There was nothing special about the title succession ceremony.
All I had to do was receive a sword from the Emperor in front of numerous nobles and members of the royal family and officially announce that I had become a Duke.
Usually, nobles would find it meaningful and honorable to have the Emperor personally preside over something for them, but that was not the case for me.
I had no respect or loyalty to the Emperor, so I could not possibly consider such a thing an honor.
Rather, I found it annoying and wondered what the Emperor was up to.
I was also worried about whether Perdes was doing well.
“I hereby grant the Imperial Sword to Duke Adele Leopold.”
Still, I felt a little emotional when I received the sword from the Emperor.
It was not because of respect for the Emperor or any such reason, but because I remembered the past when I had struggled to obtain this position by any means necessary.
As this was a position I had earned only after countless pains, nightmares, and painful experiences, I had mixed feelings.
“I am very happy that Duke Leopold’s household has finally regained stability. Now...”
As I returned to my seat after receiving the sword, the Emperor began to speak with majesty.
The speech, which was expected to last at most 10 minutes, did not end even after 30 minutes.
At first, the nobles who had been listening attentively began to lose concentration one by one, and some of them even started doing other things to avoid the Emperor's eyes.
“...That would be nice. That’s all.”
Clap, clap clap clap-
Perhaps that was why, when the Emperor's speech finally came to a close, the applause was louder than ever.
I too applauded, genuinely glad that the boring speech was over.
The succession ceremony ended with the Emperor's speech.
Originally, a small celebration was to be held after this, but the celebration was canceled on the pretext that Perdes's dementia had returned.
“I sincerely congratulate you on your succession to the ducal title, Your Excellency.”
“His late Excellency Duke Leopold may now rest in peace.”
“Thank you all.”
As I was lightly responding to the outpouring of congratulations from the nobles and trying to leave the banquet hall, someone blocked my way.
“You’ve become a real Duke.”
It was the Duke of Lucien.
“I sincerely congratulate you on becoming a Duke, Duke Leopold.”
He wasn't someone I could deal with lightly like other nobles, so I nodded with a deep sigh inwardly.
“Thank you. But how long do you plan on treating me like this?”
“Hmm?”
“As the Duke of Lucien said, I have become a true Duke, so I hope you will treat me accordingly.”
The Duke of Lucien's eyes sparkled unusually at my request, like the eyes of a child who has found a fun toy.
“I have been very rude. I hope you will be generous and forgive me, Duke Leopold.”
Unlike his playful, sparkling eyes, his speech and actions were so polite that it felt strangely out of place.
“No. Then I’ll go now.”
“Where are you going in such a hurry? You even canceled the party.”
“I am going to the 4th Prince.”
“Oh. By the way, I heard that his dementia has recurred. This must be really worrying.”
“Yes. So I’m going to go and take a look quickly.”
“I am also very worried about His Highness the Fourth Prince’s safety, so let’s go together.”
What the heck is this?
When I looked at him with bewildered eyes, the Duke of Lucien smiled and added.
“I think I told you before. I am interested in His Highness the Fourth Prince.”
“Didn’t you say it was a joke?”
“I said that because I thought His Highness the Fourth Prince was thinking strangely.”
“Was it so?”
“Yes. Oh, of course, I am also very interested in Duke Leopold. So you don’t have to be jealous of His Royal Highness.”
Who would be jealous?
It was a mental state that was utterly incomprehensible.
I knew that the Duke of Lucien was a strange person, but I didn't know it was to this extent.
“I don’t know why you think that, but I’m not jealous of you and Perdes, at all.”
I mentioned his name on purpose to show that my relationship with Perdes is strong.
Then the Duke of Lucien stroked his chin as if he was embarrassed.
“Oh my, you seem to be trying too hard to hide your feelings. It’s sad to see you.”
I wonder who on earth is hiding what kind of feelings.
It was absurd, but I didn't mention that part because I felt like it wouldn't make sense no matter what I said.
“I appreciate your concern for Mr. Perdes. However, I don’t think he is in a condition to meet anyone yet, so please come and meet him another time.”
“When will the next one be? Do we really have to go all the way to Leopold’s duchy?”
“No. I will be in the capital for the time being, so please come to the Duke’s residence in the capital.”
Although I would often travel back and forth between the capital and the duchy due to business in the territory, I planned to keep Perdes in the capital.
So that he can take over my duties while I'm away.
When I first reached out to Perdes, I had intended to send him away once I safely succeeded to the ducal throne.
But somehow I ended up keeping him by my side.
It was a little ironic because I was thinking of including him in my future plans as well.
Is this why people say they don't know what's going on?
“That’s too bad. I was planning on going to the Leopold duchy for a visit.”
“If I get another chance, I will invite you to the Duke’s Palace.”
That opportunity may never come again in your lifetime.
“Okay, then let’s postpone meeting His Highness until next time.”
“Thank you for understanding. Well, that’s all...”
“I heard that you have a great friendship with the Duke and Prophetes IV.”
Prophetes IV was the title given to Prince Pylos, who had ascended to the throne the previous month.
But then he was suddenly mentioned, so I turned around and looked back at the Duke of Lucien.
When our eyes met, he smiled, his eyes folding into crescent moon shapes.
“There have been reports that Prophetes IV has been acting strangely recently... Do you know anything about it?”
I'm moving as stealthily as possible, but have you already smelled it?
That means the Emperor might have smelled it too.
Oh well. I guess I'll have to blow up 'that thing' a bit quicker and divert their attention elsewhere.
“Well, we became friends at the Academy, but that’s it. I don’t know much about their current situation.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“What did Prophetes IV do that made you do that?”
“I can’t tell you anything yet because we’re still in the process of finding out.”
I asked him out of curiosity how much he knew, but as expected, he didn't tell me anything.
“Oh. I’ve held you back for too long. His Highness the Fourth Prince will be eagerly waiting for you, so go quickly, Duke Leopold.”
“...Then that’s it.”
I felt uneasy, but I turned around because I knew that nothing would change if I held onto him and talked to him more.
And then I headed to the Palace of Spring where Perdes was waiting.
The Spring Palace was a bit more chaotic than usual.
The court ladies who encountered me were initially startled, but they quickly regained their composure and greeted me as if nothing had happened.
Some palace servants could not control their expressions until the end: the knights guarding Perdes' bedroom.
"Your Excellency."
As I stood in front of the bedroom door, one of the most high-ranking men approached me cautiously and spoke.
“I have something to report to you shortly.”
"What?"
“I am sorry, but His Highness the Prince suddenly suffered a seizure and was temporarily removed from our escort.”
It's not escort, it's surveillance.
“Fortunately, nothing happened during that time. No injuries.”
“...”
“We are truly sorry, Your Excellency. We should have been more alert and guarded him properly, but we failed to do so, so we will gladly accept any punishment.”
“I’ll tell the Ministry of Justice about that.”
I didn't want to punish them since they were lax in their surveillance and it was thanks to them that Perdes was able to meet the Empress and return safely, but it didn't make sense to just let it go in terms of discipline, so I passed the punishment on to the Ministry of Justice.
The escort knight who had reported to me bowed his head solemnly and stepped aside.
“Lord Perdes. It’s me.”
I knocked to let her know I was there, then opened the bedroom door.
"Come in!"
Then Perdes ran to me like a puppy welcoming its owner and hugged me tightly.
Knowing that this was also part of the foolish act, I patted his back without being the least bit flustered.
“Everyone get out.”
And I issued an order to those who tried to come in after me to refrain from entering.
After the maids left, Perdes, who had left me, flopped down on the sofa and ran his hand through his messy hair.
“It’s been a while since I’ve acted like an idiot, so I feel like I can’t do it.”
“You’re doing well for something like that.”
“Well. I have really good acting skills.”
If someone else said something like that, it would be very unlucky, but when Perdes said it, everyone nodded.
I sat across from Perdes and asked.
“So, have you heard the answer from the Empress?”
“I don’t know whether to say I heard this or not.”
“What happened?”
“No, rather, I heard something that I didn’t quite understand.”
“What did you hear?”
“Well, so...”
Perdes thought for a moment as if trying to decide what to say, and then continued.
“First of all, the Empress said that Chernosser entered the Duke’s basement because the Emperor asked him to bring something.”
“What is it?”
“Yeah. The Emperor said it was something very important, so he asked Chernosser to bring it to him.”
Are you saying that something very important to the Emperor is in the basement of Duke Leopold's residence, not in the Imperial Palace?
“What is that thing?”
When I asked out of curiosity, Perdes shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know that either.”
All I had to do was receive a sword from the Emperor in front of numerous nobles and members of the royal family and officially announce that I had become a Duke.
Usually, nobles would find it meaningful and honorable to have the Emperor personally preside over something for them, but that was not the case for me.
I had no respect or loyalty to the Emperor, so I could not possibly consider such a thing an honor.
Rather, I found it annoying and wondered what the Emperor was up to.
I was also worried about whether Perdes was doing well.
“I hereby grant the Imperial Sword to Duke Adele Leopold.”
Still, I felt a little emotional when I received the sword from the Emperor.
It was not because of respect for the Emperor or any such reason, but because I remembered the past when I had struggled to obtain this position by any means necessary.
As this was a position I had earned only after countless pains, nightmares, and painful experiences, I had mixed feelings.
“I am very happy that Duke Leopold’s household has finally regained stability. Now...”
As I returned to my seat after receiving the sword, the Emperor began to speak with majesty.
The speech, which was expected to last at most 10 minutes, did not end even after 30 minutes.
At first, the nobles who had been listening attentively began to lose concentration one by one, and some of them even started doing other things to avoid the Emperor's eyes.
“...That would be nice. That’s all.”
Clap, clap clap clap-
Perhaps that was why, when the Emperor's speech finally came to a close, the applause was louder than ever.
I too applauded, genuinely glad that the boring speech was over.
The succession ceremony ended with the Emperor's speech.
Originally, a small celebration was to be held after this, but the celebration was canceled on the pretext that Perdes's dementia had returned.
“I sincerely congratulate you on your succession to the ducal title, Your Excellency.”
“His late Excellency Duke Leopold may now rest in peace.”
“Thank you all.”
As I was lightly responding to the outpouring of congratulations from the nobles and trying to leave the banquet hall, someone blocked my way.
“You’ve become a real Duke.”
It was the Duke of Lucien.
“I sincerely congratulate you on becoming a Duke, Duke Leopold.”
He wasn't someone I could deal with lightly like other nobles, so I nodded with a deep sigh inwardly.
“Thank you. But how long do you plan on treating me like this?”
“Hmm?”
“As the Duke of Lucien said, I have become a true Duke, so I hope you will treat me accordingly.”
The Duke of Lucien's eyes sparkled unusually at my request, like the eyes of a child who has found a fun toy.
“I have been very rude. I hope you will be generous and forgive me, Duke Leopold.”
Unlike his playful, sparkling eyes, his speech and actions were so polite that it felt strangely out of place.
“No. Then I’ll go now.”
“Where are you going in such a hurry? You even canceled the party.”
“I am going to the 4th Prince.”
“Oh. By the way, I heard that his dementia has recurred. This must be really worrying.”
“Yes. So I’m going to go and take a look quickly.”
“I am also very worried about His Highness the Fourth Prince’s safety, so let’s go together.”
What the heck is this?
When I looked at him with bewildered eyes, the Duke of Lucien smiled and added.
“I think I told you before. I am interested in His Highness the Fourth Prince.”
“Didn’t you say it was a joke?”
“I said that because I thought His Highness the Fourth Prince was thinking strangely.”
“Was it so?”
“Yes. Oh, of course, I am also very interested in Duke Leopold. So you don’t have to be jealous of His Royal Highness.”
Who would be jealous?
It was a mental state that was utterly incomprehensible.
I knew that the Duke of Lucien was a strange person, but I didn't know it was to this extent.
“I don’t know why you think that, but I’m not jealous of you and Perdes, at all.”
I mentioned his name on purpose to show that my relationship with Perdes is strong.
Then the Duke of Lucien stroked his chin as if he was embarrassed.
“Oh my, you seem to be trying too hard to hide your feelings. It’s sad to see you.”
I wonder who on earth is hiding what kind of feelings.
It was absurd, but I didn't mention that part because I felt like it wouldn't make sense no matter what I said.
“I appreciate your concern for Mr. Perdes. However, I don’t think he is in a condition to meet anyone yet, so please come and meet him another time.”
“When will the next one be? Do we really have to go all the way to Leopold’s duchy?”
“No. I will be in the capital for the time being, so please come to the Duke’s residence in the capital.”
Although I would often travel back and forth between the capital and the duchy due to business in the territory, I planned to keep Perdes in the capital.
So that he can take over my duties while I'm away.
When I first reached out to Perdes, I had intended to send him away once I safely succeeded to the ducal throne.
But somehow I ended up keeping him by my side.
It was a little ironic because I was thinking of including him in my future plans as well.
Is this why people say they don't know what's going on?
“That’s too bad. I was planning on going to the Leopold duchy for a visit.”
“If I get another chance, I will invite you to the Duke’s Palace.”
That opportunity may never come again in your lifetime.
“Okay, then let’s postpone meeting His Highness until next time.”
“Thank you for understanding. Well, that’s all...”
“I heard that you have a great friendship with the Duke and Prophetes IV.”
Prophetes IV was the title given to Prince Pylos, who had ascended to the throne the previous month.
But then he was suddenly mentioned, so I turned around and looked back at the Duke of Lucien.
When our eyes met, he smiled, his eyes folding into crescent moon shapes.
“There have been reports that Prophetes IV has been acting strangely recently... Do you know anything about it?”
I'm moving as stealthily as possible, but have you already smelled it?
That means the Emperor might have smelled it too.
Oh well. I guess I'll have to blow up 'that thing' a bit quicker and divert their attention elsewhere.
“Well, we became friends at the Academy, but that’s it. I don’t know much about their current situation.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“What did Prophetes IV do that made you do that?”
“I can’t tell you anything yet because we’re still in the process of finding out.”
I asked him out of curiosity how much he knew, but as expected, he didn't tell me anything.
“Oh. I’ve held you back for too long. His Highness the Fourth Prince will be eagerly waiting for you, so go quickly, Duke Leopold.”
“...Then that’s it.”
I felt uneasy, but I turned around because I knew that nothing would change if I held onto him and talked to him more.
And then I headed to the Palace of Spring where Perdes was waiting.
The Spring Palace was a bit more chaotic than usual.
The court ladies who encountered me were initially startled, but they quickly regained their composure and greeted me as if nothing had happened.
Some palace servants could not control their expressions until the end: the knights guarding Perdes' bedroom.
"Your Excellency."
As I stood in front of the bedroom door, one of the most high-ranking men approached me cautiously and spoke.
“I have something to report to you shortly.”
"What?"
“I am sorry, but His Highness the Prince suddenly suffered a seizure and was temporarily removed from our escort.”
It's not escort, it's surveillance.
“Fortunately, nothing happened during that time. No injuries.”
“...”
“We are truly sorry, Your Excellency. We should have been more alert and guarded him properly, but we failed to do so, so we will gladly accept any punishment.”
“I’ll tell the Ministry of Justice about that.”
I didn't want to punish them since they were lax in their surveillance and it was thanks to them that Perdes was able to meet the Empress and return safely, but it didn't make sense to just let it go in terms of discipline, so I passed the punishment on to the Ministry of Justice.
The escort knight who had reported to me bowed his head solemnly and stepped aside.
“Lord Perdes. It’s me.”
I knocked to let her know I was there, then opened the bedroom door.
"Come in!"
Then Perdes ran to me like a puppy welcoming its owner and hugged me tightly.
Knowing that this was also part of the foolish act, I patted his back without being the least bit flustered.
“Everyone get out.”
And I issued an order to those who tried to come in after me to refrain from entering.
After the maids left, Perdes, who had left me, flopped down on the sofa and ran his hand through his messy hair.
“It’s been a while since I’ve acted like an idiot, so I feel like I can’t do it.”
“You’re doing well for something like that.”
“Well. I have really good acting skills.”
If someone else said something like that, it would be very unlucky, but when Perdes said it, everyone nodded.
I sat across from Perdes and asked.
“So, have you heard the answer from the Empress?”
“I don’t know whether to say I heard this or not.”
“What happened?”
“No, rather, I heard something that I didn’t quite understand.”
“What did you hear?”
“Well, so...”
Perdes thought for a moment as if trying to decide what to say, and then continued.
“First of all, the Empress said that Chernosser entered the Duke’s basement because the Emperor asked him to bring something.”
“What is it?”
“Yeah. The Emperor said it was something very important, so he asked Chernosser to bring it to him.”
Are you saying that something very important to the Emperor is in the basement of Duke Leopold's residence, not in the Imperial Palace?
“What is that thing?”
When I asked out of curiosity, Perdes shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know that either.”
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