I Will Never Allow It (2)
"Lirith~ I'll be taking Edward with me, hohoho!"
"Big sister, thank you for everything until now. Hahaha!"
A man and a woman were exchanging farewells.
The woman who spoke first was that utterly detestable, lewd pink-haired bitch.
The man who spoke afterward was the little brother she loved more than anyone else in the world.
The two turned their heads and faced each other.
"Edward!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Don't call me Princess—use my name, Edward!"
"Yes, Charlotte!"
"With a nickname!"
"Char!"
"Edward!"
Holding each other's hands and calling out nicknames, their smiling faces drew closer and closer until—
Just as their lips were about to meet.
"No!!"
Lirith screamed and jolted awake from the nightmare.
It had only been a dream, yet the scene had unfolded with such vivid clarity that cold sweat was pouring down her entire body.
"Haaah!… Haaah!…"
Something that must never be allowed to happen.
Why, of all the countless women in the world, would her beloved little brother suddenly propose to that pink-haired bitch?!
Lirith had barely even woken from the nightmare when Charlotte's face—smirking down at her right before she had collapsed—rose vividly in her mind.
"No! No!"
There was no time for this.
By now her little brother Edward would be getting threatened by that pink-haired bitch!
While Lirith was thrashing about in that panicked thought—
"…What is it that you won't allow, Lirith…?"
"M-Mother?"
Camilla was looking down at her with pitying eyes, and Lirith flinched hard.
"Haa…"
Camilla let out a long sigh, as if she had heard every word of her daughter's muttering.
"This isn't the time—I have to get to Edward right now—"
"And do what once you get there?"
"Obviously!…"
"Liri."
"Mother?"
The moment Lirith tried to leap out of bed and storm from the room, Camilla called her name—using the childhood nickname she had not spoken since Lirith was very small.
That alone forced Lirith to freeze and look at her mother.
Camilla spoke to the daughter staring back at her.
"My daughter… I know how much you cherish Edward, but this has gone too far…"
"Th-That's…"
"One more step beyond this point… and it truly cannot be allowed any longer."
"…"
Camilla did not spell it out, yet the silence with which Lirith answered showed she understood perfectly.
Her mother was telling her not to cross that "line" society would never tolerate.
"And as I told you last time, a princess of the empire is an excellent marriage candidate…"
Camilla was doing everything she could to persuade her.
"You already know why Allen recommended her to his own brother… and why Edward acted on it so quickly…"
"If it's because of the Hero…"
"Yes, because of the Hero. And last night… it seems we failed to give Edward enough of a sense of safety."
"Edward… I can protect him…"
"You can keep protecting Edward even after the two of them are married. It isn't as if you'll be separated forever…"
Both of them could more or less guess why Edward—who had always fled from women—had suddenly proposed to Charlotte.
The same Edward who had suffered a terrified seizure only last night would never casually claim to love someone and propose.
He had clearly proposed to the imperial princess in order to secure protection.
Whether Charlotte had immediately seen through the reason was unclear…
But right now she was almost certainly drunk on the fact that Edward had confessed to her.
And that sight was something Lirith found utterly repulsive…
"B-But!"
"Liri."
"…"
Lirith raised her voice to protest again, yet the childhood nickname stopped her cold.
Her mother's expression had shifted from pity to the stern face that had once drilled her so mercilessly as a child.
"This mother of yours chooses to believe you would never do such a thing."
Lirith knew exactly what she meant.
Even within the grand ducal household, whispers had circulated that her love for her little brother was excessive.
Camilla had crushed those rumors and ripped out the tongues of everyone who spread them.
Yet even she could not stop worrying.
"…It isn't the sort of thing you're fretting over."
"Huu… Good…"
Fortunately her daughter had not strayed down a twisted path.
"Thank you."
Camilla offered Lirith her gratitude.
"Thank you for yielding."
It truly was a relief.
Had her daughter chosen the wrong road, Camilla might have been forced to make a terrible decision.
Yes—her daughter was simply so fond of her little brother that she was throwing a brief tantrum…
Lirith still wore a face full of discontent, yet because she had not given the wrong answer, Camilla could at least feel a measure of relief.
And then—
Lirith suddenly sprang to her feet.
"Didn't you just say you understood? Where do you think you're going…?"
Camilla asked in flustered surprise as her daughter prepared to storm out.
"I'm allowed to vent a little, right?"
"…Do as you like…"
That much should be fine.
Having a rough idea of what Lirith meant by "venting," Camilla gave permission.
"Yes. Thank you."
Bang!
"…If that lets you endure it, then vent as much as you want…"
Watching her daughter thank her and slam the door on the way out, Camilla could only pray that the "venting" would be the end of it.
Lirith headed for the warehouse behind the mansion in order to do her "venting."
Standing in front of the door was Grace, her little brother's personal knight.
"Grace. Where's that bastard?"
"Yes. Emma is currently chec—ah, no, she's briefly examining his condition."
"Mm. Good work."
"Um, my lady…"
"I already know what you're about to say."
"Surely you aren't…"
"No. I haven't given up, so don't worry."
"…"
How could she possibly give up?
And even if she did not…
"If I don't step in, you lot will just go on a rampage anyway, right?"
"That's…"
"See? You can't even deny it."
"…"
"You, and Emma too… I think the three of us need to join forces for now."
The three women of the grand ducal house intended to unite their strength.
But first—
"There's something I need to take care of beforehand."
Bang!
"Mmph! Mmph!"
When Lirith flung the warehouse door open with force, Allen was sitting on a wooden chair inside, his entire body bound with rope and a gag stuffed in his mouth.
Behind him stood Emma, tightening the restraints even further to increase his suffering.
His face was filled with pure terror and dread of the future that was about to arrive.
"Just take the gag out, Emma."
"Yes, understood!"
Whoosh!
"Pwah! Hah! Hah!… My beloved little sister Lirith!…"
"…"
The moment the gag was removed, Allen hurriedly called out to soothe his sister—yet received no reply.
"No—Lady Lirith? I am, first of all, your older brothe—Aaaagh!!!"
Thud! Thud!
He tried switching to formal speech and somehow talking his way out of the situation, but all that came back were Lirith's fists.
"We have enough potions, right?"
"Yes! I brought half the warehouse stock, so it'll be plenty!"
"Good work. You two can join in if you want."
Lirith looked with satisfaction at the mountain of high-grade healing potions piled behind Emma.
"Haaah… Haaah… Lirith?… You're not seriously…? Let me say it one more time—I am, first of all, your older brother, you know?…"
Allen cast a desperate, pleading look at Lirith in an attempt to escape his horrific future, but—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The future could not be changed.
"Grrrrk…"
"Huu…!"
Looking down at Allen collapsed and foaming at the mouth, the three women wore expressions of at least moderate satisfaction.
Every last potion that had been stacked behind Emma had been used up, so there was no way to continue anyway; they therefore began the strategy meeting that had been their original purpose.
"My lady, do you have a method?"
"Edward made the decision and Mother agreed, so honestly there's no ordinary way to stop it…"
"That can't be…"
The die had already been cast; there was no taking it back.
Edward had decided, and Camilla had not opposed it, so the three of them present had no conventional means of interference.
Conventionally, that is.
"However."
"?"
"If we can just reverse Edward's decision, that will be enough."
"Reverse it? What do you mean?"
"Young Master does not easily change a decision once he has made it. Do you have a method?"
If the party himself reversed course and said he no longer wanted it, the marriage could be called off.
Yet Grace and Emma could not help questioning whether any method existed that could overturn the stubborn Edward's decision.
"We expose that lewd pink-haired bitch's true colors."
"Pardon?"
"Did you think I opposed her sniffing around Edward for no reason?"
"It wasn't simply because of that?"
"…Grace, no matter how much I dote on Edward, I don't treat members of the imperial family with baseless hostility."
"Ah… Yes. Understood for now."
"…That girl, you see…"
Lirith told them the story of her past with Edward and Charlotte.
It was the day Lirith accompanied her mother Camilla on a visit to the imperial palace.
More precisely, it was the day she first met the imperial princess Charlotte.
On the way to meet the princess, she overheard the maids chattering.
Oh my, oh my, did you hear?
Again? This time she supposedly played with a man who had his shirt completely off… Kyaa!
The body of a man a full ten years older than her…
Her Highness is still only about ten years old, isn't she?
Exactly, exactly! No matter how you look at it, it's far too early.
I don't think early is the only problem…
What do you mean?
Apparently she even shows interest in newborn baby boys! Last time I overheard the Count speaking with Her Highness!
Oh my, oh my… With talent that outstanding… the other side must be just as…
Is she heading in a lewd direction?
Shh!! Girls, if anyone hears us our heads will roll!
But it's not like it's wrong!
I said be quiet!
…
Lirith had already heard every word.
She played with a man ten years older who had stripped his upper body bare?
They were clearly the same age…
And she was interested even in baby boys…
Whatever else, I must never let her meet Edward.
She had only heard rumors of outstanding ability, but after listening to the maids…
People really did have dark sides.
A person of high station could be allowed certain hobbies, she supposed.
But that lewd hobby must never be directed at her little brother.
With that thought she finally met the princess.
The first impression of the imperial princess was decent; she seemed like a good person.
So Lirith opened up and spoke freely…
How many siblings does the young lady have? I myself have younger…
At some point that lewd pink-haired girl had casually begun fishing for information about other people's brothers and sisters.
While pretending to talk about her own siblings, she was trying to dig up details on the little brother Lirith loved so dearly.
Of course she could have freely shared information about her worthless older brother, but that might lead to having to reveal information about her adorable little brother as well.
You have no need to know.
Pardon?
Lirith's expression turned ice-cold on the spot.
Why pretend to be surprised? I already know exactly what you're after, you bitch.
That day Lirith made a decision.
In her heart she wanted to marry the little brother she loved, but that was a forbidden love that would never be permitted…
Then at the very least she would ensure he was paired with someone she could accept.
Power? Ability?
None of that mattered.
It had to be someone who could truly make Edward happy.
In that regard, an imperial princess who was already playing lewdly with men at the age of ten was absolutely out of the question.
Absolutely.
"…I always thought she looked vulgar at a glance, but this is shocking."
"Ah! Ah! No! Young Master!"
"Anything else might be tolerable, but that bitch Charlotte is out of the question."
"Yes! Exactly!"
"Of course!"
It was the moment the three women of the grand ducal house joined hands to protect the one they loved.
Little brother… you really are surrounded by nothing but crazy bitches…
The man lying collapsed on the floor, who had been listening to the entire conversation, decided to keep pretending he was unconscious.
Hang in there, little brother…
All he could do was cheer for his younger sibling in his heart.