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Chapter 58
It wasn't certain, but if the necromancers had infiltrated Cascadia to take revenge for what happened back then, she would have to face them alone in Leon’s absence.
“Lady.”
At that moment, a servant knocked on the door and called out to her.
“What is it?”
“Well, the academy has sent a message.”
“The academy? Ah… Now that I think about it, I had forgotten. It was quite fun.”
Originally, she had been attending the academy while also receiving successor training from her father.
The message from the academy inquired about her potential return.
“Going back would be the worst option.”
Now that she had inherited the countship, returning to the academy would be an act of irresponsibility.
And it wasn’t as if the academy was just next door—it was all the way in the Empire.
However, it wasn’t as though she disliked having the academy's diploma or the student life she had experienced there.
As she thought about the academy, one particularly unpleasant memory surfaced.
A noble from a rather prestigious count family in the Empire.
People said he was handsome, but to Melissa, he was just another frivolous playboy.
She was pretty sure his name was Siger Reden.
He was notorious for seducing noblewomen everywhere he went, and although his reputation wasn’t great, no one dared to reprimand him due to the influence of his family.
Recalling her past entanglement with him left her feeling irritated.
She shook her head, brushing off the memory.
“I’m thirsty.”
“Here is some water, my lady.”
The old butler promptly handed her a glass, and she drank it down in one go.
“By the way, is it true that the Sword Saint wants to make Leon his grandson-in-law?”
“Judging from the circumstances, it seems highly likely.”
“Hah. What a ridiculous situation. If there’s anyone who might be considered a candidate…”
“From my limited knowledge, I believe it is more probable that the main family, rather than a branch family, would seek such an alliance.”
“If we’re talking about someone from the Mielephon family around Leon’s age… then it would be Senior Isna.”
Isna Mielephon.
A senior who was also well-known at the academy.
Melissa chuckled as she recalled her.
Their first meeting… what was it like?
Ah, yes.
She had been in the garden at night, laughing loudly while breathing fire from her mouth.
“You know her, my lady?”
“I do. She’s… how should I put it? The kind of person who makes you feel embarrassed on her behalf, even when she’s not the one at fault.”
Of course, whether Leon truly intended to get engaged was not something she intended to interfere with.
And if someone asked whether Isna Mielephon was a bad person, the answer would be no.
People might have avoided her eccentricity, but they neither hated nor resented her—probably because of her good nature.
Melissa slightly unsheathed her sword before sliding it back in.
“I can’t leave everything to Leon. Let’s go. Before he returns, we should take care of the rats hiding in our territory.”
“Yes, my lady.”
* * *
It was cold.
I could feel piercing stares drilling into my chest.
But I didn’t shrink back.
Right now, in this place filled with noblemen, I had just utterly destroyed someone.
No matter how one looked at it, I was the villain in this scenario.
“Siger!! What is the meaning of this?!”
A nobleman suddenly pushed through the crowd.
“What are you all standing around for?! Check on Siger’s condition immediately! You there, how dare you do this to a member of the noble Reden family and think you’ll get away with it?!”
The enraged noble appeared to be of high status.
The Reden family, huh?
Ah, the Count of Reden.
Compared to Mielephon, they were insignificant, but they were still well-connected within the central aristocracy.
Melissa had mentioned this in the documents she gave me.
Had she anticipated that I would get entangled with nobles?
I didn’t think so, but who knew.
“Young master! Are you alright? Please wake up!”
The knight standing beside Count Reden rushed forward to check on Siger, but his body was already in shambles after taking several blows.
“You… Reveal your identity. I will make your family pay for what you’ve done to my son.”
“You are Count Reden, correct?”
At my question, fury flared in his eyes.
“Yes. Do you have any idea who you have just laid hands on?”
“That’s none of my concern. You may be proud of your family’s honor, but…”
I spoke calmly and walked past the fallen boy, approaching the count.
“…Your son is nothing but a disgraceful scoundrel with not a shred of nobility.”
“What did you just say?!”
“You asked me to reveal my identity, so I shall.”
I took another step forward.
“I am Leon Cascadia, eldest son of the Cascadia family, the border counts who guard the Demon Lands of the Bata Kingdom.”
As I spoke calmly and took another step forward, the man who had been checking on the crouching boy quickly approached and blocked my path.
“Step back. Do not approach the Count any further.”
He was likely a knight serving one of the many nobles present.
Either way, it seemed no one was particularly concerned.
Of course, I had Misha, the head maid, with me, but she was not my personal maid—she served Mielephon.
I never intended to rely on her help.
The head of the family, Catsey, had warned me not to cause any trouble, but the trouble had already happened.
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So, expecting assistance from the Mielephon family was out of the question, and I couldn’t complain even if ties were severed.
Not that our relationship would actually become that cold.
“The Bata Kingdom? Aren’t they just borderland nobles from a minor kingdom? How dare a mere border noble of Bata insult the Reden family of the Empire!!”
“I see. So because the Reden Count family is a grand house, it means that if Cascadia is a small, insignificant noble family from the borderlands, then insulting them to their faces is acceptable? Is that how I should interpret your words?”
I didn’t bother raising my voice.
Yet my words carried across the entire gathering.
“Insult? What nonsense is this!”
“Th-That’s right! H-He suddenly attacked Lord Reden!”
“Yes! He attacked Lord Reden without provocation!”
As the younger students from the academy, who had been following Siger Reden, joined in, the crowd’s gaze grew sharper.
It took only a moment for me to be painted as the troublemaker who had ruined the banquet.
“My sons claim that you attacked my child without reason.”
“Is that so? Strange, I clearly introduced myself.”
I calmly swept my gaze over the young men.
As my name registered in their minds, they flinched as if recalling something.
However, they quickly regained confidence and shouted,
“What does introducing yourself have to do with anything? The issue is that you attacked Lord Reden!”
“What does it have to do with anything? That’s a rather twisted way of thinking. Do you believe it is normal to ignore someone who openly speaks vulgarities and insults about his younger sister right in front of her older brother?”
They must have assumed that since there was no proof of their conversation, they could manipulate the narrative however they wanted.
“Hah, a lowly noble daring to challenge the Reden Count family.”
Besides, even if they were caught, what did it matter?
Their backing was stronger.
That much was written all over their faces.
That is, until a certain individual stepped forward.
“Explain everything in detail, Lord Leon.”
As Catsey Mielephon, who had been silently observing as if she had no intention of intervening, finally spoke up, the crowd parted in both directions.
“Give a full account.”
As she addressed me with familiarity, the murmuring in the crowd grew louder.
Even Reden Count, who had been glaring at me, and Siger Reden’s academy juniors, who had been growling at me, wore expressions of shock.
“Siger Reden made crude and obscene remarks about my younger sister within my hearing. As her older brother, I am merely fulfilling my duty.”
At those words, Catsey’s cold gaze shifted to Siger, who lay collapsed on the ground.
At the same time, the previously pale-faced Siger trembled violently and lowered his gaze.
Regardless of the truth, he seemed genuinely afraid of Catsey Mielephon, the Duke of Mielephon.
“Is that true?”
“What does it matter whether it’s true or not! Your Grace, I do not know why you acknowledge a mere borderland noble, but he is undoubtedly lying!”
As the enraged Count Reden shouted, Catsey’s gaze sharpened chillingly.
“Duke, please don’t concern yourself with such a lowly—”
“I’m sorry, but the Cascadia Count family is currently engaged to Mielephon.”
At those words, waves of murmurs spread through the hall.
“Count Reden, are you saying that since Cascadia is ‘lowly,’ and they are engaged to Mielephon, then Mielephon is also insignificant?”
Her cold tone made Count Reden’s face turn pale.
“T-That’s not what I meant… But surely you don’t mean that the fiancé is…”
He had assumed I was just some minor noble from the outskirts, but realizing I had ties to someone powerful left him visibly shaken.
Still, he must have decided that remaining silent would do him no good.
“Lord Leon, there is nothing more powerless than an unproven truth. Can you prove it?”
After shooting a cold, disdainful look at Count Reden, Catsey Mielephon turned to me, demanding proof.
“Proof? That won’t be difficult.”
“How do you intend to prove it?”
Misha, the head maid, had been present and heard everything, but I had a more reliable method in mind.
Necromancy typically deals with souls and corpses.
There is a magic that can extract the memories of the dead.
With some modifications, it is not difficult to extract memories from the living as well.
However, before I could cast my spell, I was interrupted.
“There’s no need for that—I heard everything myself.”
At the sudden voice, everyone turned toward the source.
And they all froze in astonishment.
Understandably so—because a giant mascot-like costume had just emerged from under the table where I had been sitting.
It closely resembled the mascot costumes from my previous life, often worn by part-time workers.
I never expected to see something like that in this world.
Of course, given the materials—animal hides and cotton stuffing—it was likely different.
But judging by the mana emanating from it, it was more of an artifact than a mere costume.
At the same time, Catsey Mielephon’s expression twisted with fury.
Did she recognize this strange individual?
“Nice to meet you, Lord Leon. This is our first time speaking, isn’t it? I haven’t had many conversations with your sister, Melissa, but I’ve overheard her complaining about you quite often.”
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