Chapter 32
“To be honest, I still want to observe His Majesty’s actions, but my mother wished to meet with Count Krisus. I believe Count Krisus might also be aware of the reason.”
Laszlo nodded briefly.
He could roughly guess that this meeting was arranged solely by Barbara’s will.
“The fact that the invitation came a month after Edel sent her reply suggests that it took a month for the Grand Lady to persuade the Marquis. Isn’t that so?”
Barbara, who had been sharply scrutinizing Laszlo, asked,
“How is Edel doing?”
Laszlo recalled the things Barbara had considered and given up on before asking that question. Though he was currently in a superior position in this relationship, he wondered how things might turn out in the future.
He finished the remaining black tea in his cup and replied.
“Would someone who was born and raised as a noble find it comfortable to live as a maid? Moreover, recently, she has been suffering from a sickness caused by the jealousy of the head maid.”
Barbara’s eyes widened.
“What? Are you saying that the head maid harmed a noble?”
“Please watch your words, Grand Lady. She is no longer a noble.”
Laszlo’s response pained Barbara. The fact that Edel, who had been more noble than anyone in the social circles, was now in a situation where she could only be helplessly subjected to the schemes of a head maid was distressing.
Barbara clenched her teeth and composed herself, trying to calm her emotions.
“Didn’t you take any action despite such incidents happening in your household?”
“First, I called a skilled doctor to examine her and prescribed medicine. She stayed in the guest room to recuperate. She has improved significantly now.”
“And the head maid?”
“I have given her a warning, so she won’t act recklessly in the future.”
“Since she was humiliated, she might be planning a more meticulous revenge.”
Laszlo chuckled softly.
“I doubt those who ignored my warning are unaware of what happened to them…”
Tilting his head slightly, he looked at Barbara and said lightly.
“If they still ignore my orders, well, it seems that woman is not destined to live long.”
Celestine Marquis seemed slightly tense under Laszlo’s skillful pressure, but Barbara maintained a posture of not shrinking back, rather, she glared at Laszlo.
“I don’t care what happens to that head maid. What I want is for Count Krisus, you, to guarantee Edel’s safety in your name. Before Edel falls victim to scoundrels.”
“Is that the condition for the Celestine Marquis family to remain loyal to His Majesty?”
“I never said that.”
“But inviting me into this noble Marquis residence implies that, doesn’t it? Surely the Grand Lady is aware that I have many eyes on me.”
A brief silence fell between them.
As Laszlo said, the news of his visit to the Celestine Marquis residence had likely spread to major figures including the three great families.
Now that the Lancaster Duke family, which held the greatest power, had been destroyed by the Emperor, the Emperor’s faction, which sought to solidify the Emperor and the royal family’s authority, the old noble faction trying to protect their existing power, and the middle faction caught between them were all keenly aware of the impending seismic shifts.
It was only natural for someone like Laszlo, one of the key figures, to have several watchers.
Laszlo glanced at the Celestine Marquis.
“Are you alright, Marquis? To be blunt, isn’t this a significant decision that could harm your family due to your mother’s social connections?”
Then, the Celestine Marquis smiled slightly.
“If Lady Edel had been taken to another family, my mother would have simply kidnapped her instead of arranging such a meeting.”
“…Should I consider it an honor that you at least attempted a dialogue?”
“Haha. What I mean is, the issue with Lady Edel was just a catalyst for us to expedite our decision. The stance of the family itself wouldn’t have been different.”
But the fact that the decision was expedited was not a trivial matter, indicating that Edel’s issue was important. Especially to Barbara.
“If Edel’s letter is true, then you are someone who knows how to protect the weak. But now that Edel is ill due to the head maid, I’m a bit confused.”
Seeing the deepening wrinkles on Barbara’s forehead, Laszlo sighed briefly.
“This matter is due to my inadequate supervision. Once she fully recovers, I plan to have her work somewhere other than the laundry.”
“Even so, she’s just a maid…”
“You know how rumors spread when someone is treated differently.”
Of course, making her work as a maid wouldn’t completely stop scandal, but the fact that Edel was working as a maid was known to all the servants of the Krisus family.
So, the scandal in the social circles likely hadn’t grown.
“I plan to keep her as a maid until people’s interest wanes.”
“And after the interest wanes?”
“That’s a bit of a concern. So, I have to ask…”
Laszlo directly asked Barbara.
“How much will you tolerate Edel’s situation? What can you do for her?”
Though others might have found it a rude question, Barbara did not.
She answered as if she had been waiting for the question.
—
“Just let Edel go. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“If you don’t release her, you seem prepared to steal her away.”
“If necessary.”
Laszlo was quite taken with Barbara’s assertive and aloof attitude. It was unusual for him to be so impressed by a woman much older than himself.
“You might be displeased, but I think we could get along very well, Lady.”
“Though age is said not to matter in love, a difference of this extent is hard to overcome, Count.”
“Haha! That’s quite unfortunate.”
Laszlo laughed heartily, surprising the Celestine Marquis and making Barbara’s gaze even sharper as she tried to understand his intentions.
However, Laszlo felt quite cheerful.
‘The Celestine Marquis family would be a good place to hand over Edel. It’s hard for even the Canyon Count or the three great families to interfere.’
He felt relieved that Barbara was handling Edel’s future, lightening his step as he headed home with the letter Barbara had written to Edel.
* * *
Bang!
The door to the Emperor’s office was roughly thrown open, and Dimarkus, clearly furious, walked in. He spoke to the attendant who had been waiting.
“There will be petitions and bribes all week asking for leniency, so let Count Talon handle those.”
“There will be many who mention the former Emperor, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. Was there ever an Emperor loved by the nobility as much as my father?”
Dimarkus’s voice was harsh as he spoke of his father, who was almost like a disaster to him.
The former Emperor, Dimarkus’s father, had had an ‘excessively’ good relationship with the nobility.
There was no reason for it to be otherwise.
He had little interest in governance, left most matters to his administrators, and tolerated the nobility’s minor issues generously. They were good friends who provided him with money and entertainment.
“Those damned bastards must be longing for those days so much.”
Dimarkus had just returned after rejecting all requests from noble criminals who had committed serious offenses and were demanding their release.
Thanks to his declaration to personally review all crimes related to the nobility upon his ascension, even the criminals who would have been released for a few bribes under the previous regime were now serving their full sentences as prescribed by the law.
“Your Majesty is reestablishing the laws of the empire. Many among the nobility welcome the stricter judgments.”
Count Talon, the Emperor’s aide, tried to soothe Dimarkus’s irritation.
“It’s fortunate that my father passed away before all the nobility became corrupt. Otherwise, the entire country might have turned into a festering pit.”
“Before that could happen, the people would have likely risen up. There’s a limit to how much people can endure.”
“That’s true. Those fools seem to have no idea where their power and wealth come from.”
Dimarkus shook his head while looking out the window.
