kscans

Chapter 34 - Let It All Out, Part 3

A short while before Millière’s arrival. After unloading their luggage and stretching out their stiff bodies from the slow carriage ride, Lupia and the others gathered in a gazebo in the courtyard after taking a moment to rest in their respective rooms. Even with breaks, they were tired from the longer-than-usual time spent in the carriage. Their backs ached a little, too. After asking a maid for tea for three, they first took a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air.

"Haaa…"

"We took our time, but… a long journey after so long is exhausting, isn’t it…?"

"Rupert, Vernella, are you alright?"

Lupia, alone, seemed relatively fine. Perhaps because she was used to it from her various trips to the royal palace as a Crown Princess candidate, inspection tours, and other outings, she showed less fatigue than the other two.

"Are you okay, sis?"

"Yes, I’m fine. My mana circulation is back to normal, and I stretched during our breaks."

"Maybe I didn’t stretch enough… me…"

Sipping the tea that had been prepared, Lupia gazed up at the sky. The clouds drifted lazily, and a pleasant breeze was blowing. The sun wasn’t scorching either; thanks to a thin layer of clouds, the sunlight was just right. The time of day probably had something to do with it, as they had arrived just after noon.

"The Calmond territory… it’s so peaceful. I wonder if it’s because its main industry is agriculture."

"That might be it. The people of the domain are said to have calm temperaments, and with all the fields and orchards, there’s plenty of greenery. It’s not that it isn’t prosperous, but it has a pleasant liveliness to it, so it feels beautifully balanced."

"I see…"

Vernella nodded thoughtfully, recalling their journey so far. After entering the ducal territory, Lupia and Gerald had stopped the carriage along the way to greet familiar faces. As the next head of the house, she must have visited here often. Upon seeing Lupia's face, one person had said with concern, "It’s been a while! We were worried you might have fallen ill since you haven’t been by recently!"

Vernella thought to herself once more what a monstrous education this person had endured. But as a result of that hard work, the people around her were now supporting her, both openly and behind the scenes. Having people who support you even where you can’t see is a tremendous source of strength.

"You will be staying here for a few days, correct? I heard a moment ago that the Duchess will also be arriving…"

"Mother apparently told Uncle to ‘keep it a secret.’ …Honestly."

"That’s so like Mom… I wonder, is she stopping by on her way to the Qua Kingdom?"

"I imagine so. Mother always used to pass through the ducal territory on her way."

The Calmond Ducal Family was the cornerstone of the nation’s defense, guarding the border. The reason their domain was near the border was to make security patrols easier. The main and branch families worked together to guard it vigilantly.

"……Well, the future of this domain will likely depend on its people."

Lupia’s eyes were deadly serious as she murmured this. Her parents were moving at lightning speed to prepare to abandon the royal family, who had as good as said the Calmond family was unnecessary. This respite was indeed a respite, but one of its purposes was to not get in her parents’ way. Another was to get away from the Crown Prince and Princess. She had heard that the royal family was apparently furious that she had left the capital, but she couldn’t care less.

"Vernella, have you been providing the ‘information’ you obtained to Father and Mother?"

"Yes, of course."

Vernella smiled. A radiant, yet dazzling smile.

"In a different sense, I am carrying on the family business. What I gain there, I will use to protect what is precious to me."

Though she was smiling, her voice was completely serious. But it was also true that dwelling on such topics would be depressing.

"…Alright. That’s enough of that."

"My lady?"

"Vernella, Rupert, how have you two spent this past year?"

"Sis?"

"I want to reclaim the time when I wasn’t myself. So, tell me about your year."

Smiling, Lupia asked the two of them. She probably hadn't been able to interact properly with either of them for a whole year. That much was clear from the way their faces lit up at her question.

"Shouldn’t Rupert go first? I would love to hear about the country where you were studying abroad."

"Of course!"

Usually, when he had a serious expression, he looked his age, but when his face lit up like this with joy, he looked a little younger.

Before long, the three of them had forgotten all about the capital, their conversation blooming as they caught up on lost time. For Vernella, Rupert, and those around them, seeing Lupia laugh like this, letting her guard down and showing her emotions in front of people she trusted, brought them immense joy. They talked about trivial things, got excited, and laughed together. Some might call it unladylike, but this wasn't a formal occasion. For now, they just wanted to enjoy a friendly chat.

──But all good times must come to an end.

And yet, it was inevitable. She had decided after hearing her mother was coming. She would tell them everything.

Even if they didn’t believe her, she wanted to talk about the situation she, Lupia, had been in.

"Everyone seems to be having fun."

Millière’s calm voice. Gerald had come with her, and he had changed his clothes from when he first arrived.

"Mom, if you were coming, couldn’t we have just come together?"

"You three needed your fun time together, didn't you?"

Millière asked playfully, and even when Rupert looked displeased, she just kept smiling. Well, this was just how their mother always was, so Lupia supposed it couldn't be helped. She laughed and stood up.

"Mother, welcome. Someone, please prepare tea for Mother and Uncle."

"As you wish."

A nearby maid moved quickly at her words, bringing two more sets of tea.

It would have been simpler if they had brought Lupia’s personal maid, Richel, from the start, but she was currently busy packing for the move. The maids serving at the ducal estate were no less skilled, so Richel had prioritized the packing, saying, "The maids over there are excellent as well, so there won’t be any problems." There was likely also the sentiment that she couldn’t entrust her mistress’s belongings to anyone else.

"Thank you for waiting."

Two new tea sets and a pot of tea were added. Thoughtfully, not only sweets but also savory snacks were prepared for Gerald.

"Thank you. …Now then… let’s get right to it."

Once the maid had moved a sufficient distance away, the smile vanished from Millière’s eyes.

"Lupia, speak."

"Yes, Mother. …I must preface this by saying… it will sound like an absurd tale."

Both Gerald and Millière faced Lupia with serious expressions. Rupert and Vernella involuntarily let out a small "Ah," but then nodded to each other. They seemed to have quickly understood what Lupia was about to say.

"First… for this past year. I was being controlled by something strange."

"……Who was the culprit?" Millière asked curtly.

"…It called itself the ‘System’."

Lupia’s reply was equally brief. Hearing this, Gerald’s expression grew suspicious.

"Sys, tem?"

"And on the day of the Crown Prince and Princess’s ceremony, my consciousness finally cleared. Until then, it was a bizarre sensation, as if I was separated from the world by a thin veil."

"…What?"

Taking a sip of the tea she had been poured, Lupia continued dispassionately. As much as possible, she tried not to let her emotions show, simply recounting what she had experienced.

"And on that day, for a brief moment, time stopped, and the color drained from the world. And the ‘System’ continued."

She recalled the inorganic voice from that day and spoke again.

"‘Release from System, complete.’ That’s what it said. And I returned to ‘myself’."

"…So, in other words…"

"I was being controlled by it. Without realizing it, I was being made to move as it pleased."

"………!"

Thump! Gerald slammed his hand on the table, not bothering to hide his irritation.

"What do they think people are!"

"Calm down. …Lupia, is there more?"

"I believe the Crown Princess is involved in this."

"What?" Gerald and Millière’s voices overlapped.

"I heard from a friend that the Crown Princess has been spreading it around that she and I are friends for some reason."

"…That’s right. That’s why they came up with that ridiculous notion of you becoming her tutor or something of the sort."

"Sister, we have no connection with the Ardia family, do we?"

"None at all."

How on earth did Lupia become Falty’s friend? If there was anyone who could see Lupia’s reaction now and still say, "Well, they are friends, aren't they?" Gerald would very much like to see their face. Lupia was reporting this so calmly, so devoid of emotion, that he couldn't help but hold his head in his hands.

"Could the royal family also have been controlled by this… what was it? This system thing?"

"It’s a possibility. I don’t know to what extent, but it did say something about ‘starting with me and those like me’."

Ah, so that’s why. A voice of utter exasperation escaped Gerald’s lips.

"So Lupia was the primary one being controlled by this ‘system,’ and you and others connected to you were also affected to some extent?"

"Probably. I don’t know how much it affected others, but…"

"I don’t think the royal family was being controlled so much as they seem to have left their ability to think somewhere. And it’s ongoing."

Gerald was groaning and looking up at the sky, but Millière pressed her temples and said.

"Mom, does something come to mind?"

"My husband told me. ‘They say and do things that make you think they’re reflecting on their actions, but the next time you see them, they act as if they haven’t reflected at all.’"

"What’s that about?"

"At the palace, he’s told them time and time again, ‘Our family is leaving the country. We are renouncing our title. You are the ones who made us do this,’ but the King just clings to him, and it’s apparently a cycle of arguing and silencing him over and over again."

"…Is that… going to be alright…?"

Both Vernella and Rupert were completely taken aback, and Gerald stopped groaning and was left speechless, but then he suddenly realized something and muttered.

"And the woman who plotted such a thing is the Crown Princess…"

"I wonder how she did it, that Falty."

Millière and Gerald began to ponder, but Lupia, the one who had told the story, was looking stunned. Rupert and Vernella had believed her because it was Lupia, but she wondered if Gerald and Millière would believe her so easily.

"…You two…"

"What is it?"

"What."

"Why… do you believe me so readily?"

At her question, both Millière and Gerald’s eyes widened.

"Believing your child is only natural, isn’t it?"

"I have my doubts, but it feels like the dots are connecting to form a line. For now."

"Dots, connecting."

"When I put it together with what I’ve seen and heard, the situation doesn’t seem so strange."

"In fact, it is strange. The royal family’s actions and words are."

"…Well, yes, but."

Millière took a sip of her tea and let out a small sigh.

"One reason is that Lupia isn’t skilled enough to lie so elaborately."

"That’s true."

Rupert and Vernella nodded in agreement at the adults’ opinions. Besides, what could be gained from telling such a lie? If she were obsessed with the position of Crown Princess, she wouldn't have undergone Memory Erasing Magic. If Lupia’s actions had been even slightly suspicious, the adults, no matter how much they loved her, would have confined her in some way.

"…Thank… you… very much."

"Lupia, let it all out. You don’t mind if I report this to my husband, do you?"

"I don’t mind, but…"

"But?"

With a smile that was apologetic yet somehow relieved, Lupia continued.

"If you tell Father, he’ll just get into another argument with His Majesty and the others. So, let’s wait until after we’ve left this country."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

She nodded, then continued.

"We have no obligation to go out of our way to inform them, do we?"