“Alfonso.”
As the Prince entered the King's study, Leo III greeted him with an ambiguous and friendly attitude.
“I beseech you, Your Majesty, the one and only sun of the Etruscans.”
“What kind of etiquette do you have with your family in the morning?”
The King waved his hand to prevent Alfonso from kneeling.
The Prince was accompanied by Sir Elko.
Since Sir Elko had been handling all the paperwork while he was in Yesak, it was better to ask him about some things than the Prince himself.
The King was not alone. A young man, who appeared to be a lawyer, stood respectfully behind the King, holding a bundle of parchments.
Besides this, the King summoned together his secretary, Sir Delpiano, as well as the three ministers—Baldessar, Marquez, and Contarini.
“I want to see this.”
The King threw the bundle of parchments he had received from the jurist to the Prince.
Alfonso nimbly snatched the bundle out of the air. The King's brow furrowed slightly, but only for a moment.
The parchment was a review report on the legal effect of the marriage contract the Prince had signed with the Princess of Lariesa. Alfonso scanned the contents and then read the conclusion.
“It may or may not work.”
The Prince looked at the jurist with his brows furrowed. His eyes seemed to be reproaching him for writing down a conclusion that was worse than not writing at all.
“Ah. Let me explain!”
The lawyer quickly stood up.
“Marriage is a bilateral contract based on the agreement of both parties and is also a formality...”
He gave a very long, complicated, legal-language-heavy, and difficult explanation.
The reason people listened to his tirades with patience was simply because Leo III brought him here.
When the scholar had finished his explanation, Prince Alfonso asked just one question for everyone present.
“To summarize?”
“So...”
He explained that for a marriage to be valid, the names of the parties, the fact that they are getting married, and the signatures of both parties and a priest are required.
“According to your words, the priest was not present at the scene, right? So this marriage contract is invalid in principle. It only has no effect as an engagement.”
Unlike divorce, which required special permission from the Pope, annulment was easy.
If the other party was at fault, it could be done unilaterally, and even if you simply changed your mind and wanted to break off the engagement, you could do so as long as you paid sufficient compensation to the other party.
The fact that in case of disputes, they would have to go to the King's court rather than the religious court of the Holy See was also an advantage for those who wanted to break off the engagement.
“The problem is the exceptions.”
The legal scholar explained.
If the other party had registered this marriage contract in the clergy's archives under the Holy Nation, the documents there would be 'presumed' to have been legally created, so unless one actively proves that there was no clergy, the marriage contract would be invalid.
Alfonso asked.
“You can prove that there was a priest by calling the priest who came and asking him, but how can you prove that there was no priest?”
“As expected of a Prince. You hit the nail on the head.”
The lawyer clapped his hands.
“That’s the problem. It’s virtually impossible to prove that it didn’t happen. You can’t get a 24-hour alibi from every priest living in Montpellier.”
Alfonso was lost in thought.
The 'Clergy Document Archives under the Holy See' were not only available to cardinals or archbishops but could also be set up by small monasteries or local priests. Thanks to this, it became a hotbed of various forgeries, but canon law was canon law. Before it was changed by a council or a meeting of cardinals, it had to be followed, even if it was unreasonable.
“So. If the Grand Duke of Valoa keeps this marriage contract at home, then this marriage is invalid. It’s just an engagement. If it’s an engagement, then you can go ahead with it if you want, and if you don’t, then you can break it off.”
Until yesterday, Alfonso would have replied, 'We're going to get married anyway, so go ahead with it without complaining.'
Although her method was wrong, Lariesa was a poor woman who risked her life to love someone and lost her chance to get married because of him.
It was right to take responsibility. If he thinks about it rationally, it is right to take responsibility...
What he left behind was troubling him. Her warm body temperature, her chest rising and falling with her breath, and her body scent of sweet musk, wet earth, and a hint of grass and citrus, were unforgettable.
No matter how cruel and wicked she was, when he looked into those green eyes, all worries and concerns melted away and time ran away.
While the Prince was lost in thought, the jurist added some practical explanations.
“As for the divorce... there were a lot of things going on in the process of writing it... well, yes. Since there was some ‘noise’, I think we can probably get the divorce done without any particular damages.”
Alfonso asked.
“So far, we have explained cases where a marriage contract is invalid. What happens if it is valid?”
“If this marriage vow is in the archives of the clergy under the Holy Nation...”
The lawyer shrugged.
“It’s simple. Your Highness, you are married. Divorce is impossible according to doctrine, so the only way is to receive a decree of annulment from His Holiness the Pope, stating that the marriage never existed.”
He added.
“You can think of it as almost impossible.”
Alfonso's expression distorted slightly.
“However... the most common method used when receiving a marriage annulment is to prove that there was no formal relationship between the couple, and since the Prince has not seen the Arch Duchess in over three years... the requirement is met. However, meeting the requirement and His Holiness the Pope granting special permission are completely different things.”
At this point, Leo III interrupted the jurist.
“Alfonso, what do you think about this marriage?”
Leo III asked curiously.
Alfonso did not respond to his father's sudden change in attitude, but instead looked straight at the King.
“Your Highness.”
Count Marquez, who felt embarrassed by those eyes, stepped forward. He told the Prince why the King was acting like that all of a sudden.
“Actually, a letter came from the Grand Duke of Odes.”
The King averted his gaze, and the Prince's gaze was instead directed at Count Marquez. His eyes were demanding of the content.
“He congratulates the Prince on his victory and returns reminds you of your promise of marriage, and expresses his wish to meet the Prince once in a third country such as Trevero.”
Alfonso's face crumpled openly this time.
'Who do you know as a fool?'
After the chaos he had caused during his last state visit to Gallico, it was clear that his conscience had been tarnished by the thought of meeting him outside the Etruscan kingdom.
“Isn’t it a third country?”
Leo III added, pretending to be friendly. But it was the words of the one who had caused Alfonso to go to Gallico.
The Prince didn't even answer, and the atmosphere became gloomy.
Marquez quickly added for the sake of instruction.
“Your Highness, there are other reasons why His Majesty has changed his attitude.”
Alfonso, although reluctant, played along for Marquez.
"What?"
“Our people have relayed information that Philip IV’s health is currently very poor.”
After the death of Princess Auguste, Philip IV became mentally unstable and went into seclusion.
It is said that he cried for several nights and even lost his mind and screamed uncontrollably.
But there has never been such nonsense and nonsense as these days.
Now, within Gallico, talk was beginning to emerge that it would be impossible for Philip IV to return to power and exercise royal authority normally.
“Philip IV, being unmarried, has no heir.”
Sir Elko pointed out an important point. Then, Ottavio's eyes lit up beside him.
Ottavio wanted to say something at today's meeting.
It was his first time attending a meeting, and he was anxious that if he didn't make a mark, he would forever be relegated to the shadows.
However, it was difficult to join in because Leo III and Prince Alfonso were the ones who spoke the most, and only experts and veteran diplomats like Count Marquez had the right to speak. The level did not match.
But Elko was different. The young Count Contarini, Ottavio, who had been excluded for so long, felt encouraged when Elko spoke up, thinking that he could do it too.
“But doesn’t Grand Duchess Lariesa have no right to the throne?”
Ottavio raised his voice and announced with great authority.
“Her father, the Grand Duke Odee, abandoned the Briand family and became a Valoa, securing his life and his current position.”
He was so nervous that his speech was unnaturally fast and his hands were shaking.
But it was great! It was awesome! It was a perfect rebuke to the Prince's men!
'...But why is everyone looking at me so pitifully?'
Count Marquez sighed lightly and said:
“Count Contarini. Prince Alfonso already has a claim to the throne of Gallico.”
"Yes?"
“Thanks to his mother, the late Queen Margaret of Gallico. His Highness Prince Alfonso is a first cousin of King Philip IV of Gallico.”
Ottavio's face turned bright red.
It was obvious, but he forgot it because he was so excited. He wanted to die. He wanted to disappear from everyone's sight.
After that, no one paid any attention to Ottavio, perhaps to fulfill his wish, and the discussion moved on to the next level.
“Your Highness, Archduke Odes is the Prince Regent in name only. In other words, he is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Gallico.”
Leo III was impressed by Count Marquez's explanation.
“If you marry that daughter after Philippe dies... you know? Prince Louis or whatever is already dead, so there’s no one before you.”
There were several other successors to the throne who were tied to Alfonso.
However, if Duke Odes, who had a firm grip on Gallico, actively supported it, no one could defeat Alfonso, the Prince of the kingdom right next door and Duke Odes's son-in-law.
Gunpowder wasn't the problem. It was enough to devour the entire Kingdom of Gallico!
"Your Majesty."
But Alfonso didn't look happy at all.
“Life doesn’t always go as smoothly as we think it will, does it?”
The last time Leo III wanted to dance with the Flower Troupe, Alfonso was taken to the Gallico kingdom and almost killed.
The Prince tried to hide his emotions, but everyone present, including the King, read the nonexistent irritation on Alfonso's face.
“The letter from Archduke Odes is strange.”
Under normal circumstances, Archduke Odes would have sent a message to Prince Alfonso along the lines of, 'I will send Lariesa immediately, so complete the wedding preparations while she is on her way.'
Lariesa was a year older than Alfonso, meaning that his only daughter was well past marriageable age.
Moreover, the prospective groom was not only the most sought-after war hero in the Central Continent but also the successor to the one and only Etruscan kingdom.
Additionally, he was known for being handsome and having a good personality, so the bride-to-be had no reason to delay things.
However, instead of sending Lariesa away right away, Archduke Odoles wants to meet Alfonso directly, one-on-one, first.
This meant that there was something that needed to be coordinated in advance. It was a secret that was so important that it couldn't be entrusted to anyone else.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to stick your head into a lion’s mouth without knowing what is going on. Once in a lifetime is enough.”
Prince Alfonso's words had some substance. Leo III could no longer insist and could only groan.
“Please find out more about why Archduke Odes is acting like that.”
Alfonso added as if it were nothing.
“Oh, and also, is the marriage certificate in the archives of the clergy under the Holy See?”
“That... The court nobles will do their best, but...”
"Father."
Leo III was startled.
“Uh, yeah?”
“I will not be leaving the country to meet Archduke Odes without further intelligence.”
Prince Alfonso drove the wedge in. Leo III sighed in discontent.
The story ended like this and Prince Alfonso left first.
As the Prince and his men left the room and the servants paid their respects to the Prince, Ottavio tilted his head as he remembered Alfonso's additional request.
'I clearly heard that the Prince was positive about marrying Princess Lariesa, but has he changed his mind now...?'
If you're going to get married anyway, why are you curious about whether the marriage contract is valid or invalid?
Ottavio decided to report this story to Rubina.
“Ah, that woman really pisses me off!”
Ottavio exploded with anger.
“Why, why?”
In the carriage, Isabella, who was very pregnant, clung to Ottavio. She grumbled, her lips sticking out.
“I can’t forgive anyone who upsets my husband.”
Ottavio's mouth fell open as if he had never been annoyed before. His wife was so precious that he would not mind putting her in his eyes.
“Even if she were Rubina or the Duchess, I wouldn’t forgive her.”
But Ottavio's happiness was short-lived. As soon as the name of the Duchess Rubina was mentioned, he became angry again.
“Yeah, well. Rubina or that woman!”
As the Prince entered the King's study, Leo III greeted him with an ambiguous and friendly attitude.
“I beseech you, Your Majesty, the one and only sun of the Etruscans.”
“What kind of etiquette do you have with your family in the morning?”
The King waved his hand to prevent Alfonso from kneeling.
The Prince was accompanied by Sir Elko.
Since Sir Elko had been handling all the paperwork while he was in Yesak, it was better to ask him about some things than the Prince himself.
The King was not alone. A young man, who appeared to be a lawyer, stood respectfully behind the King, holding a bundle of parchments.
Besides this, the King summoned together his secretary, Sir Delpiano, as well as the three ministers—Baldessar, Marquez, and Contarini.
“I want to see this.”
The King threw the bundle of parchments he had received from the jurist to the Prince.
Alfonso nimbly snatched the bundle out of the air. The King's brow furrowed slightly, but only for a moment.
The parchment was a review report on the legal effect of the marriage contract the Prince had signed with the Princess of Lariesa. Alfonso scanned the contents and then read the conclusion.
“It may or may not work.”
The Prince looked at the jurist with his brows furrowed. His eyes seemed to be reproaching him for writing down a conclusion that was worse than not writing at all.
“Ah. Let me explain!”
The lawyer quickly stood up.
“Marriage is a bilateral contract based on the agreement of both parties and is also a formality...”
He gave a very long, complicated, legal-language-heavy, and difficult explanation.
The reason people listened to his tirades with patience was simply because Leo III brought him here.
When the scholar had finished his explanation, Prince Alfonso asked just one question for everyone present.
“To summarize?”
“So...”
He explained that for a marriage to be valid, the names of the parties, the fact that they are getting married, and the signatures of both parties and a priest are required.
“According to your words, the priest was not present at the scene, right? So this marriage contract is invalid in principle. It only has no effect as an engagement.”
Unlike divorce, which required special permission from the Pope, annulment was easy.
If the other party was at fault, it could be done unilaterally, and even if you simply changed your mind and wanted to break off the engagement, you could do so as long as you paid sufficient compensation to the other party.
The fact that in case of disputes, they would have to go to the King's court rather than the religious court of the Holy See was also an advantage for those who wanted to break off the engagement.
“The problem is the exceptions.”
The legal scholar explained.
If the other party had registered this marriage contract in the clergy's archives under the Holy Nation, the documents there would be 'presumed' to have been legally created, so unless one actively proves that there was no clergy, the marriage contract would be invalid.
Alfonso asked.
“You can prove that there was a priest by calling the priest who came and asking him, but how can you prove that there was no priest?”
“As expected of a Prince. You hit the nail on the head.”
The lawyer clapped his hands.
“That’s the problem. It’s virtually impossible to prove that it didn’t happen. You can’t get a 24-hour alibi from every priest living in Montpellier.”
Alfonso was lost in thought.
The 'Clergy Document Archives under the Holy See' were not only available to cardinals or archbishops but could also be set up by small monasteries or local priests. Thanks to this, it became a hotbed of various forgeries, but canon law was canon law. Before it was changed by a council or a meeting of cardinals, it had to be followed, even if it was unreasonable.
“So. If the Grand Duke of Valoa keeps this marriage contract at home, then this marriage is invalid. It’s just an engagement. If it’s an engagement, then you can go ahead with it if you want, and if you don’t, then you can break it off.”
Until yesterday, Alfonso would have replied, 'We're going to get married anyway, so go ahead with it without complaining.'
Although her method was wrong, Lariesa was a poor woman who risked her life to love someone and lost her chance to get married because of him.
It was right to take responsibility. If he thinks about it rationally, it is right to take responsibility...
What he left behind was troubling him. Her warm body temperature, her chest rising and falling with her breath, and her body scent of sweet musk, wet earth, and a hint of grass and citrus, were unforgettable.
No matter how cruel and wicked she was, when he looked into those green eyes, all worries and concerns melted away and time ran away.
While the Prince was lost in thought, the jurist added some practical explanations.
“As for the divorce... there were a lot of things going on in the process of writing it... well, yes. Since there was some ‘noise’, I think we can probably get the divorce done without any particular damages.”
Alfonso asked.
“So far, we have explained cases where a marriage contract is invalid. What happens if it is valid?”
“If this marriage vow is in the archives of the clergy under the Holy Nation...”
The lawyer shrugged.
“It’s simple. Your Highness, you are married. Divorce is impossible according to doctrine, so the only way is to receive a decree of annulment from His Holiness the Pope, stating that the marriage never existed.”
He added.
“You can think of it as almost impossible.”
Alfonso's expression distorted slightly.
“However... the most common method used when receiving a marriage annulment is to prove that there was no formal relationship between the couple, and since the Prince has not seen the Arch Duchess in over three years... the requirement is met. However, meeting the requirement and His Holiness the Pope granting special permission are completely different things.”
At this point, Leo III interrupted the jurist.
“Alfonso, what do you think about this marriage?”
Leo III asked curiously.
Alfonso did not respond to his father's sudden change in attitude, but instead looked straight at the King.
“Your Highness.”
Count Marquez, who felt embarrassed by those eyes, stepped forward. He told the Prince why the King was acting like that all of a sudden.
“Actually, a letter came from the Grand Duke of Odes.”
The King averted his gaze, and the Prince's gaze was instead directed at Count Marquez. His eyes were demanding of the content.
“He congratulates the Prince on his victory and returns reminds you of your promise of marriage, and expresses his wish to meet the Prince once in a third country such as Trevero.”
Alfonso's face crumpled openly this time.
'Who do you know as a fool?'
After the chaos he had caused during his last state visit to Gallico, it was clear that his conscience had been tarnished by the thought of meeting him outside the Etruscan kingdom.
“Isn’t it a third country?”
Leo III added, pretending to be friendly. But it was the words of the one who had caused Alfonso to go to Gallico.
The Prince didn't even answer, and the atmosphere became gloomy.
Marquez quickly added for the sake of instruction.
“Your Highness, there are other reasons why His Majesty has changed his attitude.”
Alfonso, although reluctant, played along for Marquez.
"What?"
“Our people have relayed information that Philip IV’s health is currently very poor.”
After the death of Princess Auguste, Philip IV became mentally unstable and went into seclusion.
It is said that he cried for several nights and even lost his mind and screamed uncontrollably.
But there has never been such nonsense and nonsense as these days.
Now, within Gallico, talk was beginning to emerge that it would be impossible for Philip IV to return to power and exercise royal authority normally.
“Philip IV, being unmarried, has no heir.”
Sir Elko pointed out an important point. Then, Ottavio's eyes lit up beside him.
Ottavio wanted to say something at today's meeting.
It was his first time attending a meeting, and he was anxious that if he didn't make a mark, he would forever be relegated to the shadows.
However, it was difficult to join in because Leo III and Prince Alfonso were the ones who spoke the most, and only experts and veteran diplomats like Count Marquez had the right to speak. The level did not match.
But Elko was different. The young Count Contarini, Ottavio, who had been excluded for so long, felt encouraged when Elko spoke up, thinking that he could do it too.
“But doesn’t Grand Duchess Lariesa have no right to the throne?”
Ottavio raised his voice and announced with great authority.
“Her father, the Grand Duke Odee, abandoned the Briand family and became a Valoa, securing his life and his current position.”
He was so nervous that his speech was unnaturally fast and his hands were shaking.
But it was great! It was awesome! It was a perfect rebuke to the Prince's men!
'...But why is everyone looking at me so pitifully?'
Count Marquez sighed lightly and said:
“Count Contarini. Prince Alfonso already has a claim to the throne of Gallico.”
"Yes?"
“Thanks to his mother, the late Queen Margaret of Gallico. His Highness Prince Alfonso is a first cousin of King Philip IV of Gallico.”
Ottavio's face turned bright red.
It was obvious, but he forgot it because he was so excited. He wanted to die. He wanted to disappear from everyone's sight.
After that, no one paid any attention to Ottavio, perhaps to fulfill his wish, and the discussion moved on to the next level.
“Your Highness, Archduke Odes is the Prince Regent in name only. In other words, he is the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Gallico.”
Leo III was impressed by Count Marquez's explanation.
“If you marry that daughter after Philippe dies... you know? Prince Louis or whatever is already dead, so there’s no one before you.”
There were several other successors to the throne who were tied to Alfonso.
However, if Duke Odes, who had a firm grip on Gallico, actively supported it, no one could defeat Alfonso, the Prince of the kingdom right next door and Duke Odes's son-in-law.
Gunpowder wasn't the problem. It was enough to devour the entire Kingdom of Gallico!
"Your Majesty."
But Alfonso didn't look happy at all.
“Life doesn’t always go as smoothly as we think it will, does it?”
The last time Leo III wanted to dance with the Flower Troupe, Alfonso was taken to the Gallico kingdom and almost killed.
The Prince tried to hide his emotions, but everyone present, including the King, read the nonexistent irritation on Alfonso's face.
“The letter from Archduke Odes is strange.”
Under normal circumstances, Archduke Odes would have sent a message to Prince Alfonso along the lines of, 'I will send Lariesa immediately, so complete the wedding preparations while she is on her way.'
Lariesa was a year older than Alfonso, meaning that his only daughter was well past marriageable age.
Moreover, the prospective groom was not only the most sought-after war hero in the Central Continent but also the successor to the one and only Etruscan kingdom.
Additionally, he was known for being handsome and having a good personality, so the bride-to-be had no reason to delay things.
However, instead of sending Lariesa away right away, Archduke Odoles wants to meet Alfonso directly, one-on-one, first.
This meant that there was something that needed to be coordinated in advance. It was a secret that was so important that it couldn't be entrusted to anyone else.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to stick your head into a lion’s mouth without knowing what is going on. Once in a lifetime is enough.”
Prince Alfonso's words had some substance. Leo III could no longer insist and could only groan.
“Please find out more about why Archduke Odes is acting like that.”
Alfonso added as if it were nothing.
“Oh, and also, is the marriage certificate in the archives of the clergy under the Holy See?”
“That... The court nobles will do their best, but...”
"Father."
Leo III was startled.
“Uh, yeah?”
“I will not be leaving the country to meet Archduke Odes without further intelligence.”
Prince Alfonso drove the wedge in. Leo III sighed in discontent.
The story ended like this and Prince Alfonso left first.
As the Prince and his men left the room and the servants paid their respects to the Prince, Ottavio tilted his head as he remembered Alfonso's additional request.
'I clearly heard that the Prince was positive about marrying Princess Lariesa, but has he changed his mind now...?'
If you're going to get married anyway, why are you curious about whether the marriage contract is valid or invalid?
Ottavio decided to report this story to Rubina.
***
“Ah, that woman really pisses me off!”
Ottavio exploded with anger.
“Why, why?”
In the carriage, Isabella, who was very pregnant, clung to Ottavio. She grumbled, her lips sticking out.
“I can’t forgive anyone who upsets my husband.”
Ottavio's mouth fell open as if he had never been annoyed before. His wife was so precious that he would not mind putting her in his eyes.
“Even if she were Rubina or the Duchess, I wouldn’t forgive her.”
But Ottavio's happiness was short-lived. As soon as the name of the Duchess Rubina was mentioned, he became angry again.
“Yeah, well. Rubina or that woman!”
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