“The Marquisate of Sinadenos... Where was it?”
Leo III frowned. His memory was no longer what it once was.
In fact, this was not to the extent an occasion to blame Leo III.
When the King ordered Sir Delpiano to find a wife, the person he was looking for was, after all, the 'Princess of the kingdom.'
At first glance, the Young Lady Marquis of the Marquis Territory did not fit the criteria at all.
It was no wonder that Leo III had difficulty understanding why his aide was suddenly talking about the harsh marquisates.
Sir Delpiano, who was already afraid that he would be criticized for that exact reason, carefully recalled the King's memories.
“That... That is, the order to try to arrange marriages with Princesses who have the right to the throne.”
Sir Delpiano was wronged. This was not even within the scope of Sir Delpianosa's duties.
Strictly speaking, it was a matter for Count Marquez to handle.
However, Leo III, who had some pressing demands while looking for a wife for his son, chose the Count of Delpianosa, who was less professional but had a soft spot for words, rather than the Count of Marquez, who was capable but likely to say unpleasant things to him.
“Ah. That’s right. But the Marquisate?”
“The Marquis of Sinadenos is the ruler of the Marquisate of Manchique...”
"Ah!"
Only then did the old King remember.
“That, that, that’s right. There was such a place. It wasn’t a marquisate that was the problem, but rather a right of succession to the throne in another land.”
“That’s right! You are wise, Your Majesty.”
Sir Delpiano saw Leo III's pleased expression and gave him a round of applause.
Here, the King must be as satisfied as possible, and his own mistake, not a mistake, of not being able to bring the Princess of the kingdom but bringing the young lady of the Marquis of the next country, is buried.
“Even without that, the claims made by Marquis Sinadenos are so complicated that no one can understand them after hearing them once.”
Sir Delpiano did his best to report to the King with an expression of admiration, as if Leo III's inability to remember details too nitty gritty to be called details was not a result of his memory failing, but rather something that could happen to anyone.
“First of all, there is the Manchique vassal state that is passed down through the patriarchal line...”
The Marquisate of Manchique, ruled by the Marquis Sinadenos, was a fiefdom located in the Latgalin region, on the road from White Sea to Yesak.
The Marquis Sinadenos traces his lineage back very far to the Principate of the Eastern Latin Empire, and was thus a collateral descendant, making intermarriage with the monarchic family possible.
However, the country they now ruled was of no particular value.
“It’s a barren land. It’s difficult to cultivate. But... It’s on the way to Yesak, so they say they’ve become rich overnight during this holy war.”
However, Sir Delpiano said that this wealth would not last long.
“It is said that because of the temple, both armies received much-needed supplies from the rear states.”
“Both sides?”
“Yes. They supplied it to pagans as long as the price was right.”
Leo III clicked his tongue.
“Those who have no faith!”
Lack of religious faith was a common tactic for criticizing others in the Central Continent in 1127.
The King of the Etruscan kingdom was not particularly faithful either, but he did not care and badmouthed his potential in-laws.
Sir Delpiano was not as anaesthetized as his master, but he had no choice. He agreed wholeheartedly.
“If you live with pagans, won’t you become like them?”
“I don’t like it, I don’t like it.”
“But listen, Your Majesty. That’s not the point. The Crusade is over now, and there are no regular trade routes there, so the special is over. It was a one-time iron merchant, that’s all.”
Sir Delpiano took a deep breath and spoke triumphantly. This was the key part.
“However, the Marquis Sinadenos, or more precisely, his famous daughter Princess Julia Helena, has the right of succession to the Kingdom of Dodesa.”
Leo III suddenly clapped his hands, not because he suddenly liked his prospective in-laws, but because he felt proud of himself.
“Yes, yes, yes. I remember, I remember. The Dodesa Palace Massacre!”
As soon as the Holy War ended and the main forces of the Central Continent withdrew from the Kingdom of Yesak, the Hejaz Peninsula fell into chaos.
Local pagans, aided by the Moorish Empire, sporadically attacked the Christian states.
It was natural for the pagans who were driven out of Yesak to try to establish themselves somewhere new.
However, just because it was an inevitable result of power dynamics does not mean that the resulting suffering is natural.
Sir Delpiano trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.
“Yes... that incident.”
The Dodesa Kingdom was attacked by pagans, the palace fell, and the King, who resisted to the end, the Queen, who tried to escape the castle, the young Crown Prince, and the remaining young Princes and Princesses were all slaughtered by the pagans.
“...I heard that they didn’t even take prisoners.”
Lord Delpiano frowned as he imagined the disaster. But Leo III answered cheerfully.
“It must have been a very good thing for our bride, the young Lady of the Marquis Julia Helena.”
Sir Delpiano barely managed to control his expression. The fall of the Dodesa Palace was a tragedy that shook the entire Central Continent.
The King's younger brother, who had been running away with the Queen and the King's children, was also murdered, and the kingdom lost all of its heirs from the first to the eighth in line to the throne at once.
It was a major incident in which women and children were massacred without distinction.
With the death of the King, who also served as commander-in-chief, most of the country, including the capital, fell under the control of pagans.
The ruling class of the Central Continent was shocked by this terrible incident. They believed that if they could not stop the rise of the pagans, this could happen to them one day.
However, Leo III seemed to have lost even the ability to empathize with foreign royals who were in similar situations to his.
“Well, what about her in-laws? Since she was killed, it seems like she’s not a direct Princess.”
“Princess Julia Helena is the daughter of the Princess of the Kingdom of Dodesa. Her mother, the Princess, was the daughter of the former King, the older sister of the deceased King, and was 10th in line for the throne...”
Delpiano was also confusing. He stopped counting for a moment, folding his fingers, and stopped reporting.
“Oh, I guess that’s not necessary. Princess Julia Helena’s mother, the Princess of the Dodesa Kingdom, passed away from illness last year. There is no one left. Now, the young lady of the Marquis Julia Helena, or rather the Princess, is the first in line to the throne of the Dodesa Kingdom.”
Leo III's heart swelled with excitement. The Kingdom of Dodesa! It was not a large country, nor was it a country with borders like the Kingdom of Gallico.
So, it wasn't the kind of prey that would instantly make you the strongest in the Central Continent if you ate it.
However, the romance of all Kings is to expand their borders. He also wanted to be remembered in history books as 'the great King who made the Etruscan kingdom great.'
The Dodesa kingdom was across the sea, its palace and territory were overrun with pagans, and to truly conquer it, one would have to lead an army by ship and win, but Leo III was already delighted at the thought of seeing the Etruscan flag planted and waving in that land.
The Sir Delpiano fueled Leo III's delightful imagination.
“The Marquis says they are willing to send their famous daughter, Princess Julia Helena, to the Etruscan kingdom.”
“Hahaha, good, good! Very good!”
The old King clapped his hands repeatedly as if he had turned back into a child. A hint of anticipation was seen in his reddish eyes.
Sir Delpiano sighed inwardly. It has come. He added cautiously, watching Leo III's expression.
“...But there is a condition.”
“What? I’ll listen to anything, I’ll create a kingdom!”
“That is... I will not send you as Queen, but only as Prince’s consort.”
“Ugh.”
Leo III groaned. That was good.
“You damn rats. Why are you so greedy for a mere Marquis...”
The King, full of wild imaginations, actually wanted to resolve his own single status before his son's this time.
He ordered Lord Delpd3 iano to offer Prince Alfonso, the heir to the throne, as a husband to the great powers, and himself, a returned bachelor, to the lesser nations.
Sir Delpiano, who had not been able to bring the best result the King had hoped for, hurriedly made an excuse.
“Marquis Sinadenos has suddenly become a millionaire and is arrogant. He doesn’t know his place. However, there is indeed a shortage of suitable brides in the Central Continent at the moment...”
From the point of view of the Marquis of Manchique, it was naturally Prince Alfonso rather than Leo III.
They only have claims that cannot be taken without an army, and in the Etruscan kingdom, the man who commands that army is Prince Alfonso, not Leo III. It was not just a question of age.
But Leo III took this as a personal attack. Sir Delpiano asked, watching the trembling King.
“...Shall we proceed?”
Leo III asked, unable to hide his displeasure.
“Any other suggestions?”
“...This is, they only give us marriage partners who are not of any help to us.”
A Princess is a Princess, but because of the illegitimate child controversy, she can never be asked to give up the country as her succession right; a Grand Duchess who is the legitimate daughter of the King and of marriageable age, but who has seven sons by her brother, the clear successor to the small grand duchy, and so it seems unlikely that she will be able to succeed to the grand duchy unless lightning strikes the palace; a cousin of the King who is part of the royal family of a powerful nation but has about thirty-two people in line ahead of her in terms of access to the throne and is unmarried despite missing the right to marry due to rumors of her ugly appearance; these are the only marriage proposals that remained.
“Don’t you know, it’s extremely rare for a woman to bring an entire country with her.”
“Ugh...”
“The reason Princess Julia Helena is still in the market at the age of sixteen is that the Dodesian Palace Massacre occurred not long ago, and the pagans must be defeated to take over the Dodesian Kingdom. These are the two reasons. If not, this young lady would have been engaged at the age of three.”
“Tteing...”
Leo III groaned in discontent, but there was nothing he could do.
“Let’s proceed.”
“Excuse me, Your Majesty the King...”
Sir Delpiano asked cautiously once more.
“The Marquis of Sinadenos... They asked me to write it down in the contract...”
Leo III asked roughly.
"What?!"
“The marriage partner is... a prince...”
Leo III was really upset.
“Oh, write it down. Write it down! Do whatever you want, really.”
He started muttering, "Is it my fault that I'm old? I'm a legal widow. Why are you nitpicking so much about a Marquis?"
Delpiano quickly shook his head. If this muttering continues, Leo III will inevitably say, “Ah, enough!” and turn the table over.
He had to run away quickly before the capricious King changed his mind.
“Then I will respectfully obey your order!”
Sir Delpiano quickly retreated from the King's office with his steps as fast as possible and called his staff.
“Quick, bring me that contract. I need to stamp it with my seal and send it out before I change my mind.”
“Oh, over there, that...”
The staff raised some valid points.
“That... Marquis Sinadenos asked that the fiancé be described as ‘Prince Alfonso.’ If we’re going to write that on a royal document... Shouldn’t the Prince’s own seal be stamped on it as well?”
Sir Delpiano frowned. It seemed impossible for him to keep up with Leo III’s whims, even after receiving permission from the Prince’s palace.
“Then how about this? ‘The marriage partner must be young.’”
“...If you write like that, can any young person do it?”
“Hey, whose side are you on?”
Even the patient Delpiano eventually became irritated. There was no time.
“If we’re giving this much to a mere vassal state, then we’re giving too much! Why are you trying to nitpick every word of the contract? Just write it roughly!”
There was absolutely no time to get Prince Alfonso's seal now, so his name had to be removed from the documents.
Leo III frowned. His memory was no longer what it once was.
In fact, this was not to the extent an occasion to blame Leo III.
When the King ordered Sir Delpiano to find a wife, the person he was looking for was, after all, the 'Princess of the kingdom.'
At first glance, the Young Lady Marquis of the Marquis Territory did not fit the criteria at all.
It was no wonder that Leo III had difficulty understanding why his aide was suddenly talking about the harsh marquisates.
Sir Delpiano, who was already afraid that he would be criticized for that exact reason, carefully recalled the King's memories.
“That... That is, the order to try to arrange marriages with Princesses who have the right to the throne.”
Sir Delpiano was wronged. This was not even within the scope of Sir Delpianosa's duties.
Strictly speaking, it was a matter for Count Marquez to handle.
However, Leo III, who had some pressing demands while looking for a wife for his son, chose the Count of Delpianosa, who was less professional but had a soft spot for words, rather than the Count of Marquez, who was capable but likely to say unpleasant things to him.
“Ah. That’s right. But the Marquisate?”
“The Marquis of Sinadenos is the ruler of the Marquisate of Manchique...”
"Ah!"
Only then did the old King remember.
“That, that, that’s right. There was such a place. It wasn’t a marquisate that was the problem, but rather a right of succession to the throne in another land.”
“That’s right! You are wise, Your Majesty.”
Sir Delpiano saw Leo III's pleased expression and gave him a round of applause.
Here, the King must be as satisfied as possible, and his own mistake, not a mistake, of not being able to bring the Princess of the kingdom but bringing the young lady of the Marquis of the next country, is buried.
“Even without that, the claims made by Marquis Sinadenos are so complicated that no one can understand them after hearing them once.”
Sir Delpiano did his best to report to the King with an expression of admiration, as if Leo III's inability to remember details too nitty gritty to be called details was not a result of his memory failing, but rather something that could happen to anyone.
“First of all, there is the Manchique vassal state that is passed down through the patriarchal line...”
The Marquisate of Manchique, ruled by the Marquis Sinadenos, was a fiefdom located in the Latgalin region, on the road from White Sea to Yesak.
The Marquis Sinadenos traces his lineage back very far to the Principate of the Eastern Latin Empire, and was thus a collateral descendant, making intermarriage with the monarchic family possible.
However, the country they now ruled was of no particular value.
“It’s a barren land. It’s difficult to cultivate. But... It’s on the way to Yesak, so they say they’ve become rich overnight during this holy war.”
However, Sir Delpiano said that this wealth would not last long.
“It is said that because of the temple, both armies received much-needed supplies from the rear states.”
“Both sides?”
“Yes. They supplied it to pagans as long as the price was right.”
Leo III clicked his tongue.
“Those who have no faith!”
Lack of religious faith was a common tactic for criticizing others in the Central Continent in 1127.
The King of the Etruscan kingdom was not particularly faithful either, but he did not care and badmouthed his potential in-laws.
Sir Delpiano was not as anaesthetized as his master, but he had no choice. He agreed wholeheartedly.
“If you live with pagans, won’t you become like them?”
“I don’t like it, I don’t like it.”
“But listen, Your Majesty. That’s not the point. The Crusade is over now, and there are no regular trade routes there, so the special is over. It was a one-time iron merchant, that’s all.”
Sir Delpiano took a deep breath and spoke triumphantly. This was the key part.
“However, the Marquis Sinadenos, or more precisely, his famous daughter Princess Julia Helena, has the right of succession to the Kingdom of Dodesa.”
Leo III suddenly clapped his hands, not because he suddenly liked his prospective in-laws, but because he felt proud of himself.
“Yes, yes, yes. I remember, I remember. The Dodesa Palace Massacre!”
As soon as the Holy War ended and the main forces of the Central Continent withdrew from the Kingdom of Yesak, the Hejaz Peninsula fell into chaos.
Local pagans, aided by the Moorish Empire, sporadically attacked the Christian states.
It was natural for the pagans who were driven out of Yesak to try to establish themselves somewhere new.
However, just because it was an inevitable result of power dynamics does not mean that the resulting suffering is natural.
Sir Delpiano trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.
“Yes... that incident.”
The Dodesa Kingdom was attacked by pagans, the palace fell, and the King, who resisted to the end, the Queen, who tried to escape the castle, the young Crown Prince, and the remaining young Princes and Princesses were all slaughtered by the pagans.
“...I heard that they didn’t even take prisoners.”
Lord Delpiano frowned as he imagined the disaster. But Leo III answered cheerfully.
“It must have been a very good thing for our bride, the young Lady of the Marquis Julia Helena.”
Sir Delpiano barely managed to control his expression. The fall of the Dodesa Palace was a tragedy that shook the entire Central Continent.
The King's younger brother, who had been running away with the Queen and the King's children, was also murdered, and the kingdom lost all of its heirs from the first to the eighth in line to the throne at once.
It was a major incident in which women and children were massacred without distinction.
With the death of the King, who also served as commander-in-chief, most of the country, including the capital, fell under the control of pagans.
The ruling class of the Central Continent was shocked by this terrible incident. They believed that if they could not stop the rise of the pagans, this could happen to them one day.
However, Leo III seemed to have lost even the ability to empathize with foreign royals who were in similar situations to his.
“Well, what about her in-laws? Since she was killed, it seems like she’s not a direct Princess.”
“Princess Julia Helena is the daughter of the Princess of the Kingdom of Dodesa. Her mother, the Princess, was the daughter of the former King, the older sister of the deceased King, and was 10th in line for the throne...”
Delpiano was also confusing. He stopped counting for a moment, folding his fingers, and stopped reporting.
“Oh, I guess that’s not necessary. Princess Julia Helena’s mother, the Princess of the Dodesa Kingdom, passed away from illness last year. There is no one left. Now, the young lady of the Marquis Julia Helena, or rather the Princess, is the first in line to the throne of the Dodesa Kingdom.”
Leo III's heart swelled with excitement. The Kingdom of Dodesa! It was not a large country, nor was it a country with borders like the Kingdom of Gallico.
So, it wasn't the kind of prey that would instantly make you the strongest in the Central Continent if you ate it.
However, the romance of all Kings is to expand their borders. He also wanted to be remembered in history books as 'the great King who made the Etruscan kingdom great.'
The Dodesa kingdom was across the sea, its palace and territory were overrun with pagans, and to truly conquer it, one would have to lead an army by ship and win, but Leo III was already delighted at the thought of seeing the Etruscan flag planted and waving in that land.
The Sir Delpiano fueled Leo III's delightful imagination.
“The Marquis says they are willing to send their famous daughter, Princess Julia Helena, to the Etruscan kingdom.”
“Hahaha, good, good! Very good!”
The old King clapped his hands repeatedly as if he had turned back into a child. A hint of anticipation was seen in his reddish eyes.
Sir Delpiano sighed inwardly. It has come. He added cautiously, watching Leo III's expression.
“...But there is a condition.”
“What? I’ll listen to anything, I’ll create a kingdom!”
“That is... I will not send you as Queen, but only as Prince’s consort.”
“Ugh.”
Leo III groaned. That was good.
“You damn rats. Why are you so greedy for a mere Marquis...”
The King, full of wild imaginations, actually wanted to resolve his own single status before his son's this time.
He ordered Lord Delpd3 iano to offer Prince Alfonso, the heir to the throne, as a husband to the great powers, and himself, a returned bachelor, to the lesser nations.
Sir Delpiano, who had not been able to bring the best result the King had hoped for, hurriedly made an excuse.
“Marquis Sinadenos has suddenly become a millionaire and is arrogant. He doesn’t know his place. However, there is indeed a shortage of suitable brides in the Central Continent at the moment...”
From the point of view of the Marquis of Manchique, it was naturally Prince Alfonso rather than Leo III.
They only have claims that cannot be taken without an army, and in the Etruscan kingdom, the man who commands that army is Prince Alfonso, not Leo III. It was not just a question of age.
But Leo III took this as a personal attack. Sir Delpiano asked, watching the trembling King.
“...Shall we proceed?”
Leo III asked, unable to hide his displeasure.
“Any other suggestions?”
“...This is, they only give us marriage partners who are not of any help to us.”
A Princess is a Princess, but because of the illegitimate child controversy, she can never be asked to give up the country as her succession right; a Grand Duchess who is the legitimate daughter of the King and of marriageable age, but who has seven sons by her brother, the clear successor to the small grand duchy, and so it seems unlikely that she will be able to succeed to the grand duchy unless lightning strikes the palace; a cousin of the King who is part of the royal family of a powerful nation but has about thirty-two people in line ahead of her in terms of access to the throne and is unmarried despite missing the right to marry due to rumors of her ugly appearance; these are the only marriage proposals that remained.
“Don’t you know, it’s extremely rare for a woman to bring an entire country with her.”
“Ugh...”
“The reason Princess Julia Helena is still in the market at the age of sixteen is that the Dodesian Palace Massacre occurred not long ago, and the pagans must be defeated to take over the Dodesian Kingdom. These are the two reasons. If not, this young lady would have been engaged at the age of three.”
“Tteing...”
Leo III groaned in discontent, but there was nothing he could do.
“Let’s proceed.”
“Excuse me, Your Majesty the King...”
Sir Delpiano asked cautiously once more.
“The Marquis of Sinadenos... They asked me to write it down in the contract...”
Leo III asked roughly.
"What?!"
“The marriage partner is... a prince...”
Leo III was really upset.
“Oh, write it down. Write it down! Do whatever you want, really.”
He started muttering, "Is it my fault that I'm old? I'm a legal widow. Why are you nitpicking so much about a Marquis?"
Delpiano quickly shook his head. If this muttering continues, Leo III will inevitably say, “Ah, enough!” and turn the table over.
He had to run away quickly before the capricious King changed his mind.
“Then I will respectfully obey your order!”
Sir Delpiano quickly retreated from the King's office with his steps as fast as possible and called his staff.
“Quick, bring me that contract. I need to stamp it with my seal and send it out before I change my mind.”
“Oh, over there, that...”
The staff raised some valid points.
“That... Marquis Sinadenos asked that the fiancé be described as ‘Prince Alfonso.’ If we’re going to write that on a royal document... Shouldn’t the Prince’s own seal be stamped on it as well?”
Sir Delpiano frowned. It seemed impossible for him to keep up with Leo III’s whims, even after receiving permission from the Prince’s palace.
“Then how about this? ‘The marriage partner must be young.’”
“...If you write like that, can any young person do it?”
“Hey, whose side are you on?”
Even the patient Delpiano eventually became irritated. There was no time.
“If we’re giving this much to a mere vassal state, then we’re giving too much! Why are you trying to nitpick every word of the contract? Just write it roughly!”
There was absolutely no time to get Prince Alfonso's seal now, so his name had to be removed from the documents.
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