“Yes. We just wandered around relaxing, and then ‘that incident’ happened at the end, so it all passed in a blur.”

Kana brushed it off nonchalantly. It was a disappointing response for the young ladies who had been secretly excited and expectant. Ah, they sighed without realizing it.

She clapped her hands while observing the deflated audience.

“So, why don’t we stop talking about me and hear about what happened to the others?”

“Alright.”

Fortunately, the topic shifted to the other young ladies as she intended. Kana responded appropriately, matching the chatter of the others.

As the conversation about the Founding Festival began to lull, Bianca changed the subject.

“Oh, come to think of it, Lady Serade has been quiet lately.”

“If you mean Cordelia, she’s been resting since she suddenly collapsed at the Founding Festival. Her condition hasn’t been good at all. Even healing abilities haven’t been very effective, so it’ll be difficult for her to be actively involved for a while.”

Letie hinted subtly while lowering her eyes. The young ladies silently exchanged meaningful glances. Olivia, reading the atmosphere, exclaimed dramatically as she picked up on Letie’s words.

“Oh my, I heard rumors about her collapse, but it seems she’s still unwell. What did they say the cause was?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, it’s fatigue and side effects from magic… but I’m not sure about the details.”

Letie set the bait naturally with a composed face.

The energy used in the Serade family’s healing ability was somewhere between mana and spirit energy, and depending on the conditions, they could use small magic as well.

The eyes of the young ladies, who had been stirring with agitation, narrowed.

“What kind of magic did she use to end up like that?”

“It doesn’t add up. Even if she strained her energy, it should get better with rest. Plus, with her healing ability, shouldn’t she recover quickly?”

“That’s right. But to think that it’s not even effective. Unless it’s something that could cause a backlash on herself, even for small magic…”

Della trailed off, looking around at the others. It was a statement reminiscent of curse-type magic.

Curse-type magic included not only directly harming the target but also forcibly drawing energy through forbidden methods to gain more power for oneself.

A small doubt began to bloom in a corner of the gathered young ladies’ minds. Confirming the atmosphere that had formed, Letie lightly waved her hand and urged,

“That’s too dangerous a speculation. Surely Cordelia wouldn’t do such a thing? Please keep what I’ve said a secret.”

“Yes!”

Everyone nodded vigorously in agreement. Even though there were some loose-lipped individuals, openly spreading bait and then calling it a secret was as good as asking them to spread it.

‘She’s probably doing this on purpose.’

The female protagonist’s intention was clear. Kana, without showing it, comforted Letie in line with her own role.

“Lady Letie, you’re going through so much trouble. If only everything could be good news.”

“Indeed. Thank you for always being considerate.”

Letie responded with a subtle smile.

* * *

At the Tower Master’s office at the top floor of the Magic Tower. Unlike usual, it wasn’t just Kiriel, but others were present as well. Seria, Liriel, Ethan, and Dain. The core figures of the four great families were gathered, sitting around.

In the midst of a serious atmosphere, Liriel opened the conversation first.

“Kiriel, what were the results of the investigation into the monster slaying demonstration incident?”

“It was the work of an insider.”

Kiriel roughly ran his hand through his hair, not hiding his irritation.

The mages in question were set to go to the imperial prison, but separately, the Magic Tower had expelled them and banned their entry.

Given the situation, there was no possibility of them being released, but even if by some luck they were to get out of prison, they wouldn’t be able to approach the Magic Tower and would face significant disadvantages as mages.

But everyone present knew that this wasn’t simply an insider problem. Seria snorted and wagged her finger.

“Tower Master, that person is just a pawn after all. Honestly, it looks like a typical case of cutting off the tail. Who was the real mastermind?”

“As you’ve all probably guessed already, it was His Highness the First Prince.”

Kiriel nervously fluttered the documents. Ethan, furrowing his brow slightly, spoke gravely.

“The First Prince again? I don’t understand why he’s been acting like this since last time.”

“I’m at the point of getting angry about it.”

Kiriel clenched his fist tightly, gritting his teeth. Coincidentally, the First Prince had repeatedly increased his workload in negative ways and ruined his good times.

‘Whether he’s keeping his brother in check or not, he shouldn’t be causing me trouble. He always causes incidents and makes a fuss when I’m involved in something or spending good time with Miss Kana.’

Kiriel’s favorability towards the First Prince plummeted through the floor in his heart. Liriel, who knew her younger brother’s circumstances well, gave him a look of sympathy.

“Ah, you have every right to feel that way. Of course, even from an official standpoint, meddling with the neutral Magic Tower is crossing the line.”

“Yes. I’ve already protested to the imperial family, and they said they would take strict measures.”

Kiriel’s voice became businesslike as he struggled to suppress the anger rising within him. Liriel twirled her hair around her finger.

“Hmm, well, since it’s related to the imperial family, they’ll probably do something.”

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see about that.”

Kiriel retorted cynically while sipping his tea. Seria, who had been deep in thought, muttered as if talking to herself.

“Hmm, considering the First Prince’s position, even if the Second Prince is gradually rising, he should be able to hold on if he endures well. If he wants to keep him in check, he should do it subtly without revealing himself. He’s ruining things by recklessly overreacting.”

“There will be defectors from the First Prince’s faction.”

Everyone nodded silently in agreement with Ethan’s subtle comment. Seria looked at Dain, who had been quiet all along.

“What about you, Young Duke Serade? Aren’t your siblings involved with each of Their Highnesses the Princes?”

“Young Marquis Hail, please stop probing like that. It’s a delicate topic to discuss.”

Dain, who had been having headaches in various ways, spoke seriously while being cautious with his words.

Seria recalled Letie, who always acted indifferently when family matters came up.

“Or maybe you just don’t know?”

“……”

“Don’t be so serious, I’m joking. For now, I think the combination of Lady Letie and His Highness the Second Prince seems more solid.”

Seria shrugged nonchalantly as she brushed it off. Dain still showed no particular reaction.

Kiriel clapped his hands to bring the scattered atmosphere back together and wrap up the situation.

“We’re all busy people, so let’s end it here. If anyone needs documents from this incident, I’ve put them in front, so please take them.”

“…Yes.”

“Thank you.”

“As expected, the Tower Master handles things well.”

Dain, Ethan, and Seria each gathered their documents and left. Only the Curtis siblings remained in the office. Liriel looked around and wiggled her finger.

“Kiriel, now that everyone’s gone, let’s talk about something else.”

“About Miss Kana and the restriction issue?”

“Yes. How was it?”

Liriel’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Kiriel answered slowly, recalling the last day of the Founding Festival.

“The restriction was still there, and I honestly conveyed it to Miss Kana, but… it was uncertain.”

“Even with her gentle and kind nature, she doesn’t seem to easily let others inside her boundaries. It might be a bit tricky, but you’ll just have to work hard.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Kiriel’s expression became determined. After all, he was the one who fell for her first. To firmly hold onto someone lukewarm and cautious, he needed to try harder.

Liriel frowned and muttered.

“But that restriction-like thing… what exactly is the problem? It’s certainly not mental magic or a curse. It still eludes even my eyes, which hurts my pride.”

“It’s not particularly harmful to the mind or body, but I’m still looking into it. Perhaps it’s related to those strange dreams.”

Kiriel recalled the rag doll that gave off an unpleasant atmosphere in his dreams. His intuition strongly cried out that it was related to the strange restriction.

‘Maybe Miss Kana is under a strange restriction like me? It also bothers me that she specifically mentioned Lady Letie Serade and His Highness the Second Prince’s marriage when I confessed.’

The Kana he knew wasn’t someone who spoke meaningless words. Didn’t the speculative words she dropped so far actually come true?

It was Liriel’s voice that pulled him out of his reverie.

“Do you still have those dreams?”

“I have them occasionally, but the content seems somehow significant, so I’ve been keeping records of the parts I remember.”

“Hmm.”

Liriel stroked her chin with a serious expression. Kiriel, observing her quietness, inadvertently let words slip.

“Sister, what comes to mind when you think of libraries and rag dolls?”

“Libraries make me think of books, and rag dolls… marionettes, old magical tools, puppet shows, things like that.”

“I see.”

Kiriel made a mental note of his sister’s words. Clues often came from casual conversations. Liriel tilted her head and asked.

“Oh right, did Miss Kana say nothing happened?”

“Yes. Even if something did happen, she’s not the type to show it to me. She always has ‘I’m fine’ on the tip of her tongue.”

Kiriel chuckled. As always, he could easily picture her with a gentle smile, firmly saying she was fine. Liriel evaluated coldly.

“Well, even between close acquaintances, there’s no benefit in revealing weaknesses. It’s an excellent attitude for a noble, but it’s frustrating at times like this.”

“What does it matter? She probably also doesn’t want to worry others.”

Kiriel naturally defended Kana. Liriel shook her head at her brother’s attitude, which changed surprisingly when it came to Kana.

“…Sigh, you’ve got it bad.”