A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 172: Preparations (2)

“Well then, have a safe trip. Haha.”

With Whitney seeing them off, Cecil and the others stepped through the front gates of the Ringaarden estate.

“...It kinda feels like we’ve escaped.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Hey, isn’t that kinda rude?”

Even as they said that, the children couldn’t help but shudder quietly, feeling like they’d just barely escaped from a haunted mansion.

“...W-Wait.”

“Hm?”

Just before boarding the carriage headed for the Mage Tower, a girl stopped the group.

“Something’s... off.”

“...What is?”

“J-Just in case, I did a quick headcount. And well...”

At her words, everyone froze in place.

“For some reason, we’re one short.”

It was the perfect closing note to a horror story—the final twist of an unresolved ghost tale.

“W-What?!”

“Eek!”

“H-How?!”

Panic spread as the kids scrambled to figure out what was going on—but only Cecil remained calm.

“Lady Ambrosia decided to stay at the mansion.”

“Uh, what?”

“Why?”

“Something with my brother, I guess?”

Though Cecil brushed it off like it was nothing, her tone clearly told them not to pry further.

“W-Wow. This carriage is incredible.”

“I’ve never ridden in something like this before...”

“A-Amazing!”

After the previous night, the children’s instincts had been sharpened significantly, and they quickly shifted focus to the carriage in front of them.

“H-Hmph. But of course. In the Felgrave family, this level of carriage is standard, you know?”

“R-Really? Wow!”

“This one is equipped with spatial expansion magic, but that’s just basic enchantment where I come from.”

“That’s incredible!”

“Oh, and it doesn’t need a driver either. It’s got an autonomous navigation system developed and patented by the Mage Tower. You just tell it the destination and—”

Luckily, Adel was in high enough spirits to match their energy.

“Well, usually I ride one several times larger than this, of course. Fufu.”

Though she was slightly exaggerating, the children nodded along and praised her generously.

“......”

In truth, it wasn’t just the abrupt absence of “Ambrosia” that had the children reacting like this.

“...Ugh.”

There was another reason: the mysterious girl who had suddenly been introduced by Whitney to accompany the tour.

Trailing behind the group with her head bowed and mumbling unintelligibly, her mere presence was enough to make the others wary.

“Wh-Who is she really?”

“D-Didn’t Whitney say she’s his cousin?”

“...But her hair’s blonde.”

“H-Hair color can vary...”

“I know some of the Ringaarden cousins. They all have black hair...”

The kids were full of suspicion.

Was she an illegitimate child of the Ringaarden family? A secret lover? A ghost?

But if that were the case, there’s no way Whitney would send her out with outsiders on a field trip.

So... was this strange girl really just Whitney’s cousin?

“U-Um.”

“...Ugh.”

“H-Hello?”

Just as curiosity reached its peak, one student mustered the courage to speak to the girl.

“Ah... agh. Ah.”

“...Wh-What’s wrong?”

“Ugh... ah...”

Before they could even get a word in, she lowered her head further and let out eerie, guttural groans.

“M-Maybe she has trouble speaking...”

“M-Maybe she’s sick or something...”

“Shh, be quiet.”

They all went quiet, interpreting her reaction with misplaced pity.

But in truth, there was no need.

“Ugh... agh, ah.”

Katarina, now free of her usual wig and compression wraps, was simply adjusting to being in her original form for the first time.

It might seem trivial—but for her, this mission required immense courage.

Having lived her whole life as a man, her current appearance felt like cross-dressing rather than returning to her true self.

Wearing a skirt and women’s undergarments to avoid being recognized as the “prince” made her hyper-aware of every unfamiliar sensation.

Every time she took a step, the unfamiliar fabric brushing against her skin made her flinch inwardly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“......”

Still, she couldn’t remain silent forever.

Because Whitney had asked her for a favor.

She didn’t fully understand it, but Whitney was her only friend.

He’d resolved the issue of her former fiancée and taken her in when she had nowhere else to go.

So, if he asked her for a small favor—she was willing.

But dressing like this? That was still tough for her.

“...H-Hello.”

She couldn’t keep avoiding interaction. She had to do this—for Whitney’s sake.

“......”

The moment Katarina squeezed out her voice, silence fell among the children.

“S-She can talk.”

“B-But her voice...”

“...I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

It was natural for the children to feel a sense of déjà vu.

They’d never met Katarina before—but they were very familiar with Kendrick, the student council president.

“Gasp.”

Realizing she’d slipped and used her usual voice, Katarina hurriedly shut her mouth.

In the past, she used a magic device to disguise her voice.

But over time, pretending to be a man had made her voice naturally more androgynous, so she’d stopped using it.

Now, without the device, her voice still sounded familiar enough to be recognized.

“N-Nice to meet you. I-I just had a sore throat earlier.”

After a long moment, Katarina managed to change her tone just enough to deflect suspicion.

“...Sigh.”

Cecil, watching quietly, pressed her fingers to her forehead.

She couldn’t help but worry about how this was all going to unfold.

“Please let this go smoothly...”

Most of the kids thought this tour was just some random bit of luck thanks to Adel’s whim.

But Cecil knew better—because Whitney had told her the truth.

‘If what my brother said is true, the Mage Tower is incredibly dangerous. If we’re going in for a mission...’

Her friends couldn’t be involved.

Unless they were as capable as herself, Adel, or Katarina—they were just regular students.

Ideally, she wouldn’t let them get involved at all.

But getting into the Mage Tower naturally required a group.

The more people, the easier it was to slip through security unnoticed.

Cecil’s plan was to wait for an opening during the tour and sneak into the restricted area with Katarina.

No one was allowed there. But Katarina, as a royal, was different.

Due to an old pact between the Mage Tower and the royal family, the tower retained autonomy in exchange for granting the royals oversight privileges.

The current Emperor might have long colluded with the tower, making such rights meaningless—but using Katarina as the passkey might change things.

If all went well, they could unlock the forbidden zone and escape during the resulting chaos.

Of course, there was no guarantee things would go well.

That’s why she’d take every possible precaution for her friends.

Before the tour began, Adel would distribute return scrolls to ensure they wouldn’t get lost in the labyrinthine tower.

As long as a full-scale magic-suppression barrier didn’t activate, they should be able to escape without issue.

And such a barrier, in the Mage Tower—repository of a thousand years of magical knowledge—was unlikely to exist.

‘Still... there’s one thing that bothers me.’

Even with all her preparation, Cecil couldn’t feel at ease.

‘...How much does Adel really know about this plan?’

Last night, as far as Cecil knew, Adel had spoken with Whitney in private.

It was clear—given that Adel had suddenly gotten permission for a Mage Tower visit.

But how much of the plan did Adel actually understand?

Would the Tower Lord’s daughter really go along with a plan that could destroy the entire tower?

If she knew, she might oppose it.

If she didn’t... was Whitney just using her?

If it was the latter, the plan could unravel completely.

Should she ask Adel now?

‘No. If I ask too bluntly...’

After much internal debate, Cecil shook her head and quietly took her seat in the carriage.

‘I have no choice but to trust my brother’s plan...’

Whitney had said everything would go smoothly as long as they followed his instructions.

She had to believe him. The last Prodigy Selection Tournament had gone exactly as he predicted.

Surely he had accounted for everything this time too.

If she derailed his strategy with her own assumptions, it would only cause harm.

“Alright then! We’re off!”

Adel, having confirmed everyone was seated, cheerfully signaled for departure.

— Creak...

The carriage began to move, slowly leaving the Ringaarden estate behind.

“...Phew.”

Cecil exhaled slowly and leaned out the window, glancing back at the estate.

‘What exactly are you planning, brother...?’

In the distance, Whitney’s face bore that same unreadable, icy smile as always.

‘Well... I guess you know what you’re doing.’

Feeling oddly reassured by that smile, Cecil shut the window.

***

“Well then, the distractions are finally gone.”

“......”

“Shall we begin our preparations now?”

Just as ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the carriage had fully cleared the Ringaarden estate—

“......”

“Whitney?”

Amber, stretching lightly as she appeared behind Whitney with a sparkle in her eyes, tilted her head at his silence.

“...Huh.”

But Whitney didn’t respond—he was staring at something in his hand, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

“Why is this doing this all of a sudden...?”

The magical pendant he’d once obtained from Adel... was now glowing black.