Tashin, tashin, the sound of the short whip striking the wall echoed.

The Crown Prince had stepped forward alone, while the entourage were lined up behind him, sitting upright in seiza.

No, they had been made to sit that way.

By Li.

“…That is how it is. Do you understand?”

Li was explaining things carefully and thoroughly.

Just how troublesome the attempted poisoning of the Queen truly was.

She made them understand that, depending on the circumstances, it was a problem serious enough to split the nation.

She had summoned them in a way that would spread rumors within the academy and had allowed outsiders, the entourage, to be present.

What that meant should now be clear to them.

That was what Li believed.

“I understand. However, Li, I still—”

Tashin, the sound rang out again.

With a shriek of “Hii,” the Crown Prince covered his backside with his hands.

The blue-haired one, who had been trying to act cool, was blushing slightly.

He might have opened the door to a new world.

“That is why. I have told you again and again, have I not? There is also the possibility that their families were involved behind the scenes.”

“That is why. I am saying that I trust these people—”

“Whether or not Your Highness trusts them is irrelevant. This is a matter of possibility. Until that becomes clear, I am telling you not to speak to anyone. Or are you saying that if apologizing later for having doubted them would break your relationship, then it was never genuine to begin with?”

“But—”

“Ruling a country cannot be done with pretty words alone. If you lack that resolve, you should relinquish the position of Crown Prince. Otherwise, you will cause trouble for all the people who live in this country.”

“T-that’s—”

The red-haired one swallowed the words about disrespect.

He had already been made to understand it through his body just moments ago.

Hesitation was only natural.

Li was inflicting pain while simultaneously using healing magic.

With a smile like a goddess, she delivered torment like a demon god.

The group of young men present had no words to properly describe it.

It was simply something terrifying.

“You are the same. Do you understand, red, blue, green, purple, brown?”

“C-could you not call us by our colors?”

The red one replied in a squeezed-out voice, but Li ignored him.

“Listen carefully. Regarding the attempted poisoning of Her Majesty the Queen, you must not let any information you have learned leak outside. That includes your families.”

Li clapped her hands sharply, producing a loud sound.

“If you break this promise, I will make it so you can never open your mouths again. If you understand, say so out loud.”

At those words, though reluctantly, the Crown Prince and the entourage voiced their agreement one after another.

[Contract・Conclusion]

This was what is known as contract magic.

By agreeing to the conditions Li set forth, they had entered into a contract with the gods.

“W-wait a second.”

The Crown Prince realized it and spoke up.

“That just now… was that contract magic?”

“That is correct.”

“If we break it, will we really be unable to open our mouths?”

“Of course.”

At Li’s smile, the color drained from the faces of the Crown Prince and the others.

Only now did they seem to grasp the gravity of the situation.

‘With people like this, using force is far more effective than mere words.’

Li nodded as she looked at them.

“Very well then. If you will excuse me.”

With a graceful bow, Li left the salon.