I Was Reincarnated as the Prince in a Villainess Story, so I’ll Use My Cheat Knowledge to Create a Noble Lady Harem and Make Them All Happy - 39

Chapter 39: Michel and Marie

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The party arrived at the western border village of Ryui at the hour when the morning mist still clung to the earth. Valis dismounted from his horse and turned his gaze toward the meeting hall. The wooden structure was simple but sturdily reinforced, with open windows allowing the breeze to flow through. It was not lavish, but more than sufficient for an audience. Above all, every detail reflected a careful consideration to avoid arousing suspicion in their visitors.

“…This must be the handiwork of Margrave Everett, Your Highness.”

At his attendant’s remark, Valis nodded.

“They must have been pressed for time, yet they prepared it this well…”

A week had passed since their arrival. The village remained quiet, but a palpable tension steadily gathered. There were no banners, no music—only the measured meeting of glances and the readiness of formal courtesy.

And then, the envoys from Silva Haruna appeared. Their horses were few, their banners and crests modest, and the guards numbered no more than a handful. At their head rode a young man with silver hair, his narrow, sharp eyes faintly gleaming in the daylight.

“…Simple. I can sense no trace of hostility.”

Valis felt a quiet sense of ease settle in his chest. They bore no intention to fight. The fact was clear in the way they presented themselves. The meeting seats were arranged swiftly. The table bore no superfluous ornaments, and the chairs were neither too close nor too distant. Those invited here were not enemies. They were guests.

At the moment their eyes met, Valis involuntarily caught his breath. The Crown Prince Michel—his silver hair shimmered in the sun, and his long, narrow eyes were graceful. His well-balanced, handsome features were such that even another man might find himself briefly entranced.

…Ah, I see.

Glancing sideways, Valis noted Reina’s expression. They were steady and unshaken, her gaze cool and composed as she met the prince’s eyes. He felt a flicker of shame for having momentarily worried about being compared to another crown prince—such a small-minded thought.

Meanwhile, Feril’s eyes were—quite plainly—captivated. Yet the light within them was not that of a “girl” enchanted by beauty, but the sharp gleam of a curious observer honing her gaze.

Ah, that’s not the look of a girl in love… That’s the look of a “creator” studying a character.

Valis couldn’t help feeling a twinge of sympathy for Michel. But then, the figure standing beside Michel turned that sympathy into something else entirely—surprise. A silver-haired elf girl stood by his side. Her skin was translucent, her presence delicate, and though there was a faint similarity to Feril, she carried an almost divine aura. Feril, noticing Valis’s gaze this time, puffed her cheeks slightly.

“…It’s like… Just when I was finally the ‘beautiful girl’ of the story, an upgraded version of my character shows up.”

Her whispered complaint, audible only to Valis, was both amusing and endearing. Valis’s lips softened into a quiet smile. Then he calmly took his seat.

“I am Valis, Crown Prince of Alveria. This is my fiancée, Reina, and this young lady is Feril, daughter of Margrave Everett.”

The silver-haired youth replied in an open, unguarded tone.

“I am well aware of you, Your Highness. I am Michel, first son of King Auguste of Silva Haruna. And beside me stands my younger sister, Marie.”

The silver-haired girl named Marie rose gracefully, bowing with elegant precision. Her movements were economical yet beautiful.

The prince himself has come and even brought his sister. But why send the princess as well?

Valis kept the thought to himself, concealing his surprise as he straightened his posture. Michel spoke first.

“I believe you already understand this much, but Silva Haruna holds no hostility toward Alveria. Nor do we have any intent to harm Feril-sama, successor to the divine child Sylpharia of the World Tree.”

Several stones within Valis’s heart quietly fell into place. As he had suspected, the fact that Feril inherited the elemental spirit Amon had reached their kingdom. And they had clearly declared their lack of malice. The relief that came with those words, however, was tempered by the awareness that Michel had seized the initiative in the discussion.

Valis nodded gently and replied.

“Prince Michel. First, allow me to offer Alveria’s sincere apologies to Silva Haruna. We are aware that one among our nobility caused your nation great trouble. The girl here, Feril, is of that sinner’s bloodline. However, she herself bears no guilt of that sin. Though we held some concern about your country’s request, we are grateful for your assurance of goodwill.”

Michel furrowed his brow slightly and responded in a low voice.

“…A sinner, you say?”

He drew a calm breath before continuing softly.

“It seems there remains a great misunderstanding. Though, perhaps it is only natural, since our country, too, has long stayed silent behind closed gates.”

The air deepened with a palpable gravity. Michel lowered his gaze, but his voice remained clear.

“Laurel-sama aided our divine child Sylpharia, and when the World Tree—already near its limit—began to fail, he sealed away the power of the elemental spirit Amon. Through that act, he saved our kingdom, which should have perished alongside the World Tree a century ago. He was our hero.”

A silence heavy enough to swallow sound descended over the hall. Reina’s lashes trembled faintly, and Feril’s fingers clenched tightly over her knees. Valis too could not hide his astonishment. The story was the complete inverse of what he had assumed. Michel went on, his composed expression never faltering.

“Let me begin from the start. The elemental spirit Amon is the source that amplifies all spiritual power. In our nation, the divine child’s lineage has inherited that power for generations. Together with the World Tree, it granted us long life and prosperity.”

Valis nodded deeply. That much matched what the journals and later investigations had already revealed. But beyond that, his knowledge ended.

“However, when the ‘control mechanism’—the World Tree—deteriorated and neared its end, the immense spiritual energy of Amon began to run wild, threatening to cause a spiritual disaster. Thus, a grim decision was made: the divine child Sylpharia would end her life to extinguish Amon, sacrificing spiritual power to avoid catastrophe.”

A quiet gasp escaped Reina’s lips. Michel continued.

“Yet, as her final wish, Sylpharia-sama longed to know the outside world. She asked Laurel-sama, who was then visiting, to tell her of it. As they deepened their bond, he came to wish for her salvation. In the end, through that bond, a child was born and Amon’s power was passed to the child. However, Sylpharia-sama’s life, sustained by Amon, waned swiftly once that power was gone. Before her passing, she placed a sealing spell upon her child to suppress Amon’s strength. Laurel-sama then returned to Alveria with that child. That is the truth.”

Valis was unable to mask his astonishment. Indeed, there was no contradiction with Laurel’s journal. Their prior understanding had merely been conjecture. But if that was true, one question remained.

“…Then why, knowing all this, did your country sever diplomatic ties with Alveria?”

Michel lowered his eyes, an apologetic expression softening his features.

“Because the sealing spell weakens when exposed to active spiritual energy. Thus, to prevent any activation of spirit arts from disturbing it, we closed our borders to Alveria.”

Valis understood. That was why there were so few elves in Alveria. Spirit Arts had been deliberately restricted from their land for the safety of Sylpharia’s bloodline. Michel straightened and briefly glanced at the girl beside him.

“Of course, over this century, we have continued our research to prevent Amon’s resurgence and the resulting disaster. We even asked Laurel-sama to place a mechanism that would alert us when Amon’s inheritance occurred.”

It was not hard to guess that he referred to the communication spell hidden in the journal. Then Michel turned to his sister.

“And now, at last, the vessel for Amon’s power—the new divine child—has been born. That vessel is my younger sister, Marie.”

The girl beside him offered another small bow. Her movements were so still, so refined, she seemed almost like a living doll.

“We intend to reclaim Amon, long burdened upon your land, and dissolve it within Silva Haruna. As I mentioned, the World Tree’s death is inevitable. Our nation will fall into decline. We know it is selfish, yet we humbly ask Alveria to grant our people protection.”

It was a heavy request, one that sought to redirect the flow of an entire nation’s fate. Valis hid the unease in his chest and carefully composed his words. Amon’s destruction might very well affect Alveria as well. A plea like this was not one he could refuse outright, but it was not a decision to make lightly. Still, Silva Haruna’s isolation and small population meant it posed little threat to its neighbors.

“I cannot give an immediate answer here, but of course, your request will receive our fullest—”

He was cut short by the creak of a chair. Feril had risen to her feet. Her hands were clenched tightly, anger clear on her face. Valis immediately understood the source of that anger and precisely because he understood…

“Wait. Calm yourself, Feril.”

But his words did not reach her. Feril’s eyes were fixed straight on Michel and the girl beside him.

“You mean to pass this Amon power from me to that girl, Marie… asand then what?”

Marie, beautiful and unmoving, made no reply. The air in the hall grew taut, trembling on the edge of silence. From Michel’s earlier explanation, the answer was already obvious. Feril spoke again. Her voice steady, but the heat within her chest rang clearly.

“That doesn’t solve anything at all!”

It was as though even the wooden walls had drawn in a breath. While Valis faltered in dismay, Reina’s gaze fell quietly upon the space between the two girls.

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