Shirley was summoned to the Duke’s study in the evening.
It was not for a personal matter, but rather in the capacity of the Acting Family Head.
When the servant announced her at the door, they used her formal title as well: “Baroness Fronster, please meet with the Acting Family Head.”
This meant that this conversation was not an exchange between father and daughter, but a dialogue of political significance.
“Let her in,” the Fronster Patriarch said in a flat tone, devoid of any emotion.
The study’s furnishings were as solemn as always. Portraits of the two previous family heads hung on the wall, arranged in a perfectly straight line. Their gazes were unified, staring forward as if silently scrutinizing any newcomers.
The desk was wide and heavy, holding only documents and a seal without any unnecessary decorations.
Baron Fronster sat behind the desk, currently reading a document.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the chair in front of him.
Shirley sat down across from him, looking at her father. Her shoulders twitched twice with tension.
“Do you have any objections to this ‘recovery’ operation?” He got straight to the point.
There were no pleasantries and no preamble.
Shirley pursed her lips. ‘This old man is treating Anis like merchandise.’ The thought filled her with displeasure.
However, she did not let that resentment show, maintaining a calm demeanor as she spoke to the Patriarch. “I believe it is unnecessary to go to such lengths.”
“To what length?”
“Cutting off all her external contacts,” she said, “including her work privileges and research space.”
“She is also constantly growing stronger to more efficiently deal with the monsters on the North Mountain.”
The Duke closed the file in his hand.
“What do you believe she should retain?”
“She should at least retain her professional identity as an alchemist,” Shirley stated. “The potions she brews are highly valuable and are an indispensable asset to our family.”
Shirley’s heart thudded in her chest. The Second Princess’s life was closely tied to Anis’s potions; the research absolutely could not be interrupted.
“Not for the time being,” Baron Fronster refused immediately.
Shirley frowned slightly. “Her potions are the key. Furthermore, if utilized properly, they could create even more wealth for the family. Why not?”
“Until next summer, all of her potion brewing is prohibited,” the Duke replied calmly.
This sentence left Shirley speechless for a moment. Her pupils trembled with pure shock.
Why was the timing so coincidental?
‘Does this old geezer know about the Second Princess? No, Princess Rubia’s residence is protected by defense magic I set myself, and I’m certain it has been functioning perfectly! A mole? Cybel? That’s impossible too! Cybel is wanted by the Kingdom; even going out requires me to cast disguise magic on her! Then what is…?’
“You seem to be assuming,” the Baron continued, “that I am targeting her personally.”
“Are you not?” Shirley’s voice dropped an octave.
“No,” he said. “I am targeting a ‘state.'”
Shirley looked at him.
“What state?”
“That of an unmonitored witch,” he said.
The word felt exceptionally cold within the study.
“You should be well aware that witches are not ordinary people,” the Duke continued. “Their magic does not follow conventional laws, and they are powerful individuals.”
“Therefore, they must be monitored,” Shirley said.
This was despite the fact that Anis had already been under “complete control” for ten years.
“Therefore, they must be monitored,” the Duke emphasized again.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Outside was the territory of the Fronster family, a quiet expanse of pure white snow.
“Do you know how long the family has been stationed in this Far North?” he asked.
Shirley did not answer.
“Over 100 years, through three generations of family heads. For our small Baronial house to strive for those lands of lush grass and water, we must find a way to transcend our social strata once again.”
“Witches are a strata as well,” Shirley whispered.
“Yes.” The Duke nodded. “The power they possess is enough to allow them to leap across strata, and it can do the same for those who control them.”
Shirley looked up sharply. “So the family only views Anis as a tool for progress?”
“Precisely.”
“If that is the case, why allow her to use the Fronster surname?”
“It is merely a public claim. Having a witch in the family serves as a deterrent to those great nobles, making them think thrice before they consider seizing the northern mines.”
“Furthermore, a witch’s power comes from within themselves. Do you know what that means?”
“What?”
“It means they cannot be bound by a collective; they can only be controlled by an individual. And individual control is always more dangerous than systemic control.”
The study fell into silence for a moment.
“Are you afraid of her?” Shirley asked.
“No,” the Fronster Patriarch denied. “I am calculating her.”
“Calculating?”
“Her existence is a double-edged sword filled with uncertainty. The first principle of governance is to reduce uncertainty.”
Shirley clenched her fists. ‘Anis is a living girl in the prime of her youth!’
Suppressing her anger, she continued the conversation. “But she has not resisted. Can’t she be granted some degree of freedom?”
“Whether she resists or not does not depend on her present self,” the Duke said, looking at her, “but on her future.”
“You want to strip her of her future?”
The Duke fell silent, only speaking after a long pause. “That is precisely what governance is.”
Shirley’s breathing grew slightly heavy. For what felt like the hundredth time, the same thought surfaced in her mind: the old man she called “Father” was treating the older sister figure she wanted to befriend, Anis, as a mere pawn.
At the same time, she realized how foolish her previous idea of getting close to Anis just to use her had been.
‘From now on, I have to protect her.’
“Very well. Now, I have a second question for you.”
The Patriarch shifted the topic. “Since when have you become so protective of her?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Literally what I said. I recall that the two of you did not get along in the past, yet after my return, your attitude toward her has taken a drastic turn.”
“What happened between you two while I was away at the Royal Capital on business?”
“The reason you feel discomfort is because you have formed a personal connection with her, correct?”
Shirley did not deny it.
“But that only proves that Anis has begun to escape our control. This is very unsafe for us.”
“Us? Does this ‘us’ refer to you and me?”
“No, the entire order.”
Shirley froze.
“For a noble, stability is the most important thing. Once that witch forms personal connections with others, it shakes the very foundation of our existence as nobles.”
“This family will be yours in the future. Do you truly wish to hand it over to someone else?”
Shirley remained silent. She finally understood the Patriarch’s true objective.
He was brainwashing her.
Right now, the most important thing was no longer to argue, but to hide. She had to wait for the right opportunity.
“Where do you want me to stand?” she asked.
“Stand on the side of the noble order,” the Duke said, “not on the side of emotion.”
Shirley was silent for a long time. “Even if that order requires me to sacrifice her?”
The Duke did not answer immediately. A moment later, he finally spoke. “Then that simply means she should never have been near your current position in the first place.”
Those words felt like a cold stone dropping into Shirley’s heart.
“May I leave now?” she asked.
“Go. From today onward, remember to relearn the knowledge I have taught you—how to be a true noble.”