It was dinner time at the Chevalier Marquis household. Both my parents were in an unusually good mood, and Nigel was puzzled by this.
“There’s some happy news, just for Iris,” said the Marquis of Chevalier, prompting Iris to tense up.
“You’ve been mentioned as a candidate for the Holy Maiden. And this is strictly confidential, but Prince Rezeda has expressed his feelings and wishes to court you,” he revealed.
Iris looked at the Marquis of Chevalier with a face full of anxiety.
“Feelings? What kind of feelings?”
“Ahaha, Iris always asks such funny questions! What else could it be? It must be about an engagement, right?”
“No! Absolutely not! I don’t want to die!!”
Iris responded immediately. It was the game correction finally coming into play. Despite her wishes, the game was trying to force her onto a route filled with malice, which she couldn’t help but resent.
The Marquis and his wife looked at their daughter in surprise.
“What’s wrong, Iris?” asked the Marchioness gently.
Iris was taken aback.
If the game is going to force things this way, I’ll resist too!
Panicking, she put on a face like she was about to cry and appealed to her mother.
“I know there are many who do not think highly of me ascending to the royal palace. Being paraded around like a spectacle is truly distressing…”
Iris bowed her head.
“Don’t worry about it. His Highness himself desires it.”
“No! It will only bring shame upon His Highness to have me. Smallpox scars are seen as a sign of being forsaken by God. Marrying someone like me would be seen as turning against God, and that is what hurts…”
Hiding her face in her hands, Iris pretended to weep.
The dinner table fell silent. It was a topic usually avoided at home, but blatantly thrown at her in social settings.
“Please… Father, please protect me.”
Iris looked at the Marquis of Chevalier with tearful eyes. He solemnly nodded.
“Father, please…”
“Don’t worry, Iris. Once you become the Holy Maiden, there won’t be any problems.”
The Marquis of Chevalier smiled kindly, kindly.
Father, you idiot! You’re so biased towards normalcy!
“That’s impossible… You know we almost have no magical power in our family. We’ve never had a Holy Maiden before.”
“Then you’ll be the first one.”
“No, no, no, that’s impossible!”
Iris blurted out. The Marquis didn’t mind.
“There are currently three candidates, including you.”
“Three?”
Iris was puzzled.
In the game, there were supposed to be only two. Who is this third person? Did something prevent them from coming to the academy before the game started? I have a bad feeling about this…
“I can’t say it loudly, but one is from a lowly background. Surely such a person won’t be chosen? And the other is from the same Marquis family, but if worst comes to worst, we can overpower her, right?”
Iris swallowed nervously.
Father didn’t have them assassinated before the game started, did he?
“…Assassination…?”
Seeing his daughter, the Marquis smiled as if satisfied, a gleeful grin spreading at the corner of his mouth.
“Iris… I like your spirit of achieving your desires even if it means killing the competition. But we are a family of knights. A noble should challenge fairly in a duel, understand?”
The father’s voice sounded like he was scolding an ignorant child.
Why am I being lectured? There’s no noble lady who can beat me in a duel! Challenging me when they can’t win isn’t fair at all! And noble ladies don’t duel!
“Dueling is a big problem, Father!!”
“Oh, Iris, I’m glad you’re feeling spirited. Now, let’s continue our meal.”
Iris was in despair. It seemed like nothing could get through to her crafty father.
But at least I know we won’t resort to assassination.
No, that’s exactly why Iris might end up stabbing Camille…
Iris silently devoured the duck confit.
Nigel listened to his father’s words with mixed feelings. As twins, he had always walked together with his sister, but now he felt like he was being left behind.
It had always been natural for them to be together since birth. Iris, being the elder sister, was supposed to be protected by him, as his father had said.
Yet now, he couldn’t even get a word in.
Recently, Iris was getting along well with the prince, favored by the Fairy Leader, respected by the court magicians, and even visiting the Magic Palace. She was also developing vaccines, something Nigel couldn’t even imagine doing.
He clenched his fist under the table, filled with an inexplicable sense of urgency.
We won’t always be together. Girls generally get married earlier. He knew that, but he didn’t want to be left behind now. If she got engaged, it would only widen the gap between them. However, knowing Iris did not wish for an engagement, he felt a bit relieved.
Just a little longer, let me be the only knight protecting Iris, Nigel thought quietly.
After dinner, Iris, her hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in riding gear, was at the stables. It was her last resort. She had no choice but to speak directly to Rezeda.
Hiding in the darkness, she was busy saddling her horse when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind.
Caught off guard!
Iris instantly ducked, preparing to headbutt her attacker. The person, sensing her intentions, stepped back. Iris gripped a dagger wrapped in cloth and faced her opponent.
“Nigel…?”
“Is Iris really a lady?”
“Of the Chevalier Marquis family.”
Nigel, realizing the misunderstanding, raised his hands to show he had no intention to fight.
“It’s good it’s you, Nigel. If it weren’t my brother, I might have been killed.”
“If I weren’t your brother, I might have been killed too.”
Iris stared at Nigel, who smiled contentedly. Only with Iris could he truly be equal.
“Did you come to stop me?”
“Isn’t it too reckless? Planning to sneak into the royal palace at night? If caught, it won’t just be bad for Iris, but for the Chevalier family too.”
“If we’re not caught, then it’s fine.”
“Really, you’re just like Father.”
Nigel murmured weakly. Stubborn, willing to forge her own path by any means necessary, even if it was somewhat forceful—both the Marquis and Iris were very similar.
But hearing this, Iris lost her words. It was against her will.
“But at this rate, things will just proceed. I can’t become the Holy Maiden, nor do I want to be a queen.”
“Do you dislike Prince Rezeda?”
“It’s not that I dislike him, but… I definitely don’t have romantic feelings.”
“That’s typical for our noble marriages.”
Nigel, feeling slightly happy hearing Iris’s words, decided to offer a conventional perspective.
“Maybe so. All the more reason not to rush into an engagement now.”
Iris bit her lip. Rezeda would eventually fall for Camille anyway. If so, why not wait until Camille appears before making any fiancée?
“Iris, let’s stop for tonight.”
Nigel urged Iris, wanting to interfere with the engagement himself. But the means and the opponent were wrong.
“This is the only chance I have. If Father meets with the prince tomorrow, the talks will proceed.”
“Iris, calm down. Father and the prince practice in the afternoon. If you need to see him, it should be in the morning, Iris.”
“…In the morning.”
“Send a messenger and follow the proper steps. I’ll come with you. Okay? Iris.”
Iris nodded.
“Nigel, you’ve become reliable.”
Iris said solemnly.
“Not really.”
Nigel replied, his sad face blending into the dark night, unseen by Iris.
Iris returned to her room and called out to the Fairy. Between her vertical rolls of hair, a Fairy peeked out. Nigel and the family didn’t know about the Fairy.
“I need you to go to Prince Rezeda.”
“Why?”
“I absolutely must meet him tomorrow morning. Can you deliver a letter?”
“Sure.”
Iris wrote a message on a white notepad and entrusted it to the Fairy. The Fairy then disappeared into the darkness.
She thought there might be a chance that her father would prevent the messenger from reaching the royal palace.
And her suspicion was confirmed. The next morning, Nigel apologetically conveyed that the messenger couldn’t make it. Nigel had tried his best, but as a ward, there were limits to what he could do. Iris understood this well and thanked Nigel.
And then, she decided to go to the royal palace alone.
