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The mansion is visible in the distance.
Inside the rattling carriage.
Reina pulls the curtain of the window and leans back against the backrest.
“Mabu.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Take your time. Please make sure to arrive at least an hour later than planned.”
“Yes, understood.”
With those words, the carriage slowed down.
“Whew….”
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A deep sigh.
She knew it was a pointless endeavor anyway.
Doing this wouldn’t change the fact that she eventually had to arrive at “home.”
“…But, I don’t want to go.”
Hometown, and home.
For Reyna, it was not a particularly warm place.
If she had to choose between the academy dormitory and her own room in the mansion, she would have chosen the dormitory without a doubt.
“Oh, driver.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Don’t go straight to the mansion, take a right turn over there.”
“Yes, understood.”
The driver steered the carriage, taking a side road that led to the mansion.
This place was… always the place she heard whenever she returned to the family.
“We have arrived.”
The carriage stopped, and the door opened.
“Wait here for about twenty minutes.”
There was no servant to help her get down. Reyna lightly stepped down and walked towards the front.
As she walked past numerous tombstones, she stood in front of a familiar one.
[Reyna of Florland]
The wind blew from the other side.
Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, and she reached out to place a single flower, tucking her hair behind her ear as she spoke.
“Mom, how have you been? I’m sorry, I should have come right away, but I’m a little late this time.”
* * *
After completing her first task upon returning to the estate, Reyna turned the carriage towards the mansion.
The current “Countess” was, of course, not Reyna’s birth mother.
She was Alphren’s birth mother and originally a concubine of the count.
In place of Reyna’s mother, who had passed away from an unknown illness, she became the Countess.
Outwardly, their relationship seemed decent enough.
However, Reyna could always sense the thorns in her words.
She knew why she acted that way.
Since she became the Countess, she probably intended to elevate Alphren to the status of the Count’s heir rather than herself.
If she didn’t even realize that much, she would be unfit to be a noblewoman.
[Miss Reyna is here!]
[Miss Reyna is here!]
[Miss Reyna is here!]
The carriage passed through the grand entrance, revealing knights dressed in black armor. As the carriage passed by, they raised their swords and spears high into the sky, as if they had been waiting.
The second-in-command of the West, a ceremonial display representing Wolfgang’s power. However, upon further thought, such ceremonies are nothing more than a superficial display, lacking substance. Wolfgang’s power is nothing compared to the bloodshed of the Repelheit or the royal family. The gap that can be narrowed by such ceremonies is not significant. Therefore…such ceremonies are a waste of manpower.
Reina got off the carriage with an unimpressed face. And…
“You said you would arrive in the morning, but isn’t it a bit late, Reina?”
A man with black hair like hers and dressed in splendid attire stood at the entrance of the mansion. Reina lightly bowed her head.
“I apologize for being late due to meeting my mother, Father.”
“Tsk, haven’t you forgotten about Leonora yet?”
“Welcome back home, Reina. However, it is not proper to keep people waiting outside for so long, you know?”
On the opposite side stood a woman wearing a dress.
“Thank you, I will be careful, Countess.”
“Reina. Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go inside and have a meal. There’s a lot to talk about. The Schukroth family in the final exams…”
Reina entered the mansion with the waiting Count and Countess. Although she wanted to refuse everything and lock herself in her room at the top of the spiral tower next to the mansion, externally she is still Wolfgang’s successor.
“I heard you met Alphren?”
“Yes, thanks to Alphren, I had a great vacation, Madam.”
“Oh, my, hoho…”
It was awkward.
‘What is Adrian doing?’
She spoke with her mouth, but her mind was filled with different thoughts.
After finishing the meal, Reina immediately locked herself in her room at the top of the spiral tower next to the mansion. Normally, she would read books or study magic, but she didn’t feel like it, so she just lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
“Why couldn’t I say it?”
It would have been just one word.
“Adrian, can you accompany me to the ball?”
I should have said that.
“You foolish idiot, you must have the courage when it matters!”
She kicked the face of the old teddy bear doll leaning against the wall, sending it flying to the other side of the room.
“Sigh…”
It was at that moment, lying on the bed.
Knock, knock.
With the sound of knocking, a voice came through.
“Reina, are you in your room?”
“Yes, Father.”
“It seems like I need to go in for a moment, may I open the door?”
In response to the Countess’s words that followed, Reyna lightly picked up the fallen teddy bear with magic and placed it back in its original spot before opening the door herself.
“…What’s the matter?”
“It’s not that, isn’t the ball in two days?”
She already knew about the ball.
But she heard about the ‘real intention’ belatedly in the carriage.
“It’s an unbelievable story.”
Would things go as planned?
“So, I’ve prepared.”
The Countess spoke happily. No, she had always enjoyed such things.
“Yes. Reyna. This ball is truly important…”
“Father.”
“…”
“Let me say in advance, I have no intention of breaking off the engagement.”
At her words, the Count’s expression contorted fiercely.
“Reyna, don’t be stubborn. Adrian is finished now. Bloodline, power, the position of the Marquis. All gone, he was dismissed. Now he has no value to maintain an engagement with you.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Reyna, listen to your father.”
“Father, I…”
“Reyna.”
The Count’s face turned fierce.
“It’s all been decided. You can’t go back on it with your petty stubbornness. Your new partner is Allan von Gale. He is a 3rd-year student at the academy and the eldest son of the Gale family. We plan to announce the marriage shortly after your first meeting at the ball.”
Why…
Why don’t I know about this at all?
Reyna clenched her fists.
Adrian is by no means over.
Rather, he is someone worth tying down, even through an engagement.
Why, how, is she not willing to see the future ahead despite knowing all of his achievements?
“It’s unbelievable. I will never go along with it.”
“Reyna, are you defying the family? How did I raise you…”
“I’ll tell you how! Rather than doing that!”
As her voice rose, magic erupted from her, engulfing her room.
The teddy bear, desk, chair, even the bed, everything began to levitate in the air.
“Where is my will in all of this? I am not Wolfgang, I am ‘Reyna von Wolfgang’! Kailsen von Wolfgang! I am… not a toy to be used for your power!”
Magic exploded.
The window shattered and the teddy bear, which was floating in the air, exploded, scattering its stuffing.
But Kailsen von Wolfgang also emitted magic as she confronted Reyna.
“You are a ‘Wolfgang.’ More important than Reyna is Wolfgang. It has always been that way! If you’re a Wolfgang, everyone should naturally follow suit!”
“I don’t need it! If it’s Wolfgang, then I’m out!”
“Then?”
The voice of the Count grew softer.
“…The only reason you were able to be of any help to that useless scoundrel is because of the power of our family. The funds and information you are using all came from me!”
“That came from my mother, not you! How could a commoner like ‘Wolfgang’ become the second-in-command in the West! It’s because you found out that ‘Leona Florand’ had a lot of money, married her, brought in all the money from the Florand family, brought in all the troops, and deliberately filled the role of Wolfgang’s informant, who would die at any moment, with characters from the Florand family! I know, I know it all! And after taking everything from the Florand family, when my mother fell ill, what did you do? What did you do?”
The Count remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head.
“It was something that had to be done because Wolfgang always had to come first. For Wolfgang to become the second-in-command in the West, the Florand family had to be sacrificed.”
“…Sacrifice. You, right now…”
“Furthermore, Reyna, didn’t you ever think that Leona sold the family to me?”
“…Mother regretted marrying you for the rest of her life.”
“Oh really? Well, she died well then.”
“What…!”
“Reyna, no matter what you do, the future won’t change. Just follow my words obediently. This is a dress.”
Then, a servant with a pale blue complexion brought a beautiful dress of amethyst color and placed it on one side before leaving.
“You may leave, Alren.”
“Yes, yes…”
After everyone left, Reyna stared blankly at the dress.
She thought about tearing it to shreds with her magic right away.
-Reyna.
-Even if something really frustrating and unreasonable happens, please bear with it for a little while.
-In that case, I will definitely go and save her.
-Can you do it?
“Adrian…”
She sat down in the messy room, wrapped her knees, and buried her head.
“What should I do…”
Meanwhile.
“W-What, what did you say?”
“It’s nothing. Hasn’t the script for the ball already been released? I just want you to change the lines a bit.”
“But, but that’s already been decided…”
“Decided?”
As I took a step forward, the small man took a step back as if frightened.
[The dignity of your lineage is trembling!]
[Overwhelming presence is manifested through your gaze!]
[A worthless bloodline not worth dealing with!]
Then.
“Hee hee! What are you guys!”
“Don’t run away.”
“If you try to escape, your neck will kiss the ground.”
Pin and Shal appeared behind the man with daggers and swords aimed at his back.
“Hee, hee!”
“Now you finally realize that you can’t escape, the host of the ball.”
Mask.
I lightly removed the mask, and when the host saw my face, they were even more shocked.
“W-why are you… here!”
“If you understand, do as I say. Surely you can handle changing just a few words?”
The host’s eyes trembled.
Realizing his life hung on my words, the man knelt, clasping his hands together.
“I will comply. No, please instruct me! I will change everything upon your command! I won’t reveal anything!”
“Good, go on.”
Very lively indeed.