chapter 05
It turned out that Lurie, when she was just a newborn, had gone missing with her biological mother during a monster attack in her family’s territory. She was actually the long-lost daughter of the prestigious Rossier family.
From a genius orphan of common birth, Lurie’s status skyrocketed when she was revealed to be a noble heiress. She made a grand return to the royal capital.
And the person who constantly tormented her in the capital was none other than Titania.
Titania was also an orphan, having lost her entire family to a monster attack. But because she happened to be the same age and share the exact same birthday as Lurie, Lurie’s father had adopted Titania as his daughter, thinking his real child was gone.
You wouldn’t believe how cruelly she treated Lurie after she returned. If I remember right, she even caused a major incident that shook the whole capital and ended up dying because of it…
Now that I see her again, she really was something else from the start.
So bold and confident, even before making her debut in society. My mother hadn’t introduced me to anyone yet, but Titania walked up and started talking to me like she owned the place.
Of course, we were both still young, and the strict rules of high society didn’t fully apply to us yet…
I glanced at her fiery red hair, decorated with large, flashy jeweled flowers, then looked away.
That’s when I heard a small commotion coming from the entrance. Sure, the banquet was noisy in general, but this was a different kind of noise — the kind that made people glance over.
Hmm…
I turned to see what was going on and instantly frowned. A noble couple had entered. They looked fairly young — around the same age as my parents.
Then I heard someone whisper nearby.
“That’s the head of House Procyon.”
My eyes widened. Schloitz’s biological father? Then the woman next to him must be…
“He brought his mistress too.”
Someone snorted softly with laughter. I suddenly felt lightheaded.
Oof… that’s harsh.
Mistress?
But honestly, it wasn’t completely wrong. Nobles generally despised anyone who broke proper conduct. Even just having a mistress was frowned upon — so a couple like that, who divorced a former wife and remarried out of some grand passion, wasn’t going to earn any praise.
In fact, that marriage was the very reason the once-great Procyon family’s reputation hit rock bottom.
“What kind of nerve does a couple like that have to show up here without even receiving a ring from the Queen?”
A gentleman muttered under his breath. In the royal capital, every noblewoman who married received a congratulatory ring from the Queen. It was a formal sign that the marriage was legitimate and blessed by the royal family.
The Queen would never bless a marriage like that — unless she’d completely lost her mind.
In short, it was a massive disgrace. Some even called it a “half-marriage.” A few people even went so far as to say that House Procyon didn’t have a proper lady of the house anymore.
“They’re the ones who fed poison to Schloitz and me together.”
I tightly held my mother’s hand and watched the infamous cheating couple. Naturally, my eyes were more drawn to Schloitz’s biological father. He was a sharp-looking man. I instinctively tried to find traces of Schloitz in his face, but quickly gave up.
“They don’t really look alike.”
The only similarity was maybe the dark hair color. Schloitz must have taken after his mother more — which was definitely a good thing.
Maybe it was because I already had a bad impression of him, but I found him even less likable in person. While the whole room stared at the couple as they entered, my mother also briefly glanced in their direction.
And then—
“Why are they coming this way?”
Schloitz’s father, with his wife by his side, was walking toward us. It made sense — my mother was the highest-ranking lady in the entire ballroom.
“Good evening, Madam Lefebvre. It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”
The head of House Procyon greeted my mother politely.
“It has been a while, Lord Procyon.”
My mother returned the greeting briefly and gave a clearly insincere, polite smile — all show and nothing more. She only acknowledged Schloitz’s father and completely ignored the woman next to him, as if she didn’t even exist.
“……”
Schloitz’s stepmother looked completely flustered. Her eyes darted around nervously, but my mother didn’t even blink.
Eventually, Schloitz’s father slowly opened his mouth again.
“…I’ve caused you trouble. Please enjoy your evening, Madam.”
Mother gave a slight nod in return — the kind of nod that, in the world of noble banquets, was a clear sign of disdain. Schloitz’s father’s face stiffened a little, but my mother didn’t seem to care at all, casually fanning herself.
“…Well then.”
He gave a light bow and walked away. Whether they stayed or left, my mother remained elegant and unbothered. Then, suddenly, she leaned toward me and whispered,
“Do you like him, dear?”
“Very much…!”
I whispered back, and she burst into soft laughter. She squeezed my hand tightly, straightened her posture, and added,
“But really, why did they even come?”
Just as I heard her quiet murmur, a trumpet sounded. It was the signal that the king was entering. The nobles quickly bent at the waist in greeting.
“Raise your heads.”
The King’s voice rang out, low and steady. I waited for the right moment, then lifted my head like everyone else. Because the King was standing on a high platform, I couldn’t see his face clearly—just his luxurious red cloak trimmed with sable fur.
“Today, I have come in person to reward a certain noble house. Lord Procyon, come forward.”
His voice was gentle. At the mention of a royal reward, murmurs spread quietly through the crowd. Had the head of House Procyon done something worth honoring? All eyes turned toward the Procyon couple. They looked just as confused.
Schloitz’s biological father walked up to the King’s platform. The chandeliers still glowed brightly above, and from my small height, I still couldn’t see the King clearly…
But it felt like he was smiling.
“Lord Procyon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You shall pay for your crimes.”
“…?”
A scream pierced through the banquet hall. With the sound of clanking weapons, the royal guards stormed in. My mother quickly pulled me behind her skirt and held my hand tightly. My vision blurred with the sudden movement.
“Your Majesty!”
In an instant, Schloitz’s father was bound by the guards, his face stunned.
“Your Majesty! What crime have I committed?!”
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out that you bribed the Judges to fake the results of the Holy Sword manifestation—and that you’ve been secretly raising a private army in your domain?”
“…!”
“…!”
Shock rippled through the noble guests. I was just as stunned.
“You have threatened the safety of the kingdom and rebelled against the crown. The crimes of House Procyon will be dealt with severely. Take them away.”
“Your Majesty!”
It all happened so fast. The Procyon couple was dragged out by the guards, and the ballroom broke into chaos like a swarm of bees had been stirred.
“He bribed the Judges? That means…”
“I guess so. They said the second son—born from a mistress—manifested 70 Holy Swords during the test, but maybe that was all fake.”
“If he had to cheat, then he probably had no real ability with the sword at all.”
“Oh my… even if they faked it, they were bound to get caught later.”
One noblewoman lowered her voice.
“So he raised a private army in secret… it makes sense now. A swordmaster family with a direct heir who had no sword talent—he must’ve known he couldn’t inherit the title and tried to seize power another way.”
“And the Queen absolutely hates the mistress and her illegitimate child. He probably thought he had nothing left to lose.”
The noblewomen standing by my mother all frowned, as if they had agreed beforehand.
“No wonder it felt strange that the Procyon couple showed up to a banquet hosted by the Queen. She must’ve sent them a direct invitation—so they’d be in the capital and easier to arrest.”
“You think the Queen really sent the invitation herself?”
“Who else would it be?”
“No, the Queen would never want this kind of scene at her party. It must’ve been the King who secretly sent the invite.”
“Well… the palace is going to be in a mess for a while.”
Still holding my mother’s hand, I stared blankly ahead.
So this is how Schloitz’s family falls from power.
I didn’t know—it wasn’t explained in detail in the original story.
All it said was that House Procyon had committed a major crime, but since they were such an old and legitimate family, the King didn’t strip them of their title. It also mentioned that Schloitz eventually achieved great military success, restored his family’s honor, and became the new head of the house.
…When will Schloitz find out?
If it had been a regular rebellion, maybe it wouldn’t have felt so humiliating—but to think the family fell apart because they tried to rig a test so the second son could inherit… it was just pathetic.
How would Schloitz feel when he heard the news? I bit my lip.
The military base was far from the capital, so I couldn’t be sure how soon he’d hear.
But I truly hoped… that it wouldn’t hurt him too much.
