Chapter 78
“Lord Vallois has expanded the territory of the Rolls Empire through conquest again.”
“Didn’t he receive a medal for defeating monsters in the northern region last month?”
It was thanks to the Duke of Vallois that nobles gathered at the Rolls Empire Banquet Hall.
The Duke returned after easily wiping out the Grenta Kingdom, which had been a nuisance in the western border area.
This was quite interesting news for the nobles, whose only job was to spend money.
But.
“Would he like to ask for something else from His Imperial Majesty this time instead of a blessing?”
“Because he is such a consistent person, there is a high possibility of that happening. It’s the 10th time.”
“The 10th time… Isn’t this an obsession?”
The reason people were buzzing wasn’t just because of the simple medal ceremony.
‘…Please don’t cause an accident this time.’
I prayed earnestly, among the crowd of people mixed with curiosity and concern.
The Emperor and Empress, who were waiting on the podium, were trying their best to pretend not to notice the unpleasant issue.
It was then.
“Head of Vallois and ruler of the West. Duke Cassis Vallois is entering.”
After the gatekeeper called, the huge door opened.
A tall man appeared with applause.
It was my dad, Cassis.
“…Oh, my.”
“He has three kids? I can’t guess his age…”
The blushing ladies around me were giving silly comments.
…The responses are better than expected, though?
I closed my eyes tightly out of anxiety, then gently lifted my eyelids.
A tall man, one head taller than average, was walking on a white carpet.
The mysterious figure engraved in his deep eyes stared straight ahead indifferently.
The trained upper body muscles and broad shoulders that could be felt even when wearing his formal uniform were evidence of the success of his numerous conquests.
‘Luckily today isn’t bad.’
It was normal behavior.
Hooo, I sighed and lifted my tiptoes.
I thought I had grown quite a bit since I was 12, yet since I was around adults, all I could see was Dad’s face.
It was then that the young lady next to me screamed.
“… I’m glad I listened to you. I was curious about how good-looking he was, so I attended the event and it was a treat for the eyes… Aaaah!”
After the terrified screams, the atmosphere in the hall completely changed.
‘W-What!’
As the crowd, who had seen something, pushed out like a wave, I also took a step back.
I had to find out what was going on.
I stood on tiptoe among the panicked people.
Dad was holding something that was barely visible to me.
It was the head of a dead person.
‘…Crazy.’
My mouth was wide open and I slapped both cheeks with my small palms.
The worst medal ceremony of the Rolls Empire in history was unfolding before my eyes.
As Cassis arrived in front of the podium, the Empress sighed.
With a reluctant look on her face, she announced in a mechanical voice.
“Duke Cassis Vallois has perfectly carried out the conquest of the Grenta Kingdom, which was in turmoil due to a land ownership dispute in the Rolls Empire.”
“…”
“…The Imperial Family judged that the merit was great and bestowed a medal and a blessing on the divine power of Saintess Isilis…”
Thudㅡ
Drrrr…
“…?”
The Empress, taken aback by the sound of something falling, closed her mouth.
The head he intentionally dropped hit the nose of the Empress’ shoe and rolled down the stairs.
Duke Vallois’ sudden action made the hall quiet.
“I should have told you.”
“…”
“I don’t need blessings or anything like that.”
There was anger seeping into his low voice, which I couldn’t tell if it was a formal tone or informal one.
However, the Empress and the Emperor didn’t criticize his attitude.
To be precise, it was closer to not being able to criticize.
Because right now, Dad is closer to an unshackled animal.
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When are you going to allow my child’s debutante?”
At those words, the Empress turned her head and tried to look away from him, yet Cassis stared at her intently until the end.
The blind gaze aimed at the target flashed like a well-forged blade.
“It’s ruined. This can’t happen again!’
The 100th life.
The current villain’s daughter, Billishia.
Playing the original story in which Cassis became the villain, dysfunctioned family was united in this situation, yet we faced a big problem.
“Please give my child a debutante.”
Dad’s obsession has grown again.
***
[But as my baby’s mom, I’m also on your dad’s side in this matter. The Empress of the Rolls Empire has been responsible for the obligatory debutantes of the three major families for 1,000 years. Yet Empress Isilis has been putting off your debut for two years. If Mom had been alive, I would have grabbed the Empress’ hair and fought.]
‘…As expected, Mom and Dad have the same thoughts this time.’
“Your Grace. The Princess’ debutante can’t be postponed any longer.”
I, who had been secretly reading the letter, flinched hearing the plea of the vassals and hid the letter.
Even after Dad’s medal ceremony, Isilis’ response was lukewarm, and the angry vassals gathered for a ball.
“Of the three major families, only Vallois hasn’t been able to hold a debutante.”
“Even in baronial families where finances are difficult, it’s rare for a daughter to not have a debutante contest at the age of 12, so they wonder if the Princess can’t do it just because she lacks something…”
“This is Her Imperial Majesty intentionally rejecting Vallois, Your Grace.”
“Your GraceI think the same.”
The vassals’ guess was true.
Isilis is the female lead who was wrongfully killed by Dad in her past life, so she became a returner and targeted us.
Her revenge began seven years ago.
A representative example was the trial-style building collapse, which was recorded as the first in the history of the Rolls Empire at the time.
But when Vallois wasn’t deterred by the collapse of her building, she changed her plans.
This is to delve into Valois’ weaknesses.
Although Cassis had the greatest military power in the Rolls Empire, he had no interest in social circles.
Empress Isilis took advantage and used her influence to spread evil rumors about Vallois.
The matriarch is a lunatic.
The princes and princesses who don’t show their faces in social circles are those who only deem themselves special in the whole world.
Can I entrust the well-being of the Rolls Empire to Vallois like this?
Recently, this ridiculous rumor has been rampant in social circles.
The real problem is that the Empress is delaying my debutante, and my angry dad is acting on the rumor.
In today’s social circles, Vallois was a snack that united the nobility.
Everything went according to the Empress’ plan.
‘…Just look at my debutante and you’ll see that.’
The reason why the vassals were so angry in front of my scary dad was the same.
Usually, when a daughter of a family makes her debutante, she needs a godmother.
The godmother had to be a woman whose rank was higher or at least similar to that of the lady in question.
Vallois is the third-largest family after the Imperial Family.
In other words, the madams eligible to be my godmother were limited.
For this reason, the Empress of the Rolls Empire has been in charge of the debutante of the three major families since ancient times.
In fact, except for Valois, the rest of the princesses had been given debutantes by the Empress.
The only one who wasn’t invited was me, a Vallois.
“…Is there a law that says a godmother has to be a woman?”
It was then.
Cassis, who sat quietly among the growing number of vassals, raised his eyebrows in dissatisfaction.
“…Yes, it’s the law of the Rolls Empire that a madam from one family acts as a godmother.”
“Damn it. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t dress up as a woman.”
Agatha, who grinned at those words as if it was a good idea, lowered his head.
Before he knew it, Cassis, with a fire in his eyes, was glaring at Agatha.
He seemed really frustrated that he couldn’t be involved with my debutante.
“Your Grace. If you can’t decide, how about the Marquis of Esthel…”
“Our family is also a historic marquis family, Your Grace.”
As a last resort, the vassal families of Vallois came forward, but he remained silent without answering.
There was no precedent for a family of a vassal to become the godmother of a third-major family.
Even if I debuted like that, society would be in an uproar.
In any case, it meant that I had to go up to the rumor.
“When is the application period for debutante godmothers?”
“It’s in two weeks.”
“Then let’s just wait. This time, I conquered 10 times in one month just because of debutante. I get sick of talking about debutantes every time, so it will be difficult to refuse this time.”
As expected, he didn’t just wait for the Empress’ permission without any plan.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Let’s wait and see.”
“I understand.”
The shadows on the faces of the vassals faded as they heard the hopeful story.
However, after two weeks.
“The lady I was eyeing as the protagonist of this debutante is Miss Bella of the Marquis of Orange.”
Bella, who came up to the stage at the Empress’ introduction, shyly bowed.
She was the Bella we knew.
After the extinction of the Bluebell family, she quickly moved to become a member of the Marquis of Orange, her maternal family.
“Does this make sense?!”
“There is a princess in the three major families who hasn’t made her debutante, yet she chose the marquis family below.”
“His Grace even worked hard to conquer the debutante this time!”
“Your Grace. This is officially a warning that the imperial family is attacking Vallois!”
The vassals jumped at the Empress’ continued disregard.
Even the Emperor must have thought this was an outright rejection, so much so that he personally visited the Duke’s castle.
“…Every time I was about to fall asleep, I persuaded the Empress to choose Vallois!”
The emperor was angry as if it were his own business, but the problem was that there was nothing he could do to help.
“She’s my wife, yet I just don’t understand. You have contributed so much to the Lolth Empire, so why does she hate it so much?”
“…”
“I’m sorry, Duke. I apologize on her behalf. Once the Princess somehow manages to make her debutante, from then on, as the Emperor, I will be responsible for watching over the Princess’ future.”
“…”
“Duke. Are you upset? Can’t you accept this old man’s sincere apology?”
The Emperor’s monologue continued through the drawing room door.
Cassis was staring into space with dissatisfied eyes.
Even though the Emperor himself came and apologized, he couldn’t swear, and he looked too angry to accept the apology.
Clackㅡ
I, who was secretly watching the two, quietly closed the door.
‘…If I don’t make my debut, I’m guaranteed to be unemployed this year as well.’
The daughters were prohibited from doing business or social activities within the Rolls Empire until they made their debutantes.
It wasn’t a problem, but with the Empress as my enemy, I had to somehow increase my strength.
If there is nothing I can do inside the Rolls Empire…
‘Can’t I just grow my power outside of the Rolls Empire?’
I opened the Free State newspaper I was looking at at the time.
And a week later.
After making a long-winded plan, I ran to Dad.
“Dad.”
“Why.”
“Dad, do you love your daughter?”
“Of course.”
“Are you going to listen to what your daughter asks you to do?”
“Obviously.”
“Then I want to leave home.”
Cassis’s lips, which were about to smile, fell horribly.
After a while.
Boom!
“Emergency!”
“It’s an emergency!”
One side of the wall on the third floor of Vallois’ main castle was blown up by Magi.
