, a potential general, showed a different approach from the siblings who were busy playing among themselves.

‘What a shame it would be to lose such talent to someone else.’

I stared at Carlyle for a while and then laughed, causing Carlyle to fidget nervously.

“Ah… um…”

Such a gentle fellow. Seeing his face turn red was so amusing that I laughed again.

“I-I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn…”

“It’s alright.”

The frustration I felt from talking with the divine messenger completely disappeared.

“I was looking at you because I found it admirable that you were worried about me.”

I patted Carlyle’s shoulder to express my gratitude and turned my head.

“By the way, why are you hanging around with those sto—”

I almost said ‘stone heads.’

“I mean, why are you with the Fleur family’s children?”

It was a question that popped out without much thought, and without much meaning.

‘I was planning to ask later when the time was right, but let’s probe a bit now.’

I watched the Fleur siblings playing strangely while waiting for Carlyle to prepare his answer.

‘Huh?’

No way.

‘Picking up something from the floor and eating it?’

I barely managed to hold back a groan at Berith’s sudden action.

“Ah… well…”

By the way, Carlyle seemed to be holding back his words, as if there was some circumstance.

‘So there is something going on.’

It wasn’t necessary to dig too deeply and figure out the inside story, so I decided to wrap it up on my end.

“I see the Fleur family is doing a good job with education.”

“Ah, yes…”

I decided to leave it at that.

“Brother~ Let’s play together!”

“Your Highness, please come quickly too.”

These kids don’t even give me a moment to rest! I looked at the Fleur siblings and said:

“I want to rest, so you kids play by yourselves.”

I couldn’t just abandon them and leave the room, and I really didn’t have the energy to play with the children anymore.

“Why?”

“I have worries that you wouldn’t understand.”

I said after a pause.

“Worries?!”

Goodness.

“Your Highness has worries?!”

“Wow~ Your Highness has worries~”

I tried to back away from the children who were rushing towards me with sparkling eyes.

“Let’s solve Your Highness’s worries!”

Wait a minute, you kids! I was dumbfounded by the Fleur siblings’ bold attitude. It was ridiculous to see them burning with determination as if they were about to become great detectives and solve the problem.

“It’s not that kind of problem…”

I feel like things are getting out of hand. Thinking I could still stop this if I intervened now, I tried to mediate.

“When Mother and Father don’t know something, they go to the library!”

“Then let’s go to the library!”

Why are you acting on your own? I rubbed my forehead, feeling a throbbing headache coming on.

‘They’re so excited.’

I watched the siblings singing and getting excited, chanting “library, library.”

“Ronowe, Berith. Don’t run.”

As I was holding my forehead with one hand, feeling dizzy from the noisy behavior of the Fleur siblings, Carlyle stepped in.

‘It’s hopeless.’

I realized it was too late to turn back.

“Let’s go!”

I was helplessly dragged along by Ronowe’s firm grip on my hand.