Common Ground
“Kh…! Violet…!”
“Violet-sama…”
Violet suddenly appeared, and for a moment their attention shifted toward her… but.
Siana spoke to Violet.
“Violet, step aside… I have to take that woman’s life now.”
“If you do something like that here inside the Florence Ducal House, a place even you, Ojou-sama, cannot act freely in, your own standing will be placed in danger.”
“Doing so would indeed create troublesome complications… but that no longer matters. Nothing matters except taking that woman’s life.”
“Even if doing so would cut off your path to being united with Rodwell-sama?”
“Kh! That is… but…”
“As I tried to tell you earlier, Third Princess-sama is misunderstanding the situation to begin with… Lux-sama and I have not done anything like what you are imagining.”
Floria had quietly listened to the two of them, but when she judged the moment to be right, she cut into Siana’s words and told her so.
Siana had been too unsettled earlier for Floria’s words to reach her, but now, for the first time, they entered her mind.
Shifting her gaze from Violet to Floria, she spoke.
“How desperate… lying in bed with Lux-kun so early in the morning, and even holding him in your arms, how could I possibly think anything else?”
“Given the situation, I understand that it is difficult for Third Princess-sama to accept the words of someone who is in an adversarial position… therefore, please ask Lux-sama later if he and I did anything last night. That you love and trust Lux-sama… that alone is what we share in common.”
“…”
Hearing those words, Siana slowly lowered the dagger she had been holding.
Then she abandoned her empty eyes and mechanical voice, regaining her usual brightness in her gaze, and with her voice returning to its normal tone, she spoke.
“I will ask once more, but you truly did nothing with Lux-kun?”
“Yes, as you yourself saw, aside from being allowed to sleep beside him, nothing happened, so please be at ease.”
“Even sleeping beside him is a heavy enough offense! If I could, I would take your life right this moment… but for now, I will overlook it for Violet’s sake.”
“Thank you for calming yourself, Ojou-sama.”
Speaking in her usual calm tone, Violet returned the dagger to her pocket.
She then stepped away from where she had been standing between Siana and Floria and moved to stand behind Siana.
With that, Siana and Floria faced each other.
“Let me make this clear. If you truly had done something like that with Lux-kun, I would not hold back.”
“There is no issue. I have absolutely not done anything of the sort.”
“…”
Quietly accepting those words, Siana turned her gaze away from Floria and began walking toward the door.
If she went that far in saying it, then it must be true that nothing happened aside from sleeping beside him, but I still have to confirm it with Lux-kun, so I need to make sure I ask properly.
Thinking that, she reached the door, opened it, and stepped outside the room.
Lux, who had been waiting in front of the room for her, then spoke to Siana in a loud voice.
“I am sorry, Siana! I did not follow your warning…! It is only natural that you got angry, but yesterday I was tired, and my judgment was foggy or… anyway, it is not like I had wandering thoughts! If there is anything I can do, I will do it, so please believe me!!”
Anything…!?