Changed Future

“You’re lying! You’re lying! You’re lying! This isn’t real! This isn’t the future!!!!!!!!”

On the third night after Daisy and Viola arrived at Baron Bolus’s estate, the silent chapel inside the lord’s mansion was now filled with rough, broken shouts that would never normally come from Baron Bolus.

He looked like a cornered beast.

The kindness and calmness he usually forced himself to maintain had cracked apart.

Fortunately, the mansion never required its already few servants to patrol late into the night.

Otherwise, his shouting would have drawn attention long ago.

“W-What prophecy?!”

“This has to be some illusion made with magic!”

“My precious daughter Pelinda, and my wife… how could they possibly…”

The Baron clutched his head, face flushed red, body shaking with anger.

“Why show me something so despicable?!”

“Miss in Black!”

“Even if you’re our benefactor, this goes too far!”

“An illusion?”

Viola’s expression remained unmoved.

“You think this isn’t real?”

The crystal ball in her hand still displayed chaotic scenes.

Broken cries continued echoing out.

“Father! Father! Save meeeee!”

“No! Husband! Bolus! Where are you?!”

“Hahaha! Scream louder! No one is coming to save you!”

The distorted voices were vivid enough to make anyone’s blood run cold.

Baron Bolus completely broke.

“STOP!!!”

“DON’T TOUCH PELINDA OR MY WIFE!!!!!!!!”

He stumbled forward in madness and lunged toward Viola.

“Stop showing this thing!”

“For the love of the gods!!!!!!!!”

But before he could reach her—

Viola casually waved her free hand.

Bang.

His body flew backward instantly.

He crashed onto the stone floor and curled up in pain.

“You call it an illusion.”

Viola looked down at him coldly.

“Then what basis do you have for believing it isn’t real?”

Her eyes reflected moonlight in the darkness.

“You said there was no need to kill that Viscount.”

“Maybe that attack really was an impulsive decision.”

“But after failing once, wouldn’t he simply try again?”

“If word spread, it would ruin his reputation.”

“And not only him.”

“The nobles around him.”

“His allies.”

“People trying to curry favor.”

“All of them could decide to erase you.”

“Because you’re just a powerless good man with no influence.”

“When Daisy and I leave…”

“Who exactly will save your family then?”

She raised the crystal ball.

“So this is the future.”

“The future waiting for you.”

The Baron’s body trembled.

He hugged himself and curled into a ball on the floor.

Emotionally, he wanted to reject everything.

But reason had already begun believing her.

“P-Please…”

“Miss in Black…”

“Please stop…”

“What… did I do wrong…?”

“For so many years I’ve worked for my people…”

“I’ve lived honestly…”

“I’ve never harmed others for personal gain…”

“So why…”

“Why would this happen…?”

Viola looked down at him silently.

She still hadn’t said the thing she truly wanted to say.

At the same time—

Inside Pelinda’s room filled with giant plush toys—

Pelinda sat curled up on the bed with her knees pulled close.

For once, she wasn’t energetically hugging Daisy.

Instead she quietly stared downward.

“Little Daisy…”

“Our family… isn’t doing very well.”

“Father and Mother’s expectations for me don’t really matter.”

“They raised me.”

“It’s normal to work hard for them.”

“But…”

She buried her face against her knees.

“I’m worried about them.”

“Father acts strong, but he keeps working day and night.”

“He looks more exhausted every day.”

“And because taxes were lowered, our family finances are always strained.”

“Mother even has to save money constantly.”

“When she attends gatherings with other nobles…”

“People laugh at her.”

Daisy quietly stopped eating cake.

She listened carefully.

“That night…”

“I was scared too.”

“So many soldiers rushed into the mansion…”

“If you and Viola hadn’t appeared…”

Pelinda lowered her head.

“Why doesn’t Father have stronger guards?”

“Maybe raising soldiers burdens the people…”

“But isn’t it necessary?”

“Next time…”

“What if something happens again?”

“Is being a good lord really more important than his own health?”

“More important than our safety?”

Suddenly—

A small hand gently touched her head.

“Pelinda shouldn’t be sad.”

“Pelinda is a good girl.”

Daisy stood beside her and gently patted her hair.

For some reason, she vaguely remembered comforting Katie like this before.

“Little Daisy!”

“So sweet!”

“And still incredibly cute!”

Rub rub rub rub rub—

“Wah! Pelinda! Calm down!”

Just moments later, Pelinda had already recovered and returned to normal.

Daisy struggled helplessly while smiling.

She was happy seeing Pelinda cheerful again.

Back inside the chapel—

“Your kindness isn’t wrong.”

Viola looked down at the collapsed Baron.

“In fact…”

“It’s probably the only admirable thing humans possess.”

“If every ruler in the world were like you…”

“Maybe this garbage heap of a world would improve a little.”

“But if only you remain kind…”

“While the world itself remains cruel…”

“You’ll eventually be devoured by it.”

The Baron desperately struggled upright.

“Then…”

“Tell me…”

“How do I change it?!”

“I’ll do anything!”

Viola looked at him.

“The future can change.”

“As long as people make different choices.”

Then a faint trace of approval appeared in her eyes.

“As for how to change it…”

“How you should live from now on…”

“What kind of lord you should become…”

“You already know the answer.”

The Baron froze.

No—

He had always known.

He simply refused to admit it.

Trembling violently, tears streamed down his face.

Then suddenly—

Bang.

He dropped to both knees before the chapel’s statue of the gods.

“God!”

“GOD!!!!!!!!”

“For the sake of all my years of hard work and sincere prayers…”

“Please allow me this one selfish act!”

“I can’t keep being a perfectly good lord anymore!”

“I may have to do shameful things!”

“I want to live for the sake of protecting my family!”

“If punishment exists…”

“Then let me go to hell after death!”

“Give me the worst torture imaginable!”

“But please…”

“Please don’t take away my wife and Pelinda’s future!!!!!!!!”

The prayer sounded less like devotion—

And more like blasphemy.

Yet it was also the most sincere prayer he had ever made.

Inside Viola’s crystal ball, the screams suddenly stopped.

The horrifying images disappeared.

“Your future changed.”

Viola put the crystal ball away.

“Because your heart made a genuine decision.”

She turned and walked toward the chapel exit.

“The future you saw has changed.”

“But that doesn’t mean your family is completely safe.”

“The future from now on…”

“…belongs to you.”

Behind her, Baron Bolus remained kneeling before the statue for a long, long time.

When he finally stood again—

Something in his eyes had probably changed forever.

Because the truth was—

Viola had never actually used prophecy.

Everything in the crystal ball had been an illusion created by magic.

But the future she showed him…

Wasn’t entirely false.

Without changing himself—

That future probably would have arrived eventually.

And perhaps—

After spending so much time with Daisy—

Even Viola herself had changed a little.

Meanwhile, Baron Bolus’s family’s tragic future had quietly shifted course.

But Daisy and Viola’s own future…

Still remained uncertain.