"Just keep quiet and stay by my side—"
Before Gideon could even finish the sentence, at the very instant his hand was about to reach Lieselotte's shoulder, the air rippled.
Gideon jolted in shock at the figure that had suddenly appeared before him, and in the next instant his wrist had already been seized in an iron grip.
Yuri stood before him with a swiftness so sudden it was almost as though he had stepped across time itself, stopping Gideon's hand in its tracks.
"She is a cherished member of my family. Would you kindly keep your hands off her?"
Though Yuri's expression remained composed, his voice carried the chill of fury held brutally in check.
Ophelia caught her breath, unable to understand what had just happened.
A moment ago, Yuri had certainly been seated beside her.
And now, before she had even realized it, he was standing between Lieselotte and Gideon.
...How? When did Lord Yuri get over there...?
Ophelia's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
She stared down at her own hand, still warm with the lingering touch of Yuri's, bewildered and unable to make sense of it all.
Lieselotte, by contrast, let surprise show for only an instant before regaining her composure.
Just what I would expect of my lord husband...
She knew that he could manipulate time and space, moving almost as if by teleportation, so she did not panic.
If anything, as she watched his back, she felt a hot swell of emotion rising in her chest.
Yuri had always said that he would pretend he could not use magic, so as not to draw attention to himself.
And yet—
for her sake, he had broken that rule and moved.
Lieselotte offered him a quiet thanks in her heart.
To think he would go this far... for me...
Celine, too, showed no outward alarm, merely watching in silence.
She had already witnessed this ability several times before, so it did not surprise her.
What did catch her attention was the cold, merciless anger radiating from Yuri at that moment, and inwardly she approved of how he had acted.
As expected of my lord husband... But this is bad. If too many eyes are on him, it will only become troublesome.
Celine's eyes flashed sharply.
Then she lifted the wineglass resting on the table and, with a perfectly natural motion, spilled its contents across the floor.
Red wine spread over the ground, a vivid crimson that drew every eye.
At the sound, the attention of those around them shifted that way for a moment, and the atmosphere changed.
Celine smiled gracefully, as though nothing at all had happened.
That should buy us a little time.
"Oh dear, my apologies. Perhaps my lord husband brushed it when he leapt over the table?"
Her tone was cool and effortless, without the slightest hint of contrivance.
"I'm terribly sorry, but you there—would you be so kind as to wipe the floor?"
After giving the instruction with effortless grace to a nearby attendant, Celine rose and glided over to Lieselotte's side.
"To be favored with talk of a marriage match from a viscount is indeed an honor beyond compare.
However, my daughter is still in the midst of discerning what kind of gentleman is truly right for her.
I do hope you will be kind enough to understand."
Celine finished with her smile elegantly fixed in place, her words crisp as a blade.
Gideon's face flushed with anger, and he opened his mouth to protest.
"Don't be absurd! Such—"
At that moment, Yuri realized that he had tightened his grip around Gideon's hand without even thinking about it.
Gideon's shout broke off, and the sound of his breath catching rang through the hall.
"Ghk...!"
Yuri's hand was stronger than it looked, and Gideon's face twisted in pain.
Gideon tried furiously to wrench himself free, but Yuri's grip did not budge in the slightest.
"Wh-what is this? It will not move at all! What is the meaning of this?"
It was like watching a child try to wrest free from an adult. Gideon's face contorted as he poured all his strength into moving his arm.
Yet Yuri needed only the slightest bit of strength to keep him pinned in place.
He found himself surprised that merely tightening his hand a little was enough to restrain someone so easily.
The more wildly Gideon struggled, the more ridiculous his resistance looked.
Unable to watch any longer, Celine called out to him.
"My lord husband, might I ask you to let go of his hand?"
Yuri turned at her words and asked, a little uncertain,
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It is quite all right. Leave it to me."
Trusting the calm confidence in her voice, Yuri loosened his grip.
The moment Gideon felt it, he snatched his arm back in a fluster.
Sweat beaded on his brow, and his face was red with rage.
After glaring at Yuri for a moment, he struggled to steady his breathing and compose himself.
"...Be that as it may."
His voice trembled, but Gideon somehow kept his composure and turned back to Lieselotte.
His hand still shaking, he rubbed the arm Yuri had seized.
"Princess Lieselotte.
It changes nothing. In the end, this lord is still the one who ought to be chosen.
No one is more worthy of you than I am."
This man... he really sees nothing but himself.
Though exasperated, Yuri only grew more wary of Gideon's attitude.
"Marriage, when rushed, can later leave a rift between husband and wife.
I would never wish such a sorrowful future upon my daughter.
In all things, I believe it best to wait until the time is ripe."
Celine's words struck Gideon like the edge of a sharpened blade.
"Heh heh... this lord has already waited quite long enough.
The time is now—of that I am certain.
I have deigned to choose her myself, so why should that not suffice?"
Ignoring Celine's words as though they meant nothing, Gideon tried to force the matter forward.
But Celine, her smile never wavering, countered with perfect calm.
"No. We could hardly impose such a burden upon you.
Should the restoration of the Reberk Barony fail, there is the possibility that charges of negligent domain administration, abandonment of arable-land restoration, oppressive misrule, and breach of royal command could all be applied."
Yuri did not miss the flicker of fear that crossed Gideon's face at those words.
Celine continued, as if driving the blade deeper.
"As you know, negligent domain administration alone would end merely in confiscation of the land.
But abandonment of arable-land restoration carries exile from the kingdom.
Oppressive misrule carries the execution of the lord.
And breach of royal command means execution by association.
I could not possibly bear to have a gentleman who happens to be the uncle of our patron, Margrave Liliana of Ishurias, swept up in all that."
At Celine's words, Gideon fell silent for a moment, then let out a long breath, struggling to recover his composure.
"V-very well. If you insist so strongly, then I shall wait until the Reberk Barony is restored..."
Panic showed plainly on his face, and his voice was beginning to trip over itself.
"But mark my words. You will regret defying me!
You will learn just how foolish it was to slight me!"
His face bright red, Gideon spat out that parting threat and strode from the great hall.
His entourage hurried after him, fluttering in his wake and crying, "My lord—!"
"Hmph. He was no great thing after all.
A petty noble is still a petty noble."
Celine drew herself up proudly, full bosom lifted high, and declared victory under her breath.
Confidence and satisfaction at having put down a boorish villain shone openly on her face.
Her eyes gleamed sharply, and a self-satisfied smile tugged at her lips.
"Mother... if that was all it took, I would have preferred you send him away before Lord Yuri had to leap in."
Lieselotte said it with a small shrug, half teasing.
"Even then, these things do have their proper order, do they not?
Besides, we did get to see my lord husband at his most dashing."
Celine answered with a smile.
"...That we did."
Lieselotte replied with the faintest smile of her own.
"Now then, everyone. The atmosphere has grown a touch uneasy, but let us think of it as merely one of the little trials that attend a long marriage.
Please, do put your minds at ease and enjoy the banquet."
At Celine's gentle words, the nobles who had been left flustered began, with awkward nods, to resume their conversations.
A trace of the earlier tension still lingered, but the mood gradually softened, and little by little, laughter returned.