Ch153 - Side 1 - Lex Talionis (1)

Lucky Maiden.

Lady Ireine, who this year turned eighteen, was called that by many people.

In truth, she had been born with great fortune. She was a noble lady born to the most powerful man in the Kingdom of Kamann and a mother famed as one of the greatest beauties of a neighboring country, and she herself was blessed with natural beauty.

Large blue eyes that gave an impression of childlike innocence. Abundant silver hair, and skin as white and pure as lilies. Her small stature and petite build were slender enough to awaken a protective instinct, and the gentle air of one who had grown up loved and cherished held the power to soften even the hearts of those who were hostile toward her family.

However, Lady Ireine’s present fame was not due solely to her beauty. In fact, people of the world took her looks so much for granted that it was almost disappointing, for good looks were little more than a family trait of House Lecaster.

As the youngest daughter, she had one elder brother and three elder sisters above her. The eldest brother, who resembled their father in every way, was lavishly praised as the most handsome man in Kamann, and her three sisters were each owners of renowned and celebrated beauty.

The eldest sister, called‘Lady of the Stars’for her dazzling silver hair, was able, thanks to her exceptional beauty, to become the queen consort of Rodom despite not being of royal blood. That a king of an entire nation, not merely an ordinary member of the royal family, would take the daughter of a single noble house as his lawful queen was not wholly without precedent, but it was an exceedingly rare occurrence.

The second sister, the only one among them to inherit their father’s black hair, became the consort of Grand Duke Lowein, the sole Grand Duke of Myra, and claimed the title‘Lady of the Lake.’This was because Grand Duke Lowein’s domain, Antaras, was famous for its many lakes.

Penelope, the younger sister closest to her in age, married into the Melgart Countship, a renowned and wealthy noble house of Belfasset. Boasting the most dazzling beauty among the sisters, she was called‘Mistress of the Salon,’or‘Lady Butterfly,’and, much like those epithets suggested, was always accompanied by noisy scandals.

The most decisive reason Lady Ireine was called fortunate by society lay precisely there. To repeat it once more, she had three sisters and one brother. All of whom were young, attractive siblings of fine blood and striking appearance. And every one of them was tied by marriage to the most influential houses of their respective kingdoms.

They were quintessential political marriages.

True to that reputation, House Lecaster had, for generations, devoted itself fervently to marriages of political calculation. Those efforts began to bear fruit in earnest under the current head of the family. The Marquis of Lecaster, Revern Lecaster, famed for his keen abilities, used his children’s marriages to form a powerful marital alliance spanning five kingdoms. That simple yet effective strategy transformed the Marquisate of Lecaster from a house that was merely a wealthy merchant-noble family into the most powerful faction within the Confederation of Five Nations.

With each successive marriage, the power of the family only grew. By the time Lady Ireine’s turn finally came, House Lecaster had already risen to a position where it no longer needed to pursue a political marriage with anyone.

The Marquis of Lecaster, having achieved everything he desired, concluded that he could not push a political marriage for his youngest daughter without upsetting the delicately balanced web of existing power relations, and so he set her free. Thanks to that, she became the only one among her siblings who could marry not for political interest, but for love.

Young and beautiful, the cherished youngest daughter of a wealthy and powerful house. Added to that, unlike her other siblings, Lady Ireine possessed even the right to freely choose her own marriage partner. She was an object of admiration and envy to the young nobles of society. As was only natural, however, there were also many who begrudged her. Mixing their resentment and jealousy, they would disparage her by reducing her to nothing more than a‘Lucky Maiden.’

But she always wished to ask those people in return.

Does someone like me truly look like a lucky maiden?

“I did hear rumors that you came from another country, but you truly have an exotic accent. Which kingdom are you from?”

Leaning back languidly in a chair with armrests, the Duchess of Témore asked the personal question without the slightest concern for the fact that there was a line of customers waiting behind him. Even though the expensive gift he had carefully prepared was being completely ignored out of sudden curiosity, the young merchant showed no sign of fluster. Instead, he leisurely raised one eyebrow and provocatively asked back.

“Would you like to try guessing?”

Contrary to the common prejudice one might hold about the profession of a jeweler, the man possessed a masculine and attractive appearance. Even the fact that he had lost one eye and always wore an eyepatch did nothing to detract from it.

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“uJm oJ mCfyX. WCJtJ hODLz fm gJ? s mNLL, EJLL-RtOROtmfOyJz AfqDtJ LfXJ eODtI hODLz hOoJ AtOo Nye gLOOzLfyJ, gDm v CNFJ CJNtz mCNm RLNmfyDo-gLOyz CNft IDhC NI eODtI fI oOIm hOooOy NoOyq yOtmCJty ImOhX. YDtJLe eOD NtJ yOm AtOo VetN?”

“GCNm fI foROIIfgLJ.”

“If not that, then… yes. Judging by the way you still round your vowels, you must be from Rodom, then?”

“Regrettably, your powers of observation are not particularly keen.”

Unlike other merchants, however, he made no special effort to conceal his dangerous nature. As though this were not an official banquet presided over by the king’s sister but a gambling table in a tavern, he teased the Duchess of Témore’s curiosity with an insouciant air.

Well now?

She looked down at the impudent young merchant with the faintly ridiculous amusement one might feel when gazing at a puppy yapping carelessly at one’s feet.

“If you are not from Rodom or Myra, and not from our kingdom either, then at best you must be from Belfasset or Randall. There is nothing particularly mysterious about such origins, so I fail to see why you are so confident.”

“I am afraid both guesses are incorrect. I am neither from Belfasset nor from Randall.”

“What? Surely not… Are you, perhaps, from the Empire?”

The Duchess of Témore asked as though taken aback by the merchant’s answer. Once again, however, the young merchant shook his head.

“That is not the case either.”

“I truly do not understand.”

They said even the most pleasant flattery grew tiresome after one or two repetitions. A riddle game was enjoyable only for the one posing the question; for the one who failed to guess it time and again, it was nothing more than an irritating prank. Before the Duchess’s interest waned from the overly prolonged exchange, the jeweler quickly offered his answer.

“My mother was from Randall.”

“And?”

“Unfortunately, I know nothing about my father. All I know of him is that he was a foreigner. To make matters worse, not long after my mother passed away, we even lost the marriage certificate, so I do not know his name either.”

“Incredible. How could such a thing possibly happen?”

To be unable to find one’s father simply because a marriage certificate had been lost, what sort of case like that existed in the world? The merchant’s outlandish words only deepened the Duchess of Témore’s curiosity. The merchant explained the circumstances of his birth with a languid smile.

“This is only conjecture, but my father was likely a traveling merchant. A foreigner from another land, he left my newlywed mother behind in her hometown of Randall and departed for trade abroad. My mother boarded a ship while heavily pregnant in order to meet him again, and after suffering through an unfamiliar voyage, she gave birth to me upon the high seas, in waters that belonged to no nation.”

At any time, the greatest interest of noble ladies was gossip concerning the personal histories of others. It was no different now. Before anyone realized it, not only the Duchess, but most of the noblewomen attending the banquet had pricked up their ears and were listening intently to his story.

‘To not know one’s father because the marriage certificate was lost. This is the first time I have ever heard such a tale.’

‘Might he not be an illegitimate child? It sounds rather like a convenient excuse he made up on the spot.’

Several of the noblewomen whispered among themselves behind their fans, quietly exchanging opinions. The merchant, in the midst of his lengthy tale, seemed to catch their words with remarkable ease. He deliberately cast a sidelong glance in their direction and curled his lips into a mischievous grin.

“Some among you may be wondering whether I am a being not even acknowledged by the gods, that is to say, a bastard. But that is absolutely not the case. Brother Everwood of the Shaslan Monastery, who raised me, will attest to that.”

There was little chance that people of such high rank would know a mere friar from a remote rural monastery, yet fortunately, a few among them had at least heard of Shaslan Monastery.

“Brother Everwood, you see, was an unfortunate soul who happened to be aboard the same ship as my mother and was therefore forced to take responsibility for a troublesome burden like myself. He administered my infant baptism and also presided over my mother’s last rites. Before giving me baptism, he clearly confirmed my parents’ marriage certificate as well, though regrettably, he could not recall my father’s name.

Well, imagine the circumstances. In the middle of a storm-lashed sea, he had a wailing newborn cradled in one arm, while with the other he had to hold the hand of a dying woman. In such a situation, I would hardly expect anyone to keep a clear head. He later reminisced that at the time, he felt as though he had been shoved straight into the anus of the most debauched demon in hell. Oh, dear me. That is hardly an appropriate conversation to repeat before noble ladies. Please forgive me.”

Though the content itself was hardly something to laugh at, the man delivered it with such humor that many people burst out laughing all the same. The Duchess of Témore barely managed to restrain her amusement as she asked how it was that his parents’ marriage certificate had been lost. The merchant answered with a perfectly straight face that the ship’s rats had carried it off.

“When the brother disembarked with me in his arms, the sailors all testified in unison that the rats aboard were so rampant they gnawed away everything, not only the marriage certificate, but even the dead mother’s jewelry, money, and clothes.”

Upon hearing that, a certain nobleman, already flushed with drink, shouted loudly.

“Judging by how every last sailor sounds like a thief, it must have been a Rodom ship!”

“My goodness, how did you know?”

“What else could it be? When it comes to thieves, it is Rodom. Whether petty or grand, thieves from Rodom are impossible to deal with. They steal and steal until they even try to steal entire countries.”

This gathering was a birthday banquet personally hosted by the king’s younger sister. Most of those in attendance belonged to the royalist faction, and so they readily echoed the drunken noble’s words and erupted into raucous laughter once more. The only ones wearing uncomfortable expressions were the few parliamentarian nobles who had attended the banquet due to unavoidable circumstances.

Lady Ireine was surrounded by the hostile atmosphere, her face pale with fear. She lifted her head with composure and clasped her hands together to hide the trembling, yet she could not conceal the rising shame. She was not foolish enough to be unaware that all the raucous laughter was directed at her.

So this is the Duchess of Témore’s design.

It was unlikely that the jeweler’s behavior had been deliberate. He was a merchant whom Lady Ireine had never seen before. As someone newly appearing in high society, it would do him no good to clash with House Lecaster.

But merely by existing, he humiliated Lady Ireine. It was humiliating enough to be forced to wait behind for her turn, but even more mortifying was the fact that she had to stand in line, ignored, while he and the Duchess exchanged their idle, careless chatter.

Of course, conflicts between factions were not unheard of before. It was only natural that the parliamentary faction, which represented the interests of the nobility, could not be on good terms with the royalist faction, which supported the strengthening of the monarchy. But until very recently, disputes between the two factions had no effect on Lady Ireine’s social activities.

However, that atmosphere changed completely when discussions of a federal system in the parliament began to accelerate. As the prospect of unified governance began to take shape, the grievances of the royalist faction, whose power base was at risk of collapse, emerged with blunt intensity.

The tense, near-explosive atmosphere of politics began to spill over into high society. Those most affected were the women of House Lecaster.

Unlike the parliamentarians in politics, where they held a unilateral advantage, the royalists held a larger influence in social circles, where the royal family traditionally played a strong role. Within this circle, the Duchess of Témore’s influence was undeniably overwhelming.

At first, she harassed the women of House Lecaster subtly, leaving no trace. As the situation worsened, however, her exclusionary tactics became increasingly blatant. The Countess of Lecaster, Lady Ireine’s new elder sister-in-law, who had once enjoyed her popularity and social life without reservation, was so intimidated by the relentless attacks that she fled to her parental home under the pretext of an impending childbirth.

“Here is His Highness Crown Prince Gideon, Count of Horester and Duke of Dain, the legitimate heir to the throne of Kamann and second in line to the Queen of the Five Provinces.”

But the humiliating moment she had been forced to endure did not last as long as she had feared. Once again, the goddess of fortune was on her side. The young Prince Gideon, eldest son of Meliad IX and Crown Prince of Kamann, happened to enter the banquet hall at that very moment.

As the herald announced the prince’s arrival in his long, sonorous voice, those seated in the hall rose to pay their respects. Even the Duchess of Témore, who was the prince’s aunt in a private capacity, rose from her seat to greet the crown prince.

The twenty-three-year-old Crown Prince was a tall, slender youth with an intelligent countenance and striking, fiery red hair. Though the discussions over federal unification and the ensuing political strife placed the Kamann royal family in a delicate position, they had managed to endure despite being significantly outnumbered, thanks to the fervent and genuine support the citizenry held for this honest and good-natured young man.

“I apologize for my delay, Aunt. The council session has only just concluded.”

“Do not apologize for being late on account of state affairs. Please, pay it no mind, my prince.”

With a gesture full of warmth, the Duchess of Témore descended from the dais, lightly bending her knees and holding her skirts as she greeted him. In accordance with etiquette, the Crown Prince received her curtsy, lightly pressed his lips to her cheek, and naturally extended his arm to support her.

“Oh, what brings you here? I thought you had already taken to the seas, but you are still on land? Were there no merchant ships worth plundering on the high seas?”

“Hahaha. When someone who knows me better than anyone else in this country speaks that way, people will misunderstand. They might think it is true, you know.”

Just as the Crown Prince, accompanied by the Duchess, was about to resume the halted banquet atop the dais, he suddenly noticed an unexpected figure. He stopped in his tracks, turned sharply, and gazed at the jeweler with incredulity. Breaking into a broad smile, he approached and tapped the man lightly on the shoulder, greeting him with a friendly familiarity.

The jeweler’s cheeky retort was so unabashed that the nobles could not help but grow increasingly curious about the true identity of this utterly unfamiliar, exotic merchant.

“How does Your Highness come to know someone of such standing?”

In a setting where neither the king nor queen was present, very few could dare question the Crown Prince’s words. Among those rare, esteemed few, the Duchess of Témore, ever candid by nature, voiced her curiosity without hesitation.

“Oh my, Aunt. Have I never told you this story? It is quite the adventure tale, one I think you would find most delightful.”

“Oh, Your Highness, please. Really, is this appropriate in the presence of so many charming ladies?”

“Hmm? Why the sudden concern? Have you not always taken pride in my daring exploits? I have seen you listen again and again whenever I recount them at the sailors’ gatherings.”

“That may be true among sailors, but even I have my dignity. In such refined and elegant company, I cannot allow it, Your Highness. I beg of you.”

Laughter of a different sort rippled around the Crown Prince. The commotion drew more and more onlookers, both citizens and nobles alike, particularly those of the royalist faction who admired him.

Soon, a dense wall of people formed around the Crown Prince. Isolated from the crowd were only Lady Ireine and a handful of parliamentary faction members.

Lady Ireine, who had witnessed the Crown Prince glance at her but deliberately turn away before noticing the jeweler, bit her lower lip silently. Her eyes, which had remained composed despite overt mockery and scorn, now burned at the slightest sign of his disregard. It was only because of the presence of one man that she attended this event, even though she knew exactly what kind of treatment she would receive.

The phrase“the flower against the wall”was meant for others, or so she had thought. But in this moment, there was no one more fitting for it than herself. Waiting for the man who had ignored her to turn back was entirely unlike her character. She had never before felt so small, so wretched.

A deep scratch seemed to be etched across her lofty pride, as if clawed by her own fingernails. Unable to bear it any longer, Lady Ireine turned and left.

Her hurried steps carried her to the famed labyrinth garden of the Duchess of Témore. She brushed away her chaperone and friends who tried to follow, slipping alone into the maze. In this state, she wished not to meet anyone’s gaze. Neither the moon nor stars in the night sky, nor the indifferent prince, deserved to see her now.