Chapter 37

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Source of the Lie
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“Croire, have you been well?”

Duke Alloje acted like the warmest of fathers.

“Of course.”

So I, too, swallowed my disgust and greeted him like the gentlest of daughters.

Yes, this was all about deception anyway.

It was all an act.

The better I fooled that man, the higher the chances of defeating Alloje.

“You know how it is. How kind Diello is.”

To be precise, he’d know well that Diello is a man who can’t say no.

Just as I expected, Duke Alloje’s gaze briefly touched Diello before moving away.

He must have clearly felt the weakened lily.

Knowing his personality, he’ll likely try to confirm for himself if the lily is truly gone.

The moment I thought, *The first step has been a success…*

“...!”

A dizzying pain washed over me from the back of my neck.

The very spot where the name ‘Diello Argenta’ was engraved.

Duke Alloje was using his power to stimulate the place where he had carved the name.

“Ah,”

In pain, I unconsciously gripped Diello’s arm tightly.

It was an unexpected attack.

That madman!

“Croire?”

I heard Diello’s genuinely surprised voice.

At the same time, the surroundings instantly darkened with his shadow.

I didn’t realize I had fallen into his arms until the pain had subsided somewhat.

“Are you all right?”

I couldn’t talk about the name on my neck here.

I let out a short breath.

“I’m fine. I just… felt dizzy for a moment.”

Diello would have realized it wasn’t dizziness.

After all, he was the one who noticed the name had been re-engraved just from the way I walked.

“…”

As expected, Diello’s lips pressed into a neat, straight line.

As if holding something back.

His fingertips lightly brushed my forehead.

The hand that swept across my brow, now beaded with a cold sweat, sent a flush of heat through my cheeks and neck.

“Don’t push yourself.”

His voice sounded truly tender.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Can you stand?”

As I nodded, Diello carefully helped me up.

“It seems my daughter is a bit nervous. Still, seeing Duke Argenta take such good care of her puts a father’s mind at ease.”

Duke Alloje chuckled, looking pleased.

But he wasn’t smiling because our relationship looked heartwarming.

It was because he was pleased with Diello’s instantaneous reaction, one that made him look completely infatuated with me.

“We’ll be going inside soon anyway, so don’t worry too much.”

All that’s left is to greet Pentas Alloje.

I felt Diello’s arm wrap around my waist, holding me securely.

“Tell me if it’s too much, Croire.”

I heard his gentle whisper.

Meanwhile, Duke Alloje walked past us with a satisfied expression.

“Hurry inside and get some rest.”

And Pentas Alloje, who followed him while pretending to be concerned, didn’t forget to glare at me.

In the original novel, that man was always desperate to overpower Croire Alloje whenever they met.

Something about ‘establishing the pecking order.’

Pentas, with his mindset straight out of the animal kingdom, hadn’t changed a bit.

“…?”

But as he passed in front of me, I got a strange feeling.

The things set up around to welcome the Allojes and Cartiels.

Wide windows for ventilation and sparkling waterways.

I didn’t feel the water in those channels pressuring me.

Normally, if someone with stronger water manipulation abilities threatened me, the surrounding water should have threatened me as well.

Just like when Duke Alloje re-engraved the name on my neck.

But even as he walked away, the water exerted no pressure at all.

If anything, it was making me feel at ease.

‘I’ll have to re-engrave Diello Argenta’s name.’

Just as the water had threatened me when I stood before Duke Alloje, shouldn’t the surrounding water be threatening me now?

This phenomenon pointed to one thing.

That there wasn’t much difference between Pentas Alloje’s water manipulation ability and my own.

My eyes widened.

* * *

The procedure for the meeting was simple.

Being an event held every three years, there was nothing particularly special about it.

“The Cartiel defenses posed no problems this time either.”

Starting with Siete Cartiel, who was regarded as the most powerful head in history, each family shared the status of their territory’s defenses.

However, there was something specially mentioned this time.

“However, monsters capable of using magic have appeared.”

Siete said.

This must be the part from the original novel.

And it was probably the same type of monster Diello and I encountered in the Infinite Sea.

“It was the same for Argenta.”

At Diello’s words, Siete’s eyes glinted with interest.

“The monster that appeared in the desert would have been a difficult fight had I not awakened my Pero. I thought Lord Diello would also struggle, so I was prepared to send support if you requested it.”

Siete Cartiel smiled leisurely.

“It seems Duke Diello’s fire manipulation ability is far more exceptional than is known.”

It was an unexpected jab.

Strictly speaking, this matter wasn’t resolved by Diello’s power alone.

It was resolved with my water manipulation ability.

The problem was that revealing I possessed water manipulation abilities powerful enough to turn the tide of a battle would do me no good.

In that case, there was only one way.

To prove that we had barely managed to stop the monster with great effort.

“We struggled, though.”

Diello smiled gently.

But simply saying we struggled wouldn’t be enough.

“I heard a rumor that the Duchess Argenta also participated in that battle.”

Cartiel was quick with news, as expected.

I hadn’t gone out of my way to hide the story of my ‘first battle,’ so the news must have spread in an instant.

Though the details of how strong my abilities were likely hadn’t been revealed.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The disbelieving gazes of Duke Alloje and Pentas Alloje turned toward me.

They knew how pathetic my water manipulation ability was—or rather, ‘had been.’

Revealing that my ability had grown stronger here would do no good.

And as it happened, I thought I knew a way to hide the truth.

I put on a rather somber expression.

As if I were ashamed of my own pathetic power.

Now was the time to conceal the truth.

“We barely managed to stop it by using my ‘source power.’”

Source power. The power created momentarily by chipping away at one’s life force.

The Argenta’s rampage was also a type of source power.

The difference was that, unlike the Alloje’s, it was explosive but couldn’t be stopped.

The hall stirred at my words.

“Hoh, to go so far as to use your source.”

Duke Alloje looked regretful, but his expression also said, ‘That makes sense.’

*Right, there’s no way you’d have water manipulation abilities powerful enough to turn the tide of a battle.*

It was as if he were saying that.

“Oh, my.”

Siete Cartiel, who had asked the question, also studied me with a troubled expression.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, thankfully.”

I said, leaning my body against Diello’s shoulder.

I felt Diello flinch for a moment.

He, of course, knew. That I hadn’t used my source power.

Just like an Argenta who displays great power by burning their entire body in a rampage, an Alloje can also produce great power by using a lot of blood.

I was planning to use that as an excuse.

In short, to imply that the battlefield was so dire that we had to resort to using source power even with the family head present.

“It was my first time on a battlefield. When I opened my eyes, I was back at the estate.”

I smiled gently and looked up at Diello.

My gaze met his pale blue eyes.

*Don’t forget our sweet married couple act!*

As if he had heard what I was saying with my eyes, his hand wrapped around my shoulder.

“You went through a lot.”

His eyes, as he whispered softly, were filled with pity.

*Yes, nice!*

“Truly.”

But then he added something he didn’t need to.

His poignant voice momentarily echoed through the hall.

“It seems Duke Argenta is quite smitten with my sister.”

Pentas Alloje said then.

…Seeing that reaction, was it a mistake to say that?

“Still, it’s a relief there was no damage.”

Pentas Alloje continued.

He sounded as if he were worried about Argenta, but if you listened closely, it was clear he had no interest in the fact that I had used my source power.

I guess even if you act like family, acting with your heart is too much to ask—

“Lord Pentas, must you speak that way when your own sister used her source power?”

…huh?

I almost made a stupid face at the sound of Diello’s voice as he held me.

His voice was truly sharp. As if filled with emotion.

“Do you know how long my wife was bedridden after using her source?”

*I slept like a log.*

Since I couldn’t say that, I remained silent.

Pentas seemed a bit flustered by Diello’s sharp tone.

“No, of course I’m worried, I mean, um.”

Pentas was rambling.

He was clearly a worse actor than Diello.

“It was a slip of the tongue.”

Pentas Alloje finally said, raising both hands in surrender.

I snuck a glance and saw Diello’s fierce gaze fixed on him.

Um, well, hey…

Pentas wasn’t the only one flustered by that gaze.

I was flustered, too.

Because an uncharacteristically sharp glare was directed at Pentas.

At this rate, people who’d let their guard down will start showing up in full plate mail.

“Calm down, Diello.”

I finally whispered. The moment my hand touched his cheek.

“…Ah.”

The mask that had covered his face—thin as sheet ice, yet sharp—cracked and fell away.

“Ahem. Such monsters have not yet appeared in Alloje territory. We must also prepare to respond.”

Duke Alloje seized the opportunity to quickly change the subject.

* * *

After that, the meeting proceeded normally.

A dinner and banquet were scheduled for afterward, so the formal part of the gathering was essentially over.

During that time, Croire’s and Diello’s eyes met.

Croire seemed to ask with her gaze.

‘Why were you so worked up earlier?’

“…”

Diello turned his head, pretending not to see her gaze.

To be precise, he couldn’t meet her eyes.

The weak Diello. The gentle-natured Diello who never got angry.

It should have been the persona he had always acted out.

But because of those words from Pentas Alloje.

The fact that he had flared up like this, gotten so agitated, over a single phrase that clearly viewed her as a tool.

He couldn’t believe it himself.

That was why he couldn’t meet her gaze.