A week had passed since the banquet.
The murderous knights who I wanted to put in the middle of the forest were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a decent lodging due to Remember's objection that we couldn't waste our budget, and I...
"They're going to build another dam? How much time and money does it take to make one? Even the territory is Hardt territory?! It's crazy. Who on earth posted this?"
"That's me."
"Ah... now that I think about it, having one more wouldn't be a bad idea. Even though it is a temporary territory, it will be difficult to neglect management, so if drought or floods can be prevented... I will approve it."
Bang.
The seal was stamped... So, as you can see, I'm currently surrounded by a mountain of documents and I'm busy getting things done.
As I had half a year's worth of documents behind me, I couldn't rest properly for a week and was just working on documents. Naturally, dark shadows appeared under my eyes!
How long has it been since I came back!
I felt like I just wanted to stamp them without reading it, but if I did that, Remember wouldn't let me go.
What's really great about our butler is that he never raised his voice or frowned, but he has a knack for putting people off. Even now, look at me, I'm still opening my mouth to see what I'm trying to say.
He was probably trying to reprimand me for being negligent in managing Hardt territory.
"It looks like you haven't heard the news yet."
"...Yes?"
"A week ago, His Majesty temporarily entrusted the management of the Hardt estate to the Count's ownership."
"What is that?!"
I barely accepted being put in temporary charge, but what did I do?
"This joke went a little too far, Remember."
"It's not a joke."
"I didn't receive an official letter or anything."
"It must be here somewhere."
"..."
I looked at the pile of documents that occupied not only the top of the desk but also the floor.
Remember calmly spoke to me with a devastated expression.
"The Hardt estate now belongs to the Count. It would be difficult to neglect management."
"...Isn't this too much for an 'honorary count' in the first place? I received not only one but two territories, but why do I have to look into the national defense area...?"
He waved a document containing a report that a group of monsters were wandering around the territory near the border.
"That's because part of the Count's territory borders the border."
"That's right! Why should a 'Honorary Count' assume the role of margrave!"
Margrave, Count, Honorary Count.
These three titles were all counts, but their treatment and privileges were different.
An 'Honorary Count' was a rank that was equal to a count and was treated equally, but was a single title. The title cannot be passed on to someone else, and upon death, the territory returned to the Empire.
What about the Count? As you know, it is possible to pass down a title. You can proudly show off your own 'family'.
A Margrave refers to a count who owns a territory bordering another kingdom.
In fact, it was a count in name only, but was treated almost equally as a Marquis. Was this a benefit given to those responsible for part of national defense?
In that sense, it was shocking that it was not a count who had become a margrave, but an honorary count who has become a Margrave.
"Ask His Majesty. It is none other than His Majesty who has given you rights and duties greater than that of an Honorary Count."
"There's no way I can argue with him..."
I collapsed on my desk with a deep sigh.
There was more than one person who protested for no reason and lost their heads, so who would argue with the Emperor?
Even though he gave me territory to manage in the imperial family.
'Yes, that territory.'
The territory that made me take on the role of Margrave was not actually located on the border. It's actually closer to the center.
In other words, it was originally a fiefdom that had to be managed by the imperial family. The Emperor gave the territory to me, who knew nothing.
Damn it.
I'm satisfied with being an Honorary Count, so I'm anxious about getting something more.
"...Rather than that, we need to find a way to return Hardt Territory."
I could easily pass over other fiefdoms, even the fiefdom that made me play the role of Margrave, but I hate the Hardt fiefdom.
I don't have very good memories of this territory since it was the territory of the 'former' Count Hardt family.
To be precise, we can say that their betrayal transformed the good memories into the worst past.
It was annoying to have to temporarily taken care of it, but who was going to hand over ownership at will?
I could never get over this.
"There is no way I will accept this obediently..."
The temporary entrustment itself was something the Emperor forced upon me.
Should I meet him in person and ask him to take it back?
It may be painful, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask for a deal, saying that I will grant whatever the Emperor wants as long as it is practicable, just once.
It's fortunate that the Emperor isn't so crazy that he accepts interesting deals.
"I have to go see His Majesty soon..."
Knock, knock.
I couldn't even finish my sentence.
Because there was news beyond the door that could not be taken lightly.
"Count, General Nemeseus has come to visit."
I jumped up from my seat. I could tell without even seeing myself that my eyes were wide open.
'General? Why? Aren't you supposed to be by the Emperor's side? Why did you come directly? Has something big happened?'
Surely you didn't come to catch me?
The door suddenly opened. I made eye contact with the servant standing in front of me.
It was only after seeing the attendant shaking and lowering his head in shock, as if he had been burned, that I was able to recall a fact I had forgotten for a while.
'Right. It was an unpleasant sight too see my eyes here.'
Mixed emotions came flooding back.
Although I was slowly adapting to the human world again, my mind still seemed to be in the demon realm. How could I forget, even for a moment, a fact that was like common sense?
I let my guard down. Even though I know that other people, except those who have a close relationship with me, such as the royal family and the knights and Remember, find it uncomfortable to look into my eyes.
"...What brings him here?"
My question was voiced by a quick-witted butler.
"This old man thinks it might be related to the Revolutionary Army you caught this time."
"I didn't receive an official letter or anything."
"It must be here somewhere."
"..."
It feels like déjà vu. Isn't that what you just said?
I looked around at the documents in the room once again and then walked away with a deep sigh.
Anyway, I can't keep the general waiting.
Nemeseus was my immediate superior when I became the leader of the vanguard during the Eight Year War.
I don't know why, but I clearly remember that he was secretly trying to distance himself from me. The fact that such a person came like this must mean that it was a situation that had no choice but to come.
Continuing my pointless speculation that it was probably due to the Emperor's orders or something like that, I opened the door to the living room and froze when I made eye contact with the people inside.
"It's been a while, Count."
"...Deon Hardt greets the future of the Empire."
***
"Honorary Count Hardt captured the Revolutionary Army soldiers that attacked the mansion?"
"!"
"They said he caught the bomb with his bare hands."
The crown prince, who was drinking tea across from the princess in the garden, put down the newspaper he was holding. The princess, who was tipping the teacup in front of her, flinched and trembled.
She calmly passed the liquid in her mouth and set down the glass. At the same time, her head bowed.
"Honorary Count Hardt..."
"Why are you sulking again?"
As if he could see dark clouds above her head, the crown prince quickly uncrossed his legs and a look of confusion appeared on his face.
The princess had been depressed for several days after the banquet.
"He doesn't want to see me anymore, does he?"
"It wasn't much different from before, but something new happened."
"But you vomited blood!"
The princess raised her voice and buried her face in her hands. The prince, with his eyes wide open, seemed unable to say anything.
She had to admit it. Even when she was quiet, people around her were attracted to her. Due to her status and appearance, she was clumsy because she had never tried to seduce someone.
Even if there were other more advanced methods in the first place, she wouldn't have been able to use them... but she didn't intend to cause such a big accident.
"I'm ruined... all my efforts...!"
"I don't think it was a very effective tactic to begin with..."
"After all, I have to apologize, right?"
"Directly?"
"Yes!"
"No."
The crown prince's expression hardened.
In most cases, you will be allowed to do what you want without blocking it, but this time was not the case.
"Whether you visit his mansion or he comes to the imperial palace at your summons, if you meet him in person, there will definitely be a scandal."
"Then it's good for me. If you make the scandal a fait accompli[1] and get married as is..."
"Alethea."
There was a short silence.
He glanced at his younger sister and sighed.
"You don't love him."
"..."
"And an apology will also stain your performance."
Because the 'Princess' was not smart enough to apologize for something like that.
Only then did a stir appear in the princess's eyes.
To put it in a good way, she was pure, and in a bad way, she was a stupid princess. That's the public opinion about Alethea.
"If you want to quit, you're welcome to."
"...That's okay."
The stigma that the princess incurred for the Emperor and crown prince was just as she intended it to be.
From the crown prince's point of view, it was a sorry evaluation that proves his sister's sacrifice.
"Even if we stick together, it's not enough, so we can't split sides again over the issue of succession to the throne."
"Yeah... I'm sick of the succession fight."
"And if it's a question of Honorary Count Hardt, don't worry. Even if I don't love him, I like him."
It's not hard to guess what that little head was thinking about. The crown prince stroked the princess's head.
"I tell you this many times, but if you want to quit, you can quit at any time. No one has ever forced anything on you."
The princess, who was quietly looking at him, smiled brightly.
"I know. So, brother, please go and find out what Honorary Count Hardt thinks of me."
"...What?"
"Come on. I can't go, right?"
"No, there's something strange about this conclusion..."
She pushed her brother's back and burst into bright laughter.
The princess had a good sense.
Her senses indicated that Deon Hardt was the Empire's most uneasy hero. If she could tie him perfectly to the imperial family through marriage, that would be enough.
"If you really want to lure Honorary Count Hardt, you will have to change your method first."
"I'm sorry that the foolish princess only knows this way!"
"..."
It didn't matter whether Deon Hardt came over or not.
What was important was that the 'princess' expressed interest in him and everyone knew of it.Of course, they would appreciate it if he would come over, but even if he didn't, he was still tied to the imperial family in the public eye and would be pressured to accept if he was sent a marriage proposal.
'Of course, it's just a guess, so I've put the marriage proposal on hold for now.'
"Okay, I'll go. I was planning to meet Honorary Count Hardt anyway, so I'll do my best to find out."
"As expected of you, brother!"
"But don't expect me to just check to see if he's offended by your rudeness."
***
I barely managed to come to my senses and lowered my head. A stiff, awkward voice came out as if representing my feelings.
The crown prince smiled gently and nodded as if he understood my feelings.
The crown prince, not the general!
'Why was there no message...!'
No one even announced it.
With sharp eyes, I glared at the servant who only announced the 'visit of Nemeseus.' The moment the bastard's face turned white, the crown prince gently called to me.
"Don't criticize the servants. I told them not to say it."
"...Your Highness."
I was in front of the crown prince. I immediately straightened my posture.
After I had some time to spare, General Nemeseus came into view. I was so distracted at the banquet hall that I just glanced at him and passed on.
Skin tanned by the sun from fighting the battlefield. A scar across the face.
My former superior looked the same as he did during the war, but his expression was stern, as if he didn't like something.
Judging by his gaze, he seemed to be dissatisfied with the fact that the crown prince followed him.
In other words, the crown prince followed him as he pleased...
Why?
"Your Majesty wants the handover of the Revolutionary Army soldiers you captured. Well, that's what he said to me, so it has nothing to do with me... but I'm personally interested in something."
"What are you talking about..."
"I heard you caught the flying bomb with your bare hands?"
"..."
I almost made a rotten expression for a moment. I'm glad I realized that the other person was the crown prince, but I almost got dragged in for my disrespectful attitude.
By the way, where did you hear that news?
The moment I thought of Sir Lien, who seemed particularly impressed at the time, the crown prince let out a soft laugh.
"There is no need to worry about where the news leaked out. Didn't many people witness it that day? You can't stop everyone's mouths, and even if you did, someone who happened to pass by could have spread the word."
In addition, he kindly told me that there were already a lot of rumors in the capital... It made me feel sick to my stomach.
There was no benefit to having your skills inflated in this way other than increasing the Emperor's expectations.
For your information, I am not at all happy with the Emperor's expectations. Because I will be dragged into dangerous jobs more often. Additionally, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
My lifespan is getting shorter like this...
"It's a joke."
"Yes?"
"That's why I came here. It's great that you caught the bomb, but it has nothing to do with me. There is no reason for me to come here for that."
"Ah, then..."
"I came to apologize on behalf of the princess for her rudeness during the banquet."
"Ah..."
Are you referring to the when she swooped in from behind?
It wasn't just once or twice, but I'm used to it now and it's okay.
Moreover, it wasn't a sincere intention to attack, but was simply a sign of goodwill, so I cannot say anything about it.
Even though I knew that….
"The position of future Emperor is so heavy that she can't even apologize casually. If she went to you privately, it would attract the attention of others, so I came to you under the pretext of doing something public like this."
"..."
"I gave the princess a hard scolding, so this won't happen for a while."
...For a while?
It's not that I didn't understand the princess's personality, but aren't you being too honest? Still, he's the crown prince.
The crown prince looked away for a moment, as if the words 'for a while' he had uttered pricked his conscience, and then he made eye contact again and opened his mouth.
"Would you accept my apology, Count?"
"...Of course. There was no need to apologize in the first place."
"That would have been the case under normal circumstances. But didn't you vomit blood?"
"..."
That wasn't blood.
While I was unable to speak and was just rolling my eyes, the crown prince stood up and spoke softly. Unlike the shocking content, it was a casual tone of voice.
"I'm glad you're not offended. Actually, I wanted to become friends with you, whom His Majesty trusts."
"...Yes?"
"Even though we have built up an acquaintanceship over time, it could end over something small."
"..."
"So when Alethea was rude and you vomited blood, all I could think was that it was ruined."
Damn...
What was I listening to...?
"That's why I came here in person to apologize and build friendships, but do you feel uncomfortable with me like this?"
"Oh, no."
"Does that mean you are okay with my efforts to become friends with you?"
"That's right."
"Thank goodness. Then, can you stop by to see me whenever you come to the palace from now on?"
"...Yes?"
I felt like I was caught in something I couldn't escape from.
As I blinked my eyes while thinking back on the situation and wondering why those words came out, the crown prince added on more with a warm smile on his face, as if to let me know that my feelings were correct.
"I don't think you need to come and see me. You can stop by while you're at the imperial palace. Let's have tea together, fight swords, and talk."
[1] A French expression meaning that something is already decided and irreversible.