With her day’s schedule finally behind her, Riersha walked with a light step.
Maybe I’ll take a little detour and stroll somewhere different before heading back.
She was just letting her feet carry her wherever they pleased when she spotted something curious.
…Hm? What are they all gathered over there for?
Riersha tilted her head at the sight of Risideon, Ricador, and Riscal clustered together. It was a rare thing to see all three of them in the same place at the same time.
Without quite meaning to, she crept closer, holding her breath.
They looked like they were in the middle of something important.
Softly. Softly.
Normally, they would have noticed her presence in an instant. But the three of them were so deep in conversation that they didn’t register her approach at all.
“So Father said he’s going to give her a theater company as a gift, right?”
“…Grandfather is apparently preparing a mine that produces Amantium…”
“Then what should we do? How much is left in everyone’s budget? I already put in a request with the information guild this time, and—”
What on earth are they talking about?
Just as Riersha pressed herself behind a tree to listen more carefully, Ricador happened to glance back — and their eyes met.
“…”
“…”
“…Oh.”
Clearly flustered in a way that didn’t suit him at all, Ricador clapped a hand over his mouth, then began jabbing his elbow at Risideon and Riscal beside him.
“…Riersha?”
He called her name in an awkward, caught-out sort of voice — a transparently deliberate attempt to alert the others.
“Riersha, did you say?”
Riscal spun around in a panic.
All three of them stared at her at once.
And then, as though they’d made a silent pact, every one of them shut their mouths.
Riersha’s cheeks puffed out like little balloons.
“What’s this — why does everyone stop talking the second I show up? Tell me too.”
“…You don’t need to know, squirt.”
“Hmph. You’re only three years older than me. I’m practically grown-up now and I know plenty of things.”
When Riscal refused, Riersha crossed her arms and made a face. She plopped herself down on the grass in a silent act of protest, and Risideon looked away with an uncomfortable expression, clearly trying his best not to make eye contact with her.
Riscal, stung by having his age gap called out, folded his arms and narrowed his eyes.
“I was born three whole years before you, Riersha. I was already walking around on my own two feet while you were still in the womb.”
“S-so what!”
“You just don’t know because you can’t remember, but when you were still in there, I used to read you fairy tales—!”
Riscal, who had been making his case point by point, cut himself off abruptly.
Whatever it was he’d just let slip, he clearly hadn’t wanted it known — his face flooded with color, burning bright.
“Hm?”
Riersha blinked, her eyes going wide with surprise.
A hush settled over the little group.
Into the awkward silence, Risideon stepped in with a shake of his head.
“Are you on your way back from lessons, Riersha?”
“Oh, yeah! Today I learned about the Duke families.”
“Did you? Were you paying close attention?”
“Uh-huh!”
Riersha nodded, beaming with pride.
“And a few days ago I got a perfect score on my test.”
“Oh, not bad at all.”
Ricador ruffled her hair thoroughly, sending pink strands sticking out in every direction. At the sight, Risideon burst out laughing. With her hair all puffed up and her round little face, she looked exactly like a baby lion.
“You’ve made a complete mess of Riersha’s hair, Ricador.”
“…Really?”
Riersha reached up and fumbled at her hair with clumsy hands, and Risideon stretched out his arm to smooth it back down for her, calm and gentle.
“Your birthday is coming up, Riersha. That’s what we were talking about — what to do for your birthday gift.”
“Brother, why would you tell her that?”
Ricador shot him a wide-eyed look of protest, but Risideon only shrugged.
“It’s fine. She still won’t know what the gift actually is.”
“Still, it was supposed to be a secret…”
Riscal muttered his disapproval.
The moment Risideon’s explanation sank in, Riersha’s eyes lit up and went wide as saucers.
“You were really all here talking about my present?”
“We were.”
“Wow. Then I can’t listen to another word!”
She slapped her palms over her ears instantly.
Risideon laughed softly, charmed.
“Haah… there goes the element of surprise.”
Ricador murmured it to himself, resigned.
⁂
The Young Duke’s study.
“How are preparations for the advancement examination coming along?”
Pernoa set down the report Rosinante had brought him and looked up.
“The examination committee members have been selected and dispatched to the island, my lord.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Milia is accompanying them. There will be no escape — and no outside contact either.”
They had sent Milia along precisely to guard against any possibility of someone slipping word to the outside world.
Pernoa allowed himself a quiet, thin smile.
“Those two turn out to be useful in unexpected places.”
“Additionally, the testing venue for the intermediate examination is already prepared. The advanced venue is still pending.”
“Make sure everything is checked again so there are no problems. How many candidates are sitting for the advanced advancement examination this year?”
Collateral branch or not, every one of them was the heir of a prominent noble house in the Declair Empire. Their safety had to be guaranteed without question.
That guarantee was the very reason the collateral families applied to take the Arachrene house examinations in the first place.
“Six candidates are scheduled to sit the advanced examination this year.”
“I see.”
“However — Oberon had been listed among the examiners. What would you like to do about that?”
At the mention of Oberon’s name, Pernoa paused.
The man was still locked away in the dungeon. Arcmund, for reasons of his own, had yet to decide what to do with him. It was less that Oberon was too valuable a talent to simply be rid of, and more that the whole affair made no sense — Oberon had no apparent reason to do what he had done, and that unanswered question had left the matter on hold.
“That position…”
Pernoa turned the problem over in his mind, thinking of who might be suitable.
The examiner for the advanced test was an extraordinarily important role. The person had to understand what kind of talent the ducal estate actually needed, and be capable of seeing through to the true nature of a person. Oberon had been perfect for it all this time. This year, however, was another matter.
“Use Johannes.”
“…Johannes, my lord?”
“People show their true selves when they’re driven into a corner.”
And for that reason, there was no one better suited to the role than Johannes.
⁂
Seven days to the Arachrene house advancement examination.
Already, three candidates had been eliminated before the test had even begun — caught attempting to make secret contact with the examiners and apprehended by the examination oversight officers.
“I — I am completely innocent! I had absolutely no intention of cheating!”
“Let go of me! I only knew that person from before, I swear!”
The children caught in the act of misconduct were removed from the ducal estate on the spot. They had never possessed the ability to pass the examination by their own merit to begin with.
Riersha had stopped in her tracks at the ugly scene unfolding before her.
“Wh-what’s happening over there?”
“What do you think? They’re being expelled.”
“Eek!”
Riersha startled badly at the voice that came from directly behind her and whipped her head around.
There was Aska, crouched down just beside her, looking in the same direction she’d been looking.
“Wh — when did you get here?”
“I’m sorry for startling you, Miss Riersha.”
Aska gave an embarrassed scratch of his head and straightened up.
“Your buttons are wrong.”
“…Oh.”
Riersha pointed a finger at his shirt, where she’d noticed the buttons had been done up crooked. Aska, catching sight of the lopsided collar, cleared his throat with a slightly mortified cough.
“I’m not used to dressing formally like this. It doesn’t suit me well, does it?”
“No, it really does. You look incredible.”
Riersha shook her head earnestly, and Aska looked genuinely moved.
She meant every word of it. With his well-built frame dressed in clean, finely tailored fabric, it was hard to believe this was the same man who had been stationed at the border just days ago.
It wasn’t only Aska. Milia and Johannes standing behind him were the same.
Aska was about to say something more when—
