I've Come to Take You Away, Pipi!
The Marquis himself seemed to be serving as today's escort.
Marguerite climbed into the same carriage as the Marquis.
The two of them, seated diagonally across from each other, gazed out the windows in silence.
For a noble young lady, it was hardly proper behavior, but for today at least, the Marquis said nothing.
The carriage passed through the walls surrounding the royal palace and continued on for quite some time.
When they arrived at the palace where the banquet was being held, the carriage door opened and a wooden step was placed outside.
With the help of a servant, Marguerite stepped down from the carriage, and the Marquis extended his hand.
Though he struggled to maintain a calm expression, his face was ashen.
He was alive, moving, and walking, yet he looked like a corpse from the grave.
He's terrified.
After threatening her by seizing control of Marguerite's and her family's fate, even the Marquis was nothing more than an ordinary weakling before a greater power.
To think she'd suffered so much because of a man like this.
The realization felt somehow foolish, and Marguerite found herself smiling without meaning to.
The Marquis looked startled.
Perhaps it seemed strange for her to laugh sincerely in a situation like this.
Or maybe he was surprised that she, who had never smiled before, was now doing so.
Marguerite straightened her back.
In her mind, the image of a small spirit flickered.
She had drawn so much comfort from that tiny, bright light.
Now it was time to draw courage from it.
Marguerite took a deep breath.
She had no idea what trap or charge the king had prepared.
Even so, she told herself not to be afraid.
She would stand tall.
When the servant announced the arrival of the Marquis and Marguerite, every eye in the room turned toward the entrance.
There were far more people here today than usual.
She had heard that the Saintess ceremony had been rushed so much that many nobles hadn't yet reached the capital at the time.
Those who arrived late had apparently come to the capital afterward just to meet the Saintess.
That was how much attention the entire nation was focusing on her.
So the people who came to the capital back then still haven't left.
It was the perfect environment for the king to stage his little drama.
"...."
Spirits were beings that brought good fortune.
It might seem strange, but it was true that spirits gathered around the Saintess.
Perhaps the Saintess's luck even influenced events like this one orchestrated by the king.
A bitter feeling seeped into Marguerite's heart.
But she had a spirit too.
Recalling the small spirit that had come to find her, Marguerite lifted her head high.
The Marquis led her deeper into the banquet hall.
For some reason, she thought she could feel his hand trembling faintly.
Forgetting her own situation for a moment, Marguerite glanced at him and muttered under her breath.
Serves you right.
Seeing the Marquis's deathly pale face washed away some of the resentment she'd carried for so long.
Those with lower titles entered the banquet hall first.
The higher the rank, the later one was scheduled to arrive.
Yet once inside, the higher the title, the closer to the royal family one was seated.
Marguerite and the Marquis had to proceed all the way to the deepest part of the hall.
As they moved forward, people parted to make way.
Whispers rose from those who had stepped aside on either side of them.
"Who is that lady?"
"Didn't they just say she's Marguerite of the Marquis's household?"
"Then she's His Highness the Prince's fiancée?"
"She's nothing like the rumors at all."
"She's so glamorous."
"I've seen her before, but she looks like a completely different person."
"She seems rather extravagant."
Not everyone had met the prince's fiancée, though they might have encountered a princess consort.
Most of the people near the entrance held lower titles, and many had never seen Marguerite's face.
After all, they usually only caught distant glimpses of her.
Among those who rarely visited the capital, like Marguerite's father, there were even some who had never seen her face at all.
With their questions added to the mix, the whispers grew louder the further Marguerite walked.
It seemed her impression was that striking.
Just as the king had intended, this dress combined with her appearance drew everyone's attention.
Marguerite squared her shoulders as if to defy the murmurs around her.
She had done nothing wrong.
No matter what the king did or what traps he set, that fact would never change.
The one committing a crime was the king.
Therefore, she would stand proud.
She had to remain dignified until the very end.
"But... she really is beautiful."
"Was she always this lovely?"
"It seems the rumor that His Highness the Prince is fond of her is true."
The commotion spread through the crowd like a wave.
The higher the nobles' rank, the more familiar they were with Marguerite.
The greater the gap between the Marguerite they knew and the one before them, the louder the disturbance grew as she moved deeper into the hall.
She walked gracefully while glancing sideways, but her father's figure was nowhere to be seen.
If he were here, he would surely be standing where he could see her.
That fact felt slightly strange.
Surely nothing has happened to Father.
A small weight settled in one corner of her heart.
Just as the Marquis and Marguerite came to a stop, a servant at the front entrance announced the arrival of the royal family.
The room fell silent at once, and everyone lowered their bodies.
The first to enter were the king and queen.
Behind them came Prince Alf and the Saintess, walking side by side.
At the king's permission to raise their heads, the people straightened up.
Seeing the Saintess standing beside the prince, the crowd's gazes darted back and forth between Alf and Marguerite.
Even those unaware of the situation seemed to realize something was amiss.
Suddenly, her eyes met Prince Alf's.
For a brief moment, his eyes widened slightly in apparent surprise.
The light of affection that always lingered whenever he looked at Marguerite was visible.
But as the Saintess leaned against him coquettishly, that light vanished in an instant, and his pupils clouded over with a murkiness that bore no resemblance to his usual self.
The Saintess really was strange.
Just to be sure, Marguerite subtly raised her gaze to check the king.
His eyes looked exactly as they always had.
It seemed the king was unaffected by the Saintess.
Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, she couldn't quite decide as she lowered her eyes.
In the quiet that filled the room, the king's voice rang out.
"Before we begin the banquet today, I have an important announcement to make."
It had begun.
Marguerite kept her smile carefully in place as she listened to the king's words.
What on earth was he about to say?
But the next person to speak was not the king.
The Marquis of Velour, standing beside him, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, if I may borrow this occasion, I wish to accuse someone of a disgraceful act."
The crowd stirred in shock at the Marquis's sudden action.
"Isn't that the Marquis of Velour?"
"How disrespectful, interrupting His Majesty's words."
"What insolence..."
But the stage had already been set.
The king wore a magnanimous expression and raised one hand.
"Be silent. The Velour Marquisate is a distinguished family that has served the royal house faithfully since the founding of this nation. Though it may not follow proper etiquette, the matter must be that grave. I grant you permission to speak."
With every eye upon him, the Marquis of Velour glanced briefly at Marguerite.
"My adopted daughter Marguerite has repeatedly shown jealousy toward the Saintess whenever His Highness the Prince conducts official duties involving her, and she has spoken many words that tarnish the Saintess's beauty. I admonished her each time, but it seems Marguerite, who deeply admires His Highness, could not abandon her hatred for the Saintess."
The crowd murmured.
She heard comments like how someone had seen Marguerite meet the Saintess, or that she had been staring intently at her at the time.
She had expected this much.
People had a tendency to reinterpret surrounding circumstances to fit a single incident.
And if it involved a scandal between a man and a woman, that tendency grew even stronger.
Marguerite straightened her posture, preparing to deliver the rebuttal she had readied.
That was when it happened.
The Marquis paused, took a deep breath, and then knelt on the floor.
A noble did not kneel before the king.
Such an act was reserved for those guilty of high treason.
Yet the Marquis is...
The whispers grew even louder.
Marguerite's heart chilled.
The situation was unfolding in a direction she hadn't anticipated.
Paying no heed to the crowd's astonishment, the Marquis continued.
"After such incidents kept repeating, I grew wary and recently witnessed Marguerite behaving strangely. So I captured one of her subordinates and confirmed the truth..."
The Marquis of Velour spoke in a trembling voice.
"I learned that my adopted daughter Marguerite ordered her subordinate to pluck a sprout from the Spirit Tree in order to damage the Saintess's power and honor."
A small scream rose from among the people.
"Is that true?!"
"No way, a sprout from the Spirit Tree..."
The banquet hall instantly grew noisy with shouts that sounded like questions and faint screams.
Who would do such a thing?
The world before Marguerite's eyes went dark.
This wasn't simply about breaking off an engagement.
If the sprout had truly disappeared, the king would need to pin the blame on someone.
Now she understood why her father was absent.
It must have been because they feared he would defend her.
If any doubt arose that the accusation might be false, it would cause problems.
Perhaps her father was being held somewhere, or guards were preventing him from leaving the estate.
"No matter what you say, that is truly difficult to believe. Do you have witnesses?"
At the king's question, the Marquis bowed his head.
"I have detained Marguerite's subordinates."
Before he had even finished speaking, the guards dragged in three men.
She had never seen them before.
All three were bound with ropes.
They didn't appear to be of high status.
Their hair and clothing were neat enough, but their skin was rough and their movements showed no sign of proper education.
They might have been vagrants picked up off the street.
The three were led forward by the guards and forced to their knees.
The terrified men trembled violently as the Marquis approached them and shouted.
"Is the person who ordered you to steal the Spirit Tree's sprout here?! Point her out!"
The three men looked around before their eyes fell on Marguerite's dress.
They immediately pointed their fingers at her.
Ah, so this dress had been made to stand out clearly to these men.
Only then did Marguerite understand the meaning behind the dress's color.
A deep crimson dress was rarely worn at banquets.
She had never seen one before today.
Marguerite took a deep breath and lowered herself before the king.
"Your Majesty, this is a blatant lie. I have never seen these three men before. I beg you to grant me the opportunity to defend myself."
She had expected him to refuse, but to her surprise, the king nodded.
"The Marquis of Velour is a loyal subject whom I trust deeply, but Marguerite is also someone I believe in. I shall permit your defense."
Marguerite stepped forward before the three accused men.
They fidgeted, their eyes darting everywhere.
From their behavior, it was clear they had received no education whatsoever.
The speech of commoners and noble servants differed from the very first word.
If she made them speak, anyone would notice.
After that, she could find the flaws in their statements and strike.
Since this was something the Marquis and king had prepared, it wouldn't be easy, but she had no intention of simply letting them have their way.
She would struggle with all her might.
She would plant seeds of doubt deep in the hearts of everyone present.
"I have never seen any of you before. How did you usually address me?"
The men looked flustered and shook their heads.
"Uh...."
"...Heu...."
"...Uuuuh...."
From their mouths came words with unclear pronunciation.
As one of them opened his mouth a little wider to speak, Marguerite realized that all three of their tongues had been cut out.
The three men pointed at her again.
It was as if they were indicating that the culprit was that very woman.
The previously quiet room grew noisy once more.
These men had probably been ordered to act this way no matter what question they were asked or what they heard.
To point at the woman in the red dress.
There was no way to confirm it now, but perhaps all three were also deaf.
Behind the sight of the men dragged here as criminals, Marguerite thought she could see the king sneering.
The king shouted in a deliberately furious voice.
"I trusted you! Despite the Marquis's accusation, I thought it couldn't be true, yet you dared to commit such an act, Marguerite? Guards, seize that criminal!"
At the king's roar, the guards grabbed Marguerite's arms.
It was then that it happened.
The beautiful glass windows of the banquet hall shattered with a tremendous crash.
"Pipi!"
"Pipipi!"
What flew in through the broken windows were a very small bird and a spirit.
The small, bright spirit that once comforted her now burst into the hall with fierce determination.