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The Knight’s Anguish

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Following that, Wellmy shared the intelligence with Leo and began moving cautiously to make contact with the young noblemen Teresalo claimed to have placed under the "Sacred Art of Enchantment."

It was then that a most unexpected person approached her.

「Might I have a moment of your time, Lady Lyloud?」

The voice was polite, yet carried a stiff, formal atmosphere.

「Knight-Baron Enderlen...?」

Standing there was the young man who had been Teresalo’s fiancé. Naturally, he was not under the influence of her enchantment.

「How may I help you?」

「It is somewhat difficult to speak here... My apologies, but I would ask that we speak somewhere away from prying eyes.」

In Sophoyl’s narrowed, willow-thin eyes, a glint of earnest sincerity was visible.

(The fiancé whose engagement was dissolved due to family circumstances... But if Teresalo was the one who persuaded him because she wanted the engagement...)

Reaching that conclusion, Wellmy looked up at Eides, who had agreed to act as her escort for the day, and whispered into his ear.

「Is it alright if it's just the two of us?」

「I shall listen from the shadows. Disappearing into the darkness alone with a man is quite convenient for further tarnishing your reputation, Wellmy.」

It seemed Eides intended to use Sophoyl to further their original objective: acting as Leo's fiancée in place of her sister while ensuring her own reputation remained as poor as possible.

Wellmy gave a small giggle and nodded to the waiting young man.

「I do not mind. Let us move elsewhere.」

「You have my gratitude.」

Sophoyl bowed with the crisp precision of a knight. Once they had left the hall and moved into a secluded corner, he asked what kind of conversation she had exchanged with Teresalo. He was clearly worried about the girl, who had apparently returned home in tears.

(He’s an ally. No doubt about it.)

However, Wellmy could not reveal the full details herself.

「She has become entangled in a rather dangerous matter. For that reason, we cannot afford to have too many people hovering around her. As for the specifics of the situation, you should hear them from the lady herself.」

Wellmy added that if Teresalo trusted him, she would surely speak. At this, Sophoyl’s expression hardened.

「...Lady Traff told me that she herself desired the annulment.」

Seeing him bite his lip, Wellmy felt a twinge of displeasure. (So that’s how she explained it to him...) If he knew nothing of the truth, it would indeed be difficult for Sophoyl to reach out to her.

It seemed he believed Teresalo had come to dislike him because he had left her alone to serve on the border. Wellmy cleared up the misunderstanding and offered a suggestion.

「Teresalo usually stays at the girls' dormitory of the Royal Academy. I shall ask Eides to secretly push through a request for a visitation. Discuss it between yourselves there, and if you are willing to cooperate moving forward, please come to the House of Marquis Ormirage.」

This upright young man had clearly been concerned about Teresalo all along. He must have come to speak with Wellmy thinking he could offer some help, assuming she had humiliated the girl and made her cry.

(To come straight to me for answers... he’s a bit too impulsive,) Wellmy thought, though in this case, his headstrong nature had worked in their favor.

Currently, Eides and Wellmy were living in the villa where they had staged their farcical "condemnation" play. She wasn't entirely sure why they weren't staying at the main estate, but she suspected it had something to do with the passing of Eides's stepmother and stepsister.

Sophoyl sent formal notice and arrived at the villa exactly five days after receiving the address.

「I have heard the story. To protect her, I would like to join your group.」

Wellmy and Eides accepted his offer and introduced him to Leo. The Crown Prince looked pained as he addressed Sophoyl.

「I find this most regrettable, Sir Sophoyl. When I questioned my foolish brother after hearing Wellmy's account, he confessed. Had the circumstances been explained honestly and the engagement maintained, the Church likely would not have tried to forcibly recruit her.」

It was the maximum apology a member of the royal family—who must never bow their head to a subject—could offer.

「Once this matter is settled, I shall propose to His Majesty that he issue a royal decree for your re-engagement.」

「...To go that far... You have my deepest thanks, Your Highness.」

Sophoyl dropped to one knee and showed his gratitude with a knight’s highest salute. Seeing this, Eides—who remained seated on the sofa with his legs arrogantly crossed and his cheek resting on his hand—curled the corner of his lip into a smirk.

「Now then. With our pieces increased, it is time to put the plan into motion. Wellmy, how did your talk with Crates go?」

「Father said that the enchantment can likely be dispelled. Spirits are friends to the Goddess, so if one asks, they will listen. He said that if the vow was never the Saint's true intent to begin with, it is actually quite easy to break.」

There were three targets.

First: Seifahrt Awlgim, the son of an Earl who had forced himself on Teresalo.

Second: Schizolda Langley, the son of a Duke and the Chancellor’s heir, rumored to be brilliant.

Third: Zumiano Olbrun, the son of a Marquis and heir to a house that manages vast grain-producing regions—the nation’s breadbasket.

Tsurgis, who had instigated the manipulation of these men, was the son of Marquis Deltrate, who served as an Army Commander—a rank even higher than the Knight Commander.

If one added to this the fact that Wellmy had prevented the enchantment of Leo, and that they held leverage over Prince Tygrim (who handles administrative affairs as a Royal Prince rather than a commoner), the picture was clear.

(Everyone destined to lead the core of the Kingdom in the next generation would become Tsurgis's puppets, controlled through Teresalo.)

「The situation is clear... No matter how you look at it, this is high treason. It appears Marquis Deltrate is the mastermind.」

「We shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet, should we?」

They had not yet heard from the noblemen who had been manipulated. Especially Seifahrt, who was the root of the incongruity.

「The first one to be dispelled should be Seifahrt. ...Everyone, keep an eye on Lady Dalistia's movements. She was originally a fiancée candidate for the Crown Prince, and her position is currently compromised due to our strategy. I don't believe she's involved in this specific matter, but there's a chance she might act out of frustration.」

The House of Abacam was the last remaining bloodline of the previous royal family. According to Eides, the next Duke—Special Task Minister Maleficent—was a man worthy of trust, but voices suspecting rebellion remained strong.

「If she moves recklessly, the true mastermind might notice us when the truth comes to light and try to shift the blame onto us.」

「Could we not contact her first and somehow explain the situation, Your Highness?」

「She is a childhood friend, but summoning her would cause a bit of a stir... especially now with the rumors surrounding Wellmy and Iola.」

Wellmy placed a finger on her chin in thought and decided to use a slightly "dirty" trick.

「How about I **'accidentally'** spill wine on her dress? If Leo then escorts her to a waiting room, we can handle it quietly, can we not?」

「Your reputation will sink even further, Wellmy...」

「Oh, we're going to flip the board on everything anyway. It won't be a problem, will it?」

As Wellmy gave a bright, sunny smile, Leo and Sophoyl wore expressions that were hard to describe, while Eides let out an amused chuckle from deep in his throat.

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