Published: January 24, 2026
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Two days had passed since Mr. Marius, Sophie's older brother, became the Claudel count.
By promptly formally rejecting the marriage proposal that had been made to Sophie, he had managed to free her.
From the start, the whole engagement was a strange matter.
Apparently, Sophie had been repeatedly told by her parents to "fulfill your duties as a noble."
In this country, only after graduating from the Noble Academy does one truly become a noble.
That said, almost all children born to noble families enter the Noble Academy, so this rule has become merely formal.
In other words, Sophie, who had not graduated from the Noble Academy, was not considered a true noble despite being a noble’s daughter.
To strip Sophie of her noble status while still imposing noble responsibilities on her is nothing but unreasonable.
Speaking of strange matters, the reason Viscount Emelt sought Sophie was also perplexing.
Though the members of the Twilight Moonbow, including Sophie, had previously been featured in newspapers and thus were somewhat known, it felt odd that the engagement was forcibly arranged using threats like the flooding of the dungeon.
While still unsettled by this lingering unease, as I was helping with the aftermath over the past couple of days, I received word that Luna, Log, and Carole from the Twilight Moonbow had arrived in Darane.
Upon hearing this, I immediately guided the three of them to the room lent to me, and with Sophie present, I informed them that Sophie's matter had already been resolved.
"I put so much effort into coming to Darane, but I didn’t expect everything to be settled by the time I arrived!" Carole complained, pouting.
"Sorry for making you all worry," Sophie apologized, lowering her gaze toward the three.
"No worries! As long as Sophie is okay now, all is good! I’m just glad she didn’t run off somewhere!" Carole said, not bothered at all, then hugged Sophie tightly.
Hmm, seeing Sophie’s face buried in Carole’s ample chest, while Sophie muttered, "I-I’m suffocating…" puts me in a bit of an awkward spot as a guy.
Log also averted his gaze, cheeks flushed.
"Hehe, yes. Just being able to confirm Sophie’s safety like this made the trip to Darane worthwhile," Luna said softly, watching the exchange between Sophie and Carole with a relieved smile.
"I'm sorry for causing everyone so much worry, but now, looking back, I think it became a chance to reflect on myself. No matter who I’m with from now on, I can clearly say I want to continue being a seeker with everyone," Sophie confessed after escaping Carole’s hug.
"I’m glad you said that. I can’t imagine the Twilight Moonbow without Sophie anymore. Welcome back, Sophie," I said.
"Yeah, I’m home!" Sophie answered cheerfully.
Seeing everyone in the Twilight Moonbow smiling so brightly put me at ease.
What I did this time was but a small thing; most of the credit goes to Ms. Selma and Mr. Marius.
After putting on such a brave front for Sophie, I did feel a bit embarrassed about not having fully resolved things myself, but in the end, as long as Sophie can smile, that’s all that matters.
My little pride means nothing to Sophie.
"By the way, how did you all know I was in Darane so quickly?" Sophie asked the three.
"That’s thanks to Sister Ru’s big help! She tracked down Sophie’s location and hurried after you!"
"I wouldn’t call it a big help, but I discovered a new possibility for my supernatural ability, and thanks to that, I learned you were heading to Darane. This event might have been beneficial not only for you but also for me," Sister Ru explained.
"I see. Thanks, Sister Ru."
"Hehe, you’re welcome."
"You shared sensations with a fairy through an expanded interpretation of your supernatural ability, right? I wonder if my ability, shadow manipulation, has powers beyond just controlling shadows? I can't think of any though."
"Expanded interpretation of supernatural abilities, huh. I think my telekinesis probably has more potential, but nothing comes to mind."