Chapter 24

When Cordelia and the others left the room, Leonhardt felt an immediate sense of loneliness.

There were now three people in the room:

Leonhardt, Count Guenberg, and Leonhardt’s silent servant.

"......Your Highness, I am very pleased that you have come to my home today......"

"Is something wrong? If you have something to say, don't hesitate to speak."

Leonhardt encouraged the hesitant count with a smile.

However, that smile was different from the one he gave Cordelia; it was a calm but insincere social smile.

Although the count was Cordelia’s father, Leonhardt did not have any affection for him.

"......Then, I will take the liberty. ......Why Cordelia? Why does Your Highness favor my daughter so much?"

"I already answered that, didn't I? I am drawn to her character and the way she carries herself."

"......Your Highness, Cordelia is not here now. There's no need to praise her unnecessarily."

"Are you suggesting that my feelings for Cordelia are lies or flattery?"

The count hastily shook his head at the lower tone in Leonhardt's voice.

"N-no, nothing of the sort!! I am truly grateful for Your Highness's kindness towards my daughter."

"Then why do you doubt my words?"

"......Because it's Cordelia."

The count began to speak without meeting Leonhardt's gaze.

"My daughter, Cordelia, is an ordinary girl with no particular charm."

"......You think Cordelia is ordinary?"

"Yes. I feel that she is not a suitable match for Your Highness."

"Princess Cordelia and I, a nobleman and a count's daughter. I acknowledge the difference in status, but are you saying there are other issues?"

"Other issues, you say? That's a harsh way to put it, but......"

The count's hesitant words trailed off into a small whisper.

"......If it were Priscilla, I would understand."

"What do you mean?"

"Even without the bias of a parent, Priscilla has a very lovely face and a bright, innocent, and charming personality. Compared to her, Cordelia is......ordinary in every way."

"......You think Cordelia is ordinary?"

"Yes. While she can be serious, she often makes harsh and unappealing remarks. Her appearance is average, with no sense of style, and I can't understand why Your Highness favors her......"

"......I see. That's enough."

"Your Highness?"

The warmth had drained from Leonhardt's voice.

"Finally, I understand the reality of what Cordelia has endured from her family."

"What do you mean?"

"How much Cordelia has struggled with her family."

The count flinched at Leonhardt's cold tone.

"Your Highness, what are you saying all of a sudden? Has Cordelia complained to you about our family and asked for punishment?"

"She wouldn't do such a despicable thing."

"Really? There's no need to defend her. Recently, she has been acting arrogantly and making embarrassing statements. If she has been disrespectful to you, I sincerely apologize."

"......Cordelia has been acting arrogantly?"

"Yes. Thanks to Your Highness's unexpected favor, she has become a bit arrogant and selfish. This morning, she refused Priscilla's request and made her cry. Even though she has no interest in fashion, she refused to part with a cheap dress......"

The count was spouting complaints rapidly when,

"......Selfish, you say?"

"Ah!"

Leonhardt's single word made the count shudder and fall silent.

Leonhardt's smile was still there, but his eyes were cold and unsmiling.

"To refuse to give a dress, given to her, to her sister. Is that what you call selfish?"

"B-but, Your Highness! Cordelia has always happily granted Priscilla's wishes......"

"Is that normal? Don't you see the problem with that premise?"

It's twisted, Leonhardt sighed.

"Do you really believe that Cordelia was genuinely happy to give in to her sister's wishes?"

"Well,......she did sometimes resist, but in the end, she would smile and accept it......"

"You forced her to accept it, didn't you?"

Leonhardt cut off the count's excuses sharply.

"Priscilla's constant demands are a problem, but don't you think you and your wife, who indulged her and burdened Cordelia, are also to blame?"

"Why are you suddenly interfering in our family affairs? Isn't it a parent's duty to grant their beloved daughter's wishes?"

"Cordelia is also your daughter, isn't she? Do you mean you didn't love her?"

At this, the count turned his face away, looking guilty.

The count had a history of sending young Cordelia, along with her grandmother, to a remote estate.

Leonhardt looked at the count with dry eyes, knowing he felt at least a little guilty.

"No, that's not true. Indeed, young Priscilla was often ill, and we were preoccupied with her, which made Cordelia feel neglected...... But Cordelia was very close to my mother, her grandmother. I believe she was well-educated and raised to be a proper countess."

"Perhaps she turned to her grandmother because her parents ignored her?"

"Well,......I can't deny that there was a side to it. Cordelia and her grandmother had similar serious and strong personalities, so they got along well and enjoyed each other's company."

"Serious and strong......"

Cordelia, always standing tall, serious, and responsible.

Her dignified posture was one of the reasons Leonhardt was drawn to her, but......

"Cordelia's strength is partly due to you and your wife, isn't it?"

"Us?"

"Cordelia chose to discipline herself to be strong. She must have understood, even as a child, that if she didn't, your family and your daughter would ruin the Guenberg family."

"What?! What are you saying all of a sudden?!"

Facing the indignant count, Leonhardt reached for his servant.

From the servant, he took a folder and handed a stack of documents to the count.

"What are these documents......?"

"Does anything come to mind when you see them?"

The top of the document simply stated, "Annual apple harvest trends."

Below that, a list of years over the past 20 years was listed vertically, with five-digit numbers next to each year.

"......What is this all of a sudden? Are you interested in apples, Your Highness?"

"Do you really not understand?"

"What do you mean? Please stop teasing me."

"......These documents are about your count's territory."

"Ah?"

Leonhardt looked at the stunned count with exasperation.

"The numbers clearly show a significant drop in harvest 12 years ago and 2 years ago. The poor weather 12 years ago affected the entire kingdom, but the apple disease and poor harvest 2 years ago were unique to your territory. Don't you see the pattern in the numbers? Apples are one of the main sources of income for your territory, aren't they?"

"Well, now that you mention it, that's true, but......"

"I apologize for testing you. But if I asked Cordelia, she would have answered correctly without hesitation."

After all, Leonhardt continued.

"Two years ago, Cordelia was the one who worked on the epidemic control measures, adjusted the tax rates in response to the reduced harvest, and reviewed the budget to compensate for the tax shortfall."

A quick investigation of the territory's internal affairs would have revealed this.

The local residents and officials of the territory ran around the orchards and worked out the detailed budget plans.

But the one who consolidated their appeals and took overall command was Cordelia, who was only 16 at the time.

"What were you doing while Cordelia was dealing with the poor apple harvest?"

"I, as the head of the Guenberg family......"

"As the head, you just stamped the documents Cordelia compiled, didn't you? You left all the practical work to her and indulged Priscilla in her hobbies, didn't you?"

If he had been properly involved in the governance of the territory, he wouldn't have overlooked the apple documents.

It was a dereliction of duty for the head of the Guenberg family, but the count seemed unable to deny it.

"I......"

"It's not just the apple issue. In recent years, after your mother fell ill and passed away, Cordelia has been practically running the territory alone. What do you think about that?"

"That's because Cordelia wanted to do it......"

To the count, who refused to admit his fault,

"Are you serious?"

"Ah!"

Leonhardt's amber eyes narrowed, sharp and intense.

"Count Guenberg, the title of count you hold is granted by the kingdom to govern the territory and, ultimately, to serve the country. How can you justify yourself after abandoning that duty?"

As a royal and a member of the family entrusted with the country, Leonhardt's rebuke made the count deeply ashamed.

"......I am truly sorry. I have no excuse......"

"......Pathetic. ......Because of you, Cordelia had no choice but to become strong."

Cordelia, like any other girl, must have had a time when she wanted to be pampered by her parents, enjoy love, and indulge in fashion.

However, her parents and her status as a count's daughter did not allow her to remain a child.

"Cordelia, thinking of the Guenberg family and the people, had no choice but to become strong. And fortunately or unfortunately, because she had the intelligence to make her will a reality, she ended up bearing the burden of the family's poor management and her sister's selfishness all by herself."

"Cordelia, all by herself......"

The count muttered, as if he had never considered such a thing.

Seeing this, Leonhardt thought:

--The count is not a bad person.

He is just insensitive and incredibly insensitive.

He can casually push responsibilities onto Cordelia while claiming to love her.

And because he is unaware of the burden he is placing on her, he can harshly criticize her for being ordinary and unappealing.

If the count had no affection for Cordelia at all, she would have likely abandoned her family.

However, the count believes he loves Cordelia, even if it is much less than his affection for Priscilla.

The count is probably not suited to be the head of the Guenberg family and is a self-indulgent, ordinary person.

As evidence, the count did not try to flatter Leonhardt.

Many nobles, upon learning that their daughter had caught the eye of a prince, would desperately try to establish a connection with the royal family.

Leonhardt dislikes such greedy people, but he can understand their motives.

Nobles bear the fate of their clans and the people under their rule.

That's why they desire power and try to please the royal family.

On the other hand, the count does not flatter Leonhardt because he lacks the awareness that he is responsible for many lives.

Naturally, the practical work of the Guenberg family was done by his parents and daughter Cordelia, while he indulged in his hobbies and only saw what made him comfortable.

"Count, may I ask you again? You criticized Cordelia for lacking style, but do you think Cordelia, who is well aware of the financial strain on the Guenberg family due to Priscilla's extravagance, could afford to buy her own dress?"

"......"

"Cordelia didn't even have a single decent dress of her own. You should think about that for a moment."

"......No dress at all......"

Perhaps the count had not even noticed such a thing.

Leonhardt felt a mix of disappointment and anger as he quietly told the count:

"Even if you change your attitude now, Cordelia might not be pleased...... But if you truly love her, even a little, stop relying on her strength."