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The day after my talk with Orun-san, the previous day's overcast sky felt like a distant memory; today was a brilliant, cloudless morning.
My heart felt the same way—clear and weightless.
Looking back, I was terribly embarrassed about breaking down in tears in front of him, but when I really thought about it, I realized I’d cried in front of Orun-san quite a lot...
No, I can't stay the way I was.
I had made my choice. I was going to keep living as an explorer. I had to make my heart much, much stronger.
And to do that—
As I was renewing my resolve, I heard the familiar sound of the door being unlocked. My mother stepped into the room.
"This place is as gloomy as ever. Though I suppose it's a fitting room for you."
Those were her usual first words. Until yesterday, the mere sight of her would have filled me with a primal fear, making my body tremble reflexively. Today, however, I remained surprisingly calm.
"...Good morning, Mother."
She didn't return my greeting.
"You have a particularly irritating look on your face today," she remarked with a bored expression before moving straight to the business of the day.
"...I'm going to let you outside for a special exception. Even if he’s only a Viscount, you’re marrying into a noble house; we can't have you without a proper dress. It would be a blow to the Claudel House's prestige. It's truly a waste, but I'll have a few prepared for you. Now, hurry up."
I was shocked that she was actually getting dresses made for me. But to Mother, the name of the "Count Claudel House" was more precious than anything. She likely hated the idea of the family name being tarnished more than she hated spending money on me.
Mother had said countless cruel things to me over the years. Yet, looking at her now, I could see that she acted on her own warped sense of conviction. She was unpleasant, yes, but she wasn't an absolute, mindless evil.
Able to look at her objectively for the first time, I listened to her demands while these thoughts drifted through the back of my mind. But just as she had her convictions, I realized that I had mine too. I felt as though I’d finally woken up to that simple, obvious fact.
"I refuse."
"..................What?"
When I rejected the idea of leaving with her, Mother looked as though she literally couldn't process my words. That confusion was quickly replaced by a sharp, unpleasant tone.
"I said, 'I refuse.' I'm not getting married! I’m going to continue my life as an explorer for the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky!"
"Don't you dare toy with me! Do you even understand what you’re saying? You’re saying you’ll abandon the people of this territory!"
As I stood my ground and stated my will clearly, Mother’s voice rose in a hysterical rage.
"I don't even want to acknowledge your existence! But even so, Claudel blood flows in your veins! That blood must be used for the sake of this land! That is a noble’s duty! Your personal feelings are irrelevant!"
She was screaming, but her argument held a certain logic. From her perspective, I was the one being selfish. She hated me so much she didn't even want to admit I existed, yet she was forcing herself to prepare for my wedding because it was her duty as a Claudel. She was suppressing her own emotions for the sake of the house.
Well, given the verbal abuse she was hurling at me, "suppressing" might have been a bit of an overstatement.
Even so... I won't lie to myself anymore.
"The only reason for this marriage is the fear of a Labyrinth Stampede, right? Then I'll just conquer the Labyrinth myself! As 'Sophia the Explorer'!"
If the Labyrinth was conquered, the threat of a Stampede would vanish. While there was a rule against unsanctioned conquests, we were on the brink of war; if a Stampede was imminent, the Guild surely wouldn't object to a preemptive strike. If the threat was gone, the reason for my marriage would disappear too.
I had hoped she would see this as a favorable outcome.
Instead, she laughed.
"Heh... Hahaha! Someone like you conquering a Labyrinth? Impossible. You clearly don't know, but Selma—an S-Rank explorer known as the Continent's Greatest Enchanter—returned yesterday tattered and exhausted after trying to do exactly that!"
"Big sister did...?"
The reason Selma-neesan hadn't contacted me via Telepathy was because she was trying to conquer the Labyrinth. She had been pushing herself to the limit just so I wouldn't have to get married.
Knowing she had been fighting for me made a warmth spread through my chest. Orun-san had told me yesterday that her life wasn't in danger, so I knew she was safe now. If her strength hadn't been enough, then my chances were slim.
But still!
"I won't know until I try! I refuse to give up without even attempting to fight!"
"You...! That is enough—!"
Realizing she couldn't break me with words, Mother raised her hand to strike me. I caught it mid-air, stopping her arm with my Psychokinesis.
"Why... why can't I move...?"
"This is my Ability. I'm not a weak little girl who just sits there and takes it anymore!"
"An Ability...? Don't you give me that—"
"—Excuse me."
Before Mother could scream any louder, the door swung open. A dignified, powerful voice cut through the air. A beautiful woman with shimmering blonde hair stepped into the room.
"P-Princess Lucila!?"
The moment Mother realized who it was, she let out a sound that was half-gasp, half-scream.
Is this... the Princess?
"Good morning, Helen," the Princess said, a wide smile on her face.
Even though she was smiling, the atmosphere around her was chilling. She seemed... terrifyingly angry.
"Y-Yes! Good morning, Your Highness. Whatever brings Your Highness to such a... wretched place?"
Shaking with agitation, Mother tried to maintain a facade of composure.
"I had business with Helen. When I asked the servants, they told me you were here, so I decided to drop by." The Princess spoke with the carefree air of a child who had just played a successful prank.
"If that was the case, I would have come to you immediately had you only summoned me..."
"No, I wanted some fresh air anyway. Besides... you and your husband have truly done it now. This was, as far as I can tell, the worst possible move you could have made. I’m quite glad I brought Selma with me; it’s rare for me to feel this proud of my own decisions."
The Princess’s voice, which had been pleasant a moment ago, suddenly turned cold enough to make my spine shiver. Everyone in the room could tell she was absolutely furious. It wasn't even directed at me, but I was terrified.
"W-Whatever do you mean...?"
Targeted by that wrath, Mother looked more flustered than I had ever seen her.
"It means you and your husband misjudged the value of Sophia Claudel. That is all. But because of that 'small' mistake, the person I least want to make an enemy of was about to turn against us. Now... how exactly do you intend to make up for this?"
"—!"
The air grew heavy—so heavy it felt like Orun-san’s Gravity Manipulation was pressing down on us. Mother was too choked with fear to even form words.
"Sigh... the negotiations I have to conduct with her now are going to be a nightmare. I’ll likely have to cave to every single one of her demands. If this hadn't happened, I might have had some leverage. Honestly, you’ve made things so difficult for me."
I had no idea what she meant. Negotiations with her? And what did that have to do with me?
"If... If I have offended Your Highness, I apologize... Please, tell me what I have done wrong..." Mother pleaded, bowing lower than I ever thought possible.
"I told you. You misjudged the value of Sophia Claudel."
"The value of this... this foolish girl?"
"Sigh. If you truly don't understand by now, then so be it. You are finished on the public stage. It’s perfect timing, really, since the headship of the Claudel House and the Count Rank were officially transferred to Marius as of yesterday."
"Marius took the headship...? What... What does that mean!?"
Mother’s panic reached a new peak. My brother was now the Count? It didn't mean much to me personally—he didn't think much of me—but for Mother, it was the end of the world. Since Marius was already married, his wife was now the Countess Claudel. Mother had lost everything.
"It means exactly what I said. His efficiency was masterful. He stripped his father of everything in a matter of hours. Normally, I couldn't overlook such a blatant usurpation, but since he has Orun on his side, I couldn't possibly intervene. Neither the Kingdom nor I personally could say a word against it."
Orun-san... he did that for me, too.
As a sense of relief washed over me, Mother collapsed to the floor. The Princess looked down at her with cold, disinterested eyes, as if she were looking at a bug. She signaled to her guards.
"Take her away."
As Mother was led out of the room, the Princess turned toward me.
Am I next?
I braced myself, but the Princess’s expression shifted into a friendly, warm smile.
"You must be Sophia. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lucila N. Edelweiss, a friend of Selma’s. I hope we can get along."
"Y-Yes! The pleasure is mine!"
"Fufu, you’re just as cute as Selma described. Now... shall we go?"
"W-Where are you taking me?" I asked timidly.
"Don't worry," she replied with a gentle laugh. "To the place where you belong."
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The Princess led me to my sister’s bedroom, leaving me at the door. Apparently, Orun-san was buried in work, helping to clean up the political mess following the change in house leadership. I wanted to thank him properly, but I knew I’d only be a distraction, so I held back.
I sat in a chair by Selma-neesan’s bed. There, lying before me, she was fast asleep.
It’s really her. I didn't think I’d see her again so soon...
My vision blurred as I looked at her. On the way here, the Princess had told me that Neesan had returned in a state of total collapse from overusing her magic. She had pushed herself to the breaking point just to save me.
Neesan... thank you.
I whispered the thanks in my heart so as not to wake her, but as if the words had reached her, her eyes fluttered open. Her drowsy, unfocused gaze eventually found me.
"Ah... Sophia. Good morning."
"...Yeah. Good morning, Neesan."
She was still half-asleep, greeting me as if we were just waking up in the Clan dorm like any other day.
"..................Wait! Sophia!?"
As her mind sharpened, she bolted upright, her face inches from mine.
"Yeah, it's me. Um... I'm home."
I felt a little shy, but the words "I'm home" came out naturally. Hearing that, Neesan’s face broke into a look of pure, unadulterated joy.
"Yeah," she whispered. "Welcome back, Sophia."