A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 12: The Engagement Ceremony

But if I hesitated like that, the engagement would fall through, and just like Parsha said, the house would collapse completely.

–Thud! Crash!

“Young Master! The carriage is ready—huh?!”

Still hunched over with my head buried in my desk, lost in that dilemma, I heard the door swing open and then quickly shut again. It was Sasha, who had entered the room and immediately recoiled in shock at the sight of me.

“...Come in.”

It was embarrassing to show myself like this again, but I gave up trying to play it cool and just called her in.

“I-I didn’t see anything, really...”

There was something I needed to ask her anyway.

“Sasha, have you gotten a bit closer with Parsha?”

“Ah, yes!”

Sasha’s expression shifted into something strange—almost complicated.

“At first, I was worried we wouldn’t click because she seemed so smart, but surprisingly, we get along pretty well. Hehe...”

Well, Sasha was still quite young. She probably enjoyed finally having a friend her age around again.

With that in mind, there was a little personal favor I wanted to ask of her...

“Yes?”

Then yes—she’d be perfect for this mission.

“Please stay close to Parsha and befriend her even more from now on.”

“Oh, if it’s something like that...”

“And if anything unusual comes up, just slip me a note, alright?”

“Yes!”

When I brought it up like that, she looked a bit relieved at first—but her face quickly stiffened again.

“After all, if someone that talented has a change of heart, it would be a huge loss, right?”

“Ah...”

“...If it comes to that, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

Whether or not Sasha could really handle this was debatable, but if I wanted to keep Parsha on my side, I needed Sasha’s help.

Fortunately, Parsha seemed satisfied with her work for now, but I couldn’t exactly say she was fully mine yet.

Once she starts proving herself, even if it’s not from Meredia, there’s a good chance she’ll start getting better offers from elsewhere.

That’s why if I catch even a whiff of her trying to quit or jump ship, I need to be ready to renegotiate her salary on the spot.

Even if I have to tighten my belt, I’m keeping her.

In both my past life and now, there were always ways to get more money when it was needed.

“F-Friends...?”

“...?”

But something felt off about Sasha’s reaction.

She’s... my first friend ever...

Watching her mumble to herself with watery eyes, I started to feel like a total jerk—as if I’d just ordered her to go spy on someone.

It’s not like I asked her to sneak into Parsha’s room or anything. Just be a good friend and keep me posted on negotiation timing—that’s all.

“Do you not want to do it?”

Feeling strangely guilty, I still asked her in a gentle voice. After all, I was the kind of boss who respected his subordinates’ opinions.

“...No, I’ll do my best.”

Luckily, her tightly shut eyes and trembling voice still gave a willing response.

“That’s more like it, my most trusted aide—Sasha.”

“Eep...”

Even though it was her job and she said she’d do it, she still looked terrified, eyes shut tight as she shuffled out of the room.

Seriously, that girl’s nerves are something else.

Well, I should probably get going too...

Taking a short breath while seated, I stood up slowly, tension creeping in at the thought of the prince’s engagement ceremony that was about to begin.

“U-Um.”

“Hm?”

But just then, Sasha—who had just left—suddenly opened the door # Nоvеlight # again and spoke in a pale, frightened voice.

“I-I’ve detected something strange...”

“What?!”

I tilted my head, confused, as her face was even whiter than before.

“Phew... thank goodness...”

“Miss Parsha.”

And then I saw her—Parsha staggering in behind Sasha, and I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

She’s... not too late, it seems.

“What on earth is that thing?”

Just days ago she’d been lively and confident, but now she looked completely worn out, smiling faintly with sunken cheeks as she approached.

“I overused my mana because there wasn’t enough data...”

“What are you even—”

“Ah, that’s not what’s important right now.”

Seeing her in such a state would’ve made Alfred faint on the spot. I rushed over to her in a panic, but before I could say anything, Parsha’s eyes lit up and she handed something to me.

“Take this.”

“This is...”

I stared blankly at the sparkling object in her hand.

“You’ll need it...”

“Whoa—”

With those words, she collapsed backward with a satisfied smile, and I just barely managed to catch her.

All I could do was glance over at Sasha standing beside me.

“...Sasha, listen. This is—”

“P-Parsha must’ve caught a cold! R-Right?!”

“Haha...”

I had a bad feeling the estate was about to be flooded with even more strange rumors, but with the engagement ceremony just hours away, there was no time to worry about cleanup now.

***

A Few Hours Later

“...Looks like I seriously misjudged him.”

Stepping down from a carriage bearing the crest of House Embergreen, Lady Meredia walked toward the ballroom where the prince’s engagement ceremony was already underway—her expression frosty and her heels sharp against the floor.

“Isn’t that Lady Meredia?”

“Even on a day like this, she has no escort? She really is something else.”

The noblewomen walking nearby, all flanked by escorts, began casting doubtful glances her way.

Of course, Meredia had long since stopped caring about such formalities—but today, she had actually planned to follow them to the letter.

“Either she was never taught properly, or she just has no manners.”

Yet Whitney, who should’ve been waiting at the entrance to escort her, was nowhere in sight. And just like that, her resolve to play along with propriety vanished.

“Lady Meredia...”

“Don’t presume. Go find him.”

“...Understood.”

The butler she had brought along purely for form’s sake bowed hurriedly and rushed off into the crowd at her icy command.

“...Maybe it’s time to replace my butler.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Muttering darkly while watching his retreating back, Meredia resumed walking toward the ballroom—only to suddenly come to a stop.

“Well, well! Incredible! The sword prodigy has returned!”

“You flatter me.”

“...Huh?”

What caught her eye was none other than Lunelle—who had stood by Whitney’s side as a maid just days earlier—now surrounded by people.

“Flattery? I’ve sparred with you myself. Your swordsmanship is no joke. Don’t be overly modest.”

“...Thank you.”

Lunelle, stripped of her noble title, had only one way of being here today—by being escorted by someone who had received a formal invitation.

A common maid wouldn’t even be allowed to step into a space filled with nobles.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Of course, if she had been formally registered as an attendant, that would be a different story—but in that case, she wouldn’t be wearing a gown like that.

So then... did Whitney come here today not with her—but with Lunelle?

“......”

But Meredia had no time to be angry.

“That said, Your Highness’s swordsmanship is impressive in its own right.”

“Is that so? Haha!”

“Even though you narrowly placed second in the last tournament, I’ll never forget the match you pulled off against Sir Lunelle.”

Among the people chatting with Lunelle were none other than the prince himself and Meredia’s own brother—Maier Embergreen.

Each and every one of them belonged to the type of person Meredia despised more than anything on this earth, and her face twisted into a visible scowl as she turned away.

“Well, well, and who do we have here?”

But then came a voice—dripping with amusement—that stopped her in her tracks.

“Could it be? Lady Meredia, of all people?”

With that, every gaze that had been on Lunelle shifted straight onto her.

“You were the one who said you never wanted to see my face again. What wind’s blown you in today?”

“......”

“Haha, my sister isn’t exactly great at expressing herself.”

As if to soothe the tension, Maier slowly stepped forward and clasped his sister’s hand.

“If you’d just swallowed your pride and proposed to His Highness earlier, you’d already have the successor’s seat by now.”

“Maier, do I not get a say in this?”

“Oh—my apologies. Though, I suppose someone like you was never suited for His Highness in the first place.”

The atmosphere, already uncomfortable, grew even colder—but their back-and-forth, as if scripted, continued unbothered.

“Well, I don’t know if there’s anyone in the Empire truly suited for you.”

He let out a dry chuckle and added under his breath: “If they don’t run away on the wedding night, that’d be lucky.”

“You might as well give up on me now, Lady Meredia. This is how things are.”

As the prince chimed in with another tactless comment, the killing intent in Meredia’s eyes grew visibly sharper.

“I’m a man with substance now, after all.”

“You really should watch your mouth.”

“Haha! If you overreact to jokes like that, it just makes you look more suspicious.”

Meredia's chilling response might’ve shaken anyone else, but the prince simply brushed it off with a laugh.

“What a foul mouth you’ve got.”

“......”

“You’re bringing shame to our house, sister.”

Stepping in for the prince, Maier leaned close and whispered in a frigid tone—careful to avoid the others’ ears.

But Meredia, clenching her fist so tightly her knuckles went white, responded in a voice laced with venom.

“Soon enough, that house will be mine anyway. So what?”

“Sure, but you’ll have to share your body and power with someone you don’t love.”

Maier met her hostility with equal force, raising his pressure without hesitation.

“Why don’t you just kneel and beg His Highness right now? Seems more fitting for you than chasing a title you’re not cut out for.”

“You bastard—!”

And just as the mood reached its peak toxicity—

–Shhhhhh...

A sudden chill surged through the ballroom entrance, blanketing everyone present in a wave of cold energy.

“...Ugh...”

“W-What’s...?”

Unlike Meredia’s usual killing intent, this aura carried an entirely different weight—so chilling that both the prince and Maier, instinctively unsettled, reached for their waists despite not even carrying weapons.

“Apologies for interrupting the noble guests, but I must cut in for a moment.”

The source of the cold stepped forward—a young man whose walk was perfectly steady, his cheerful smile entirely at odds with the aura he exuded.

“The one I’m escorting today is among you.”

“Who do you think you are, barging in—!”

Maier turned with a scowl, eyes flaring with irritation, but before he could go further—

“S-Sir Whitney!”

It was the prince, face slick with anxious sweat, who cut in with a forced chuckle.

“We were expecting you in the ballroom yesterday. What happened?”

Coming from someone who couldn’t remember most high-ranking nobles by name, the prince’s recognition sent a shockwave through everyone—Maier included—leaving them momentarily speechless.

“Haha. Didn’t I just say it, Your Highness?”

But even that didn’t compare to the next words spoken, now just a few steps away—soft, calm, and heavy with impact.

“I came to escort Lady Meredia.”

“Whitney, you...!”

In the midst of all the chaos, Meredia, for once, stood frozen—genuinely stunned as her gaze locked onto her supposed partner.

“I’m terribly late, aren’t I, my lady?”

Only Whitney wore his usual, suspiciously sly smile, waving lightly at her like nothing was wrong.

I’ve got to stop Lady Meredia from losing it right here...!

Truth be told, no one at that scene was more tense than Whitney himself.