The goddess Val's warning.

The next day, when I woke up and stepped outside, I found a path that looked just like the one the chase had taken—father and mother playing tag or hide-and-seek, now reduced to a pile of rubble. It looked exactly like the aftermath of a tornado.

The spirits who worked at the castle were all wearing that resigned look, busily repairing the damage.

"Papa, Mama. Just sit right there, please."

The sight of their daughter, barely more than a child, speaking in a voice so low it seemed to crawl along the ground, made both parents go pale and shrink back.

Behind them, their daughter stood lecturing them, droning on and on and on and on, and the other spirits watched with fierce, envious eyes—like warriors admiring a champion.

Of course, afterward, she poked their numb legs, then smirked triumphantly at their tearful pleas: "We promise, never again!"—as if she’d just secured a binding vow.

***

On Sauvel’s wedding day, I squealed with delight at the sight of my father and mother dressed in formal attire.

“Papa looks amazing! Mama looks beautiful!!”

I was so thrilled—almost as if it were my own wedding—that my parents blushed at the praise.

“Thank you. You’re always so sweet, Elen.”

Lovell, praised by his daughter, went all mushy. My father picked me up and kissed my cheek. It tickled, and I giggled uncontrollably.

After seeing my parents off, I moved to the water mirror.

Since I’d heard that sly one would show up, I couldn’t shake the feeling something was about to happen.

***

Before the ceremony, there’s a private family meeting.

Sauvel and the others made their way to the room where the bride’s family was waiting.

The bride’s family members froze in place, staring in shock at the sight of Father and Mother entering through the door.

“Sorry we’re late. This is my wife, Ory.”

“Ory, nice to meet you.”

A graceful smile from Origin made nearly everyone in the room flush. Only one person remained untouched by the blush—Aria, who would soon become Sauvel’s wife.

“My… my older brother’s…”

“Yes, that’s right. So you’ll be my step-sister, won’t you?”

Origin was a queen. And the aura of divine charisma radiating from her as a goddess made it clear that everyone around her felt reverence—whether they knew it or not.

Even without knowing she was a goddess, you could just… feel it. Like a chill down your spine.

To be honest, Origin was standing out more than Aria in her wedding gown. Aria seemed to notice the comparison without even meaning to—and her shoulders visibly slumped.

I was peering into the water mirror, and suddenly thought, oh dear… I felt a bit sorry for her.

There’s a rule, you know—when you’re attending a wedding, you shouldn’t outshine the bride in your outfit. That rule’s the same here as it is back on Earth.

Sauvel uncle said he’d used the duke’s influence to commission the nation’s top seamstresses to make the bride’s dress.

And just by looking at my mother’s outfit, you can tell she’s not going all out. Her silver-gold hair is pulled up neatly, with a few strands left loose to frame her face, curled playfully at the ends—there’s a definite allure to it. A high-necked mermaid dress with just a hint of lace, a shawl, and a hairpin. That’s it.

Which is exactly why it’s so obvious. The way the mermaid dress emphasizes her slender frame… it’s impossible to imagine that beneath all that, there’s a pair of full, round breasts.

Aria’s dress was a princess-style wedding gown, its train long and flowing. Delicate lace, woven generously throughout, swayed with a grace that felt almost too perfect.

And yet, here came her mother—simple in her attire—overwhelmingly intimidating in comparison.

At the time, I’d just been thinking, lightly, that if this could finally put a stop to the strange sideways glances she’d been giving my father, that’d be nice.

Before the ceremony began, family members from the groom’s and bride’s sides were seated separately. The tense, looming atmosphere on the groom’s side had the bride’s relatives frozen in place.

Besides Lovell and Origin, standing behind them was Prince Raffilia… no, wait—now that he’d inherited the throne, it was Emperor Raffilia seated there. The Empress, two princes, and a princess sat side by side.

The royal family all had dazzling golden hair. The eldest son looked just like the Emperor—pale blue eyes, and already showing a brilliance that made you forget he was only twelve.

The second son had green eyes like the Empress, and a gentle face. The princess was an exact copy of the Empress—beautiful, down to the last detail.

Around them, palace guards stood firm, forming a wall. Knights were stationed thickly all around the church.

Everyone else was practically backing away, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure—yet the people involved were just standing there, completely unfazed. Honestly, what can you do?

***

Time passed. The wedding ceremony began. The bride walked into the church. Everything was going smoothly.

They signed the marriage contract. Made their vows to each other. That’s when—

A sudden, soft *pssshhh* sound. And then, a tiny, sharp cry from the bride.

A ripple of unease spread through the crowd.

“Wha—? You okay? Are you alright?”

“E-eh, yeah… I don’t know, suddenly…”

Sauvel’s voice was laced with concern. Aria blinked rapidly, her voice tinged with confusion.

“S-sorry…”

“No, it’s fine if you’re okay.”

The priest looked slightly flustered, but when the bride and groom turned back to him, he resumed the ceremony.

“…You…”

“Yeah. This… uh…”

Lovell and Origin were whispering something to each other, leaning in close.

Neither noticed Aria at all—too busy staring at her.

Behind them, Raffilia’s face lit up with the kind of amusement you get when you’ve just spotted something delicious.

＊＊＊

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly.

It turned into a standing buffet, with the bride and groom’s families mingling over dinner.

At that point, the King and Queen, along with the princes, bowed politely and left early—security reasons, they said.

At that moment, the King spoke to Lovell.

"Is your daughter not attending? How unfortunate. I wanted to meet her sons."

"Forgive me, but my daughter is unwell."

"Fine, fine. Lies are fine....Ah, yes, that's right..."

Lavissel chuckled, and Lovell felt an unpleasant chill—like a warning bell ringing.

As he passed by, Lavissel whispered into Lovell's ear.

"Things have gotten interesting."

Lavissel chuckled again, and though Lovell didn’t show it on his face, he thought, *Damn it.*

Aria’s wedding gloves covered her arms up to the elbow, so her wrists were hidden.

It brought to mind the moment during Agiel’s trial—the divine judgment of the goddess Val.

The power was weaker than before, so it couldn’t be called a full judgment, exactly.

But Lavisel was there. So she knew. Knew the meaning of the goddess Val’s condemnation.

If Ariah had that thorned mark on her wrist… her brother wouldn’t be getting off easy.

“Yes. Today’s a celebration. Everyone’s enjoying themselves.”

She replied calmly. But Lavisel didn’t buy it.

“Yeah. One week from now. I’ll be waiting for you at the castle.”

The king said that, and let out a laugh so delightfully wicked it made your skin crawl.

I bowed, watching him depart. But Lovell’s face remained expressionless, cold as stone.

Only when the princes’ silhouettes vanished into the distance did Origin step out from hiding.

“You…?”

“Ah. I’m done for…”

Lovell spat the words out, venomous, like he was trying to rid himself of something bitter.

＊＊＊

Ariah, back in her room after changing into fresh attire, had her maid help her fix her hair.

She was about to change her clothes, had already taken off her gloves, and then noticed it. A faint, thorn-like pattern was rising beneath her skin.

“What… what is this…?”

Aria was bewildered by the unfamiliar mark on her body.

At that moment, a flustered voice came from beyond the door.

“J-just a moment, I’m changing clothes right now!”

“If you’re already dressed, it’s fine. Let him through.”

Aria’s face flushed instantly at the sight of Lovell, who had barged in uninvited.

She was still wearing her outfit, but why would he come here, into this room with only her and her maids? Her heart skipped a beat.

A flicker of his wife’s image crossed her mind, but Aria couldn’t help feeling delighted that Lovell had come to visit her.

“O-oh, brother-in-law… it’s fine, you can come in.”

She fought hard to keep her voice from trembling. Of course she loved Sauvel—but the moment she laid eyes on Lovell, her heart fluttered in a way she couldn’t suppress. She knew it was impure.

(…To think someone so wonderful would become my brother-in-law…)

Aria’s chest thumped, wild and loud.

Lovell burst through the door with a clang, his wife right behind him. Aria and the maids gasped. Sauvel wasn’t with them. Probably still at the evening banquet with Raffilia.

“Out,” Lovell said. “All of you.”

“Eh…?”

The maids froze, startled by the order.

“Don’t worry,” Origin said, cheerful as ever. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

They exchanged glances, nodded, bowed, and left. Lovell watched them go, then turned and glared at Aria.

Aria flinched at Lovell’s glare, her shoulders jerking. Lovell didn’t hesitate—she grabbed her arm with a rough, sudden yank.

“Kyaa!”

“You’re angry, I get it… but that’s not how you treat someone.”

Origin sighed, voice calm. Aria didn’t understand a thing.

Why was she being roughly handled by her elder brother? Terror bubbled up.

“Acting clueless, huh?”

Lovell looked down at her with icy eyes, voice sharp with disdain—terrifying.

Aria trembled uncontrollably. Origin spoke again, voice just as cold.

“Aria… you lied in the divine marriage contract, didn’t you?”

Aria didn’t grasp what Origin meant.

“You’re pining for another man… not my brother.”

Lovell’s icy words left her stunned, hollowed out.

“The thorned mark on your wrist—it’s the goddess Vael’s condemnation.”

“C-condemnation…?”

“This is proof of your sin—lying under divine oath.”

Sin.

The word turned Aria pale.

“You deceived my brother, didn’t you?”

Aria, on the verge of tears under Lovell’s icy stare, tried to deny it.

“Not…? Isn’t the mark of condemnation right here?”

Lovell spat it out with bitter disdain. Origin, however, suddenly caught on to something—some hidden thread—and held up a hand.

“You. That mark—it’s still faint.”

“…?”

Lovell seemed baffled. He tilted his head, puzzled.

“She must be in love with Sauvel. That’s certain.”

“…What?”

When Lovell pressed further, accusing her of even trying to charm other men besides my brother, Aria finally broke down and cried.

"Your crime will reach the royal family. It's only a matter of time before Sauvel finds out."

Aria flinched at those words, staring blankly at Lovell.

Trembling violently, her face drained of color, she shrank back from the fury radiating from Lovell.

"Lovell, please stop..."

Origin reprimanded Lovell, who had lost himself to anger.

Lovell, seeming to realize his mistake, looked away awkwardly.

Then Origin smiled softly, forgiving him, and pulled him into a hug.

"I know how deeply you love me and Elen."

"...But..."

"This time, it was just bad luck. That scheming one seems to have an uncanny knack for it."

Lovell's face fell as Origin giggled.

"About Elen... you know..."

"Oh, don't worry. That girl will be fine."

"..."

"That girl's our child, after all. She'll undoubtedly do something unexpected, just like always."

Origin chuckled softly, gently chiding Lovell, who could only stare in silence. Then, without a word, Lovell wrapped her arms tightly around Origin.

Aria felt something inside her crack, like glass shattering.

Only Origin noticed—she turned her gaze toward Aria. Lovell remained hugging Origin, refusing even to lift her face.

"Hey, Aria. You really think you've got the guts to offer your own daughter as payment to atone for someone else’s sin?"

Aria’s mind went completely blank.

Origin repeated the same thought, rephrased, but no less sharp.

"To forgive another’s sin… would you really be willing to sacrifice your own beloved daughter as a sacrifice?"

"W-what are you even saying!? Sacrifice Raffilia like a sacrifice!? No way!"

Origin, having realized that Sauvel truly loved his daughter, smiled.

"The royal family demanded a sacrifice in exchange for silence about the crime you committed—let us see your daughter."

Crime...?

Aria’s face went whiter than snow, realization dawning.

Her legs trembled so hard she couldn’t stand. She collapsed onto the floor without thinking.

"You’re on the brink of breaking a divine vow. That thorn is a warning from Lady Vaal. Pay attention. Love Sauvel with your whole heart."

"S-such a thing… I never meant to…!"

"Lovell won’t forgive you. Not you who made your beloved daughter a sacrifice. Not you who betrayed your dearest brother."

"..."

"If you truly wish to atone for your sins, then hide that mark from Sauvel. But I can still see it. Look at it every day. Let it remind you of your guilt."

“Y-yes….”

Origin cast a spell on Aria, who was sobbing uncontrollably, obscuring the mark of condemnation from view—just in case anyone outside the room might see it.

Lovell remained silent the whole time. He still had his arms wrapped around Origin’s waist, but seemed to be struggling to calm the fury radiating from him.

The maids watched their retreating backs as Lovell and Origin left the room, then cautiously returned inside.

There, Aria sat, dazed and still weeping, frozen in place.