Shameless plug—If you're interested in a CoTE OC that's an absolute psychotic nutcase then check out my other fic—It's been rewritten 3 times now, kill me.
Anyway, let's get back to the story.
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The door suddenly opened behind me...
I had no time to hide my tracks. There was no time to shove everything away without making much noise. It could alert the guards outside, the guards inside as well as the family. There was no time to blow out the candle, either.
Did I lose focus, somehow? This isn't like me in the slightest. What have I been eating—rephrase that, what haven't I been eating?
Maybe I haven't had enough water. Dehydration can impact concentration...or maybe—I haven't been eating as well as when I was back in ANHS or even the White Room. There are meats, grains, and leafy greens, but their quality and the general quantity I've been eating them in has declined rapidly over the past 3 weeks I've been here.
This is troublesome. Do I need to carry around a shopping list now?
"Oh, IsekaiKouji Kiyobaka-kyun~, you're low on iron! We can't have that now, can we?! Eat your sword! Eat your sword! It's long and hard~! Eat it! Eat it! Yes! Like that~ Mhnnn~"
I feel like I've lost my mind.
Slipping back into the shadows of the study room, ODM sword gripped tightly in my hand, I strategize. My plan: wait for the person examining the opened letters, then swiftly incapacitate them. My target—the frontal lobe, responsible for memory. Precision matters more than force.
I blend into the surroundings, erasing any trace of my presence.
"Father...? Are you in here?" A weary voice echoes. It's teenaged and feminine. "I noticed the door was unlocked...Are you in here? You...Yawn...shouldn't stay here too long... Mother will get mad."
No, whoever you are. Papa is not here! Please, leave before I monologue about my very graphic plans to choke the life out of you. It's for both our sakes!
A tired groan follows, and the door closes. "Water..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
No one remains. No presence nearby.
"Sigh...I think it's time to leave..."
After searching through the records, I found what I was looking for.
Nobles in medieval and early modern periods often had bastard children who weren't treated the best. If you were a bastard child of a low-ranking noble, then your treatment would be the worst. Facing ostracism, abuse and sometimes death, among others.
The higher you went on the social hierarchy, the better the treatment. Sometimes you'd even get land and titles. A good example is William The Conqueror, previously known as William The Bastard. He was the Duke of Normandy, a region in northern France, before becoming the King of England in 1066.
But in this world, where high-ranking officials and nobles alike are lying and hiding secrets on the magnitude that they are—wouldn't it be easier to kill the bastard child and the mother as soon as possible instead of running the risk of everything getting out? Beyond parental instinct, what is the benefit of having a bastard child running around?
A spare maybe? No, bastards don't get titles or land. Maybe the mistress knows? The kid most definitely doesn't.
"What is this...? Church of the Walls...what...?"
I should drop by and visit.
||𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑: 𝐖𝐀𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒||
'...What?'
Frieda inhaled suddenly in surprise at seeing Historia with a strange man, not much younger than her, she surmised. She blinked in confusion, even rubbing her eyes a bit, but she was not seeing things.
Historia was happily sitting on the man's shoulders, giggling and chatting with him. The man had brown hair and was fairly tall, taller than her, maybe. He was dressed as simply as the other farmhands who worked here, but something was off about him.
Frieda's big sister instincts were screaming danger as she glared at the man next to Historia in grave worry. She did not recognize this man having ever worked here from her countless visits, which was a big red flag in her mind.
Not only that, but Frieda knew for a fact that Historia didn't have any other friends here, lest any people who cared enough to engage her in casual conversation. Paranoia gripped the queen's mind as she clenched her fingers in barely restrained anger, feeling rage that this sinner would dare come near her little Historia.
Frieda didn't know who this bastard was, or what sick plans he had for her beloved Historia, but she would make him regret coming here.
All she had to do was get close, easy enough for the beautiful and friendly Frieda Reiss to do. Then she could use her Titan's power to erase his memory to hell and back. Then she would take control of his mind, and send him packing.
So with a quick adjustment of her sunhat and a look of grim resolve, Frieda walked calmly toward the strange man and Historia. It took all her willpower to keep the rage off of her face, with a polite smile forced as the two noticed her approaching.
Who knew what ungodly and wicked things he had already filled Historia's head with? Who knew what awful things he was plotting to do to her? Frieda would have to do damage control after she was done dealing with him.
"Hello, you two! Beautiful day isn't it?" Frieda called out. Not an extravagant choice of words, but she just needed to stall for time. The Queen of the Walls confidently held her head up high as Historia and the stranger both took notice of her.
Frieda felt both happiness that Historia's adorable eyes were on her again, and anger that the man seemed to be checking out her beauty. Perhaps she would kill him once she had sent him far away into the woods nearby, just to ensure that he couldn't threaten the little girl she loved more than anything else.
"Hm? Oh, hello," the man greeted to which Frieda ignored with a barely hidden scowl of displeasure. The man's voice was monotone and flat, his eyes were a shade of brownish-yellow, bordering on gold.
Frieda felt moved with pity as Historia shied away from her, sliding down the man's back and hiding behind him, not knowing who she was at the moment. No matter. Historia would remember her dear Big Sis soon enough.
"My name is Frieda Reiss, the daughter of the lord who owns this land," she formally replied to the man. Despite the anger she felt towards this individual, she needed to set a good ladylike example for Historia to follow.
"I just came by to check on things, and I couldn't help but notice you both. I don't think we've been introduced." She looked at Historia first, a warm and loving smile on her face. "You have such pretty eyes and hair. What's your name, darling?"
"H-historia," the blond girl meekly said. Frieda let out a chuckle of amusement, her little sister's cute appearance almost making her forget about the man for a moment.
"Historia, hm? That's a very pretty name for such a wonderful girl. I can tell you're going to be very beautiful when you grow older," Frieda sweetly said. Historia blushed and bowed her head down, not used to affection from a stranger. The queen then turned to the strange man beside Historia, carefully hiding the anger she felt toward him.
"..."
"And what about you, sir? I've never seen you before." Frieda reached her hand out in a flirtatious manner, knowing that he wouldn't be able to resist the charming aura she gave off. He took it with grace, grip firm.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
As the brown-haired teen stared at her, The Queen of the Walls suddenly felt very stupid at the moment. Her composure faltered for a brief instant.
'He's Asian...'
Upon closer inspection of his facial features, it was clear as night and day, that the person in front of her was of Asian descent. Even if she were to harness the full power of the Founder, she wouldn't be able to erase or alter the memories of a race other than an Eldian. The eyes, the skin, the facial structure, they were all a dead giveaway that she ignored...
He kind of looked good, though...
'No! No! No! Protect Historia!' She mentally berated herself, heat rising from the base of her neck.
"Um, I'm Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, Miss Reiss—"
"You can just call me by my first name, I don't mind. I think we are of similar age as well, aren't we? It'd be strange to call each other anything other than that." She smiled, but that was a facade. She was silently fuming in both rage and embarrassment. Her only plan going in was to erase the man's memory—and she hadn't accounted for the potential of encountering someone immune to her power.
The Queen of the Walls had never expected to see an Asian in her limited lifespan, nevertheless in this type of situation. The memories of past Founding Titans surged through her head, briefly, the persecutions, the defiance, all of it.
But...she also remembered that her grandfather, during his reign, was able to wipe out the rest of the Asian Clan. So...why was there one in front of her? What did he know? What didn't he know?
Can he be trusted...?
The teen blinked. "I guess."
'He's kind of boring...'
"Say, Kiyotaka. I've never seen you here before are you new? I don't remember my father hiring any new farmhands lately."
Kiyotaka shook his head pointing towards the far end of the fence, where a horse was tethered up. "Oh no, sorry. I was just passing by on my horse over there and saw Historia being beaten up by some bullies. I intervened and...well...I guess I lost track of time."
Frieda's eyes widened in worry as she franticly looked at Historia. "Bullies?"
Historia, behind the teen's leg, nodded sheepishly, glancing away. Kiyotaka leaned down and whispered a few reassurances into her ear. "U-um! Big Bro Kiyo scared them off. Th-they won't come back, I don't think."
The anger she initially had for Kiyotaka started to dissipate, manifesting itself into a faint smile. It also didn't help due to her little sister gave the teen that adorable nickname. He seemed genuinely nice "Really?"
"Y-yes! A-and then we played a lot...um...wait! I have something! We tried to make flower crowns! I don't know where they are—I'm going to go find them! They were around here somewhere~!"
Her little sister ran off, leaving the two teenagers alone.
"There were wounds on her arms and other areas. Rocks scattered across the place, I assume they were being thrown at Historia and...the boys bullying her were tying her up...I couldn't let that happen." Kiyotaka said, now standing right beside Frieda, watching Historia carefully.
They were similar in height.
The Queen of the Walls frowned before it turned into a grateful smile. "At least you were able to stop it. I'll ask my father to deal with them later."
"I gave them a good lecture. I don't think they're going to do anything anytime soon. That's unnecessary"
"But you can't be too sure..." Frieda clenched her fist, the anger she felt towards Kiyotaka disappearing and finding itself directed at the bullies. "It's not right to bully others it's just..."
"Wrong, I know."
"Mhm..."
"Have you been here before?"
The question caught her off guard.
"Eh?"
"Oh, sorry. It was weird to ask—let me rephrase it. Does Historia know you?"
She looked at the brown-haired teen. "Of course, she knows me! I'm her big sister—"
Frieda's eyes widened in shock at her blunder. She had just blurted out the most crucial bit of information that the world couldn't know, no matter what. For her family's reputation, and her sister's safety. She wouldn't be able to erase his memories at all—and it wouldn't take an idiot to make the connection between Historia and her.
Maybe, as an alternative, she could just kill him right here right now by transforming into a titan. She could erase Historia's memories later so as not to traumatize her—same with the peasants around the estate. Maybe...
"That's nice. I never had siblings before."
Did he just brush everything off? Was he playing dumb or...
She followed his vision, only to see him watching an almost out-of-breath Historia come back, a bit dirty, with a couple of flower crowns. Kiyotaka, to her, seemed rather worried for someone who met her only a few hours ago. But that was probably a given.
'Oh, so he didn't hear me...that's a relief...'
"Look!" The little girl chirped, holding up a pair. "This one is the one Big Bro Kiyo made!"
Frieda almost squealed at the adorable sight. "Oh really? It looks so nice. You must be a professional, Kiyotaka."
"Ah, no...It was Historia that taught me how to make them."
The blonde smirked in triumph, puffing out her chest. "Yep! And I made this one! Do you want to hold it?"
'She's so cute!'
Even without her memories being restored to her, maybe it was subconscious, Historia appeared to be rather trusting of Frieda. She wanted to hug her and pinch her cheeks so badly! Historia was teaching something Frieda taught her.
"Really? You'd just give me your precious flower crown like that? What would happen if I keep it for myself?" The Queen of the Walls teased.
"That would be fine! I can make another one! Here!"
In a brief moment, the two Royals' hands brushed up against one another's and a sudden electric surge transfused throughout Historia's body. The young girl went wide-eyed as the locked parts of her mind were opened again, countless lonely and empty days vanishing and being replaced with the times with Frieda.
Historia was never alone. She remembered it all now. Historia always had Frieda, her big sister there for her.
Frieda would always come by every other week or so, using her authority to take Historia away from her distant and uncaring grandparents and nurture her with loving care. From the times Frieda brought her food and treats, to Frieda teaching her how to read and giving her books, to Frieda comforting her when she was sad and tending to her wounds.
How could she have forgotten it all until now?
"Ahh!! Big sis you finally came back! I missed you so much!"
"A-ah, haha! I missed you too! Woah! Historia you're hugging me so tightly! K-Kiyotaka a little help here!?"
Kiyotaka watched in silence.
'Magic that erases memories?' He thought to himself. 'But they only touched one another, so maybe it's limited only to touch. But that has huge ramifications in itself. Another piece...but even more questions.'
He probably wouldn't solve this mystery any time soon. Can he harness this power? His body was from another world, so maybe not. Then, can he be taught it? Either way...
He couldn't lose, no matter what.
||𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑: 𝐖𝐀𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒||
Upon the insistence of Frieda Reiss and swayed by Historia's pleading puppy eyes, I found myself extending my stay at the vast farming estate beyond my initial preference. The two siblings engaged in playful activities, crafting more flower crowns, all the while pulling me along for the adventure.
However, my main focus shifted away from the play.
When the two siblings touched hands, something clicked in the bastard child's mind. In an instant, she transitioned from treating Frieda as a stranger to acknowledging her as a full-fledged sibling. It was a perplexing experience.
Magic, an illogical force by nature, now manifested itself in my reality. It existed. I had to recalibrate my understanding; this wasn't the sleight of hand employed by internet content creators. In this fantastical world, such occurrences should have been expected.
A wild theory took root.
Could it be that Frieda is still learning the nuances of her power, explaining why she can only manipulate or retrieve memories through physical touch?
The question lingered: Could my memories be wiped clean? It seemed improbable; when Frieda first laid eyes on me, I sensed her underlying anger and frustration beneath the facade of kindness. It was only when Historia recounted how I assisted her that Frieda began to trust me.
Just to protect Historia.
Moreover, her initial anxiety in my presence suggested a reluctance to have me around Historia. Could that mean that Historia also has this memory magic and it needs to be somehow controlled? Maybe...
Perhaps her powers were limited to erasing memories of people resembling these German-like individuals, and Asians were immune to her abilities. Maybe all noble families had some form of magic. That hypothesis seemed reasonable.
My purpose here was information gathering and I came out with more than I bargained for, which was good.
Revealing the existence of a noble family's illegitimate child to the world would be scandalous, among other things. I empathized with Frieda Reiss's anxiety, realizing her sense of powerlessness.
"That's amazing, Historia! You can read so well already?"
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Big Sis!"
Observing a bit of snot from Historia, I wondered if she had caught a cold. A fleeting thought crossed my mind about settling down as a doctor, armed with knowledge from my previous world.
I could make a lot of money...
"Be cautious, your nose is running. You should learn to be more ladylike, Historia. Right, Kiyotaka?"
"Huh? Um, I suppose so..."
Maybe there's a magic that could teleport me back to my old world or another world resembling my old one. One without the White Room, preferably.
"Fufuha. Kiyotaka, have you ever considered smiling? Ladies love a man who can smile," Frieda Reiss said, producing a handkerchief and presenting it near Historia's nose. "Here, blow."
"Pffft!"
"That's it! Well done!"
"I don't think I've smiled since I was little, Miss Frieda, so that—"
"Ehhh! I told you that you can use my first name; no need for the 'miss' part. It makes me feel old."
Danger.
I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I apologize. I didn't mean to call you old out loud."
"Hmmm~? What is that meant to mean, Kiyotaka?"
Double danger!
"...I'll leave it up to your imagination."
The older girl pouted. "I'm not old! I just turned 18 this year!"
"And I'm 14, but compared to your sister, I'm old."
"But that doesn't make sense and Historia's still a baby! So, of course, you're old in comparison to her!"
No... I'm quite certain babies can't walk on two feet and speak in full sentences.
"...Then what does that make you? If I'm old, does that make you ancient?"
Frieda Reiss stuttered on the spot, turning red.
"W-well, first of all, rude a-and...W-well, at least-er...uh..."
"...At least...?"
She pouted harder, narrowing her eyes and falling silent. Frieda resembled a combination of Ichinose and Kei but with black hair.
Is this flirting?
"A-ano...Big Sis, what does 'ladylike' mean?"
Emerging from her brief tantrum, Frieda explained, "Huh? Oh...Hmm...Let's see...I suppose being ladylike means being like this girl, right here." She pointed to a little girl in a book.
"Christa?"
"Exactly! You like Christa, don't you, Historia?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Christa is a kind girl who's always looking out for other people. That's how you should try to act, too. The world is full of pain and suffering, but if you stay kind and help other people, they will love you in return."
Definitely like Ichinose.
"Then... I'm going to try to be more like you!"
"Huh?" Frieda's voice went high in pitch, and she looked at me for confirmation.
[Man...I don't even have to say anything for you guys to know what I'm thinking right now]
"When I grow up, do you think I can be just like you two?" She churned her head towards me when she said that last part. "I want to be kind and strong, is that possible?"
The purity of children...
The Elder Reiss pulled Historia into a tight hug. "Of course! With that attitude, of course, you can!"
Laughter ensued between the two. The connections shared by loved ones, the ties of family—these, I believe, are the most powerful bonds. If only I had been born into a normal family, perhaps I would have encountered similar joys. Yet, such musings remain a mere fanciful hope.
It never happened and never will happen.
I am simply empty.
...
..
.
..
...
"Hey, Kiyotaka, hold on!"
As I prepared to mount my horse, the elder Reiss called out, jogging over with her sunhat on her head.
"Miss Frieda—Er, Frieda. I was just about to leave. Thanks for the hospitality. I had a good time."
She smiled. "Where are you headed?"
"Hm?"
"You didn't seem in a hurry to leave—or was it another case of losing track of time?" She grinned.
"It's probably the latter—lost track of time."
"Haha. By the way, thanks for saving Historia and spending time out of your day with her. You're really kind, Kiyotaka."
I wouldn't say that...I broke into your house and went through a bunch of things...
"There's no need to thank me. If it were any other person, I'm sure they'd do the same thing as well."
Frieda nodded, pondering. Her figure seemed to overlap with a few vague images in my mind, though I couldn't quite place a finger on them. Slowly but surely my memories in this world were burying the ones from my original ones. Even though I can't forget, it's like having infinite storage. It'll be more tedious to retrieve memories the more I make.
"Say, can...can I trust you to keep Historia's existence a secret?"
"Hm?" I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"
"Well...Historia is my half-sister and the illegitimate daughter of my father. I'm just asking for a favour to keep it all under wraps. You know how the government is, haha... They'd probably kill her if they found out, and... I don't want that," she explained, a tinge of dejection in her voice.
Of course, I already knew this piece of information. Frieda Reiss was genuinely caring for her sister, going out of her way to provide the love the little girl was deprived of by her family, all because her father couldn't control himself.
"Frieda."
"Yes?"
"Is this why you erase her memories with your magic?"
The Elder Reiss gave me a toothy but sheepish smile. "Busted! Mhm, you're right on the money. M-Magic and all, haha. I do this to protect Historia."
"Did you erase her memories of me, too?"
She nodded. "Sorry, I really had no choice in the matter."
"No, no, it's fine. I can keep a secret. I won't tell anyone. It would be a complete betrayal of someone as genuine as you."
Frieda giggled, a rosy hue tinting her charming features. "...Do you have a place to stay?"
"Where's this coming from?"
"A-ah, I apologize, I'm just—uh...Um. I was thinking about something selfish again, please don't mind me."
I decided to tease her a bit. "Were you about to invite me to stay at your place? My, my, aren't you bold. We've only met a few short hours ago."
"I don't know if you're joking or not with that monotone voice of yours, Kiyotaka. But if you'd like, you can come by anytime~" She grinned confidently. Was she trying to break my composure?
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...W-was my attempt at flirting that bad? Please say something!" She cried, face flushed.
I shook my head. "No, I was just surprised. I'm going to go now—is your place close to here? I can drop you off."
"Would it be fine with you?"
"I see no issue. I've burned enough time as is."
The two of us mounted, and her slender arms made their way around my waist.
"Say, uh, if you're ever in the area, um, drop by and uh, we can play with Historia again."
Oh?
"I'll think about it. Where's your place?"
Make a note to yourself, Kiyotaka and avoid Western Wall Rose and the Reiss for a while.
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Words: 3910
Author notes:
It's not the fact that there wasn't much content to base Frieda's character on besides the Wiki that I'm mad about. I'm mad at the fact that we don't have enough content on the Eldian Empire as a whole. I would love a spinoff series on the height of the Empire or something.
Poll Roulette [An unknown character will have their death planned]:
-Life
-Death
Questions?