Chapter 115

“Your Highness?”

He looked up at Duke Fernand with a puzzled expression and asked in bewilderment.

“Are you avoiding me?”

“…Is it not a bit much to do this all of a sudden? As I said, I still have appointments to keep.”

Duke La Mer, wiping the torn corner of his mouth with his thumb, protested shamelessly even in that state, questioning how he could still show his face in the salon. A fierce gleam flashed in Duke Fernand’s eyes, just as he was about to shout harshly.

But then he realized they were still standing right in front of the entrance to Countess Bonatienne’s mansion and barely swallowed his yell. Instead, he ground his teeth savagely like a beast swallowing a cry in its throat, and spat out each word with biting contempt.

“How dare you avoid me? I should have known from the start when you failed to reply. You intended to stand me up. You never planned to keep the promise. You insolent wretch, living in luxury in exchange for toying with the fate of innocent women like a lowly pimp! You are nothing but filth in the mud who lacks even the most basic dignity of a nobleman!”

In the darkness, Duke La Mer looked up at Duke Fernand steadily. As Duke Fernand stared back, gripped by rage, he tapped impatiently on the carriage roof.Tap, tap. The coachman took the cue and urged the horses forward. Duke La Mer’s expression twisted into one of disbelief.

“What are you doing now?”

“Then shall we continue this conversation right here at someone else’s doorstep?”

“Your Highness is bold indeed. Do you not care at all for others’ eyes?”

“If you had kept proper time, I would not have had to resort to such a reckless move.”

Only after venting his anger did Duke Fernand finally calm down enough to slump into the seat opposite. The man who had taken the blow seemed to straighten up as he shifted, the soft rustle of cloth brushing across the carriage, followed by the loud clatter of horses’ hooves on the pavement. A heavy silence fell over the carriage.

“Is that trifling bond of blood truly worth risking your life over?”

Already deeply affronted by the Duke of La Mer’s recent conduct, Duke Fernand could not resist beginning with a biting remark the moment he had caught his breath. From across the carriage, he could feel the weight of the other man’s gaze. As he looked into Duke Fernand’s furious expression, Duke La Mer seemed at last to grasp the gravity of the situation. His tone, markedly more subdued than before, settled into calm as he posed a measured question.

“What is it that has made Your Highness so angry?”

“You ask that as though you truly do not know?”

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“Have you not heard it from Madame Schuabel? She finally confessed everything. The only reason we have not been able to lay a finger on that pompous Custodian of Imperial Scepter is entirely because of you! She said you have been the one adamantly blocking every attempt to bring him down!”

To Duke La Mer’s knowledge, Madame Schuabel was not the sort to let things slip so carelessly. Most likely, Duke Fernand had only heard what he wanted to hear, interpreted it in his own way, and came to this conclusion. The trouble, however, was that his misguided conclusion happened to be uncomfortably close to the truth.

This is going to be a nuisance.

Even as the great endeavour loomed near, Duke Fernand remained obsessed with indulging his whims. Duke La Mer cast a cold glance at him, seeing not a man of reason but a child throwing a tantrum. And unlike a child, whom one might simply send off with a smack, there was no easy way to pacify a grown man in such a state.

“It is true that I argued in favor of keeping Baron Amieux alive for the time being. However, if Your Highness believes that decision stemmed from some paltry bond of blood, then I must say you are gravely mistaken.”

Paltry,as if. Duke of La Mer spoke quite calmly as he recalled the ascetic face of his maternal third cousin. What he had said was no lie. There was nothing paltry about his feelings toward the Baron.

“Then what was it for, if not that?”

“You heard it from Madame Schuabel, did you not? Surely you understand. Eliminating a fallen noble is no difficult feat, but the problem is His Majesty.”

“I am tired of hearing that excuse. Am I to believe that those preparing a rebellion are incapable of disposing of one man under His Majesty’s nose? I am not asking for anything more. Just that man. That bastard! The one who harmed my fiancée and child. All I want is for him to die.”

The Duke of Fernand barked at the Duke of La Mer with overbearing force.Then why do you not do it yourself, if it is so easy?The cruel retort rose to the tip of his tongue, but Duke La Mer chose not to voice it. Instead, he studied Duke Fernand’s expression with a sharp, discerning gaze. Duke Fernand claimed not to understand Duke La Mer’s excuse, yet Duke La Mer, in truth, could not understand Duke Fernand’s behavior.

The great uprising was already set in motion, and one way or another, it would all be decided within two months. Once Duke Fernand ascended the throne in the near future, if he could, that is, then he would have the freedom to do as he pleased. So why insist on exacting revenge now? To act so recklessly in the midst of preparing a rebellion that could cost them their lives… It was a mindset so irrational, so devoid of common sense, that Duke La Mer could not even begin to comprehend it.

“To catch a rabbit, if you set fire to the underbrush, even the wolves beyond the ridge will come to know a hunter is near. Until the strike is made, it is best to let them remain complacent. There is no need to stir trouble and put them on alert, is there?”

“What are you so afraid of? Do you truly think His Majesty would so much as blink over the death of a mere male concubine? He may be shielding him now, but once the bastard is dead, that will be the end of it. His Majesty is not the sort to act rashly without clear evidence, is he? True to his nature, he will likely choose to hold his breath and watch from the shadows until he has a decisive card in hand to overturn the game. But this time, the situation will not unfold the way he would want it to. Time and luck. They are no longer on his side.”

It seemed he did not even realize the contradiction in his own words. As Duke Fernand continued to vent his delusional hopes, Duke La Mer, who had thus far only listened in silence, finally grasped what it was he truly desired. Contrary to his expectations, Duke Fernand’s hatred had already shifted its focus elsewhere.

“Is that what Your Highness truly desires? For His Majesty to suffer from the same agony as you have?”

–Damn it.So that is what he truly seeks. His real target of vengeance was never Baron Amieux. Having belatedly realized his opponent’s true intent, Duke La Mer kept his thoughts racing as he calmly posed the question.

“What I desire is justice, Duke La Mer. The guilty must pay the price for their crimes.”

“In that case, is that not all the more reason you should leave Baron Amieux untouched?”

“Ha! For what possible reason?”

“You said so yourself just moments ago. How could the pain of losing a mere concubine possibly compare to the agony of losing your loved ones? If justice is what you desire, then he must be repaid in kind.”

“In kind?”

How is that to be done?Because he had joined the cause only after the plan was already well underway, Duke Fernand, though familiar with the general outline, had little knowledge of the specifics. He echoed the words in apparent confusion, unable to grasp what was being implied. Duke La Mer, ever smooth-tongued like a serpent, continued to persuade him with calm precision.

“What does Your Highness believe is the very first condition that must be met for our plan to succeed?”

“Do I look so dim-witted that I would not know something so obvious? Of course, it is to takehishead.”

Well, it was not exactly a wrong answer. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the most critical prerequisite for the success of their rebellion was the assassination of Ebroin V. Whether or not they managed to secure his head on the spot would become a decisive turning point, one that could determine the shape of everything to follow.

As long as Ebroin V was still alive, it was impossible to undermine his unshakeable legitimacy. Considering his ability as a ruler, sparing him out of misplaced clemency would be an act of suicide more direct than walking up to the gallows and tightening the noose around one’s own neck.

No one knew better than Duke Fernand just how terrifying his maternal cousin truly was. On that point, he had no room for disagreement. If anything, it was precisely because he knew the Emperor too well that he was growing so anxious.

“No. There is something that must be dealt with first. The assassination of the imperial children.”

“W–What did you say?”

“Why are you so surprised? Is it not obvious? Your Highness’s official place in the line of succession is only sixth. Even if we depose the Emperor, so long as the five heirs before him remain, it will be impossible to seize the throne.”

Duke La Mer spoke with a tone of utter nonchalance, as if simply deciding tomorrow’s dinner menu, as he laid out his plan. But Duke Fernand, evidently, had not so much as imagined that the discussion had already reached such specifics. His eyes grew wide as he stared at Duke La Mer, then gradually narrowed into a scowl, his entire face contorting in growing contempt.

“Have you lost your mind?”

He suddenly lashed out, condemning Duke La Mer furiously.

“Those are children, not even ten years old. The eldest is no more than seven, and the youngest is still nursing! And you would kill them?”

“You appear to be misunderstanding me. This is not some personal desire of mine. It is a regrettable but necessary choice for the sake of the greater cause.”

“I cannot allow it! What crime have those children committed, that they should lose their lives at such an age?!”

But if anyone in this room truly held contempt for the other, it was not Duke Fernand. It was Duke La Mer.How foolish.Had he not even stopped to calculate what it truly meant to proceed with a rebellion? Duke La Mer narrowed his eyes and responded coldly.

“Then tell me, Your Highness, what crime did your child commit, that it had to die in the womb? The imperial throne is such, Your Highness. Once seized, it must be kept at any cost, even at the cost of innocent blood. That is the nature of power.”

“If I stoop to such deeds, how would I be any different from the Emperor?”

“Did you think you could claim the crown that Ebroin V fought to protect by any means necessary, and pay no price yourself? If Your Highness truly desires the throne, then you must be prepared to commit sins even graver than this.”

Though his voice was low and calm, it struck Duke Fernand’s ears louder than thunder. The Duke’s face drained of color. He opened his mouth, but no answer came, only the faint quiver of his lips. Could he truly stain his hands with the innocent blood of children? Duke Fernand questioned himself in earnest, wondering whether he could bear the weight of such a sin, but no answer came easily.

From a personal perspective, those children were his first cousins once removed on his mother’s side. Not that he felt any particular fondness for them simply for being blood relatives, but the thought alone of murdering such innocent, defenseless children sickened him.

History is written by the victor. Risky as it was, the assassination of a powerful monarch like Ebroin V could very well become a legendary triumph symbolizing the usurper’s glory. But children… What could possibly be gained by killing children? At best, the infamy of being a child slayer would remain.

“-Of course, I am not suggesting that Your Highness need do the deed yourself. That is precisely what subordinates like myself exist for. The task of eliminating the imperial children will fall entirely to me and Nightwing. There is no need for Your Highness to concern yourself with the details. All we require is your consent.”