“—Monique Sevalley!”

Monique abruptly shut her mouth at the cold and severe voice. Then, uncertain, she turned to Beatrix and spoke in a low voice.

“Dear Aunt…?”

“If you truly have made an effort, then know your place. You may be a relative, but you’re still, at best, a marquis’ daughter. Are you in any position to speak about the Duke of Adlenon, or the affairs of His Highness Imperial the Prince Imperial?”

“That is… however, Dear Aunt…”

“You visited a higher-ranking family without prior notice and then slandered the daughter of a duke. This is a problem that goes beyond your pride as a marquis’ daughter. It shows a lack of basic manners and consideration as a person.”

Monique clutched her dress tightly and bowed her head at the harsh criticism. Still, Beatrix’s demeanor didn’t soften.

“Return home. The Duke family shall officially be lodging a formal protest with the Sevalley family.”

“…I am… deeply sorry.”

Even at seeing Monique holding back her tears, Beatrix didn’t offer her any gentle words.

“The guest is leaving.”

The butler responded to Beatrix’s words and silently led away Monique, who had fallen completely mute, and her maid. Beatrix sighed as she saw them off.

“I’m sorry. That girl has been infatuated with Ethelbert since she was small… She couldn’t sit still after hearing about Fel, I suppose.”

More than the sudden attack by her cousin-by-marriage, what surprised Felicity was the resolute demeanor of the usually gentle and easygoing Beatrix. Surely Monique was equally shocked.

Monique’s efforts were genuine. Felicity had heard beforehand that she was truly was talented. Having met her in person, though only the emotional aspects stood out this time, Felicity was still able to glimpse something beyond just the basics in her conduct as a marquis’ daughter.

“If not for the issue with the right of succession, she’d likely have been a strong candidate both for becoming Lord Ethel’s fiancée and an adopted child of the Adlenon’s family, yes?”

When Felicity stated her honest impression, Beatrix lowered her gaze and replied softly.

“Yes… that’s correct. There certainly was talk of adopting that child. My elder brother has three children, after all.”

The Marquis of Sevalley’s family had three children, two sons and a youngest daughter. Even if one child were to be adopted, securing an heir wouldn’t have been any trouble.

 “However, it was decided that the dukedom should be succeeded by someone with strong royal blood. That man… my husband loves Ethelbert very much, which naturally lead to Ethelbert becoming the lead candidate.”

The Duke and his wife never had children of their own. And the Duke was someone who had lived through a time of turmoil surrounding the imperial succession. For that reason, he likely couldn’t ignore Ethelbert who was in a similar position, and he came to deeply cherish him.

“Had Monique been adopted into our family, it was obvious that it’d lead to talk of marrying her to Ethelbert and having him succeed Adlenon… Furthermore, I wished for Ethelbert to marry someone he truly loved. Hence talk for adopting her was quietly dropped.”

The Duke of Adlenon family descended from the younger brother of the previous emperor, while the Duke himself was a renowned and talented magician. With such precedent, that the conditions for adopting an heir would have been exceedingly strict was easy to imagine. Under those circumstances, the Duke of Adlenon formally announced Ethelbert as his successor a few years ago. With that declaration, it was all but certain that if another were to be adopted into the Duke’s family, she would become Ethelbert’s marriage partner.

However, when it came to Ethelbert’s engagement, there was nothing but rumors. No action was ever taken. It was said that even when various noble daughters pursued him, Ethelbert showed no sign of yielding. Then, the one finally chosen was Felicity, a non-magician of unknown origin. She and Ethalbert had somehow come to love one another without anyone knowing. That Monique would be unable to accept it was only natural.

Ethelbert, concerned about the successor disputes particular to the magical kingdom, a place where one’s ability as a magician was heavily emphasized, sought a non-magician as a spouse. Monique only learned of that requirement about a year ago. Up until then, she must had been working desperately to hone her magical abilities, polishing herself as a marquis’ daughter, and striving to be worthy of Ethelbert. As such, it wasn’t difficult to imagine her shock.

No matter how hard she struggled, there was no future in which Monique and Ethelbert would end up together. Precisely because of that, she may have found someone else so easily taking the position of his fiancée unbearable.

Ethelbert’s partner should be a talented magician—that was what she wanted to believe. In a country where marriage between magicians was encouraged, such a mindset was only natural.

“Since their birth, not just that child but all my nephews and nieces, I’ve watched over all of them… To someone like me, who couldn’t have children, they are like my own. Monique, in particular, was truly desperate to catch up to Ethelbert… It’s why I just can’t help but be lenient with her.”

“Be lenient… with her?”

Personally, Felicity thought Beatrix’s response was rational and strict.

“That was definitely a case of her misbehaving. When someone does something wrong, they need to be scolded properly.”

“Indeed.”

Pampering a person endlessly would only destroy them. Felicity knew what became of people who were treated like that.

“I may think of that girl as a daughter, but Fel, I consider you just as precious, as if you were truly my own. Furthermore, Ethelbert is who chose to marry you, and you accepted. The two of you desire to be together, and as you yourself said, it’s not something for anyone else to interfere with.”

Beatrix gave her a gentle smile, to which Felicity responded with a smile of her own and a quiet, “Thank you.”

---

Read until the end and support American Faux on Patreon for only $2~

<Previous Chapter

Next Chapter>