After an unknown amount of time had passed—about an hour or so—she still hadn't fallen asleep. However, she could hear that the girl behind her had already entered a deep and peaceful dream. She let out a faint sigh and shifted slightly forward so the other girl would have more room, worried that she might be uncomfortable.
After all, the bed was large enough.
[Can't sleep?]
The next second, Ei's voice appeared in her mind.
"...Mm."
She answered quietly, barely above a whisper.
[Do you want me to keep you company?]
"...Can you?"
[...Why wouldn't I?]
Buzz.
With those words, the blanket in front of her gradually filled with particles of light. When the light dispersed, Ei—already undressed—poked her head out from under the blanket. Without another word, she immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist from the front, pressing the girl's face gently into her perfect chest.
It was like a mother soothing her child to sleep.
Perhaps that was exactly what it was.
"Sleep..."
She murmured softly beside her daughter's ear, gently stroking her back and hair with slow, comforting motions, trying to help her relax.
"In the morning..."
"It's fine. I will disappear before she wakes up."
Ei closed her eyes and murmured quietly.
"Mm..."
Breathing in the familiar fragrance within that familiar maternal embrace, she gradually drifted into a peaceful sleep.
As expected...
She really couldn't sleep alone.
...
The next day—what people referred to as the Royal Selection Day.
Although it was called the Royal Selection Day, it was actually only the Royal Selection Conference, not the final decision. During the meeting, each candidate would publicly state their ideals before the assembled audience and allow everyone to judge them.
The process would last several days.
The location was the palace within the royal capital—the highest administrative area in the kingdom.
Just as he had said yesterday, Roswaal indeed did not accompany them. Early in the morning, he returned to the mansion. Meanwhile, around seven in the morning, the Shogun followed Emilia to the meeting venue—the grand hall of the royal capital where nobles gathered.
Click.
Emilia pushed open the grand doors leading into the palace. The sight that greeted them was already crowded with members of the knight orders, along with politicians and voters dressed in dark formal uniforms.
However, the main conference platform at the front was still empty.
Perhaps it wasn't time yet.
Emilia lowered her hood, revealing her silver hair. She gently brushed the strands beside her ear and glanced at the Shogun beside her.
"Haa..."
After seeing the Shogun nod at her, she took a deep breath and stepped forward resolutely, exposing herself fully to everyone's gaze.
Although they believed they had arrived fairly early, there was already one candidate waiting ahead of them.
It was the members of the Crusch faction.
Their leader was Crusch Karsten—the heroic woman with dark green hair who wore men's attire and carried an air of sharp competence.
"Oh my~? Raiden dear~! Over here~!"
The cat—man?—beside her, Felix Argyle, immediately noticed the purple-haired woman standing next to Emilia. With lively enthusiasm, he waved at her.
Hearing her friend's voice, Crusch also looked over. When she saw Emilia, she showed a warm smile and walked over.
"It's been a while, Miss Emilia."
She extended her hand first.
"Ah, yes—it's been a while for me as well, Miss Crusch."
Emilia smiled and shook her hand.
"This must be Miss Raiden?"
Crusch turned to look at the Shogun beside her, as if she had already heard of her.
"Indeed."
The Shogun answered calmly.
"Your charm is evident at first sight, just as Ferris said."
Crusch also extended her hand toward her.
"...You're too kind."
She shook the offered hand politely.
"See, Crusch? I told you I wasn't wrong."
Felix winked at the green-haired beauty beside him.
"Yes, it seems so."
Crusch nodded in agreement, looking at her with an appreciative gaze.
"...?"
The Shogun looked confused.
What was going on all of a sudden?
After their brief greetings, the third candidate also arrived.
It was the noble young lady the Shogun had met yesterday—the one wearing the magnificent dress—Priscilla Barielle.
Just as before, she held a folding fan and wore an expression full of pride and confidence, radiating her own dazzling brilliance.
This person...
[Isn't that the girl from yesterday? The one who doesn't like eating apple peels.]
Ei said.
'Isn't it that she has never eaten apple peels before?'
Raiden Mio corrected her.
[Same difference.]
Ei didn't care.
Still, it turned out that she was also a candidate.
Thinking about it, that actually wasn't strange at all.
After all, they were all nobles.
"Uh... the 'Bloody Bride' has arrived."
Standing beside her, Felix whispered quietly to her.
"What?"
She froze slightly and looked toward the cat-eared youth beside her in confusion.
"Shh~ That's her nickname. Don't let her hear it."
Felix made a silencing gesture.
"You're the one who said it..."
She muttered.
"Oh my~? What a coincidence, Mio~"
During this exchange, Priscilla's sharp eyes immediately spotted the purple-haired figure. She greeted her with the folding fan raised near her lips.
Her voice was as melodious as a lark, carrying that distinctive aristocratic tone. Because it was so unique, that single sentence briefly drew the attention of people nearby.
But only for a moment.
After all, the hall was crowded and noisy.
"Quite a coincidence indeed. Did you eat apples with the skin on when you went back?"
Mio asked.
"Of course. And they were quite delicious. From now on I won't let the servants peel them for me anymore. Of course, I must thank your honored mother for that."
Priscilla replied with a smile.
"Mm. She heard that."
Mio casually folded her arms.
"Even so, it doesn't change the fact that we are enemies. So you'd better be prepared, Mio~ Perhaps I might even try to steal you away from them~?"
Her wine-red eyes blinked mischievously at her. Then she glanced meaningfully toward Emilia beside her, who had been looking at her with open hostility, and smiled disdainfully.
Emilia stepped forward and grabbed Mio's hand, pulling her behind herself as if declaring possession.
The Shogun blinked in surprise.
"Oh my~? Hehe~ I see... It seems someone has already lost her patience."
Priscilla laughed lightly instead of getting angry.
"I won't give her to you."
Emilia answered firmly.
"Mm~ We'll see about that."
Priscilla lightly shook the folding fan in her hand. After leaving that remark, she stopped paying attention to Emilia. Passing by her, she exchanged a few polite greetings with Crusch before moving to stand at her own position.
"Oh~ As expected of the Bloody Bride. Her presence really is something."
Felix was still murmuring beside her ear.
"..."
The Shogun gave him a speechless glance.
"Did you two know each other before?"
He asked.
"...Not really."
She replied. They had merely met by chance.
"No, no, no. It's definitely more than just 'not really acquainted.' I think the way she looked at you was quite serious~!"
He nudged her arm with his elbow, wearing a gossipy expression.
"..."
She sighed inwardly and had no intention of answering.
"Still, I'd advise you not to join her faction. The Bloody Bride is very scary~"
Felix made a silly ghost-like gesture with his hands as if trying to frighten her.
"...Could you do something for me?"
She tilted her head slightly and asked him with a cold, expressionless face.
"Huh? Of course. Go ahead."
He looked at her cheerfully, his fluffy cat ears twitching.
"Could you be quiet?"
Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered the warning softly, as if she might slap him if he kept babbling.
"Uh... sorry..."
He awkwardly covered his mouth and behaved himself.
"By the way..."
However, the one who had just told him to be quiet spoke first.
"Hm?"
Felix didn't mind and looked at her again as if nothing had happened, puzzled.
"That outfit of yours..."
The Shogun glanced at the plain white knight uniform he was wearing. It was clearly much better than the suspender dress from before—or rather, it suited him much more.
After all, ever since Emilia told her he was actually male, she couldn't help but view him from that perspective.
However—
"Hehe~ What do you think? It fits well, right? Handsome, right~?"
He proudly showed off his figure.
But the way he spun around was extremely feminine. Even his knees tilted inward, and his overall demeanor resembled that of a lively young girl.
"..."
Alright.
She was wrong.
The dress suited him better after all!