I Have Decided to Protect My Fiancé from the Heroine

Chapter 30: A Twisting Plot

"He's embezzling funds from the crown."

!! I totally forgot to mention it to father after the ball! So stupid of me....

"Liliane? Are you listening? This is important."

"Oh, I apologize. No actually, I found out at my debutant."

"Then why hasn't it been reported?"

"I may or may not have forgotten about it?"

"..."

"..."

We both look at each other, and I burst into laughter. Unfortunately Lucas didn't think it was very funny.

"This is serious! My father has connection to very bad people outside of the continent and I'm afraid that he's going to bring terror into this country one day."

"I thought you were on your father's side?"

I see his fists clench. He looks angry and saddened, a flurry of emotions on his face. It catches me off guard a little, finding his evident negativity slightly off-putting.

"You ought to control your facial expressions, you know? Your thoughts are almost leaking out."

"..."

"Anyways, I imagine it's not a regular father-son relationship."

"It's not."

"I see. Well, I'm sure father is already looking into it but I'll send him a letter to hurry the process a bit more. Will that be sufficient?"

"Probably. Hopefully."

"Can you give me a specific name of this party outside of the continent?"

I suddenly feel a full sound barrier surrounding us, muting us from the outside. I look up to Lucas, furrowing my brows.

"I apologize for my rudeness; I don't know his name. He goes by Desmond but I'm positive that's not his real name. He's an assassin and a messenger from the demon continent."

"Is he one the queen's lackeys?"

"No, I don't think she knows."

"Any proof?"

"...no. Just, a hunch...I suppose."

"Again, emotions are really present on your face. It's so obvious you're hiding something from me."

"I-"

"It's fine. I'll trust you, for now. Keep quiet, let my father handle this; don't recklessly get involved any further in the kingdom's affairs. You'll have plenty of time to deal with it once you take over your father. Try not to aid him too much; make an excuse about the academy being a lot of work or something."

"..."

"Your answer?"

"Yea, I got it. I won't involve myself further."

Looking conflicted, Lucas reluctantly agrees. I worry for the plot straying from its path bit by bit, and the characters of this story changing slowly but surely. Lucas is evidently a result of all this shifting. Although it's scary to admit, maybe it's a good thing that these people are developing out of these molds as 'characters' that is in my mind.

"Alright, I have some affairs I need to attend to. You should get something to eat or something. You look absolutely exhausted."

He nods, turning around and heads back inside. I sigh, scratching my head with frustration. I check my pocket watch for the time; heading in the opposite direction of the cafeteria where Ren waits, I enter the storage room in behind the school.

Inside, I find the main catalyst for the huge event in the game.

"The seedling".

The 'seedling' is a large purple gem, rooted underneath the storage room behind the school. I can't see it or find it's magical presence right now, but I can see the crack in the middle of the floor that signifies its placement. Putting my hand against the crack, I feel a soft pulse.

It's definitely stronger than it should be; it's the first day, and the crack is already visible and there's already a pulse. Originally, the crack should appear near the end of the year, and the pulsing should start shortly after. This confirms my suspicion of the story going of its hinges, speeding up the event which should happen in months. At this pace, the event will happen very soon, maybe only in one or two months. I shiver at the thought, my body going cold.

Taking out my black zircon briolette, I look at the seven flowers blooming inside. To conjure the fifth spell, I begin to chant.

"Give me a sign, darkness and all, Monkshood."

A glowing monkshood flourishes on the crack right away, pulsating with light. Frowning, I dispel the spell and walk out of the storage room. The monkshood spell would have shown any signs of darkness and evil nearby. The flower will develop more if the danger is more of a threat and prominent. And with this flower fully blooming from the crack, it's not a good sign.

To avoid the worst case scenario, it would be probably best to report to father about this. I'll send him a letter later today.