The Duke of Joubert, a massive family that was once a pillar of the Podia Empire but has now become a mere figurehead; and contrary to the assumption that she grew up as a hothouse flower as an only daughter, Sylvia Joubert grew up withered, treated merely as a tool.
Of course, she was deeply disappointed in her father, who once treated her like an emotionless doll and now treated her worse than a vagrant, and in her mother, who sat by and did nothing while resting on her laurels as the Duchess; however, it was not easy to cut them off with a single stroke.
Although she instinctively listened to Elisha's advice and thought about looking for things that might serve as her lifeline, she had absolutely no intention of doing anything right away.
"Your Excellency, who is that woman behind you?"
"He is destined to become a distinguished member of our family, so serve him with all your heart."
That is, until a few days ago, late at night, she saw the Duke entering the mansion with a woman.
The Duke, having dropped a bolt from the blue on the Duchess, who had asked with an anxious expression, treated Sylvia, who had come to greet him, as if she did not exist, took only her, and headed to his office.
Unlike the Duchess, who made no attempt to hide her anxiety—wondering if he had brought a mistress—Sylvia calmly assessed the situation. She was certain that the woman would take her place.
Therefore, there was no longer any reason to hesitate. It was highly likely that she would be sold as the third wife of Marquis Faen, who was said to be on the best terms with the Duke among the wealthy families.
Thanks to the way she was treated, which she had considered a misfortune, Sylvia was able to easily uncover the things Duke Joubert was hiding. Having witnessed him secretly meeting with Chloe Ante and knowing the Duke's secret location, finding evidence of the poisonous herb was quick.
It could be seen as a result brought about by the Duke's arrogance, as he did not treat Sylvia as a human being from the start and therefore did not even consider the possibility that she would betray him.
In any case, Sylvia was long past the age of naively believing that someone would save her. She resolved that if she had to sacrifice this life for others anyway, she would risk her life for herself at least once.
“You’re bold.”
However, that resolve was dashed the moment she met the Emperor. She had expected that presenting evidence would show at least some interest, but Thierry stared at her with eyes as cold as a biting north wind, showing not a shred of mercy, which sent a shiver down her spine.
"You will offer your father's head if I give you the dukedom?"
Look even now. He merely twisted his mouth, yet she wondered why he looked so brutal.
He exuded a soft vibe when with Elisha, so Sylvia wondered if he had changed a bit after meeting a woman he liked, but that change was limited only to Elisha. Of course, it’s not that she didn’t expect it at all. The Thierry standing before jer right now is his true self, and it would actually be more accurate to say that his behavior with Elisha is abnormal.
Sylvia lowered her eyes like a fox hiding in a den, then slowly lifted her eyelids again, barely managing to compose her trembling breath.
Even though she kept her distance, an immense sense of intimidation was emanating from Thierry. As a result, her body tensed up involuntarily, to the point of becoming stiff, but Sylvia had nowhere left to retreat. Having come this far, she had to do something.
Sylvia opened her mouth as if squeezing out her last ounce of strength.
"... I am merely speaking for the sake of Your Majesty and this Empire. Furthermore, failing to correct the wrong path the Duke has taken would also be wrong as a member of the family."
"Hmm, then it doesn't matter if the Duke of Joubert's family collapses?"
"I would be fine if he were alone, but the Duke of Joubert is a family responsible for many affairs. Believing it would be a great pity for the family to collapse in an instant due to the misguided path of just one person, I have come here, swallowing my shame, to ask Your Majesty for your lofty wisdom and assistance."
Srnngg. Tak.
Thierry habitually pushed his sword slightly with his thumb and repeated the action of putting it back into its sheath. A chilling sound filled the office for a moment, so severe that one would have preferred suffocating silence.
"Tell me exactly what you want."
An arrogant, commanding tone fell upon Sylvia. Although it was a trivial remark, the tone strangely carried a force that made one feel as if they had to prostrate themselves before him.
Sylvia swallowed hard. For some reason, she had a hunch that if she continued to hide her true feelings and speak from a distance like she was now, Thierry would no longer give her a chance.
"...I would like to succeed to the ducal title and personally assist Your Majesty."
Unlike the desperate Sylvia, Thierry still wore a cold and heartless expression. He stared intently at Sylvia's tense face and then asked abruptly.
"Has there ever been a case where a woman received a title?"
The answer came naturally from Wagen, who was standing quietly behind.
"Although there is no specific law prohibiting it, it would be difficult to accept due to custom. I report that, as the family's retainers usually strongly object, they continue the title by adopting a male child from a close relative."
"So that means there is no problem."
Since Thierry is the kind of person who will change the law if he wants to achieve his goals, even if it blocks him, the backlash from his retainers is nothing to him.
It would be safe to say that they were just a passing ant. Sylvia, having watched how Thierry acted politically, also had no doubt that he would easily get rid of the retainers who posed a significant obstacle to her, and sure enough, he did not disappoint her expectations with his remarks.
"If the Princess had tried to test me with words without showing me evidence first, I would have pushed you out with me. It's a bit of a shame."
Sylvia repeatedly swallowed dry saliva and trembled her lower lip slightly. Tension had reached its peak, to the point where her thoughts froze for a moment, making it impossible to properly judge whether it was a positive or negative sign.
Thierry put down his sword and placed his hand on the transaction certificate and letter lying on the desk.
"If we investigate further based on this, we can definitely catch the operative."
“We’ll find out right away.”
"Spread some rumors about the Princess on your own. That she is a tragic daughter who sacrificed herself for everyone, unable to continue watching her father go astray. That should serve as an excuse when I hand over the title later."
"All right."
“And the Princess...”
Sylvia looked back and forth between Wagen and Thierry with a blank gaze, as if she could no longer believe it.
Actually, it was surprising enough that she could meet Thierry so easily, but the situation, which was gradually taking a positive turn after he listened to her story, left jer feeling dizzy.
There wasn't even a moment to be swept up in a sense of euphoria. With a bewildered look on her face, she merely nodded at Thierry's low remark, or perhaps trembled slightly, making no clear indication of the gesture.
"Did you receive an invitation from the Princess?"
"... What?"
“When did you get it?”
“Uh. I received it yesterday.”
Thierry, who had been staring intently at Sylvia as she stammered out her words, tilted his head slightly and chuckled.
"She sent it a day after me."
"So what? What's the big deal?" was the kind of reaction one might expect, but Sylvia instinctively just nodded.
"Did you send a reply to the Princess?"
"Yes. I sent it right away! I also mentioned that I would stop by briefly on my way out of the palace today."
Although she hadn't asked, Sylvia immediately added, thinking that she would be asked anyway.
“...Are you two close friends?”
Thierry gave a very displeased reaction, as if she shouldn't have said it.
Sylvia did not let her guard down and quickly displayed the intuition she had built up over time. Although people had said that Thierry's behavior toward Elisha was unusual, she thought she should be cautious, as it might just be a whim rather than something to be certain of.
However, looking at it now, Thierry seemed to be genuinely interested in Elisha. The more she listened to him, the stronger her conviction grew that perhaps that Iron-Blooded Emperor was actually giving his heart to her.
"We have only exchanged greetings. But she seems like a nice person, so I would like to get closer to her."
"...You have good taste. But I wouldn't really like you getting close to her."
"I hope the Princess stays here for a long time. Of course, I mean in good relationships. If you make friends, wouldn't you eventually grow attached to this place? And I'm not sure if I should say this, but..."
“What is it?”
"I ended up asking if she were married to His Majesty, and I am truly worried that I made a very rash remark."
"Marriage?"
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
"You're getting married...?"
Thierry muttered blankly, as if he had never once thought about it. In an instant, he stared blankly into the void without even blinking, like someone who had lost a screw somewhere.
Sylvia hesitated as he showed unexpected signs of wavering, when she had expected him to react immediately with a resounding "That's it!" She also wondered if this wasn't the romantic relationship she had imagined, so she decided she should keep her mouth shut before making a mistake.
"I just... we..."
Wagen, who had been standing quietly behind Thierry as he muttered to himself like someone increasingly lost in his own world, moved cautiously.
"Would you mind leaving for today? Ah, you mentioned you had an appointment with the Princess on your way back, didn't you?"
"Yes, yes."
"Then I will see you off. Let us consider your greeting to His Majesty as it is, and please come this way..."
Wagen's steps, as he guided us toward the door, slowed, and his face hardened. Then, he glared at the door like someone waiting for something to burst in from outside.
"Your Majesty!"
As the door opened, Oscar burst in.
"The Princess has collapsed!"
The air froze in an instant. No sooner had Oscar finished speaking than Sylvia stared blankly at Thierry as he hurried past her. The pale face of Thierry, which had caught her eye in that fleeting moment, was deeply etched in her mind.
Previous Next
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment