Ludger thought for a moment.
There was nothing he had to do immediately anyway.
The aftermath of what had happened in the Elven Kingdom would be handled on their side.
As for the matter concerning the Roschen family, they had said they would contact him later, so all he needed to do was wait.
The only things that lingered in his mind were his encounter with Lutus Wardot and the sense that he might need a private conversation with Princess Aileen.
‘If they want to hear more about the full story, they’ll seek me out on their own.’
Taking all of that into account, it did not seem impossible to entertain Casey’s request this time.
He was also curious about what Casey’s elder sister, the head of House Selmore, was like.
‘Now that I think about it, it is strange. If she’s that incredible, she should already have been flagged as a target of attention in either Hans’s or my own intelligence network.’
Marias Selmore.
What Ludger knew about her was simply that she, like Casey, bore a color title as a mage.
Personality. Preferences. Primary residence. Hobbies or habits.
None of that was known.
The fact that nothing was known at all only deepened his suspicion, and the more he thought about it, the more questionable things piled up.
She was excessively hidden, as if wrapped up tightly so no one could see her true self.
‘Why have I never realized this until now?’
After all, this was Casey Selmore’s elder sister.
Judging by Casey’s words and behavior, it was hard to shake the feeling that her elder sister had her firmly under control.
It would not hurt to meet her in person.
“Fine. I’ll accept the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) proposal.”
“R-really? You mean it? You really said you’ll do it?”
“Now that you press me like that, I’m starting to regret saying yes just a moment ago.”
“No! No take-backs! You said you would, so you have to come with me!”
“So then, when should I go?”
“It’s not super urgent, but... the sooner the better, right? The longer I stall, the more suspicious my sister will get.”
Thinking of her sister, Casey tapped the floor lightly with the tip of her shoe, clearly annoyed.
If she hated it so much, she could just tell her sister off directly, but the fact that she did not meant she was afraid.
“What kind of person is your sister?”
“Why are you asking all of a sudden?”
“Since I’m going to meet her, wouldn’t it be troublesome to go in completely unprepared? At the very least, I need to know what sort of person she is so I can adjust myself accordingly.”
“Adjust yourself to the other person, you say.”
“I agreed to play the role of your fiancé. It’s only proper that I present myself in a way that leaves her with a favorable impression. That benefits you as well, doesn’t it?”
At Ludger’s serious approach, Casey thought it was unexpected but considered his question carefully.
“Hmm. If I had to describe my sister... she’s a lunatic?”
“Didn’t you say that earlier as well?”
“She’s not just any lunatic. She’s the greatest lunatic in the world.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“Either way, that’s how it feels.”
At Casey’s words, Ludger sighed and asked,
“...Are you sure she’s family?”
“She is, why?”
“I’m saying it because it seems like you don’t know very much about her.”
“What are you talking about! I gave an accurate assessment!”
“I’m not talking about that. I mean her usual preferences, the type of people she dislikes, or actions one must absolutely never take in front of her.”
“That’s...”
Casey fell silent again.
This time, her silence lasted far longer.
Ludger waited patiently for her to open her mouth.
After a while, what Casey finally said was something even Ludger found unexpected.
“I don’t really... know.”
“...You don’t know?”
“I know it’s strange. But I can’t say I know my sister well in detail. I can talk about her surface, but I feel like it’s meaningless. It’s not the real her anyway.”
“You mean she’s wearing a mask.”
“Exactly. That’s why I said she’s a lunatic. I mean, seriously—what kind of person hides their true self even from their own family?”
“Your sister does.”
“...Anyway!”
Casey threw up her hands as if to declare an end to the subject.
“You just need to play along with what I say. I’ll be the one dealing with her directly. Got it?”
“Well, I’ll do that. But I’ll definitely collect my price for helping you.”
“Your... price? What are you going to ask for?”
“Nothing much. I just have a little curiosity about your sister. I’m searching for something, and perhaps she knows about it.”
“Searching for something?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained. It’s something magical, mystical—connected to a certain place.”
“...If that’s the case, then yes, my sister would probably know about it. So when can you go? It’s the school break now, so your schedule should be open, right?”
Even then, Casey had thought of giving him about three days to prepare. That would have been enough for Ludger to get ready and for her to organize her side.
“Why delay? Let’s go right away.”
“...Huh?”
* * *
Since Casey wasn’t ready, the two agreed to meet at the train station the next morning.
There they bought tickets to their destination.
“The Kingdom of Sevia, huh.”
The Kingdom of Sevia.
It lay southwest of the Yuta Kingdom.
Not a particularly large nation.
In size, it was comparable to the Kingdom of Queoden, which Ludger Cherish’s false identity had once been modeled after.
Its natural resources were not abundant, nor was it militarily strong.
Even so, the Kingdom of Sevia was famous because it produced many remarkable talents.
The reason was its strong focus on education.
Lacking other special products, the country invested in raising excellent people through schooling.
Thus, Sevia had a high proportion of high-income earners relative to its population, and many of them were mages.
“Well, it’s not a country with much to see. Its natural scenery is nice, so tourism is a bit developed, that’s all.”
The train departed, and the two sat quietly in their seats.
It would take at least several hours, so Ludger took out documents he had brought and began to read.
Bored, Casey leaned over curiously at the papers in his hands.
“What’s that?”
“Materials I gathered about your sister.”
“Materials? That’s more than I expected.”
He held at least fifty pages in his hands.
But even as he flipped through them rapidly, Ludger’s expression remained unsatisfied.
“There’s a lot of bulk, but it’s all just carefully crafted public image. Nothing but masks.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Coming from someone with experience in the same kind of work, that’s your evaluation?”
“You could put it that way.”
Still, it was better to check than not, so Ludger read every detail meticulously.
The express train sped on without pause until they arrived at the capital of Sevia—the city of Tartenon.
When Ludger and Casey disembarked with their luggage, someone was already waiting for them.
“Welcome, young lady. And young lady’s fiancé. I am Frederick, a servant of House Selmore.”
Seeing the elderly gentleman bow politely, Ludger asked Casey,
“Did you inform them you were coming?”
“Of course not. We left immediately. You know there was no time for that.”
“And yet they’re here waiting for us.”
It meant Marias Selmore had full knowledge of Casey’s movements.
And that also meant Ludger, accompanying her, was under the eyes of her information network.
‘Well, things are already getting interesting.’
It was as if she was declaring, ‘I know everything about you.’
A weaker person might already have felt a chill and a vague sense of dread.
But Ludger was different.
“Let’s go.”
“R-really?”
“Since a servant came out to greet us, it’d be rude to refuse.”
Ludger glanced at Frederick.
“Wouldn’t you say so?”
“I thank you for your consideration, sir fiancé.”
The old servant bowed without a flicker of change in expression.
Like master, like servant.
Ludger shrugged, and Frederick opened the door of the waiting vehicle.
Ludger gestured for Casey to enter before him.
“Why?”
“Ladies first.”
“...All of a sudden?”
“What do you mean ‘all of a sudden’? Isn’t that natural for a fiancé?”
Casey then realized there were eyes watching them.
“Ah~~ right. That’s true. Ohohoho. Thank you.”
She forced a laugh and accepted his gesture, though goosebumps prickled up her skin as she did.
The steam carriage Frederick drove carried them to a large mansion.
The Selmore estate.
The house where Casey had been born and raised.
Her expression as she returned after so long was mixed with complicated feelings—nostalgia, but also tension.
To Ludger, the tension seemed far stronger.
After all, she was here to confront her sister with a fake fiancé in tow.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous.
‘Even the weather is deliberately heavy-handed.’
Though it was midday, the sky was filled with gray clouds, casting a dreary atmosphere.
When they entered the mansion, a few servants came to greet them.
“For the size of the estate, there aren’t very many servants.”
“Our family doesn’t keep that many around.”
“Why not?”
“Because that way, fewer rumors spread outside.”
It meant they kept only a minimal staff to maintain secrecy.
Naturally, it was Marias who had decided that.
“The head of the house is waiting.”
Surprisingly, Frederick led them not to a reception room but to the dining hall.
Inside, a table was already lined with dishes, as though prepared in advance.
The food steamed as if it had just been cooked.
A small chill ran down Ludger’s spine.
Without knowing the exact moment of their arrival down to the second, this could not have been staged.
‘What I thought would be a visit out of curiosity... seems more like stepping into a tiger’s den.’
Ludger’s eyes turned to the woman seated at the end of the table.
Her hair was the same sky-blue as Casey’s, only a shade whiter and brighter.
Even among sisters, that subtle difference in hair color was likely due to the nature of their magical power.
“Welcome.”
Marias Selmore.
Her long, narrow eyes curved as she smiled brightly at Casey.
Her features proved she was Casey’s sister, beautiful and refined.
If Casey matured, she might grow to look just like her.
Unlike Casey, she had waist-length hair and carried a calm impression.
Where Casey was sharp and willful, Marias gave off a precocious aura—like a lamb watching quietly.
“My dear, beloved sister.”
“Ugh. Cut the fake sweetness, will you?”
Casey stuck out her tongue in disgust.
It was quite rude, but Marias did not scold her.
As though it was nothing new.
‘Even so, she’s already overwhelming Casey.’
Not by crushing her with raw charisma, but by slowly tightening the noose with an unseen pressure.
Then Marias’s eyes turned toward Ludger.
“Pleased to meet you. Casey’s fiancé. That would be... Ludger Cherish, correct?”
Though he had not introduced himself, she knew his name.
“A teacher of Seorn. The genius who created a new spell. A former soldier, and someone who performed great deeds in the imperial capital. Ah, I’ve heard about your lecture at the Arcane Chamber as well. It was quite fascinating.”
One by one, she recited his accomplishments.
She was beautiful, and her smiling face was charming, but something hidden lay behind it.
Even so, Ludger’s expression did not change as he gave a polite nod.
“I am honored to be spoken of so favorably by the head of House Selmore.”
At his composed tone and upright manner, Marias’s smile deepened.
“My, my. I worried that my dear sister might not have chosen well, but it seems you at least deserve a passing mark.”
“You flatter me.”
“Whether it’s flattery or not, time will tell.”
“Sis. Did you call us here just to interrogate someone else’s fiancé?”
Casey’s cold voice cut between them.
“Of course not. I was simply curious. That curiosity made me speak more than I intended. Sit down, both of you. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
Of course not.
She had known full well they hadn’t eaten on the train, and that was why this banquet was ready.
But neither Ludger nor Casey mentioned it.
From the moment they had stepped into the mansion, the invisible battle had already begun.
And within that suffocating air—
Marias asked the first question.
“So then, when is the wedding?”