[...Then the Empress got angry and started asking Duke Lucien all sorts of questions about what he saw.]
I asked Perdes to contact me as soon as he found out something, but I didn't expect him to come this quickly.
It was a little surprising, but I was grateful and proud because it meant that Perdes was taking the time to do a good job.
[I heard that the Empress also knows that the Emperor and the Crown Prince are conspiring to do something strange.]
The stories he told were amazing.
[Did the Empress ever tell you about that?]
“That’s what it was.”
That's why I told Perdes to break off the engagement.
[If you had told me in advance, I wouldn't have been surprised and would have responded right away.]
“I’m sorry. It was something I didn’t need to worry about, so I forgot about it.”
No, it was a story that would upset Perdes greatly if he heard it, so I deliberately did not tell him.
I also thought that it was unnecessary to tell Perdes since the Empress would not have told him unless she was crazy.
But I didn't know the story would turn out like this.
“So, did Duke Lucien tell you everything?”
[First of all. Aldor Shanktis betrayed you and joined the Emperor's side, and he was recently seen in the Crown Prince's palace. And...]
Suddenly, the conversation that had been ringing in my head stopped.
Who came and did that?
I don't think so.
I called to him, patting the mini dragon sitting quietly on my lap.
“Lord Perdes?”
[...I think it would be better to listen to this with your mind prepared. Don’t be too surprised.]
What kind of amazing story are you trying to tell that takes so long?
“Yes. I’m mentally prepared.”
No story will surprise me more than the one I heard that Aldor may have been struck by Diabolos.
[That guy. It seems like he's been on the Emperor's side for a long time.]
I was sure I wouldn't be surprised, but I was wrong.
For a moment, I was so dazed that I forgot to breathe.
As I was staring into space like an idiot, a voice full of worry entered my head.
[Are you okay?]
Only then did I come to my senses, let out the breath I had been holding, and ask again.
“What do you mean, long time ago? Since when, when on earth did Sie Aldor join the Emperor?”
[According to what the Duke of Lucien said, it seems to have been from the time when the former Duke Leopold was alive.]
...What?
[Perhaps the Emperor had been keeping a close eye on the Leopold family since your father, and that man was one of the guards assigned to him by the Emperor.]
“That, that can’t be!”
I was so flustered that I raised my voice without realizing it.
I realized belatedly that there were people outside the room and hurriedly looked at the tightly closed door.
Fortunately, no one heard, so there was no reaction.
“Sir Aldor was my father’s most loyal knight.”
And my knight too.
“There’s no way he... could have been the Emperor’s watchman. There’s no way he could have betrayed my father, his family! There’s definitely something wrong.”
[i think so too.]
Unlike me, who was excited, Perdes was calm.
[That's why I think he had no choice but to side with the Emperor. No, to be exact, he pretended to side with him.]
“Pretending to be attached...?”
[Yes. Just like you asked me to pretend to be on the Emperor's side and act as a double spy.]
The story that flowed in with a calm voice gradually cleared my head, which had been filled with stories called confusion.
“So, you’re saying that Sir Aldor acted as a double agent?”
[Based on what I've heard so far, I think so. Of course, this is just my opinion, and I'm not sure.]
So don't trust it too much, Perdes added.
It's not as certain as he said, but it's possible.
If you think about the fact that the Emperor was quiet and not moving around as actively as in my previous life, it all makes sense because Aldor was intervening.
Of course, there were many parts that I didn't understand.
For example, he married me in the second life.
The reason why he claimed to be a double spy, etc.
There were many things I was curious about, but they were questions for which I had no answers right now.
“I would like to meet Sir Aldor.”
That way, I'll get the answer.
[It's the same for me, too.]
Perdes also seemed to have the same thoughts as me and sympathized deeply.
[Anyway, that's all the Duke of Lucien told me. I think he knows something more, but no matter how much I threaten him, he won't tell me. Sorry.]
“Why are you apologizing, Perdes? You did your best.”
[I appreciate you thinking that way.]
Now that I think about it, the content of the threat to Duke Lucien seemed a bit strange.
“When did you see the Duke of Lucien in the illegal casino?”
[I've never seen it.]
“Yes? But I’m sure he threatened me with that....”
[I just figured it out. Knowing the man’s whereabouts means he was keeping an eye on the Emperor or the Crown Prince’s movements, so I figured he might have gone to an illegal casino.]
Oh, I see.
It was something I had no idea about until Perdes pointed it out to me.
[So I was planning to nitpick and hang on to that, but the Empress unexpectedly stepped in and did it. Well, thanks to that, things went better.]
“Yes, that’s right.”
I never dreamed that I would receive help from the Empress like this.
By the way, I didn't know the Empress knew so many facts.
But the reason it isn't made public is probably because of the Crown Prince.
If the Emperor's crimes are revealed one by one, the Crown Prince, who acted like his dog, will not be able to escape punishment either.
The Empress, struggling to protect her only remaining son, felt foolish, but also a little pitiful.
[That's all I've found out. I'll contact you if I find out anything else.]
“Please.”
That's where the contact ended.
The fairy, having completed her role, fell into a deep sleep.
I put the fairy down on the chair and looked out the window.
The rapidly changing scenery outside the window was beautiful, but my mind was so cluttered that I couldn't see it at all.
As the words and actions of Sir Aldor flashed before my eyes, my complicated feelings grew more and more.
Sir Aldor.
I sincerely hope that you have not betrayed my family and me.
I closed my eyes tightly, repeating my earnest wish to myself over and over again.
After a full day and a half train ride, we arrived at our destination, Whale.
Here, I decided to join the Knights of Leopold and other knightly orders of the Northern Territory.
At the train station, a carriage sent by Count Weil was waiting, and Count Martina and I rode in it and headed to Count Weil's residence.
“The land is a mess.”
Count Martina said, looking out the window at the situation in the estate.
“It seems like there are quite a few mercenaries. There was something like that, hiring mercenaries. Count Whale seems a bit reckless.”
“There’s no choice. We need mercenaries to protect our territory in a crisis situation where the Allied Forces could invade at any time.”
“In that case, it would have been safer to ask for support from other territories.”
“Other territories are also in a precarious situation, so there’s no way they’d send reinforcements.”
“That’s true.”
Still, it is a pity, Count Martina muttered to himself.
Anyway, Count Martina is a soft-hearted person.
It was surprising that they accepted my proposal to overthrow the empire.
“How far have the Northern Knights arrived?”
I asked to change the subject and get a sense of the situation.
“We’re about halfway there. If there are no surprises, the other knights will all arrive by tomorrow morning.”
“Then we can rest for a day or so and leave the day after tomorrow. Divide the squads as I told you before...”
As we reviewed our plans for the future and discussed other opinions, we soon arrived at Count Whale's residence.
“A warm welcome to the Earldom of Whale, Your Excellency.”
Count and Lady Whale came out to the main gate to greet us.
“I should have picked you up at the train station, but I’m sorry I couldn’t do that because there were so many other guests.”
“It’s okay.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then this way.”
As I followed the count and his wife into the mansion, the northern nobles who had arrived earlier approached me one after another to greet me.
“You have come, Your Excellency.”
“I participated in the recapture battle this time...”
I'm a little crazy.
I was also tired from the long train ride.
“Your Excellency the Duke.”
I was about to respond appropriately and go to rest when someone called me.
Haa, who is it this time?
I sighed deeply inside, but pretended as if nothing had happened and turned around.
Then, a young man wearing a silver monocle appeared.
I feel like I've seen this somewhere...!
I belatedly remembered who the young man was and looked at him with a start.
Then, the young man's eyes brightened prettily.
He smiled, his lips gently curling upward, and kissed the back of my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke. My name is Frankie Lloyd, and I run Lloyd’s Top.”
I asked Perdes to contact me as soon as he found out something, but I didn't expect him to come this quickly.
It was a little surprising, but I was grateful and proud because it meant that Perdes was taking the time to do a good job.
[I heard that the Empress also knows that the Emperor and the Crown Prince are conspiring to do something strange.]
The stories he told were amazing.
[Did the Empress ever tell you about that?]
“That’s what it was.”
That's why I told Perdes to break off the engagement.
[If you had told me in advance, I wouldn't have been surprised and would have responded right away.]
“I’m sorry. It was something I didn’t need to worry about, so I forgot about it.”
No, it was a story that would upset Perdes greatly if he heard it, so I deliberately did not tell him.
I also thought that it was unnecessary to tell Perdes since the Empress would not have told him unless she was crazy.
But I didn't know the story would turn out like this.
“So, did Duke Lucien tell you everything?”
[First of all. Aldor Shanktis betrayed you and joined the Emperor's side, and he was recently seen in the Crown Prince's palace. And...]
Suddenly, the conversation that had been ringing in my head stopped.
Who came and did that?
I don't think so.
I called to him, patting the mini dragon sitting quietly on my lap.
“Lord Perdes?”
[...I think it would be better to listen to this with your mind prepared. Don’t be too surprised.]
What kind of amazing story are you trying to tell that takes so long?
“Yes. I’m mentally prepared.”
No story will surprise me more than the one I heard that Aldor may have been struck by Diabolos.
[That guy. It seems like he's been on the Emperor's side for a long time.]
I was sure I wouldn't be surprised, but I was wrong.
For a moment, I was so dazed that I forgot to breathe.
As I was staring into space like an idiot, a voice full of worry entered my head.
[Are you okay?]
Only then did I come to my senses, let out the breath I had been holding, and ask again.
“What do you mean, long time ago? Since when, when on earth did Sie Aldor join the Emperor?”
[According to what the Duke of Lucien said, it seems to have been from the time when the former Duke Leopold was alive.]
...What?
[Perhaps the Emperor had been keeping a close eye on the Leopold family since your father, and that man was one of the guards assigned to him by the Emperor.]
“That, that can’t be!”
I was so flustered that I raised my voice without realizing it.
I realized belatedly that there were people outside the room and hurriedly looked at the tightly closed door.
Fortunately, no one heard, so there was no reaction.
“Sir Aldor was my father’s most loyal knight.”
And my knight too.
“There’s no way he... could have been the Emperor’s watchman. There’s no way he could have betrayed my father, his family! There’s definitely something wrong.”
[i think so too.]
Unlike me, who was excited, Perdes was calm.
[That's why I think he had no choice but to side with the Emperor. No, to be exact, he pretended to side with him.]
“Pretending to be attached...?”
[Yes. Just like you asked me to pretend to be on the Emperor's side and act as a double spy.]
The story that flowed in with a calm voice gradually cleared my head, which had been filled with stories called confusion.
“So, you’re saying that Sir Aldor acted as a double agent?”
[Based on what I've heard so far, I think so. Of course, this is just my opinion, and I'm not sure.]
So don't trust it too much, Perdes added.
It's not as certain as he said, but it's possible.
If you think about the fact that the Emperor was quiet and not moving around as actively as in my previous life, it all makes sense because Aldor was intervening.
Of course, there were many parts that I didn't understand.
For example, he married me in the second life.
The reason why he claimed to be a double spy, etc.
There were many things I was curious about, but they were questions for which I had no answers right now.
“I would like to meet Sir Aldor.”
That way, I'll get the answer.
[It's the same for me, too.]
Perdes also seemed to have the same thoughts as me and sympathized deeply.
[Anyway, that's all the Duke of Lucien told me. I think he knows something more, but no matter how much I threaten him, he won't tell me. Sorry.]
“Why are you apologizing, Perdes? You did your best.”
[I appreciate you thinking that way.]
Now that I think about it, the content of the threat to Duke Lucien seemed a bit strange.
“When did you see the Duke of Lucien in the illegal casino?”
[I've never seen it.]
“Yes? But I’m sure he threatened me with that....”
[I just figured it out. Knowing the man’s whereabouts means he was keeping an eye on the Emperor or the Crown Prince’s movements, so I figured he might have gone to an illegal casino.]
Oh, I see.
It was something I had no idea about until Perdes pointed it out to me.
[So I was planning to nitpick and hang on to that, but the Empress unexpectedly stepped in and did it. Well, thanks to that, things went better.]
“Yes, that’s right.”
I never dreamed that I would receive help from the Empress like this.
By the way, I didn't know the Empress knew so many facts.
But the reason it isn't made public is probably because of the Crown Prince.
If the Emperor's crimes are revealed one by one, the Crown Prince, who acted like his dog, will not be able to escape punishment either.
The Empress, struggling to protect her only remaining son, felt foolish, but also a little pitiful.
[That's all I've found out. I'll contact you if I find out anything else.]
“Please.”
That's where the contact ended.
The fairy, having completed her role, fell into a deep sleep.
I put the fairy down on the chair and looked out the window.
The rapidly changing scenery outside the window was beautiful, but my mind was so cluttered that I couldn't see it at all.
As the words and actions of Sir Aldor flashed before my eyes, my complicated feelings grew more and more.
Sir Aldor.
I sincerely hope that you have not betrayed my family and me.
I closed my eyes tightly, repeating my earnest wish to myself over and over again.
***
After a full day and a half train ride, we arrived at our destination, Whale.
Here, I decided to join the Knights of Leopold and other knightly orders of the Northern Territory.
At the train station, a carriage sent by Count Weil was waiting, and Count Martina and I rode in it and headed to Count Weil's residence.
“The land is a mess.”
Count Martina said, looking out the window at the situation in the estate.
“It seems like there are quite a few mercenaries. There was something like that, hiring mercenaries. Count Whale seems a bit reckless.”
“There’s no choice. We need mercenaries to protect our territory in a crisis situation where the Allied Forces could invade at any time.”
“In that case, it would have been safer to ask for support from other territories.”
“Other territories are also in a precarious situation, so there’s no way they’d send reinforcements.”
“That’s true.”
Still, it is a pity, Count Martina muttered to himself.
Anyway, Count Martina is a soft-hearted person.
It was surprising that they accepted my proposal to overthrow the empire.
“How far have the Northern Knights arrived?”
I asked to change the subject and get a sense of the situation.
“We’re about halfway there. If there are no surprises, the other knights will all arrive by tomorrow morning.”
“Then we can rest for a day or so and leave the day after tomorrow. Divide the squads as I told you before...”
As we reviewed our plans for the future and discussed other opinions, we soon arrived at Count Whale's residence.
“A warm welcome to the Earldom of Whale, Your Excellency.”
Count and Lady Whale came out to the main gate to greet us.
“I should have picked you up at the train station, but I’m sorry I couldn’t do that because there were so many other guests.”
“It’s okay.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then this way.”
As I followed the count and his wife into the mansion, the northern nobles who had arrived earlier approached me one after another to greet me.
“You have come, Your Excellency.”
“I participated in the recapture battle this time...”
I'm a little crazy.
I was also tired from the long train ride.
“Your Excellency the Duke.”
I was about to respond appropriately and go to rest when someone called me.
Haa, who is it this time?
I sighed deeply inside, but pretended as if nothing had happened and turned around.
Then, a young man wearing a silver monocle appeared.
I feel like I've seen this somewhere...!
I belatedly remembered who the young man was and looked at him with a start.
Then, the young man's eyes brightened prettily.
He smiled, his lips gently curling upward, and kissed the back of my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Your Excellency the Duke. My name is Frankie Lloyd, and I run Lloyd’s Top.”
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