“Even I… you do th… the duk… won’t al… it!”
What? I can’t hear you because you’re too far away.
Finally, the old vassals that were driven out screamed, but it couldn’t be heard clearly. I guess they were saying, ‘Even if you do that, the duke won’t allow it! I’m going to find my place again!’
“Rubel, come and sit down.”
“Ah, yes, Princess.”
Rubel, the duke’s aide, who came into the vassal meeting at my call, looked puzzled.
“I heard it from Rubel. I heard that you mustered up your courage during the incident with His Majesty’s letter.”
The man who took the next seat next to me. His name was Aeron Port.
“I didn’t mean to intervene. However, the vassals’ behavior was excessive, so I only helped a little.”
I looked at him carefully. If Irik gave off an idol-like, fresh, and cute vibe, then what could I say about his appearance? He’s like an actor. He had a typical scholarly atmosphere, right down to the calm and boring way of speaking.
“…Hmm.”
Maybe I was staring too hard, but Aeron quickly looked away.
“As you know, my father was away for a long time and could not take care of the family’s internal affairs.”
“Yes. To be exact, it was after the duchess passed away.” Aeron answered with an expression as if he was reciting a math formula.
“It must have been even more so since the duchess, who was supposed to govern the duchy while His Grace was away, wasn’t there.”
He had no hesitation in talking about sensitive topics.
“In the end, Princess was in a position to govern the internal affairs, but you couldn’t do anything because you were too young.”
Instead, Rubel, who was caught in the middle, glanced at me.
It’s okay.
I was satisfied with that outspoken attitude. He passed my belief that good visuals have a good soul with a strong and upright attitude.
“However, I’m not sure whether His Grace will allow this situation.”
“I will take care of that.” My answer was firm.
When Redian, who later became the crown prince, overthrew the Felicite family, most of the vassals here turned away. It was a scene that showed how old and rotten the vassals of the duke’s family had become.
“My father has been on the battlefield all his life, so he’s not very careful when it comes to managing the family’s internal affairs.”
“Yes.”
“And even if he looks cold…”
What can I say about the duke I’ve been watching so far?
“He cannot easily abandon or cast away those who followed him.”
He was just like warm iced americano or iced tea without ice. He’s cold, yet secretly warm.
Aeron, Luna, and Irik were all the children of the duke’s vassals.
“Of them all, Sir Obelo will be brought back here. He’s also the person who served my grandfather for a long time.”
I finished speaking, but there was no reply. Why are they looking at me like that? Aeron and Rubel were looking at me with strange expressions.
“Why?”
“Ah…”
“…Uh.”
The two exchanged glances and shook their heads as if there was nothing.
“Something like this… To us… You can’t do this…!”
At that time, I saw the old vassals struggling again in the distance. So noisy.
“Aargh!”
“Oh my!”
Bang! When I hit the desk, Rubel and Aeron jumped up in surprise. It was natural because it was so strong that even the chair shook.
“…Ub.”
I could feel the frozen mouths of the old vassals wriggling in the distance. As expected, it was my strength when I became Rebeka and helped here and there. Thanks to that, when I was working as the emperor’s secretary, I was a master at hitting the desk.
“First of all, I have to go see my father. Rubel, he’s in the office, right?”
“Yes. His Grace is in the office.”
“Goodbye, Princess.”
Rubel and Aeron reflexively stood up and bowed. It was a perfect angle, with their upper body almost folded in half.
What is this? This was like the greeting I received from my lieutenants when I was a general… Hmm.
Anyway, I headed that way to the duke’s office.
* * *
“Was she always like that?”
“Well, I…”
Rubel and Aeron couldn’t shake off the afterimage that Siani left behind. Siani, whom at least they remembered, was a girl who wouldn’t bleed if she was being stabbed. She’s not that strong, but it doesn’t seem like she will react if she’s being stabbed.
“She’s full of charisma.”
Aeron cooled his heated earlobes. He even fanned himself with his hands as if he was completely shocked by the whirlwind situation.
“I know, right. I wonder whose daughter she is.”
Rubel laughed when he saw Aeron like that.
“It seems like you like quite charismatic women.”
“Pardon…?”
“Well, everyone was spellbound when they saw our princess in person.”
He had a teasing expression on his face, saying, “No matter how smart someone is, they turn out to be a fool in front of a beauty.”
“It’s not like that.”
Aeron narrowed his eyes.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Still, he couldn’t hide the redness of his ears.
“By the way, why did she say to bring Sir Obelo back?” Rubel tilted his head.
Obelo has an ambiguous character. Unlike other vassals who pushed Irik to become the successor, he didn’t seem to have much interest in Irik. He just throws out a few words at important moments.
“Of course, Sir Obelo is a man who severed the previous duke, so he has much experience.”
“Still… She’s not a person who sympathizes with the vassals.”
They cast their eyes far away. And there.
“Do I have to suffer this kind of humiliation from a young princess?”
“Sir Obelo, since you’re the eldest, please say something. Are you just going to watch the princess playing around?”
“…Umm.”
Then Obelo, leaning almost as if lying on the chair, murmured. “The lighting in front was too strong, but here it’s soft, so isn’t it comfortable?”
“What?”
“The chairs here are much softer too. From now on, I can doze off in peace.”
The vassals wondered if the old man was senile. But Obelo’s eyes were clearer than ever.
“Enjoy the suffering.”
It was a strange thing.
“The more a rose grows in poor soil, the stronger and more beautiful it is.”
He even hummed as if he was in a good mood.
* * *
“Mmm, I agree with you.”
The duke nodded.
“When I saw it this time, it was really messy. I trusted them and left the duchy in their charge.”
The duke, who had been scolding his daughter harshly, soon noticed it. He seemed to realize it little by little. The fact that his little daughter was caught up in the chaotic duchy.
“Still, keep Sir Obelo by your side. If you completely reject the old vassals, there will be severe backlash.”
“Obelo?”
“Yes. He’s loyal and experienced, as he was close to your grandfather.”
“That’s true, but…”
The duke seemed to acknowledge Obelo’s experience.
“What’s wrong?”
But there was something with his expression.
“Every time I see him, I feel like I see that old man like an enemy, no, like your grandfather.”
I knew the relationship between the duke and the former duke was bad, but… Seeing that old man like an enemy? It looked like he grumbled a lot about it. It was obvious how much the former duke must have been angry because of his son’s cheeky temper.
“Anyway, let’s send the guy who called Bergman to the new material and fabric research lab and change the seating arrangement for the vassals.”
“…”
“What else can I do?”
The pen held by the duke fluttered non-stop.
“The way I see it, it seems like it would be okay to make a bag using the fabric that the designer developed.”
He wrote everything I said.
“What do you think about it?”
Then, as was his habit, he put the pipe in his mouth and made eye contact with me. “Hmm.”
The duke, who had paused for an instant, put down the pipe. It was surprising because he was the same duke who didn’t care about the grand duke or even the emperor.
Has Siani ever nagged me about something like this?
Even nagging requires affection, but how could the two be that close?
“Right. I was thinking about using it to make a travel bag too.”
For now, I have concluded the remaining answers.
“Because the fabric itself is strong, it can protect silk dresses that are prone to wrinkles.”
And…
“Please reduce consuming it a little bit, Father.”
I smiled at the duke without realizing it.
“It’s for Father’s health.”
* * *
The duke was the youngest son of the former Duke Felicite. Unlike his brothers, he went out holding a sword. From being commissioned as a military officer to becoming commander-in-chief, he spent most of his youth on the battlefield. No one expected that he would inherit the position of the head of the family. Even himself, who was brought to the duchy after receiving the will of the former duke.
He didn’t know what that damn old man entrusted him with this duchy, and it was difficult for him as if he was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.
“Honey, you need to write a little more neatly. It’s different from when you lead the army.”
“Damn it, this is difficult.”
“You can’t use that tone anymore. Speak a little more gently when dealing with employees.”
It was his wife, Claude, who protected him at that time. But after she died, the duke couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t last a day there. He knew his little daughter was there, but he didn’t want to see her. If it weren’t for her, Claude wouldn’t have left him. Then time passed…
“What can I do?”
“Please reduce consuming it a little bit, Honey.”
“You said you fell in love with the sight of me smoking. Isn’t it now?”
“You’re still cool without doing it though.”
The duke unknowingly laid down the pipe.
“Please reduce consuming it a little bit.”
“Please reduce consuming it a little bit.”
From some point on. Above the voice that speaks to him…
“It’s for Father’s health.”
“It’s for your health.”
Claude’s voice, which he couldn’t hear even in his dreams, overlapped.
“Tsk.”
The duke frowned as if he was angry.
“Growing older, you’re starting to sound just like your mother.”
But Siani knew. She knew that was how a real man held back tears.
lol sir obelo.
Also it seems like the paragraphs are out of order with the duke and siani and the pipe.