She subconsciously wanted to put on the airs of an elder, but she found no trace of joking in Kotori's expression. Instead, it was filled with seriousness.
It was not just Kotori. The blonde girl and the maid, whom she had just thought were ordinary guests, were also looking at her thoughtfully.
That atmosphere made Shiori feel uneasy.
"You mean the core of Ratatoskr's plan to bring Schicksal into this was a girl who knew absolutely nothing about Spirits?"
At last, Amber, who had been frowning, could not help speaking up.
Rita, who had been pondering what was so special about Shiori Itsuka, showed a helpless smile upon hearing that.
Compared to this secret and whatever conspiracy might be hidden behind it, Yulande was more concerned about the innocent girl who had been dragged into the scheme? That really was Lady Yulande's style.
Kotori naturally caught that as well, and the question immediately put her at a disadvantage.
"Th-that's true. Although we secretly investigated why Shiori alone had this ability, but..."
She could not continue. The subject of the research and the person who had been inexplicably dragged into all this was clearly her own sister, yet as the younger sister, she had never considered Shiori's feelings. Her head had been full of nothing but the "greater good."
From the broader perspective, she had done nothing wrong, but... even an outsider like Yulande had questioned it, while she, Shiori's own family, had treated it like a matter of course. That made her feel somewhat... ashamed.
Shiori was hit hard as well and looked at Kotori in disbelief.
She had accepted all these settings with little suspicion, partly because she had plenty of chuunibyou fantasies as a child, but more importantly... Kotori's reaction had felt too real, and she was practically