"I come here to get my daughter. If you refuse to hand her over… we will not hesitate to take necessary action."
For a heartbeat, silence.
"Kidnapping…"
"Ha?" 3x
Three voices overlapped at once—Lucretia, Asahi, and Alice all blinking in confusion..
—---
What the?!
When did we?
Wait....
After a minute of thoughts.
My eyes widened slightly in realization and palm fist tap "Ah, Right! Now that you mention it… I did technically kidnap the princess."
I look at Alice-nee who was confused as well and ask her "I thought you'd already messaged them."
* (¬_¬) *Stareee* (ᵕ⸝⸝⸝╺﹏╺⸝⸝⸝ᵕ) *
Alice's face turned crimson and averted my gaze toward her and replied. "Well…I forgot"
As the outside getting heat up before Lucretia could respond, the door behind her creaked open.
"Alice—" I began, but she had already stepped out of the door.
The sunlight caught her golden hair as she crossed the threshold, the wind brushing past her white dress.
For a moment, the world seemed to still — every pair of eyes in the outside turned toward her.
Her steps were firm. Graceful. Not the fragile girl I'd met first day i met ago.
"Father...!"
That single word cut through the silence like a bell.
Everyone — Lucretia, me staying inside looking in the window, even the magi lined at the gate — froze.
Duke Gododdin's eyes widened. His controlled composure shattered for the first time as he stared at her in disbelief.
"Alice…?" His voice trembled slightly. "You… you're walking…?"
He took a slow step forward, as if afraid she might vanish if he blinked.
Every guard and magus behind him exchanged stunned looks.
Whispers spread like ripples across the formation.
"Impossible—wasn't the princess bedridden?"
"She's walking… unaided?"
Alice stopped a few steps from Lucretia, her emerald eyes soft but steady.
Duke Gododdin quickly hug his daughter felt warm body of her daughter.
"It's been a while, Father," she said gently and looked at her assistant. "You seem as well Miss Ericson."
Miss Ericson looked shocked as well, her face obviously written 'How.'
The Duke's lips parted, but no sound came out. For a long heartbeat, the proud man who had commanded an entire magical bureau simply stood there — eyes wide, struggling to process what he was seeing.
"You… you're supposed to be bedridden," he finally managed. His voice cracked, heavy with disbelief. "How…? How is this possible…?"
For a moment, Alice only smiled — gentle, knowing. Her gaze shifted toward Lucretia.
Their eyes met.
No words were needed; the look they exchanged said everything. A quiet understanding, a mutual trust built from the time they'd spent together.
Then Alice turned back to her father and spoke softly, her tone composed but carrying undeniable strength.
"Father, there's much I need to tell you. Please… come inside."
Duke Gododdin hesitated, glancing briefly at Lucretia — who merely gave a graceful nod of acknowledgment.
After a long breath, the Duke relented and followed his daughter's lead.
"Miss Erickson," he said over his shoulder, his tone clipped but firm, "stay here with the others."
The young woman in the Bureau uniform — Miss Erickson — immediately stepped forward. "But, Your Grace! For your safety—"
Before she could finish, Lucretia lifted a hand lightly, her violet eyes glinting. "Only Duke Gododdin and his daughter is allowed inside. I won't tolerate further intrusion into my home."
Miss Erickson frowned, ready to argue — but the Duke raised his hand sharply. "Enough. You'll obey my order."
Reluctantly, the woman stepped back, bowing stiffly. "Understood, Your Grace."
The atmosphere eased just a little as the Duke turned once more to Alice.
"Lead the way," he said quietly.
And so, the three of them — Alice, Duke Gododdin, and Lucretia — stepped through the doorway into the sitting room, leaving the stunned soldiers behind.
Inside, the faint scent of herbs and warm tea filled the air.
The tension from outside melted slightly as Lucretia motioned toward the sofa with her usual elegance.
"Now then," she said smoothly, pouring tea into delicate porcelain cups. "Why don't we sit and talk, Duke Gododdin? I believe this conversation is long overdue."
Alice sat gracefully beside her, hands folded over her lap, while the Duke lowered himself into the chair across from them, still struggling to process the sight of his daughter — alive, radiant, and whole.
---