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The day after I spoke with Orun-san, the gloomy clouds from yesterday were nowhere to be seen. The sky was perfectly clear and bright.
My heart felt the same way—bright and refreshed, just like the sky.
Thinking back on how I cried in front of Orun-san yesterday makes me feel incredibly embarrassed now. But when I really think about it, I seem to cry in front of him a lot…
Yeah, I cannot stay like this.
I have decided to keep going as an explorer from now on.
I have to make my heart much, much stronger too!
For that reason—
While I was renewing my resolve, the door was unlocked as usual, and Mother entered the room.
"This place always feels so gloomy no matter when I come. Well, I suppose it's the perfect room for you."
Mother's first words upon entering were usually something like that.
Up until yesterday, the moment she appeared in front of me, fear would take over and my body would start trembling naturally. But today, to my own surprise, I remained remarkably calm.
"…Good morning, Mother."
Even though I greeted her, Mother did not return the greeting.
"You look even more unpleasant today."
With a bored expression, she opened her mouth and immediately began explaining today's business.
"…I'm making a special exception and letting you go outside today. Even if it's only to a viscount's house, since you're marrying into a noble family, we cannot possibly skip having dresses made. It concerns the Clodel family's reputation, so even though it galls me, I'll have a few prepared for you. Hurry up and get ready."
I was extremely surprised to hear her mention having dresses made for me. But for Mother, nothing matters more than the name "Clodel Count Family." Having that tarnished would be far worse for her than having to arrange dresses for me.
Mother has said countless cruel things to me up until now.
Yet from her current words and actions, I could see that she too had her own beliefs guiding what she did.
To me, Mother was not someone I liked. But she was not pure evil either.
Now that I could think about her calmly, such thoughts floated in the corner of my mind as I listened to her.
But just as Mother had her beliefs, I had mine too.
It felt like I was finally noticing something that should have been obvious.
"I refuse."
"…What did you say?"
When I rejected the idea of going outside, Mother looked for a moment as though she could not comprehend what I had just said. But she quickly switched to an irritated expression and tone.
"I said, 'I refuse.' I am not getting married! I will continue living as an explorer of Night Sky's Silver Rabbit!"
"Do not joke around! Do you even understand what you're saying? That means abandoning the people of the territory!"
When I refused again and clearly stated my will, Mother raised her voice in fury.
"I do not even want to acknowledge your existence! Even so, Clodel blood flows through you! That blood must be used for the sake of this territory. That is the duty of a noble! Personal feelings have nothing to do with it!"
Mother was screaming hysterically, but the content itself sounded logical.
I was probably the one being selfish here.
To Mother, I was someone she hated so much she did not even want to acknowledge I existed.
Yet if this engagement went through and I married Viscount Emelt, it would serve as proof that I was part of the Clodel family.
That must have been something Mother found unbearable.
Even so, as a member of the Clodel family, she was suppressing her own emotions to prepare for my marriage.
Well, considering how relentlessly she had been hurling insults at me, it was hard to say she was truly suppressing anything.
—Even then, I no longer wanted to lie to myself.
"The whole reason for this engagement in the first place is the concern over the labyrinth overflowing, correct? In that case, I will conquer that labyrinth! As the explorer 'Sophie'!"
If the labyrinth disappears, there will be no worry about an overflow.
There is a rule that labyrinths cannot be conquered without the guild's permission, but right now we are on the verge of war, and if there is a risk of overflow, conquering it should not be a problem.
If that happens, there will be no reason for me to get married.
It should be a desirable outcome for Mother as well, so she would go along with this.
—That is what I thought.
"Heh, hehehe. You conquering the labyrinth? Impossible. You probably do not know, but yesterday Selma—who said she was going to conquer the labyrinth—came back in tatters. The S-rank explorer, the one called the Continent's Greatest Enchanter—Selma!"
"My sister…"
So the reason I had not received telepathy from my sister recently was because she had been conquering the labyrinth.
That means she had been moving for my sake—so I would not have to get married, right?
Learning that my sister had acted for me warmed my heart.
Orun-san had told me yesterday that her life was not in danger, so I knew it had not come to anything serious.
If Mother's words were true, then conquering it would be difficult for me.
—But still!
"Even so, I will not know unless I try! I absolutely refuse to give up without doing anything!"
"You—enough already—!"
Realizing she could not overpower me with words, Mother raised her hand to strike me.
I forcibly stopped it with Psychokinesis.
"Why… why can't my body move…!?"
"This is my unique ability. I am no longer just a weak existence that can only take abuse!"
"Unique ability…!? Do not mock—"
"—Pardon the interruption."
Just as Mother was about to raise her voice even more, the door suddenly opened. A dignified yet somehow powerful voice came from outside.
The person who entered was a beautiful woman with shining golden hair flowing behind her.
"L-Lucila-sama!?"
When Mother confirmed who had entered, she let out a scream that was almost a shriek from sheer shock.
(This is… the princess…?)
"Good morning, Helen."
The princess called Mother's name with a beaming smile.
Though it should have been a smile, somehow it carried a frightening atmosphere.
Was she… really angry?
"Y-Yes! Good morning, Your Highness. W-Why has Your Highness come to such a shabby place…?"
Mother, completely rattled, somehow managed to ask while trying to pretend she was calm.
"I had something to discuss with Helen. When I asked the servants, they told me you were here, so I came right over."
The princess answered cheerfully with the expression of a child who had just succeeded in a prank.
"If you had only summoned me, I would have come immediately…"
"No need. I wanted some fresh air anyway, so it worked out perfectly. —That said, you and your husband really have done it now. This was the absolute worst move I could have imagined. I am truly glad I brought Selma here. It is rare for me to feel this proud of my own decisions."
The princess, who had been speaking in a pleasant voice until now, suddenly shifted to a tone that sent chills down my spine.
Anyone who heard this voice would say the princess was furious.
Even though it was not directed at me, it was terrifying…
"W-What are you referring to…?"
Mother—now the target of the princess's anger—was more flustered than I had ever seen her.
"You simply misjudged the value of 'Sophia Clodel.' That is all. Yes, just that. —And because of that small misjudgment, you nearly made an enemy out of the one person I least want as an enemy. Truly, how should I make you pay for this?"
"—!"
The air grew even heavier.
It felt almost like Orun-san's Gravity Manipulation was at work.
By now, Mother could not even speak.
"Sigh… The negotiations I am about to have with her are going to be utterly depressing. Because of this, I will have no choice but to fully accept her demands. If this incident had not happened, she might have conceded a little more. Honestly, you really have caused me a great deal of trouble."
I had no idea what she was talking about.
Negotiations with her?
What did that have to do with me?
"I-If I have done something to offend Your Highness, I will apologize… So could you please tell me what I did wrong…?"
Mother asked in an incredibly humble posture I had never seen before.
"As I said earlier. You 'misjudged the value of Sophia Clodel.'"
"The value of this foolish girl?"
"Sigh. If you truly do not understand even now, then never mind. You will be removed from the public eye. As of yesterday, the Clodel family headship and count title have passed to Marius. Perfect timing."
"Marius has taken the headship…? W-What do you mean!?"
Mother's agitation grew even more intense.
My brother had become Count Clodel?
…Well, it did not really concern me much.
My brother probably did not think well of me either.
But for Mother, this was not something she could ignore.
My brother was already married, so his wife would become the Countess Clodel.
Mother would no longer be the countess.
"That is exactly what it means. The speed was impressive, nothing less. To strip everything from the father in just an hour or two. Normally I could not overlook a usurpation of family headship, but with Orun in their hands, there is nothing I can do. Neither the kingdom nor I personally could intervene."
…So Orun-san did something for me too.
As a happy feeling rose in me, Mother collapsed to the floor.
The princess looked down at her with eyes as cold as if she were observing an uninteresting insect, then simply told the attendant behind her, "Take her away."
Right in front of me, Mother was led somewhere else.
Then the princess approached me.
(Now it's my turn!?)
I braced myself in fear of what might happen, but unlike before, the princess wore a friendly smile.
"You must be Sophia. Nice to meet you. I am Lucila N. Edelweiss. A friend of Selma's. Pleased to meet you."
"Y-Yes! P-Pleased to meet you!"
"Hehe. Just as cute as Selma said. —Now then, shall we go?"
"W-Where are we going?"
"Do not worry. To the place where you belong."
Perhaps finding my timid question amusing, the princess answered while laughing cheerfully.
◇
The place the princess brought me to was my sister's private room.
We parted ways in front of the door.
Also, it seemed Orun-san was busy helping with the aftermath of yesterday's family head usurpation and was extremely occupied right now.
I wanted to thank Orun-san properly too, but going now would just get in the way, so I was holding off.
I sat on a chair beside my sister's bed.
My gaze rested on my sleeping sister.
(It really is my sister. I never thought I would see her again…)
Seeing her face made my vision blur naturally.
On the way here, the princess had told me that when my sister returned, she had been completely exhausted from overusing magic.
Even in that battered state, she had pushed herself to conquer the labyrinth for my sake. I had nothing but gratitude.
(Thank you too, sister, for doing this for me.)
I thanked her in my heart so as not to wake her, and as if my words reached her, she opened her eyes right then.
My still-sleepy sister—her consciousness not fully clear—focused on me.
"Ah, Sophia. Good morning."
"…Yeah, good morning, sister."
Perhaps still half-asleep, we exchanged the kind of everyday greeting we used to have back at the clan dormitory.
"...Eh!? Sophia!?"
As her awareness gradually cleared, my sister sat up abruptly and brought her face closer to mine.
"Yeah, it's me. Um… I'm back."
Feeling a little shy, I found myself saying "I'm back" without thinking.
Hearing those words, my sister simply let her face soften with pure joy and spoke.
"Yeah. Welcome home, Sophia."