Chapter 13
13
Late that night, at the Winzer Mansion.
Alice was sobbing sorrowfully.
“Heh, hic, ugh.”
“Alice, it’s Mother. Sweetie? May I come in?”
“No! Go away!”
Thwack!
Alice hurled her teddy bear at the door.
It was a side of her she never showed to others, but to Sandra, it was her daughter’s familiar tantrums.
‘Poor thing.’
Outside the door, Sandra paced restlessly, wringing her hands. Just as she was at a loss for what to do…
“Lady Sandra.”
A woman approached her cautiously. It was Miona, Alice’s lady-in-waiting.
“I will try to comfort Alice.”
“W-would you, Miona?”
“Yes. So please, go back and get some rest.”
“Alright, I shall. Miona, Alice will be able to open up her heart to you more easily.”
Miona was Alice’s longtime friend.
She was also the girl Alice had taken in as a maid after her family fell into ruin several years ago.
‘I’m glad Miona is here.’
Since Alice looked upon Miona like a sister, surely she would comfort her well.
‘My poor daughter, to be so heartbroken.’
Thinking back on what happened today, it was only natural.
Hadn’t Countess Lemella made such a snide remark?
“My goodness, I’ve never seen such a meager engagement ceremony before.”
There was no way to refute it. Because it was the truth.
‘That woman, how dare she laugh at my daughter?’
Who was Alice?
She was the daughter of none other than herself—Sandra Winzer.
‘Do they know who I am!’
Sandra was the biological daughter of the current Naval Commander, Anton Rolland.
The Ducal House of Rolland had produced generations of brilliant naval officers. Many men of the Rolland family had lost their lives at sea.
For the Empire.
For Ramun, the Sun God.
‘That’s right! My son is also a brilliant naval officer! He is the captain of the Mac Lir!’
Hadn’t her precious son, Lumie Winzer, also set sail just the night before last?
He had left in a hurry at the news that barbarians had invaded their territorial waters.
To fight against those foul things that worshiped demons!
And yet, they dared to treat the daughter of a family of brave soldiers like this?
‘Danae Winzer, how could you ruin Alice’s engagement ceremony so thoroughly?’
She wanted to tear that girl to shreds if she could, but…
‘…What should I do?’
Suddenly, a wave of worry washed over her.
Karl had told her to endure for a year, but she hadn’t been able to hold back.
‘Dana will surely tell Karl everything.’
Then Karl would be disappointed…
After some hesitation, Sandra decided to confess to Karl with her own lips.
“What? You grabbed Danae by the hair?”
“Y-yes. Alice was so heartbroken that…”
“How could you do that, Sandra? I finally managed to soothe her anger; what if she gets upset again?”
Her husband’s reproach brought a surge of sorrow.
“Are you even Alice’s father?! Do you have any idea how much Alice was humiliated today? Sob, sob!”
Sandra collapsed onto the floor and wailed loudly. At that, Karl approached as if he had no choice and comforted her.
“Stop crying, Sandra. I won’t blame you anymore.”
“What is our Alice lacking that she has to suffer such indignity?! What exactly is she lacking!”
Juan Rolland. Even her profligate younger brother was recently receiving flattery from the nobility.
There was no other reason. It was solely because he held the monopoly on the precious Moonlight Flowers.
Even that incompetent fool’s reputation had been improving since he took over the Moonlight Flower business, so why was her Alice—!
‘Wait!’
Wait, wait, wait a minute.
‘That’s it. Juan was originally an object of ridicule… but his reputation among the nobles has improved lately.’
What if, just what if.
What if Alice took that position?
The humiliation of the engagement ceremony would be forgotten in an instant!
“Honey!”
Sandra grabbed Karl’s hand firmly.
“Give the Moonlight Flower business to Alice!”
“Sandra? What nonsense is that?”
“The trade business that brings in Moonlight Flowers from the Southern Continent! Put Alice in charge of that!”
Karl’s face turned pale. He realized his wife wasn’t joking.
“Sandra. That makes no sense.”
“Why doesn’t it make sense? Are you saying you don’t trust Alice?”
“No, of course it’s not that, but this business is very important.”
“Who doesn’t know that?”
“This isn’t just any ordinary business. You know the Papal Court is putting a lot of effort into the Moonlight Flower project, don’t you?”
Karl explained with a serious expression.
“The Moonlight Flower is a propaganda tool for the New Church. It’s not just a flower. It’s a promotional item to reduce the public’s rejection of the Moon God.”
“I know that too!”
In the current era, religion was split into two factions.
The New Church, which embraced the Moon God.
The Old Church, which rejected the Moon God.
The Moonlight Flower—the flower that symbolized the Moon God—was being used as a tool in the power struggle between these two factions.
“My brother, Juan, is doing just fine with it. So let Alice help him, please?”
At his wife’s words, Karl gave an awkward smile.
‘That’s because Juan honestly doesn’t do anything.’
The retainers did all the actual work, while Juan just signed off on things.
He had only created a “parachute” position for her because Sandra had begged him to help boost her pathetic brother’s spirit!
“Karl! Alice is your daughter! Can’t you do even this much for her?!”
As Sandra clung to him desperately, Karl eventually threw up his hands in defeat.
Besides, the aides would handle the practical work just as they did now…
‘It’s just putting her name on it.’
Karl nodded.
“Fine. I’ll do that.”
“Sister Dana. Please take this.”
A boy who looked like a platinum-blonde elf, Noah Winzer, handed her a flower crown with blushing cheeks.
“I made it myself.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I thought it would look good on you, Sister.”
My goodness. To think this prickly young noble had woven a flower crown with his own hands.
When Dana was too stunned to speak, Noah’s ears turned beet red.
“Do you not like the crown? I suppose a cheap thing like this doesn’t suit you at all. A tiara woven with jewels would suit you better…”
The boy’s rambling was so adorable that Dana burst into a clear laugh.
“Wow. Sister. You look like an angel.”
Alice, who had been watching from the side, murmured. Her eyes were full of admiration.
“I’m jealous, Sister. I wish flower crowns suited me like they do you.”
“Hm?”
“Well, I guess I don’t have anyone to make a crown for me anyway…”
Just as Dana was about to reply, ‘I’ll make one for you, Alice!’—
“Dana.”
An exceptionally tall, platinum-blonde man appeared.
“What is that flower crown?”
“Why? Does it not suit me?”
“No.”
The man—Viego Winzer—looked at Dana and answered calmly.
“It’s pretty.”
At that moment, a flash.
Dana opened her eyes.
“…”
What greeted her was the high ceiling. The sound of birds chirping drifted in through the window.
‘It was a dream.’
It was a memory from a time when she got along with everyone. Why had she dreamed of that time now?
She thought she knew the reason.
‘Is there still lingering hesitation inside me?’
A few days ago, she had made a deal with the Emperor.
To destroy the value of the Moonlight Flowers.
And that was ultimately an act of attacking the Winzer family.
Perhaps that was why. Maybe her last bit of conscience had summoned a memory from when things were good.
‘The Winzer family…’
Dana was lost in thought.
For the past six years, Dana had truly loved the Winzer family. This family led by Viego Winzer at its head.
‘Viego Winzer, and Noah Winzer.’
Things hadn’t been like this with those two from the start.
At one time, things were truly good.
‘And the reason that relationship fell apart was because of me.’
