I wondered, why wouldn't the world go as we wanted?
I who was summoned to the mansion that was owned by Faunbeux royalty was told to sit with Mirandsan and Novem at my sides and drank tea.
Monica was standing behind me.
The girl drinking tea in front of me, Lianne Faunbeux──she was the princess of Faunbeux Kingdom and the former fiancée of Bahnseim Kingdom's crown prince.
Her long deep pink hair was braided and tied up into a bundle.
Her skin was white and her eyes that were the same color with her hair were looking at me.
She was wearing an off shoulder princess dress, giving her an image of a lovely princess. Her slightly bulging chest wasn't small but also wasn't big.
But, she looked slightly gaunt.
It seemed she was hiding it with makeup.
……If I was asked why I was sitting face to face with the princess of Faunbeux Kingdom, the cause was Mirandsan.
Princess Lianne turned her gaze to Mirandsan and smiled.
「Long time no see, Miranda. Even so, I finally found the defect of the capable you. It looks like your taste in man is bad.」
The Fifth was exasperated.
『This princess, she suddenly spoke in sarcasm. Aren't we being hated a lot here?』
I thought that it couldn't be helped even if we were hated.
It was only natural with What Walt House had done.
Mirandsan shrugged.
「Even like this I'm confident with my eyes you know? More importantly, I was surprised when I heard the rumor.」
「I also didn't know that you become an adventurer.」
The two of them were smiling at each other, but I wasn't having fun at all.
Mirandsan was acquainted with Princess Lianne at the capital──or rather, it seemed they had relationship that Mirandsan was invited for a tea party several times.
Using that connection, when Mirandsan was investigating the rumor a contact came from Princess Lianne.
The knights and servants around us were glaring at me.
They were sending their killing intent at me knowing that I was from Walt House.
My stomach hurt.
Princess Lianne turned her gaze to me again.
「……Now then, although disinherited, you're someone who inherited the blood of that Walt House. I wonder if you're aware of your connection with Faunbeux Kingdom.」
Ufufu, she said while bringing up an outrageous topic.
I wanted to run away from this place.
「I heard that various things happened at the previous generation, and also the generation before that.」
「Right. Various things happened. My grandfather was defeated by your ancestor Fiennes Walt. To take down grandfather who was the hero of Faunbeux, he must be a great person.」
My hands were shaking.
I could hear the Sixth's voice『Haha~, that's embarrassing』 laughing carefreely from inside the Jewel.
But, the Sixth was a person with various problems……like making a child outside, escaping from his wife because he was scared, or getting mistresses and doing as he pleased. He was that kind of person.
「Besides your grandfather was chasing around my father in the battlefield. Thanks to that my father is still having nightmare you know? Also, the two of them shaved away a lot of territory of Faunbeux.」
The Seventh was nostalgic.
『So even that brat now has this kind of daughter……it makes me feel the flow of time.』
It seemed that when the king of Faunbeux Kingdom was still young, the Seventh beat up the harshness of the battlefield into him.
When I tried investigating with the Sixht's Art, everyone inside the mansion other than Princess Lianne were──all represented as crimson, which meant they were hostile toward me.
It was only Princess Lianne who was showing the neutral color of yellow.
She had no hostility but, she also wasn't an ally……this person, just what was she thinking?
Novem spoke toward Princess Lianne.
「And, what business your highness could possibly have?」
「……The loyalty of Walt House's dog is really splendid. Are you perhaps displeased that your master is being bullied?」
Walt House's dog as a derogatory term toward Novem's house, Forxus House.
It was said that they swore their loyalty toward Walt House rather than the royal family. It seemed such thing was also known by other country.
Novem didn't object.
Princess LIanne drank her tea and then she began to talk.
「I just wanted to see. What kind of man that woman's big brother is. I was surprised when I received the letter from Miranda.」
I looked at Mirandsan.
「……It's amazing, that you could get along with this person. In the first place, Mirandsan is also」
She also had the blood of Walt House flowing inside her.
Mirandsan made a meaningful smile.
「Indeed. That was why, Lianne-sama purposefully summoned me for a tea party only for the sake of making snide remarks at me. That became the impetus.」
The Sixth was angry.
『This woman is the worst!』
The Seventh was the one who complained to such the Sixth.
『The Sixth is the worst man though.』
Princess Lianne also smiled.
「That was the case at first. But, when I tried talking to her it was amusing, so after that I thought of her as friend. Well, I don't know how Miranda is thinking about me though. Now then, let's return to my story.」
What made me curious was Princess Lianne's words about that woman's big brother.
「Lyle-dono, I understand from meeting you face to face like this. You are still not insane.」
「Eh?」
「To be more accurate, I mean that you haven't been driven crazy by that woman──Celes.」
Mirandsan's eyes turned sharp.
「Is the palace's situation horrible just as I thought?」
「It's horrible. The knights of Faunbeux were turned putty just by a single meeting with Celes. Celes's popularity is high even in the capital.」
The Fifth was shocked.
『The child of evil god that the First mentioned……could it be it's not actually wrong?』
Someone who was possessed by the evil god.
The child of evil god.
An existence that appeared in the turning point of the era and pushed the continent into chaos.
I muttered.
「──Child of evil god.」
Princess Lianne was shocked.
「Oh, you knew that? That's right, if it's that Celes then it won't be strange even if she is called the child of evil god. That child──that woman, she seduced Rufus in front of my eyes.」
The crown prince who everyone had high hope for as the next king──his highness Rufus Bahnseim. The one who seduced him was my little sister Celes.
I felt faint hearing that fact.
In the middle the talk, Novem was more surprised by my words rather than the fact about Celes.
「Lyle-sama, where did you hear that story?」
「Eh?」
「The story of child of evil god. Where did you hear it? Normally you won't connect the two like that.」
「Ah, no……where was it again? Perhaps it was from Ojii-sama.」
Novem stared at me.
The Seventh was,
『I only knew of the child of evil god as a mere fairy tale though?』
Even so, I could only say that I heard it from the Seventh if I had to explain where did I learn it from.
Mirandsan looked puzzled.
「That's a fairy tale isn't it? I once also heard about the child of evil god but……what is the relation of that with Celes?」
Princess Lianne explained to her.
「The child of evil god that appeared in the fairy-tale received power from the evil god and played mischief with it. But existence like Agrissa who pushed the continent into chaos at the past, it seemed such existence was also called the child of the evil god. Lyle-dono is knowledgeable aren't you?」
Mirandsan comprehended it.
「Well, it feels like there can be connection if it's like that. In the fairy-tale, the child of evil god committed bad deed and at the end he got tricked by the evil god and lost his life. The original material was something like that wasn't it?」
Novem looked at me.
「It's like that. That's why, it was surprising that Lyle-sama called Celes-sama as child of the evil god.」
……It felt like she was doubting me for some reason.
「Pe, perhaps I read it in a book.」
Novem was looking at me, so I returned the talk to Princess Lianne.
「Tha, that's, what happened after his highness was seduced?」
Princess Lianne gazed at me while gradually directing hostility at me. The Sixht's Art was telling me that her hostility was swelling.
The map of the mansion inside my head──the light dot that was placed in front of me was changing from yellow to red, and then it transformed further from red to muddy red that looked blazing.
I could sense how her killing intent was swelling up.
Monica was about to move. At the same time, the knights standing by around us were also moving to unsheathe their sword. There,
「……Right after that, Rufus annulled our engagement just like Celes told him to do. I wonder which party it was. Each time Celes who made her appearance in the high society came to the capital, Rufus's heart would be thrown out of order.」
The first time it was at the level of Celes being in his mind.
However, from the second time……it seemed the crown prince became madly in love with Celes.
At the third time apparently he confessed that he was in love with Celes in front of Princess Lianne.
……Frankly speaking it was abnormal.
「I even want to praise him that he managed to resist that Celes for two times. That's why, even now I'm remaining here hoping that perhaps Rufus will open his eyes. But, even that has come to an end. I ran out of time.」
「Ran out of time?」
「The instruction telling me to return back has come. We will be busy after this.」
The Fifth's words pained my chest.
『This won't end with just a skirmish. It's unknown just how many people will die just because of Celes alone.』
A war would begin at the border with Faunbeux.
Because of Celes's fault, a lot of people would die.
Princess Lianne looked at me.
She was looking at me with eyes that had no light, but something black inside.
「I'm amazed that you were able to stay sane. No, could it be, you are actually mad and I simply cannot sense it? There isn't a single decent person around Celes.」
The Seventh noticed from hearing that.
『……So even Maizel and Claire, were driven mad by Celes.』
The two in my memory when I was a child, and the two in reality before I got driven out of the house.
They were completely different, was because Celes driving them mad?
I pressed my hand on my chest. Mirandsan placed her hand on my shoulder.
「Wait, are you alright?」
Novem was also similar. She was worried for me, and then she strengthened her vigilance toward the surrounding.
Princess Lianne looked down and smiled slightly.
I could only see her lips but, her face with the corner of her lips raised didn't look lovely but insane.
「My, pardon me. I caused everyone to be wary.」
Her hostility was gradually vanishing and the color of her light dot was returning from red to yellow.
「……When I return back, I will receive a difficult treatment. Perhaps I'll be called as the stupid princess who got her fiancée stolen. Anyway, I won't be welcomed there.」
She would receive difficult treatment even if she returned.
It would be pointless even if she stayed here.
Princess Lianne talked to us about the situation at Faunbeux.
「I'll teach you something interesting. It's a story from before I returned back to the country. I had told everyone all the time about Celes's abnormality, but no one would believe me. Even if there is Art to seduce other people, the result like right now would be impossible, they said.」
Mirandsan couldn't believe that.
「That's a lie right? Because, in reality the situation is this──」
「Amazing isn't it? Even the neighboring countries don't notice the abnormality. Although there are nobles who say that the engagement is annulled because I'm useless, it seems they don't consider Celes a threat. At best, they only think of her as a country toppling beauty perhaps? The most they think about this is that it will be advantageous if Bahnseim's national power drop from this.」
Even after Celes was displaying her abnormality to this degree, not to mention the surrounding countries, even the people inside this country wasn't feeling an sense of danger.
The Fourth suggested.
『Faunbeux is making light of this? No, that's not it. In this case……perhaps Celes has that kind of ability, or perhaps the people who came into contact with her were simply ensnared and harbored good will toward her. When listening to the story about this, they won't believe it if it's only from hearsay, while when they heard about the story from someone who had come into contact with Celes, they might be telling nothing but good thing about Celes.』
The Third concluded it into a sentence.
『H~m, this is troublesome.』
Princess Lianne looked at us while making a thin smile.
「It will be stormy in Bahnseim from now on. If you're going to escape then I recommend to another country at minimum. If not then it will be dangerous.」
「if Lianne-sama make that judgment, then perhaps it's not wrong. And, what is your plan from now?」
「I'll leave this mansion when the snow melt. I won't return anymore to this place, and even if I return, it will be the day Faunbeux attack Centralle and burn it to the ground.」
The Sixth concluded the talk in a way that I could understand.
『In other words, Faunbeux will be observing Bahnseim that is in chaos due to Celes. Depending on the situation, it seems they have the will to invade and aim at the capital.』
The Seventh made a pained voice.
『The countries that are bordered with this country won't just stay quiet. It'll be dangerous to stay inside this country.』
The Fifth also showed a strong interest.
『Setting aside the capital noble, I'm curious to what the feudal lords are thinking. Lyle, ask about it in detail.』
「Lianne-sama, do you know about the situation with the feudal lords within Bahnseim Kingdom?」
「Are you curious? I think there is no point even if you know about it but, it's amusing so I'll tell you. First, there are feudal lords who are worried about Celes. There are also a lot of them who're making light of her. These two groups are the majority. A part of them are strengthening their vigilance and also protested to the palace.」
It seemed there were also proper feudal lords, but it seemed the palace right now wouldn't respond even if there was protest.
「There are also a lot of feudal lords who cannot move even if they notice the abnormality. Right now they're persisting in waiting and seeing how the wind blows. If I have to say what do I think, then it looks like it'll be impossible for the nobles to unite and take down Celes.」
The Fifth listened to the talk and grasped the situation.
『Guess so. There must be a lot of guys who are troubled of what to decide.』
The Third also agreed.
『When push comes to shove, feudal lords who change sides to other country will also appear. This is rough.』
An indescribable feeling was ruling over my heart.
My chest felt strangely painful.
The Fourth was concerned about me.
『……Could it be that Lyle lost his memory, was also related with Celes?』
The Seventh agreed strongly.
『That's likely enough. If Maizel and Claire went mad, then it wouldn't be strange no matter what happened. But, in that case there is one thing bothering me. Celes was hating Lyle wasn't she?』
The ancestors knew about Celes hating me.
Because I had told them everything.
But, here there was one curious thing. The arrogant and overbearing Celes──someone who seduced even the crown prince. Why would someone like that left me alone?
She should hate me so much she wanted to kill me.
She didn't want to dirty her own hand? No, when I fought that fellow, I certainly felt killing intent from her. She also wasn't someone who would hesitate from killing human.
……Why did she leave me alone?
Was it related with me having no memory?
I didn't understand everything.
Princess Lianne erased her smile and made a slightly sad face.
「……When I return back to my country, I will act on my own. I also can't forgive Rufus who discarded me but, I can't forgive that woman even more. When I return back, I will be treated not as princess but as a divorced woman returning back to her parents, so it will be really busy.」
Even if it wasn't Princess Lianne's fault that the betrothal annulment happened, the surrounding wouldn't see it like that. As a divorced woman──a woman whose betrothal was annulled and returned back, people who were holding her in contempt would also appear.
It was unknown whether she would be able to calm down after returning back.
No, it seemed the person herself had no intention of calming down.
Apparently she was planning to do something with the burning vengeful heart inside her chest.
「I'm glad I can talk with you today. I can't tell you to let's meet again but, I want to avoid having a reunion with each other in the battlefield.」
The talk ended and we left the mansion.
──Inside the Jewel.
The ancestors were talking to each other without Lyle present.
The Fourth was wiping his glasses' lenses with a troubled look.
『Now then, what to do now.』
The Sixth crossed his arms and made a serious look.
『The previous Lyle was completely helpless against Celes but, the problem is if the current Lyle can win against her or not.』
The Seventh pressed his forehead with his hand in distress.
『Not wanting to make brother and sister kill each other, is a naïve thinking huh.』
From the Seventh's perspective, the two of them were his cute grandchildren.
Lyle and Celes fighting──killing each other was something he didn't even want to think about.
The Third shrugged.
『It will bring nothing but trouble even if we get involved, it'll be better to just head to other country.』
The Fifth heard the mention of other country and immediately recalled Beim.
Beim was located at the east from where Bahnseim Kingdom was. Because there were several countries between them, it could be said to be the ideal place to escape to.
『I had gone to the eastern part of Bahnseim several times, but I often heard about Beim. It seems to be a big metropolis where you can earn a lot from commerce. There're also a lot of adventurers there, but I heard that it's the merchants who are holding the authority.』
The Third seemed to have a question.
『Did you have some kind of business at the east?』
『……My wives came from the eastern part.』
The Fifth──Fredericks kept five women at his side. Because of that, the later generation knew of him as a lecher.
His legal wife and mistresses were all from the east.
The Fourth was nostalgic.
『The east was a territory where martial arts were popular.』
The Third tilted his head in confusion.
Weihs territory was located at the southern part of Bahnseim Kingdom.
He must felt it strange that there was an interaction there with the eastern part.
『That's unexpected. Obachan came from the northern part, and Kasan also had no relation with the eastern part. Passetto also didn't come from the eastern part.』
The Fifth talked about that time.
『Around that time various things happened at the east, many nobles evacuated from there.』
The Fourth was glaring at the Fifth.
『Certainly there were various things. Really, a lot of "various things".』
The two didn't touch this topic anymore than that.
The Third returned to the topic.
『That child Celes, her influence to her surrounding is big and she is also stronger than Lyle. This is a definite information. It's to the degree that even Mirandchan said that she cannot win, so I think she is really strong but……perhaps they can manage somehow.』
Wouldn't it be possible depending on their method?
That was what the Third meant. The Fifth snapped at him.
『You were the one who said to not get involved. Certainly there might be a way to fight her but, we don't know anything about Celes so we don't know how judge it.』
Everyone's gaze gathered on the Seventh.
The Seventh noticed and answered.
『My answer remain the same no matter how many times I'm asked. The Celes that I know was a cute granddaughter. I don't know if she has some kind of Art, and I also don't know anything about what happened after that.』
The Seventh couldn't feel anything that could be said as strange when he was alive.
『……My memory was only until I let go of the Jewel. My memory is cut off from there, so I can only say that there must be something happened after that.』
Just what in the world happened?
The ancestors also couldn't find any answer──.
That day was really sunny.
While walking on the road, the snow piled up at the roadside reflected the sunlight dazzlingly.
「It has been so long since the weather is this good.」
When Evsan said that, Shannon took off her muffler.
「Somehow it feels hot. The outside is dazzling.」
「The snow is reflecting the sunlight.」
「Is that so?」
Shannon was impressed by Evsan's knowledge. She was walking on the street with a good mood.
The three of us were going outside was because Evsan recalled a talk from before.
──Let's go out with the three of us.
I who returned back from the mansion of Princess Lianne had a lot of things to think about in the inn.
Evsan was worried for me who was like that and this might be her consideration toward me.
「Lyle is still thinking about various things?」
I was happy that she was concerned for me.
「Well, yeah.」
But, knowing that my little sister──Celes was pushing this country into a dangerous situation, I now didn't know what to do.
Would it be alright for me to escape to Beim like this?
Was I really……alright with the thing being like this?
The answer wouldn't appear.
Shannon puffed up her chest. The chest that didn't have any bulge at all made me sad looking at it.
「I know about this. This kind of thing is called Inadequate ideas are worse than none at all isn't it? Monica taught me.」
Evsan was laughing.
「Monica is really amusing. I never get bored hearing her story. Aa~, I'm really glad I entered this party.」
The two of them were all smiles.
The Fourth was slightly exasperated with me.
『Lyle, you can't make the two of them worry. Be more confident and look happy.』
The Fourth told me to smile for the two's sake. I wanted to retort back that I wasn't feeling like it but──certainly, I didn't want to worry them.
「……Where should we go today?」
When I raised a topic, Shannon waved both her hands and appealed.
「Yes! Ye~s! I want to listen to song! And also various stories!」
Evsan puffed her cheeks at Shannon's request.
「Is my song unsatisfactory?」
「I want to listen to one in the proper place rather than just song practice!」
Did she mean she wanted to go listening to a singer on stage?
Shannon looked down.
「Because, I couldn't go to that kind of place until now.」
Shannon was forced into a life house arrest when she was living in the capital with her eyes blind. She was unable to walk around outside.
Evsan said 「In that case」 and,
「Then, I'll introduce you to a bar where the elves gathered. But, it's still not open at this time, so let's look around until then.」
Shannon raised one of her hand high.
「Agree! Ah, Lyle will carry the baggage.」
「……You, do you hate me that much?」
Damn Shannon grinned while nodding.
We went around the capital with the three of us.
We bought and eat foods from various stalls, looked inside some stores and shopped.
Even though that was all we did, it was really fun.
I quarreled with Shannon, fought for sweets with each other……I wonder why. Perhaps it was great to not need be considerate.
The time became evening while we were doing that.
Soon it would be time for the bar to open.
We came to a stall that sold accessory for the last.
Evsan and Shannon were looking at the items.
「Evsan is also interested?」
It wasn't good to say this but, it wasn't a place that was handling expensive merchandise. And yet, Evsan was observing seriously. I was curious.
「It will become souvenir when going around the village. Girls will be happy with this, and there're various designs here so it's not boring to look at them.」
Other than accessories, there were also combs and hairclips in display.
Shannon was staring fixedly at one of them/
It was a brooch.
Evsan poked at me with her elbow. When I looked at her face, it was like she was telling me 「Buy it for her」.
……I should buy it?
While I was hesitating, the ancestors were booing at me.
『Buy it for her.』
『It's not even anything expensive.』
『……I think it's better if you buy it.』
『Lyle, it's just this cheap thing. You should know that in my case I had to buy gems several hundred gold coins worth in order to please my wives.』
『Wouldn't it be better if the Sixth reflect on yourself more? Lyle, buy it for her. Rather, do you intend to not buy it in this situation? From Ojii-chan's view, that's an unbelievable thing to do you know?』
──Ignoring the Sixth's opinion, everyone was saying that it was better to buy it.
They must be thinking a lot about Shannon's upbringing and so on.
I took out money from my wallet and,
「Give me one──」
『Stu~pid! Lyle you stupid!』
The Third warned me.
『There is also Evchan here. You at least need to buy the items she was looking at before.』
The Fourth added.
『Later let's buy presents for everyone else too. Don't buy the same things.』
The Fifth was getting even more fussy than normal.
『Make it so the presents has similar price. Don't make one present superior than other. After that, buy after thinking whether it will suit the person. Before thinking about the sense of choosing present and so on, it's important to buy for the sake of the other party. Choose the item they're usually mentioning as something they want.』
……Why was he talking about this kind of minor details?
I also purchased the bracelet that Evsan was looking at.
「……This brooch, and this bracelet too please.」
「Thank you for your patronage.」
The shop owner grinned at me.
「Lad, you're bringing cute girls with you. Is that elf girl over there your lover?」
…….Apparently he was misunderstanding.
I thought to correct him.
「That's no──」
「That's right. That's why, make it cheap okay?」
Evsan said that with a smile. The shop owner said 「Can't be helped」 and lowered the price slightly. It was really just slightly.
「Tha, that's」
「Don't mind it. There won't be any end to it if you're answering seriously to every single thing.」
Evsan said that. She then stared at the bracelet I gave her.
Shannon was looking up to me.
When I handed her the brooch, I thought that she would say something like 「Aren't you attentive」 or 「Well, I guess I'll accept it」, and yet…….
「……Tha, thank you.」
She held the brooch with both hands and her cheeks blushed.
「Eh? Why are you happy? Usually you'll say something like 『Guess I'll accept it』 right?」
「Now I understand how you are looking at me.」
For some reason I was relieved when she returned to the usual Shannon.
When I laughed, she thought that I was making fun of her and hit me repeatedly.
「Don't laugh!」