The Pronouncement
The carriage carrying Floria pulled up before the estate of Zolma Zordan, the only one among the three boys who had sparred with Lux and exchanged words with him.
She intended to visit all of their residences eventually, but naturally, the first stop had to be the estate of Zolma Zordan, who seemed to be the de facto leader of the trio.
Arriving at the front of Zolma Zordan’s estate, Floria scanned the building, and before the blink of an eye had passed, she identified an infiltration point. Donning a masquerade mask, she slipped inside.
Though referred to as an infiltration point, its true purpose was not for intrusion but for emergency escape, making it virtually impossible to detect from the outside.
So then, how was it that Floria managed to locate the escape route, no, the infiltration route, with such ease?
The answer lay in the Florence family’s heritage: renowned as master builders, and among them, Floria Florence stood out as a prodigy beyond compare.
Floria Florence possessed a peerless talent honed through relentless effort. When it came to buildings not constructed through royal or state-mandated methods, like the royal castle, she could fully grasp their structural design at a single glance.
And so, with her expertise, Floria infiltrated the estate and located Zolma Zordan’s whereabouts, eventually positioning herself in the attic space above the very room he occupied.
“…An unexpected miscalculation,” she murmured.
Floria whispered those words as she quietly moved into position above Zolma Zordan’s ceiling.
The unexpected miscalculation was this: the two other boys were in the room with Zolma Zordan as well.
“…Though I suppose not all miscalculations are unwelcome,” she added with a wry lift of her lips.
Smiling as she spoke, Floria leapt down from the attic.
“If rumors start to spread that someone from a count’s house defeated me, things could get rather messy. Before that happens, I should deal with him—”
Landing soundlessly on the floor of the room where the three boys sat, Floria cut in mid-sentence.
“Good evening, gentlemen… You seem to be enjoying a lively discussion. Might I be invited to join?”
At the sound of her voice, all three boys startled and turned to face her.
Upon seeing her, Zolma Zordan was the first to speak.
“A m-mask…? Never mind that. W-Who the hell are you!? Do you even know where you are!?”
“Yes, I do… Or rather, where this place is depends entirely on how you choose to answer me. Though in truth, the outcome is more or less already decided.”
As Floria said this, the two boys beside Zolma Zordan scoffed and spoke up.
“You seriously don’t get what’s happening here, do you?”
“Yeah, you think you can take all three of us on?”
“After you were defeated in a three-on-one match earlier today, have you still learned nothing?”
“You—!”
One of the boys began to lash out in anger, but Zolma Zordan quickly held him back.
“Wait. Even if she can’t beat all three of us, if she had a grudge, she could’ve ambushed one of us and dealt real damage… But she didn’t. That means she didn’t come here to fight, right?”
“Correct. I’m not here to battle any of you. I simply have one question I wish to ask.”
“F-Fine. Ask it… What do you want?”
Floria found herself quietly exasperated by how boldly Zolma Zordan emphasized the three-on-one dynamic, but she kept it to herself and responded calmly.
“Yes. I wish to know how you truly feel about Lux-sama.”
“Lux…? Who’s that supposed to be?”
Floria’s hand twitched toward the rapier at her waist, nearly unsheathing it in reflex, but she restrained herself and answered.
“Lux Rodwell-sama.”
“Ahh, so that’s what his name was… You want to know what I think of Rodwell? That’s it?”
Floria responded with a serene smile and nodded.
Then Zolma Zordan’s expression twisted into a sneer as he spoke.
“A clueless fool like him, being from a count’s house? Makes me think this country’s on its last legs… He got lucky on the test and managed to beat us at sword spar, now he’s acting like he’s hot stuff. Like hell I’d get serious with some toy sword. Next time, I’ll slice him to ribbons with real steel. Ain’t that right, boys?”
As Zolma Zordan finished, the other two boys nodded and chimed in.
“Yeah… hehe, maybe we oughta ambush him in an alley or something.”
“With a chump like that, it doesn’t really matter where.”
As the three boys burst into cruel laughter, Floria asked in a voice as cold as winter frost.
“So… is it safe to interpret that as intent to take Lux-sama’s life?”
Zolma Zordan, still laughing, responded without hesitation.
“Yeah. A dumbass like him, the country’d be better off if—”
But before he could finish, Floria moved faster than the eye could follow and pressed her rapier to his throat.
“Hiik…!”
Seeing the blade against his neck, Zolma Zordan’s face drained of color, but Floria, unfazed, spoke evenly.
“In my anger, I nearly pierced straight through your throat. But… I’m certain Lux-sama would never wish for such a thing. Which is why, instead, I shall deal with this in a manner he would find acceptable.”
With that quiet vow, Floria addressed the three boys, whose faces were now etched with terror.
“Tomorrow, the countless misdeeds you’ve committed will come to light. You won’t just be expelled from the noble academy, you’ll lose your marquisate as well.”
“Wh-What…!?”
“Do spend the rest of your lives repenting for how you spurned Lux-sama’s kindness.”
“W-Wait—!”
As Floria turned to leave the room, Zolma Zordan tried to call out after her, but she glanced back with a frigid smile and said:
“You should be grateful your lives are still intact. You asked me if I understood where I was. Well, let me tell you: this place has now become a site of judgment. And if I wished, I could just as easily make it one of execution.”
Floria’s rare display of cold fury, ignited by the insult to Lux, left the three boys frozen in place. None of them dared to move or speak as she turned her back and exited the room.
Inside the carriage bound for the Florence estate, Floria removed her masquerade mask and whispered softly.
“To not only fail to understand Lux-sama’s kindness, but to bare fangs against him…”
It was beyond anything she could comprehend. And yet… Lux would still show such people compassion.
That very kindness made him carry burdens he needn’t bear. Watching it hurt more than words could say, but even so…
“Please rest assured… I will protect Lux-sama, no matter what.”
With that solemn vow, Floria returned to the Florence estate and drifted into sleep, eager for the morning when she would see Lux once more.