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Ariel was briefly outside talking with her subordinate when she noticed Edgar approaching with an unusual expression, causing her to pause her conversation and head straight to the office.

Upon hearing the whole story, her expression grew serious.

Ideally, Minette would have come along with Edgar to deliver the news personally, but she had to focus on Kelrag at the moment.

“So that’s what happened…”

“I don’t think it’s a big problem, but I wanted your opinion on it.”

“I feel the same. I never thought it would resolve quickly.”

Both of them had been operating under the assumption that the curse affecting Kelrag originated from Albrecht.

Thus, they hadn’t seriously considered that this curse would be resolved swiftly, nor had they thought they would catch him off guard.

Of course, that might not be the case, but if he really was behind this, they would be pitting the Empire’s strongest mage against themselves.

Moreover, the chances of capturing him, who had been stealthily operating without leaving a trace, seemed slim.

“So did you inform Minette about the Marquis Bertus?”

“That seemed like the right choice.”

Though Edgar hadn’t come to the decision after prior consultation with Ariel, he thought that it would be effective to inform Minette of this theory given the circumstances.

Ariel didn’t comment on his choice. Instead, she simply squeezed his hand affectionately, speaking in a gentle tone.

“Well done. I would have acted the same way if I were you.”

Minette was a trustworthy individual. She had been a prominent figure when Yulken was active, and above all, she had no interest in petty political games or power struggles.

Her only motivations were her pursuit of magic and her loyalty to Yulken.

With that in mind, even if she were informed about the situation, there was little chance it would leak to anyone else, and it could even open her mind to new thoughts.

“I doubt Minette would have considered the possibility that Marquis Bertus could commit such an act.”

“That’s what it seems. I hope this doesn’t just solidify her preconceived notions…”

Edgar was merely conveying the thought that they shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Albrecht’s involvement, but getting too caught up in that could lead to problems.

Yet with someone as astute as Minette, he believed she would filter that out and grasp the reality of the situation.

“Alright, I’ll consider it. I’ll need to consult Father later.”

“Make sure to include me. It’s better to have three heads than two.”

“Of course. You’re mine, so you should be at my side.”

Ariel confidently declared that and flashed a grin, which made Edgar chuckle and shrug his shoulders.

“Anyway, with time on our hands, we might get some kind of reaction.”

“What kind of reaction?”

“Just a feeling. I can’t shake that intuition.”

When Edgar asked her about her musing, she shook her head as if it were just a hunch and walked over to the desk.

Ten days.

A time that could be considered short or long.

If you were to ask her whether that time would surely be peaceful, she felt it wouldn’t be.

Perhaps, before unearthing clues about the curse and pinpointing the culprits, new events might arise from somewhere.

‘Nothing in this world ever goes as predicted.’

Recalling Edgar’s favorite saying, she nodded slightly.

It wouldn’t hurt to be thoroughly prepared in her heart.

* * * * * * *

Three days later, the atmosphere within the castle seemed remarkably calm on the surface.

Indeed, aside from a select few, including Edgar and Ariel, life flowed as usual without much notice.

Meanwhile, amidst this atmosphere, no one was more jubilant than Sonia.

Though she expected to return to the family home soon, her parents had recently befriended people from the Robeheim Family, which meant she could stay longer.

Thanks to this, she could spend even more time in this grand and splendid castle, news that delighted her childlike heart above all else.

“Brother! Let’s play, Sonia!”

Today, right after finishing breakfast, Sonia, as always, clung to Edgar’s leg, eager for playtime.

Watching this, Helene smiled warmly, but in stark contrast, Edgar appeared quite troubled.

“Sorry, Sonia. I have work today, so I can’t play.”

He had a guest at the castle who he needed to meet in Ariel’s place, so he couldn’t skip that.

Even if it were paperwork, he could have put it off temporarily, but feeling guilty, he ran his hand through Sonia’s hair as he apologized, instantly deflating her enthusiasm.

Despite being quite bold for her age, she was still just a child who wanted to play freely with someone she liked.

“When are you going to play with me?”

“Um… how about tomorrow?”

“Ugh…”

Though Edgar proposed a compromise, Sonia only puffed out her cheeks even bigger.

For a child, asking to wait an extra day was practically equivalent to saying they wouldn’t play at all.

‘It’s tough that I can’t help her.’

Helene, watching from a distance, wished she could assist but unfortunately lacked the means to do so, as she had plans to go out with Katria right after finishing her meal.

Soon, Ariel would also be busy, and Ransel was stuck with Yulken… there was simply no available person to help.

Even if she ordered one of the servants to entertain Sonia, it was unlikely Sonia would enjoy it.

As they contemplated how to relieve her boredom, Sonia suddenly perked up, with her eyes sparkling brightly.

“Brother! There’s someone I want to play with!”

“Someone you want to play with? Who is it?”

Curious if there was someone else she felt this friendly about, Edgar tilted his head.

Sonia’s bright smile answered his question.

“The uncle we met last time! I want to play with him!”

“…Ah.”

Edgar found the request quite awkward to entertain.

That face, so innocent and naive.

* * * * * * *

Kelrag, having heard the story, looked up at Edgar from his bed with a baffled expression.

Sitting next to him was Sonia, who was curiously fiddling with the desk and everything else with her tiny hands.

“So, you want me to babysit her?”

Given that he had been staying with the Robeheim Family for a while and had built a friendly rapport, he wondered if something was wrong with Edgar’s value system.

How could the head of the Carvita Tribe be asked to play with his little sister?

It certainly wasn’t an unreasonable request, for it was usually the kind of activity he’d do anyway, taking a guard along to stretch his legs and walk around the castle.

‘As if I’d harm my own sister.’

He was just a bit taken aback by the situation.

Handing over his precious little sister to someone who had only recently been the leader of the enemy felt reckless rather than optimistic.

Of course, he wasn’t the sort to think of harm, but given their positions, it wasn’t entirely unthinkable to have some doubts.

“I guess your health isn’t too good, making it hard for you, huh?”

“No, my health is fine, but…”

Except for the surprise at Edgar’s concern for his health.

‘He really hasn’t thought this through at all.’

Should he consider this trust or underestimation?

Regardless, it was clear that he deemed Edgar suitable for taking care of his younger sister.

Amused by the situation, Kelrag began to pet Sonia’s head while addressing Edgar.

“Do you really think I’m the kind of person I could leave her with? After all, I used to be the leader of the enemy.”

“Hm, I see.”

Edgar acted as if he had just realized something and nodded slightly.

He hadn’t entirely dismissed the idea. In fact, he had casually asked Ariel before arriving what she thought.

However, the conclusion remained straightforward.

“I’m not sure if you’re reliable, but you certainly don’t strike me as someone who would use a little girl as a bargaining chip.”

“Man, you sure can talk.”

If he were to act this foolishly after saying all of that, he’d only be tarnishing his own name.

Kelrag waved his hand dismissively with an amused smirk, while Edgar smiled back.

“Ariel says the same thing. She thinks she can’t win me over through words.”

“Well, if she says that, it must be true. I never saw her as someone who could lose an argument.”

That opinion masked a personal belief that it would be impossible for Kelrag to win against Ariel.

After all, that had merely been a probing comment at Edgar.

“Besides, while we were on the way here, Ariel cast a spell on Sonia, so it’ll be hard for any funny business to occur.”

“Ah, so that’s what it is.”

He must have some sort of magic in place that activates if harm is done, or perhaps a tracking spell.

Kelrag, who wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about magic, could only guess, but nevertheless, it was reassuring.

It was magic cast by none other than Ariel.

“Fine, then. I’ll be taking this little lady with me.”

“Thank you. And if she gets unwell, be sure to come back and call for me.”

Kelrag was still very much a patient.

Although his body was strong enough, and with Minette’s assistance, he could manage to be active to some extent despite the curse, he couldn’t overdo it.

It was precisely because of this that Edgar was a bit hesitant to make such a suggestion, but since Sonia had asked earnestly, he had felt it was better to risk it.

He never really expected it would go this smoothly.

“You’re not about to call me while you’re in a lofty position, right? You can just send Burik instead.”

“What do you mean by treating my little sister as if she’s a burden?”

“Oh, my mistake.”

Yet Kelrag appeared to have no intentions of withdrawing his statement.

Edgar, watching him closely, smiled slightly and nudged Sonia forward.

“Okay, Sonia. The uncle will play with you today. Sound good?”

“Yay! Uncle is fun!”

“Hey, don’t forget to use polite words.”

“Leave it. He’s not exactly the type to warrant respect, anyway.”

Who cared about politeness when speaking to the leader of the enemy?

Kelrag felt that Edgar’s formalities were awkward himself, but shrugged it off as he affectionately ruffled Sonia’s hair.

“You promised last time, didn’t you? Have you decided what to play?”

“Uh-huh!”

“What a lively answer. Just like the brother and sister you are.”

With a proud smile, Kelrag lifted Sonia into the air, much like when they first met.