The Choice
After a brief silence between them, Elizalina finally spoke.
“…So? Felisiana, are you planning to continue?”
“…”
The continuation she referred to was the deadly clash between Siana and Elizalina.
A short while ago, Siana had seriously intended to take Elizalina’s life. But that plan had been made under the assumption that Rezamiliana wouldn’t be there. With her sudden intervention, the situation shifted, and Siana regained some composure. As a result, she took a moment before answering Elizalina’s question.
“No. At the very least, I don’t intend to continue right here and now.”
“Phew~! Then that’s a relief!”
That brief exchange between Siana and Elizalina softened the tense atmosphere that had dominated the room.
Then, recalling the earlier exchange between Elizalina and Rezamiliana, Siana spoke.
“You saved me just now, Elizalina-nee-sama.”
“Saved you…? Oh~! You mean how I made it seem like it was just one of my pranks? It’s only natural for an older sister to cover for her cute little sister’s mistakes, right? …Well, to be honest, if Rezamiliana-nee-sama found out I tried to stir up trouble with dozens of soldiers in the middle of the night, she’d definitely get mad. Even just fighting with Felisiana would be enough to get scolded. So I just said that to avoid the fallout.”
“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you helped me. So thank you.”
When Siana said that sincerely, Elizalina paused a moment before replying.
“It’s kind of embarrassing to get thanked by Felisiana~. Still! I was seriously surprised that the person you want to marry is Lux~.”
“I was just as surprised to find out the one you’ve been pining for is Lux-kun… Elizalina-nee-sama, I have no desire to fight you. If you’re willing to back off from Lux-kun, I promise not to harm you.”
It was true that Siana and Elizalina didn’t get along, but Siana had no wish to fight her older sister, who also served as a political mediator in the kingdom.
That’s why she offered a path that didn’t lead to conflict. Then Elizalina replied.
“Then I’ll say the same to you. Why don’t you back off from Lux too? If you do, I’ll find you a fiancé who’s got a bright future, good looks, and a great personality! I’d say I have more influence than anyone in this country, so this is a pretty good deal for you, isn’t it?”
“You must be joking. There’s no way any man could take Lux-kun’s place.”
Siana replied instantly, as if Elizalina had expected that answer.
“Right~? Just like you feel that way, so do I. That’s why I can’t give him up.”
With that, Elizalina took a few steps back from Siana and Violet.
“Well, in any case, I’ll be pulling back for today. Let’s talk again another time.”
Since Elizalina had chosen to end things for now, Felisiana responded as usual.
“…Very well, Elizalina-nee-sama.”
Seeing this, Elizalina gave a small smirk and then spoke brightly.
“Alrighty! Bye-bye~! Oh, and soldiers, you can all go home now too~!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
With a wave to Siana, Violet, and her subordinates, Elizalina left the royal castle’s entrance. Her subordinates soon followed, and before long, only Siana and Violet remained.
Then Siana spoke.
“I got a bit emotional this time.”
The fact that Elizalina was drawn to Lux, just like she was, left Siana uncertain about what methods Elizalina might use to win him over.
That was more than enough to cloud Siana’s judgment.
“I regret to say, the same goes for me.”
Violet looked somewhat down, likely feeling she hadn’t fulfilled her duties.
“There were a lot of flaws in this plan. But what we need to focus on now is how to keep Lux-kun away from Elizalina-nee-sama before I leave for the diplomatic negotiations in three days.”
“Indeed.”
Changing topics, the two boarded a carriage headed for the Rodwell estate. As the ride continued, Violet broke the silence.
“What if I stay behind and keep a close eye on Rodwell-sama?”
“That won’t work. Elizalina-nee-sama would predict something like that easily. If I’m away and you’re left behind, she’ll have all the freedom she needs to act. We need something more fundamental to keep her away.”
“Something more fundamental… I see.”
“Yes…”
A quiet pause settled between them.
Siana thought about things like hosting events at the noble academy, where royal authority didn’t easily reach, or moving Lux to another residence temporarily while she was away. But with only three days left, none of the options were feasible or reliable enough.
Then Violet broke the silence.
“In that case, how about taking Rodwell-sama along with us to the diplomatic negotiations?”
It was true that if Lux were taken abroad, even someone like Elizalina, who could act freely within the kingdom, wouldn’t be able to get near him.
If it could be done, it would be the best possible solution.
“It’s a good idea. But there’s no way to pull it off. If I took Lux-kun with me, Rezamiliana-nee-sama would definitely find it suspicious. And if you took him separately, it would still raise the same questions.”
If Siana and Violet traveled separately, people would definitely wonder why Violet, as her maid, wasn’t accompanying her.
When Siana said that, Violet responded.
“Not Ojou-sama or me… someone else entirely.”
“…Someone else?”
“Yes. Of course, we can’t entrust Rodwell-sama to someone completely unreliable. At a minimum, they must be someone who poses no danger to him and can handle emergencies even while abroad.”
“Someone that convenient…”
Just as she started to say that, one person’s face came to Siana’s mind.
And at the same time, she spoke.
“You don’t mean…”
“Yes. Among those close to Rodwell-sama, I believe there’s only one person who fits the conditions.”
That person wouldn’t harm Lux, and would be capable of handling whatever might happen abroad.
But even so…
“You want to leave Lux-kun alone with that woman!?”
“Since Ojou-sama has already accepted the diplomatic mission, Ojou-sama must go. So the question is…”
“Between Elizalina-nee-sama and that woman, who can I trust more to take care of Lux-kun, even temporarily?”
“Exactly.”
This wasn’t a solution someone with Siana’s strong possessiveness toward Lux would normally come up with.
And emotionally, it was something she didn’t want to do. Even so…
“Better to let that woman handle Lux-kun than let Elizalina-nee-sama have her way with him…”
With that thought in mind, Siana gave the option serious thought. After a long pause, she finally said her answer aloud.
“Very well… Just while I’m away on the diplomatic mission, I’ll entrust Lux-kun to Floria Florence.”