kscans

Chapter 36 - Shared Information

What seemed to be some sort of ritual performed by Crown Princess Falty. As a result, for an entire year, Lupia had her thoughts, actions, and freedom stolen. Ultimately, her future as Crown Princess was stolen as well.

So how did Falty do that to Lupia? It wasn't a type of magic. Nor was it suggestion or hypnosis. It was the entity Lupia called the 'System.' This being lent its power to Falty, manipulated people, and despite Falty not even being a candidate, she skipped all procedures and became the Crown Princess.

"Alright, everyone is up to speed so far," Millière said, and the twins, Vernella, and Gerald all nodded.

"And, while I gave Vernella a brief summary in the carriage… since Uncle is here now, I’ll explain in more detail."

Next was the dream Lupia had seen in the carriage while traveling. In that dream, Falty had been crying her eyes out.

'Why isn't it the Grand Finale?'

'Why won't Lupia lend me her power?'

She just kept repeating, why, why, why.

'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why?'

Falty had always been overflowing with the confidence that she was never wrong. This was likely the first wall she had ever run into. Lupia wouldn't say that the ambition she held as a count's daughter was necessarily a bad thing. However, if that ambition was being aided by some unknown entity, that was a different story entirely.

In the dream Lupia saw, words she had never heard before were being thrown around.

First, the unfamiliar term ‘Grand Finale.’ What Falty intended to do with it, and what would happen upon its completion, remained a mystery. However, she had heard the name ‘System’ in the conversation, and Falty seemed to be speaking with it familiarly. It appeared the ‘System’ had instigated Falty, who wanted to achieve something and was now thoroughly disappointed with the current reality. Disappointed, or rather, she had been trying to force an impossible request, demanding that time be turned back because things hadn't gone according to the ‘Grand Finale’ plan.

"…How… disgusting…"

Vernella muttered with genuine revulsion as she listened to the story.

"What does she think my sister is… no, not just my sister… what does she think people are…?"

Rupert placed a hand on Vernella’s back, gently stroking it. Calming down slightly, Vernella looked at Rupert and told him she was fine. Rupert nodded and removed his hand from her back, but took her hand in his instead. Then, he spoke.

"So while being controlled by this ‘System’ thing, sis was forced to be the Crown Princess’s friend?"

"That’s how it seems."

"That’s why… her responses were so odd. She wasn’t just being controlled… her individual thoughts were getting in the way of her fulfilling the role the Crown Princess wanted her to play."

Gerald added, and everyone’s faces turned grim. The very existence of something that could manipulate a person to that extent was nothing short of terrifying. But somehow, something had triggered Lupia’s release.

"However, because Falty achieved some objective, I was deemed no longer useful and was released, right?"

"It’s sickening, but that seems to be the case."

"…If I’m no longer useful, why would she want me to lend her my power…?"

"I believe it has to do with the Crown Princess training and dealing with foreign dignitaries. By having you act as her tutor, they probably wanted to be able to say, ‘The change was made, but she has the seal of approval from a former candidate with whom she has a close relationship’."

I see, Lupia thought, understanding her mother’s words. As a future Crown Princess, she had to be able to speak several languages. She was told to learn the etiquette of each country. She was reminded over and over that she must not be rude. However, what that entailed no longer existed. It was a relief that it had been erased… but the more she thought about it, the more her distrust of Falty grew.

"I don’t understand what this ‘Grand Finale’ the Crown Princess is talking about is, but I wonder if she thinks there’s still something she can do to fix it…"

"I don’t think so. The ‘System’ told her quite clearly that it was impossible."

What was this System? Was it some divine being? Or was it not a god at all, but some other entity, exceptionally advanced in magic unknown to them? …No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn't figure it out.

With the information they had, Lupia and the others were completely in the dark, but at least everyone present now shared the same understanding.

"When will you tell my husband?"

"About that, Mother. I think it would be best to wait until after we’ve moved to the Qua Kingdom."

"What?"

"If we say something now and it throws the entire country into chaos, that would be bad… but more than that, we are the ones who were deemed unnecessary. And Falty is the one who was chosen."

"In that case," Lupia continued.

"Let them proceed with the person they chose, and the future they chose."

"That’s a future where an insane woman becomes queen, you know?!"

"And what of it?"

Lupia’s question was cold and curt. Gerald was momentarily stunned, and Millière’s face grew serious. However, Rupert added to Lupia’s words with a question of his own.

"Isn’t that right? They’re the ones who chose her, and if they try to force back what they threw away, the royal family’s prestige will crumble, won’t it?"

"But, if we told my husband now…"

"Mother, please consider Father’s personality. If you tell him, he will undoubtedly move to eliminate Falty."

"…That’s true, isn’t it…"

Millière and Gerald both grimly recalled Aristerios’s personality. Especially with this incident, where his beloved daughter’s future and all her hard work had been trampled upon, ‘angry’ wouldn't even begin to cover it… he would likely fly into a rage of epic proportions. And on top of that, Aristerios was physically strong. If it ended with just a few injuries, it might be manageable, but it could easily result in deaths.

"Besides, if we make a careless move and Falty is dragged down from her position as Crown Princess only for me to be reinstated… I have no desire to be treated like a spectacle."

That royal family was capable of it. It was hard to believe that this whole affair was the work of the System they had just discussed, and that it had taken over their consciousness as it had with Lupia. They were likely acting on their own will to some extent, so they would have to take full responsibility. That was Lupia’s sentiment.

"That being said, that ‘System’… I wonder if I could make contact with it."

"What?!"

"My lady!"

"Lupia, wait!"

"Hold on, hold on, calm down!"

She was met with a torrent of protests from all sides, but Lupia alone wore a look of dissatisfaction. Everyone around her was thinking about what might happen if she, by some chance, made contact with a being that had controlled her, a being potentially superior to humans. But Lupia, her expression unchanged, said.

"I want to ask it what it was trying to accomplish by manipulating people as it pleased, and one other thing."

"Sis?"

Lupia smiled brightly at Rupert’s question and added.

"I have a few things to say to Falty, but I also have a few things to say to this ‘System.’ ……A lot of things, you see."

Ufufu, Lupia laughed, but her eyes were completely deadlocked.

"My, it’s been a while since I’ve seen that look."

"Me too."

Her family members, Rupert and Millière, gave wry smiles and sipped their tea to calm their nerves.

"Sis is seriously mad."

"It would be unreasonable to ask her not to be."

Only the one who had suffered could know what she wanted to say to the yet-unseen ‘System.’ How to make contact was also unknown, but.

"…I will make them pay for what they have done. For that, I must think of the method that will cause the most damage to them…"

Finishing her tea, Lupia poured herself a refill. The aura of anger from moments ago had vanished as if it were never there.

And, though it wasn't exactly excluding him, Rupert and Millière secretly apologized to Aristerios in their hearts. ‘We’ll tell you everything, we promise!’ they both added mentally.