In the northern part of the Empire, lions roam.
It sounded absurd, but this was a story considered common sense across the continent. The only possibility that a lion seen only occasionally in the east could wander into the north was that it had been exiled from the east.
Thus, the Yuridina Clan was born. Once a vassal of a unified nation on the continent in ancient times, they endured the humiliation of being exiled to the barren north, remaining silent. In the end, it was the Yuridina that became one of the founders of the Empire.
The harsh environment of the north and years of enduring hardship made Yuridina even stronger.
Apart from the Ruphimeon in the east, there were hardly any rivals for the title of the best warrior clan. The status of Yuridina, which held the military power of the Empire, was thus solidified.
And the Yuridina Castle, called the heart of the north.
The office of the clan head, located at the highest point of that castle, was in disarray. The notorious and strict security of Yuridina Castle seemed to have lost its meaning.
However, those who knew the identities of the two women in confrontation inside the office would have no choice but to acknowledge that this was inevitable.
They sat with contrasting appearances of gold and silver.
First, the girl with gray hair was a sight to behold. Her clothes were torn in many places, and faint blood seeped out from numerous wounds, including deep cuts.
The woman huddled in the corner of the office was gasping for breath. A cold, lethal intent boiled in the girl’s blue eyes.
At the end of that gaze sat a woman with radiant golden hair.
Her white fingers, resting on a wine glass, were matched with a captivating face. Sitting with her legs crossed, the woman’s expression of boredom was visibly poor, regardless of who looked at her.
Her face bore traces of annoyance.
The curves of her figure were barely visible through the slightly disheveled light pink gown. Coupled with her slightly rough breathing and beads of sweat on her skin, it was evident that she had been through a battle.
Ceria Yuridina and Delphine Yuridina.
Both were half-sisters symbolizing silver and gold, and they held the actual power within the Yuridina Clan.
Naturally, their status was not something that a mere guard could obstruct.
“…Ceria, I am greatly disappointed in you.”
At that sudden reprimand, Ceria could not suppress the flood of emotions that surged within her.
It was Ceria who wanted to be angry. It had only been a few days since she had returned from reorganizing the front lines of the last battle to Yuridina Castle.
Ceria had been happy to finally see her beloved senior again, planning to curl up amidst the dolls resembling her. She intended to bury her face in the coat worn by her beloved senior and enjoy another lovely moment of rest today.
The one who brutally shattered this sweet moment was none other than Delphine.
Summoned out of the blue, Ceria had to face all manner of provocation in the office. It mostly revolved around the passionate nights she had spent with her beloved senior, and Ceria, who was already in a bad mood, immediately drew her sword.
This was the result.
Ceria lost. It was the same scenery as always, and there were no retainers bustling back in anymore.
It had long been since the Yuridina Clan had become a house of discord.
Creak, creak.
The sound of Ceria grinding her teeth echoed through the room.
“…You bitch.”
“What did you say?”
Ceria chose to remain silent in the face of Delphine’s questioning.
Frustration filled Ceria’s expression as she turned her gaze away. If given the choice, she would be longing for violent revenge, but the outcome had already been decided.
Ceria was not foolish enough to punish herself unnecessarily.
Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but Delphine let out a derisive laugh as if she were utterly unconcerned. Even the gesture of tilting her wine glass was alluring.
“Anyway, Ceria… I had high hopes for you. Since I can’t step in publicly, I had hoped you would at least go out and seduce the man.”
“Are you in heat or something? Why don’t you learn how to handle it alone? Senior Ian is not so free as to always be a companion to a sow.”
“If you spend a night with him… No, never mind. What would I say in front of you?”
Ceria nearly raised her voice again, grinding her teeth once more.
A blatant smirk adorned Delphine’s lips. However, when another piece of information slipped from her mouth, Ceria could only stare wide-eyed in shock.
“…The Lady Virgin Saint has made the first move.”
With that one statement, Ceria had to blink in disbelief, her mouth closing tight.
‘First move,’ the meaning in romance was clear. The reason Ceria was enduring such humiliation at Delphine’s hands was precisely because she had lost the initiative.
Delphine continued in a gentle voice, as if she had anticipated this.
“She has made a public proposal. In front of thousands of witnesses… Right after she performed the miracle of returning unscathed from the burning pyre. The foolish crowd is so excited, it seems they might even put on a play.”
“T-That’s impossible…”
Ceria’s gaze fell to the ground, beginning to tremble aimlessly.
Senior Ian must have told her to wait.
She never imagined that such a major incident would occur in just a few weeks. Ceria couldn’t even chew her lips in her anxiety.
On the other hand, she felt that Delphine’s attitude had finally begun to make sense.
Delphine’s particularly foul mood today.
It was jealousy. Pathetically, this female driven mad by lust was upset at the prospect of losing her claim over her man.
Thus, she had recklessly called Ceria to lash out at her.
It was a personality that always elicited admiration, no matter how many times one looked at it. Ceria resolved to consider a plan for an assassination using poison in the near future.
“Ceria, you know, right? That the man is necessary for our Yuridina in every sense… We can’t let such a high expert warrior be stolen from us.”
Ceria was still not free from shock. She couldn’t help but let out a half-hearted laugh, unable to suppress it.
Necessary in every way, huh?
That motive was painfully transparent.
If Ceria went through all the trouble of bringing Ian to Yuridina Castle, it would be with the intention of seducing her beloved senior whenever she felt like it. The mere thought of that future was nauseating.
Crazy woman.
Yet Delphine’s arguments were quite logical, and Ceria didn’t particularly want to append any rebuttals. She agreed with the sentiment of not letting Ian be taken away as it was.
For now, they needed to borrow anyone’s hand.
Even if that person was a sworn enemy disguised as a sister.
Delphine was indeed quick to sense things. When Ceria hesitated without offering any rebuttal, she immediately accepted it as silent agreement.
“…Do whatever it takes to claim him.”
It was a straightforward and dry order.
It meant that, as the head of Yuridina, she was issuing a command, not as Delphine. Although Ceria hated her older sister, her loyalty to her clan was genuine.
In the end, Ceria knelt on one knee and bowed her head.
It was the stance of a retainer obeying the lord’s order.
“If money is needed, spend until the family fortune is gone. If military force is needed, mobilize private soldiers, and if seduction is necessary, then even if it means offering your body… Ah, that might be impossible.”
“My body? What is wrong with it?!”
Of course, not long after, the argument flared up again.
Ceria stammered, emphasizing the curves of her body.
“I’m not a body that would lose to anyone! I’m just as good as you…!”
“Tsk, tsk.”
Delphine clicked her tongue as if Ceria’s rebuttal held no value, sipping her wine.
“That’s what makes you a virgin. The Lord wouldn’t bother if you were worth his time.”
“…You whore.”
The flames of rage burst forth once more in Ceria’s eyes, stung by the painful remark.
And soon, a storm raged once again in the head of the clan’s office. Behind the door lay the retainer sitting despondently, shedding tears.
This was the sorrowful current state of the Yuridina Clan.
I tightened my cloak and prepared to go out.
As it had been in the past, after the recent incident, the crowd at the academy had increased their scrutiny of me. The frequency at which the women stared at me had notably risen.
Their interest was singular.
Who would I be dancing with at the Grand Night Festival?
The trend was the Lady Virgin Saint. After the kiss that was essentially a confession in front of thousands, my partner had long been recognized as the Lady Virgin Saint. To be precise, public expectations had risen dramatically.
She was a woman who had never let anyone close.
A woman who had encountered death countless times to rescue another in distress and, after performing miracles, ignited the hearts of countless people.
It seemed a riot would break out if I didn’t choose her as my partner.
Yet dissenting opinions were not insignificant either.
“Didn’t Senior Perkuse say he was engaged to Senior Rainelle?”
“I wonder if the reason we haven’t seen Senior Rainelle lately is…”
“Maybe it’s just that today is particularly bad for her.”
With a deep sigh, I let out frustration. The truth was, my concerns didn’t differ from theirs.
I already had too many things going on.
In the north, Delphine and Ceria were waiting.
Plus, what was to be done about Senior Elsi, with whom I had agreed to get engaged, or Emma, with whom I shared an unofficial romantic relationship?
I wished I could take a day or two to sort out my thoughts on this matter. Unfortunately, I still had responsibilities to attend to.
The Lady Virgin Saint was still left behind in the Holy Kingdom to tidy up the aftermath of the incident. I also had the responsibility of looking after Celin and Liya, who weren’t recovered from their aftereffects.
But karma always tends to return at the most unexpected moments.
And it was no different for me.
“You, you bastard…!”
At the voice dripping with hatred and resentment, I turned to the source behind me. There stood a boy with brown hair and delicate features.
His blue eyes looked like they were on the verge of flipping out.
It was Lupin, Elsi’s younger brother.
I placed my palm to my forehead with the expression that something had finally come. Although afraid, I could empathize with his feelings, not being able even to open the letter from the Rainelle family.
A man on the verge of marriage suddenly engages in rumors of infidelity?
Even I would want to go red in the face.
“You, how dare you… betray my sister?! Do you really think you can just laugh it off?!”
Ultimately, the one at fault was me.
So I tried to ease the situation as quietly as possible.
“I’m sorry, Lupin… I’m a bit busy right now. So how about we talk later in my room…?”
“What?!”
However, Lupin, who had lost his calm, began to rage even more at my words.
The veins in his eyes looked like they were about to burst.
“‘Busy’, huh?! You crazy, whoremonger!”
I ultimately had to cover my face with both hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Please, just go away…!”
The whispers of onlookers felt as though they were piercing straight to my heart.
This was the peaceful daily life of the academy.
*
Thud, a heavy pouch landed on the table.
Emma could only stare across the table with bewildered eyes. There sat a lovely girl with dark blue hair, wearing a radiant smile.
“How much will it be?”
Spouting nonsense.
“How much did that bitch… no, Senior Rainelle pay?”
The underground power struggle was beginning.
