LGHTNOVELBOOK chapter 192
191 – Someone Higher Up (2)
In the Empire, someone above a Duke,
especially a scion of the Four Great Houses, was exceedingly rare.
At minimum, someone related to the Imperial Family,
and more likely, of Imperial blood.
Short of that, Charlotte
would never have uttered the words
‘someone higher up’ in reference to himself.
Unless they were deeply
entwined with the Imperial Family,
most requests, no matter how important,
would simply be ignored by
a man like him.
Only two possibilities truly existed…
But if the target was the Charlotte
Ducal House, then the story changed entirely.
From ages past, Charlotte had
always obeyed only the Imperial Family’s commands.
If that were so, the only
remaining possibility was a single one:
Someone of the Imperial Family had business with me.
“Excuse me…”
“Hm? Speak.”
“Might this ‘someone higher up’ happen to be His Imperial Majesty…?”
And of all possibilities,
the most likely candidate was
the Emperor, who had shown
an unsettling amount of interest in me until recently.
Surely the Princess, still keeping
an odd distance from me,
wouldn’t borrow another’s
voice to summon me like this,
and the First Prince, with whom I shared
no acquaintance, wouldn’t have called for me either…
‘…Wait a moment.’
Now that I think on it,
Ella mentioned the other day that strange rumors
had begun swirling in the streets not long ago.
That the First Prince was suddenly, aggressively expanding his influence?
Certainly, unless he was
plotting treason of some sort,
there’d be no real need for him to do so.
‘Still, it can’t be treason… so a succession struggle, then?’
Well, to be honest, it feels very much like
he’s only now taking matters into his own hands,
but regardless, it seemed a simple truth
that the First Prince
was gathering capable individuals.
The firsthand accounts of people seen entering and leaving the First Prince’s palace were hardly rare, even now.
And bearing all sorts of valuable items,
things that looked suspiciously like bribes.
‘Isn’t it a bit late to be
building up strength at this point?’
It feels almost wrong to say it, but
the structure of the imperial
succession race is already so clearly defined.
Of course, he’s not the only child of the Emperor.
Princess Kiana, right now,
was also clearly among those who had
inherited the current Emperor’s bloodline, and
while he’s been relatively
quiet of late, the Second Prince,
once lost in a haze of wine and women, existed too.
Well… even so, unless the
Emperor has lost his mind, he’s hardly
going to happily bequeath his position to the Second Prince, whose debauchery is rumored to reach distant lands…
Unless someone else comes forward
insisting on their relation to the imperial family,
the First Prince and the Princess’ rivalry will likely continue.
‘And the Princess probably
has no interest in the succession anyway.’
This might just be my personal conjecture, but
she’s always, even in the past,
seemed more invested in her brother’s
“She was always singing the praises of others, saying they were more worthy,”
Perhaps she held no great desire for the
throne at all.
If the throne was truly her heart’s desire,
she would never, no matter how dear the friendship,
have taken actions that elevated the reputation
of a rival.
“Ah, no. It was His Highness, the First Prince,
who summoned you this time.”
“..His Highness, the First Prince, summoned me?”
“Yes, it seems he witnessed
your arrival at my estate,
and inquired after you.”
“….”
“Though I know not why, he requested
I act as a bridge between the two of you?”
I can say with certainty that in this life,
I have had no contact whatsoever with the First Prince.
I have neither acted in a way that might attract his attention,
nor done anything that might
displease him.
Even though I am in the same Class A as his sister,
the Princess,
it is unlikely that he,
an imperial prince of this empire,
would reach out to me first
on that account alone.
Absolutely not.
“..Might I inquire as to the reason?”
“Hmm..I am not entirely sure of the details,
but..he certainly said this, did he not?”
“…?”
“That he could offer you.. no, the Princess…
far more than his younger sister ever could.”
..Younger sister?
Offer?
Taken aback by words so unexpected,
I lifted my head sharply.
My gaze fell upon the Duke, who, just as perplexed as I,
was scratching his chin,
deep in thought as to what those words could possibly mean.
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“I honestly don’t know, my friend.
Did you, without me knowing, perhaps
join the Princess’s faction or something?”
No, that person
wouldn’t want to be associated with me, would she?
The words clawed their way to
the back of my throat, but I managed to hold them back,
and at the same time, immediately
searched his face, but
he truly seemed to not be
telling any lie whatsoever.
His expression right now
was at least not the expression of someone
who was lying.
‘…So the Prince really
said something like that…?’
No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like
the First Prince, of all people,
would just say such things idly.
Even if he didn’t mean to do so at all,
his words from just now were almost
as if he was abandoning his younger sister, the Princess, and telling me to align myself
with him, who could offer even greater benefits.
It was a statement ripe for such
misinterpretation.
Besides, I haven’t particularly joined the Princess’s faction either.
Not as an empty pleasantry, but truly,
the relationship between the Princess and myself
can’t really be described as that good right now.
If anything, you could say it was strained, but
at the very least, it wasn’t a relationship that
would warrant discussions about joining factions or anything of the sort.
‘Recently, at most,
we’ve only exchanged a few words
in the Royal Palace. What…?’
“Hmm…so you have
no idea why His Highness
the First Prince would say something like that?”
“…No, from where the misunderstanding
“Though I wouldn’t know what you’re up to…”
“So, being Her Highness’s man as well…?”
“..I haven’t done anything that would even
start a rumour like that in the first place.”
“Hmm…”
What’s with that dubious nasal tone?
“No, it’s not that I particularly
distrust you, but…”
“..Do you have something to say?”
“Hm, yes. Things like this are just
faster to ask the person involved.”
Just what is he going to ask that warrants
such a serious face?
At this point, even I start to get a
little curious.
Just what actions have I been taking that not only
the Empire’s First Prince but even
Duke Charlotte thinks I’m
Her Highness’s man?
‘I don’t know what’s going on but
clearing up these misunderstandings quickly will help me…’
“Previously, when I briefly spoke
with His Imperial Majesty, he clearly
looked at you and called you the guy who would be my son-in-law…”
“….”
So it wasn’t a misunderstanding?
Oh, for crying out loud.
*
“..He’s gone, has he?”
“The Duke is rather mischievous, haha…”
“What did I do? I only
said what I heard.”
After Jennison and the Duke’s conversation ended,
Jennison, as if having a headache,
pressed his head and left while sighing deeply.
Within that room, which should have contained
only one person,
two voices could still be heard…
None other than the person who, a moment ago,
claimed to be setting up the refreshments…
It was Gustaf’s voice from outside the room.
“Goodness, all the refreshments I went to such lengths to acquire
seem quite unnecessary now.”
“You could always distribute them
amongst the servants later.”
“If you say so, I shall. But…
About what just transpired…”
“..Hm?”
“Are you truly unconcerned about informing me…?”
“..You were listening?”
“My apologies… I wasn’t sure when
it would be appropriate to interrupt the conversation…”
“Well, no matter. I would have killed any other who eavesdropped, but…”
You are quite competent, you see.
Gustaf, realizing that the preceding statement was
no empty boast, felt his heart
pound vigorously for the first time in ages,
and found himself wanting to commend his own versatility this day.
‘Ah… the gods have not yet
abandoned this old dog…!’
“Hm… returning to the point…
You asked if I was unconcerned about informing you, did you not?”
“Ah… no, it seems I was overstep─”
“It was deliberate, you see, that I didn’t tell you.”
The moment he heard those words, the thought that flared
in Gustaf’s mind – a mind grown white
with the years – was simply,
‘…Why?’
Curiosity.
“Haha, my dear Gustaf… you might need
to practice concealing your expressions a little more.”
“Ah… no, it’s just…!”
“You are curious, are you not? As to why
I did not inform you that my brother
is to inherit the Reinhardt family.”
“…”
As I have mentioned once before,
Gustaf is, if anything,
a remarkably diffident man.
He was the sort who preferred to live a long, thin life, rather than a thick, short one.
His instincts, however, were beginning to scream at him not to proceed any further.
But this time, just this once, he resolved to overcome them.
After all, he’d nearly died a short while ago…
Surely asking a few questions wouldn’t be a death sentence?
“…Perhaps it’s the folly of age, but… I’m curious.”
“Simple, really too simple.”
“…?”
“It hasn’t been formally announced, but
the Reinhardt family is, unequivocally, guilty.”
“…”
“The family head, and even
the eldest son… Each and every one of them,
reeked of the taint of the Mages.”
“…”
“As things stand, they’re
certain to face the ultimate penalty.”
“…Then Lady Aria too─”
“No, at least that young lady
showed no signs of the Mage taint.
If she had, the Bishop would have detected it when he came.”
“…”
“So, frankly, I hoped
she would abandon the family.”
It seemed a tragedy for someone like Aria,
such a dazzling talent,
to be swept away into obscurity,
tainted by her family’s disgrace.
“I even wished she could have been
a member of our family, at least.”
“…”
“And then I received such a
stunning blow from behind, hahaha!”
Duke Charlotte still
remembered it vividly.
Aria Reinhardt…
The things she did when she came looking for him.
‘…Is this the answer? That I
should kneel before you like this?’
‘…I am sorry, but
I simply cannot abandon the family.’
‘…You will be caught, in waves
too great for you to withstand.’
‘…’
‘Is protecting the family name
more important than protecting your life?’
‘…’
‘If you just endure this once,
the rest will work itself out… Why, then?’
‘…Sir.’
‘…?’
‘I…from when I was a child, I’ve watched
Reinhardt. I don’t want to see it vanish.’
Aria Reinhardt.
She, too, was a Reinhardt.
A family of knights,
protectors who cleave down monsters.
She was a person of that Reinhardt family.
‘…Is that all? Just for such a
reason, you would walk a thorny path?’
‘…Yes.’
‘…The siblings are both quite mad.’
He had seen those eyes,
How could he refuse?
“As you know…that young lady showed her resolve back then.”
“…”
“But I do not want to see that dazzling resolve
tarnished by someone
possessing immense power.”
“…”
“Unless it’s to push her onward,
and give her a shove in the back.”
In that instant, Gustang realized.
That, even now,
Jenison would undoubtedly take Aria’s side, and
Known to cleave asunder, single-handedly, creatures called “monsters,”
and favored above all by the Emperor himself…
what might unfold if he moved with his full strength?
“Besides, if he can’t rebuild
the family on his own, he’ll
undoubtedly be pointed at again.”
“….”
“She wouldn’t want that, either.”
“….”
“Jenison, in the first place, is no longer
of that house, so we have
no reason to tell him, either.”
“….”
“We must, of course, keep in mind
the possibility of the Reinhardt family’s
extinction, but…”
“….”
“Well, don’t worry too much. She will manage it well.”
“..Understood, Head of the House.”
“That being said, we
must see to our duties, yes?”
Thus ended the long discourse, and
before him, who hadn’t so much as
touched a single document
since arriving at this manor,
numerous stacks of papers
began to pile high with a thud.
“Indeed… all of this…”
“Yes, as you commanded, these are all the
investigations into suspicious movements in the vicinity.”
“Yes, such things
are the work of those seasoned with age.”
Paving the way is the task of life’s seniors.