Perhaps because I slept so soundly that I didn't even dream, my body and mind felt refreshed.
I stretched and went into the bathroom.
As I came out after a refreshing shower, the maid who was tidying up the bedding asked me.
“What would you like for lunch?”
It's lunch, not breakfast?
“What time is it now?”
“It is 11:45 a.m.”
There was no way the maid would lie, but I couldn't believe it, so I checked my watch myself.
“It’s true.”
It was just as the maid said.
I stayed up late waiting for Perdes, but I didn't expect to sleep in until well into the morning.
I was a little embarrassed because I usually wake up before 9 o'clock no matter how late I go to bed.
Well, I guess that means I was that tired.
“Where is Count Martina now?”
“He is working in the office.”
“Then ask the Count if he wants to have lunch with me.”
The maid answered that she would do so and went out.
Oh, I should tell Perdes to eat with me too.
I was about to call the servant and give him an order, but I thought it would be better to speak to him myself, so I headed to his bedroom.
Knock knock.
“Lord Perdes.”
Knock knock.
“Lord Perdes?”
What? Is it not inside?
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As I was about to check, a servant passing by told me about him.
“His Highness the Prince went out early in the morning.”
“Didn’t he say where he was going? Did he have something to tell me?”
“I have not heard of it, but if Your Excellency so desires, I will look into it.”
“Um, no.”
If Perdes had something to say to me, he would have left a note or something.
That made me even more curious.
From what I've seen so far, Perdes is not the type of person to just disappear without a word unless there are special circumstances.
That means there are special circumstances for this outing.
“I’ll have to ask when he gets back.”
If it was personal, it would be better not to ask, but I had a strong feeling that it had something to do with me.
“When Perdes returns, let me know.”
After telling the servant and returning to the bedroom, the maid I had sent to Count Martina was waiting for me.
“The Count said so.”
“Oh really? That’s good.”
“I will take you straight to the restaurant, Your Excellency."
I followed the maid down to the dining room.
The Count, who had arrived at the restaurant first, greeted me warmly.
“Good afternoon, Your Excellency the Duke.”
“Yeah. Good afternoon.”
I sat down in the seat the butler himself gave me.
Then Count Martina, sitting next to me, asked in a voice so small that only I could hear.
“How are you feeling?”
"It's okay."
“If that’s the case, then that’s great... If you have any pain, don’t endure it and get treatment immediately.”
“I will do that.”
There was a brief pause in the conversation as the servants brought in the food.
“Everyone, get out.”
Count Martina said to me after dismissing all the servants who were serving meals.
“This morning, Viscount Rensor wrote to me, saying that he wished to speak with me closely with what Your Excellency said last night.”
Count Rensor was a timid and weak-willed man.
There is no way that he would have sent a letter to Count Martina of his own volition.
Perhaps other northern nobles were nagging him to send the letter instead.
“So what did you reply with?”
“I haven’t sent it yet, because I think it would be better to ask Your Excellency what to do and then send it.”
"Good job."
Even if he had asked me, the answer I would have given him would have been the same as what he thought, but what was important was that he tried to ask me for my opinion first.
“Make sure to meet with Count Rensor. There will probably be other Northern Territory nobles there, so you’d better brace yourself and go.”
“I guess so.”
Count Martina's expression became serious for a moment.
“You shouldn’t have told anyone else what happened yesterday...”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
I continued, cutting the steak into bite-size pieces.
“The nobles gathered there are those who have a stronger attachment to their territory than loyalty to the empire. They must be weighing up what to do by now.”
“If that’s the case, then that’s good.”
“So, when I meet them, I think it would be a good idea to let them know that the Count shares my views. Then, they will be able to quickly calm their wavering hearts.”
“I’ll listen to what they have to say and then I’ll tell you when I have the chance.”
“Please.”
“So... I have something to ask Your Excellency.”
I nodded as if to ask.
Count Martina leaned over me and asked in a very small voice.
“I’m talking about the recent counterfeit gold coin incident that has been shaking the empire’s economy. By any chance...?”
“If you’re asking if I did it, then yes.”
Now that we were in the same boat, there was no need to hide anymore.
Count Martina's eyes widened for a moment.
“I, Your Excellency...”
“Why are you so surprised? Wasn’t this something you already guessed?”
“That’s true, but... I’m a little surprised that what I had only guessed was true...”
Count Martina muttered to himself and then asked me again.
“Do you intend to ask His Majesty the Emperor to grant Leopold’s territory independence in exchange for solving the problem of counterfeit gold coins?”
“No. We can’t become independent with such a petty method, and no country can solve the problem of counterfeit gold coins.”
It might be possible if we poured out all of the family's assets, but we had no intention of doing so.
“Then how do you plan to become independent?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
Even if we're in the same boat, there's a line we can share.
“You’ll find out tomorrow anyway, so just wait a little.”
Count Martina smiled helplessly.
“It looks like you’re planning something big.”
"Yes."
I'm planning something incredible, if not downright surprising.
“Lastly, let me ask you one more thing.”
Are there still questions left to ask?
I picked up the glass of water and asked.
"What?"
“When do you plan to break off the engagement with His Highness the 4th Prince?”
The question that followed made me stop drinking water.
It's a good thing it came in before drinking water, if I had been eating I would have spit it out.
I put down my glass of water and looked at Count Martina.
He too was looking at me with serious eyes.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“I don’t know how Your Excellency intends to become independent, but one thing is certain: to become independent, you must break away from His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family.”
That's right.
“In that situation, continuing to be engaged to His Highness the 4th Prince would only end up holding His Excellency back, so I asked because I thought it would be natural for you to break off the engagement with His Highness the Prince.”
I didn't like it, but I couldn't argue with it.
Because it was all true.
So, I thought in my head that it would be better to say with certainty when I was going to break off the engagement, but my heart kept denying it, so I couldn't open my mouth.
As I remained silent, Count Martina asked in a trembling voice as if she was anxious.
“Surely... Are you thinking of marrying His Highness the 4th Prince?”
“That’s not it.”
I don't know if it was a breakup, but one thing for sure was that I had no intention of marrying Perdes.
And I couldn't do it.
“I just thought about it for a while because I haven’t made a definite decision on when to break off the engagement with Perdes. Perdes has helped me a lot in many ways.”
“It did look that way.”
Count Martina nodded as if he acknowledged that part.
“However, the fact that he is a Prince remains unchanged. If you wish to become completely independent from the Imperial Family, you must definitely cut off the link, Your Excellency.”
“I know that too.”
Yeah, that was the problem because I knew it too well.
Thinking about Perdes made my appetite disappear.
Since I didn't have much of an appetite, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and got up.
“If you have nothing more to say, I will get up first.”
Count Martina also stood up.
“I brought up unnecessary topics, so I wonder if you weren’t able to eat properly...”
“No, I just don’t have an appetite, so don’t worry.”
Before leaving the restaurant, I gave the Count one last request.
“Send a reply to Count Rensor, and let me know as soon as you have arranged a meeting. Tell me what you discussed when you get there.”
Count Martina nodded and said that he would do so.
As I left the restaurant and entered the central hall, the servant I had met earlier in front of Perdes' bedroom approached me.
“Your Excellency. His Highness the Fourth Prince has returned.”
“Really? Where is Lord Perdes now?”
“It's here.”
When I heard Perdes' voice, I turned around.
Then, he was standing in front of the front door, having just returned and not even taking off his coat.
I approached Perdes.
As I got closer, I smelled something slightly peculiar about him.
“I heard you left early this morning. Where did you go?”
“I have something to do.”
“Does that matter to me?”
When asked directly, Perdes' expression became slightly serious.
He stroked his chin as if he was troubled, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
“Yes. It has a very deep connection with you.”
Also.
“But I can’t tell you yet. When I become more certain, I’ll tell you then.”
Then I was about to ask him what it was, but Perdes struck first.
“So, Leo, can you lend me your magic communication ring so I can contact that guy?”
I stretched and went into the bathroom.
As I came out after a refreshing shower, the maid who was tidying up the bedding asked me.
“What would you like for lunch?”
It's lunch, not breakfast?
“What time is it now?”
“It is 11:45 a.m.”
There was no way the maid would lie, but I couldn't believe it, so I checked my watch myself.
“It’s true.”
It was just as the maid said.
I stayed up late waiting for Perdes, but I didn't expect to sleep in until well into the morning.
I was a little embarrassed because I usually wake up before 9 o'clock no matter how late I go to bed.
Well, I guess that means I was that tired.
“Where is Count Martina now?”
“He is working in the office.”
“Then ask the Count if he wants to have lunch with me.”
The maid answered that she would do so and went out.
Oh, I should tell Perdes to eat with me too.
I was about to call the servant and give him an order, but I thought it would be better to speak to him myself, so I headed to his bedroom.
Knock knock.
“Lord Perdes.”
Knock knock.
“Lord Perdes?”
What? Is it not inside?
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As I was about to check, a servant passing by told me about him.
“His Highness the Prince went out early in the morning.”
“Didn’t he say where he was going? Did he have something to tell me?”
“I have not heard of it, but if Your Excellency so desires, I will look into it.”
“Um, no.”
If Perdes had something to say to me, he would have left a note or something.
That made me even more curious.
From what I've seen so far, Perdes is not the type of person to just disappear without a word unless there are special circumstances.
That means there are special circumstances for this outing.
“I’ll have to ask when he gets back.”
If it was personal, it would be better not to ask, but I had a strong feeling that it had something to do with me.
“When Perdes returns, let me know.”
After telling the servant and returning to the bedroom, the maid I had sent to Count Martina was waiting for me.
“The Count said so.”
“Oh really? That’s good.”
“I will take you straight to the restaurant, Your Excellency."
I followed the maid down to the dining room.
The Count, who had arrived at the restaurant first, greeted me warmly.
“Good afternoon, Your Excellency the Duke.”
“Yeah. Good afternoon.”
I sat down in the seat the butler himself gave me.
Then Count Martina, sitting next to me, asked in a voice so small that only I could hear.
“How are you feeling?”
"It's okay."
“If that’s the case, then that’s great... If you have any pain, don’t endure it and get treatment immediately.”
“I will do that.”
There was a brief pause in the conversation as the servants brought in the food.
“Everyone, get out.”
Count Martina said to me after dismissing all the servants who were serving meals.
“This morning, Viscount Rensor wrote to me, saying that he wished to speak with me closely with what Your Excellency said last night.”
Count Rensor was a timid and weak-willed man.
There is no way that he would have sent a letter to Count Martina of his own volition.
Perhaps other northern nobles were nagging him to send the letter instead.
“So what did you reply with?”
“I haven’t sent it yet, because I think it would be better to ask Your Excellency what to do and then send it.”
"Good job."
Even if he had asked me, the answer I would have given him would have been the same as what he thought, but what was important was that he tried to ask me for my opinion first.
“Make sure to meet with Count Rensor. There will probably be other Northern Territory nobles there, so you’d better brace yourself and go.”
“I guess so.”
Count Martina's expression became serious for a moment.
“You shouldn’t have told anyone else what happened yesterday...”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
I continued, cutting the steak into bite-size pieces.
“The nobles gathered there are those who have a stronger attachment to their territory than loyalty to the empire. They must be weighing up what to do by now.”
“If that’s the case, then that’s good.”
“So, when I meet them, I think it would be a good idea to let them know that the Count shares my views. Then, they will be able to quickly calm their wavering hearts.”
“I’ll listen to what they have to say and then I’ll tell you when I have the chance.”
“Please.”
“So... I have something to ask Your Excellency.”
I nodded as if to ask.
Count Martina leaned over me and asked in a very small voice.
“I’m talking about the recent counterfeit gold coin incident that has been shaking the empire’s economy. By any chance...?”
“If you’re asking if I did it, then yes.”
Now that we were in the same boat, there was no need to hide anymore.
Count Martina's eyes widened for a moment.
“I, Your Excellency...”
“Why are you so surprised? Wasn’t this something you already guessed?”
“That’s true, but... I’m a little surprised that what I had only guessed was true...”
Count Martina muttered to himself and then asked me again.
“Do you intend to ask His Majesty the Emperor to grant Leopold’s territory independence in exchange for solving the problem of counterfeit gold coins?”
“No. We can’t become independent with such a petty method, and no country can solve the problem of counterfeit gold coins.”
It might be possible if we poured out all of the family's assets, but we had no intention of doing so.
“Then how do you plan to become independent?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
Even if we're in the same boat, there's a line we can share.
“You’ll find out tomorrow anyway, so just wait a little.”
Count Martina smiled helplessly.
“It looks like you’re planning something big.”
"Yes."
I'm planning something incredible, if not downright surprising.
“Lastly, let me ask you one more thing.”
Are there still questions left to ask?
I picked up the glass of water and asked.
"What?"
“When do you plan to break off the engagement with His Highness the 4th Prince?”
The question that followed made me stop drinking water.
It's a good thing it came in before drinking water, if I had been eating I would have spit it out.
I put down my glass of water and looked at Count Martina.
He too was looking at me with serious eyes.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“I don’t know how Your Excellency intends to become independent, but one thing is certain: to become independent, you must break away from His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family.”
That's right.
“In that situation, continuing to be engaged to His Highness the 4th Prince would only end up holding His Excellency back, so I asked because I thought it would be natural for you to break off the engagement with His Highness the Prince.”
I didn't like it, but I couldn't argue with it.
Because it was all true.
So, I thought in my head that it would be better to say with certainty when I was going to break off the engagement, but my heart kept denying it, so I couldn't open my mouth.
As I remained silent, Count Martina asked in a trembling voice as if she was anxious.
“Surely... Are you thinking of marrying His Highness the 4th Prince?”
“That’s not it.”
I don't know if it was a breakup, but one thing for sure was that I had no intention of marrying Perdes.
And I couldn't do it.
“I just thought about it for a while because I haven’t made a definite decision on when to break off the engagement with Perdes. Perdes has helped me a lot in many ways.”
“It did look that way.”
Count Martina nodded as if he acknowledged that part.
“However, the fact that he is a Prince remains unchanged. If you wish to become completely independent from the Imperial Family, you must definitely cut off the link, Your Excellency.”
“I know that too.”
Yeah, that was the problem because I knew it too well.
Thinking about Perdes made my appetite disappear.
Since I didn't have much of an appetite, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and got up.
“If you have nothing more to say, I will get up first.”
Count Martina also stood up.
“I brought up unnecessary topics, so I wonder if you weren’t able to eat properly...”
“No, I just don’t have an appetite, so don’t worry.”
Before leaving the restaurant, I gave the Count one last request.
“Send a reply to Count Rensor, and let me know as soon as you have arranged a meeting. Tell me what you discussed when you get there.”
Count Martina nodded and said that he would do so.
As I left the restaurant and entered the central hall, the servant I had met earlier in front of Perdes' bedroom approached me.
“Your Excellency. His Highness the Fourth Prince has returned.”
“Really? Where is Lord Perdes now?”
“It's here.”
When I heard Perdes' voice, I turned around.
Then, he was standing in front of the front door, having just returned and not even taking off his coat.
I approached Perdes.
As I got closer, I smelled something slightly peculiar about him.
“I heard you left early this morning. Where did you go?”
“I have something to do.”
“Does that matter to me?”
When asked directly, Perdes' expression became slightly serious.
He stroked his chin as if he was troubled, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
“Yes. It has a very deep connection with you.”
Also.
“But I can’t tell you yet. When I become more certain, I’ll tell you then.”
Then I was about to ask him what it was, but Perdes struck first.
“So, Leo, can you lend me your magic communication ring so I can contact that guy?”
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