Chapter 83

“Paul, you just need to shut up and obey us! Once we achieve some merit, House Eventail will return to the Royal Palace! I’m telling you this for your own sake! Besides, the only reason you’re at the frontier is because Agnes and her lot kidnapped you, right?”

“Achievement? You call participating in the trafficking of noble ladies an achievement? That’s not merit—why can’t you understand that? It’s not too late to turn back; stop opposing the Second Prince. And I came here of my own will! It’s exactly as I wrote in the letter!”

“Be quiet! A mere child has no right to lecture me!”

Just as Father’s raised fist swung toward Paul, two men stepped out from the mansion. It was Lord Bertrand and Prince Leonard. Seeing them side by side, their resemblance was striking.

“How noisy. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t resort to violence right in front of me.”

Hearing the voice of his natural enemy who shouldn’t have been there, even Father froze with his arm still in the air.

“…Prince Leonard.”

“Correct. What’s the matter? Are you surprised to see me? Is my presence inconvenient?”

My parents didn’t know Lord Bertrand’s face, so they were looking at Prince Leonard in shock.

“Based on Sister-in-law Latrice’s investigation, I’ve received reports that you have already lent a hand to human trafficking. We found the route used to divert girls from the convents.”

“W-what are you talking about! I have no memory of such a thing! Besides, Lady Latrice is supposed to be constantly at the First Prince’s bedside!”

Father’s extreme agitation told the story; his crimes were clearly a reality.

It seemed he had already done quite a lot before coming here.

To be honest, the fact that a “diversion route” even existed in the convents was terrifying. There were surely other crimes hidden there. Prince Leonard and his people were moving to investigate that, but…

I had secretly hoped my parents hadn’t actually crossed the line yet. If they had already dipped their hands into such evil, they couldn’t be declared innocent.

They hadn’t been framed; there was solid evidence of their deep involvement.

House Eventail was facing the threat of dissolution, but there was nothing I could do.

Lord Bertrand let out an exasperated sigh, looking disgusted. “Your reaction to being questioned is far too easy to read. I take it Robin and his lot enticed you? Did they tell you that you could return to the palace and hold an important position? Did you truly believe you could make a comeback? To him, you are nothing more than pawns to harass Nazelbert. And disposable ones at that.”

With that, Prince Leonard turned his gaze toward me.

“Are you certain?”

“…I don’t mind. Trafficking young ladies is a crime.”

The reason the Second Prince had come to the Lord of Sutrena’s residence was to arrest my parents.

He had calculated that by waiting here, he could reliably take them into custody.

Paul also looked back at Prince Leonard with a solemn, resigned expression.

“Please, take them away.”

“I see. I appreciate your cooperation.”

Mother scurried back and forth, looking completely lost, while Father flew into a rage and summoned the soldiers waiting outside.

“Father, stop! Are you really going to point your weapons at the Prince? You’re only making your crimes worse!”

Paul raised his voice in a panic.

“Shut up, you traitor! You have no sense of duty as an heir! You’re just like Agnes—a disgrace to the House of Eventail!”

A large group of Eventail soldiers came swarming through the gate.

However, we didn’t flinch. This, too, had been anticipated.

As if they had been waiting for the signal, the neighing of several pegasi rose from the back of the garden.

“It’s your turn, everyone!”

Led by a gallant female voice, a group mounted on pegasi soared through the sky.

It was the Crown Princess, Lady Latrice, and her squad of elite Imperial Guards.

In truth, Lady Latrice was a princess from Porpistan, the country neighboring Sutrena, and she had apparently been a renowned warrior back in her homeland. Her reputation in our country, however, was that of a “kind-hearted Crown Princess who devotedly cares for the bedridden First Prince.”

Panicked by the sudden aerial assault, the Eventail soldiers screamed and fled.

People from outside the frontier have few opportunities to see magic beasts or riding beasts, so they have no tolerance for them.

Both Father and Mother let out bizarre shrieks and bolted back outside the gate.

As Father sprinted away with all his might, the hole in his tights tore further, reaching a rather precarious area.

Stop, no more… that’s a crime in itself!

Lord Nazel quickly rushed over and reached out from behind to cover my eyes.

“Agnes, it’s dangerous, so let’s head back inside the mansion first.”

“Yes, Lord Nazel… Ah!”

I was spun around and suddenly lifted off the ground.

And so, held in the front-facing carry that had recently become Lord Nazel’s favorite, I was whisked back into the house. The looks the two Princes were giving us were uncomfortably warm…

Behind us, the screams of my father and mother could still be heard.