“Your Excellency, please calm down.”
“Calm down? Did you just tell me to calm down?” The sharp eyes of Grand Duke Benio turned towards Count Francis. “Today, I realized I’ve been supporting fools.”
None of the numerous nobles he had forced into the political world had fulfilled their roles.
“To be rebutted by the words of a mere young girl…”
Grand Duke Benio was truly like a serpentine. He would apply pressure subtly, never one to show raw emotion.
“Ha, Minerva?”
Who exactly were the heroes, and who were the guardians?
But today, the grand duke couldn’t hide his bursting anger.
“Soon, about a hundred medicines made by the princess will be distributed to the severely ill in the slums.”
If the standoff between Siani and Ash had lasted a bit longer, he had thought of stepping in himself. To that extent, the Siani Felicite he saw today was not the resolve of a just-come-of-age girl.
“The praises for Felicite will echo throughout the capital.”
The grand duke laughed lowly, but his anxiety was palpable.
“…”
In that tense silence flowing in Benio’s office,
“Ash.”
“…Yes, Father.”
He called out to his son, sitting silently.
“What do you wish to do?”
Ash hesitated as if doubting his ears. It was the first time the grand duke had asked for his opinion rather than giving unilateral orders.
“Do you not have any thoughts? Everything you’ve built could collapse in an instant.”
“…I.” Ash opened his mouth after a long pause.
There was only one reason why the grand duke allowed him to speak now.
“I want power.”
It was because he noticed Ash’s gaze had completely changed,
“Power so strong that no one can oppose me, Father.”
The room fell silent in an instant.
“I will marry Luna Lev.”
“What? Marrying that low-born is how you intend to gain the power you seek?”
The grand duke scoffed, amused. Expecting a flare of madness from those eyes, but this is what he says…
“Think of it as extracting an insider from the duchy under the plausible excuse of marriage.”
But Ash’s voice was more resolute than ever.
“Despite her low birth, she has been by the duchy and Siani’s side for a long time. Plus, her brother has been serving as the duke’s aide, hasn’t he?”
The grand duke watched Ash without any reaction.
“It won’t take long. She can be discarded when her usefulness wanes.”
“…”
“Luna Lev’s low birth makes this possible.”
A plausible excuse would suffice to expel Luna, as there would be no house or backing to protect her.
“I will no longer strive to win people’s hearts. Once I have power, those hearts will become mine.”
It was the first time Ash had shown such a forceful tone at the meeting of the Grand Duke’s vassals.
“Good. It seems you have come to realize something. Butler.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” The grand duke, who had chuckled lightly, then ordered the chief butler. “Bring me the proposal from the Felicite family.”
“Understood.”
But then,
“Father.” Ash interrupted their conversation. “Please recruit Madam Ostia.”
“Madam Ostia…?”
“The former nanny of the duchy who was in charge of Siani’s education. She’s retired now.”
Why bring up Siani Felicite’s nanny in the middle of discussing proposals? Even the grand duke hadn’t anticipated this.
“Why her?”
“For the time she’s by my side, Luna Lev will be…” Ash’s lips curled up in a satisfied smile. “Made just like Siani Felicite.”
Pleased with the madness in that smile, the grand duke thought. Yes, indeed… To claim the throne, one must have that level of obsession.
* * *
“Countering Count Francis with reproductive functions was a brilliant idea.”
“It was thanks to Your Majesty keeping our promise. Given the grand award ceremony you provided, it was my role to ensure it ended smoothly.”
Then, chuckling, the emperor muttered, “The more I see, the more I desire you. You’re perfect as a royal princess’s educational guardian.”
I subtly avoided his blatant gaze.
“By the way, I was surprised you actually recited Izel’s prayer. It’s been a while since I heard it, and it was refreshing.”
“…Yes?”
My hand paused as I was lifting my teacup.
Izel’s prayer. That was just something I made up to dramatize the situation. I searched everywhere, yet I could not find a single letter left by Izel.
“Izel always offered that prayer at the temple. The goddess must have wax in her ears by now.”
I had to bite my lip to avoid making a slip.
So the words I made up… Was it really Izel’s prayer? Was this part ever mentioned in the original story?
“Seeing you naturally recite the prayer reminded me of forgotten memories.”
No. Izel’s story was hardly covered in the original story. Then, whose memory was it that naturally spilled from my mouth?
“It seems the goddess truly heard that prayer.”
For a moment, the emperor’s gaze toward the space was peculiar.
“Ah, and I’ve been curious ever since the monster hunting competition.” The emperor changed the subject and looked at me again. “Where is that silver-haired knight from?” He was referring to Redian, who has silver hair.
He must have sensed something. I could instinctively feel it. The real intention is hidden behind the seemingly indifferent and relaxed tone.
“Well. I don’t really know about that.”
The words, ‘That knight is your nephew!’ surged up to my throat, but I had to hold them back. I couldn’t risk death for spoiling the secret after coming this far.
“But.”
I could at least lay some groundwork to make the family reunion smoother.
“As I mentioned at the award ceremony, the underground castle is a testament to my mother’s will, following the late royal princess’s wishes.”
“…”
For a moment, the emperor’s expression became noticeably calm.
“The late royal princess likely wished to save someone abandoned in the darkness, as in her prayer.” I smiled calmly at the emperor. “Unlike the other Norma with clearer origins, nothing has been revealed about that knight. Yet, he possesses extraordinary abilities that even Your Majesty remembers.”
I had done my part and given enough hints.
“Although he was meant to die as soon as he took his first breath…”
From now on, it was up to the goddess’s will.
“He must have reached me through the late royal princess’s prayer.”
* * *
When I left the emperor’s office, the Norma were waiting in the parlor.
“You all did well today.”
Having spent so much time in the underground castle, I hadn’t expected much. I thought it would be a success just to reduce their visible aggression.
“You were quite pretentious.”
It was a very satisfactory pretense.
“There will be many external events with me in the future, so keep refining your skills.”
Foundation establishment, business launches, and numerous volunteer activities. I would naturally expose the Norma through these activities.
“How are you feeling, Francis?”
“Yes! I’m fine.”
When I asked lightly, Francis nodded.
In fact, I had to think for a moment while calling him Francis. After all, it was a name that carried his father’s legacy. But it wasn’t feasible to give him a new name or title since he would succeed the Francis family in the future.
“By the way, where is Rere?”
Now that I thought about it, only Inein, Francis, and Vallentin were in the parlor.
“He is at the chapel.”
“…Chapel?”
Redian, who hadn’t bowed his head even when the noon bell rang in honor of the goddess, was suddenly at the chapel?
“I should stop by the chapel too. It would be a shame to leave without visiting the supposedly sacred chapel inside the palace.”
The chapel within the imperial palace was not open to the public. Therefore, it was a sanctuary only for those who could enter the imperial palace, especially the main palace. I should offer a donation.
Although what I had said today wasn’t a lie… It was true that I borrowed the names of the goddess and the late imperial princess for my purposes. A prayer of repentance might ease my mind.
“Princess, I’ve always been curious.”
As we headed to the chapel, Vallentin asked me.
“Why is only Redian called ‘Rere’?”
“What?”
“Please give me a surname too.”
“Wow, me too!”
So, now they…
Are they really the same Norma from the original novel?
They were asking me for cute and adorable surnames.
“Well, let’s see.”
How should I handle this?
“It’s hard to give you surnames since you’ll be the owners of those surnames in the future.”
There was a reason I only called Francis and Vallentin by their surnames. It was because they would continue the legacy of their family names in the future.
“Huh?”
Francis and Vallentin couldn’t have misunderstood my words. So, their puzzled expressions deepened. Of course, they couldn’t foresee the future yet.
“I’ll think of one for Inein.”
However, Inein, like Redian now, had no surname and only a first name. So, it was fine to give him a surname based on his name.
“Something cute.”
When I lightly patted his cheek, Inein flinched. It was a very slight reaction, but his large size and stern expression made it amusing.
“…”
As I entered the chapel, the grand and solemn atmosphere weighed on my shoulders. The feeling grew more intense as I gazed at the paintings and sculptures scattered throughout.
What is he doing over there?
I saw Redian staring at the goddess statue on the central altar. He didn’t seem to be praying or deep in thought. He was just staring with unusually sunken eyes.
Why? I suddenly wondered why those eyes, looking at the goddess, felt so unfamiliar yet familiar.
“…Master.”
Suddenly, Redian slowly turned his head, and our eyes met. At that moment,
“…We’re almost there.”
As I met his blue eyes, two overlapping images merged.
“You need to come back to my side.”
“…Ah.”
Beeep- With an ear-splitting tinnitus, my vision wavered,
“Master!
“Princess!”
And my body lost all strength.
The craving for the next chapter is gonna hit harder this time-