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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child:

En Route to the Royal Capital

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*****

Inside the envelope adorned with the wax seal of a formal summons lay nothing more than an invitation to a tea party.

Not a single line of text mimicking a legal decree was written anywhere on it.

...Apparently, they intended to maintain the polite facade that this was merely an invitation to tea, at least on paper.

「How clever... We can safely ignore it this time as well.」

...Servas seemed thoroughly incensed by their transparent attempt at intimidation. As her grandfather spat those words out with distaste, Magnolia gave it a moment of thought before speaking up.

「I will go. This won't resolve itself otherwise, and they'll only get more persistent.」

「...Isn't that dangerous?」

Claude looked at Magnolia with deep, genuine concern. Her usually critical uncle was incredibly overprotective beneath his strict exterior.

「The main goal is simply to make it clear that the Prince and I are completely incompatible, right? If it's a one-on-one meeting, I'll tear his arguments to shreds. If there are other young ladies present, I'll just dump him onto them.」

Magnolia huffed with determination, leaving Servas and Claude to exchange a long, weary look.

「...The tearing-to-shreds part is terrifying in its own right.」

「...And what if they end up dumping the Prince onto you instead?」

Both men directed a deadpan stare at the young girl.

(Wow... Is my trustworthiness really that low?)

While everyone who knew Magnolia agreed she possessed an incredible capacity to solve problems, the concepts of doing so "quietly" or "preventatively" simply did not exist in her vocabulary.

She cast her eyes back down to the letter.

「A week from now... That's incredibly short notice.」

「They likely want to rob us of any time to deliberate.」

「Fundamentally, they are a breed of people who believe every single one of their whims should be granted as a matter of course...」

The two men nodded in bleak unison as they spoke.

It was true that they couldn't keep ignoring the palace forever. A temporary excuse could only stall for so long before it lost all credibility.

On several occasions, they had explained their position to the King—who was at least somewhat reasonable—stating that they had no intention of moving forward with any marriage discussions until Magnolia reached a proper age, and that they fully intended to respect her own wishes when the time came.

Yet, it seemed the royal court suffered from a collective inability to communicate; they simply operated under the absolute assumption that every young noblewoman dreamed of becoming the Crown Princess.

「I see. So they're the type who just don't listen. In that case, I'll give them a clean, sharp, and unmistakable rejection!」

Seeing the fierce look of resolve on Magnolia's face, the two men wore complicated expressions. They recognized that look; it meant she was about to absolutely and ruthlessly cut them down to size.

***

The following day, Magnolia visited the Guild building to explain the situation to Victor, who—despite being the Chancellor's son—looked at her with deep worry.

「We knew this day would come, but they are playing a remarkably heavy hand.」

Faced with Claude's brooding yet protective stance and Magnolia's nonchalant, head-tilting demeanor, Victor could only offer a wry smile.

「Are they really that interested in me? I'm just an ordinary daughter of a noble house,」 Magnolia mused.

「It seems they've been making inquiries over at Iris's place as well,」 Victor replied.

Among the nobility who had attended the debutante ball within the Ascald Kingdom, the House of the East Wolf Marquis was a frequent fixture at court, making them an easy target for questioning. It was highly likely that Countess Daphne—given her past employment at the Royal Palace—had also been subjected to their probing.

On the other hand, the impeccably courteous Colette, who practically exuded an aura of a terrifying powerhouse wrapped in a polite dress, had apparently been left entirely alone. The Queen reportedly found her too difficult to handle.

「...If push comes to shove and things get truly inescapable, I'm going to use your name, you know?」 Magnolia teased.

「Go right ahead~. It's not as if my reputation can get any worse. If they aren't satisfied with me, feel free to use Lord Ducas or even Lord Claude here.」

She secured his permission in his usual lighthearted manner. When Victor slipped into his casual commoner mode to crack a joke at Claude, the knight shot him a look of blatant disgust.

***

A few days later, leaving behind a grumbling Servas who couldn't join due to unavoidable territorial business, Magnolia, her three attendants, and Claude—acting as both chaperone and damage control—set out for the capital.

Along the highway, Colette was waiting for them, having already heard the news from Victor. As she stepped down from her carriage, she looked exactly as she had during their first meeting two years ago.

Her timeless beauty instantly brought the phrase "ageless enchantress" to Magnolia's mind.

True to the nature of a brilliant woman who had restored a fallen noble house entirely on her own, she possessed a natural big-sisterly dependable streak. While worrying over Magnolia—who was close in age to her own children—she offered words of encouragement and handed over a list of the tea party attendees she had somehow managed to unearth.

「They've gathered every young lady within the Prince's age bracket... It's practically a one-versus-many mass matchmaking party.」

「Huh...」

Was it a livestock show for potential future brides? Or a cheap imitation of a reality TV show where women clawed each other apart over a single man? Magnolia swallowed a rising sigh and offered Colette her gratitude.

「The King is a mediocrity, the Queen is a bizarre creature, and the Prince is a wild mountain ape... Do watch yourself,」 Colette warned with striking venom, describing the royal family's temperaments before giving Magnolia a gentle, reassuring pat on the back.

***

They traced the very same path Magnolia had traveled on her fourth birthday, only in reverse. She watched the passing scenery with a strange sense of nostalgia.

With the Royal Palace as their destination, Dean was stiff with terror, while Lily was practically snorting with righteous fury, fully determined to protect Magnolia at all costs. Gai drove the carriage with his usual casual demeanor, but Claude, who appeared perfectly composed on the surface, seemed strangely melancholy.

「...Traveling along the highway means we might find some delicious local food.」

At Magnolia's sudden remark, Claude broke his grim expression, Dean looked up from his paralyzing anxiety, and Lily knit her brows in a fierce, bewildered expression. The three of us turned to look at her simultaneously.

「...Are you seriously worrying about food at a time like this?」 Claude muttered, his voice dripping with exasperation.

Despite his exaspered tone, a soft, affectionate smile tugged at the corner of his lips at her characteristic behavior.

Normally, the journey from Azenda to the Royal Capital took three days. However, taking into account that they were traveling with a woman and a child, they had planned a leisurely four-day itinerary.

「Local delicacies are the absolute highlight of any journey. It's Dean's first time out here, and it's practically mine as well.」

「A journey...」

Dean blinked his round eyes a few times before letting out a soft chuckle. Lily caught his infectious mood and smiled as well.

「If you keep yourself wound up like that from now, you'll be exhausted before we even arrive. Let's find something delicious to eat and relax!」

***

From that point on, every time they crossed into a new territory, Magnolia would hop out of the carriage under the guise of "market research," purchasing an array of local treats to feast upon until Lily finally let out a cry of despair.

「If we keep eating like this, I won't be able to fit into my uniform anymore!」

「No kidding. We're definitely going to gain weight.」

Dean, meanwhile, had his cheeks stuffed to maximum capacity with bread and meat, silently chewing while blinking contentedly.

「............ (Munch, munch)」

Claude and Gai watched the trio's antics with wry smiles as they casually sampled the local tavern liquors.

Thanks to their numerous culinary detours, they arrived at the Royal Capital townhouse significantly behind schedule, earning them a thoroughly worried and stern lecture from Thomas the moment they stepped through the front door.

*****

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