“Got it, Danna. I will immediately contact the person in charge at the castle.” (Zack)

  “Aah, I leave it to you. Since I’ve come to prepare for tomorrow morning, obviously I’ll prepare the ingredients at the same time.” (Sirius)

  “Leave it to me. Well then, please come again tomorrow.” (Zack)

  We are preparing to use Galgan Company as a front to sneak into the castle the day before the premarital ceremony for Reese is scheduled to happen.

  Galgan Company will send a cake to the castle as a congratulatory gift for the ceremony. We will use that to slip past the guards.

  As the cake itself will be hollow, I’ll be hiding inside it when I sneak in. Whether or not I kidnap her from that point on will depend on how she answers my questions.

  Whether the castle ends up accepting the cake or not, the Galgan Company is readily on board with our plan. Even if the cake isn’t accepted, we’ll think of another way.

  “Reese… it’s alright if you are unusually worried, but to go this far…” (Emilia)

  “I think she is really worried, and Reese-ane is always stubborn at odd places.” (Reus)

  “Anyway, we’ll see her tomorrow.” (Sirius)

  In reality, this marriage is entirely political. I understand that it is a terrible idea to interfere, given the significance to the country of Elysion. I also understand very well, that going through with this could render me an enemy of the state, and an enemy of its’ allies.

  But, I’ve come to know Reese and her tendencies very well over the past two years, short as they were. She is a shy, but diligent person. She has trouble expressing her own opinions easily, but is very considerate of others and constantly willing to risk herself for them. Due to this, it is highly likely that she volunteered herself as a substitute for Princess Lifell.

  Therefore, I will pay her a visit tomorrow to ask her what her true intentions are. If she seriously wants to live as a royal, I’ll refrain from acting, and simply leave. It will be lonely around without her, but it’s a master’s duty to see their disciples off in the world.

  “Well then, Aniki. We’re going back to the dorms.” (Reus)

  Good night, Sirius-sama.” (Emilia)

  Since I will be busy tomorrow, I’ve decided to let the siblings rest for the day.

  —


  We separated in front of the school’s dormitory. When I finally arrived back at Diamond Cottage alone, I promptly started preparing the tools and ingredients I would need to pull of my plan tomorrow successfully. Outside, I heard footsteps near the cottage. It was past curfew for the students, but whoever they belonged to was definitely heading my direction.

  I confirmed the identity of the mysterious visitor using [Search], but once I recognized who they were, I went back to boiling water and waited. Shortly afterwards, I hear knocking on the door and open it.

  “I apologize for the late visit, Sirius-sama. May I come in?” (Senia)

  The visitor was Princess Lifell’s servant, Senia. I wondered momentarily as to why she would pay me a visit so late in the evening, but seeing as she came alone, I assumed it to be about Reese. Somewhat cautiously, I invited her in. I served her a cup of Black Tea, and waited for her explanation.

  “Pardon the low-grade tea.” (Sirius)

  “How polite of you, I’ll gratefully accept it. Before that, I must thank you for accomodating me, despite the abrupt visit. Honestly, it’s about Reese-sama.” (Senia)

  “It was no trouble at all. Would you mind elaborating on what exactly about Reese you wish to discuss?” (Sirius)

  Senia explained the situation at the castle up to now. Reese, after agreeing to the ceremony, has shut herself in one of the castle rooms, isolating herself. Princess Lifell tried to stop the ceremony but was sent to a medical institution, located far enough away such that she would no longer be able to interfere.

  “Princess Lifell objected to this ceremony since the beginning, but felt even worse when she realized Reese’s intention. She obediently accepted being sent to the medical facility, but before they sent her away she hatched a plan.” (Senia)

  “I don’t suppose, that plan is…?” (Sirius)

  “Yes, you’re intelligent enough to understand immediately. Though, I feel the need to stress that this request is not from the Kingdom, but from Reese’s family.” (Senia)

  She paused, lowered her head deeply, and announced:

  “Please kidnap Reese-sama during tomorrow’s ceremony.” (Senia)

  Was Princess Lifell also distressed about the ceremony? Nevertheless, I can’t disobey boldly at the country’s policy even if it’s a request from the princess of the country, so I pretended to be neutral and took a step. And that step… is my only reason. Although most people might look at me and think me a child, Princess Lifell doesn’t. She considers it worthwhile to rely on me, and she understands my disposition towards the matter. Thus, she has come to me with the request.

  “Put simply, she realizes that this request to oppose a country is absurd, and that this matter is not related to Sirius-sama. As such, although it is a little unfair, we have decided to request this because we believed that given your position, you would have a hard time refusing. Would you please accept our request?” (Senia)

  That’s troublesome for me… but it’s alright.

  If Princess Lifell were going to simply use me, she wouldn’t have used this method. Besides, even without her requesting this of me, I already planned to go to castle to meet with Reese. I can feel relieved knowing that now I have the backing of the princess, instead of nobody at all.

  “I accept your request.” (Sirius)

  “Thank you very much. Since I can’t move openly, I really appreciate your willingness.” (Senia)

  Senia deeply bowed her head apologetically.

  Having said that, to kidnap Reese is a last resort because I have to wholly consider her true feelings after all. Thus, I have to listen and act based on the situation at that place.

  “It is Lifell-sama’s, and my own, will for you to save Reese-sama. As for Reese-sama relying on you too much, we will leave future action to you, and trust you to make the best decisions for her sake.” (Senia)

  “So, it is like that. Senia-san also worries about Reese.” (Sirius)

  “Yes, because I think of her like my younger sister. I wouldn’t be qualified as a servant if I were to say that in front of my master, though.” (Senia)

  Her expression was full of affection, it seemed that she really worried about Reese.

  “Since it’s impossible to only depend on Sirius-sama, is there something I can help with? Please tell me anything.” (Senia)

  “If I do it, is there a way to infiltrate the castle?” (Sirius)

  If it’s just me, with the experience from my previous life, it would be easy to infiltrate the castle. However, this isn’t the case for the siblings. There is the plan to hide inside the cake, but that would go more smoothly if we could have someone on the inside to authorize it, rather than relying on luck.

  “Using my connections, I could probably get them in as servants of the castle. Those two have the skills necessary, so all we would need to do is disguise them.” (Senia)

  “If that’s the case, how about all three of us introduce ourselves to that person? I could easily sneak in as an apprentice of the Galgan Company, while they are disguised as servants.” (Sirius)

  “Certainly. One more request; if it becomes a situation where you’re going to kidnap Reese-sama, would you please bring her to Lifell-sama’s location?” (Senia)

  “Lifell-sama was at a medical facility, correct? Where is that located, specifically?” (Sirius)

  “It is on far side of the lake, northwest of the castle. The building itself is extremely conspicuous, as you will understand as you get closer to it. I will prepare a horse and carriage inside the castle grounds, so please use those to escape.” (Senia)

  Secretly, I had flown around important locations in Elysion and their surrounding areas late at night to draw maps with accurate parameters. I indeed recalled a suspicious medium-sized building near the area Senia described.

  Any pursuers are likely to give chase immediately if I escape by horse and carriage, thus multiple decoys are going to be deployed to throw them off of our trail. It is a reasonable precaution to take, a princess is potentially about to be kidnapped after all.

  “I know the location. Besides that, we don’t necessarily need to escape by carriage. We could always run away through the forest.” (Sirius)

  “But the distance is great, you know? It’s going to hurt Reese-sama’s feet.” (Senia)

  “I was training her alongside the siblings, she’ll be alright. Moreover, we always run in the forest while training, an escape would be much easier on her in comparison.” (Sirius)

  The Diamond Cottage is surrounded by a similar forest. They earnestly ran a whole course of rough terrain in the forest under the pretense of training, and can with confidence say that they would equal even veteran adventures in terms of mobility in such an environment.

  Worst case scenario, I can just hold Reese and fly. It’s unfortunate that I wouldn’t be able to carry the siblings as well, but they could just run to catch up.

  “…Understood. If that’s the case, I’ll deploy the carriages anyway to serve as a distraction.” (Senia)

  “Yes, please. And when is the ceremony?” (Sirius)

  “It will be tomorrow evening. Since I’ll arrive a short while before that, where should we meet?” (Senia)

  “Let’s meet at Galgan company please. If we meet there, I can just bring the siblings myself. They won’t arouse suspicions there. (Sirius)

  “Understood. Would you like information on anything else?” (Senia)

  “Please tell me in detail about the marriage partner, and the itinerary for the ceremony.” (Sirius)

  After I received the information, with her business with me concluded, Senia returned to Princess Lifell’s side. As she stepped out into the dark of night, she turned back and said;.

  “Lastly… when you meet with Reese-sama, please pass along Lifell-sama’s message. Tell her to please be more selfish.” (Senia)

  “That’s a perfect message for her. Alright, I will certainly tell her.” (Sirius)

  She laughed, and vanished into the dark. Normally, someone with her position would have an escort, however she has considerable ability. Even should she be ambushed by a gang of thieves, she could turn the table on them in an instant. Though, for the record, there are no such guys anywhere near here.

  Now, I have things to do. I need to prepare various things, as well as revise my plan to accommodate this new information.

  I returned to my own room in Diamond Cottage, and opened the door hidden under my bed. It leads to the basement, where I hide assets I’d rather avoid revealing to the public. The door is perfectly disguised, and even Emilia is unable to enter since I’ve used both a magic key and a custom magic formation to seal it. I don’t want the disciples stumbling into such a place and hurting themselves, or discovering things I’ve tried to hide.

  I quickly fetched a pair of clothes that I’ve created, heavily resembling the agent uniform from my previous life. It is dark bluish, and does a good job disguising me at night. It appears black in the dark, but the colors are common enough to not arouse suspicion in other circumstances. After confirming that the outfit is in perfect condition, I take of flying into the night.

  It’s time to pay a visit to Reese’s potential partner, Kura Bariti.

  —


  I want to know what kind of man this Kura is. Furthermore, I plan to investigate until I grasp the true natures of both the Bariti house, and that of its patriarch. I frequently went for such intelligence gathering in my previous life, and I’m hesitant to trust rumors, given how underdeveloped intelligence gathering is in this world.

  I descend a short distance from the walled residence, thanking Senia in my head for disclosing its location. As expected, a house of this status has plenty of guards patrolling, but I immediately find an opening with [Search]. Using a combination of [String] and [Boost], I launch myself over the wall.

  I realized the true face of the Bariti household as I looked through documents in an office. From the story that I heard, it seemed that their huge contributions to Elysion were recognized by the King, however that isn’t all there is to it.

  As much as they’ve cultivated their public personality, they’ve grown their notoriety just as much. Concealing fraud and embezzlement is natural for a house of this status, however they also employ people from the underworld to remove hindrances, and are willing to do just about anything to raise their status further. They wear a mask of virtue to distract others, and disguise the wickedness in their hearts. That said, they’ve been a little sloppy with their methods. If any of these documents were to get out, their whole operation would crumble overnight.

  As expected, this country operates not only with virtue, but with wickedness as well. Though, I doubt the King is aware of this. The uncomfortable feeling I’ve had with this ceremony is becoming clearer with each passing moment.

  I start to grab documents for evidence, returning my thoughts to the situation at hand. While doing so, I was startled by a loud voice in a neighboring room. Thoroughly distracted, I headed there. Peering into the room, I could see a young man being scolded by a dignified older man.

  “I say this again and again. You need to listen to what I say more often! Thanks to me, our family has risen this far, hasn’t it?” (??)

  “That’s right. But I…” (Kura)

  “This is a chance for my house to rise in status to that of a royal house! Just give up on that girl! With her weak constitution, you can’t have a future with her anyway!” (??)

  “… Understood.” (Kura)

  Seeing his features that I heard from Senia, it seemed that young handsome man is called Kura. He couldn’t voice his own opinion in front of his parents, instead agreeing with their every word, albeit begrudgingly.

  Kura left his parents with a frustrated feeling in his heart, heading to his room. I followed him stealthily. By the time we entered Kura’s room, I had fully understood the situation in the Bariti household.

  Kura himself is still “white”, however constantly having to bow to his parents is turning his heart “grey”.

  The problem here is, unsurprisingly, Kura’s parents. They are completely “black”.

  Though I am tempted to make a move now, if I do something carelessly, it could have disastrous consequences. This is compounded by their large contributions to the kingdom. I’ll forget the documents I’ve procured here, and instead bring it up with Princess Lifell at a later time.

  Meanwhile, it’s already past midnight when I got back to Diamond Cottage. I can feel exhaustion setting in, but I have to make the cake for the ceremony tomorrow. Since Galgan Company still doesn’t have the pseudo-ovens, I can only make the cake here at the cottage. Even if I were to nap on the way to the ceremony, I still won’t be getting enough sleep tonight. My heart lets out a sigh.

  —


  Finally, the day of the ceremony has arrived.

  I completed the cake last night, before arriving here at the company this morning.

  Beside me, the siblings stand disguised. Their lovely silver hair has been painted black using a safe mixture much like paint. Aside from the color, their tails have been hidden within their clothes, and their ears restricted with headbands. I apologise secretly, as they will have to endure the uncomfortable feeling of having their ears restricted for a while yet.

  A carriage with Senia inside arrived at Galgan Company by evening. Senia was surprised when she looked at the huge wedding cake, but I didn’t see her swallowing her saliva. The siblings and Zack, on the other hand, were frustrated that they couldn’t eat even a little. You guys will get heartburn if you eat such huge cake, you know?

  We load up on the carriage and embark towards the castle. We will be posing as representatives of Galgan company. As far as the guard inspection goes, hopefully Senia will do something about that.

  “Sirius-sama, it’s finally time.” (Emilia)

  “Yeah. Sorry, but I’ll be relying on you two for a while.” (Sirius)

  “For Reese-ane, this is nothing at all.” (Reus)

  I confirm the prepared costume one more time. Though I am currently wearing the Galgan Company uniform, I need something that disguises me perfectly should the need arise. The costume I’ve prepared comes in two parts; a white mask that covers the whole face apart from the eyes, and a full-length white robe large enough to not be able to tell my body shape. It is not unlike what the Pope would wear in my previous life. With these two items, nobody should be able to figure out my true identity.

  My destination would be the assembly hall, where the dining would take place. Once there, all I have to do is wait for the ceremony to begin.

  —


  And then, the premarital ceremony started.

  Emilia and Reus moved around the assembly hall as a maid and butler respectively, while I looked around the assembly hall by crawling on the beams near the ceiling. Unlike those two, who were able to stroll right in, I had to hide in the cake. I hid up here, upon freeing myself from the cake before people began to gather.

  Gathered inside the assembly hall are around fifty dignitaries of various influence. Random authorities and nobles chatted in small clusters while waiting for the main actors to take the stage.

  “The leading actors have arrived; Kura-sama and Faeris-sama have made their entrance.” (??)

  The attention of the room drew towards those two upon hearing that sentence, as Kura, who I had seen yesterday, and Reese entered the assembly hall. Reese was wrapped in an extravagant wedding dress.

  Reese was visibly trembling, it seems she was completely overwhelmed with the atmosphere in the assembly hall. Her eyes darted around the room, and it seemed for a moment as though her emotions would come bursting forth suddenly. Luckily, for her dignity, she managed to get a grip on herself for the sake of her role.

  “We gather here this evening, to celebrate the unification of the Bariti family, and the royal family…” (??)

  Reese was initially disinterested in the ceremony, with an apathetic look on her face. Halfway through though, she started smiling enthusiastically. Following Reese’s line of sight, a disguised Emilia could be seen waving at her. Her mood went through a rapid shift, and she began gazing around the assembly hall looking for the rest of us. It seemed at first as though she noticed our presence, but she looked down immediately with clouded expression.

  “Everyone in the assembly hall, may I have your attention please.” (Kura)

  The cake that I made was presented to guests, and I can’t help but wonder what their reactions would be if they knew that the interior of the cake was hollow.

  As one would expect, due to the current situation, Reese wasn’t happy even looking at her favorite cake. She was enduring it, but she had splendidly been obstinate up to this point.

  However, if the ceremony proceeds any further, you won’t be able to back out. Are you really alright with this?

  Should I kidnap her as it is by forcibly stepping in?

  It is not technically an incorrect method, as this is by Princess Lifell’s request, but I want her to grow up mentally. I won’t rescue her from this unless she clearly states her intention. If you don’t want this, I want you to deny clearly. In that situation, I will…


  I reflexively strengthen my hearing ability since Reese was looking down and shedding tears at that time.

  “… No…” (Reese)

  … She finally spoke her mind.

  You surely act like a royal from a certain point of view, sacrificing yourself for your elder sister. However, you don’t realize the damage your actions will cause. Your sister won’t be happy about being freed from this burden by your sacrifice. On the contrary, she will feel nothing but guilt. It is a result that benefits neither sister, and I will gladly spoil the ceremony to right this, even if I am to be hunted as a result.

  Besides, if my prediction is correct, this ceremony will surely…


  [Initiate the operation.] (Sirius)

  She is the main priority right now. I gave instruction by [Call], and the two siblings placed pieces of cloth marked with a [Aqua Mist] magic formation in each corner of the room. Using [String] I activated the magic formation on each piece of cloth.

  [Understood] (Sirius)

  I sent a word to Reese, swapped outfits promptly, and started moving. In the midst of turmoil, the siblings had already finished with the installation of the magic formations, and the room glowed with a bright white as mist filled the room.

  I order the siblings to destroy the cake. Emilia fired [Air Shot], though she hesitated for a moment, and the cake that I spent hours to make was broken and scattered as if exploded. Such a waste, however it was necessary to prevent people from being suspicious of Galgan Company, were they to discover that the cake was hollow.

  At that time, Kura grabbed Reese’s wrist to secure and question her, however combining her stress and fright at this action, she snatched her wrist away. Kura, shocked at her action, stared at her for a moment before saying;.

  “Why!? I just want to make Elysion wealthy…” (Kura)

  “That’s unsightly. Realize when you’ve been dumped.” (Sirius)

  I snuck up behind them before interjecting. Reese had a complicated expression on due to this man.

  “A kidnapping? This ceremony is taking place on the order of the King! Do you think that you can ruin it and get away with it?” (Kura)

  “Wrong answer. If you are a man, you should worry about your bride first, rather than the King.” (Sirius)

  That may have been common sense among nobles, but the bride here is my disciple, you know? If it is for Reese, I would gladly knock you down repeatedly. That you worry about such a trivial thing in this situation, how naive are you?

  “I checked on you personally, you are a wonderful puppet of your parents. Tell me, why are you here when you could have someone, anyone, else?” (Sirius)

  “S-shut up! To say such a thing, without knowing all that I’ve given up to do this! It was an order I couldn’t refuse!” (Kura)

  Yesterday, the room that Kura to, after being scorned by the older man, had a woman sleeping on the bed inside.

  She appeared truly happy to see Kura, as she beamed at him upon waking up. Even after Kura told her that he was ordered to marry Reese, she only shook her head and held his hands in her own.

  “Kura-sama, please get married without worrying about me. If Kura-sama marries into the royal family, you’ll certainly be guaranteed a wonderful future. Please forget about me, who can’t even get up from this bed.” (??)

  “How can I forget about you!? Even if my father ordered it, I couldn’t! I love you, this won’t ever change!” (Kura)

  “Kura-sama… your feelings are enough for me. Please marry this woman, and be happy. That, in turn, will make me happy.” (??)

  I’m not sure what her birthplace was, but it’s clear that they’ve fallen in love. Despite this, she was willing to give up on you for your happiness. Kura, I already know you’re a good person. The question is, how long do you plan to be a puppet?

  “Come on, can you say your own opinion properly? Say it magnificently to your parents. You are a man, not your parent’s puppet.” (Sirius)

  “I am a puppet… gaah!” (Kura)

  Kura was fainted and I faced Reese. I seemed to understand her because she didn’t sound different.

  “Faeris-sama, I come to kidnap you.” (Sirius)

  “Siri… mguh” (Reese)

  Oi oi, it is pointless to disguise myself if you call my name. I covered her mouth quickly to stifle her words, but she looks oddly pleased with this situation…


  She opened her mouth after short while, having reverted back to her normal meek self.

  “…I’m really happy you came to kidnap me. However, I have to remain here, it wouldn’t be good if I didn’t continue the ceremony.” (Reese)

  “It’s not necessary for you to continue with the ceremony. Escape from here with us.” (Sirius)

  “If I don’t proceed with the ceremony, I will be replaced by Ane-sama. That’s why, if I endure this, everything will…” (Reese)

  Endure it… huh. Even though you admitted clearly that this was an unpleasant matter, you still want to sacrifice yourself for the sake of your older sister. Usually, she is an obedient and gentle child, but she becomes troublesome if it is for the sake of someone important to her. There’s a saying that troublesome children are cute. Right now, I am inclined to agree.

  “That would be a much worse problem. Although I intended to kidnap you anyway, it is also a request from your sister. A certain rabbit-kin came to me in the late night yesterday to request it. They wanted me to kidnap you from the premarital ceremony.” (Sirius)

  “Ane-sama… Senia…” (Reese)

  “And I have message from your Nee-san. ‘Please be more selfish’… that’s what she said.” (Sirius)

  “Being selfish… is that alright?” (Reese)

  Yes, it’s fine for you to be a little more selfish.

  Say it clearly when you don’t agree with the ceremony. It’s fine to have second helpings without reserve if the meal is delicious. I checked Reese’s complexion before I held out my hand.

  “Let’s return soon. I refuse to make a cake as large as that one was, but I will certainly make a big cake for you to share with your sister.” (Sirius)

  She wanted the cake after all, to nobody’s surprise. I want her to forgive me for breaking it soon, so I’ll bake a bigger cake than usual next time, one that could even be shared with the rest of her family. If she’s lucky, the cake will improve her father’s mood, and she can get on good terms with him.

  She regained her smile after making up her mind, and then she grasped my hand that I held out.

  “Please… kidnap me.” (Reese)