“Huh? No way… is this person really Haru?”
“I’m telling you, that’s what I said!”
“No, but… seriously? Are you cross-dressing? Are you a man?”
Haru continued to smile gently at Jared, who had opened his eyes wide as if he had seen something unbelievable.
There was no trace of the dragon youth he had once fought to the death.
It wasn’t just about appearance. The honed killing intent and fierce temperament, which had prepared him for certain death, were nowhere to be felt.
Haru had changed not just on the outside, but also deep within his heart.
“R-Ryo… the reason Ryo attacked me was because Haru lost and became a woman… Wow, I still can’t believe it even when I see it with my own eyes. You’re like a completely different person.”
“Exactly! You understand why I want to blast you away, right? I thought my formerly manly older brother had a refreshed look after losing to Jared, and the next day he turned into a woman! Of course, I’d want to take it out on someone!”
He could only recognize Haru by the lingering strength of the magical power he had felt before and the way spirits were drawn to her power.
*If I were told to fight again, I couldn’t do it.*
He was confident he couldn’t punch someone who was too beautiful.
Jared could uncaringly beat any enemy, man or woman, old or young, if necessary, but attacking Haru, who possessed the beauty of an exquisite doll, seemed difficult.
He knew his own blow would shatter her beauty, and he would inevitably hesitate. Besides, there was no reason to fight, so he had no intention of doing so.
“Now, calm down. We can’t keep Ryo’s older brother standing for so long. Trane, please prepare some tea.”
“Understood, Olivier.”
At the words of the young lady of the Ducal Family, Jared and the others fell silent. Then, prompted by her, they took their seats at the table.
“I’m sorry, Olivier. I’ve caused such a commotion.”
“Please don’t worry about it. I apologize for my rude behavior. Once again, Ryo—is this beautiful person your brother, Haru?”
“…I don’t want to admit it, but yes. It is.”
“Oh, it’s nice to be called beautiful. I can’t compare to your beauty, Olivier.”
“Thank you. I am honored to be praised by a dragon, and royalty at that. Actually, I have always wanted to meet you, Haru.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“Ryo doesn’t tell me much about the Dragon Kingdom, so I wanted to ask. Also… Jared also doesn’t talk much about his past, so I thought I could hear about Jared back then from you, who fought him once.”
At Olivier’s words, both Jared and Ryo made bitter faces.
In contrast, Haru’s smile deepened.
“Unlike the rumors, you are a truly charming person.”
“…Rumors?”
She understood without asking that it was about the rumors concerning her fiancé.
“Please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that your rumors have spread throughout the Dragon Kingdom. It’s just that I was idly curious about you, Jared’s fiancé, and I heard various rumors while investigating. So…”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“Meeting you like this, I regret believing the rumors for nothing. I had heard you treated my sister very well, so I didn’t believe the rumors in the first place, but meeting you like this has reassured me.”
Both Jared and Olivier felt relieved by Haru’s smile.
For better or worse, Olivier’s reputation was significant. Even if she accepted it was unavoidable before meeting Jared, it was still disconcerting when it reached the ears of the family of the girl she treated like a sister.
It was fortunate that she wasn’t viewed negatively, but not everyone who heard the rumors was as understanding as Haru.
*I have to do something about the rumors for Olivier’s sake.*
In fact, the rumors about her fiancé had subsided. With the disappearance of the consort who had been targeting her mother, Hannelore, the rumors intended to tarnish her reputation had ceased. It was also a significant factor that Olivier no longer needed to leverage her bad reputation.
However, they had not disappeared completely.
This was largely due to jealousy towards Olivier for being able to welcome a new Court Mage as her fiancé.
Frankly, it was difficult to resolve. All they could do was hope that time would resolve it.
Nevertheless, it was natural for Jared to want to dispel the bad rumors about his fiancé.
“By the way, Haru… that’s your name, right? What business do you have in the Wethered Kingdom?”
“I have a bit of troublesome business.”
“Troublesome business? I have a bad feeling about this…”
“Heh heh, you’re not unrelated to this, you know.”
“…Ugh. I had a premonition when I heard the Dragon Kingdom’s First Prince was coming.”
It was said that a mage’s premonitions were usually accurate. He wished desperately that this one would be wrong.
Jared offered a bitter smile, and Haru looked at him with eyes like she was looking at her younger brother, saying,
“Well, since we’re here, I suppose I should tell you.”
She accepted a cup from Trane, who had returned with tea at the perfect moment, moistened her throat, and began to speak.
“At first, I was planning to come and pay my respects here, regardless of any troublesome business. It was a thank you for taking care of the runaway daughter, and I wanted to meet Jared’s fiancé. However, as the First Prince, I am very busy. Especially, recently, my parents collapsed from shock at my beauty and have been confined to bed, so I’ve had to serve as Acting King, and I haven’t had any real freedom.”
“Th-that’s why! Father and Mother collapsed not because of your beauty, but because my older brother became my older sister!”
“…I’ve met my share of strange people, but Ryo’s older brother is quite amusing.”
“Th-that’s why I didn’t want anyone to meet himaaaaaa!”
“Be quiet, Ryo! Ahem. So, I received a direct communication from the King of the Wethered Kingdom to the Dragon Kingdom.”
“Directly from the King… Ah, well, but since we have an alliance with the Dragon Kingdom, it’s not that unusual, is it?”
“Yes. We communicate regularly, and it’s not uncommon for the higher-ups to meet and hold conferences. However, this time, the King had a direct matter for the King. Unfortunately, the King was ill, so I, the Acting King, handled it…”
Ignoring Ryo’s mumble that it was his older brother’s fault, Haru continued with a composed expression.
“There’s no need to hide it as you are of the Ducal Family, but the Wethered Kingdom and our Dragon Kingdom once formed an alliance with a single purpose.”
“Um, is this purpose something we can hear?”
While Olivier, the direct descendant of the Ducal Family, and Emilia, or Hannelore, the Main Consort, might be privy to such matters, present at this gathering were Jared and Yeny of the Baronial Family, Pfeil and Rosa who belonged to the Assassination Organization Waalthe, and the maid Trane. Though they were family, surprisingly few were connected to the Ducal Family.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not something we’re particularly hiding.”
However, ignoring such worries, Haru didn’t seem to mind. She glanced at Olivier, who tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand what was being said.
“It seems none of you know. In that case, before I tell you, I’ll ask you one thing.”
She paused once, took another sip of tea, and then, under everyone’s gaze, quietly opened her mouth.
“Hey—do you know about the Progenitor?”
