‘How fleeting.’

I was momentarily surprised by the expression Prairie used.

‘Are Vladimir’s children usually more precocious than their age?’

Even the smartest child should have at least one childlike aspect, but Prairie was exactly as she first appeared.

No, she was even more so.

Of course, Sasha Dave Vladimir was similar, but today an invisible wall seemed to have crumbled for that child. Seeing him uncharacteristically flustered, I felt like I glimpsed his truly pure side.

In comparison, Prairie had been projecting herself onto the apple to view the past, and now she was muttering philosophical and profound things pessimistically.

‘Come to think of it, there was another kid who compared life to an apple.’

As I glanced at Prairie, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, I suddenly recalled the face of a child and rested my chin on my hand.

I couldn’t perfectly remember the features of their eyes, nose and mouth as the memory was so old and tattered, but it was a brown-haired child dressed much more neatly than my dirty, ragged self who was a beggar at the time.

‘Living is like an apple falling from an apple tree.’

Yes, that’s what they said.

‘I wonder if the life that kid talked about had the same meaning as hers.’

But while Prairie’s tone was darker and more tinged with despair, I think that child smiled faintly at the end, so maybe it was different.

‘She’s finally standing up.’

After pondering various things like that, I watched as Prairie straightened her bent knees, stood up, and dusted herself off. Then I trudged over and spoke to her.

“You don’t need to think about life so profoundly.”

That’s not to say life is really nothing special, or that it’s easy to live. When I stayed in paradise, God ensured we had perfect food, clothing and shelter with no lack, but when I began wandering the world, reincarnating repeatedly in search of answers to questions, I realized far too much.

“Is that so?”

Meanwhile, Prairie brightened her expression more than before at my words, making me wonder if perhaps my single comment had cleared away her gloomy thoughts like dispersing storm clouds. When she smiled brightly, it was as if the surroundings were tinged pink and sparkling with light particles.

“I think we shouldn’t take life lightly.”

But my expectations were off. Rather, in Prairie’s smiling expression as she stated an opposing opinion, I saw overlapping glimpses of Duke Vladimir’s smile and the eye-smile Sasha Dave Vladimir would make when exchanging opinions with me on some topic.

It made me think, is that what blood relations are like?

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Hmm, where should I start to help her understand my meaning? I carefully approached Prairie with Poppy, taking care not to step on the apples scattered here and there on the grass.

I definitely felt the need to be closer to have a conversation.

“It’s natural to value worth in a class-based society.”

I calmly began speaking while looking directly into Prairie’s eyes.

“But that doesn’t directly equate to happiness.”

Then I put my hands on my sides, and Poppy let out a very quiet squawk before stepping back slightly, watching my reaction.

“I don’t know well what kind of person you are or what environment you grew up in.”

I could possibly find out by forcefully using my power, but why would I use it when just using it shortens my lifespan as a penalty? That would be a waste of power.

And I’d roughly figured out what kind of person Prairie was from a few exchanges, based on hundreds of years of life experience. Saying I didn’t know well was just something that came out smoothly to continue the conversation with Prairie.

“All I know is that you were sick for a long time, and that you’re a young lady of the Vladimir family?”

To emphasize that I really only knew that much, I deliberately removed one hand from my side and extended it towards Prairie.

Prairie tilted her head, showing interest. That was her way of physically demonstrating that she would listen to what I had to say.

“Since I don’t know you well, I can’t speak carelessly, but people who feel life is fleeting generally have experienced a sense of despair.”

With this, feeling it was alright to get to the main point, I indirectly explained the likely reason Prairie felt life was fleeting by referring to “people” rather than directly saying “you.” For a very brief moment, the smile disappeared from Prairie’s face and she grew quiet.

“……”

It was strange that she pressed her lips tightly shut for a few seconds. I didn’t need to be so roundabout, since she had just been talking about apples earlier and said that maybe she thought that way because she was very sick.

“For me it’s a different kind from despair, but sometimes living feels vague or empty.”

For now I pretended not to notice and decided to continue saying what I needed to say.

“I’ve felt so many times that life is no different from walking alone on a thorny path.”

In the time I lived revered with many worshippers and friends besides the World Tree in the great enclosure created by God, the land called paradise.

Not a single person told me I was wrong, and even the nagging mixed with concern that Yongyong gave me stopped when I said I didn’t like it.

On the surface it seemed a perfectly flawless life, but I think I missed a lot while living so abundantly. Rather, what I realized came from repeatedly reincarnating while wandering the regions where the second mankind lived on earth.

Sometimes I wonder, if God molded me as the most cherished and precious being, why did He not take any of the usual actions one would towards a beloved?

No, perhaps I already knew the answer unconsciously but was deliberately trying not to recall it. Maybe that’s why I dislike, hate God, and am not pleased by His messengers.

The truth is sometimes more hideous than a sweet prison.

“Still, there was one thing that sustained me through those times.”

“Something that sustained you? What was it, Your Highness?”

“A goal.”

Anyway, if I had lived steeped only in anger while gaining enlightenment, today’s result would never have happened.

Somehow I ended up doing various things, clearly accomplishing some out of greed or because there was no one else to do them, but I always had a clear sense of purpose, a self I aimed to achieve.

“Even if living feels empty, if I have a clear goal, it makes me keep going forward even when I want to give up on life right away.”

So I told Prairie a bit of what I’d learned, as if doing her a favor.

“Of course, finding a life goal is harder than you might think.”

For a long time, it was almost as if I lived forcibly because God made me unable to die, but after doing that for about 200 years, living in order to die perfectly became my goal. Similarly, now that Prairie has recovered her health enough to go outside, she can find what she wants to do to match that.

“But there’s no need to struggle.”

So I could confidently tell Prairie.

“At some point, you’ll find it.”

I was certain because I had actually experienced it all before, and I judged that further speech would be meaningless since Prairie was clever. A bright child has the extraordinary ability to understand ten things when told one, so it was enough for her to know that there could be cases different from mine, that there are various perspectives on living in the world, or that there isn’t necessarily one answer.

“So if your life goal isn’t to become a person of worth, don’t get frustrated trying to prove your value.”

But how did we end up completely unraveling a life story after talking about just one apple? I don’t think I was originally someone who would empathize and ramble on to others. Inwardly, I shook my head, thinking that human affairs are truly unpredictable.

“Let’s head back for now.”

It felt like Prairie and I had been talking alone for 30 minutes, so I glanced at the expressions of the others waiting quietly behind us.

It was amazing how Miranda, Sasha Dave Vladimir and Carlyle Facinelli Bergamot were all standing still in place like statues, neither looking deathly nor complaining once about their legs hurting.

“They’ve been waiting for us all this time.”

It seemed impolite to keep them waiting any longer, so I gestured with my eyes for Prairie to look at the others behind us.

“Ah, I didn’t realize they were waiting because I was listening so intently.”

Meanwhile, Prairie seemed to have just noticed Sasha Dave Vladimir and Carlyle Facinelli Bergamot’s presence. Her flustered expression at having completely forgotten about those two felt genuine, but it oddly felt like she was subtly blaming me.

I almost retorted that this all started because you said life was fleeting after seeing a falling apple, but I decided to let it go, lest I seem like I was nitpicking unnecessarily.

“We should hurry back, Your Highness.”

Because I wasn’t particularly angry or dissatisfied with that one comment from Prairie.

Whoosh-.

But what’s this?

“Shall we head to the greenhouse then?”

“Oh, okay.”

Prairie flashed a bright eye-smile and suddenly linked arms with me.