A Bold Declaration
She had only recently returned to the academy after briefly leaving her beloved's side, yet here she was, heading back to her family's estate once again.
Her mother and father had requested an urgent meeting.
What on earth could they possibly want to talk about?
If they simply had something to tell me, they could have sent a letter.
If they truly wanted to have a conversation, it would have been much easier for them to visit me themselves.
Yet, they had insisted on speaking at the family estate.
Considering how busy things had been lately both inside and outside the estate, it wasn't entirely strange that they couldn't leave. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at being made to travel back and forth like this.
Well, to be completely honest, my real grievance was that this cut into my time with Rofel.
My plans had finally succeeded, allowing me to claim the position of his lover, only for me to be pulled away from him so soon.
I wouldn't be staying long at the estate—just long enough to speak with my parents—but it was still incredibly frustrating that I couldn't spend even a little more time with him.
Moreover, I had been just about to make it crystal clear to the other stray cats lingering around him exactly who he belonged to.
I had only just informed Seraphina that we were dating, which meant there were still plenty of other women left to deal with.
Just off the top of my head, there was Elisio Gremlina, who had been brewing that disgusting potion to erase memories.
Then there was Isabella Kshatri, who, despite all her haughty posturing, had somehow ended up sticking to Rofel's side like glue.
And... uh... who else was there? Surely... there was a girl with freckles... Why couldn't I remember her name?
Regardless, even if I only counted the academy students, there were more than enough stray cats eyeing my beloved Rofel.
With the start of the new term just around the corner, they would surely return one by one, aiming for my love once again.
The man who was currently my boyfriend, and who would eventually become my husband and share my last name.
Even now, leaving him alone like this made me worry that something might happen to him.
He was the man I loved, but Rofel had... how should I put it? A rather complicated web of relationships with women.
I got a bit sidetracked, but let us return to the main point.
Namely, the reason why my mother and father had summoned me back to the estate.
To be honest, I still didn't know what it was about.
The letter that had arrived with the carriage sent to fetch me had contained nothing but a command to return home.
It gave no explanation of what was happening at the estate or why I was needed.
Since nothing out of the ordinary had happened to our family recently, I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion.
Did something happen at home? It was a busy season, but our businesses were running smoothly and our financial situation was excellent, so there shouldn't be any issues there.
Did an incident occur within our territory? If so, it would be serious, but there would still be no reason to summon me back.
Whatever the case, I would have to hear it directly from them.
While I was lost in these thoughts, the carriage arrived in front of my family's residence, the Tistina estate.
Guided by the servants, I was led into a drawing room.
Waiting inside were my father, Burgess Tistina, and my mother, Croa Tistina.
"I have been waiting for you, Lilit."
"I am sorry for making you return so soon after you left. But this is not a matter that can be conveyed through a mere letter, so I had no choice."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you must be busy preparing for the upcoming term. But it was an urgent matter, so we couldn't help it."
"It is fine, Father, Mother."
"Then let us get straight to the point. First of all, among the letters sent under our family's name, there was one that I never wrote."
"..."
I knew exactly which letter he was talking about.
It was the letter I had sent to Rofel's family home—the one inquiring about his relationships with other women and the possibility of marriage.
In truth, I had sent it under the family's name without my father's knowledge. I thought I had covered my tracks perfectly, but it seemed he had found out after all.
"Do not ask how I found out. I have my ways," my father said.
"In any case, seeing you act so boldly, it seems you are finally planning to put your plans into action."
"...Is that why you summoned me back this time?"
"Perhaps you could say that. Lilit, my daughter... I ask this with the utmost caution, so please do not misunderstand."
"It is just... Sigh. Dear, I am sorry, but could you speak for me? I do not think it is proper for me to bring this up again."
"Oh, honestly, dear..." my mother chuckled softly.
"Yes, Lilit. What your father wants to ask you is, in a way, the same question as before. The boy you love... you have no intention of giving up on Rofel Teufel, do you?"
I wondered what they were going to ask, but I never expected them to bring up a topic from over a year ago.
A surge of irritation welled up inside me, but I held my head high and spoke clearly.
"I cannot. That is the one thing I will absolutely never give up on. Besides, wasn't this matter already settled?"
Though I questioned why my parents were bringing up a settled matter now of all times, my response was firm.
"Sigh. As expected..."
Seeing my reaction, my father let out a heavy sigh.
"First, I must apologize to you again, Lilit."
"I told you before that since I now know what kind of man Rofel is and understand the relationship between you two, I would no longer interfere. I am truly sorry for bringing this up again so soon after that promise. However, I have a very good reason for doing so."
My father took a sip of tea to wet his throat before continuing.
"As you know, our Tistina family is a high-ranking noble house that achieved great success through commerce. At one point, the imperial family kept a close eye on us due to our immense capital."
"Because of that, the previous heads of the family chose to sacrifice a portion of our profits. To ensure the safety of our territory and family, they gave the imperial family a larger share than necessary, turning them into a reliable ally."
"Thanks to their foresight, our family has maintained a friendly relationship with the imperial family to this day, exchanging information behind the scenes. And recently, through a close acquaintance working in the imperial palace, I heard that the imperial family's recent movements are highly unusual."
The imperial family.
Indeed, I recalled a massive uproar after the academy's term ended last year. Strange rumors had circulated around various figures associated with the imperial court, including the Prime Minister, the Emperor, and even the Princess.
"But what does the imperial family's behavior have to do with asking me to give up on Rofel?"
"Yes, that is precisely the point I wanted to make," my father said.
"It is none other than the imperial family—specifically, Princess Tiara Altarion—who has her eyes on that man, Rofel Teufel."
The imperial family, targeting Rofel?
The combination of those two completely unrelated terms left my mind in a state of confusion.
But thinking back, I did recall Princess Tiara Altarion showing an unusually high level of favor toward Rofel.
I wasn't always glued to Rofel's side, but I had always found it strange that she showed such interest in him when they had no special connection and rarely met.
At most, they should have only passed each other a few times as fellow students in the Magic Department, yet her attitude toward him showed an excessive amount of trust.
"Could you explain in more detail?"
"You must already know that Princess Tiara Altarion has withdrawn from the line of succession," my father explained.
"At the same time, it is rumored that she will make a massive announcement within a year... and it seems Rofel Teufel is deeply involved in this matter."
"...I see. The Princess..."
"This is why I asked if you could give up on Rofel. Although I do not know the exact details, the Princess wishes to keep Rofel Teufel by her side."
"While our family maintains a friendly relationship with the imperial court, if we look at our relative standing, we are clearly the subordinate party. Even if the Princess has given up her claim to the throne, she was once the prime candidate for succession. We cannot simply ignore her wishes."
"So, were you planning to ask me to give up my love for the future of our family?"
"...It would be a lie to say I didn't think about it, but that is not the main point," my father replied.
"I... asked because I am worried about you, my daughter."
I was slightly taken aback by my father's unexpected answer.
"I know very well how much you care for and love that man, Rofel. However, if you continue down this path, your rival will be the Princess herself."
"That is why I asked. I was worried that, one day... you might face hardships, difficulties, and deep wounds because of this love. But seeing your attitude now, it seems there is no need to ask further."
"...Father."
"Sigh. I am sorry. That is all I wanted to say."
"Lately, conversations held at the academy have been leaking out to the public at an alarming rate. I had no choice but to call you back to the estate to speak in private. I am truly sorry for taking up your time when you are so busy. If you wish, you may head back to the academy as soon as you like. I have prepared a carriage that can depart immediately, just in case."
"Of course, if you are tired, you are welcome to stay at the estate a little longer, sweetheart," my mother added.
"Thank you, Father, Mother. In that case, I apologize, but I will head straight back to the academy. The start of the term is near, and I have many things to prepare as soon as possible."
It might have seemed a bit cold, but I left the room almost as soon as I had arrived at the estate.
However, the distance from the estate to the academy was significant—requiring a full day's travel by carriage—so I had to set off early.
My parents understood this, so despite their regret, they did not try to stop me.
Though, to be completely honest, I simply wanted to return to Rofel's side even a day sooner.
Still, before leaving the estate, I decided to leave my parents with one final word.
"...And Father, Mother, to be completely honest... Rofel and I are officially dating now. So, you don't need to worry too much about us in the future."
Both my father and mother reacted with shock at my words, but knowing that staying would only lead to a barrage of questions—especially from my mother—I quickly hurried toward the carriage.