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Early in the morning, having woken up early, I decided to take a walk until meeting time with everyone from "Twilight Moonbow". Before I knew it, I had arrived at the top of a hill a little ways outside the usual town.
"I wonder if big sis is okay..."
As the sun rose, I gazed at the faintly hazy moon and murmured.
Last month, big sis Selma left with the princess of this country to head to Daruane.
I had heard from big sis that she was friends with the princess, but for the princess to rely on her during such a difficult time means big sis must be someone very important to her too.
Big sis really is amazing～.
I'm incredibly proud of that.
As her little sister, it makes me hold my head high.
But the fact that the place big sis is heading to is Daruane fills me with nothing but worry.
Big sis had a fight with Father, and it's still ongoing.
The cause of that fight is me.
I feel sorry about it, yet at the same time, I'm happy because it makes me feel loved by big sis.
Am I a terrible person...?
Daruane is the town governed by our father, Count Claudel.
Honestly, my memories of that place aren't good.
Especially after big sis became an explorer—Mother's treatment toward me grew even harsher.
Back then, that house was my entire world, and Mother was the god of that world.
So I desperately tried to live quietly to avoid angering her.
But big sis took my hand and led me into a new world.
That world was completely fresh to me—everything sparkled.
At the center of that world was big sis.
I still vividly remember being impressed by how everyone relied on her.
Unlike Mother, who always brought up the family name whenever something happened, big sis had earned that trust through her own strength.
I wanted to enter that world more deeply, so I decided to become an explorer.
Big sis didn't oppose it—she respected my decision, and that made me happy.
After that, I learned the basics of being an explorer in "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky", formed a party with Carol and Log, gained a reliable mentor in Orun-san, added the dependable Luu-nee as a comrade, and my days became incomparably brighter and more colorful than before.
Now I can say it with pride:
My home is "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky", and my place is wherever my comrades in "Twilight Moonbow" are.
"Ah, it's already this late. I need to hurry back or I'll miss meeting time...!"
Lost in memories while gazing at the pale moon and clouds drifting across the clear sky, time had passed in the blink of an eye.
Realizing this, I turned on my heel and hurried back toward the clan headquarters.
As I descended the hill and continued on, a carriage suddenly pulled out from the side and stopped in front of me.
"—っ!"
Wondering what was happening, I tried to step around it—then caught my breath when I saw the crest painted on the carriage.
(Why is this carriage here...?)
While I froze at the sudden development, a man's voice came from inside the carriage:
"Finally found you."
"Wh-why..."
Hearing that voice, my body began to tremble against my will.
Then a man in his late forties wearing a swallow-tailed coat emerged from the carriage.
"To think a lowly girl tainted with common blood would cause me this much trouble—you've really gotten full of yourself, haven't you, Sophia?"
The man in the swallow-tailed coat—Aldo—spoke to me with a vulgar sneer.
Aldo has long served as Father's right-hand man.
I've heard he was already in that position when I was born.
And during my time in that house, he was one of those who looked down on me, hurling cruel words at me more than once or twice.
Seeing Aldo's face brought back all the horrible things he had said to me in the past. My legs shook, my heart trembled.
"Wh-why is Aldo-san here...?"
"Haa... Obviously because I have business with you."
Aldo answered my question with a sigh and a tone that implied how could I not understand something so obvious.
"Business... with me?"
My mind was filled with questions.
To the Claudel family, I should be someone who might as well not exist—that was the common understanding among everyone connected to the family.
Indeed, after big sis took me away from the house, the Claudel family had left me completely alone.
So I had thought my connection to the Claudel family was practically severed.
Yet now, what business could they possibly have with me?
And to send someone as valued by Father as Aldo all the way to Tsutorail—what could the purpose be?
"Rejoice. You have a marriage prospect."
Ignoring my confusion, Aldo dropped another bombshell.
"...Eh...?"
My thoughts ground to a halt as yet another explosion landed amid my bewilderment.
(Marriage prospect? Like an engagement... that kind of marriage prospect...?)
Seeing my reaction, Aldo frowned and muttered "Still as slow as ever" before speaking to me again.
"How long are you going to stand there dumbfounded? Get in the carriage already. The Count is preparing for your wedding. The Count and I are using our precious time for the likes of you—don't waste any more of it."
"B-but, suddenly saying something like that..."
"—It seems you're currently in a party called "Twilight Moonbow" with some commoners, aren't you?"
While I was flustered, Aldo suddenly brought up something completely unrelated to the marriage talk.
Why would he mention this now? Realizing the reason, cold sweat poured down my back.
"The power of Count Claudel is immense. Erasing three mere commoners... would be easy, you know?"
Aldo's words matched exactly the conclusion I had reached.
"W-wait, please...! Please don't do anything to them! I beg you!"
All I could do now was plead.
There's no doubt that everyone in "Twilight Moonbow" is highly capable.
Physically harming Carol and the others would be difficult.
But there are ways to eliminate people beyond physically ending their lives.
And if it's Count Claudel—who governs the eastern border region known as the kingdom's gateway—those methods are numerous and varied.
Even if I resisted here, it would only delay the inevitable.
I don't want to cause unnecessary hardship for my precious comrades because of me.
If something happened to them because of me, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.
"If you don't want that, then fulfill your 『duty』 as a noble's daughter. That choice will lead to the happiness of all the domain's people..."
"Y-yes... I understand..."
"Hmph. If only you'd obeyed from the beginning."
"Um... at least let me say goodbye to my comrades..."
"No need for that. Now hurry up and get in the carriage."
My final request was rejected. Aldo grabbed my wrist and half-forced me into the carriage.
And so the carriage carrying me and Aldo began to move.
My mind was filled with guilt toward my comrades for disappearing without even saying goodbye, and anxiety about what would happen from here on.