A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 45: Player

True to their default status, their backgrounds were ordinary, and both their appearances and names were perfectly androgynous. Despite the earlier commotion, they remained in place, completely silent.

‘I used to play as Hayden a lot... but Robin was always the most popular.’

Caught in a brief wave of nostalgia from my past life, I smiled at them. Thinking I might as well say something, I carefully stepped forward.

"You three have been quiet for a while—are you alright?"

"......."

"Um, hello?"

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But strangely enough, Hayden—my once-favorite character, though not as much as Meredia—didn’t even turn his head, simply standing there in silence.

“......”

Same with Robin and Charlie, who stood beside him without even a flicker of movement or reaction.

"You're wasting your time."

"Huh?"

Scratching the back of my head in mild awkwardness, I was suddenly addressed by Cecil, who had been watching me with an exasperated look.

"Those three aren’t the talkative type."

"Ah..."

"They’re the top-ranked students in the third year. I tried talking to them a few times too, but realized they’ve never spoken to anyone else either, so I gave up."

Come to think of it, the player characters in the game never had much dialogue either. The story always progressed through choices.

Could that be reflected in reality too? Somehow, the boundary between game and real life felt like it was starting to blur—strangely surreal.

"But seriously—was that student earlier really connected to black magic?"

Still deep in my own thoughts, I was pulled back to reality by Cecil’s sharp tone, her brow furrowed in suspicion.

"You’re not falsely accusing people again for some shady scheme, are you?"

"...Cecil, what kind of person do you think I am?"

First, it was the misunderstanding with Lunelle, and now this. Our Cecil seems to have a real knack for baseless suspicion—it’s starting to concern me.

It’s whatever when it’s aimed at me, but she shouldn't jump to conclusions about others’ good intentions so easily either.

Still, she seems to have plenty of friends, so maybe I shouldn’t worry too much.

"And that creepy smile again. Seriously, knock it off—"

"U-Um."

Just as I was looking down at her with a faintly sympathetic smile, lost in those thoughts—

"A-Ah, hello."

From behind her, a clearly nervous Adel suddenly spoke to me.

"Oh, Lady Adel. It’s nice to see you again."

"......!"

"How are you? You’re not hurt anywhere, I hope?"

Though she was both Cecil’s rival and now someone who would be competing against her for the top spot, as a judge I kept my expression kind and polite.

"Th-Thanks to you... I’m fine..."

"Haha, no need to thank me. I was just doing my job."

"...Th-Thank you for what you did back then."

...The atmosphere felt a little different than before.

"...What are you doing?"

"J-Just borrowing her back for a bit..."

Hiding behind Cecil’s back and peeking out from over her shoulder, Adel’s current behavior felt completely at odds with the elegant, haughty noble image she used to give off.

It was like... the classic villainess who got humbled and was now acting meek after being properly put in her place.

"If only Lady Meredia could mellow out like this too..."

"Hah."

It was almost like watching the future I hoped for with Meredia unfold before my eyes, and I ended up murmuring it without thinking. Adel blinked in surprise, staring blankly for a moment.

"Um... uh."

"Yes?"

"A-Am I... your type?"

Wait—why is she suddenly asking about my type?

"I-I mean, I have a strong personality, yes. But..."

"......"

"...I can adjust to your preferences. Sp-Specially for you."

If she keeps this up, I don’t even want to imagine what Cecil—who’s standing right here and hearing everything—will think of me.

"Ugh..."

Sure enough, Cecil, who had inadvertently given her back to her rival, was visibly disgusted, her expression souring in real time.

‘This is... kind of sad, honestly.’

But knowing that this noble lady was likely being pushed into this by her father, who even gave her a magic tool to manipulate the situation, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.

‘...How must it feel to pretend to be interested in someone you don’t even love?’

Even if it’s a family matter, seeing a daughter used like a chess piece by her father just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

And soon, the Tower will be pushed to the brink of destruction... so in a way, her ruin is all but guaranteed.

"I’m sorry, but I’m engaged to Lady Meredia."

"...Ah."

"I’m not in a position to look at other women."

But especially in moments like this, it's important to draw a firm line.

I still don’t have a stable position, and if I tried to help her out of pity, it’d only end with both of us getting hurt.

"I-I see... I’m sorry."

"......"

"I’m always the second choice... I knew this would happen..."

Still, as someone who’s lived two lives, I can at least give a little advice to someone who’s lost and confused.

"Look, I don’t know what your true goal is..."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Taking a step closer, I gently patted her on the shoulder and offered her a bit of encouragement.

"But if there’s something you want, wouldn’t it be better to earn it through your own strength, without anyone else’s help?"

"......"

"From what I see, you’ve got endless potential."

After a moment of silence, she looked at me with a dim expression and quietly asked,

"...But what if, no matter how hard I try, it always ends as just ‘potential’?"

I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile at that.

"There are people out there who don’t even get the chance to try."

"Huh?"

"People who are forced to accept a fixed fate and go along quietly like mice."

Maybe it was because it reminded me of my own past, lying in a hospital bed waiting to die—my encouragement had ended up more emotional than I’d intended.

"...Was that story about yourself?"

"Haha, no comment."

The topic might’ve been too heavy for students their age. I tried to brush it off with a laugh, but—

"...What are you doing?"

"Ah, Lady Meredia."

Of all times, Meredia’s voice came from the side, making me flinch and turn my head.

"I was already running late, and I come in to see you loitering instead of getting things moving?"

"...Ahaha, my apologies."

Now I understood why the faculty up ahead, who had been preparing to give tournament instructions, were all glaring at me.

I hadn’t meant to cause a scene, but I guess I’d unintentionally gotten in the way.

"If you’re sorry, stop wasting time with idle chatter and follow me. Our schedule’s tight."

"...Understood."

Feeling like a henpecked husband, I deflated and began following Lady Meredia. But before leaving, I turned back and said one last thing.

"Anyway, do your best."

"......"

"Forget about me—and walk your own path."

It was only words, but for now, it was the best I could offer.

"I’ll be cheering for your dream. From behind the scenes."

It stung a little, sure. But I truly hoped she’d take it to heart and keep going.

***

‘So he can actually make that kind of serious expression...’

Cecil, watching her older brother get dragged off by Meredia with a sulky face, wore a disgruntled expression as she mulled over her thoughts.

‘...At least he seems to know where to draw the line.’

Considering how every moment with him reeked of scheming and sleaze, she’d braced herself for some outrageous comment—but surprisingly, he’d actually given sincere advice.

‘But... what did he mean by that?’

There was one part of his advice that stuck in her mind more than she’d like.

‘I don’t think he was saying that for my sake...’

Cecil, ever sharp-eyed, had noticed something strange—when Whitney mentioned people who couldn’t even get a chance and were forced to accept a predetermined fate, his expression darkened far more than usual.

But that wouldn’t really apply to Whitney himself. And as for whether he was talking to her—well, she was currently standing here as a candidate for the Prodigy Selection Tournament.

“Miss Cecil...”

“...Yes?”

“I hate to admit it, but for the first time, I’m jealous of you.”

Interrupted by Adel’s soft voice from beside her, Cecil set her thoughts aside and turned to listen.

“You have such a wonderful brother...”

“Ugh—!”

Adel’s barely audible murmur instantly made Cecil flinch in horror, her eyes narrowing in reflex.

“But... of all people...”

“......”

“Why did she have to catch his eye?”

Then, as Adel muttered in a cold tone while glaring off at Meredia, walking alongside Whitney in the distance, Cecil quickly shut her mouth.

‘Is this girl insane?’

As far as Cecil knew, the only person in the Empire capable of going toe-to-toe with her brother was Meredia.

If Whitney was the secretive mastermind behind the curtain, then Meredia was the open, brazen incarnation of evil power itself.

The most infamous example was when she drove the Duke of Embergreen to the brink of disgrace through some mysterious method, and upon becoming acting head of house, orchestrated a bloody succession by purging two-thirds of the estate’s staff.

Compared to that, Whitney—who, yes, did send their father to a “better place” and monopolized power in an instant—was practically a gentleman, seeing as his staff quit out of sheer fear instead of being actively purged.

“Hey, could you keep your voice down a little...!”

Cecil hurriedly tried to whisper a warning to Adel, worried for her safety—even if Adel had always annoyed her. That kind of remark, right now, was reckless.

— Swoosh...

And then, as if on cue, Meredia—who had been walking calmly alongside Whitney—suddenly turned her head quietly toward them.

‘I knew it!’

Cecil inhaled sharply, seized by panic.

But to her surprise, Meredia didn’t storm over to crush Adel underfoot.

“...Hah.”

She simply stared at Adel for a few seconds, then gave her a cold smile and turned away.

— Grit...

Watching all of this with a stunned look, Cecil found herself jarred by the sound of Adel grinding her teeth next to her.

“Someone that kind and noble... He can’t be used by a villainess like Meredia. Right?”

“...I mean, they kind of look like a perfect match, honestly.”

“You didn’t see his expression earlier, did you...? That wistful smile as he spoke of political marriages...?”

But as Cecil replied with a skeptical look, Adel fell momentarily silent—only because, in her mind, all the pieces had already fallen into place.

‘...So that’s why the Ringaarden family has been issuing so many bonds lately.’

Even wealthy noble houses sometimes issue bonds when launching large-scale projects.

But the Ringaarden family—rumored to be secretly on the verge of bankruptcy—had no such projects. The sheer volume of bonds they were putting out was suspicious.

‘Father tried to buy them, but said the Embergreen house already acquired most of them...’

Adel had overheard that most of those bonds had recently been purchased by the House of Embergreen.

‘...So they must’ve made some kind of arrangement, for the sake of their families.’

As nobles, they had to pay far higher tuition than commoners under Academy rules. Whitney, knowing Cecil would be overwhelmed by the obligations if she placed in the tournament, must have made this decision to support her.

‘Judging by her reaction, she probably doesn’t even know.’

Thus, the tale of a tragic hero—forced to give himself body and soul to a woman he doesn’t love for the sake of his family and sister—was fully realized in Adel’s mind.

“...Cecil. I’m going to steal Sir Whitney from her.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t need my father’s orders anymore. With my own will and strength... I’ll rescue him.”

Clenching her teeth and glaring daggers at Meredia’s back, Adel suddenly turned and took Cecil’s hand, speaking in the softest, sweetest tone.

“Could you forgive me... for everything until now?”

“......”

“In return, I’ll make sure neither you nor Sir Whitney ever have to worry about money. I run my own merchant guild, you know.”

As Cecil stood there with her jaw hanging open at that ridiculous declaration, Adel added even more absurdity on top.

“And unlike some people, I have no intention of making him a live-in son-in-law. I’m great at housework too...”

‘...Has the whole world lost its mind?’

That was Cecil’s only thought, though to be fair, this was still just her personal opinion based on the whirlwind of insanity surrounding her brother.

“...I have one question.”

“...!”

And just then, a voice from the front of the waiting room—right as the tournament briefing was about to begin—brought everyone to attention.

“Can I still withdraw?”

And the impact hit all the harder ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) because the one who said it... was Hayden. A third-year so notoriously silent that most students didn’t even know what his voice sounded like.

“Me too.”

“Same here.”

Robin and Charlie, standing beside him, raised their hands and echoed his statement.

The shock wasn’t just palpable—it left the entire waiting room stunned into blank, disbelieving silence.

“......Huh?”

Even Whitney—oblivious to the increasingly bizarre atmosphere around him and still privately wondering which of the three might be chosen by the Saint—could only gape dumbfounded at the scene unfolding before him.