Chapter 55: Schemes
“…Did he say anything?”
“No. Nothing particularly useful. From what I heard, he originally came from a lower noble family. Perhaps he isn’t involved in any of this.”
“Still, he lived in the Latitche Ducal House for more than ten years after being adopted. We can’t completely rule out the possibility that he knows something.”
“Even so, it’s unsettling how much he resembles the duke. More than the hair color or eye color, it’s that unreadable smile that gives me chills.”
“Eh? Really? I think he’s one of the better ones. He actually listens to our questions.”
“Some nobles immediately start screaming things like, ‘How dare commoners speak to me so insolently!’”
“Then they’re either unbelievably stupid or absurdly confident.”
“Ahh… yeah. There are people who completely lose their minds after being imprisoned or restrained.”
“That poison woman had an extreme tendency to lie. She kept insisting she was the future queen and a saint. Apparently she also claimed that the ducal lady was smuggling and manufacturing dangerous magical drugs, trafficking slaves, and assassinating anyone who got in her way.”
“Did any evidence come out?”
“No. Some of the confiscated goods from the slave trafficking case included water pipes prohibited in our country and scrolls containing enslavement magic. But those items were stored under heavy security in the ducal estate because of their nature.”
“Transporting confiscated goods like that requires authorization and strict precautions.”
“More importantly, I heard the rare plants, herbs, and medicinal plants inside the greenhouse suffered ridiculous losses.”
“Apparently the late duchess and the sickly young lady relied on them, so they were cultivated within the estate.”
“I’ve heard Duke Latitche’s devotion to his daughter is beyond reason.”
“He wouldn’t hesitate to spend any amount of money.”
“Honestly, that greenhouse is probably worth more than our entire lifetime earnings.”
“The duke ignores even the most important state meetings if they overlap with the princess’s birthday or some promise he made to her.”
“The way the duke works before and after the young lady’s birth month isn’t human.”
“Even His Majesty, the Chancellor, and the ministers have given up and started scheduling around it.”
“No matter how bad the duke’s mood gets, he always calms down the moment he returns home.”
“No one knows what he’s thinking, but that’s one thing everyone agrees on.”
“Umm… that young lady is currently in the royal palace, right?”
“Kidnapped—I mean, staying there.”
“Is the duke really okay with that?”
“Don’t say it.”
“The thoughts of those above us are beyond our understanding.”
“Exactly. Figure out why low-ranking soldiers like us have been assigned to interrogate a ducal heir.”
“…Sacrificial offerings?”
Silence descended.
Then, a moment later, the room exploded.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
“I don’t want to die!”
“Your Majesty! Please show us mercy!”
“The duke is definitely in a bad mood right now!”
“I heard some idiot noble brat caused trouble while he was away dealing with the Stampede!”
From a nearby room, the terrified screams of soldiers echoed through the walls.
Kishutaria sat quietly listening.
A pair of magic-sealing shackles encircled his wrists.
However, they were ordinary restraints.
For someone possessing abnormal levels of magical power like Kishutaria, they were insufficient.
Even functioning properly, they only prevented the use of advanced magic.
Basic spells remained possible.
If he truly wanted to, he could simply flood the restraints with mana and destroy them.
But he didn’t point that out.
Instead, he willingly wore them and focused entirely on gathering information.
Albertina’s royal eyes had been exposed.
Then she had been taken away.
Kishutaria immediately followed after her, only to be summoned for questioning because he had knowingly concealed someone possessing the royal eyes.
The fact that they had not immediately thrown him into prison told him everything he needed to know.
No formal crime had been established yet.
For better or worse, Grail possessed strong autocratic tendencies.
Anything that interested him was placed under his direct control.
As his son, Kishutaria could only obey those decisions.
There was a significant difference between being the mastermind and being someone following orders.
More than anything, information was what he needed.
One could not obtain a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den.
A little risk was worth it.
The soldiers questioning him viewed him as someone far above their station.
They lacked the courage to interrogate him aggressively.
Their questioning remained largely superficial.
Perhaps a pampered noble heir would have been intimidated.
Kishutaria was not.
After years of surviving Grail’s training, this was nothing.
Maintaining a polite and cooperative attitude, he skillfully avoided their questions while secretly using magic to eavesdrop and collect information.
It wasn’t exactly honorable magic.
But usefulness mattered more than elegance.
Julius had likely already gathered information from the surface level of palace affairs.
Most ordinary soldiers were decent people.
Their fear of social rank constantly showed through despite their efforts.
Compared to the giant mountain-bear known as Duke Fortuna, however, they posed no challenge at all.
A few attempted intimidation.
Whenever that happened, Kishutaria simply smiled.
The same smile his father used.
Their faces instantly turned pale and they retreated.
Kristoff occasionally requested meetings.
Kishutaria refused every one of them.
His trump card was not yet ready to be used.
So he waited.
Quietly observing.
Carefully judging the situation.
In the end, nobody managed to extract any useful information from him before the detention period expired.
“As Lady Albertina possesses the royal eyes, she should naturally be treated as royalty.”
“We have taken full responsibility for ensuring she lives comfortably.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you celebrated her honorable future as a member of the royal family, Lord Kishutaria?”
“What a strange thing to say.”
Kishutaria smiled pleasantly.
“The sister I saw was dragged away from her home by force.”
“She was crying.”
“She was terrified.”
“Even now she has been brought to the royal palace against her will and left with only a single familiar maid.”
“As her family, and as a member of House Latitche, I would like to confirm her wellbeing.”
“What a strange accusation!”
The official frowned.
“You make it sound as though we intend to harm Lady Albertina.”
“She is a princess blessed with a newly discovered royal color.”
“We are merely protecting her in the proper place.”
“Then why is it strange for me, her younger brother, to visit her?”
Kishutaria’s smile never wavered.
“Or is there perhaps some reason you cannot allow us to meet?”
The conversation flowed smoothly on the surface.
Beneath it, however, the contempt was obvious.
They saw him as an inexperienced youth.
Nothing more.
From the very beginning, Kishutaria knew they had no intention of returning Albertina.
Their repeated refusal to allow visits proved it.
Albertina was almost certainly in no condition to receive guests.
To a girl as sensitive as her, a palace filled with luxury was still nothing more than a hostile environment.
He wanted to see her.
Immediately.
Was she crying?
Had stress made her ill?
Had someone hurt her?
The Albertina in his memories always smiled like a soft flower.
Raised in a place isolated from poison and pain.
Fragile.
Sensitive.
Kind.
His precious older sister.
Her social skills as a noble lady were disastrous.
She couldn’t scheme.
She was naïve.
Hopelessly oblivious to romance.
Sometimes she seemed more like some mysterious fluffy creature than a human being.
Kishutaria loved every part of her.
Day after day he came to the palace demanding an audience.
Day after day he was rejected.
If it wasn’t Duke Latitche himself making the request, they clearly considered the matter beneath their concern.
“I should just force my way in.”
“Please don’t.”
Julius immediately objected.
“That would play directly into their hands.”
“House Latitche is already in a complicated position after concealing a daughter possessing the royal color.”
“You saw their attitude, didn’t you?”
Kishutaria scowled.
“They absolutely look down on us.”
“Because they don’t want the truth exposed.”
“The truth?”
A cold smile appeared on Julius’s handsome face.
It looked surprisingly vicious.
Kishutaria thought to himself:
He’s in a terrible mood too.
But he wisely kept that observation to himself.
Julius continued.
“Not even the palace knights can approach Lady Albertina.”
“Not even the maids.”
“They haven’t even seen her.”
“Apparently she’s surrounded by an incredibly powerful barrier.”
“Only Duke Fortuna has ever managed to force his way through it.”
“And that happened only once.”
Kishutaria nearly choked.
“How is that supposed to be reassuring?”
“She hates the situation enough to maintain a barrier at all times!”
“Forget that.”
“Albertina can’t possibly handle meals, clothing changes, and daily life by herself!”
That wasn’t an exaggeration.
High-ranking noble ladies normally had numerous attendants.
For someone of Albertina’s status, having only Anna was absurdly insufficient.
“Anna is an exception.”
Julius nodded.
“More importantly, she’s the only person capable of approaching Lady Albertina.”
“But Anna alone has created a deadlock.”
“She worships Lady Albertina.”
“She would never agree to anything harmful.”
“Money wouldn’t work.”
“Titles wouldn’t work.”
“Marriage offers wouldn’t work.”
“She would never betray her.”
“But even Anna has limits.”
“Of course.”
Julius sighed.
“No matter how much Lady Albertina hisses and bares her claws behind her barriers, there is a limit.”
“She can’t maintain a siege forever.”
Albertina had spent her entire life under the protection of the Demon King.
Every threat had been removed before it reached her.
Kishutaria knew exactly how poor her crisis-management abilities were.
And how terrible she was at recognizing danger.
Even if she somehow managed to create a perfect magical barrier, she remained an amateur.
If it vanished unexpectedly, everything would be over.
And if she could no longer maintain it—
That likely meant she herself had reached her limit.
“If only Father would come back and beat everyone up.”
“That possibility is precisely why information is being heavily restricted.”
Julius smiled.
“But even the royal family cannot completely suppress Duke Latitche’s personal network.”
“There are people watching?”
“There are.”
“In fact, everything we do around Lady Albertina is immediately reported.”
Kishutaria grimaced.
“That explains why Father gets particularly hostile after I spend too much time touching Albertina.”
“How wonderful.”
Julius smiled.
“It’s good to see you making full use of your privileges as a younger brother.”
“If you overdo it, he’ll kill you eventually.”
“The fact that’s not a joke is exactly the problem.”
“It isn’t a joke.”
Julius’s expression darkened.
“More importantly, what exactly is His Majesty thinking?”
“Provoking Duke Latitche like this is insanity.”
“Among all the royals, he was the only one who maintained a good relationship with him.”
“Who knows.”
Kishutaria shrugged.
“I thought he was one of the sensible ones.”
“Are the royal eyes really that important?”
“Important enough to overturn the line of succession.”
“There are already three direct descendants.”
“Two of them even have green eyes.”
Lucas was disgraced.
Leold remained under strict supervision.
Ironically, that only increased the number of people eager to raise Albertina as an alternative.
“The line of succession is chosen by the Elder Council.”
Julius explained.
“Their obsession with the royal eyes, barrier magic, and the royal seal is extreme.”
“Especially the eyes.”
“The standards are absurdly strict.”
“Prince Lucas’s eyes are considered too pale.”
“Prince Leold’s are considered too blue.”
“To them, neither possesses a true royal gaze.”
“How annoying.”
“Lord Kishutaria, your true feelings are showing.”
“Albertina isn’t here.”
“Neither is Anna.”
“So it’s fine.”
Kishutaria shrugged.
Even his cynical smile looked charming.
Albertina viewed him as her kind and dependable younger brother.
Julius knew better.
For years he had watched this young man navigate noble society with effortless cunning.
The only person who never realized how special she was remained Albertina herself.
“…You really do wear an enormous mask whenever you’re around Lady Albertina.”
“I’m not wearing a mask.”
Kishutaria replied immediately.
“It’s just that I have absolutely no desire to be kind to anyone except Albertina.”
“At this point your sister complex qualifies as a psychological disorder.”
“That’s rich coming from someone who earned a noble title just to chase her.”
“Even that isn’t enough.”
Julius replied without hesitation.
“No matter how much wealth I accumulate, a viscount is still a viscount.”
“To pursue a daughter of one of the Four Great Ducal Houses, I would need at least the rank of count.”
“At minimum.”
“If only I possessed the title of ‘von.’”
That title was granted only to nobles specially favored by the royal family.
The Four Great Ducal Houses stood above ordinary nobility.
Even House Domitrius, founded by a knight rewarded for saving royal lives, qualified.
Julius, however, remained a self-made lower noble.
“Then what about a princess?”
“Count or higher.”
“A noble with the title ‘von,’ a marquis, a duke, a grand duke, or royalty itself.”
Kishutaria laughed.
“I already knew that.”
“You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?”
“If I can make Lady Albertina fall in love with me, everything else becomes negotiable.”
“House Latitche controls countless titles.”
“Surely Duke Latitche could spare one.”
“Do you have no pride?”
“Relying on the girl you like?”
“You’re one to talk.”
Julius immediately fired back.
“Do you honestly think it’s easy to win over Lady Albertina?”
“She casually rejects every romantic advance.”
“And anyone who pursues her must deal with the terrifying father known as the Demon King.”
“You know exactly how difficult she is.”
“…Fair.”
Silence followed.
Because it was true.
Kishutaria had spent over ten years suffering from a first love that only deepened with time.
If he inherited the duchy and married someone else, he knew exactly what would happen.
He would compare her to Albertina.
Family.
Character.
Elegance.
Beauty.
Education.
Albertina excelled in everything.
Her poor social skills didn’t bother him.
If anything, it provided an excuse to keep her safely at home.
Every ideal woman he imagined always wore Albertina’s face.
And he would never stop loving her.
“Still.”
Julius frowned.
“What concerns me most is Lord Grail.”
“He normally finishes these campaigns quickly and rushes home to see Lady Albertina.”
“A deployment this long is unusual.”
“They say the Stampede still isn’t ending.”
“That’s only the public explanation.”
Kishutaria replied.
“I heard some idiot tried to gain glory by piggybacking on Father’s campaign and ended up causing a disaster with a magical artifact.”
“Sounds exactly like something a clueless noble heir would do.”
“Apparently that mess has become a bigger problem than the Stampede itself.”
“A human disaster.”
“To Lord Grail, humans and monsters are equally worthless unless they’re Albertina.”
Julius sighed.
“I doubt he would hesitate for a second.”
“Maybe.”
Kishutaria stared into the distance.
“But Father can handle himself.”
“My concern is Albertina.”
“Is she eating?”
“Is she sleeping?”
He buried his face in his hands.
“…I’m definitely getting scolded.”
“Maybe I should just storm the palace with magic and steal her back.”
“Please don’t.”
“That remains the final option.”
Kishutaria possessed magical power rivaling Cain Druitt.
Years of brutal training under Grail had transformed him into a true combat mage.
While Albertina spent her days happily enjoying new sweets inside her greenhouse sanctuary, Kishutaria had been thrown into dungeons and monster nests more times than he could count.
Grail’s surprise tests were infamous.
Julius had been dragged into them as well.
Sometimes with no preparation.
No equipment.
No warning.
Kishutaria looked like a refined noble heir.
His abilities, however, belonged to a veteran battlefield magician.
If he truly wanted to force his way through…
He probably could.
“Still.”
Kishutaria leaned back.
“The royal family and the Four Great Ducal Houses all started applying pressure at the same time.”
“Their interests aligned.”
Julius answered.
“The royal family wanted to repair the damage caused by Princes Lucas and Leold.”
“The other ducal houses wanted to weaken House Latitche while the Demon King was away.”
“Despite being called the Four Great Ducal Houses, House Latitche overwhelmingly dominates the others.”
“The balance is heavily skewed.”
“House Fortuna was especially persistent.”
Kishutaria clicked his tongue.
“If we’d refused any harder, they probably would’ve marched in personally.”
“Well.”
“They did exactly that.”
“Both father and son.”
He paused.
“Still…”
“Why were there so many intruders helping that idiot woman?”
“No sane person would side with a criminal while knowing House Latitche would come after them.”
“The military police found that strange as well.”
Julius nodded.
“It defies normal reasoning.”
The infiltrators had been everywhere.
Some disguised themselves as servants accompanying nobles.
Others hid inside wine barrels.
Some concealed themselves beneath false carriage floors.
Many possessed an irrational level of dedication.
“…Apparently many of them weren’t in their right minds.”
A new voice interrupted.
A handsome red-haired nobleman entered the room.
Mikaelis.
His expression was grim.
“Mikaelis.”
“What happened?”
“They behaved like drunkards suffering hallucinations.”
“There was no smell of alcohol.”
“Yet they periodically collapsed into fits, screamed, and lost control.”
“Then they began demanding sweets.”
“Sweets?”
“According to the physicians, the symptoms resemble addiction.”
“However, they still don’t know the cause.”
“The most likely explanation is contamination within those sweets.”
Nobody possessed a sample.
That was apparently why so many had cooperated with Renaria.
The situation reeked of conspiracy.
“It likely isn’t listed among the kingdom’s prohibited substances.”
Mikaelis continued.
“That would explain how it spread through certain noble gatherings.”
“Possible?”
Julius narrowed his eyes.
“It sounds nearly certain.”
“Poison?”
“A magical drug?”
“No idea.”
Mikaelis sighed.
“Renaria escaped again.”
Kishutaria’s face twisted.
Again?
“How many times are they going to let that walking environmental disaster escape?”
“It seems the sweets have spread much farther than expected.”
“Someone helped her escape in exchange for more.”
“Though they were later given poisoned sweets instead.”
“They died foaming at the mouth.”
Kishutaria looked utterly disgusted.
“Seriously.”
“Are they incompetent?”
“Shouldn’t they all just die?”
“Even Duke Fortuna finally lost his patience.”
Mikaelis replied.
“He’s personally training the soldiers and knights responsible.”
“More importantly, the scale of this addiction is becoming impossible to ignore.”
He hesitated.
“…And Duke Fortuna seems genuinely troubled by Albertina’s condition.”
“Isn’t it a little late for that?”
Julius cut him off coldly.
Albertina’s desperate screams as she was taken away still echoed in his ears.
Her voice.
Terrified.
Calling for help.
Calling his name.
It reminded him of the frightened child she used to be.
A voice he never wanted to hear again.
Mikaelis had not witnessed the scene.
Even so, he understood that Albertina had not gone willingly.
Rumors spread despite every attempt at secrecy.
Everyone knew she was devastated.
“Kishutaria.”
Mikaelis suddenly spoke.
“I’ve received a private proposal.”
“You interested?”
Kishutaria immediately narrowed his eyes.
“There’s a condition attached.”
“Of course there is.”
“No one would offer this for free.”
“Then tell me.”
Mikaelis folded his arms.
“They’ll allow you to meet Albertina once.”
“In exchange, you’ll wear stronger magic-sealing restraints.”
“They specifically asked me to persuade you.”
“Apparently she’s become completely unmanageable.”
“I’ll do it.”
The answer came instantly.
“If it lets me see her, I don’t care what the conditions are.”
Mikaelis sighed.
“An immediate answer.”
Then his expression turned serious.
“What if they also demand that you convince Albertina to accept becoming Crown Princess?”