The day after Perdes' won a chess bet with the Duke of Lucien.
The Marquis of Prasis came to see me again.
“I thought about it carefully, and I think it would be better for us to be helpful to each other, so I will accept Young Lady’s offer.”
It was funny how he pretended to care about me when he clearly knew that this was his only choice.
“The Marquis is truly kind.”
“Ahem. I’m a bit like that.”
It was also funny to accept empty words as good.
“Then please stamp your seal on this contract.”
I handed over the contract I had prepared in advance.
The Marquis frowned, not knowing that I would even prepare a contract.
“Do we really have to go this far?”
“I think it’s better to be sure since there’s a lot of money at stake. That way, we won’t have to go back and forth.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
The Marquis nodded as if he understood and checked the contract.
“You didn’t write down what Young Lady would like to ask for.”
“As I said before, I will tell you if you promise me that you will definitely grant my request.”
“Let’s write a separate contract for that too. I’d rather be sure.”
"All right."
From my perspective, it was a better thing.
I immediately told the butler to prepare the contract paper and a fountain pen.
Meanwhile, the Marquis carefully checked the contract again and stamped his seal at the bottom.
“Is this okay?”
"Yes."
After I confirmed that it was the seal of the Marquis of Prasis, I wrote down what I wanted from him on the contract the butler brought.
[Marquis Prasis is in favor of Adele Leopold succeeding to the Duchess' throne.]
“You can stamp your seal here too.”
“...!”
The Marquis' eyes grew as big as lanterns when he saw the contents of the contract.
“Young Lady, this is...”
“You have to keep your promise, right?”
I smiled, waving the contract that Marquis Prasis had taken earlier.
Then the Marquis' expression collapsed miserably.
The Marquis, who had been holding his head in thought as if he had lost everything in the world, soon let out a long sigh and stamped his seal at the bottom of the contract.
“What happened?”
Perhaps curious about the outcome, Perdes went to see Marquis Prasis as soon as he returned and asked me.
I showed him two contracts without saying a word.
Perdes, who had checked the contract, whistled softly.
“I thought that the Marquis of Prasis, being a noble of the Imperial Party, might not agree, but he did it bravely.”
“It’s that urgent. He absolutely cannot afford to be caught with counterfeit gold coins in his possession.”
“I don’t quite understand that part, why can’t he get caught?”
Perdes tilted his head.
“Isn’t the Marquis of Prasis simply a victim?”
“Depending on the situation, the victim can become the perpetrator. The Emperor in particular has the power to do so.”
“Emperor? Are you saying that the Empress and the Emperor are at odds with each other?”
“Yes. The two of them didn’t get along very well originally. To be exact, the Empress was just trying to please the Emperor because of the Crown Prince.”
But the crack broke when Chernosser suddenly died.
“The Empress suspects that the Emperor killed the Second Prince and is digging deep. Given the Emperor’s personality, he would never let that happen.”
“That’s right. If a counterfeit gold coin incident were to break out in that situation, neither Marquis Prasis nor the Empress would be safe.”
“Yes. That’s exactly it. That’s why Marquis Prasis grabbed my hand to somehow cover it up.”
Of course, just agreeing to my becoming a Duke would put him out of favor with the Emperor, but it was better than the counterfeit gold coin incident.
At least the Emperor would not be able to openly persecute the Empress and the Marquis of Prasis.
“This got us 4 votes. We need 6 votes to get a majority, so what are you going to do with the remaining 2?”
“It’s hard to exploit the weaknesses of other imperialist nobles, and they won’t come over either, so we should target the anti-imperialist ones.”
“How? There are only a few days left until Aletheia. If you’re going to do something, shouldn’t you do it now?”
“It’s okay. I’ll convince the anti-imperial faction right away in Aletheia.”
“Huh? That seems like too much of a gamble.”
“Does it look like that?”
When I asked back with a smile, Perdes also burst into laughter.
“I guess you know a good way to persuade them.”
“Yes. I will side with the temple.”
The anti-imperial faction consisted of nobles who opposed the Emperor's will while at the same time following the will of the temple.
“Are you okay? It might be a little dangerous to openly side with the anti-imperial faction.”
Perdes asked worriedly.
“Besides, the Duke Leopold family has been pro-imperial for generations.”
Yes, that's right.
So my father always emphasized to me that I must be loyal to the royal family.
...and died while saving the Crown Prince.
Memories of my father coming back to me made my head spin.
I answered while putting the contract I had received from Perdes back in the safe to clear my dizzy head.
“It’ll be okay, as long as I'm not blatantly taking sides.”
“You’re not blatantly taking the side of the temple?”
“Yes. The card I’m going to take out is a donation card.”
The imperial family donated about 100,000 gold to the temple every year, but it was declared that the donation was too much and would be reduced to 60,000 gold.
Naturally, the temple opposed it, and the dispute had been going on for three years.
“If the Duke Leopold’s family agrees to pay the same amount as the Imperial Family reduced its donation, then neither side will be dissatisfied.”
“Well, that’s true, but wouldn’t the bleeding be too much? The temple might use this as an excuse to make bigger demands...”
“It’s okay. I only have to do it once.”
“Just once? What do you mean?”
This time I couldn't answer, so I answered with a smile instead.
Perdes, who was quick-witted, did not ask any more questions.
“Have you received any separate communication from the Emperor?”
"No."
That's weird.
Since he failed to get me and Perdes married quickly, I thought the Emperor would tighten the screws in some other way, but it was too quiet.
What on earth are you planning? Have you noticed the boy living on that island?
Or did he grab something else while shoving Chernosser into the Duke's basement?
"Don't worry."
I was seriously thinking about it when Perdes said.
“I asked Jack and others, and they all said the Emperor was silent.”
Someone else?
“Who else is there besides Jack?”
Surely it's not May.
When I asked curiously, Perdes looked visibly embarrassed and shut his mouth tightly.
“Lord Perdes.”
I lowered my voice slightly and spoke seriously.
“Please don’t keep any secrets from me. Especially not about the Emperor.”
“... Young Lady keeps a lot of secrets from me.”
“So you’re going to keep hiding it?”
When I asked in a slightly sharp voice, Perdes smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
“Um, so... do you remember? The maid you kicked out.”
The maid I kicked out. No way...
“Are you talking about... Rene?”
“That’s right. That maid. After being kicked out of the Duke’s residence, she sided with the Emperor to support her younger siblings.”
“...!”
“I had no choice. If I didn’t do this, His Majesty threatened to kill my brothers. So, so...”
“I’m sorry, Miss. I’m really, really sorry, sob, sob.”
My vision went black as I remembered the incident in my third life where I drank poison and died because Rene betrayed me.
“Young Lady!”
When I fell to the floor with my legs giving out, Perdes was startled and helped me up.
“...Are you okay? Come to your senses... Look.”
Perdes kept saying something next to me, but I couldn't hear a single word.
The voice of Rene, who had betrayed me and cried and begged for forgiveness, continued to echo in my ears.
I sent her out to prevent that from happening, and now she betrayed me?
Again. Again. Again!
“I really should have killed her then.”
If that were the case, I wouldn't be feeling so miserable.
I wouldn't have to worry about something like that happening again.
“It’s not too late.”
Yeah. I can kill her right now.
That woman who dared to poison me and then shamelessly walks around with her head held high...
“Adele Leopold!”
“...!”
A hand shook my shoulder violently, and my mind, which had been struggling in fear and hatred, came back.
As the light began to fill my pitch-black vision, I saw Perdes looking at me with worried eyes.
“Per...des...”
“Are you in your right mind?”
When I nodded, Perdes let out a deep breath of relief.
“I’m sorry. I think I lost my mind for a moment.”
“No, it’s okay. Still, you were once so fond of her that you kept her as your personal maid, so it’s shocking to hear that she’s taken the Emperor’s side. I understand.”
If that were all, there wouldn't have been this much panic.
I smiled bitterly without saying anything.
“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that woman. I’m keeping a close eye on her while using her as a double agent.”
“Surveillance?”
“Yeah. First, I had to solve the money problem, so I made her work as a waiter at the miners’ restaurant. I also scared her that if she ran away or did something stupid, not only that woman but also her siblings whom she cared so much for would be in trouble.”
“...I still can’t believe it.”
A person who has betrayed someone once can betray someone again.
“So, let her go. If it’s hard to let her go, you can just kill her...”
"Sorry."
Perdes suddenly hugged me tightly and apologized.
“I didn’t know Young Lady would be in so much pain. I’m really sorry.”
“...”
“Since it was my fault, I’ll take care of the cleanup. I’ll make sure Young Lady doesn’t see it, so don’t worry.”
The words, “How are you going to clean it up?” and “Are you going to kill Rene?” lingered in my mouth, but I swallowed them.
Because I didn't want to worry about Rene anymore.
When I think of her, I remember what happened in my third life and it makes me so sad.
I turned away, knowing that because of me, Perdes might end up with human blood on his hands.
The Marquis of Prasis came to see me again.
“I thought about it carefully, and I think it would be better for us to be helpful to each other, so I will accept Young Lady’s offer.”
It was funny how he pretended to care about me when he clearly knew that this was his only choice.
“The Marquis is truly kind.”
“Ahem. I’m a bit like that.”
It was also funny to accept empty words as good.
“Then please stamp your seal on this contract.”
I handed over the contract I had prepared in advance.
The Marquis frowned, not knowing that I would even prepare a contract.
“Do we really have to go this far?”
“I think it’s better to be sure since there’s a lot of money at stake. That way, we won’t have to go back and forth.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
The Marquis nodded as if he understood and checked the contract.
“You didn’t write down what Young Lady would like to ask for.”
“As I said before, I will tell you if you promise me that you will definitely grant my request.”
“Let’s write a separate contract for that too. I’d rather be sure.”
"All right."
From my perspective, it was a better thing.
I immediately told the butler to prepare the contract paper and a fountain pen.
Meanwhile, the Marquis carefully checked the contract again and stamped his seal at the bottom.
“Is this okay?”
"Yes."
After I confirmed that it was the seal of the Marquis of Prasis, I wrote down what I wanted from him on the contract the butler brought.
[Marquis Prasis is in favor of Adele Leopold succeeding to the Duchess' throne.]
“You can stamp your seal here too.”
“...!”
The Marquis' eyes grew as big as lanterns when he saw the contents of the contract.
“Young Lady, this is...”
“You have to keep your promise, right?”
I smiled, waving the contract that Marquis Prasis had taken earlier.
Then the Marquis' expression collapsed miserably.
The Marquis, who had been holding his head in thought as if he had lost everything in the world, soon let out a long sigh and stamped his seal at the bottom of the contract.
***
“What happened?”
Perhaps curious about the outcome, Perdes went to see Marquis Prasis as soon as he returned and asked me.
I showed him two contracts without saying a word.
Perdes, who had checked the contract, whistled softly.
“I thought that the Marquis of Prasis, being a noble of the Imperial Party, might not agree, but he did it bravely.”
“It’s that urgent. He absolutely cannot afford to be caught with counterfeit gold coins in his possession.”
“I don’t quite understand that part, why can’t he get caught?”
Perdes tilted his head.
“Isn’t the Marquis of Prasis simply a victim?”
“Depending on the situation, the victim can become the perpetrator. The Emperor in particular has the power to do so.”
“Emperor? Are you saying that the Empress and the Emperor are at odds with each other?”
“Yes. The two of them didn’t get along very well originally. To be exact, the Empress was just trying to please the Emperor because of the Crown Prince.”
But the crack broke when Chernosser suddenly died.
“The Empress suspects that the Emperor killed the Second Prince and is digging deep. Given the Emperor’s personality, he would never let that happen.”
“That’s right. If a counterfeit gold coin incident were to break out in that situation, neither Marquis Prasis nor the Empress would be safe.”
“Yes. That’s exactly it. That’s why Marquis Prasis grabbed my hand to somehow cover it up.”
Of course, just agreeing to my becoming a Duke would put him out of favor with the Emperor, but it was better than the counterfeit gold coin incident.
At least the Emperor would not be able to openly persecute the Empress and the Marquis of Prasis.
“This got us 4 votes. We need 6 votes to get a majority, so what are you going to do with the remaining 2?”
“It’s hard to exploit the weaknesses of other imperialist nobles, and they won’t come over either, so we should target the anti-imperialist ones.”
“How? There are only a few days left until Aletheia. If you’re going to do something, shouldn’t you do it now?”
“It’s okay. I’ll convince the anti-imperial faction right away in Aletheia.”
“Huh? That seems like too much of a gamble.”
“Does it look like that?”
When I asked back with a smile, Perdes also burst into laughter.
“I guess you know a good way to persuade them.”
“Yes. I will side with the temple.”
The anti-imperial faction consisted of nobles who opposed the Emperor's will while at the same time following the will of the temple.
“Are you okay? It might be a little dangerous to openly side with the anti-imperial faction.”
Perdes asked worriedly.
“Besides, the Duke Leopold family has been pro-imperial for generations.”
Yes, that's right.
So my father always emphasized to me that I must be loyal to the royal family.
...and died while saving the Crown Prince.
Memories of my father coming back to me made my head spin.
I answered while putting the contract I had received from Perdes back in the safe to clear my dizzy head.
“It’ll be okay, as long as I'm not blatantly taking sides.”
“You’re not blatantly taking the side of the temple?”
“Yes. The card I’m going to take out is a donation card.”
The imperial family donated about 100,000 gold to the temple every year, but it was declared that the donation was too much and would be reduced to 60,000 gold.
Naturally, the temple opposed it, and the dispute had been going on for three years.
“If the Duke Leopold’s family agrees to pay the same amount as the Imperial Family reduced its donation, then neither side will be dissatisfied.”
“Well, that’s true, but wouldn’t the bleeding be too much? The temple might use this as an excuse to make bigger demands...”
“It’s okay. I only have to do it once.”
“Just once? What do you mean?”
This time I couldn't answer, so I answered with a smile instead.
Perdes, who was quick-witted, did not ask any more questions.
“Have you received any separate communication from the Emperor?”
"No."
That's weird.
Since he failed to get me and Perdes married quickly, I thought the Emperor would tighten the screws in some other way, but it was too quiet.
What on earth are you planning? Have you noticed the boy living on that island?
Or did he grab something else while shoving Chernosser into the Duke's basement?
"Don't worry."
I was seriously thinking about it when Perdes said.
“I asked Jack and others, and they all said the Emperor was silent.”
Someone else?
“Who else is there besides Jack?”
Surely it's not May.
When I asked curiously, Perdes looked visibly embarrassed and shut his mouth tightly.
“Lord Perdes.”
I lowered my voice slightly and spoke seriously.
“Please don’t keep any secrets from me. Especially not about the Emperor.”
“... Young Lady keeps a lot of secrets from me.”
“So you’re going to keep hiding it?”
When I asked in a slightly sharp voice, Perdes smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
“Um, so... do you remember? The maid you kicked out.”
The maid I kicked out. No way...
“Are you talking about... Rene?”
“That’s right. That maid. After being kicked out of the Duke’s residence, she sided with the Emperor to support her younger siblings.”
“...!”
“I had no choice. If I didn’t do this, His Majesty threatened to kill my brothers. So, so...”
“I’m sorry, Miss. I’m really, really sorry, sob, sob.”
My vision went black as I remembered the incident in my third life where I drank poison and died because Rene betrayed me.
“Young Lady!”
When I fell to the floor with my legs giving out, Perdes was startled and helped me up.
“...Are you okay? Come to your senses... Look.”
Perdes kept saying something next to me, but I couldn't hear a single word.
The voice of Rene, who had betrayed me and cried and begged for forgiveness, continued to echo in my ears.
I sent her out to prevent that from happening, and now she betrayed me?
Again. Again. Again!
“I really should have killed her then.”
If that were the case, I wouldn't be feeling so miserable.
I wouldn't have to worry about something like that happening again.
“It’s not too late.”
Yeah. I can kill her right now.
That woman who dared to poison me and then shamelessly walks around with her head held high...
“Adele Leopold!”
“...!”
A hand shook my shoulder violently, and my mind, which had been struggling in fear and hatred, came back.
As the light began to fill my pitch-black vision, I saw Perdes looking at me with worried eyes.
“Per...des...”
“Are you in your right mind?”
When I nodded, Perdes let out a deep breath of relief.
“I’m sorry. I think I lost my mind for a moment.”
“No, it’s okay. Still, you were once so fond of her that you kept her as your personal maid, so it’s shocking to hear that she’s taken the Emperor’s side. I understand.”
If that were all, there wouldn't have been this much panic.
I smiled bitterly without saying anything.
“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that woman. I’m keeping a close eye on her while using her as a double agent.”
“Surveillance?”
“Yeah. First, I had to solve the money problem, so I made her work as a waiter at the miners’ restaurant. I also scared her that if she ran away or did something stupid, not only that woman but also her siblings whom she cared so much for would be in trouble.”
“...I still can’t believe it.”
A person who has betrayed someone once can betray someone again.
“So, let her go. If it’s hard to let her go, you can just kill her...”
"Sorry."
Perdes suddenly hugged me tightly and apologized.
“I didn’t know Young Lady would be in so much pain. I’m really sorry.”
“...”
“Since it was my fault, I’ll take care of the cleanup. I’ll make sure Young Lady doesn’t see it, so don’t worry.”
The words, “How are you going to clean it up?” and “Are you going to kill Rene?” lingered in my mouth, but I swallowed them.
Because I didn't want to worry about Rene anymore.
When I think of her, I remember what happened in my third life and it makes me so sad.
I turned away, knowing that because of me, Perdes might end up with human blood on his hands.
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