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After the Entertainment

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

Long holiday is over, haaaaaaaah....

*****

「...What exactly do you mean by that, Lord Langley?」

「I mean exactly what I said. As a relative, I have long maintained a close friendship with Lord Tsurugis.」

The Duchess of Langley was the younger sister of Marquis Deltrate. The House of Langley, a lineage of civil officials, and the House of Deltrate, a house of knights, had historically not been on the best of terms. Concerned by this, the current King—who was naturally close to both—had suggested they improve their relations.

The three of them had been classmates at the Royal Academy. As it turned out, the current Duke of Langley and the refreshing, spirited Lady Deltrate fell in love. Since the union presented no disadvantages to either house, the marriage was finalized.

Though there was opposition from some relatives, they could not speak up too loudly with the Royal Family acting as a backer.

Thus, the cousins Tsurugis and Schizolda were born.

「Tsurugis has long... harbored romantic feelings for Lady Dalistia.」

「—!」

At that statement, Lady Dalistia gasped.

「However, the Marquis of Deltrate would not permit him to even apply for an arranged meeting with her, as she was the primary fiancée candidate for Prince Leonir.」

Schizolda, knowing of those feelings, had offered his cooperation to see if anything could be done.

「At the time, I said something to Tsurugis that I shouldn't have. I said, 'If only Lady Dalistia could be removed from the list of candidates.' ---In all likelihood, his series of actions were carried out based on those words.」

Dalistia looked as though she might collapse at any moment upon learning that she was the cause of it all.

「I intended to help him, so I kept a watchful eye on things. And it was I who introduced him to Lord Zumiano Olbrun here.」

Zumiano, upon being introduced, bowed his head in silence.

With his dark brown hair, bronzed skin, and transparent blue eyes, he wore his long hair tied at the nape of his neck and was dressed in formal attire of a foreign style. Marquis Olbrun exported crops harvested from his vast grain-producing regions not only domestically but also to the neighboring Empire.

Because the Marquis had provided aid during a past famine within the Empire, he had formed deep ties with high-ranking imperial nobility.

It was there that he met a foreign lady who eventually became the current Marchioness of Olbrun. Zumiano was half-foreign and naturally possessed connections with the nobility of that land.

「During a long holiday, I suggested he take a trip to the Empire for a change of pace... I believe it was there that he somehow made contact and obtained the herbs used as the raw materials for the magic drug.」

「Then, let me ask you this.」

The King was by no means a dull-witted man.

「In this situation, Lady Dalistia bears no significant fault. In fact, had Tsurugis's scheme succeeded, Lady Dalistia would have been the one to expose high treason, leading to the judgment that she was the most suitable fiancée candidate.」

Exactly.

This situation was only created because Wellmy and her allies happened to notice the enemy's strategy and turned it against them.

I do not know what Tsurugis thought as he watched the noblemen join our side one after another, but even so, he had tried to pin the crime on Wellmy—the one he had led everyone to believe was the 'fiancée candidate closest to Leo'—as the mastermind of high treason.

Could he not have predicted that, in such a case, Dalistia—his childhood friend and the original frontrunner—would naturally become the fiancée?

That had been the lingering question, but listening to Schizolda’s story, Wellmy finally realized the truth.

(He was surely trying to do the same thing I once did.)

All so that the Dalistia he loved could be united with the person *she* loved. When that realization hit, all the different targets and motives connected.

After finishing his explanation, Schizolda bowed deeply.

「Your Majesty. I was skeptical of the rumors that Lady Wellmy would become Prince Leonir's fiancée. However, I took advantage of them to ensure that rumors disparaging Lady Dalistia would spread.」

「Furthermore, based on my observations of school life, I surmised that the Prince's true fiancée was intended to be Lady Iola. Therefore, I similarly arranged for foul rumors to spread about her, as she was absent from evening parties and tea parties.」

Wellmy's own bad reputation had been her own doing, but the stories belittling Lady Dalistia and the rumors that Lady Iola had been abandoned by Leo had been spread by him.

「I was slow to realize Tsurugis's true aim. Even before I was influenced by Lady Teresalo's enchantment, I was the one behaving in a way that disadvantaged others. ---Tsurugis never intended to commit high treason.」

Rather, even if his methods were wrong, he was moving to protect Lady Dalistia's status.

「Therefore, I am the mastermind of this disturbance.」

So Schizolda concluded.

Even if Tsurugis was the one who broke the law and executed the plan, Schizolda was the one who incited him to act.

His and Tsurugis's goals were at odds. That was why Tsurugis, using the leverage he had accidentally gained over Teresalo as a shield, suppressed those who stood in the way of marrying Dalistia to Leo.

Schizolda was as brilliant as his reputation suggested. And he was graceful in his admission.

「I am prepared to accept any punishment.」

The King let out a deep sigh before making his proclamation.

「Schizolda is to be taken into custody as well. Furthermore, Lady Dalistia is to undergo dispelling procedures by Count Crates. Afterward, she and Lady Teresalo are to be placed under house arrest. I shall issue a formal sentence once the facts of the matter have been fully clarified.」

With the matter concluded, the King urged both Teresalo and Lady Dalistia to withdraw.

Sophoyl followed beside Teresalo, while Maleficent supported Dalistia by her slumped shoulders as they exited.

「The heads of House Langley and House Deltrate are to remain at the castle after this party. ---Now then, we have run a bit behind schedule, but let us move on to the main event of the evening.」

The King spoke in a bright voice, as if to sweep away the heavy atmosphere.

「This day marks the joyous finalization of the engagement for my son, Leonir.」

Realizing that the air of solemnity had vanished, the nobles began to murmur excitedly.

「His partner is a woman of great talent. She developed the cure for the illness my wife suffered from and was recently officially certified as a High-Ranking International Magus. Furthermore, her poise is equal to that of the Royal Family, and her skill in territory management is so sharp it would put the heads of most houses to shame.」

Whispers of 「Who is it?」 leaked out, though most had likely already guessed. At the King's prompting, the Queen lifted her veil... revealing to the public that her beauty and smooth skin had been restored from the illness that was said to have left her hideously scarred.

Amidst the cries of wonder from the nobles, Leo, who had been standing near Wellmy, bowed and ascended the dais, reaching out his hand toward the wings of the stage.

Then, a slender white hand was placed upon his. A young girl dressed in Leo’s colors of purple and silver made a serene appearance.

With shining silver hair and violet eyes, she was Wellmy’s beloved older sister—

「---Countess Iola Ernest.」

Having obtained a qualification equal to only two other Magus Lords in this country, her sister stood beside Leo with a clear, elegant smile and performed a perfect cursey.

Listening to the hall being enveloped in cheers and applause with a heart full of emotion, Wellmy sent her own blessing, her applause ringing out louder than anyone's, accompanied by a smile from the bottom of her heart.

(Congratulations, Sister.)

After sharing a happy look with Leo, her sister turned her eyes toward Wellmy.

Slowly narrowing her eyes, she gave Wellmy a small, gentle wave.

*****

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