"Urla! You… what is the meaning of this!?"
Urla Lavender had returned to House Lavender after completing the initial stage of the plains frontier development—but the one who greeted her was her grandfather's furious shouting.
"Hm…"
With a sigh, Urla glanced at her grandfather, who had marched out to the mansion's entrance.
Being met with a look that seemed somehow accusatory, Urla's grandfather—Looser Lavender the Sixth—flinched slightly.
"W-What is that look in your eyes…? I don't recall ever giving you permission to glare at your grandfather like that!"
"………"
"Enough! I told you to stop looking at me like that!"
At Urla, who was being unusually defiant, Looser raised his hand.
He was about to strike her across the face—but at the very last moment, the retainer Earlie interceded.
"My lord, please calm yourself."
"Out of my way! Move!"
"The servants are watching. I implore you once more—please, calm yourself."
"Gu…!"
Only then did Looser finally become aware of his surroundings.
At the mansion's entrance, there was no small number of people—servants, soldiers, and others—all present.
They were stunned by Looser's transformation.
"Grrngh… Come with me! We have things to discuss!"
Looser took the lead and marched down the corridor with heavy, thundering steps.
"Thank you."
"Not at all, my lady."
After thanking Earlie, Urla chased after her grandfather's retreating back.
The place they were taken to was the head of house's office.
When Urla and Earlie entered, Looser was already seated heavily in his chair.
"Where did you put the ring? You stole it, didn't you?"
Looser asked, his tone somewhat calmer than before.
Though to say he was calm was generous — blue veins bulged at his temples, his face was bright red, and he looked as though he might collapse from high blood pressure at any moment.
"That ring was most certainly locked away in the hidden vault! You're the only one who could have taken it!"
"............"
"Hurry up and give it back! There's no way you don't know what that thing is!"
"I gave it away."
Urla answered in few words.
Curtly, with a defiant emotion shimmering in her iridescent eyes.
"You gave it… gave it away!? You're not telling me you handed that thing over to some stranger?!"
"I am."
"Don't be ridiculous! How can something so absurd possibly be true?!"
Looser slammed his fist against the desk.
His face was so red it looked like steam might burst from his head as he roared at the top of his lungs.
"That is… that ring is the mark of our House's master of shadows! Handing it to another is no different than cutting out one's own heart!"
The other day, Urla Lavender had handed a ring to a man.
That ring was the "shadow" kept by House Lavender — in other words, the means of commanding their covert forces.
Without that ring, not even the head of the household could issue orders to the "shadow" — that was the rule.
"This… this fool, you damn fool…!"
"It's fine. Whatever."
Urla spoke in a cold voice to her grandfather, whose voice was rising with excitement.
"I entrusted it. To someone I trust."
"The young lady says she entrusted it to someone worthy of trust, so there is no problem."
"You dare take it from me and then prattle on like that! You ungrateful little harlot's brat!"
The words translated by Earlie sent Looser into an even greater rage.
Under normal circumstances, he would have hurled insults at his granddaughter that he wouldn't even think to say aloud, without a shred of mercy.
"Ungrateful… I raised you — the useless, good-for-nothing son and the harlot's brat whose only talent was reading bizarre fortunes — and this is how you repay me?! How much money do you think I spent on your education?!"
"…………"
"You are a tool of House Lavender! Your only concern should be destroying the Empire! I went to the trouble of raising you as a convenient puppet, so don't you dare awaken some pointless sense of self at this stage!"
"I killed them."
Urla murmured.
"Wh… at?"
"I killed them… Father and Mother… I killed them…!"
"—!"
Looser froze, stricken.
Completely different from moments before, her face grew paler.
"W-what are you..."
"Killed. You... killed Father and Mother. I know"
"..........!"
Looser's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, like a fish.
Her overly transparent reaction was a clear affirmation.
It was a reaction that seemed to validate the words Urla had spoken.