[Please don't fight. Not this time, we have to protect our contractor. We can't lose another one.]
[Okay. I'm sorry.]
[We won't fight. So don't cry, okay?]
Undi looked at them and said,
[Are you really not going to fight?]
[Yeah, really.]
[No fighting.]
[Then promise me.]
[I promise.]
[... We promise. I promise you, damn it]
When Snow and On held hands with displeasure and vowed not to fight, Undi cheered up.
Soon, Undi spoke carefully to Irene.
[Irene, we promise you. There will be no fighting, so please don't throw us away, okay?]
Irene teared up at Undi's words.
'I didn't mean to say that I'll throw you away...'
But it seemed to have improved the relationship between them, so it was a fortunate misunderstanding nonetheless.
"Yeah, if you guys don't fight, we'll be able to work together and do well in the future."
At Irene's words, the three spirits nodded, and Irene's expression finally loosened up.
'... I have to master all the spirits' powers in the next two weeks. To avenge my parents.'
♔♔♔
"No secret route to the Grand Duke's mansion has been found. I don't think they had any built while constructing the mansion."
The Emperor frowned at Ascardo's report.
"How is that possible? They didn't make an escape route in case of an emergency?"
"It would make no sense if we were talking about any other family, but isn't this Grand Duke Kristen? He won't need one in the first place."
It was true, with the power of Grand Duke Kristen, he wouldn't be afraid of anyone attacking him. The Emperor nodded in agreement.
"But that arrogance will come back to poison him. If the Imperial Army and the Knight Corps attack at the same time, the Grand Duke will not stand a chance."
"The long-standing reputation of Grand Duke Kristen will be destroyed."
The Emperor burst out laughing, satisfied just by thinking about it. Ascardo followed with a light smile.
"Count, thanks to your support, This Majesty's burden has lessened."
Before the Emperor's gaze landed on Ascardo, a man wearing a dark red insignia walked in.
"Count Chase."
"I'm also happy that Your Majesty is satisfied."
"Haha, about that, will you be okay with it? Wasn't she once your daughter?"
The Emperor asked, smiling contentedly at his words, but Count Chase shook his head inconsiderately.
"That child was never my daughter. From the beginning until now, the only reason I hid her from His Majesty was at my sister's request. I tried to contain her so she wouldn't harm Your Majesty, but I never thought it would turn out like this."
"Hmm."
"I should have killed that child the moment I found out... I am sorry that my poor judgement inconvenienced His Majesty."
Count Chase fell to his knees, then kneeled with his head on the floor, and the Emperor looked down at him with a smirk.
At first, when he found out Irene's identity, the Emperor tried to accuse the Chase family of treason to get rid of them. However, after Riel Chase's request and the dedication of Count Chase to offering all his family's private soldiers for help, he thought that it would be acceptable to treat them with a bit of generosity.
'I'm still dissatisfied.'
But it was also fun to see the haughty Count Chase apologising on the ground, so he decided to forgive him just this one time.
'Damn it.'
With his forehead on the ground, Count Chase gritted his teeth. He cut a sorry figure, yet both Ascardo and the Emperor were looking down on him while smugly.
'How did I end up like this...!'
When he first heard that Riel had found out Irene's identity and revealed the truth to the Emperor, he became furious. He was close to grinding his teeth into dust, so he clenched his fists instead.
'Why did you do that! Do you intend to destroy the family?'
'Dad, you hit me...'
'That's not the problem now! Riel!'
...Unless the Emperor were an idiot, he would have figured it out someday, for there are no secrets in this world. So that was why Count Chase had to act and prevent his family from being executed.
'Dad believed that you could hide this, but I know now. Maybe Irene knows too. So Dad.'
Riel staggered and stood up, then smiled like an angel while speaking to Count Chase, who was blankly staring into thin air.
'Don't blame me. After all, it's all your fault. You're the one who brought Irene here.'
'Riel, wait'
-Bang!
Riel, always an angel, caught Count Chase off-guard with her actions. He tried chasing after her, but she had already slammed the door shut.
'It's all because of Irene that my Riel has changed.'
Count Chase blamed all of his misfortune on Irene.