Introducing some original characters! Enjoy!


The next day came sunny and bright, with little birds sharing their sweet melodies with the world. Inside a lavish study within an opulent mansion, Marquis Jacques Alarie sat behind his expensive desk going over some important documents. He was a tall man in his early forties; he had slicked-back brown hair that sported a few streaks of gray and a thick mustache, and his brown eyes glinted with arrogance.

Putting the papers down on the desk, Jacques took a moment to think about how his plan to finally crush Luigi Claes would succeed.

He had despised the other man even since both of them were children. He hated how everyone liked and admired the other boy more than him, and loather how Luigi received praise seemingly without effort.

"Oh, little Luigi is so adorable! He'll surely grow up into a very handsome man!"

"Luigi is so smart and is always at the top of his class. No wonder he is the Student Council President!"

"Luigi's magic is so strong! Just look at that giant Earth Golem that he summoned!"

"Luigi is so skilled in politics! There's no one else more suited to be Duke Claes than him!"

It sickened him!

The only reason that idiot was so popular was that he was lucky enough to be born in a ducal family.

In his opinion, Luigi Claes did not deserve that much praise. The man was a buffoon! Always smiling and being friendly with everyone, even lowly commoners.

But no matter what Jacques did to surpass Luigi, his accomplishments always seemed to fall short.

That was not the worst part, though.

Because the Alarie Family were subordinates of the Claes, Jacques had been forced to defer to that fool his entire life.

And he was always getting in Jacques's way of obtaining more power. His daughter even got engaged to the third prince instead of Jacques's daughter, Isabelle.

Jacques often devised schemes to diminish the Claes' power and increase his own. Still, none of them ever worked because Luigi kept subverting them somehow.

(Jacques refused to admit it was because he wasn't as clever as he thought, so it was no effort for the duke to counter his attempts).

But this plan will work!

Kidnapping Luigi Claes' children and forcing him to choose which one to save was the perfect weaken the Claes. Either they would lose their biological daughter and the opportunity to become in-laws of royalty or their official heir with the powerful magic.

This plan had the added benefit of making Luigi suffer as the man was very loving to his children for some reason.

Jacques wondered which one Luigi would choose. The logical choice would be to save the official heir, even if he was adopted. That boy had powerful magic and was among the top of his class and a member of the student council. Besides, the boy looked more like a Claes than the actual biological daughter who had inherited her mother's Adeth looks.

'I wonder if there is some truth to those rumors about the boy being Luigi's illegitimate child.'

Compared to him, the daughter had no real value besides her engagement providing the Claes with a connection to the royal family. She was unsuited for it, anyway. The girl had low grades and weak magic and was wild and tomboyish. And what kind of noblewoman dared to swordfight?

'It must be those Adeth genes,' he thought. The people of the North were savages, after all. Even Duchess Claes had been a hellion before finally maturing through Jacques thought she was still too iron-willed for a woman.

Though there was the fact that the girl was still the biological daughter of the Claes family, so they might feel that was more important.

Personally, Jacques would prefer if the boy was chosen over the girl since that would free up the position of the third prince's fiancée for his daughter to take.

Maybe he would have the girl sold into slavery regardless of the Claes' choice.

'Or I could sell both of them!' An absolutely vile smirk bloomed on his face. 'Yes, losing both heirs would be a massive blow to the Claes' power,' he thought giddily.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Annoyed that someone was disturbing him, Jacques told whoever it was to come in.

"What is it?" He growled to the butler that came. "I specifically ordered that I not be disturbed unless it was an emergency."

The butler bowed in apology. "Forgive me, my lord, but Duke Claes is here, and he wishes to speak with you."

Jacques felt a chill run up his spine, but he did not let it show on his face.

"I see. Then please bring him here."

The butler bowed once more and left to fetch the duke.

As he waited, Jacques tried to think of what reason could the duke have to visit him. It couldn't be that he had figured out that Jacques was the one behind his children's kidnapping. He had ordered his hired thugs to take them to a remote village where they couldn't be found, and there was no evidence of his involvement.

'So why is that idiot visiting me?'


The butler returned with Luigi Claes in tow, the duke flanked by a pair of Claes Knights that he recognized as Oliver Ackerman and Elizabeth Faucher.

Jacques internally scowled at the sight of the female knight. He had always considered Baron Faucher a fool for allowing his daughter to become a knight instead of marrying her off.

Once his job was completed, the butler returned to his other duties, leaving the two noblemen alone - save for the knights who remained by the duke's side, their expressions stern.

"Greetings, Duke Claes," Jacques said politely, putting on the deferential facade that was expected of him, hiding his contempt for the man before him.

"Greeting Marquis Alarie," the duke greeted back just as politely, his face curiously blank.

"To what I owe the honor of your visit?"

"I am afraid nothing good," the other man said gravely, though his expression didn't change. "You see, my children have been kidnapped."

"That is terrible!" Jacques gasped, feigning surprise and concern, pretending that he had nothing to do with it.

"Yes, quite."

The duke's face was strangely blank, not showing a hint of fear or concern even though his beloved children had been taken. He would have thought that the other man would be a blubbering mess.

'Maybe he doesn't want to show weakness in front of me. I know I would never let someone of a lower rank see me cry,' he thought. He swallowed nervously as he tried to hide how much the duke's unusually expressionless face was unnerving him.

"So, have you come to ask for aid in finding them?" he asked, remaining in character. "I'll gladly offer any resources I have to help you, your Grace."

"Oh, that won't be necessary because Katarina and Keith were rescued a couple of days ago."

Jacques felt himself freeze at those words. "W-What?"

Luigi nodded. "After receiving the ransom letter, my wife and I immediately headed for the Ministry of Magic to request their aid. To our luck, Miss Larna Smith - you've heard of her, right? She's the Head of the Department of Magic Tools. Miss Smith used a Magic Tool she created to find where my children were being held, so we managed to rescue them and arrest the criminals who kidnapped them."

"T-That's wonderful!" Jacques exclaimed, trying to sound relieved, but on the inside, he was panicking.

'No! No! This cannot be happening! This plan was supposed to work!'

Luigi's blank expression suddenly morphed into one of thunderous fury. "Drop the pretenses, Alarie," he growled as his furious gaze pierced through the other man. "I know that you are the one who orchestrated everything." The knights' faces matched their lord's fury, and they tightened their grip on their swords.

Jacques's inner panic finally manifested outwardly, and he looked like he was ready to try running. Before he could, the study's door was slammed open, and Prince Gerald Stuart marched in along with several Royal Knights. The prince's expression was severe, and his blue eyes blazed in anger.

"Marquis Jacques Alarie," the prince's words held barely suppressed anger. "You are under arrest for kidnapping, insubordination, and attempted blackmail."

The knights wasted no time in apprehending Jacques and leading him away. The man did not struggle, his face frozen in shocked disbelief as his mind could not comprehend how everything had gone so wrong.


Once the ex-Marquis had been dragged away, one of the remaining knights cautiously approached the duke.

"Excuse me, Your Grace," Luigi turned to her. "Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but may I ask what will happen to the former marquis' children and staff?" Although the female knight appeared calm, there was a hint of worry in her expression and tone of voice.

"The investigators concluded that neither the staff nor children had any involvement in the marquis's scheme. Therefore, I don't intend to seize their lands from them," Luigi then gave the knight a reassuring and fatherly smile. "So you do not have to worry about your siblings becoming homeless, Dame Isadora."

Dame Isadora Alarie, the eldest child of Jacques Alarie and who had been practically disowned by her father for becoming a knight instead of marrying, sighed in relief. "Thank you for your mercy, Your Grace," she bowed in gratitude.

"However, I cannot prevent the damage their reputations will suffer because of your father's actions." Luigi looked apologetic about it. He agreed with his daughter that it was not fair, but that was the unfortunate reality of their society.

Isadora nodded in understanding. As a former noblewoman, she was well aware of how the actions of a single person could affect their whole family.

"Also, I hope you understand that I will be keeping a close eye on your siblings, especially your brother, so they don't make the same mistakes as Jacques."

"Yes, Your Grace, I understand, but I do not believe you have anything to worry about. Despite sharing the same ambition as our father, Isabelle and Isaac have standards that he lacks."

Luigi hummed. "Perhaps, but you'll have to forgive me for being cautious after everything that has happened."

"I am afraid that agree with Duke Claes' sentiment, Dame Isadora," said Gerald. "I also will be cautious in my future interactions with your siblings. I admit that this debacle has increased my wariness towards Lady Isabelle, especially after last year's incident with my fiancée."

Despite knowing that Lady Isabelle and her companions had been manipulated by Raphael's Dark Magic into throwing those accusations, their dislike of Katarina was genuine. So Gerald felt that his caution towards the remaining Alaries was justified.

Isadora bowed her head. "I understand. Thank you for listening," she bowed again before turning around and leaving the study.

Luigi then turned to Gerald.

"I believe that our job here is done, so I'll be returning home," then asked, "Do you wish to join us for lunch?"

"I'll be honored," the prince smiled, and Luigi returned the gesture.

The duke and prince left the arrested marquis' study and exited the Alarie Mansion. They climbed into their respective carriages and, at their orders, both horse-drawn vehicles headed towards the Claes Estate.


This chapter was a bit difficult to get right, but I managed, and I hope my effort is worth it.

Jacques Alarie, Oliver Ackerman, Elizabeth Faucher, and Isadora Alarie are my original characters.

Next time is the epilogue!