"Oh—?"
Looking at Ian and Mélusine who had come before her, Baobhan Sith wore an expression of great interest.
"You're saying you want my mother and the King to reconcile?"
"Is that right?"
"..."
Although she felt that Baobhan Sith's words vaguely carried an aura even more unsettling than Morgan's, Mélusine thought of what Ian had just said to her and finally nodded.
"Yes, that's it."
"You'll... agree, won't you?"
"Logically speaking—"
Baobhan Sith wagged her finger.
"Of course that's impossible."
"Isn't this tantamount to asking me to disobey my mother, and even have her share..."
Baobhan Sith glanced at Ian, slightly rephrasing her words.
"...share this knight with another woman?"
"Why would you think I would agree?"
"Hmm?"
Baobhan Sith shrugged.
"You have to at least tell me the reason for your confidence, right?"
"You can't just expect me to agree to whatever you say. Wouldn't that make me seem cheap?"
"..."
Compared to her mother, Mélusine could clearly feel that Baobhan Sith was even more difficult to deal with.
It was as if she had inherited all of her mother's best qualities, but on top of that, possessed a more irksome kind of cleverness.
"It's not about being cheap, I just—"
"Eh, I don't want to hear your answer anymore."
Baobhan Sith deliberately pressed a finger to Mélusine's lips.
She quickly looked to the other side, her eyes taking on a completely different light.
"I want to know what he thinks."
"Mélusine, can you please be quiet for a moment?"
It was polite, yet at the same time, very rude.
But remembering that she was here to seek her help, Mélusine could only hold it in.
Otherwise, she probably would have drawn the sword at her waist long ago.
"There, the world is quiet now."
Baobhan Sith looked at Ian by the door and spoke softly.
It was an act somewhat similar to Morgan's, yet it had a completely different feel.
"Tell me."
Baobhan Sith's fingers hooked Ian's chin.
"Why exactly do you want to do this?"
"I don't want them to be in such pain."
Without any hesitation, Ian gave the exact same answer he had given Mélusine.
"If this continues, both of them will be in great pain."
"I..."
"I don't want to see that happen."
"But you already missed the chance to keep Mother from being sad."
Baobhan Sith shrugged.
"At the wedding, you chose the King, not my mother. From that moment on, she was destined to be sad, wasn't she?"
"Baobhan Sith, you..."
"Shut it."
The princess's daughter turned her head, her expression changing in an instant.
"Mélusine, I will reiterate what I said just now."
"I want to hear his answer, not yours."
"So—"
Baobhan Sith made a zipping motion across her lips.
It was a serious and earnest gesture.
"Don't speak, alright?"
"I don't want to hear your voice."
"You..."
If it weren't for Ian, Mélusine felt she would have absolutely exploded by now.
When had she ever been treated with such disrespect!
Not even Artoria had ever told her to shut up like this!
Who the hell did Baobhan Sith think she was!
But—
Mélusine looked at Ian and gripped her own arm tightly.
Endure it.
I have to endure it.
No matter how awful it is, I have to endure it—he's trying so hard to ask for my help, how could I just stand by and do nothing!
Seeing Mélusine fuming but having no outlet for her anger, Baobhan Sith seemed to derive a great deal of pleasure.
She quickly turned back to look at her father in every sense of the word.
"So, what else do you plan to do?"
"Weren't all paths closed off from the very beginning?"
"Then why don't I just marry Morgan too?" Ian looked at Baobhan Sith and said this.
"..."
After three and one-third seconds, having confirmed she had not misheard Ian, Baobhan Sith began to laugh.
"That's quite an exaggerated idea."
"Because the wedding caused Mother pain, you want to heal her wounded heart by marrying her again?"
"Hey—"
Baobhan Sith spread her hands.
"Isn't that a little too simplistic?"
"Will my mother agree? Will the King agree?"
"It seems you haven't thought any of this through."
"..."
Even Mélusine, who was completely on Ian's side, couldn't help but agree with Baobhan Sith at this moment.
That's right.
Ian's idea had no practical possibility of being realized.
Leaving aside whether Morgan would accept...
Artoria's side alone was terrifying enough—a husband who was already married, marrying someone else again?
And the person he was marrying was her own sister, with whom she had no small amount of bad blood?
Hiss...
Just thinking about it made Mélusine suck in a cold breath.
What a terrifying situation that would be!
Even for a dragon with a weak sense of morality, it would be impossible—
"I will find a way to make her agree."
"I have to save all of Camelot."
As if to dispel all of Baobhan Sith's and Mélusine's worries, Ian said this before they could complete their mental loop.
This was not a statement born of lust in the slightest, but simply the action required to achieve the result of "salvation."
Because if the two reconciled, it would benefit Camelot and open up more possibilities.
Therefore—
Even if it was an extremely improper course of action, Ian would try it, and he would be open about it.
This was his logic as a dragon, simple and brutal, and the foundation of all his actions.
Dammit...
It's such an unreliable statement, but why do I feel such a strong sense of agreement with it?
Mélusine couldn't understand it at all.
She just felt that she could completely understand his thinking.
"Oh?"
"You'll be responsible for handling Artoria?"
For a rare moment, Baobhan Sith used the King's real name.
"That sounds like quite a good condition—"
"However, are you sure you can do it?"
"..."
"Forget it. It doesn't matter if you can't."
Baobhan Sith smiled, a smile that felt a little mischievous.
"At the very least, it sounds interesting."
"In that case—"
"It's not impossible for me to consider it."
"But before that..."
Baobhan Sith extended her hand.
"I'd like to first try out this 'wedding' you mentioned, and see what it's all about."