"Now then."
Ulysses let out a soft breath and shifted the subject.
"Could you relay a message to Ren Ashton for me? Tell him I would very much like him to visit my estate. I wish to host him properly at a manor my family takes great pride in."
"Understood. I shall relay your words to Ren, verbatim—"
"I’m not the only one, of course. My daughter is also quite eager to see him again."
"—I... I see."
The conversation had finally shifted to center entirely around Ren.
Ulysses maintained his affable smile, but no one could discern what he was truly thinking deep down. The same held true for Lezard. He did not forget to speak in a manner that deferred to Ulysses, yet a quiet spark of defiance began to stir within his heart.
"However, Ren is currently dedicating himself to his home village. It may not be possible for him to visit... immediately."
"In that case, could you also tell him this? That if he ever needs counsel, I am happy to consult with him on anything, at any time."
"You have my thanks. However, regarding the village of the Ashton family, I humbly believe that I—having had both my daughter and the Clausel family saved by his hand—should bear that responsibility to the very end."
"Haha! If you’re going to put it that way, my daughter was saved by him as well, you know? And not just once, but twice."
There was no hint of hostility in their voices.
But their daughters understood the truth. Their fathers harbored a silent fighting spirit in their hearts, engaging in a wordless exchange without yielding a single step.
At some point, Licia and Fiona had distanced themselves from their parents. Leaving the side of their fathers and their quiet battle, they watched the scene from afar.
"Please, rest assured," Lezard said. "Ren has the invitation you gave him, so he will surely visit Eupeheim when the time is right."
"Ah, no, that’s not all."
"How so?"
"Well, what Baron Clausel mentioned was the initial reward, wasn't it? But what I'm talking about is the matter in the Baldur Mountains."
"Oh? Regarding that, I believe we just discussed how we both failed to realize the truth back then..."
"If it's the matter between you and me, Baron, then that is correct. But have you forgotten? The gratitude for saving Fiona is an entirely different story."
The conversation between the two men was gradually growing more heated. To their daughters, seeing their fathers like this was a first. They couldn't help but exchange wry smiles, and in that moment, the tension between the girls finally eased enough for them to speak.
"Umm... Lady Ignat."
"Just Fiona is fine."
"Y-Yes... then, Fiona. I am also fine with just Licia."
Unlike their fathers, the awkwardness between the two girls was still palpable. After agreeing on how to address one another, both fell silent, neither quite able to open her mouth. Even though they both had things they wanted to ask, the words simply wouldn't form.
Naturally, both were thinking of Ren. As two people whose lives had been saved by him, their minds were filled with a tangle of thoughts.
As they stood in silence, the night wind blew just as it had before. Licia’s hair ornament and Fiona’s necklace swayed in the breeze.
"Is that—" Licia broke the silence. "A Star Agate?"
"Y-Yes! This is very precious to me... I never take it off, except to bathe. Is your hair ornament... a Platinum Feather, Licia?"
"It is. It's my treasure."
Both were extremely rare items, and both were treasures to the girls who held them. From their expressions as they touched their respective gifts, it was clear they held these objects infinitely dear.
Looking at each other, the realization came naturally to both of them.
She loves him, too.
Just like me, she’s someone he saved.
It felt as though the message was conveyed without a single word being spoken.
Such a beautiful girl... and she’s in love with him.
It wasn't just her face. Everything from her poise to the refinement that colored her every word established them both as truly beautiful young women. That was the problem. It made them wonder how much easier things would have been if they could have simply hated the other.
But even if the other's heart had been ugly, they would not have fought over Ren or engaged in a shallow quarrel. They respected him far too much for that. It was out of the question for them to foolishly fight over the boy who had saved their lives. Furthermore, speaking rationally, they were not in a position where they could afford to be at odds.
"............"
"............"
Both girls were calm. It was fortunate for them that, before they could speak themselves, their parents had already begun a quiet war of words over Ren. It allowed them to view the situation with a certain level of objectivity.
That being said, they couldn't lie to themselves about the depth of their feelings.
"—My love is a matter of life and death," Licia said, her usual tone returning as she inadvertently forgot her formal speech. "I would do anything for the sake of the boy who risked his life to protect me."
Licia was aware of her slip in etiquette, but she felt no regret. She felt that if she didn't speak her feelings here and now, she would regret it forever. However, because she had confessed this to someone she had only just met—and someone with whom she shared such a complicated connection—her neck and cheeks flushed a deep, burning crimson.
"—I, too, would give everything I have to Ren-kun," Fiona replied. "He gave me this world, after all."
Fiona’s flush didn't stop at her cheeks; it spread all the way to her earlobes. Neither girl felt any shame for what they had said, yet they were helpless against the heat rising in their faces. They were stunned to realize that speaking their unyielding love so directly could have such a massive impact.
Licia and Fiona stared at each other, their faces bright red. The night wind blew again, stroking their heated skin, and they both found the sensation deeply comforting.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After that, there was no more conversation between Licia and Fiona. Having glimpsed the depth of each other's resolve, they respected one another’s feelings. Their talk was over. Ulysses and Lezard called out to them shortly after, and the atmosphere for such personal revelations vanished.
"That's right," Ulysses said as they stood on the terrace just before returning to the party. "I thought I should ask just in case. Lady Clausel, do you have a moment?"
Licia nodded. "Yes?"
"Can I assume that you intend to enroll in the Imperial Academy?"
"...No. I am still undecided."
Licia remembered that Sera had been about to say something earlier, which prompted her to give a non-committal answer.
"In that case, it would be better to aim for the Special Merit Class. Previously, I would have respected your family's wishes to remain distant, but the world has become quite dangerous lately."
"Dangerous? Are you referring to the incident in the Baldur Mountains?"
"Yes, that! Oh, but that’s not all." Ulysses let out a sigh, his voice heavy with annoyance. "In the coming years, the factional conflict is expected to become far more cutthroat than ever before."
Lezard furrowed his brows and spoke before Licia could. "Has something happened in the Imperial Capital?"
"It happened just a few days ago. Baron, I assume you’ve heard that the high-ranking nobles of the Hero and Imperial Factions have become hostile toward each other following the disturbance in the mountains?"
"Yes. I hear that even within the same faction, opinions are divided and tensions are high."
"Exactly. But it hasn't stopped there. I only obtained the information the other day, though—"
Information that even Ulysses had only recently heard meant that very few people in the capital were yet aware of it. According to him, the number of people who knew could be counted on both hands.
"It seems that several nobles belonging to the Neutral Faction are planning to defect to the Hero and Imperial Factions."
Fearing that the Neutral Faction would be further weakened by the recent chaos, those nobles had decided to seek protection within the two great powers.
"So the rumors are finally becoming a reality," Lezard murmured.
Lezard had been tracking events since winter, using every resource at his disposal and leveraging the intelligence he gained from Marquis Ignat to stay ahead in the information war. However, this was a shift he could not personally intervene in.
"Thank you for the valuable information. I feel my own lack of influence more acutely than ever."
"Since it's information I only recently learned, it's no wonder you weren't aware. Your value is not shaken by such a thing, Baron. Please, do not forget the praise I gave you earlier."
Ulysses wasn't just being polite; he truly recognized Lezard's capability. He turned his attention back to Licia once more.
"That is why you should aim for the Imperial Academy. By deepening your connections with other nobles, the choices available to the Clausel family will naturally increase."
Though Ulysses truly wished to bring their two houses closer, he refused to use political manipulation against the family to whom he owed a great debt. He respected their future and offered only his honest advice.
"—In truth, I wish your family would stand beside me and Prince Radius," he murmured under his breath.
The last comment reached no one's ears, not even Fiona's. Ulysses checked his wristwatch, apparently satisfied. In an hour, the party would move to a different location for the formal evening gala.
"Fiona, let's head back soon. I'll take you to the dormitory."
"Yes, Father. Thank you."
It appeared the Ignats would not be attending the evening party. The two bowed once more to Lezard and Licia before departing.
As soon as they left the venue and stepped into their carriage, Ulysses spoke.
"Now then, shall we pay him a visit?"
He gave the order to Edgar, who was acting as their coachman, and they set off through the nighttime streets of the Imperial Capital.