Chapter 52

"Big brothers, you found Anna's mother, didn't you?"

When Mary spoke to her brothers in a consoling tone, they almost simultaneously shrugged their shoulders.

"Yeah, but I underestimated the situation. I thought we'd find her at the hospital, but it turned out that Anna had escaped from the hospital after learning she was gone. The hospital was terrible, outright refusing to treat patients without money."

"Such...!"

"So the three of us searched, and we found Anna's mother, Élène, crouched at the side of the road. Her face was not just pale but ashen, and she barely responded when we called out to her. I thought my heart would stop. Right, Lucian?"

When Lang sought agreement, Lucian nodded seriously. It seemed the situation was quite dire when they found Élène. She had left the hospital despite being in no condition to do so, her body ailing and her mind filled with anxiety. She had been crawling around, searching for Anna out of sheer love for her daughter. It was fortunate that the brothers had acted first. When Mary expressed her gratitude, Lang and Lucian puffed out their chests proudly.

"Weren't we glad to come along?"

"...We can be useful too."

"Oh, weren't you in the middle of the 'First Round of the Albert Heir Succession Battle'?"

When Mary pointed out the contradiction in their statements, the two of them visibly tensed. They had been so preoccupied with Anna that they had completely forgotten the pretense of "happening to meet Mary during the succession battle." Despite their contrasting expressions, both of their faces clearly read "trouble." Incidentally, Roberto was completely indifferent to his master's predicament.

"Really, you two. You were just coincidentally in Silvino and coincidentally found Élène, right?"

"A, ah, yes! Everything was a coincidence! It must be that God used us to help Mary."

"And you coincidentally found out Élène was Anna's mother and brought her here?"

"...Yes. It must be because of Mary's good behavior... Mary performed a miracle... So, Mary is a miracle worker..."

"That's scary in itself."

Mary cut them off sharply, and that ended the conversation. Even though she knew it was a complete lie, the brothers had helped find Élène. She would let it slide in light of their efforts. --Though being called a miracle worker after the goddess of beauty wasn't particularly appealing--

Lang and Lucian heaved a sigh of relief at Mary's compromise and, perhaps realizing further discussion was unwise, hurriedly went to Anna. Roberto approached with a gentle smile, as if in contrast to their hasty departure. Normally, he should have been the first to support his master in a crisis, but his demeanor was anything but.

"Thank you, Roberto. We were lucky you found Élène."

"Yes, it was quite a surprise. But the first round has concluded smoothly, so I can assist you now."

"Really, you could have just cooperated from the start without all the lies. ...Wait, it's over? The first round is over?"

Did you actually have the succession battle? When Mary asked, Roberto nodded with a refined smile. It was a charming yet suspicious smile.

He then took a letter from his inner pocket and handed it to Mary. It was a pristine white envelope, sealed with wax. However, the seal bore an unfamiliar coat of arms, and Mary tilted her head in confusion.

"Roberto, what is this?"

"The spoils of the first round, perhaps. I offer it to you, Mary."

"But why do you have it? Could it be that, tired of the brothers' indecision, you finally rebelled...!"

When Mary cast a suspicious glance, Roberto smiled gently. It was an elegant smile, but he clearly hadn't rebelled, dismissing her words with a light "You jest." --Though his usual attitude was almost rebellious--

Leaning in close, he whispered the details of the first round in her ear.

Mary's eyes widened in surprise. But as she gradually understood what Roberto was saying and what her brothers had in mind, she smiled slyly. Tucking the letter into her jacket, she said, "It was a fulfilling first round," to which Roberto nodded contentedly. His smile hinted at mischief, but Mary was in a similar state.

"Let's proceed to the discussion. Roberto, you must be tired, so please rest in another room with the brothers."

"I appreciate your consideration."

"Also, if possible, please look after Anna. We don't know what kind of discussion it will be, and it might not be suitable for children."

"You're right. Anna has been saying 'beat him up' since just now, so it might get quite intense."

"...Patrick should really watch his language around children."

Casually shifting the blame to Patrick, Mary turned her gaze to Anna. Though she had stopped crying, she was still clinging to her mother. It would be cruel to separate them again after their reunion. The brothers also seemed concerned about Élène, so it was safe to leave them in their care.

"Let's go, then. We shouldn't keep them waiting. Adi? ...Adi?"

Worried about Adi's silence, Mary looked up at him. He was watching Anna and Élène's reunion with a slightly frustrated but relieved expression.

"Adi, are you okay? Should you also step out with Roberto?"

"No, I'll stay with you. ...But watching Anna, I can't help but wonder how her father could leave his wife and daughter behind."

"...Adi."

"I want to beat up Anna's father more than the lord."

Despite his calm tone, Adi's eyes sharpened, burning with a fierce intensity.

"I understand. But let's start with the lord!"

With renewed determination, Mary rallied the group. Jokingly suggesting they take the villa as well, she managed to elicit a wry smile from Adi, who seemed to have lightened up a bit. Or perhaps he had decided to focus his anger on the lord for now.

"Let's go!"

Mary called out to the group and glanced at Alicia. Her eyes, fixed on Anna and Élène, were filled with serious emotion, and a whirl of feelings could be seen in her deep purple eyes. Having been separated from her own parents, she was both happy and angry about this reunion. Noticing Mary, she smiled gently and said calmly, "Shall we go?"

Mary, recognizing the regal presence of Princess Alicia, bowed her head. Her silver hair fluttered at the edges of her vision.

"Let's go, Princess Alicia."

Mary's words were met with Alicia's clear voice, "Yes."