The Count de Montfort furrowed his brow in puzzlement, completely unable to grasp the meaning behind the Duke's words. The Duke, who had been sipping his tea in a puzzled manner the whole time, seemed to enjoy the Count's reaction of not understanding it and spoke while fiddling with the smooth handle of his teacup.
“We are not in a position to sit down and chat for long, so I will get straight to the point. I have heard that the Count’s daughter, who followed the second Prince to the south, has been having an additional problem recently.”
The Count's hand flinched as he thought he would be prepared to reject whatever he said. How did the Duke know about that? Could it be that a royal spy had infiltrated the South?
“It is unexpected to hear from the Duke about my daughter’s fate.”
“I suppose so. If it weren’t for the problem I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t have come to the Count to discuss this.”
The Count de Montfort, who was momentarily embarrassed and unable to hide his expression, bit his molars as if indignant. Only then did he think again about who the other person was.
Who is Duke Vergy? With Queen Gilsis and Duke Laetian completely out of power in the capital, he has the support of the most powerful families and is the undisputed supreme power holder. Not only the Crown Prince, but even the King believes everything Duke Vergy says without a single doubt.
Compared to the Duke and the other powerful families who followed him, he and his family were now virtually hopeless in the aristocratic society of the capital. To exaggerate a little, they were as miserable as a bald chicken.
'Are you trying to take me and Libencia away from Krald for the sake of His Highness the Crown Prince?'
The Count de Montfort was greedy, but he was quick to judge reality. No matter how much the second Prince struggled in the South, he could not think that Krald could push out Crown Prince Franz and take his place. Krald could only lie flat and act as best he could, and that was all he could do to protect his own safety and the empty status of the Grand Duke. It was understandable that the Duke of Vergy planned to completely eliminate him.
However, from the Count's perspective, he couldn't just sit back and watch the situation unfold. Even if he were to abandon Krald, what would happen next?
“Don’t you think that my daughter’s problem is something that I, as her father, should take care of and that it’s not something that a Duke should get involved in?”
“The opponent is the niece of the King of Hibs. The United Kingdom, in fact, is still a bit of a stretch to call it a kingdom, but on the surface, she is a noble Princess. What can the Count and his daughter do against them? Even if you do something, how will you deal with the consequences?”
The Count laughed out loud. This made it clear that the royal family was secretly watching the South. Whether it was a direct order from the King or the Prince's doing, it was unclear, but if things were going this way, Krald was dancing like a puppet without knowing anything.
'That pathetic guy! I knew it, but he really had nothing on his mind. Duke Laetian, what on earth is that rascal up to...?'
The Count de Montfort's lips twisted with an unexpected sense of defeat. Now, looking at his attitude, which made no effort to hide his expression, the Duke smiled inwardly.
“...Since the Duke already knows that much, there’s no point in hiding it. That’s right. Lately, His Highness Krald has been completely obsessed with the niece of the King of Hibs and has been treating my daughter very badly. Isn’t that truly astonishing? Even though she’s not the official Princess, everyone who knows her knows how devoted Libencia has been to His Krald for so long.”
The Duke of Vergy nodded leisurely as if he agreed. The more he spoke, the more intense the Count’s voice became. Not only his voice but his emotions as well. He continued.
“He may not be able to treat her appropriately, but he is falling for a foreign woman and making my daughter cry! If he could not have accepted her as a Princess in the first place, why not take her as a Grand Duchess now that the Queen is no longer looking at her?”
“Count de Montfort, are you so foolish? You expected the Second Prince to make your daughter a Grand Duchess? That day will never come.”
The corners of the Count's mouth trembled. The Duke looked at the little bit of tea left at the bottom of the cup, then pushed the cup and saucer far away and leaned over slightly.
“To the second Prince, the Count’s daughter was at best like a cup of delicious tea. It feels good to have a cup when you’re bored, but that’s about it. Do you think he really saw the Count de Montfort as a worthy opponent? Even if the second Prince has no intention of doing so, the Queen is behind him. The Queen is a quick-witted person. As long as she is around, the day will never come when the Count's precious daughter will be chosen as the second Prince's official opponent."
“Duke! You are going too far!”
“To go to such lengths. Now, the Second Prince has been fond of your daughter for a long time. It must mean that she was a tea that suited his taste. But someone presented him with a completely new tea leaf. It is quite rare and uncommon.”
The Count de Montfort's fist trembled on the armrest. The Duke leisurely observed the Count's reaction and continued speaking.
“The second Prince is disloyal, capricious, and self-willed. He will not touch another tea until the new tea leaves are gone or he becomes sick from drinking them. What will happen to the old tea leaves that are left in the warehouse in the meantime? Won’t they rot away in the dank shade, untouched?”
It was such a rude remark that it was hard to listen to it quietly, but at least the Duke of Vergy's analogy was not wrong. That was precisely why the Count of Montfort was so troubled by the treatment of that woman named Saragan.
Krald wouldn't be forever in love with Saragan. But given that he hadn't had another government for nearly a decade, no one could say for sure when his heart would leave Saragan. Even if he did eventually grow tired of her, how many years would it take? One year? Five years? Ten years? Nothing could be guaranteed.
In the meantime, it was clear that Libencia would not be able to leave him, nor would she be able to officially take the position of Princess, but would be abandoned like a doll with its strings cut off and spend her days in vain. That couldn't be the case. The Count knew his daughter's temperament better than anyone else. She was definitely not a child who could endure such a time and use her brain.
There was another problem. Even if Krald got tired of Saragan sooner than expected, how could he be sure that there wouldn't be a second chance?
From the moment the United Kingdom sent Saragan to the south, their intentions were clear. They wanted to join hands with Krald and increase their power. No one could be sure that there would be no second or third time, and it was possible that one of them would take the position of the Princess due to Krald's whims. Either way, the Count de Montfort had nothing left to do but beat the ground and be indignant.
“I apologize for comparing your precious daughter to a tea leaf, but I believe that Your Grace understands what I am trying to say.”
Now that he think about it, bringing the Duke into this house was the cause of the trouble. The Count of Montfort regretted it later, but he could not change what had already happened. He had to make a choice. Should he banish Krald for the sake of his daughter's long future, even if it meant taking a hit in the short term, or should he continue to push forward as he had done so far, hoping that his daughter would at least secure the position of the second Princess?
“I fully understand what the Duke means. But what you want from me is still unclear.”
“It’s simple. Your daughter just needs to write to me regularly about the Second Prince and the niece of King Hibs. What they talked about, where they went for a walk, what they ate for dinner... Well, it’s simple if you think of it as a diary.”
“You want to use my daughter as a spy? Is that what you want to say?”
The Duke smiled cheerfully.
“I know it sounds a bit grandiose to be a spy, but don’t worry, I won’t ask her to do anything difficult.”
“You have said the right thing, Duke. Now that my daughter has abandoned the Second Prince, what will we do? Will she be able to find another husband? Or will you at least accept her as the Crown Prince’s mistress?”
Although he deliberately tried to provoke the Duke, knowing that he cherished Franz, there was no change in the Duke's expression. On the contrary, when the Count's face took on an anxious look, the Duke of Vergy spoke.
“Bring your son-in-law in.”
The Count of Montfort snorted.
“Your Majesty, are you being sincere? Our family is all showy on the outside, but our tiny earldom has no substance. Who would want to send a son-in-law to a house like this?”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a great family. If the Count truly loves his daughter, he should look at her heart rather than the son-in-law’s money or fame.”
“Even jokes are small...”
“If the County of Montfort is of no value, then how about this?”
The Duke took out a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to him. The Count de Montfort accepted it with a long and thoughtful expression and unfolded it. His eyes, shaking violently, stared intently at the Duke of Vergy’s face.
“Is this...is this real?”
Instead of an answer, a sly smile returned. The Count asked again.
“The land transfer deed of the Marquisate of Heybourne...Is this true, Duke?”
“I found it in the study of Count Bloset when all his property and possessions were confiscated by order of His Majesty. Queen Gilsis stole it and gave it to him as payment for his work, and I have kept it with His Majesty’s permission.”
“You just said Count of Bloset? Are you saying that the Queen really intended to give him this land?”
The Duke nodded. The Count de Montfort looked down at the document with a face of astonishment. His heart sank at the thought that this land had almost fallen into the hands of that thug, even though it was none of his business.
“When Bloset had the document, the Marquis of Heybourne was alive, but he is dead now. So if the Count would just sign it now, the marquisate would belong to the House of Montfort. Of course, it would take time before it would actually be transferred. Until then, you will be able to receive what you asked for, right?”
The Count of Montfort looked at the document with disbelief. There was no noble in the capital who did not covet the Marquisate of Heybourne. He never dreamed that it would fall into his hands.
Given these conditions, it is not entirely impossible to bring in a son-in-law, as the Duke says. Should he push Krald, who could fall down at any moment, to the end, or should he quickly cut off the rotten strings when the opportunity comes?
“We are not in a position to sit down and chat for long, so I will get straight to the point. I have heard that the Count’s daughter, who followed the second Prince to the south, has been having an additional problem recently.”
The Count's hand flinched as he thought he would be prepared to reject whatever he said. How did the Duke know about that? Could it be that a royal spy had infiltrated the South?
“It is unexpected to hear from the Duke about my daughter’s fate.”
“I suppose so. If it weren’t for the problem I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t have come to the Count to discuss this.”
The Count de Montfort, who was momentarily embarrassed and unable to hide his expression, bit his molars as if indignant. Only then did he think again about who the other person was.
Who is Duke Vergy? With Queen Gilsis and Duke Laetian completely out of power in the capital, he has the support of the most powerful families and is the undisputed supreme power holder. Not only the Crown Prince, but even the King believes everything Duke Vergy says without a single doubt.
Compared to the Duke and the other powerful families who followed him, he and his family were now virtually hopeless in the aristocratic society of the capital. To exaggerate a little, they were as miserable as a bald chicken.
'Are you trying to take me and Libencia away from Krald for the sake of His Highness the Crown Prince?'
The Count de Montfort was greedy, but he was quick to judge reality. No matter how much the second Prince struggled in the South, he could not think that Krald could push out Crown Prince Franz and take his place. Krald could only lie flat and act as best he could, and that was all he could do to protect his own safety and the empty status of the Grand Duke. It was understandable that the Duke of Vergy planned to completely eliminate him.
However, from the Count's perspective, he couldn't just sit back and watch the situation unfold. Even if he were to abandon Krald, what would happen next?
“Don’t you think that my daughter’s problem is something that I, as her father, should take care of and that it’s not something that a Duke should get involved in?”
“The opponent is the niece of the King of Hibs. The United Kingdom, in fact, is still a bit of a stretch to call it a kingdom, but on the surface, she is a noble Princess. What can the Count and his daughter do against them? Even if you do something, how will you deal with the consequences?”
The Count laughed out loud. This made it clear that the royal family was secretly watching the South. Whether it was a direct order from the King or the Prince's doing, it was unclear, but if things were going this way, Krald was dancing like a puppet without knowing anything.
'That pathetic guy! I knew it, but he really had nothing on his mind. Duke Laetian, what on earth is that rascal up to...?'
The Count de Montfort's lips twisted with an unexpected sense of defeat. Now, looking at his attitude, which made no effort to hide his expression, the Duke smiled inwardly.
“...Since the Duke already knows that much, there’s no point in hiding it. That’s right. Lately, His Highness Krald has been completely obsessed with the niece of the King of Hibs and has been treating my daughter very badly. Isn’t that truly astonishing? Even though she’s not the official Princess, everyone who knows her knows how devoted Libencia has been to His Krald for so long.”
The Duke of Vergy nodded leisurely as if he agreed. The more he spoke, the more intense the Count’s voice became. Not only his voice but his emotions as well. He continued.
“He may not be able to treat her appropriately, but he is falling for a foreign woman and making my daughter cry! If he could not have accepted her as a Princess in the first place, why not take her as a Grand Duchess now that the Queen is no longer looking at her?”
“Count de Montfort, are you so foolish? You expected the Second Prince to make your daughter a Grand Duchess? That day will never come.”
The corners of the Count's mouth trembled. The Duke looked at the little bit of tea left at the bottom of the cup, then pushed the cup and saucer far away and leaned over slightly.
“To the second Prince, the Count’s daughter was at best like a cup of delicious tea. It feels good to have a cup when you’re bored, but that’s about it. Do you think he really saw the Count de Montfort as a worthy opponent? Even if the second Prince has no intention of doing so, the Queen is behind him. The Queen is a quick-witted person. As long as she is around, the day will never come when the Count's precious daughter will be chosen as the second Prince's official opponent."
“Duke! You are going too far!”
“To go to such lengths. Now, the Second Prince has been fond of your daughter for a long time. It must mean that she was a tea that suited his taste. But someone presented him with a completely new tea leaf. It is quite rare and uncommon.”
The Count de Montfort's fist trembled on the armrest. The Duke leisurely observed the Count's reaction and continued speaking.
“The second Prince is disloyal, capricious, and self-willed. He will not touch another tea until the new tea leaves are gone or he becomes sick from drinking them. What will happen to the old tea leaves that are left in the warehouse in the meantime? Won’t they rot away in the dank shade, untouched?”
It was such a rude remark that it was hard to listen to it quietly, but at least the Duke of Vergy's analogy was not wrong. That was precisely why the Count of Montfort was so troubled by the treatment of that woman named Saragan.
Krald wouldn't be forever in love with Saragan. But given that he hadn't had another government for nearly a decade, no one could say for sure when his heart would leave Saragan. Even if he did eventually grow tired of her, how many years would it take? One year? Five years? Ten years? Nothing could be guaranteed.
In the meantime, it was clear that Libencia would not be able to leave him, nor would she be able to officially take the position of Princess, but would be abandoned like a doll with its strings cut off and spend her days in vain. That couldn't be the case. The Count knew his daughter's temperament better than anyone else. She was definitely not a child who could endure such a time and use her brain.
There was another problem. Even if Krald got tired of Saragan sooner than expected, how could he be sure that there wouldn't be a second chance?
From the moment the United Kingdom sent Saragan to the south, their intentions were clear. They wanted to join hands with Krald and increase their power. No one could be sure that there would be no second or third time, and it was possible that one of them would take the position of the Princess due to Krald's whims. Either way, the Count de Montfort had nothing left to do but beat the ground and be indignant.
“I apologize for comparing your precious daughter to a tea leaf, but I believe that Your Grace understands what I am trying to say.”
Now that he think about it, bringing the Duke into this house was the cause of the trouble. The Count of Montfort regretted it later, but he could not change what had already happened. He had to make a choice. Should he banish Krald for the sake of his daughter's long future, even if it meant taking a hit in the short term, or should he continue to push forward as he had done so far, hoping that his daughter would at least secure the position of the second Princess?
“I fully understand what the Duke means. But what you want from me is still unclear.”
“It’s simple. Your daughter just needs to write to me regularly about the Second Prince and the niece of King Hibs. What they talked about, where they went for a walk, what they ate for dinner... Well, it’s simple if you think of it as a diary.”
“You want to use my daughter as a spy? Is that what you want to say?”
The Duke smiled cheerfully.
“I know it sounds a bit grandiose to be a spy, but don’t worry, I won’t ask her to do anything difficult.”
“You have said the right thing, Duke. Now that my daughter has abandoned the Second Prince, what will we do? Will she be able to find another husband? Or will you at least accept her as the Crown Prince’s mistress?”
Although he deliberately tried to provoke the Duke, knowing that he cherished Franz, there was no change in the Duke's expression. On the contrary, when the Count's face took on an anxious look, the Duke of Vergy spoke.
“Bring your son-in-law in.”
The Count of Montfort snorted.
“Your Majesty, are you being sincere? Our family is all showy on the outside, but our tiny earldom has no substance. Who would want to send a son-in-law to a house like this?”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a great family. If the Count truly loves his daughter, he should look at her heart rather than the son-in-law’s money or fame.”
“Even jokes are small...”
“If the County of Montfort is of no value, then how about this?”
The Duke took out a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to him. The Count de Montfort accepted it with a long and thoughtful expression and unfolded it. His eyes, shaking violently, stared intently at the Duke of Vergy’s face.
“Is this...is this real?”
Instead of an answer, a sly smile returned. The Count asked again.
“The land transfer deed of the Marquisate of Heybourne...Is this true, Duke?”
“I found it in the study of Count Bloset when all his property and possessions were confiscated by order of His Majesty. Queen Gilsis stole it and gave it to him as payment for his work, and I have kept it with His Majesty’s permission.”
“You just said Count of Bloset? Are you saying that the Queen really intended to give him this land?”
The Duke nodded. The Count de Montfort looked down at the document with a face of astonishment. His heart sank at the thought that this land had almost fallen into the hands of that thug, even though it was none of his business.
“When Bloset had the document, the Marquis of Heybourne was alive, but he is dead now. So if the Count would just sign it now, the marquisate would belong to the House of Montfort. Of course, it would take time before it would actually be transferred. Until then, you will be able to receive what you asked for, right?”
The Count of Montfort looked at the document with disbelief. There was no noble in the capital who did not covet the Marquisate of Heybourne. He never dreamed that it would fall into his hands.
Given these conditions, it is not entirely impossible to bring in a son-in-law, as the Duke says. Should he push Krald, who could fall down at any moment, to the end, or should he quickly cut off the rotten strings when the opportunity comes?
The answer was simple. It was not worth worrying about.
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