Part One, Section Three: “And Then, the Sisters Sprang Into Action”
Chapter Thirty-three (Mia’s POV)
“W-why are you here…!? Fernando…!”
Julius was taken aback, his face turning pale, as he saw Fernando suddenly appear in the midst of a meeting regarding defense policies.
The so-called meeting was Julius’ solo act. The participants were me, his fiancée and a saint, and the yes-men officials who got their positions by fawning over Julius.
The unexpected participation of the first prince in such a worthless meeting also clearly confused the officials.
“Mind your words, Julius. Are you ignorant of the etiquette towards your older brother?”
“Ugh… I’m glad to see you looking well, elder brother. But will you be alright not resting? Pushing yourself with unfamiliar things could hurt your health.”
“I appreciate your concern. However, thanks to your kind words, my health is remarkably good. With our father currently bedridden, I, as the heir to the throne, must also do my best.”
““…!?””
Prince Fernando… isn’t that too provocative? No wonder not just His Highness Julius, but his entourage also has dumbfounded expressions when you said things like challenging his succession.
And bringing up the succession would make Prince Julius…
“It’s intentional, Mia… This way, my younger brother will definitely take action…”
Prince Fernando murmured that as if whispering in my ear when he passed by. Could it be that his provocation was intentional…? If that was the case, he must have made quite a determination… He truly changed…
Those who faced challenges head-on were strong. I should follow his example.
“By the way, Julius, I heard from Mia that you declined the offer of assistance from the Parnacota Knights. Isn’t their king an old acquaintance of our father? We also have an alliance for emergencies. Shouldn’t you consider trusting and accepting their offer?”
“You’re quite talkative, aren’t you, elder brother…? May I continue? I didn’t ask for their assistance, but rather, I requested the return of the saint, Philia, from Parnacota. I even offered to pay them. However, they refused.”
Right away, Fernando brought up Julius’s decision to decline aid from the kingdom of Parnacota. Julius had rejected their offer in anger, but I also think that was a bad move. It had been evident for a while that containing demons was becoming impossible, and the situation had grown dire everywhere. The burden of fending demons off had long surpassed the capabilities of the country’s soldiers alone.
“Of course. No one in their right mind, who obtained Philia, would let her go.”
“Ugh…!? Their intention with the knights is transparent. They plan to take over this country amidst the chaos!”
“Oh? Do they want a territory that’s about to be overrun by demons soon? Parnacota sure has an interesting taste.”
Hmm, I thought Prince Fernando would be more intimidated by Prince Julius, but he was quite formidable. Prince Julius was glaring at his brother, his face getting redder by the moment. Prince Fernando was deliberately provoking him to reveal his vulnerabilities…
“You’re going overboard with your rationalizations… But enough of that. It’s about Philia. Her refusal to return indicates she’s become an agent of Parnacota. What a heartless woman, to disregard the crisis in her homeland… That’s right! She’s a traitor! Let’s apprehend her as a traitor!”
I couldn’t follow this person’s reasoning. You sold out Philia, and now you were calling her a traitor because she won’t come back… There was no way such logic would be accepted.
“Good grief. There’s no way Parnacota would accept such a demand. Try to come up with a more constructive suggestion…”
“Please, elder brother, be silent! Alright, let’s start by confiscating Marquis Adenauer’s entire fortune and stripping him of his title. Parents of a criminal must face consequences too! Hahaha! Summon Lord and Lady Adenauer here! Elder brother, since the meeting is over, please return to your room and rest!”
Prince Fernando’s voice was drowned out by Prince Julius’s… and before I knew it, my parents’ assets would be confiscated. Even though just the other day, the prince had gathered a substantial sum from us… To have the entire fortune seized, the father would surely wear a pained expression if he were to hear about it.
Sigh, just how far he intends to go…
Prince Fernando went back to his chambers. Of course, he didn’t follow the order of Prince Julius, but it seemed that he was indeed pushing himself too hard. Maybe the effects of the medicine wore off and his health worsened. It was not something that could be instantly healed, after all.
But everyone could see how determined Prince Fernando was.
And then, in place of him, my parents arrived. The father had lost a considerable amount of weight in a short time.
“Y-Your Highness Julius. I was informed it’s an urgent matter…”
“Marquis Adenauer. You will be held responsible for your daughter’s actions.”
“D-did Mia do something to displease you, Your Highness!?”
From the way Prince Julius spoke, the father imagined that I had done something. Well, of course, he would. He wouldn’t expect the prince to talk about Philia, who wasn’t present here.
“No, it’s about Philia. She committed acts of rebellion against the nation…”
“Philia? B-But she’s already in Parnacota…”
“Not returning to her homeland in a time of crisis naturally suggests a rebellious intent! As punishment for this, I shall confiscate your entire property and strip you of your title!”
“T-That’s!? Such reasoning is far too…”
Upon hearing the outrageously unjust argument of rebellion, the father collapsed to his knees, and the mother lowered her head in silence…
While there was no legitimacy in Prince Julius’s argument, which borders on a tantrum, it seemed the father had no choice but to comply. He didn’t voice any objections… How subservient could he be? Couldn’t he at least retort a bit…?
“Well, don’t be too disheartened. I suppose there’s some sympathy for parents who have a foolish daughter. You wouldn’t want your assets confiscated, would you? If you want to avoid that, could you do me a favor?”
As he grinned while observing the father’s stunned expression, Julius slowly approached and whispered to him like a devil. What was he trying to make my parents do…?
“W-What is it?”
“We’ll do anything! Anything!”
My parents wore expressions as if desperately clinging to a straw, bowing their heads before Prince Julius in a servile manner. It was a pitiable sight… I witnessed something unpleasant… To do this to his fiancée’s parents… It was absurd…
“Mia, it’s about time for your duties as a saint, right? Go and fulfill them. Do your best for the sake of this country…”
“…Y-Yes.”
It seemed Prince Julius didn’t want me to hear his request to my parents. I was worried, but I could find out later. For now, it looked like I had no choice but to obey…
I glanced at my parents, who were clinging to the prince, and then went to do my duties.
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