First, I thank you for bringing back my daughter. I am a Count of the Kolanda family, granted provisional rule over the former Yangas Kingdom by Emperor Henry.
“I am Alamiya’s wife, Countess Deer. Please take care of me from now on.”
“My introduction has already been made, so I will omit it.”
The four members of the Kolanda family sat at the long table in the reception room. Safiya, sandwiched between her parents, was in a state of extreme discomfort.
We, having received formal greetings from the Kolanda family, are now in a situation where we must offer our formal reply.
This time, I, as the party leader and the only man, decided to introduce myself.
“My name is Hal Harem Von Raymond. Although I am young and inexperienced, I ask for your kind consideration. I am the party leader of the adventurer party ‘Princess Harem’, and I have been granted the title of First-Class Quasi-Noble by the Espana Imperial Kingdom. I have come to this land bearing a secret mission from Princess Elizabeth.”
As I removed the Valkyrie-shaped mask and the hooded robe, the insignia representing a First-Class Quasi-Noble shone brilliantly on the chest of my formal attire.
“Wh-what is this! Are you an envoy of Princess Elizabeth? Please forgive my earlier rudeness.”
“No, it is a top-secret mission this time.”
Count Kolanda was rumored to be a stubborn and rigid man, so I made full use of “Bess-chan’s” authority.
And it was overwhelmingly effective.
Thinking about it, although a gag order is in place, Emperor Henry is bedridden and could pass away at any moment.
Count Kolanda, being a high-ranking noble, is probably aware of this.
Therefore, the intentions of Princess Elizabeth, who will likely ascend to the throne as the next empress, are as important as the intentions of the Espana Imperial Kingdom.
“I am Hal’s fiancée, Alicia Mia von Rendol, and I have been granted the title of Viscountess by the Espana Imperial Kingdom. Count Kolanda, I hope you are in good health.”
Alicia then stood up and removed her mask and hooded robe, revealing a dress befitting a high-ranking noble.
Of course, the insignia representing a Viscountess shone brilliantly on her chest.
From Alicia’s words, it seems they may have met before.
“Viscountess Rendol, I apologize for my rude attitude. The lily design accompanying your insignia appears to be Princess Elizabeth’s personal crest. This means you will be promoted to Countess soon.”
As expected, Count Kolanda, a legal scholar of the Espana Imperial Kingdom, accurately interpreted the intent behind the insignia.
Safiya and Rubiliza were also astonished by this revelation.
Safiya, being inexperienced, was likely unable to decipher the hidden meaning in Alicia’s insignia.
“I… I am the last one.”
Liliana, judging that the ground had been laid by showing that Hal and Alicia were carrying out a top-secret mission from the Espana Imperial Kingdom, stood up as if making a grand entrance.
“W-what a lovely sight…”
The moment Liliana removed the Valkyrie-shaped mask, Rubiliza’s face turned bright red, and her true feelings spilled out.
Meanwhile, Count Kolanda stared intently, a frown on his forehead.
It seemed that Count Kolanda, rumored to be shrewd, had realized Liliana’s true identity.
“…”
Liliana’s silvery hair, seemingly spun from moonlight, was intricately styled and adorned with a tiara set with jewels on a mithril base. Her open robe revealed a pure and elegant dress befitting the First Princess of the Yangas Kingdom.
Rubiliza, utterly smitten, could only heave sighs.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Count Kolanda. I am Liliana Emilia Yangas. Please take care of me from now on.”
Liliana, greeting him elegantly as royalty, displayed the beauty that had earned her the moniker “Sorrowful Azure Moon Princess” in the Wahl Imperial Kingdom’s social circles.
“…Wh-what is this? What is the meaning of this, Lord Raymond?”
Even the formidable Count Kolanda seemed unable to grasp the intention of an ex-royal from an occupied territory openly revealing her identity.
“Count Kolanda, I am here with a personal letter from Princess Elizabeth.”
Liliana took out the letter from her hidden pocket and handed it to Count Kolanda through the attendant butler standing behind her.
Count Kolanda read the letter avidly and then bowed in homage to Liliana.
“Princess Elizabeth’s foresight is truly admirable. I, Kolanda, am deeply impressed. From now on, I will make every effort to ensure that Lord Liliana can ascend the throne without delay.”
Thus, by borrowing “Bess-chan’s” authority, we succeeded in gaining Count Kolanda’s full cooperation.
“By the way, Count Kolanda, I have heard that my half-sister, Yuliana, has been active as the ringleader of the rebel forces. Do you have any information?”
“Yes! Regarding Princess Yuliana, information is conflicting. Unlike Princess Liliana, whose body could not be confirmed, Princess Yuliana was confirmed to have died from an arrow to the abdomen during the final phase of the siege. On the other hand, there is information that the Yuliana leading the rebel forces was the real one, and furthermore, her body inexplicably vanished from the mausoleum where it was supposed to be enshrined.”
“Then, is there a possibility she was resurrected by the ‘Resurrection Magic’ of a saintly Healing Mage?”
“We examined that possibility as well, but there are no saints in this vicinity capable of performing ‘Resurrection Magic’ in this era. Moreover, considering the time between her death and burial, we have judged that the time for ‘Resurrection Magic’ to be effective has passed.”
“Then… the possibility of my half-sister being alive is nil?”
“That is correct, Your Highness.”
“I-I see…”
After the exchange with Count Kolanda, Princess Yuliana’s death was confirmed, and Liliana slumped with disappointment.
“Then, permit me to ask one more thing. We are working to ensure Liliana’s succession as Queen of the New Yangas Kingdom. Will those who have sided with the rebel forces be granted amnesty if they swear allegiance to Liliana as her subjects?”
“Certainly. This is in accordance with Princess Elizabeth’s wishes.”
Thus, I obtained a commitment for how to incorporate the rebel forces we had brought to our side.
Without this, Liliana’s forces would have been too thin.
After that, with tea and sweets in a pleasant atmosphere, the secret meeting concluded successfully.
“Finally, the pain in my behind has subsided. I respect my strict father, but I wish he would refrain from spanking a lady.”
After parting ways with Count Kolanda, we entered Safiya’s private room, where I healed her swollen behind with ‘Healing Magic’.
Safiya, who apparently knew beforehand that Count Kolanda would administer punishment by spanking, dove onto the carpet.
It was an immodest act for a count’s daughter, but perhaps she was relieved that the tense secret meeting had ended safely.
“Now that we have secured the cooperation of Count Kolanda, which was the biggest hurdle, shall we take our leave? We plan to regroup with the remaining party members and check on the situation of the suspicious fortune teller Astarotte, who slandered Safiya.”
“Then, please take me with you.”
Safiya, who had been lying on the carpet, got up.
“Safiya will stay and wait here at the mansion.”
“No, I have already obtained my father’s permission. This is an endeavor spearheaded by our Princess Elizabeth, so it was easy to persuade my father. Also, you will need a liaison for communication with my father. Furthermore, I am the only one who has met the aforementioned Astarotte.”
Safiya’s statement, delivered with a beaming smile, was logical, and she was allowed to accompany us.
Meanwhile, Rubiliza, left behind, stamped her feet in frustration.
However, as we were about to return, I glanced out the window and saw that the sun was setting, and twilight was approaching.
It seemed a considerable amount of time had passed without my noticing.
“Lord Raymond, the sun is setting. How about we have dinner at this mansion tonight and return tomorrow morning?”
“That seems to be the only option. Safiya, we will be staying tonight.”
“Yes, I understand. I will go and inform the kitchen that there will be more people.”
Despite the presence of Safiya’s attendant maids and servants in the hallway, she ran down the corridor with light steps.
“Then, let us toast tonight in commemoration of our wonderful guests!”
“Cheers!”
The long table in the dining hall was covered with a pure white tablecloth, and a vase holding a large arrangement of colorful, luxurious roses was placed in the center. A formal full-course dinner began.
We were treated to elaborate and luxurious dishes and sake, which clearly showed that we were being treated as honored guests.
However, I had worried that Alicia and Liliana, dressed in formal wear befitting high nobles and princesses, would have trouble eating, but due to the thoughtful arrangement of Countess Deer, they were able to change into evening gowns suitable for the banquet.
Alicia wore a pale blue evening gown.
The evening gown was sleeveless, with a daringly open décolletage and back.
Compared to when we first met, her height had increased, and her bust had become more ample, yet her waist remained the same.
Her face, with its elegant shades of fashionable lipstick and light makeup, was captivatingly lovely.
I remembered that I hadn’t held Alicia recently, and my penis reacted.
This honest son of a gun.
As I watched Alicia eat gracefully, I felt more confident that my development strategy had not been misguided.
Despite having touched every part of Alicia’s body, this noble and sacred radiance made me very happy.
Meanwhile, the other star of the evening, Liliana, was adorned in a lavender evening gown.
Liliana’s evening gown also featured a dramatically open neckline.
Liliana’s chest seemed to be developing well.
Her breasts were exquisite, befitting a world-class beauty, and their sensitivity was excellent.
While they might not grow as large as Lyusienne’s bounteous bosom, the captivating curves of her chest and the alluring cleavage visible from her décolletage were scandalous.
In fact, Rubiliza, seated opposite her, was blushing crimson and desperately trying to attract Alicia and Liliana’s attention, but she was easily brushed aside.
Safiya, watching from the side, had a look of satisfaction, and Countess Deer, while exasperated, seemed to be cheering on her son’s efforts.
Meanwhile, Count Kolanda, mechanically proceeding with his meal without being swayed by the surrounding situation, was indeed impressive. However, Safiya later told me that he was merely overcome by the beauty of Alicia and Liliana.
Countess Deer was also aware of this and commented that he would likely be fueled by jealousy tonight.
She also mused that she hoped the next child would be a girl.
Naturally, Rubiliza was probably engaging in self-pleasure, using Alicia and Liliana as his fantasy.
Tonight, Hal, Alicia, and Liliana would each sleep in separate guest rooms.
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Tock, tock, tock.
In the silent depths of the night, I heard a soft knock at the door of my guest room. Who could it be at this hour?
“…Yes, I’ll open it now.”
*Click, creak.*
“R-Lord Raymond… I have a humble request. May I come inside?”
Standing there was Safiya, her face flushed crimson.
“This is your home, Safiya, so please don’t be shy.”
“Th-that’s right… Lord Raymond!”
For some reason, Safiya flinched when I spoke and then eagerly entered the room. She sat on the sofa I indicated, behaving like a cat that had been brought in.
Thank you for reading.
Episode 35-8, “It is only in rivalry that true beauty shines, Part 1,” is scheduled for release on August 8th at midnight.
