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Unconsciously, Ekaterina grips her brother’s sleeve.

So this was it! The source of Novadin’s confidence!
I had wondered if he was trying to make Miss Kira the Duchess. But his attitude seemed off for that.
This was the reason. He didn’t need to flatter my brother. He’d already secured the trump card to make Miss Kira the Duchess from that deadbeat and the old hag. That’s why he greeted my brother at Jurnova Castle with such an air of entitlement.

But still… this is…
It’s just like the condemnation scene from the game

Could it be… no, no way… the impact of the game not progressing according to the script? Has the doom flag suddenly struck here?

“Ekaterina, are you alright?”
“Y-yes, Onii-sama.”

Being met with concern, Ekaterina snapped back to reality. No, I must pull myself together.

“Lord Aleksei!”

Kira called out impatiently.
Aleksei directed a gaze at her utterly unlike the one he gave his sister. Seemingly oblivious to its coldness, Kira’s face lit up, utterly blissful at having met his eyes.

“Lord Aleksei.”

Whether it was inherited from her mother or not, she performed a flawless curtsy. Then, with a smile, Kira extended her hand to Aleksei.

“I am overjoyed to finally be able to stand beside you! I will never leave you alone again. I will always be by your side! Father and Mother both say they wish to support Lord Aleksei. Even if it is by marriage, they will be your parents. You needn’t worry about the estate with such a stern expression anymore. Father will manage everything perfectly. Lord Aleksei, you can live each day joyfully, just like your father, Lord Aleksandr. I’ve dreamed of this day for so long—the day I could set you free!”

…In her brother’s arms, Ekaterina couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Excuse me, Lady Drill-Hair?
You really believed that, didn’t you? You really think that marrying Onii-sama and letting that old man Novadin take over Jurnova would make him happy.
Wow. That’s something.

But… come to think of it, maybe it’s only natural. She’s still just a child. To a child’s mind, her father—who ignored all responsibility and duty while living a life of glamorous play—must have seemed like the happiest person alive.
Bearing such heavy responsibilities since childhood, it is hard to say that Onii-sama was happy. But beyond his duties lie the lives of countless subjects, the happiness and misfortune of countless people. Onii-sama understands that. How could he find happiness by abandoning them?
Little Drill-Hair, it’s impossible for you to ever understand that. If I explained duty to you, you’d probably just snort in disbelief. In my past life, fifteen-year-olds were usually like that.

Ah, but this kid was worse than my past life’s fifteen-year-old. She was the type to flaunt her noble status and look down on commoners.
Lady Drill-Hair here is a local villainess. When villainesses do flashy things like this, it never ends well.
After all—Onii-sama is nothing if not incredibly level-headed.

.

Aleksei stroked his sister’s hair and smiled reassuringly.

“Ekaterina, wait here for a moment.”
“Yes, Onii-sama.”

As Ekaterina released his sleeve, Aleksei lifted his face and fixed his gaze on Novadin. His neon-blue eyes were piercingly sharp.
He completely ignored both the hand Kira offered and Kira herself, passing right by her side. Aleksei looked straight down at Novadin.

“The letter.”
“Ah…”

Startled, Novadin handed the sealed envelope as if by reflex. Aleksei swiftly examined its contents.
He gave a single nod, his expression cold.
Then, scanning the great hall, he called out.

“Daniil. Is Daniil Rygal present?”

A brief pause followed before the reply came.

“Yes, Your Grace. Daniil Rygal, before you.”

The people in the great hall swiftly parted to make way. Emerging from the path they formed was the legal advisor to the Duke of Jurnova. A young man with an undeniably intellectual appearance, his silver-rimmed glasses particularly striking. His hair color was a subdued gray, but the eyes behind the glasses were a vivid jade green. Though barely thirty—far too young for a legal professional—his emerald eyes seemed to hold a sharp, piercing light.
And on his lips was a bold, insolent smile, as if he were relishing this bizarre situation.

“Confirm the contents and explain them to them.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”

Daniil swiftly reviewed the contents of the letter he had received from Aleksei.
Then, smiling broadly, he declared in a resonant voice:

“This letter does not constitute a valid engagement for Your Grace under the Imperial Law. From a legal standpoint, this document holds no particular significance.”

The crowd in the great hall murmured once more.

.

“How… how rude!”

Novadin’s face flushed crimson.

“It holds no significance, you say? Don’t be ridiculous! This is the handwriting of the late Duke, Aleksandr himself! It bears his seal!”
“Yes, that is correct.”

Daniil pushed up his glasses and grinned.

“You are right, the handwriting appears to be that of Duke Aleksandr.
However, the seal affixed here is Duke Aleksandr’s personal private seal. It is not the seal of the Duke of Jurnova. Nor is it Her Highness Aleksandra’s seal.
The marriage of influential nobles is a contract between houses. Therefore, Imperial marriage law stipulates that letters concerning betrothal or marriage require the seals of both houses and the signatures of both heads of house. The signatures of the late Duke and his mother do not fulfill the necessary requirements.”

Holding the letter toward Novadin, the lawyer explained, pointing out each detail of the handwriting, the seal, and the relevant passages. With everyone watching, the people in the great hall reacted to each word with murmurs of “Oh” and “Huh.”
Truly a lawyer seasoned in courtroom debate. His crisp, relentless tone carried great persuasive power.

“S-Shut up! Regardless of the law, Lord Aleksandr wrote in this letter that he designates Kira as the fiancée of his son Aleksei. Do you think it’s permissible to disregard the Duke’s final wishes?!”

Novadin’s words filled the great hall with a confused murmur.

Daniil nodded earnestly.

“It is permissible. To declare Lord Aleksei’s betrothal valid based on this letter alone would constitute disrespect toward His Imperial Majesty.”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

“For the betrothals and marriages of the heads and heirs of the Three Grand Ducal Houses require the approval of His Imperial Majesty. This too has been established by law since the founding of our nation. If Lord Aleksandr were to unilaterally declare His Highness Aleksei’s engagement settled, it would be seen as disregarding His Majesty the Emperor’s authority. In the past, a duke’s house that attempted to arrange an engagement without His Majesty’s approval actually received severe reprimands and was even placed under house arrest. It happened some two hundred years ago, so it’s understandable if you’re unaware—though, well, it seems many here are quite familiar with it. Therefore, unless His Imperial Majesty’s personal seal is present here, we cannot declare His Grace Aleksei’s engagement finalized. We simply cannot say it is.”

Novadin raised his voice, visibly flustered.

“But… Princess Aleksandra is an Imperial Princess! With her seal present, His Majesty the Emperor will surely grant his approval!”
“No. Since she married into the Duke’s house, Princess Aleksandra’s status is now Duchess. Imperial law decrees she is no longer a member of the Imperial Family, but a subject.”
“Shut up! Regardless of the law, it’s a fact that Duke Aleksandr and Her Highness Aleksandra wished for Kira to be Duchess! If Lord Aleksei respects Duke Vasily’s letter of consent, then the final wishes of his own father, Duke Aleksandr, should be held in even higher regard!”
“Is that truly what he wished?”

Daniil’s tone was calm… and therefore, unsettling.