Uh, so…

In the end, I got out of the situation where I almost got scolded badly by Eleanor, which was good and all, but…

Another storm was waiting for me.

Except this time it was worse, because unlike Eleanor, this person would make me unable to say anything back.

“So, Dowd.”

“...”

“Do you have any excuse?”

Come to think of it, this person, my father, had rarely scolded me ever since I was a kid.

It was natural since I entered a kid’s body with a grown adult mind and I was widely known as a precocious kid in the territory.

Maybe that was why my father and all the locals liked me.

In that sense…

For me to get down on my knees while being scolded by my father like this wasn’t something familiar.

My father was always a gentle man, as if he couldn’t say anything harsh towards others. But, as you all know, people like him would be very scary once they got angry.

It had been tens of minutes since he barged into my room, made me kneel down, and disciplined me sternly with his arms crossed.

As for why he did this…

“Why am I being treated like a very important person inside the Tristan Duchy?”

“...”

“The treatment I receive is even more hospitable than that of a Count or Marquis. Why is that?”

Hearing him saying that with a stern voice made me speechless.

Well, it wasn’t like I couldn’t understand where he came from. From his point of view, he was just managing his territory peacefully, then he suddenly got dragged all the way here and received a treatment that not only made him feel burdensome, but also drove him crazy as well.

“...”

“Didn’t you tell me that you’d behave well and not cause any trouble when you got enrolled at the academy?”

“...I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t like I wanted all this to happen though! But then again, now that we got this far, what else could I say to him?

Besides, it was a fact that I failed terribly to keep my words.

“Of course, I never expected you to really keep your words.”

“...”

“I can’t even remember how many girls have cried because of you. There’s no way you’d suddenly behave yourself in the academy.”

Father.

That hurts.

Your overwhelming trust towards me in that strange part hurts so much…

“But still. I need at least know why the Ducal Household is doing all this to me.”

He continued while sighing.

Hearing that, I replied abashedly while scratching my head.

“...It probably isn't far from what you’ve already guessed, Father.”

The reason why they called my father here in advance was probably to create the vibe that they were holding a meeting between the bride and the groom’s families.

They were probably also doing it to leave a good impression in advance—

“You, did you really get Lady Tristan pregnant?”

“...”

“I knew it. I knew that you would cause such an accident one day…!”

“...What kind of bastard did you think your son is? Seriously…”

I knew I was being scolded, but that was just too far! I had the right to retaliate!

After I calmed down my father, who was about to go half crazy, he let out a deep breath, though he still looked like he had a headache.

“I heard that Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is attending this Harvest Festival Event they’re holding. Please, I beg you, I really hope that everything goes smoothly without any mishaps. Do you understand what I mean?”

“About that, you don’t need to—”

Seriously, he was being too paranoid.

Though I was a little concerned about what Eleanor said—how she’d be take her revenge at the Harvest Festival and such—there was no way that I’d go out of my way to cause any trouble at such a big event that was attended by a bunch of great people like the Emp—

!! Emergency Notification !!

[ ‘Main Quest’ related event will be generated! ]

[ Prepare in advance! ]

“...”

“...”

Before I could even finish my answer, a window suddenly popped up before my eyes, prompting me to shut my mouth.

Below the window, there were sentences that made me change my expression due to how ridiculous they were.

“...Why aren’t you answering me?”

“...”

I’m sorry, Father.

But, I don’t want to lie to you.

I thought as such while staring at the window before my eyes.

“...Father.”

“...”

Seeing my expression, my father closed his eyes tightly.

Then he took a deep breath a few times, making a hoo haa sound.

“...You’re going to cause trouble again, aren’t you?”

“...”

“You’ve always been like this, even back when you were a kid. This is the same look you had on your face back when you were seven, when you said you were going to catch a bear that appeared in the mountain by yourself…”

“...”

As expected, we were a family.

He could figure out what I was thinking in a glance when it took months for other people to do the same thing.

“...There’s a high chance you’ll be having a hard time during this Harvest Festival.”

“What does that mean? What are you up to?”

“I’m not the one up to anything.”

I sighed while sweeping my hair.

System Message

[ Main Quest ]〖 Chapter 5 – Empire’s Great Turmoil 〗

[ A related event will occur soon! ]

[ The quest content will change based on the event's Branching Route! ]

[ Designated hints will be given depending on the difficulty level to make it easier to clear the quest! ]

[ Tip ]

[ Here are the people you need to keep your eye on! ]

[ 1. Yuria Greyhounder

2. Cecilia the 11th

3. Armin Campbell ]

“...Something's coming.”

It had always been like this but...

Maybe this time, I wouldn’t be able to get through this unscathed…

The Harvest Festival was tomorrow.

Something was going to happen there for sure.

“...”

I closed my eyes for a moment and let my mind wonder.

Somehow, I began to get used to such unexpected events happening.

To the point that I was able to create an ‘insurance’ that fit the situation on the spot.

For example…

“Father.”

“Hm?”

“Please call Herman. I have something to ask him to do.”

“... Ask him to do what?”

“I need him to call someone.”

At the very least, I’d need to take ‘safety measures’ that wouldn’t get people around caught up in it.

●

The day of the Harvest Festival.

Tristan Duchy's main castle was bustling with activities.

Especially inside the banquet hall, where most people gathered.

“...Carlyle, Argos, Palandier…”

Lucia muttered her family's names while looking around.

All of them were influential people in the Empire, and would never be looked down upon anywhere else in the continent.

Still, even such people gathered in this place just to attend a territorial-wide ‘celebration day’; A proof of how high the Tristan Duchy’s status was.

…The strange part was…

The fact that there were a lot of people who were related to the Upper Nobles Association here.

Lucia didn’t know much about the dynamics of the Empire’s politics, but she knew that Tristan Duchal House, as a part of the Empress’ Faction, was not in a good relationship with the Upper Nobles Association.

And, as if the number of the association’s members here wasn’t strange enough, even their leader, Marquis Bogut, had come all the way here in person.

“...They must be up to something. Yuria, we never know what will happen, so—”

Lucia was about to say something before she promptly closed her mouth upon seeing her sister’s condition.

Yuria was looking around, covered in cold sweat, like a very frightened small animal.

“...”

No, she didn’t look like she was very frightened.

She was actually frightened.

It was clear on her face.

Then again, she had been staying alone in the warehouse before moving to the chapel with Lucia until not so long ago, so it was only natural that she couldn’t adapt to such a sparkly and luxurious place like this.

“...If it’s hard for you, why don’t we go back, Yuria?”

“...”

However, when she heard that question, even though she was covered in cold sweat, Yuria still shook her head resolutely.

“...Miss Iliya…”

Her reply came in a dull voice.

“Said to Mr. Dowd that something might happen here.”

“...”

“This time… This time… I have to protect him.”

Hearing Yuria’s answer, Lucia couldn’t bring herself to say anything to stop her.

She knew that her little sister was ridden with guilt while dwelling in regret about Dowd for months. And she also knew that when it came to matters related to him, trying to stop her would only bring out the opposite effect instead.

“...Please confide in me if it’s too much for you, Yuria.”

That was probably all she could say.

Hearing that, Yuria smiled weakly as she nodded.

Lucia could only look at her with worry, as she was clearly overdoing it.

Suddenly, the noisy banquet hall became quiet.

As she looked around, wondering what was going on, all attention was focused at the banquet hall’s entrance.

“Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is entering!”

With such words, Cecilia the 11th appeared, walking slowly with her staff.

“...The Empress?”

Lucia muttered as she narrowed her eyes.

Her being here wasn’t strange at all.

After all, Duke Tristan was considered as one of the exemplary loyalists from the Empress’ Faction, along with Margrave Kendride.

Normally, it’d be enough if she were to send a representative in her stead, but it wouldn’t be unusual for her to attend the event in person.

But…

She came here herself? Even though this place is filled with the Upper Nobles Association members?

“...”

Previously, she told Yuria to ask for her help out of concern, but now that things had turned out this way, the probability of something happening was going exponentially high.

She knew that the Empress and the Upper Nobles Association were so hostile to each other that they were willing to openly start a war. Their relationship wasn’t like that of the Empress’ and Chancellor’s, where they tried their best to avoid each other.

It became more notable ever since the Upper Nobles Association began to provocatively expand their force recently, which could be considered as challenging the Empress’ authority.

So, Lucia turned her head to warn her sister a little more.

But soon, she stopped moving.

“...Yuria?”

She could see her sister’s eyes glisten with great hostility.

Considering how she was always a quiet girl who was unable to say her opinion out loud, the look on her face was especially terrifying.

It was as if…

She had seen something so disgusting.

“...Yuria? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t feel so good.”

The hostility in her expression was so clear that it was hard to believe that it came from the same kind and innocent sister that Lucia knew.

“Yuria? What do you me—”

When Lucia asked that in bewilderment, Yuria soon replied in a stiffened voice.

“Unni.”

To explain it roughly, her eyes…

Didn’t seem as if they were looking at the Empress herself, but into something a little deeper.

“I don’t feel good about that punk.”

It was as if…

She was feeling something ‘inside’ the Empress.

And under her eyes, ‘White’ Demonic Aura began to flutter little by little.