I sighed as Alex greeted me like that the moment I entered the office.
He was finishing a huge pile of documents at his office desk while he said that.
I was aware I pushed the morning office work on him, but I felt complicated being frankly told so. Especially since itâs her older brotherâs words.
â⊠Thatâs right. I could enjoy the time with only the two of usâ
âPlease tell Lidi to not worry as Iâve talked to old man. And? Is my little sister coming home today?â
âI donât mean to send her homeâ
When I returned those words to Alex, I bet he laughed with his eyes still on the documents.
I recalled the time when we were snuggling just a while ago.
She brought up something like betting.
I absolutely didnât feel like letting her out of my grasp, so after Clara withdrew I pushed her down once again.
I penetrated Lidi who said my body hurts, I donât want more from behind and while making her intensely cry I finished into her twice.
As a result she couldnât move anymore, satisfied I gave her a kiss and left, but still I couldnât help but be anxious.
The security structure is perfect. She also canât move.
How strange that Iâm not convinced of my victory even with that.
Precisely because she makes me feel this way I find her so lovely.
Every time Iâm outwitted I come to love her more, I wonder if she actually noticed.
I scowled at Alex whose words I wouldnât want to hear even as a joke.
Alex only shrugged his shoulders. He really has a pleasant personality.
âThereâs no way, I wouldnât allow it. Lidi is mine⊠Thatâs not it, there are well, various reasons. I bet with Lidi on her going homeâŠâ
âHaa? Bet?â
Being pestered by Alex to explain it in detail I told him the whole story from a while ago.
When I finished talking, Alex said âBothersome coupleâ while looking at me with a fed-up face.
âAnd? What did you do?â
âI doubled the number of Royal Guards and issued an emergency alert. Since itâd be troublesome if she disappeared into the general area, Iâve also posted several people who know Lidiâs faceâ
âOioi, ainât the scale considerableâ
I ignored Alexâs face twitching and explained further about the security system.
Judging from Lidiâs appearance she was pretty confident. She told me I could use anything. Thereâs plenty of possibility of her doing something unimaginable.
To deal with that, first of all I used the basic human wave tactic.
âIâve already had Lidi escape twice. I donât think Iâm being overly cautiousâ
âThatâs just like my little sister. But you too are being reckless. No matter what VIP came you wouldnât go that far deploying a security systemâ
âSheâs my most important person. Iâll do anything to not let her goâ
If only I win this bet Lidi will be on my side.
She brought it up willingly, and I wonât let her change the promise.
If possible, Iâd want her to remain here willingly, but if I have to win her bet for it, so be it.
â⊠Yesterday, Andre cameâ
I ran the simulation in my head again to see if there was a hole in the security system , Alex muttered these few words.
âAndreâ, the name I feel the least like hearing now.
â⊠Yeah, he no longer has any connection to meâ
âHe couldnât secure the âKingâs Flowerâ and was expelled from the Royal Family⊠How many years have passed already?â
â⊠I wonder? I didnât think heâs still aliveâ
I thought heâd dropped dead long ago.
When I spat that out, Alex made a bitter face.
âIf you canât secure the âKingâs Flowerâ youâll get banished as a punishmentâŠ. Huh. You canât say the reason, right?â
âYeah. Please think thatâs how royalty is. Be relieved, itâs not a particularly outrageous reasonâ
âGot itâ
I couldnât tell more to Alex whoâs not royalty.
Because Alex understands, he didnât ask for it either.
Without the âKingâs Flowerâ thereâs a possibility the runaway divine power will spontaneously go off engulfing the surroundings, I couldnât possibly say that.
Banishment into the outskirts is only a measure to limit the damage as much as possible.
Of course thereâs a possibility it wonât explode, but such a dangerous person cannot be left in the Royal Capital.
âWhy did that guy come?â
âWho knows, he seemed to come greet me, but rather he picked a fight with Lidiâ
Recalling the last nightâs thing I would rather not remember, I couldnât stop myself from being displeased.
Not understanding the meaning of my words, Alex asked back.
âIt doesnât make sense to explain that to somebody who wonât try to understandâ
âI guess. Considering how that guy is, itâs easier if he resents youâ
â⊠Itâs an annoying story. I donât want him to be involved with me or Lidiâ
Being told that from the bottom of my heart, Alex sank into silence for a while.
While scratching his head, he brought up a seemingly difficult subject.
â⊠Thereâs a report for you. This morning my subordinates contacted me about the soldiers guarding Andreâs house, who were observing him. Five elites. Everybody was killedâ
I gasped.
With this well-timed topic brought up my head started working at highest speed.
This topic at this timing canât be a coincidence. Besides, since yesterday I thought something is going on.
â⊠Thatâs why he came, huhâ
I found it strange.
As Andre was, he wouldnât be able to come to the Royal Palace without us knowing.
Especially with the powerful surveillance system that was set up.
Despite this, why.
When I nodded, Alex with still intense face said.
âI also found it strange. Thatâs why I had it investigated. I attached observers to that guy. That shouldnât have been just his selfish behaviorâ
He stood up, and after taking a report from his breast, spread it on his desk.
While quickly scanning over it I discussed my doubts with Alex one by one.
â⊠The culpritâs aim is?â
âIâm going through internal lists right now. There are five bodies, but thereâs a common feature in how they were killedâ
âCommon feature?â
âYeah, the head is gone. Everyoneâs was taken away. Because of that it took time to identify the victimsâ
I tried to understand what exactly he meant by head being gone.
â⊠By any chance, were they cut off?â
âProbably. The location was a nauseating spectacle. I canât say anything as I ainât seen itâ
Separating human head is not something simple.
It takes time and effort, I canât think of it as a smart measure.
Thereâs some meaning behind it , I could only think that.
Despite thinking so, I brought up another possibility.
âWhat if there were multiple perpetrators?â
Kill in the same way to feign it being one person.
Thatâs also a good method to use.
Alex chewed his finger while pondering about that.
âI wonder. Certainly, I canât imagine one person cutting that many heads. Itâs hard to confirm. Weâre in a difficult spotâ
âThe objective is also unclear. Just what does the culprit benefit from releasing Andreâ
If divine power were to spontaneously go off in the Royal Capital certainly the damage to our country would be large, but that shouldnât be known. Itâs eerie not knowing what the culprit is thinking.
âAndre himself probably isnât the culpritâ
âHe wouldnât be able to act like thatâ
As I clearly asserted that, with thatâs right Alex agreed.
âThen, what about contact with outside? Is it possible?â
âImpossible. Thereâs a powerful barrier erected around the whole building to seal magic and magical artsâ
â⊠In that case, Andre couldnât work with someoneâ
Alex nodded as to agree with my words.
Itâs an anti-royal barrier. Itâs not easy to break.
âI see, then Andre isnât the main culprit⊠Neither of Andre escaping, nor of Andre nonchalantly coming to the Royal Castle. Itâs a rare chance to escape, and yetâ
âAfter all he was used by the culprit, otherwise he wouldnât do that, would he. Probably thatâs whatâs most possibleâ
Otherwise, I donât think heâd expressly come to the Royal Castle.
He should know heâd be caught and brought back. Still he came.
There definitely must be some purpose in it.
Whether heâs manipulated or doing it of his own volition, I donât know.
âAnd, what about that Andre?â
âEsteemed Uncle settled itâ
As I briefly explained, Alex spoke while thinking.
âCan you ask about his story?â
â⊠Itâd be difficultâ
âI betâ
Itâs very like heâs already transferred.
Besides, heâd never confess it to us.
Even if he were to be killed.
Listening to my story Alex sat down on a char and rested his chin in his hand seeming to find it bothersome.
âDamn it. I wish it would end without a hitchâ
âThatâs an impossible sentiment. Itâs too suspicious. For now, just increase caution towards Andreâ
âRoger. For now, Iâll stay in office as normal. I canât do anything more nowâ
As we finished talking, I took a sidelong glance at Alex whoâs staying at his desk and looked up at the clock.
I felt the time pass slowly.
I want to return to my room quickly⊠Before Lidi is gone.
At the exact timing I reluctantly resumed work at my seat, the door was knocked on.
After answering that I allow entry, an old-looking butler calmly entered.
I found it suspicious that a person Iâve never seen entered this room.
Before coming to this room he shouldâve undergone various checks. I think heâs a suitable person to be here as heâs passed through them all, but I canât recall him at all.
âNn? If it isnât Zechsâ
As Alex raised his voice seeing the person before us, I understood who he is.
Vivoir houseâs butler.
With that title, certainly itâs more than possible to come this far.
âIt must be important for you to come this far. Do you have business with Alex?â
When I understood who visited I asked for his business.
Alex tilted his head, muttering I wonder if something happened .
Nothing seems to come to his mind.
Being told that, with a gentle smile of an old man he stated his business.
âNo, by orders from Milady⊠Lidiana-sama I have a letter for Your Highness. Would Your Highness like to receive itâ
âFrom Lidi?â
I received the letter from the butler who deeply bowed.
I could only have an unpleasant premonition seeing her beautiful handwriting for the first time.
Unconsciously I once again looked at the clock.
Itâs only been few hours⊠No way. Impossible.
Dumbfounded, I listened to Alex questioning the butler about the circumstances.
âZechs, have you been told that by Lidi?â
âYes, Alexei-sama. It was a matter from Lidiana-sama to His Highness. I was instructed to hurry, so I came here directlyâ
âI see, thanks for the hard work⊠Then Lidi is at the mansionâ
I felt dizziness as the butler nodded to these words.
I felt hopeless knowing the letterâs content without opening it.
After sending the butler home, I broke the seal with trembling hands.
I knew the contents, but I couldnât not look.
On the writing paper decorated by elaborate watermarking only one phrase was written.
Such was written in the flowy handwriting.
âI winâ
âBuh!!â
Alex, who with my permission was looking at it from behind, spurted out.
Although I knew about the matter, I never would have expected her to write it like this.
Those words are so much like Lidi I lost strength.
â⊠Aaah, she got awayâ
âWahahahaha!! Amazing, she really got away! Rather, how did she avoid that security net? As expected of my little sister!!â
I ignored Alex who burst into laughter and once again looked at the latter.
A strained laugh escaped me while looking at her victory declaration.
âReally, how did she run away? I went all out setting the security net, and yetâ
I shook the paper and amazed asked Alex.
As I inquired him in a clueless voice, Alex shook his head.
âJust so you know, I ainât related? She couldnât mobilize our family agency, it was just a while ago when you heard of betting, right?â
âI understand that. But I never would have thought sheâd escapeâ
âI bet. She pulls off such unexpected things from time to timeâ
âSometimes I feel like Iâm always being played withâ
I breathed a sigh, not sure if I should be amazed by or praising Lidi splendidly going home just as sheâd told me.
Truly, she always has me twisted around her little finger.
âNow then, should we go meet herâ
âDonât hurry with going so much. She won the bet. You too could compromise a littleâ
To his words of worry for his little sister I returned itâs okay .
I donât know what means she used, but as Alex said, Lidi won the bet with me. Thereâs no mistaking that.
Thatâs why no matter how much I miss her, I have no intention of disregarding that.
âAnyway, the next evening party is close. It canât be helped, Iâll endure until thenâ
âThatâs a reasonable position. Ainât it fine?â