Then, a lady sitting in the second row raised her hand and said while coughing.
“My throat has been hurting and I’ve been coughing since yesterday.”
“Oh…! You must have caught a cold. Please wait a moment!”
Liria waited until the Healing Key came close, then grabbed it firmly and smiled.
“This key has too much power overflowing.”
Then, she poured holy water onto the key and placed it against the lady’s throat. A white light emanated and began to envelop and heal around her throat.
The lady had a very comfortable expression while receiving the healing.
“How do you feel now?”
Liria asked carefully as she withdrew the key.
“Ah, ah-! The pain in my throat is gone. And I’m not coughing anymore!”
The lady said in amazement while touching her throat.
The Duke’s eyes, which had shown no particular reaction, wavered for a moment. Soon, he nodded in acknowledgment and spoke.
The power of immediate healing was useful anytime and anywhere.
“It’s useful.”
“Oh! A key with healing power, what a useful ability!”
“Hehe, thank you.”
Liria completed her magic demonstration with a cute curtsy, holding the hem of her dress.
“Today, we will conclude the family meeting with a banquet following the magic demonstrations. Please note that the official Part 2 schedule will begin tomorrow.”
When aide Buena announced the schedule, the relaxed atmosphere seemed to become tense again for a moment.
In Part 2, substantial agenda items would be discussed, and comprehensive report cards detailing each person’s conduct and ongoing work would be thoroughly exposed.

***

As the children’s public magic demonstration ended, Director Suleiman and the elders nodded with satisfaction.
“With Roberg’s future leaders being so outstanding, this old man has no worries.”
Even in the conversations among the elders, talk of Liria flowed out.
“Not just her magic, but Miss Liria, who suggested the magic demonstration, stood out more than anyone else this time.”
“I also came to take notice of her. It was a good picture that could make us dream of harmony between the direct and collateral lines.”
Their gazes toward Liria became much warmer.
Liria waited until the Duke left his seat, then moved with light steps.
Today, with many eyes watching, she was walking like a proper and elegant young lady of a noble family.
From a distance, a group of collateral line children hesitated when they saw Liria, then approached.
“Um… thank you for earlier. Without that suggestion, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to properly showcase our magical achievements before the Duke.”
They were the collateral line girls who had freely demonstrated their magic earlier.
Their gazes were definitely more friendly than before.
Liria, who had been quietly rolling her eyes, humbly said.
“I was also embarrassed to showcase magic alone. I enjoyed watching everyone’s excellent magical talents. Sisters.”
“A-are you calling us sisters?”
“Yes! Sisters.”
Of course, the direct line had no obligation to address the collateral line with such terms.
But being from the collateral line doesn’t mean they aren’t Roberg.
‘It’s good to choose the right time when pressing with power.’
When Liria answered with a bright smile, the two girls showed even more goodwill, their eyes sparkling.
“My, Miss Liria is still young, but so polite and mature.”
“And so cute too. Cute enough to want to hug.”
“If it’s alright with you, would you come to tea time next time? Oh, my name is Marie. I’m the eldest daughter of the Port family.”
“I’m Tanya. I’m the second daughter of the Hailot family.”
The Port and Hailot families were among those in the collateral line who, in the original work, maintained neutrality until the end without supporting anyone from the direct line.
It means that when most families turned to support Osdel, they remained faithful only to grandfather until the very end.
If they were children from such upright families, Liria also wanted to be friends with them comfortably.
“Thank you for inviting me. If my friends are available, can they come along too?”
“Of course, if they’re Miss Liria’s friends.”
“But it’s a gathering only for young ladies.”
“Oh, then one of them won’t be able to come. Well, see you again.”
Liria spotted the siblings from Viscount Pershu’s family, Rona and Rodrick, in the distance and approached them.
“Sister Rona, Brother Rodrick! I came to say hello.”
“Hello, Liria. Thank you for coming over. I didn’t have the courage to approach you today. You were shining so brightly…”
“Hehe, thank you, sister.”
Liria smiled as she firmly held Rona’s hand, who was shyly expressing her sincere feelings.
“Kid! You were pretty cool earlier?”
“Rodrick, don’t.”
As soon as Rodrick tried to mess up Liria’s hair, he was stopped by Rona.
Feeling the gazes around him, Rodrick cleared his throat and muttered.
“Aish, family meetings are tough.”
“Be more aware that you’re a noble.”
Liria proposed to Rona about being invited to Marie’s tea time and asked if she would like to come along, and Rona gladly accepted.
While conversing with the twin siblings, Liria raised her head at the whispering voices from the side.
“…Even so, the direct and collateral lines start from different places. It’s funny how they’re trying to look good.”
“What would a little baby know?”
“For someone from the direct line, it’s not such a special power, is it?”
“Her hair color seems unusually flashy.”
Although many people had come to view Liria favorably, there still seemed to be many who looked at her with disapproving eyes.
Ibnis smiled at the words that reached her as she sat quietly.
‘Good, everyone is playing their part well.’
Ibnis hadn’t just been sitting idle either.
The method was simple.
She distributed gifts received from Belita’s boutique to the group of collateral line girls who followed her, while gently bringing up stories about Liria.
“Grandfather seems to have a lot of interest in Liria, enough to welcome her even when she visited while I was talking with him. I was also very interested in Liria because it was my first time seeing pink hair.”
“Oh my, did she interrupt your conversation?”
“That probably wasn’t her intention.”
“Even if she’s from the direct line… Isn’t that impolite behavior?”
Being high-level, she didn’t disparage Liria herself. She just made others do it.
‘Can you endure without getting hurt, even with this? You’re no match for me, little one.’
Ibnis smiled slightly.
However.
Liria looked at the group of collateral line children who were speaking ill of her and smiled brightly.
“Everyone seems to be very interested in me! Could you please say it again? It’s so interesting that I think it would be good to share with grandfather too.”
“……”
“…!”
At Liria’s words, everyone tightly closed their mouths and turned their gazes away, pretending not to know.
This time, Liria walked right up to Ibnis and said.
“You remember, don’t you, sister?”
“I was thinking about something else, so I didn’t hear. If anyone is talking about you, they’re all words for your benefit. Don’t worry, Liria.”
“Thank you, Sister Ibnis. But you know, those words don’t affect me. You don’t need to worry.”
Liria smiled sweetly.
“……”
The corners of Ibnis’s mouth, who had been acting like a caring sister, trembled.
‘This tiny girl is mocking me…! I’ll make sure you can’t act up anymore.’