kscans

Chapter 12 - What Happened to Her, and an Unwanted Favor, Part 1

Bad things, it seems, have a way of continuing, even without one's awareness. They can persist outside of a person's consciousness, which makes them terribly malicious. Even though Crown Prince Liam and Crown Princess Falty had not wished for it, several people had started to move on their own. They were male students who had been captivated by the couple's 'fated love story' and who revered Falty for seizing a brilliant future, almost to the point of worship. They certainly didn't mean any harm. But the person they had picked a fight with was exceptionally bad news.

"...Hmph."

Lupia, wrapped in a chilly aura, glanced at another letter that had arrived and crumpled it in her hand.

"So they fancy themselves her knights, do they?"

A second letter had arrived for the three of them while they were racking their brains about how to deal with the Crown Prince and Princess. In summary, it said, 'How dare you wound the Crown Prince and Princess.' It was an outrageous leap in logic. Wound them? Their fundamental premise had been wrong from the day they graduated, and they still hadn't noticed. If anything, it's gotten worse, hasn't it? Lupia felt a headache coming on, but she held back, remembering why she had come to see Rupert and Vernella in the first place.

"Listen, I came here because I have something to tell you both."

"What is it, sis?"

"Well... it's going to sound very abstract, but..."

"...?"

Vernella and Rupert both stared at her with blank expressions. It might have been because this was the first time they had ever seen Lupia be so hesitant, but Lupia herself was struggling with how to begin. And just as she was struggling, that ridiculous request to visit from the Crown Prince and Princess had come. She had wanted to scream Don't be absurd, but right now, that felt trivial. She wanted to talk to the two people in front of her and find some clue to a solution.

"Rupert, you've heard that I was acting strangely, haven't you?"

"Ah... yeah."

Lupia had been subjected to what could only be described as brainwashing by the 'System,' putting her in a strange mental state. Rupert, upon returning home and hearing about it, had surmised that she might have been in a state of mental incapacitation.

"About that..."

"Sister-in-law, what is it?"

"...It was as if I was being controlled... I suppose that's the word for it."

".........What?"

".........Excuse me?"

The killing intent from Rupert and Vernella swelled in an instant. They were undoubtedly thinking that the Crown Princess, Falty, had been the one controlling her. But Lupia immediately denied it.

"It's not what you two are thinking, so put away your bloodlust."

"No, that's the natural conclusion."

"She's right, sister-in-law! Are you saying that Crown Princess didn't do something?!"

"No, it's different. It's someone else."

At the words 'someone else,' the two of them looked at each other again.

"On the day of their wedding... the day I collapsed. A strange voice echoed in my head."

The memory brought a wave of nausea, but she took a deep breath and continued.

"'System,' it said."

"...System?"

"And then it continued, 'Liberation from the System complete.' It was from that moment that I was able to function properly again."

"W-Wait a minute, sis!"

"...I understand this sounds like an unbelievable, absurd story. But it's true!"

Vernella groaned as she listened to the story. Rupert was clearly confused by what Lupia had said. Even Lupia, the one telling the story, understood how ridiculous it sounded. But it was the undeniable truth of what had happened to her.

"......So, in other words,"

Vernella spoke up, glancing at the confused Rupert.

"This 'System,' or whatever it is, was controlling you, sister-in-law... or rather, making you move as it pleased."

"Y-Yes."

"Since when?"

"I think it was around the time I started my third year. One day, a fog suddenly seemed to settle over my mind... and it was after that. That's when I started thinking of Falty as a 'friend.'"

"Thinking, or rather..."

"...Weren't you made to think that way?"

The color drained from Rupert's and Vernella's faces. And for good reason. To be unable to consider someone a friend of your own volition, but to be 'made to think' so, and to have to interact with them in that state for a whole year. And during that year, the position of Crown Princess, which should have been Lupia's, was stolen from her. For her, the Calmond Ducal Family, and all its branch families, the position of Crown Princess was irrelevant. It wasn't something they had sought; it was an engagement that the royal family had begged them for. If anything, it was a convenience, as Lupia could now become the next duchess. The royal family had proposed the engagement, and now they were nullifying it for their own convenience. And they did so openly. Seizing the opportunity, Aristerios had gleefully processed the annulment papers.

"...So, according to this 'System,' you've been released, which means..."

"...There's no longer a need to make you do what it wants..."

Vernella continued.

"So you've returned to your usual self, sister-in-law...?"

"Apparently so."

"How utterly troublesome...!"

"Hmph!" Vernella cried out, punching a soft cushion with all her might before turning a worried gaze to Lupia.

"Your collapse, sister-in-law... was it some kind of backlash from being released from that System...?"

"That, and the side effects of the Memory Erasing Magic, yes."

"So, are the memories actually gone? Sis, you seem perfectly normal."

"Yes, they're gone."

"How can you prove it?"

Lupia responded to Rupert's question with a gentle smile.

"First, the man who erased my memories. He may be retired now, but he was once a priest who belonged to the church."

"Huh?"

He was a priest Aristerios had sought out. His existence was not widely known, but he was a quiet celebrity, said to be unmatched in the country when it came to support magic like healing. To prevent fraud, priests are required to register a wealth of information upon joining the church—their face, name, mana signature, even their height, weight, and dominant hand. Of course, the priest examination is incredibly difficult, and few pass. The reason this former priest came to perform Lupia's memory erasure was that he was an old acquaintance of Aristerios. Aristerios, due to his profession, was frequently injured. And the priest who often treated those injuries was this man. His name was Zephyranthes.

"Father, it seems, was determined to have Zephyranthes do it, no matter what."

Lupia chuckled. After performing the Memory Erasing Magic, Zephyranthes, though exhausted, had come to visit the resting Lupia and told her many things.

"There are records of the request made to Zephyranthes-sama, records of the carriage use, and records of his visit to our home. Father and Mother have left visible evidence that can be understood by a third party, and Zephyranthes-sama's expertise and skill in such magic are well-known. If they demand a witness, we will undoubtedly ask him."

"...So you're saying it's an irrefutable record."

"Exactly. If they still doubt it, they can prepare a test to showcase the knowledge I learned during my Crown Princess training."

Her smile vanished. A dark aura now clung to Lupia's grin.

"Do the people who know me really think I would engage in such a pathetic charade as 'acting like I can't do something'?"

No, they wouldn't, was the unanimous thought in Rupert's and Vernella's minds. It was only natural. Lupia's pride was as high as the mountain range on the country's border.

There was no way her pride would ever allow her to pretend that her 'memories had been erased.' She would never do such a thing.