"Everyone, stay sharp. This is our last chance."
The sun dipping toward the horizon had finally set, and darkness was slowly blanketing the sky.
"If we don't get him back today, the Opstein family has no future. This is no different from our final gamble."
Near the venue where the debutante ball was in full swing, in a shadowy spot, a masked man was issuing commands to a line of thugs, sweat beading on his brow.
"So make sure you're all properly prepared. The moment Dorsia and her attendants bring out Kairen, we leave this place..."
It was none other than Marquis Opstein. Midway through giving orders to his men, he suddenly sensed something off and turned around.
"...Have we been found out?"
The venue, which should have been buzzing with the fervor of young ladies and gentlemen by now, was eerily quiet.
"No, that can't be. The plan was perfect..."
But as the marquis narrowed his eyes for a moment and dismissed it as just a feeling, turning back—
"Ah, Father!"
"...Dorsia?"
"Th-this is bad!"
Suddenly, from afar, his daughter Dorsia came running, clutching her skirt and panting for breath.
"One of the men inside the venue got caught. The Duchess Astridje grabbed him by the throat and..."
"...Wh-where's Kairen!?"
Not even letting her finish, the marquis grabbed her shoulders and urgently asked about Kairen.
"He... disappeared."
"What?"
"Th-there are signs he drank the holy water... but he's gone without a trace. I don't know where he could have..."
Hearing Dorsia's response, the marquis quietly gritted his teeth, his face turning icy.
"...Damn it."
Unable to contain his rage, he spat out a curse before suddenly scooping up Dorsia and shoving her into the nearby carriage.
"Dorsia, get in the carriage first."
"Yes? But Kairen..."
"...Get in the carriage quietly!"
At his sudden shout, Dorsia widened her eyes in shock. It was the first time her father had ever yelled at her like that.
"We need to get out of here right now. With the plan in ruins, we have to withdraw as quickly as possible..."
Turning his gaze from Dorsia, the marquis looked around at his men and began issuing urgent retreat orders.
"Guhk!?"
"Krahk!"
But the moment his words ended, his men suddenly clutched their hearts and began collapsing.
"Wh-what's happening? Who's there... guk!"
"...Where from? Gruk!"
Even the men who belatedly realized the situation and tried to ready themselves for battle fell to the ground without much resistance, victims of the sudden ambush.
"Ah, aaah..."
As his trusted subordinates dropped one by one until none remained, the marquis's face paled, and he began backing away.
"Do you know the one space the enemies of Belverk fear the most?"
Right then, a chilling whisper came from in front of him.
"A space shrouded in shadows."
"...Y-you..."
"It's the perfect environment for us, who move through the darkness, to hide."
Schwarz, now fully revealed under the moonlight, approached the marquis slowly, wiping the blood from her hands.
"It was good that your daughter stepped out for a moment. We blended into the shadows."
"..."
"This allowed us to form a encirclement so quickly. Weren't you a bit too complacent against Belverk?"
As Belverk maids began emerging one by one from the depths of the darkness and approaching, the marquis, who had been backing away, suddenly shouted desperately.
"H-help me!"
"...?"
"Didn't we make a deal in exchange for the experiment records? Protect me!"
Right after his words, a man in a white priestly robe quietly stepped down from the carriage and stood behind the marquis.
"...Haa."
Seeing this, Schwarz let out a quiet sigh.
"I was wondering where you got holy water that's even hard for the imperial family to obtain."
"..."
"As expected, the Holy Church is behind this. I have new information to report."
Calmly taking in the moonlight-illuminated priest's robe, Schwarz muttered with a murderous expression.
"That's if you survive here."
But the marquis, his earlier fear gone, raised his voice arrogantly.
"The Duchess Astridje might be a different story, but you small fries aren't a match for him."
"...Well, generally speaking, that's true."
"If you understand, then back off. How dare mere servants threaten the head of House Opstein..."
Now openly scolding Schwarz and the maids like a teacher, he straightened his posture.
"Indeed, the matchup isn't favorable."
Watching him silently, Schwarz nodded quietly in agreement.
"Unless there's a monster that can adapt to whatever power the opponent uses, it would be hard to win."
But the moment her lips curved upward slightly—
- *Kwachruk...*
The sound of a neck bone twisting sideways came from behind the marquis.
"...W-watch your words."
The marquis turned around with an incredulous expression, then staggered and collapsed to the ground.
"Heek...!"
Lilien, her body emitting black smoke like a demon scorched by holy power and covered in burns, tossed the already-dead priest from the carriage aside and stood before the marquis.
"I-I'm the head of House Opstein, one of the empire's meritorious families and the four great powers. If I die here, do you know what will happen...?"
Realizing he had no means left to respond, the marquis began raising his voice in fury.
"...It's fine. We won't kill you."
But Schwarz knelt down kindly to meet his eyes and whispered softly.
"Belverk has a brutal image, but we do consider the aftermath."
"...R-right? Even you wouldn't dare cause such a scene openly."
Hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in the marquis's eyes as he muttered in a trembling voice.
"Exactly. We won't waste effort wiping out Opstein overnight."
"...What?"
"Marquis. Did you really think you'd pay easily for imprisoning Belverk's legitimate heir for over ten years and subjecting him to all sorts of experiments?"
Shattering that hope, Schwarz glared at him with contempt and continued.
"That would be too lenient. You know it well, don't you? That withering away slowly is the most excruciating pain in the world."
The next instant, the marquis's trembling hand darted into his bosom.
"Krahk!!!"
But before he could sprinkle the holy water hidden in his clothes, Lilien grabbed his hair and slammed his head into the ground.
"...Lord Patriarch, from today onward, live as a fool."
At the same time, Schwarz whispered into his ear while infusing black smoke.
"Just maintain your position and watch as your ancient house crumbles slowly."
Her gaze then shifted to Dorsia, who was trembling and sniffling inside the carriage, and she gave a gentle smile.
"...Of course, you too."
A girl her age crying might normally evoke pity, but no one present looked at Dorsia with sympathy.
"That was Duchess Astridje's message up to now."
It wasn't just the stern orders from the formidable Duchess Astridje; rumors of what she had done to Belverk's adorable young master over the past ten years were already widespread.
"Wrap it up moderately and regroup. We still haven't found Kairen."
"...Yes."
"And it seems there's a separate mastermind."
As the maids cast cold glances at Dorsia and began surrounding the marquis, enveloping him in black smoke, Lilien issued a low command and turned away.
"Those Holy Church bastards, staying quiet for a while..."
She muttered through gritted teeth.
"Kaaaaahhh!!!"
"...Looks like his guts spilled out."
The cold moonlight from the night sky quietly illuminated the marquis behind her, who had rolled back his eyes and begun writhing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Mm..."
"Cheep!"
"...Huh? Peep."
I had fallen into such a deep sleep that I didn't even realize my eyes had closed, but Peep's chirp near my ear snapped me awake.
"Where is this? I was definitely just..."
I had only planned to pretend to fall asleep before signing autographs, but after dancing with Mother for twenty minutes and using my Crimson Eyes ability, I must have been exhausted.
Even accounting for that, isn't my stamina ridiculously poor? Even for a ten-year-old, this is too much. To survive in Belverk going forward, I might need to train my endurance a bit.
"Cheep cheep!"
Anyway, this room seems a bit different in design from the one I was in earlier. Did the Imperial Princess move me here while I was asleep?
"Cheep!"
"Ow."
Lost in thought, I finally got up after Peep, who had been rubbing its face against my cheek, pecked my forehead with its beak.
"Did you sleep well?"
And at the same time, a languid voice came from beside me.
"Huh?"
Turning toward the voice, I opened my mouth in bewilderment and asked the mysterious figure sitting next to me.
"Wh-who are you, Big Sister?"
"...Big Sister?"
Instead of answering, she repeated my words and burst into laughter.
"Pft, pffft... hahaha."
"...?"
"Puhahaha...!"
The atmosphere felt vaguely familiar, but this was definitely a face I'd never seen before.
"What an amusing child. I wonder when the last time I heard someone call me 'Big Sister'..."
"You look like a big sister..."
"...Pfft! Hehehe."
I don't know why she found "big sister" so funny, but the mysterious woman lounging next to me in a sloppy posture looked ageless.
Honestly, if not for the heavy dark circles under her eyes, she might have rivaled even Mother in beauty.
Despite the dark circles, sloppy posture, and somewhat frivolous smile, she exuded an undeniable nobility.
And I knew from experience that a kid like me calling a woman like her "big sister" could easily win her favor.
"Sigh, if only my son were this cute."
"...?"
"He's always eyeing my position covetously. It really sours my feelings toward him."
Sure enough, as she looked down at me with a raised lip corner, she casually let slip her personal info.
Still unable to pinpoint her identity, I could at least guess she was a high-ranking noblewoman—probably the only one close to the isolated Imperial Princess, or perhaps a nanny figure. Otherwise, the princess wouldn't have left me, her sleeping pet Peep included, in her care.
"Come on, little one. Say 'Mommy'."
"..."
"...Didn't you hear me?"
As I sorted my thoughts, she patted my shoulder and spoke. I stared at the noblewoman and shuddered quietly.
'...Why does my spine tingle for some reason?'
Her smiling face, leaning in close, somehow looked a bit creepy.
This feeling I'd only ever gotten from Mother or Lilien—what was it?
"M-Mommy."
"Oh my, how cute."
Thanks to that, I unwittingly muttered what she wanted, and the eerie aura around me vanished in an instant.
"B-but, who are you really?"
"...Someone who can't be known to have been here today."
Stroking my head, she answered my question evasively.
"But it seems like it'll come out soon anyway."
"...?"
"This is going to be a bit of a headache."
Adding more cryptic words, she suddenly grabbed my waist with both hands and lifted me up.
"I should enjoy this a bit more before then."
"Ugh."
She sat me on her lap, placing her chest atop my head.
I wanted to protest, but looking at her reflection in the mirror ahead—like a lioness toying with prey—I couldn't bring myself to speak.
Damn it, giving my ultimate move—allowed only for Mother—to a woman I'd just met. What catastrophe would unfold if Mother found out?
"By the way, little one, if you have nowhere to go, want to come with Big Sister?"
"Are you a kidnapper by any chance?"
"Khk. Stop making me laugh."
Ignoring whether she knew my inner turmoil, she spouted more suspicious lines and laughed again. Finally mustering courage, I raised my voice.
"I-I like Belverk!"
"...Hm, unexpected. You like that living hell?"
"D-don't badmouth Belverk!"
Did this woman just diss Belverk? As the youngest son of Belverk, I couldn't tolerate this. Should I give her a proper Belverk-style scolding?
"I-I could punish you, Big Sister."
"...Pfft!"
"I-I'm serious..."
But the Belverk-worthy words and threats in my mind turned quite soft once they left my mouth.
Even with past-life memories synced, they were just aids to my knowledge. My core personality was still that of ten-year-old Kairen.
Though influenced by my past life to feel embarrassed by childish words, my speech and actions naturally came out kid-like.
"Haha... It's about time."
"...Heh, heh."
"Thanks for the fun, even if just for a moment, little one."
Just as I was swallowing my frustration in her embrace, feeling utterly powerless as she petted my head like a child—
- *Kwang!*
The door to our room suddenly exploded outward with a roar.
"..."
Standing in the doorway was my mother, Duchess Astridje, breathing heavily and radiating killing intent.
"...Hey, Astridje."
"You'd better explain what this is about."
For some reason, the noblewoman waved casually and greeted Mother warmly, but Mother issued a warning in a voice ready to erupt.
"...Justina Lumen Shinehardt."
Wait, Shinehardt? If it's the Shinehardt I know, there's only one in the empire...
"Step away from His Majesty the Emperor, Duchess Astridje!"
"...We will attack if you refuse!"
"K-know that this could be lese-majeste!"
My thoughts reached there when imperial knights suddenly appeared behind, shouting tensely and aiming weapons at Mother.
"Astridje, calm down and hear me out."
So this sloppily beautiful noblewoman who'd had me on her lap, petting me everywhere, was actually the Emperor of this empire?
"Here's what happened..."
Meanwhile, the Emperor, who had sneakily glanced at Peep and pondered, soon grinned and said something unbelievable.
"...Your son was pretty badass."
What the hell does that mean, Your Majesty?