Even though he had caught a cold, His Majesty the King clearly wasn't willing to concede defeat.
He insisted that he had simply been careless—caught off guard by the sheer power of his opponent's ice magic. He claimed that he'd underestimated Kaiser and had merely fallen into the boy's trap. Otherwise, how could a proud warrior of the battle-hardened nation, a former chief knight no less, lose to some rookie spellcaster? Impossible!
Unfortunately for him, that excuse held no water—not with his daughter, and not even with his own wife.
"Rookie or not, he's still the Beast King. My dear, no matter how valiant you are, you wouldn't be a match for him," Polifonia said, cutting down her husband without mercy and leaving Lucas looking a little green.
La Folia's remark was even harsher.
"In the end, Father, you even brought out the Holy Sword, only for him to put you down in a matter of moments. That alone proves you're no match for him, doesn't it?"
Lucas' glare immediately snapped toward Kaiser.
"What trick did you use? How could our proud Holy Sword be broken like that?"
Kaiser's answer was nothing but perfunctory.
"Just a little trick, nothing worth dwelling on."
The blatant brush-off nearly made Lucas blow a gasket.
"That's enough. Stop embarrassing yourself," Polifonia chided, holding him back. "He's not even one of your subjects—and even if he were, you'd have no right to interrogate him like that."
"You really have no regal bearing at all," La Folia added coldly. "To treat the man who saved your daughter and your family this way… I never realized my father had become that kind of person."
"Hmph!" Lucas snorted, still unwilling to yield. Sniffling, he muttered, "I don't acknowledge any 'savior' who has designs on my daughter!"
The doting father had clearly lost all sense of proportion.
"Just ignore him and let him sulk," Polifonia said at last, her patience worn thin. She turned to Kaiser with a warm smile. "The Kingdom of Aldegyr would never repay the man who saved our beloved princess with ingratitude."
"Whether it's La Folia or Kanon Kanase, the debt we owe you for saving them is one we will never forget."
She offered a deep, formal bow, leaving Lucas sitting there, sulking like a child.
"It was just a job. Don't think too much of it," Kaiser replied with a shake of his head, unmoved by her gratitude.
He hadn't rescued La Folia to earn the Kingdom's thanks. He hadn't even done it because of the Lion King Organization's mission. He had gone to that deserted island for one reason: because Kanon was there.
Saving La Folia, in his eyes, had simply been a matter of convenience.
"To you it may be nothing, but to us it's an immeasurable kindness," Polifonia said, shaking her head. "One way or another, we will find a way to repay you. Please, don't refuse us that much."
Kaiser simply nodded, not inclined to argue further.
Polifonia then turned to Kanon, her expression softening with deep warmth.
"So, we finally meet, Kanon."
Her gentle tone made it impossible for Kanon to remain silent.
"Y-Your Majesty the Queen…" Kanon said nervously, bowing her head.
"None of that," Polifonia quickly said, moving to support her with a wry smile. "I'm your sister by blood, Kanon. Even if you're younger than La Folia, you're still my little sister. There's no need to be so formal."
"Sorry… I'm just not used to it yet." Kanon kept her head lowered. "To know that I still have family in this world… I'm happy. But royalty still feels far too distant for me."
Though hailed as the Saint of the Central District, Kanon was, at heart, just a girl who had grown up in a monastery, an orphan until her uncle took her in five years ago.
Even then, her life hadn't changed much. The setting was different—her uncle Kensei Kanase was hardly cruel—but he was a pure scholar of magic, obsessed with forbidden research, and emotional warmth wasn't something he had much to give.
At school, her striking beauty had kept her peers at a distance. She had spent much of her life alone, convinced she was unwanted, quietly nursing feelings of inferiority.
Her habit of raising stray kittens, unable to stand seeing them abandoned, was just another reflection of that deep-seated loneliness—finding comfort in creatures more helpless than herself.
On top of that, she had been subjected to human experimentation, nearly turned into an artificial angel. That kind of trauma could never be erased.
To her, the idea that she was of royal blood—equal in status to a princess, with a princess calling her "Aunt"—was almost absurd.
What had she done to deserve such a thing?
Polifonia understood all too well what her sister was feeling.
"I'm sorry… for letting you wander in the outside world for so many years." Polifonia's eyes brimmed with regret. "You should have been the most cherished of all, but because of our father's cowardice, you suffered so much."
"This is our fault. Please… give us the chance to make it right."
But Kanon shook her head.
"I don't see it that way." A gentle smile, so like Polifonia's own, bloomed on her face. "I heard that the monastery where I grew up was built by the late king in memory of my mother, correct?"
"Even though it's gone now, it sheltered many children before the end. I was one of them. Without it, I wouldn't be who I am today."
"I only feel gratitude, never resentment. So please, don't say such things again."
Her words left both Polifonia and Lucas moved.
"Just that alone is enough for you?" Polifonia asked, incredulous.
"Yes." Kanon's smile was pure and sincere. "It wasn't perfect, but I was content."
It was no lie, and no forced politeness.
Despite all she had suffered, Kanon didn't believe anyone owed her anything. She had seen stray kittens, shivering and hungry in cardboard boxes. She had seen other orphans like herself, with no parents and no one to rely on.
For someone like her, having a roof over her head—a place like the monastery—was already a blessing. She would never ask for more. That was who Kanon Kanase truly was: someone who was easily moved to gratitude, easily satisfied.
Even toward the foster father who had turned her into an artificial angel, she bore no hatred—only thanks for the five years he had raised her.
Everyone present could see that sincerity, that kindness, in her smile.
"You really are a good child," Polifonia said, with a mix of admiration and pity. Kanon's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"See? Didn't I tell you?" La Folia chimed in with a laugh. "Kanon's not the type to get carried away just because she's of royal blood."
No doubt the princess had already observed and judged her aunt's character, and had relayed that assessment back to the royal family.
This trip might have been a family reunion on the surface, but whether Kanon would be accepted as a member of the Aldegyr royal family was another matter entirely.
What if the one they found turned out to be someone intent on seizing power?
What if she resented the royal family for abandoning her?
Such a person, even if found, would be more of a liability than an asset to the Kingdom.
After all, Kanon was an illegitimate child. Even as Polifonia's sister by blood, the fact they didn't share the same mother meant there would always be cause for caution.
In royal families, even true siblings could end up as bitter rivals. The court was rarely a place for sentiment.
La Folia's mission to Itogami Island had been publicly called a diplomatic visit, privately framed as a search for lost kin—but in truth, it was also an evaluation, to determine whether Kanon would bring trouble to the royal family.
After this time together, La Folia had decided: her aunt was harmless.
Welcoming her home would be nothing but a joy.
A girl who carried the royal bloodline and possessed such a strong spirit medium talent could only be a boon to Aldegyr.
Perhaps Kanon's return could even bring the Kingdom new strength.
Unfortunately…
"You really won't come back to Aldegyr with us, Kanon?" Polifonia finally asked.