“I, Your Highness.”

Liantin knew her blessing was pathetic.

When Liantin, pale as death, began to tremble, Prince Salvatore said,

“There’s time before it starts. If you want to answer my questions, you can leave the waiting room whenever you want.”

“Your Highness...!”

Salvatore ended his words with a faint smile.

I entered the Colosseum arena together with Prince Avino.

Even though it was still thirty minutes before the match started, the stands were already packed.

Most of the nobles invited to the Sun Society were seated.

“Countess Astra Erilot!”

Prince Cezare, who was already there, raised his hand toward us.

The boys of the Sun Society occupied the VIP seats with the best view of the match.

Avino led me toward the VIP seats.

“Let’s sit here.”

“Yes...”

I answered while glancing around.

‘Liantin isn’t here.’

Prince Salvatore was also absent.

“Your Highness.”

When I called, Avino, who was watching the arena with a cheerful face, turned and said, “Hmm?”

“Why, Erilot?”

“Has Prince Salvatore not come?”

“Yeah, I don’t see him. Maybe he left late? There’s no Sun Society member who misses the Colosseum.”

He couldn’t have left late.

I heard from Han Ji-hyuk that Liantin had already left, so he must have hurried here.

While scanning around, someone suddenly plopped down beside me.

“So, it ended up like that, huh?”

Sebastia Biferi muttered in a cold voice.

I narrowed my brows and asked,

“Hm?”

“Your cousin. She’s going to participate in the Colosseum match after all.”

“...!”

Liantin is going into the Colosseum match?

I confirmed that Prince Avino beside me was busy chatting with other boys, then lowered my voice.

“Liantin is my blood relative. She’s a member of the Astra ducal family.”

Even if her personal ability wasn’t outstanding, Liantin was still called ‘Lady Astra.’

No matter the prince, no one dared treat Astra’s kin carelessly.

Sebastia Biferi twisted her lips.

“My cousin, called Lady Biferi, also entered the match. Do you think Astra is any different?”

“What did you say?”

Sebastia sneered and glared at the boys of the Sun Society.

“Hey, Erilot Astra. Do you know what the Sun Society is?”

“...”

“It’s a place where kings of various countries gather their heirs and display the alliance of the continent’s imperial and royal families.”

“...”

“No matter how powerful someone is, they cannot oppose the alliance of the imperial and royal families of the continent. It’s an educational ground to engrave that fact.”

At that moment, Salvatore descended alone into the stands.

Sebastia glared at the relaxed Salvatore sitting down as if she wanted to tear him apart.

“Let me give you some advice just in case. Even if your cousin gets seriously injured in the arena, don’t think about complaining.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been through it myself. There was no one to give me advice like this, so my family officially opposed it.”

Sebastia glanced at me and lowered her voice.

“What do you think happened?”

“Tell me.”

“In Shueliz, they cut off the wizard’s support; in Palasa, the resource trades were stopped. They blocked the trade routes through Laontra...”

Sebastia glanced at Avino and muttered.

“In Aligiosa, the country of that naive prince, they cut off the trade of white crystal.”

“...”

“Of course, they made all sorts of excuses, but all the nobles who attended the Sun Society knew.”

“...”

“Ultimately, they pressured my family because I opposed them.”

“The Biferi dukes wouldn’t have faltered over something like that.”

“No. We did falter.”

“...What?”

“Because the enemy is ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ not just the imperial and royal families.”

Lady Biferi folded her arms and smirked.

“Do you know which family was the first to attack, taking advantage of our falter against their coalition?”

“...No way.”

“That’s right. Your grandfather.”

“...”

“Because of that incident, they took away the eastern trade routes, didn’t they?”

“The emperor helped.”

“Yes. That was the punishment for me, a mere noble, daring to oppose the imperial and royal families.”

I sighed.

‘So that’s why grandfather disliked the Sun Society invitation.’

Why he hurriedly told me to return.

The Sun Society was both a rare chance to forge connections with powerful figures and a place where heirs were ‘educated.’

‘So they never dare raise their heads to the continent’s emperor and kings.’

Sebastia clicked her tongue.

I smiled faintly watching her.

Then Sebastia frowned.

“What are you smiling about?”

“You helped us from the start at the dining hall.”

“...?”

“You knew the Sun Society would target Astra, so you tried to send me and Liantin away quickly.”

“...”

“Thank you.”

“It’s not because I like Astra. I wanted you to suffer because I despise you. But...”

Sebastia glared at the boys of the Sun Society as if she wanted to tear them apart.

“I hated seeing those trash succeed in their plan more.”

“I’d feel the same.”

“My younger cousin who came with me hasn’t left the territory even after all these years.”

“...”

“Sometimes, wounds of the heart hurt more than physical ones...”

I stood up and deliberately spoke loudly.

“Give me the ribbon─”

The ribbon symbolizing the sisterhood.

Sebastia must have wanted to show the trash of the Sun Society that we had allied.

That we could unite, so they shouldn’t act carelessly.

“─Sister Sebastia.”

The expression of the Sun Society trash changed at my words.

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

Trash 1, 2, and 3 sequentially stiffened their faces.

Only Prince Avino looked clueless and muttered, “Sister?”

Sebastia opened her eyes wide and stared at me.

But then she realized the trash’s expressions were tense and chuckled softly.

She untied the ribbon tied around her hair and handed it to me.

“Take care of it, ‘Erilot.’”

I tied my hair high with Sebastia’s ribbon and said,

“Yes. ‘Sister Sebastia.’”

Imperial and royal alliance?

The sun so untouchable, the Sun Society?

‘Ridiculous.’

I haven’t lost a fight since I awakened.

“Where’s the players’ waiting room, ‘Sister’?”

“Go down those stairs and turn the left corner, ‘Erilot.’”

We looked at each other with mischievous smiles.

Though we didn’t say it aloud, we knew the meaning in each other’s eyes.

‘Let’s overturn those trash.’

I headed straight down to the players’ waiting room.

The atmosphere there was like an icebox.

Among the people staring blankly with pale faces, I saw Liantin.

She was in the farthest corner, head bowed.

I strode toward her.

Feeling my presence, Liantin flinched and raised her head.

“Erilot...”

“Serves you right.”

“...”

Liantin bowed her head deeply again and muttered.

“Why did you come? Go.”

“Prince Salvatore must have wanted something.”

“...!”

Liantin looked as if she wondered how I knew.

“So that’s why he assigned the royal guard to watch over you!”

“It was surveillance...”

“Yeah. Not because of affection.”

“...”

I sighed deeply.

“You didn’t come out to the Colosseum because he asked, did you?”

“...”

“I expected some damage. Grandfather must think it’s inevitable. Give him what he wants and get out of the match.”

My cousins called Liantin’s blessing

‘An ability so pathetic it’s laughable to call it a blessing.’

Liantin had no chance to win against the nobles invited to the Sun Society, who possessed excellent abilities.

No, she wouldn’t even be able to protect her body.

“If she makes a mistake, she’ll get seriously hurt.”

“It’s fine. Still, she won’t die. I’ll consider any injury the price for my stupid actions.”

“Sister!”

“It’s better to be embarrassed a little. Nothing’s more humiliating than being toyed with by Prince Salvatore.”

“...What exactly does Prince Salvatore want?”

“Don’t bother with it.”

“Why would she risk going into such a dangerous match to protect something?”

“N-nothing. Just unlucky and doesn’t want to let others know.”

It was strange that she couldn’t say more.

‘Is it Astra’s information?’

But grandfather handled information strictly.

If it was information that must never be given to the imperial family, Liantin wouldn’t know.

‘Information Liantin can never give.’

Something so important that it must be protected like that.

If it’s information I can’t be told...

“That’s my information.”

“...!”

“What did you ask? Ah, it must be obvious. If it’s information you know and mustn’t reveal, there’s only one thing.”

“No, it’s not...”

“Did you ask where the dragon’s rare nest is?”

Liantin bit her lips tightly.

‘She really is...’

Raised with care, afraid of pain, but still sealed her lips to the end.

She looks mean, but is actually soft-hearted.

I took a deep breath and looked at Liantin.

“Tell me.”

“No!”

“Tell me.”

“How can you be more shameless here...! I know enough to think about that!”

Liantin gritted her teeth.

Then she turned her head sharply away.

She didn’t want to cry in front of me, but she seemed unable to hold back tears.

“Can you really endure the pain? You might get seriously hurt if you enter the match.”

“...I can endure it.”

“Then do this.”

“What?”

When I whispered my plan, Liantin’s eyes widened.

“Do you want me to do that at the Sun Society?”

“Yeah. Can you do it?”

Liantin stared at me intently, then slowly nodded.

“I’ll do it.”

“Good. I’ll forget about this matter. You’ll take revenge on those trash for me.”

“...”

“Hmm?”

“...Yeah.”

Liantin finally broke into tears.

Watching her sobbing, I couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.

Once, Han Ji-hyuk told me,

“You’re a bit soft on Liantin.”

I thought I was soft on people, but it wasn’t that.

‘When I see Liantin, it’s like seeing my first life.’

Me, who struggled with lack of talent.

Resentment for never being able to catch up no matter how hard I tried.

The miserable Erilot drowning in inferiority.

I remembered that time.

‘I’ve been there too.’

Back then, I hoped someone would reach out their hand.

Someone who would forgive mistakes.

That it’s okay, people grow through mistakes.

So don’t judge your potential that way.

I desperately needed someone to believe in me.

After leaving the waiting room, I ordered Han Ji-hyuk.

“Get me the profiles of the nobles currently in the waiting room. Names, nicknames, every little detail.”

“Now?”

“Yes, hurry.”

Because I have to turn this game upside down properly.

Salvatore asked expressionlessly to the servant beside him.

“What about Liantin Astra?”

“She’s preparing for the match.”

Salvatore let out a bitter laugh.

It was obvious why Liantin wasn’t speaking.

Afraid it would harm Erilot Astra.

‘How stupid.’

Even if a cousin, she’s still a rival.

Even after giving her a chance not to harm her competitor, she couldn’t catch it. She couldn’t be this stupid.

The Sun Society’s Colosseum matches are broadcast continent-wide through the magic realm.

‘To showcase the abilities of the nobles protecting each imperial and royal family to the entire world.’

Now it has degenerated into a circus for princes and heirs.

With Liantin Astra’s mediocre abilities, she wouldn’t be able to properly defend herself against other noble kids’ attacks.

She would get seriously hurt or suffer terrible humiliation.

The cruel Duke Astra would never leave Liantin Astra, who brought shame to the family, alone.

Prince Cezare asked with a sly smile.

“So Liantin Astra is entering?”

“Yeah.”

“If she gets properly humiliated, Astra will protest~. The Biferi dukes were a pain, too, right?”

Then silver-haired Prince Mercedes chuckled.

“I think Prince Salvatore is aiming for that.”

Salvatore smiled faintly.