The steepest news came shortly after the summer break.
It was when I was having a cup of tea at the Aucurus Upper Mansion.
In addition to your mother, there are Sulite-san and Athena-san.
The four of them had flowers to talk about... Rather, when I was questioned by Sue Rite-san, I was hesitating, but the butler, Alphonse, entered the room and cut out the flower in a serious manner.
A golden rose ritual?
Ms. Alfons nodded as Sulight lifted her glasses and gave her a strange look.
Yes, it's from Richterite-sama who climbed the castle.
Mr. Alphonse reads out the news that the Spirit of Revelation brought.
"Today, Gabriela, the daughter of the Villandel family, succeeded in the golden rose ceremony.It was judged appropriate to receive the royal family, and it was decided to become the official prince's wife.Therefore, the empress decided to educate her directly, and after today, she decided to live in the Imperial Castle. "─ ─ That's the whole text."
Mother and Athena-san put their hands around her mouth and Suwright-san put her hands on her forehead with a bitter face.
I was quick to think about whether this was "as scenario" or "Gabriela's operation".
I only know that Gabriela of the game was the "Villain Lady".
However, it is easy to imagine that the "Villainous Lady is the wife of the Crown Prince" was a temple setting.
...... what was in my mind was the figure of Gabriela, who had been abandoned by Prince Aguilesta and tortured at the hands of Prince Eli on the night of the kidnapping.
Is it possible to recover from that state, escape the hands of Prince Eli, gain the trust of the royal family and nobility, and come to the golden rose ritual on your own?
No, it can't be.
At least Prince Eile couldn't have forgiven me.He will not put Gabriela, who knows Tarot, above himself.
So... this is Prince Eli's trap, on the contrary.
I don't know what you're expecting, but it's finally working.
Leaving me to turn blue, the situation progresses.
"I have another message from Master Richterite."“Talk to Athena so that Suwright is ready.”
"What...?! Me!? Why?!"
Athena-san spoke with a fervent voice.
Then Sue Wright's sister looked sad.
The face is deeply troubled.
"Athena"
"Ah, yes!"
What can you expect from this information?
"Eh..."
Athena-san was in a terrible state of disarray.She looked pale and something seemed to have crossed her mind... but she didn't say a word and shut up.
“Can't you imagine?”
"Um, no, um......"
"Athena, where is the house where you were born?"
"I am Jaime, family, family"
Athena's sister replied in a slumber.
Athena-sama is getting prettier and prettier at the age of eleven, but her weakness hasn't changed.
While feeling a little sorry for the situation, I found out what Sue Lite-sama wanted to say, and I fell down unexpectedly.
"That's right, Jaime's house." We're at the top of the Jaime faction.And that rival is the Edmund family and their faction, which has gained wealth and is now the most powerful.... but now the Edmunds only have male children. "
"...... ah"
"My father and I wanted you to get married as well, but..."
Onee-san Suwright told me in agony.
Athena's sister had tears in her eyes.Looking at her face, Sulight-san told me.
“Yes, Athena. If Gabriela becomes Empress, the Edmund faction will come to power, and the old nobility will be weakened.Therefore thou shalt stand as an opposing horse for the wedding of Prince Aguilesta.Even if our families don't want it, the Jaime faction won't let you. "
"... ah, ah,... uu"
Athena-sama covered her face and shook her head.
But it wasn't unexpected.
Rather, it was strange that the story had not been lifted before. Athena-sama was so tall that she had no connection with the imperial family.
"Oh no... no, I don't want to, Mother.To such a place...... and I'm going to admire you...... "
……
Athena-san said so in tears, but Suwright-san shook her head to the side.
Is it because I was in a love marriage? The guilt is dark on my face.
"I want to let you go, if it's true."You're a modest type, and I know you don't like getting involved with that prince.... but we just have to avoid taking the hegemony without doing anything.I don't think Gabriela deserves her mother, and I'm sure this will be the general opinion of the Jaime faction. "
"But, but, but to me, that's not true..." Besides, that's what Alice does.... "
Athena!
"Ahh"
Athena's sister became even more blue.Onee-sama Suwright's eyes were sharp.
"What did you just say?"
"Ah, no..."
"Alice is certainly brilliant.But that doesn't mean you can shirk your responsibilities. ”
Athena-san was trembling pathetically.I heard a small voice saying, "I'm sorry."
I thought I shouldn't speak here, but I called out to Sue Lite-san.
"Oniisama." I'm always trying to stand out from the crowd, and somehow I was deeply connected to the prince... well, I don't know if I can help it. "
"Alice-chan, that's not what this is about."
Did you notice the impatient tone? Onee-sama took a deep breath and said slowly.
"We're aristocrats. The nobility's raison d 'être lies in defending and fighting the people and guiding them."
So, onee-sama continued.
"Because I don't want to do it," "because it's not for me," and if I keep letting people do the work, eventually no one will follow me.It's different if you're specially skilled at planning and mentoring... but in Athena's case, I've been entrusting Alice-chan with the care of the faction's children for a long time, so I don't have that kind of evaluation. "
There is no sound of gru. It was hard to ask and I had a cold sweat.
“Athena has the goodness of Athena.But that alone is not recognized by the public.If you don't want to fight and marry, you must immediately create a great achievement of the same level as becoming a Empress..... "
Athena-sama covered her face.
I wanted to stroke that back, but for some reason I couldn't.
"If it didn't move now," said the Empress, hiding behind her house.Jaime's daughter is cowardly and inferior. "Once that happens, people won't be able to deal with it anymore, and the more time goes by, the harder it will be to save it.... it's so painful for some people to be alive. "
For a moment, I wondered if Sulight-sama was particularly harsh, but apparently she wasn't.
I saw Athena's sister with fair eyes as a person standing above me, and I knew well that she was worried.
Probably... because she was born with dark pink eyes that looked red, she made a fool of herself, and the experience of her sister, who had been feeling sorry for her many times, would make her do so.
It turns out you're worried, not scolded.Athena-san raised her face softly.
Still, Suwright's lecture continued.
"If you can't take it lightly, if you make a fool of yourself, the aristocrats will lose their allies."Without allies, you will be exploited and miserable.It's a betrayal of the realm. "
"A tribute to the territory...?"
“That's right, we don't care about our lives.However, when our lords are fooled, business deals go wrong or unfavorable conditions are put on hold, and as a result, the lives of the territories become difficult.If it is the Faction's representative, it will be to the detriment of the entire Faction.That's all you have to avoid. "
Oniisan Athena has an onyx oniisan.
That's why it's unlikely that you'll become a lord, but since you're the eldest daughter, it's unlikely that you'll be one.
Above all, if I were to marry somewhere else, I would certainly live as the lord's wife, so I would be so enthusiastic.
I think so, but I thought it was a very heavy story.
And ─ ─ even if it's about you, it's tightening up.
I am in the same position in the Aucurus Realm.
My work has a direct bearing on the lives of my people.
"But Mother, what should I do..."
Athena's face was trembling.
Then Sulight-sama took the hand and nodded.
"It's okay. I told you I had to be a Empress, but there are plenty of ways to go, depending on the situation."For example, the prince begins to see a neutral daughter other than Gabriela...Sometimes you make really big deeds and don't rely on marriage. "
"Mother..."
"Above all, the House of Jaime and the House of Aucurus are your absolute allies."If so, challenge it with such a feeling of dominating the court. "
Sue Light-sama said, "I'm scared that it won't be a show, but the point is, don't worry."
I'm also surprised and can't stop thinking, but anyway, I have to help Athena-san.
“I'll help you, too. Let's find a way to make Athena-san happy somehow."
"Alice..."
Athena-san turned to me, but she quickly turned away and fell down.It must be complicated now.
At the end of the day, Athena's smile never returned.