It was natural that they couldn’t confirm without seeing it with their own eyes. Hearing the attendant’s answer, the birds once again fell silent.

‘What does this mean?’

After seeing Marianne in the Grand Duke’s castle, the birds ordered their planted spy to report about the woman with pink hair residing in the Grand Duke’s castle. However, subsequent reports consistently came back stating that there was no woman like Marianne.

‘Then the Marianne I saw must have been an illusion.’

However, Hadel, who had been inactive for years, suddenly visited Nerys and killed Ylunisia there?

The birds frowned.

‘I thought Marianne would definitely be the one to kill Ylunisia.’

There was some missing information.

The birds, thinking about Ylunisia, shook their heads. They weren’t particularly disappointed.
‘Anyway, recently, it’s been almost useless. Completely worn out.’

Expressionless, responding only to questions. The cheerful Ylunisia who missed Marianne as much as the birds did was now completely gone, leaving nothing behind.

It was the erosion of humanity created by time.

‘Can I be considered a true country?’

The birds recalled themselves, living for as long as Ylunisia. No, in some sense, he was a greater monster than Ylunisia. At least she had experienced the natural flow of time.

Recalling themselves plagued by constant hallucinations, the birds shook their heads.

‘I am different. I have a purpose. I will never lose my mind.’

And his purpose.

‘Marianne.’

Since she willingly chose death with him, the birds could no longer break free from Marianne. He bit his lips firmly.

‘This time, I will get you in my hands.’

Whether it was an illusion or not, if there were any clues, he would uncover them. Once determined, the task at hand became clear. The birds spoke to the king.

“I think we should provoke the North.”

“The North…”

The king echoed the birds’ words in a dull manner.

“Were you worried that your brother’s marriage proposal was late? What if Abamama personally selects a fiancée and sends her down?”

“Fiancée…”

The slow, repetitive tone of speech was particularly annoying today.

‘Ylunisia’s brainwashing is really a big flaw.’

But it’s convenient, so there’s nothing to be done. Becoming foolish during conversations with the birds was part of the learning process to act as the birds dictated externally. The birds patiently repeated their words.

“I will find a suitable person and make her Hadel’s fiancée.”

“Sure…”

There was no need to continue the conversation. The birds organized their thoughts while having another meal.

The woman they had already considered as Hadel’s partner was already decided. She needed to keep Marianne’s heart until Marianne woke up, so a woman capable of leaving behind descendants with the flame attribute.

Since it was just proceeding with what was originally planned, it didn’t take much time. The birds ordered one of the candidates, Nella Orsini Youngae, to go to the North, and the next day, they received this response.

“A letter has arrived from Lady Orsini Youngae.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“It states that she has safely arrived at the Grand Duchy.”

“I see.”

Everything was going as planned, so it wasn’t particularly amusing. The birds rested their chin on their hand and contemplated.

‘If Marianne is in the North, there should be some reaction somehow.’

But that seemed uninteresting in its own way. In a different sense.

I was facing the most absurd situation in my entire life.

I left the castle briefly to find out how the ice monster had infiltrated the castle, but in the meantime, why was I in charge of the government?
I grabbed Hadel and asked. Even though I knew Hadel would be busy dealing with the ice monster, I couldn’t help but inquire.

“What’s going on with the fiancée situation?”

I didn’t think Hadel was shameless enough to have a fiancée and still bother me. But this is such a ridiculous situation, isn’t it?

Hadel responded with a very unpleasant expression.

“She was unilaterally sent from the capital. She arrived right after you left the castle.”

Upon hearing that she came from the capital, my face grew cold and expressionless.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t the Birds’ prince mention that Hadel’s engagement was just a formality when he came before?’

It seems that the woman meant to be Hadel’s fiancée at that time is the same as this one.

However, due to the Birds’ prince’s attitude of ignoring Hadel, the image of that woman was a mess from the beginning. I asked Hadel again.

“Orsini, where is she from? Is she a real aristocrat? A genuine noble or some kind of imposter and swindler?”

“She’s a southern viscount’s daughter. A real noblewoman, indeed. I confirmed her identity, and the royal seal stamped on the document was genuine.”

“…So, the engagement is ultimately at the king’s behest.”

Hadel sent away a woman he had never seen before, calling her a fiancée, all according to the king’s will.

Having grasped the situation, I shouted in anger.

“Who on earth is this person!”