A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 17: Aftermath (2)

“W-What are you really scheming...”

Eventually, her gaze dropped to the floor, her words trailing off.

‘Cecil’s great at everything, but this is something she really needs to work on.’

Come to think of it, she’d always had this quirk—stammering when talking to me. She could speak perfectly fine with friends or servants, so it probably only came out when she was dealing with someone awkward or hard to talk to—like me.

It wasn’t anything serious, of course. Cecil was competent in every way. But in noble society, people would pick apart even the smallest flaws.

And if anyone dared insult my sister over something so petty, I wouldn’t let it slide. Still, if I wanted someone who could protect her even when I wasn’t around, it had to start by helping her overcome her own weaknesses.

“...Cecil.”

“......”

“I’ve told you this over and over again.”

Pushing aside my previous thoughts about the newspaper, I gently placed both hands on her shoulders and whispered as gently as I could.

“If you don’t want to be underestimated, speak clearly.”

“O-Okay...”

“Good. Now, say it again.”

She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and although her voice wavered slightly with uncertainty, she managed to finish her sentence properly.

“...W-What kind of schemes are you plotting?”

“See? I knew you could do it.”

That’s my little sister—when she puts her mind to it, she can do anything.

If I keep encouraging her like this, she’s bound to grow into a brilliant head of the house and restore our family’s prestige.

“Well done, Cecil.”

“Hmph.”

“...Though, you really don’t need to speak so formally with me. Kinda hurts, you know...”

“Just answer the question already...”

As I gently patted her head with genuine affection, she responded with a clenched fist and a flustered voice. Smiling, I finally began to explain.

“All of this... it’s for you and for our house.”

“...What?”

To be honest, until a moment ago, I’d felt this vague sense of dread about suddenly becoming famous across the entire Empire.

It wasn’t like I had planned for any of this to happen. I was just as shocked. But now that my name was out there, the risks had definitely increased.

“The rumors of my engagement to Lady Meredia—those were finalized a few days ago.”

“Y-You mean...”

“Yeah. I’ve decided there’s no point in hiding the truth anymore.”

Now that it had come to this, it was better to take full advantage of the situation rather than be dragged around by whoever had leaked the story.

Right now, I was tied down to the mansion because of the engagement. But who knew what might happen next?

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To prepare for any outcome, I needed a solid Plan B. And to do that, I had to start moving in earnest.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

Saying that, I looked at Cecil with a gentle, determined expression and revealed my resolve.

“......”

Sure enough, her face immediately clouded with concern and unease.

She’s way too kindhearted for her own good...

“But really, there’s no need to worry.”

Still smiling, I patted her on the shoulder.

“All you have to do is sit back and watch your big brother shine.”

“...Just answer me one thing.”

After a moment of watching me with pressed lips, Cecil quietly asked in a low voice:

“When the Prince’s fiancée went missing... I wasn’t involved in any of that, right?”

The sharpness of her question caught me off guard, freezing my smile for a split second.

“...Oppa?”

“A-Of course! Who do you think I am? You think I’d pull something like that for no reason...”

Her eyes were searching mine, trembling slightly, and I quickly snapped out of it and responded as smoothly as possible.

—Thud!

That’s when it happened.

A strange thump echoed from inside the wardrobe.

“What was that just now?”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t something just make a noise... from the wardrobe?”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Cecil’s eyes widened as she turned toward the source of the sound.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oppa, don’t tell me...”

“Anyway, isn’t it time for breakfast? Let’s eat together for once—it’s been so long since we—”

Trying to dodge her suspicion, I casually shifted the topic and gently tried to steer her toward the door.

—Thud! Thud!

That’s when it happened again. Two even louder thumps echoed from inside the wardrobe.

“Eek!?”

“Ah, crap.”

Cecil, the youngest trainee knight to earn silver rank, reacted instantly. She darted past me and reached the wardrobe in a flash, hand outstretched and her expression tense.

—Creeeak...

But just before she could touch it, the wardrobe door slowly opened on its own.

“...Pardon the intrusion.”

Thankfully, the only one who emerged—sweaty and breathing heavily but otherwise composed—was Lunelle.

“L-Lunelle...”

I let out a breath of relief. That could’ve gone so much worse.

Cecil, still frozen in the same pose with her hand midair, gaped at the figure now gently closing the wardrobe door again.

Right... she looked up to Lunelle quite a bit as a knight, didn’t she?

Alfred once mentioned that when Lunelle worked at the mansion, Cecil used to go out of her way to help her. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she liked Lunelle more than me.

“Captain Lunelle!”

Thanks to that, Cecil, still wearing a slightly sulky expression, ran toward Lunelle and threw herself into her arms with tears welling in her eyes.

“You mustn’t call me that. I now serve as Sir Whitney’s protector...”

“Don’t say things like that! You’re not just any knight—you're the one who became unit leader based purely on skill, not status! A-And do you even know how much you helped me...?”

Now that I think about it, trainee knights of the Gold Division often served under lower-ranking unit captains.

So that means Cecil had been under Lunelle’s command?

Well, that explained why she’d treated her so kindly. It went beyond simple admiration.

“Then... why were you in the wardrobe?”

“Well, that’s...”

“Come to think of it, this is Oppa’s room, so why would...”

Still looking a little hurt, Cecil’s gaze suddenly began to tremble.

“Ah.”

Then her eyes drifted to Lunelle’s tousled hair and wrinkled uniform, the rumpled bedding that had just been hiding Hestia, and the awkwardly cleared space where she’d lain moments before.

“...Trash.”

She turned to glare at me with eyes full of contempt and coldly spat out words so venomous I nearly staggered.

“Die.”

“Cecil? Wait, this is a misunderstanding...”

“Die, die, die.”

In an instant, I had become a depraved beast in her mind. I started to sweat as I tried to explain myself.

“It seems there’s been some confusion, but Sir Whitney and I were merely conducting ordinary training.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? What kind of training happens in a bedroom...”

“...And, it was something I asked for, so there’s no need to worry.”

Lunelle, who had quietly been gauging the mood, calmly added that line.

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“Y-You wanted to...?”

“Yes.”

“Why... why would you?”

Unaware of how damaging her words were, Lunelle assumed her explanation was effective. Her expression turned solemn as she drove the misunderstanding straight into the core.

“Obeying the command of a superior being... it is instinctual for all living things.”

“...You may not understand yet, Miss Cecil. But once you grow older, you’ll realize it naturally.”

As Lunelle finished speaking with a gentle smile, Cecil’s eyes slowly lost their light.

No—this really is a misunderstanding.

But in this situation, denying it would only make it worse.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

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While I was desperately trying to find a way to salvage the situation, a voice filled with firm resolve reached my ears.

“I’m going to become the head of the house, no matter what it takes.”

Cecil’s eyes, once dead, now burned with renewed fire.

“I’ll beat Oppa, rise to the top, and rescue Captain Lunelle myself...!”

“Ha... Cecil...”

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but smile. Despite everything, it was somehow touching.

“You’re going to be head of the house?”

It was the first time she’d ever declared it aloud.

“Yes, give it a shot.”

I’d always hesitated to bring it up, worried she might feel burdened by the idea. But to hear her say it on her own...

I was so proud, I almost cried. But I held back my emotions and cheered her on with a calm smile.

“If you can pull it off, that is.”

For Cecil’s sake, I could endure this kind of disgrace a hundred times over. Sure, my image might take a hit, but I could always explain everything later.

‘You say that now... but just you wait!’

I was already picturing a future where Cecil stood tall as the family head, lips trembling in defiance as she glanced toward the door with fiery eyes.

“If I win the next Imperial Nomad Selection Tournament, that smug smile will disappear!”

Wait, what? No, absolutely not!

If Meredia was right and the Nomad Selection Tournament was being held again soon, the number of playable characters participating would be staggering.

Even for Cecil, that’d be—

SLAM!

While I was still panicking over that thought, the loud bang of the door slamming shut snapped me out of it.

Cecil’s declaration about entering the Nomad Selection Tournament was definitely a new headache—but right now, there was something more urgent to worry about.

“...Sigh.”

Letting out a deep breath, I walked toward the wardrobe from which the noises had come.

“She got found out.”

I opened the wardrobe door, which Lunelle had hastily shut earlier, and placed a hand on my now-throbbing forehead.

“...Apologies. I was startled by an unknown voice inside the wardrobe and lost my composure...”

“Mmm... mmm?”

Inside was the one and only future Saintess, the Prince’s fiancée, and the person whose awakening was essential to the peace of the world.

And she had been emergency-bound with blankets at the hands and feet, a pillowcase stuffed in her mouth, and unceremoniously shoved into Lunelle’s wardrobe.

“Mmm...?”

The look on her face as she saw us open the door could only be described as pure terror.

“Well, at least Cecil didn’t see her. That’s a relief.”

“...Relief, huh? Are you sure about that?”

How the hell am I supposed to clean up this mess?

***

Meanwhile, at that very moment, in the courtyard of the Ringaarden estate.

“This has to be... a dream, right?”

Sasha, who hadn’t been able to sleep at all after witnessing something shocking while stopping by the mourning chamber at dawn, was now sweeping the courtyard with dark circles under her eyes.

“H-Haha... No matter how eccentric young master may be, there’s no way he’d actually do something like that...”

She was doing her best to ignore the early morning chatter of the staff, all of whom were buzzing about the Prince’s missing fiancée and the unprecedented scandal.

—Clop, clop, clop...

But then she heard the distant echo of hooves growing louder and louder. Her hands froze mid-sweep as she tilted her head, confused.

“Who’s arriving this early...?”

“Is this the place?”

“H-Hiiik!”

The moment she saw the gleaming suits of armor worn by knights approaching the estate’s gate, Sasha dropped her broom and began to tremble.

“Hey, you there.”

Maybe it was because her reaction was so conspicuous, but the man at the front of the group spotted her right away and raised a hand in greeting.

Sasha’s mind went completely blank.

“Where is Sir Whitney?”

“I-I don’t know anything! Please don’t kill me!”

“......”

The man tilted his head, confused by the nonsensical answer. Then he calmly cleared his throat and spoke again.

“There’s no need to be alarmed. We haven’t come with bad news.”

“R-Really?”

Sasha opened one eye and asked with a timid voice.

“I merely bring a message from Her Majesty the Emperor.”

“Hiiieeeee!”

“...Is this girl alright in the head?”

As the name of the most terrifying figure in the Empire left the knight’s mouth, Sasha let out a deflated whimper and squeezed her eyes shut once again.