“Ivan sent me a request for an invitation. He is asking to spend the upcoming Moonlight Day here,” Francesca said, taking a small bite from her plate.
Miller stopped his spoon mid-air. He swallowed before replying, “So, your father isn’t sending a close aide then, but your second eldest brother instead?” He then took another bite, his expression turning serious.
“We should have guessed it,” Francesca commented with a sigh.
Miller nodded. “Since Moonlight Day is traditionally a holiday when siblings gather to spend time together, it serves as the absolute perfect political guise.”
Taking a slow sip from her cup, Francesca added, “I can’t realistically reject his request. The LeonCraft Duchy will immediately take offense. They'll hold it against you, Miller, claiming that House Ironwood is spitefully forbidding a brother from visiting his own sister so soon after the wedding.”
Miller put his spoon down entirely, looking across the table to lock his gaze with hers. “I know we have to maintain a somewhat friendly surface-level relationship with the Second Prince's faction, especially given that Duke LeonCraft currently holds exclusive rights over our main source of income...”
He paused for a brief second, his tone softening with genuine concern. “But I don’t want you to do anything that might end up hurting you, Francesca. If you truly do not want to see him, you can reject the letter. I will find a way to smooth things over with the capital somehow.”
Francesca smiled warmly, her heart melting slightly at his sweet reassurances. “The Council of Vassals is already desperately looking for any excuse to find fault with me. I can’t exactly hand them a weapon on a silver platter, right?”
Putting her fork down, she raised a hand to stop Miller from protesting further. “Besides, I have a personal score to settle with my second elder brother anyway, so do not worry. We would have had a lot more to panic about if my eldest brother were the one coming. Ivan, however, is somewhat manageable... If things go well, I would even go so far as to say we might be able to reach a mutual agreement to align our goals.”
After all, the two of us actually did manage to strike a functional compromise at one point in my past life... Francesca thought secretly.
Miller raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “Is that even possible? From what you've told me, I thought your family wasn't particularly fond of you...”
“They aren’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own hidden cards to play.” Francesca reached across the table, gently holding his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Ease up, Miller. I will be perfectly fine.”
Miller nodded, accepting her judgment. “Are you free after lunch? I was thinking... perhaps we could go on an outing together today?”
Francesca blinked, pleasantly surprised by the sudden invitation. A bright smile broke across her face. “You really are putting in a lot of effort just like you promised, aren't you? Sure, I would love to. I've already completed all of my household management tasks for the day anyway.”
Melony Lake, Ironwood Viscounty
“So, where exactly are we going?” Francesca asked a few hours later. The carriage rattled softly as it rolled out of the city gates, heading straight toward the center of the massive mountain caldera. The vast, shimmering lake in the middle of the valley was slowly coming more and more into view.
“To Melony Lake, of course. You didn’t get a chance to visit the lakeside when you went sightseeing in the city last time, right?” Miller replied, looking out the window.
“No, it was a bit too far inland,” Francesca recalled. “It would have been midnight by the time I returned to the castle if I had tried.”
Miller nodded, a slightly embarrassed look suddenly crossing his features. “I usually go down to the lakeside around this time of year to watch the wild foxes. They try to catch fish jumping near the banks... They are rather... precious to observe.”
Francesca paused, her eyes widening as she stared at her handsome, physically imposing husband. A highly amused smile tugged at her lips. “You can just say they're cute, you know? I already know you secretly love to take care of small animals... Wait, is this outing your way of sharing your favorite hobby with me?!”
Miller’s face instantly flushed a deeper shade of red. He gave a quiet, embarrassed nod. “Since... you always share your hobby of playing strategy games with me in the evenings, I thought... I thought it would be nice if we went to feed them together.”
Hearing his incredibly pure, thoughtful reasoning, Francesca felt her own cheeks heating up. The carriage continued to rattle softly over the dirt path, the two of them sitting side-by-side in a comfortable, blushing silence as the pristine blue waters of the lake finally opened up before them.
Emerald Academy, Capital City of Inidal Empire
“Why do you keep collecting information about the LeonCraft Duchy and the Second Prince?” Serena, the young lady with vibrant golden-brown hair, asked as she leaned toward the young, crimson-haired Alan.
“They hold great interest for me. Let's just say it's for personal reasons,” Alan answered, keeping his eyes on his desk.
A quiet scoff sounded from the neighboring seat. Raymond, the young man with slicked-back brown hair, chimed in, “What personal reasons? It’s completely clear as day for anyone with half a brain to see.”
“What is it? Raymond, tell me! What is it?!” Serena whispered excitedly, practically bouncing in her seat as she tried to coax the answer out of him.
“Those all hold a deep, passive hostility toward the Northern Regions of the Empire... specifically the Ironwood Viscounty,” Raymond replied, folding his arms and wearing a thoroughly smug, intelligent expression.
“Wait... the Ironwood Viscounty!” Serena gasped as the pieces clicked together. “Isn’t that exactly where Alan is from?! Is he planning a grand, brilliant reveng—”
Before Serena could finish her overly excited inquiry, a piece of white chalk came flying through the air, snapping against her forehead with a sharp crack.
Up at the podium, the professor glared down at the three students tucked away in the back row. “Mister Gil, Mister Havel, and Miss Serena. I would highly appreciate it if you focused your attention on today's lecture. Or perhaps you wouldn’t mind stepping out of my classroom to enjoy the sun instead?”
“We sincerely apologize, Professor. Serena was simply getting a bit too excited asking us about the upcoming chapter in the textbook,” Alan answered smoothly, his calm demeanor instantly defusing the teacher's rising anger.
With a warning grunt, the professor turned back to the blackboard, letting them off the hook.
Once the danger had passed, Alan leaned back over and whispered to Serena, his gaze darkening slightly. “Yes, it is for revenge. It's about my mother. But I won’t be an idiot like I was last time. I am practicing patience now... after all.”
He traded a knowing look with Raymond, who offered him a supportive, quiet smile.
Alan clenched his hand under the desk, his voice barely a breath as he delivered his core philosophy that Raymond expressed before. “We’re all stuck here in this world. It is entirely up to us how we choose to utilize the time we have in this life, because nobody gets a second chance at it, after all.”
His jaw tightened, thinking of the two who had sent him here and his mother to her death. “My strike needs to be perfect. And nothing less.”