The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

120 - A Game, a Novel and a Reality - Part 2

The cooling rag on my forehead may indeed reduce the pressing headache, but it doesn't stop any headache gained from contemplating the matter of a game from the future where the people I've known since childhood are charm objectives. Supposing that the game can be started over, then Claire isn't someone meant for any specific one of them. For the ideals of chivalry, this is... quite far from ideal. Still, this is not that game. Things have changed so dramatically that it can hardly be compared. Still, Lionel has yet to have those worries calmed.

"Have you told anyone about the future of the game, with your possible execution?"

Rather than ask on about himself he changes the direction onto my fate.

"As it is I told Magdalin, though phrased as a prophecy. After all, we are not stuck in the script. Things can change."

He watches me quietly and narrows his eyes with hints of suspicion.

"Did you also tell her that you'd still be in danger even if he chose Claire and you accepted that and pulled away?"

Ugh. His eyes are piercing. We did try to make a contract to prevent something like that... but he has a point... the royal family truly has a firm grasp of what house Salender does, and House Listere was a victim of theirs, then I'd still be in danger. For me to die is a cleaner cut... but, I hadn't found a reason for that.

"I did not, I didn't think he would take it that far. Lionel, when she said the royal family was the cause of House Listere you believed her, why?"

I ask a question that had been nagging me since the conversation. Lionel was a lot closer to the royal family, so maybe he knew something I did not because of that. After all, I'd tried to keep my distance from them. Lionel grimaces and covers his mouth for a moment. His nose scrunches up with disgust at my words, but it doesn't take him long to lean back in the chair and cross his arms to clench each arm with a fist.

"You know that House Listere and the royal family are very closely related, right?" He asks carefully and looks at me intensely. I nod and give a small word of approval.

"Before all of that started, children that did not take the throne were also often married back into House Listere... it used to be a much larger house than it is today. Thus, House Listere technically did have a small claim on the throne... but... some of the royal children suffer the same fate. Once they reach about the age of five they die... that said, the royal family has not even once had a child blessed by a light fairy. Not even once, despite marrying light magicians into their family repeatedly. With light magic being the ideal magic... the magic sought after and prayed for and seen as holy... I realized that the royal family may have done it to reduce House Listere's immense popularity since they have claim on the throne. Soleil would be one of the people considered if Alstair dies. If he had light magic, then he'd be chosen without a doubt. it was in case there was no male heir? It was probably done so that people would wait for the eldest girl to give birth, rather than just hand off the throne to House Listere"

I feel nauseous. I understand it, but I feel sick anyway. Did light magic really have such a big effect in politics? No wonder the heroine in the story had practically been allowed to do whatever she wanted... and if she married into the royal family, then that would solidify their position, since House Listere couldn't make them anymore. Though, Lionel wasn't finished.

"She mentioned the north briefly as well, which actually made things worse. The three marquess houses were originally one. It was split into three by royal decree since the marquess had three sons. After that, things worsened dramatically for them, and there has never been peace between them... The north controls the flow of silver to the capital. As it is right now, they try to undercut each other, which lowers the price drastically, but if they worked together, their territories would flourish as much as House Salender's, if not more. Their military is mainly defensive, but they are a nightmare to deal with. If they were self-sufficient, then making them listen and holding their loyalty would be difficult. If the matter with House Listere prompted murder as control, then it wouldn't surprise me if the money and control of the north did too."