The curtain rises on another upheaval.

Two months later----

Lovell has been occasionally returning to his family home, helping out his younger brother.

At first, it was just a matter of showing his face at the estate and being dragged off to various places. Everywhere they went, it seemed like a celebration, complete with drinking. Lovell sighed.

Elen, who had rushed toward Lovell upon his return to the Spirit World, froze mid-step.

"...You stink."

The girl wrinkled her nose and scowled. Lovell, already halfway into the bath, bolted out and sprinted down the castle corridor. His wife, watching from the side, just sighed, "Well, well, what’s this?"

Lovell, fresh from the bath, dashed straight to Elen.

"Ooh, Elen! I'm back! I'm back!!"

"Welcome home, Papa. But your hair's still wet, you know."

Water dripped from Lovell’s hair as she clung to Elen. Elen rubbed it vigorously with a towel, and Lovell grinned like she’d just won something.

“Elen-chan, do it more! Do it more!!”

“Hai!!”

With Mother’s permission, Elen went full force—sloshing the towel around in Lovell’s hair like a madwoman.

“Whoa—wait a sec, uh, you two—!”

Lovell’s hair now looked like it had been through a war—completely flattened and tangled.

Elen and their daughter burst into laughter.

“Tch… so mean…”

Lovell pouted, and Elen, still giggling, apologized and gently fixed her hair.

“Ohhh, it actually looked good on you.”

The wife kept snickering. But something in that smile—something just a little too knowing—made Lovell’s lips twitch.

"...Ori? You’re actually mad...?"

"Oh, no? Not at all?"

Lovell turned back to Elen, certain she was furious.

"Know what Papa’s mad about?"

Elen blinked, looking at her mother, then let out a dry, incredulous laugh. "Still mad? Really?"

"Come on..."

The pouting wife was just too adorable. Lovell wrapped an arm around her waist. "What’s wrong?"

"Papa was hitting on some woman at the drinking party, so Mama’s mad."

"Kyaa! Elen-chan, you traitor~!"

The wife’s dramatic outburst was so endearing Lovell couldn’t help but squeeze her tight, spoiling her completely.

"Sorry, Ori. I tried to get away, honestly..."

"...I saw it, so I know."

Lovell watched her pouty wife with a fond, almost tender gaze—still grumpy, but utterly, deliciously loved.

Elen sighed, rolling her eyes at the sugary-sweet air between the couple—still, she played along, waving a hand like a proper hostess. "Well then, I’ll be off to bed now~"

"Ah, wait. There’s something I need to tell you two."

Lovell’s words made his wife and daughter tilt their heads in unison.

"My brother’s wedding date has been set. I’ve been invited… and it turns out the royal family will be attending too…"

Lovell exhaled, and the weight of it hit them.

"Elen, I’m sorry… but could you stay behind? Just this once?"

"Of course. I’d rather not meet that scheming little viper, thank you very much."

"Oh? And can I go?"

"I need to make it clear to everyone that I’m married, you know. Don’t want people thinking I’m some kind of available prize. Not even for someone like Orla, really."

"Oh my."

The teasing smile on her wife’s face had erased all trace of her earlier pout. Sauvel exhaled, relieved, and began gently combing through Origin’s hair, spoiling him.

Elen watched from the corner of her eye, thinking how nice it was to see them so close. She waved goodnight and turned back to her room.

***

The next day, Lovell made his way to Sauvel’s study.

The neighbors would surely gossip about how often the royal family showed up at the Vanklyft wedding.

Sauvel sighed at the royal family’s casual gift-giving—offering presents with a shrug, as if to say, “Sorry about that”—as though that could make up for anything.

“Well, then,” Lovell said, grinning, “we’ve just got to show them the happiest scene possible.”

But when he heard that Lavisel would be representing the royal family, his smile faltered instantly. There was something behind it.

“Elen…?” he murmured.

“What should we do, Brother?”

I'm sorry, but could I possibly be excused from attending, Elen?

"Unfortunately, that's perfectly fine. Elen is more important to me."

...It'd be nice if you said that more often.

But then again, it's that Prince we're talking about. Lovell frowned, wondering if he'd come up with some scheme to meet Elen.

Just then, a knock came from the door. The sound cut their conversation short, and Sauvel called out, “Come in.”

The woman who pushed in the tea-waggon was Sauvel’s wife, Aria.

"Here, tea."

"...Why Aria? What happened to Lauren?"

I insisted on it myself. I asked to bring the tea.

The woman smiling despite her flustered excuses—her name is Aria, Sauvel’s wife.

Though not yet married, she’s already being treated as a wife within this household.

She’s twenty-four—just a year younger than Sauvel. Her sleek, long black hair is loosely tied up at the back.

Her eyes, naturally downturned, seem to carry a hint of sorrow. But when she smiles—bright and warm—it might just shatter the heart of any man who sees it.

Her daughter’s name is Raffilia. Straight chestnut hair, inherited from her father. Her eyes are an exact match for her mother’s, but her overall face has a faint resemblance to Sauvel, just a touch.

Not a harsh or rugged face, no—more refined, balanced. The kind that promises beauty in the future.

Aria was the shop’s regular waitress. Sauvel often came here with his knight companions for meals. That’s how they met. And that’s how Sauvel fell for her.

I’d always thought Agiel never did anything at all, but it turns out this diner was a favorite of the knight corps—they’d all come here, and protected Aria and her daughter Raffilia, hiding them away like this.

“You’re not a servant. What do you think you’re doing? You’ll just be cutting into the other servants’ work.”

“…Sorry.”

Sauvel sighed, watching Aria slump under his reprimand.

She’d been helping out at the shop for ages, so naturally she started cooking meals and tending the garden, making the other servants panic.

“Alright, whatever. Can I get some tea?”

“Yes, of course. …Um, older brother?”

When Aria said that, Lovell finally registered her in his deadpan gaze.

The moment their eyes met, Aria’s face flushed bright red.

“H-Here, tea… please…”

“Ah, thanks.”

Aria kept her eyes locked on Lovell’s impassive face, watching him take the tea. Sauvel, noticing this, cleared his throat with a soft cough.

“Thanks for the tea. I’ve got work—go on, get out of here.”

“Eh… yes. Understood.”

Watching Aria leave with a reluctant air, Sauvel let out a sigh.

“…You’ve told her about me, haven’t you?”

“I’ve mentioned you’re married. That you’re a devoted husband. She says she doesn’t believe it, though—says you never introduced her as family.”

Sauvel and Lovell both sighed at once.

“I’ll bring Orie to the ceremony.”

“Really!? You’re serious?”

Sauvel, too, had been uneasy about his wife’s behavior.

He didn’t distrust her—he’d expected something like this, given his brother’s looks. But this open display… it was starting to affect the rumors around him.

His brother’s demeanor was unchanged from usual. That was normal—his smile only came out when he was with his wife and children. No, lately, even within the Vanklyft Family, there were moments when his expression would crack. As a younger brother, that sometimes made me feel oddly delighted.

But his wife seemed worried—she kept fretting that she wasn’t being loved because he wasn’t smiling at her.

I’d thought it was just her trying too hard to fit in…

“Sauvel, I’ll stay away from here for a while.”

“Ah, Brother?”

“Misunderstandings will only make things awkward for both of us, won’t they? Besides, if I’m gone too long, Orie’ll start sulking.”

He laughed, that familiar smile still in place. Sauvel just sighed, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Brother.”

“No, don’t worry about it.”

With that, Lovell vanished, teleporting back to the Spirit World.

＊＊＊

I just happened to witness the whole thing on the other side of the water mirror—me and Mother.

“……This is…”

“Ugh. Is this a declaration of war or something?”

“Waaah! Papa, calm down!!”

Here we go again—same old routine. I’m starting to sweat.

“Whoever she is, she’s marrying Sauvel-sama. There’s no way Papa could ever have anything to do with her.”

“Mmm… Still, she was fairly pretty… I’ll admit that.”

Mother’s whole posture screamed “I refuse to acknowledge this enemy,” and I found it kind of adorable.

“Compared to Papa? She’s just average.”

“Elen-chan. Is Papa winning?”

“By a landslide!!”

I clench my fist and insist, not just because of looks—though beauty counts—but mostly because of the size of her… well, you know.

That’s non-negotiable. I mean, Ariya’s definitely one of them… but probably third.

“Papa figured it out, didn’t he? I bet he’s never wanting to see her again.”

“Exactly, Elen.”

Suddenly appearing, my father’s smiling face from behind was a truly lovely sight. He’d been watching me for a while, or perhaps he’d just realized something upon seeing Mother.

“Come here, Ori.”

“No way!”

Apparently realizing she’d been caught indulging in a sudden fit of sweetness, Mother suddenly bolted away, flustered.

“Tag, huh? Fine, I’ll let you decide what happens after I catch you.”

With a smile so diabolically perfect it made my skin crawl, Father started chasing Mother.

I watched, unimpressed, as the spirit beings waiting nearby scattered like startled pigeons.

『Alright, the game’s on. Dad’s chasing Mom. Everyone, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!』

I forced an amplifier out of piezoelectric elements and electrical signals, then summoned a gust of wind to broadcast the warning across the entire castle.

I felt a pang of sympathy for the panicked spirits yelling “Waaaah!” as they scrambled to escape.

Papa and Mother’s tag games and arguments always have massive effects on everyone around them. …Physically.

“Since you two are usually on good terms, it should be fine….”

Elen twists her neck. Something about this just feels like it’s about to go horribly wrong. Again.