"Help?"
The moment he heard Yvsha's plea, Kurose Akira stood up without hesitation and headed toward the inner room.
Idiss didn't stop him. She simply lifted her teacup and gently blew across its surface.
Reaching the door, Akira asked, "Yvsha, what's wrong?"
Her flustered voice came immediately from inside.
"I-I don't know why, but everyone suddenly started acting strange… Sir Akira, could you come in for a moment?"
"I'm coming."
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
And the instant he saw the scene before him—
He froze.
His eyes locked in place, utterly transfixed by Yvsha, who was now dressed in a wedding gown dominated by black, accented with deep blue.
Her figure might have been… slightly disappointing.
But the dress—
The dress was breathtaking.
It was as if a boundless night sky had been draped over her body, countless shimmering stars scattered across its surface. Intricate, luxurious star-blossom patterns adorned the fabric, lending it an air of profound mystery.
Of course—
At this moment, Yvsha wore the appearance of Princess Vivian.
Soft orange hair cascaded down her back, paired with dark golden eyes that carried a faint, unsettling allure.
"S-Sir Akira~"
Her voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Cough—what happened?" he asked quickly.
"Could you… close the door first?" Yvsha glanced toward the outside, blinking pitifully.
It wasn't shyness that prompted her request.
It was something else.
"Alright."
Akira nodded and shut the door behind him.
But just as he turned back—
The succubus maids who had been helping Yvsha dress suddenly surrounded him.
"What's wrong with them?" he asked, looking at Yvsha in confusion.
"They're exactly what I wanted to tell you about," Yvsha said anxiously. "Ever since I put on the dress, they've all been acting strange… like some hidden switch inside them got flipped…"
"Huh?"
Akira turned his gaze toward the succubi—and immediately noticed a new status effect hovering over them.
[Bloodline Activated: Under the influence of a superior bloodline, the essence within their own blood has been temporarily awakened.]
"?"
He frowned slightly, but quickly pieced it together.
This was clearly caused by Yvsha's power.
More precisely—
The power she inherited from Idiss.
Idiss's succubus bloodline was tens of thousands of times purer than that of these lesser succubi. Even the faintest trace leaking out was enough to overwhelm them completely.
The reason was simple.
Idiss could control her power perfectly.
Yvsha… could not.
"So how do we suppress it? Should I go ask Idiss?" Akira scratched his head, turning toward the door.
But before he could move—
Idiss's voice echoed directly in his ear.
"No need. You just need to help Yvsha suppress her bloodline."
"…And how do I do that?"
"Feed her something," Idiss replied calmly. "The child is probably hungry."
"Oh—!"
Akira instantly understood.
He was just about to summon holy light—
When he froze.
Yvsha was currently in Princess Vivian's form.
And wearing tomorrow's wedding gown.
So how exactly was he supposed to… feed her?
If he dirtied the dress—
"Don't worry, Sir Akira~"
Yvsha suddenly looked at him with complete trust, smiling softly.
"I'll accept all of your radiance."
Akira immediately got the message.
He stepped closer.
(What followed was a feeding scene… omitted for one thousand words…)
...
Outside the room—
Katrin stared intently at "herself."
Even though she already knew that the version of herself in the wedding dress was an impostor from the Soufflé Fantasy Guild—
She still couldn't understand it.
Why did this fake look even more stunning than the real her?
Was it the dress?
Or… the person wearing it?
She had been observing Lucia the entire time, which made Lucia somewhat uncomfortable.
"Katrin. Watch your gaze."
Idiss's voice suddenly broke in.
"…I—"
Katrin froze briefly. She didn't quite understand what Idiss meant, but instinctively withdrew her gaze.
Yet her confusion only deepened.
For Idiss to personally remind her like that—
The person before her…
Could only be someone at the level of a demigod.
But that was absurd.
A demigod-level existence becoming an adventurer?
Impossible.
Right?
Meanwhile, Lucia paid her no mind. Instead, her gaze shifted toward Idiss, who was leisurely sipping her tea, calmly waiting for Akira to emerge.
But…
Lucia's eyes drifted toward the closed door.
Though faint, she could still catch traces of low, muffled sounds from within.
What on earth were they doing in there?
Surely not—
"Don't worry, Miss Lucia," Idiss said calmly, setting her cup down. "They'll be out soon."
"…Mm."
Lucia responded coolly, but her attention remained fixed on the room.
Unfortunately, the magical arrays within the Rose Manor prevented her from probing further.
If she had come in her true form…
That limitation wouldn't exist.
"By the way~" Idiss suddenly asked, "Has the Holy Church received an invitation from the Star Kingdom?"
"Yes." Lucia nodded. "They will send envoys to offer congratulations for the king's wedding."
"?"
Their conversation caught Katrin's attention.
For some reason, Lucia's tone made it sound as if she could influence the Church's decisions.
But that couldn't be right.
Someone capable of that would at least be a Saintess-level figure.
And someone like that… becoming an adventurer?
No way.
And yet—
Idiss's next words shattered her composure entirely.
"Thank you for your support. I hope our cooperation goes smoothly."
"…'You'?"
Katrin's eyes widened in shock, all royal composure gone.
Idiss… had just used an honorific.
Even the guild master of Soufflé Fantasy—Kurose Akira—had never been addressed like that.
Not even the old king of the Star Kingdom!
And yet now—
For an adventurer—
Katrin's mind descended into chaos.
Idiss's attitude toward Lucia shook her to her core.
Just who was she!?
"Besides the Sun Church, have other nations been invited?" Lucia asked, glancing at Idiss.
"Mm." Idiss nodded lightly. "The Moon God Empire, the Elven Kingdom, the Dragon Holy Nation, the Dwarven Kingdom… dozens of nations will come to witness this wedding."
Lucia was slightly surprised.
Even the Sun Church couldn't command the goodwill of so many nations at once.
Of course, part of the reason was that some races rejected the doctrine of light, preferring darkness instead.
The Star Kingdom, however, was different.
As the frontline against the Abyss, they worshipped the stars and upheld both war and peace—a system far simpler than most.
That said—
If the Pope of the Holy Church were to marry—
At a single command, leaders from over a hundred nations would personally come to offer their blessings.
The reason?
Power ruled above all.
...
Inside the room, the "feeding" finally came to an end.
Yvsha gently wiped the remnants of holy light from the corner of her lips, smiling sweetly.
"Thank you, Sir Akira~ I'm full now~"
"Want a bit more?" Akira asked, still worried her power might leak again.
"Even though I still want more… I'll wait until next time~"
She shook her head.
Not because she was satisfied—
But because she feared dragging it out too long.
And also—
This kind of "snack" only made her cravings worse.
Especially when she was wearing the dress…
She couldn't…
As her hunger subsided, the leaking bloodline energy gradually stabilized. The succubus maids returned to normal as well.
"We deeply apologize for this oversight!" Mary immediately bowed to Akira.
"It's fine. You can all head out."
"Yes."
Mary quickly led the others away.
Once they were gone—
Akira's gaze returned to Yvsha.
Even in Vivian's form, she couldn't fully conceal the innate allure embedded deep in her nature.
"Yvsha, tone it down a bit," he reminded her. "You can't get exposed during the ceremony."
"I'll do my best~ Sir Akira~"
She put on a determined expression, deliberately suppressing that natural seductiveness.
With effort—and Idiss's magic assisting her—
She soon concealed the unmistakable aura of a succubus.
Now fully transformed—
"Princess Vivian" rose gracefully, lifting the hem of her dress slightly as she curtsied.
In Vivian's voice, she spoke:
"Sir Akira~ my beloved~ I greet you~"
"That's it. That's the feeling."
Akira nodded in satisfaction.
At this point, she was at least ninety percent identical.
And that was more than enough.
After all, Vivian's identity was meant for the people of the Star Kingdom.
Even if Prince Thales and the others suspected something—
They wouldn't be able to prove it.
"Let's go out."
"Mm~"
Akira took her hand and opened the door.
The moment they stepped outside—
All eyes turned toward them.
"Not bad."
As always, Idiss's praise was concise.
"Beautiful," Lucia added simply.
Only Katrin stood frozen in place, staring at "Vivian" in utter disbelief.
Since when did her sister possess such breathtaking beauty?
Was this really the Vivian she knew?
It couldn't be.
Right?
"…Right?"
"It's still early." Idiss glanced at the time. Midnight.
Six hours remained until the wedding.
"Since we have nothing better to do… how about a game?"
"A game?"
Akira and Yvsha sat across from her, curiosity lighting his expression.
"I have four feathers."
Idiss produced four golden feathers from nowhere.
"Legend says that an angel once fell from the heavens after violating the God of Light's order."
"Angel feathers?"
Akira stared at them.
Though he had never seen an angel in reality, during the sacred ritual before, the angel he encountered had white feathers—
Perhaps with a faint trace of gold, but certainly not this completely golden hue.
"Would you mind letting me finish, child?"
Idiss smiled gently—but there was a trace of irritation beneath it.
"…Sorry. Go on."
Interrupting people wasn't exactly polite.
"After the angel fell, she lost all her memories. She didn't even know who she was," Idiss continued. "But she remained kind, helping those in suffering."
"Unfortunately, a group of despicable people coveted her power and sought to exploit her for endless wealth."
"By chance, I met her first—and showed her the right path. As thanks, she gave me four feathers."
"One of these contains a fragment of the Truth of Light."
She placed the four feathers before them.
"Whoever draws it… I'll give it to them as a wedding gift."
"Truth of Light?"
Lucia's expression shifted slightly.
She had no recollection of any angel falling to the mortal world.
If it were true—
Then that angel had been exiled.
Meanwhile, Yvsha had already begun picking a feather she liked—despite having no way to tell which one held the Truth.
Katrin was still dazed, barely processing the story.
After all—
It was her first time hearing Idiss tell one.
As for Akira—
His focus was… elsewhere.
He didn't reach for a feather.
Instead, he looked at Idiss and asked,
"So… what exactly was the 'right path' you showed her?"
Idiss raised a brow, clearly surprised by the question.
After a brief pause, she answered:
"I had her join an adventurer guild… become an adventurer."
"And grow, live, and journey… alongside a girl much like you."