***
To lower Aurora’s guard, I took advantage of Maria’s love for treasure hunting.
Fortunately, Aurora didn’t seem suspicious at all, and I was able to use teleportation magic to move the boat she was on.
“Got you, Aurora!”
Aurora and I rolled around on the grassy field.
Soon, the rest of our scattered group emerged from their hiding spots.
“Aurora, you can’t run away anymore.”
“Hmph, victory is ours!”
“I really hope so.”
“Aurora, won’t you at least consider having a conversation with us?”
However, Aurora struggled with all her might and managed to free herself from my grip.
She was so strong that I ended up letting go of her.
But that didn’t mean she could escape. The other male leads had already surrounded her.
“Now, you’ll have to come with us willingly.”
“Hmm…”
Aurora didn’t seem pleased. She dusted off her dress and stood up.
Though she was wearing a simple, comfortable dress, her striking features and tall figure made her beauty stand out even more when she remained silent.
As I stared at her absentmindedly, she suddenly broke the silence.
“Oh, bestow your blessings upon us—”
Yes. Aurora had suddenly started singing.
And as we all knew, she was absolutely terrible at it!
“Grant us the strength to triumph— the unyielding will— the passion that burns like flames—”
“Ugh! A sound attack? That’s unfair!”
Arkhangelo groaned as he plugged his ears. Being sensitive to sound, he seemed to be the most affected.
Of course, I was also grimacing. No matter how you looked at it, how could the original female lead sing this badly? This wasn’t even at the level of being funny—it was downright painful! What kind of heroine attacked with singing?
“The king must surrender—! The witch must free the poor princess—!”
Her screeching voice was making our heads spin.
Even Simone, who was usually calm, had his pupils shaking. Raffaelo was openly showing his suffering, and even Ghieuspe, the silent one, finally spoke up.
“…I really wish she would stop.”
But we couldn’t let Aurora escape like this.
Frowning, I covered one ear with my hand and cast a spell with the other.
“Ah!”
Aurora was instantly trapped inside a magical confinement box. She banged on it in a panic, but there was no way the spell would break.
“Phew…”
Since Aurora had finally stopped singing, we were able to take our hands off our ears and look at her.
Everyone was furious, but Arkhangelo’s face was especially terrifying.
“Please, just stop singing! Music may be a gift from the gods, but your music is a curse straight from Satan!”
Even Arkhangelo, who was always serious about music, had said this… The fact that Aurora could drive him mad showed just how powerful her presence was.
“Tsk, Seraphina, your magic seems to be improving?”
“All thanks to you, haha. I’ve been through all sorts of things chasing you this far.”
“So you should be grateful to me, right?”
“Argh! You crazy woman!”
For a moment, I considered canceling the spatial binding magic and grabbing Aurora by the hair. But it felt like she was trying to provoke me into letting my guard down, so I refrained.
Instead, I fixed my gaze on her, my eyes full of killing intent.
“So, you’re not going to run away anymore, are you?”
“Hmm…”
“You’re going to come with us quietly and return to the Kingdom of Boleno?”
Aurora’s deep pink eyes wavered. I had no idea what she was thinking.
Then again, had I ever really understood her? Aurora was always unpredictable.
***
‘Looks like it’s finally time to tell the truth.’
Still bound by the spatial magic, Aurora smiled faintly.
Seraphina had grown so strong on this journey. Once again, Aurora felt that running away had been the right choice.
‘…Will it work?’
Would they be able to win if everyone combined their strength?
But now, Aurora felt it was finally time to trust Seraphina.
Even though her actions had come from concern for Seraphina, she hadn’t told her anything.
She had treated her like a child.
But Seraphina had grown a lot, and it was time to tell her the truth.
Yes. Aurora made up her mind and slowly opened her mouth.
“I won’t run away anymore.”
“Oh, come on! I don’t believe you!”
“But you were the one who told me to stop running…”
“I still don’t believe you!”
Though I was fuming, deep down, I didn’t completely distrust Aurora. For some reason, there was a strange determination in her eyes.
“Well, I do think it’s time for me to stop running away.”
Aurora spoke with confidence.
“It’s about time I returned to the Kingdom of Boleno. I don’t know if we can win, but—”
“So you do understand the Automaton crisis to some extent.”
“Of course.”
Aurora’s deep pink eyes locked onto mine.
“It’s because of Princess Eva, isn’t it?”
“…What?”
“I don’t know her exact identity, but… Whatever’s happening, it’s because of Princess Eva, right?”
Hearing those words, my curiosity grew even stronger.
“How much do you even know? How did you find out?”
From things Aurora had said before, I had guessed that she knew something about Princess Eva.
But I couldn’t understand how she knew.
And I had no idea just how much she knew.
“How could I not know about Princess Eva?”
Aurora gave a faint smile as she looked at me.
“Seraphina, why do you think Princess Eva never leaves the capital?”
Her sharp, intelligent pink eyes locked onto mine.
At that moment, a long-forgotten memory began to resurface.
***
“Kyaah, Mary! You have to make me really pretty today!”
At the Count of Viviana’s estate, Seraphina’s eyes sparkled as she pestered her maid.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and anticipation that she couldn’t hide.
Normally, automaton maids were used, but for this special occasion, Seraphina had chosen a human maid instead. After all, human hands were still more delicate when it came to this kind of task.
“Of course, my lady. I’ll make you look beautiful.”
“Ah, this is my first time being invited to the palace by Princess Eva! I’m so excited!”
Seraphina was thrilled because Princess Eva had invited her to the palace for the first time.
Although they were close, Eva had never before extended such an invitation. In fact, among the noble young ladies, Seraphina was the first to receive one.
The maid dressed Seraphina in a soft pink gown that suited her perfectly. White frills and lace adorned the dress, and a large sky-blue ribbon added the final touch, making her look even more adorable.
To complete the look, the maid placed a red ribbon in Seraphina’s hair, decorating it beautifully.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Seraphina felt utterly satisfied.
Princess Eva always complimented her when she wore cute ribbons like this. She had chosen an outfit that matched Eva’s tastes perfectly.
“My lady, at some point, you’ll need to start taking an interest in men. But here you are, only thinking about the princess.”
“Hmph, I won’t like anyone except Princess Eva. If I have to get married… I’d rather marry a distant relative of the Vivaldi royal family, just so I can be closer to her.”
It was a thought bordering on obsession, but at that time, Seraphina was utterly enamored with Princess Eva.
As she adjusted her outfit and descended the stairs, she ran into her father. Without greeting him, she stubbornly kept her lips sealed.
“Seraphina, where are you going?”
“…To the palace.”
“Don’t tell me… you’re going to see Princess Eva?”
“Yes. She invited me.”
“Seraphina…”
His voice carried a note of frustration.
It was only natural. When she was younger, Seraphina had been affectionate toward her father. But at some point, she had become completely fixated on Princess Eva and barely spoke to him anymore.
“Is there no young man who interests you? No matter which noble house he belongs to, I could arrange it for you.”
Her father was clearly trying to divert her attention.
But Seraphina simply scoffed. No human could possibly compare to Princess Eva’s beauty.
Ignoring his words, she walked out of the mansion. Behind her, she heard a long sigh.
But she paid it no mind as she boarded the steam carriage bound for the palace.
As the carriage neared the palace, it suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
From outside, the voice of an automaton maid, Abigail, called out.
“My lady, someone wishes to see you.”
“What? Who?”
Who would dare block her way when she was on her way to see Princess Eva?
With a displeased expression, Seraphina opened the door—only to be met with a familiar, yet utterly unwelcome, face.
