Chapter 81

"Indeed. I have a general understanding of the situation. I can also roughly imagine the reason why, despite having a record with the border lord's family, Nilda's name is not on the royal family's 'register.'"

After listening to Chabier's lengthy explanation, Queen Aura said this, tapping the armrest of the sofa with her index finger as if to vent her irritation.

(Nilda Gazir is currently fourteen years old. She was born from a one-night affair that Miguel, the current Gazir border lord, had with a village girl in his territory. Nilda, the daughter from that affair, was raised as a simple village girl until she was nine years old. However, when a person with the ability to detect magical power visited the village, they pointed out that Nilda had an unusually high amount of magic, which was impossible for a village girl. The situation came to light.

The border lord, who remembered the one-night affair, acknowledged Nilda as his own daughter and took her in.)

Queen Aura summarized the story she had just heard in her mind.

If the story ended here, it might be a tumultuous life for Nilda, but it would not have much impact on the royal family.

However, this is where the story becomes complicated.

Queen Aura, without hiding her displeasure, confirmed:

"And the Gazir border lord, who acknowledged Nilda as his daughter, immediately requested an audience with the king of the time. There, the king of the time acknowledged Nilda as a member of the Gazir border lord's family, signed the certificate, and gave the copy to the Gazir border lord."

"Yes, that's what my father told me."

In response to Chabier's serious affirmation, Aura replied with a small "I see." At this point, Aura understood everything that was happening. Since the incident occurred when Nilda was nine years old, and she is now fourteen, it was easy to identify the 'culprit.'

Wishing it were different, but with a sense of certainty, the queen asked for final confirmation:

"The name of the king of the time recorded on that copy is 'King Sancho,' correct?"

"Yes, that's right. I have seen it once, and on the copy that recognizes Nilda as a noble, there is indeed King Sancho I's signature along with the royal seal."

"I see..."

Aura struggled to suppress the dark emotions rising from within her, maintaining a calm facade.

King Sancho I was the grandfather of the current king of Kaupa. To Aura, he was her younger brother.

He was also known as the 'Revenge King.' After King Enrique IV, the great-grandfather of the current king, was assassinated in a manner similar to a sneak attack by a certain country, Sancho I was hastily crowned.

King Enrique IV was the older brother of Sancho I and Aura. Sancho I, in particular, revered his older brother, Enrique IV.

Therefore, upon ascending the throne, he declared, "I will not return to the capital until I have avenged the previous king," and spent his reign as king waging war against the enemy country.

However, it goes without saying that a king's duties are not limited to war, even during a major conflict in the southern continent. There were countless matters that required the king's judgment and signature. Thus, Sancho I brought most of the necessary documents and tools for governing the country to the battlefield.

"Given this, the Gazir border lord and Nilda must have met King Sancho in a city near the front lines and had the documents signed, correct?"

At this point, Chabier understood what Aura was implying.

"Yes, indeed, Nilda met King Sancho in the city of Potosi, not in the capital. So, are you suggesting that the 'register' was lost there? While it's true that King Sancho died in battle afterward, is it really possible that the most important document, the 'register,' was lost and no one noticed until today?"

Chabier's doubts were valid. The 'register,' which contains information about the domestic nobility, is used in various places. If it were lost, a major commotion should have occurred within a month.

However, the queen shook her head sternly.

"If the usual 'register' had been lost, that would be the case. But when we say 'register,' it's not just one book, you know?"

This is a common fact. While there may be some exaggeration, the document is supposed to record the names of all the domestic nobility from the establishment of the Kingdom of Kaupa to the present day. It cannot be contained in just one or two books. In fact, the royal palace has a dedicated archive for the 'register,' where numerous volumes are neatly arranged, far more than a single bookshelf can hold.

"King Sancho must have been aware of the danger he was in. Therefore, I believe he left the old 'register' that his predecessor, King Enrique, had been writing and instead brought a brand new 'register' to the battlefield. And that register was lost with King Sancho's death."

"I see, that makes sense."

General Pujol, who had been listening silently, nodded deeply with a calm demeanor that was almost annoying.

"Then, if that's the case, what about Nilda's status!?"

To calm down the agitated Chabier, Aura, still deeply seated on the sofa, raised her right hand and said:

"Don't worry. The Gazir border lord's copy is still there, right? If so, I will verify the royal seal and signature on it and add Nilda's name to the 'register' again. Of course, the date will be the same as when the copy was issued."

"Thank you, Queen Aura!"

Chabier bowed so vigorously that he almost hit the table. Aura waved her hand and said, "It's fine,"

"If my guess is correct, this is ultimately a mistake of our royal family. There's no need for you to thank me. However, we must maintain some formality. General Pujol."

"Hai."

The giant general, suddenly addressed, responded without any particular surprise, maintaining a composed attitude.

"As you have heard, we cannot recognize a marriage to someone whose name is not on the 'register.' Therefore, if you insist on marrying Nilda, it will not be recognized until the matter with the 'register' is resolved. What will you do?"

In response to Queen Aura's probing question, General Pujol answered without hesitation.

"Well, I've waited until this age, so a year or two is within the margin of error. I have no intention of retracting my previous statement."

This answer was not what Aura had hoped for, but it was what she had expected.

"I see. If you are satisfied with that, I have nothing more to say. However, while Lucinda is one thing, Nilda is different in age and upbringing. What does the Gazir border lord say about this?"

"That's something I will persuade my 'stepfather' with all sincerity."

In response to Aura's words, General Pujol returned a confident, deep smile.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

After the unexpected outcome of her meeting with Pujol Gijen and Chabier Gazir, Queen Aura changed her schedule and confided everything to her trusted secretary, Fabio, in her office, seeking his advice.

"I see. That is indeed as you predicted, Queen Aura. The Gazir border lord is not the type to lie about such matters, and it is something King Sancho might have done."

"Do you think so too?"

The queen, looking exhausted, leaned back in her office chair. The secretary, with a thin face, nodded without showing any expression.

"Yes. The great-grandfather was a passionate and emotionally driven person, but he was not one to neglect the feelings of others. It is not strange that he would bring a brand new 'register' instead of continuing the old one."

"I see..."

Leaning back in the chair made of wood and vines, Queen Aura closed her eyes and recalled.

King Sancho I. His reign lasted less than a year, so Aura's memories of him as a ruler are far fewer than her memories of him as a younger brother.

He was a straightforward and kind-hearted younger brother from childhood. Sancho was closest to his older brother, Enrique, but he was never on bad terms with his older sister, Aura. By the standards of noble families, they could be considered "close siblings."

However, to be frank, he lacked the qualities to be a king.

While it is not bad to swear revenge and raise an army for the sake of the country's honor, it was a clear mistake to persist in completely destroying the enemy country beyond just avenging the previous king.

The enemy country, while weaker in national power than the Kingdom of Kaupa, had a high military capability and a difficult terrain to attack. Moreover, the country was poor, and the greatest asset, the silver mine of Potosi, had been taken by the Kingdom of Kaupa over a hundred years ago, losing its international value.

The western countries of the southern continent saw the King of Kaupa, Sancho I, being preoccupied with the enemy country as a 'weak point' and attacked from multiple directions.

Of course, this was to be expected. If the king is preoccupied with a war on one front, it is inevitable that other diplomatic matters will be neglected. At the time, Aura, who was only a princess, repeatedly advised Sancho I to "sign a ceasefire treaty at an appropriate time and return to the capital," but in the end, Sancho I never listened to his sister's advice.

If Sancho I had not died in battle with the hardliners, the Kingdom of Kaupa might have been destroyed by now. At the very least, it would not have become a victorious country in the previous great war, Aura was certain.

And now, another negative legacy of the great-grandfather is troubling the current queen, Aura.

"However, this changes your plans fundamentally. You used Zenjiro to dissuade General Pujol from proposing to Lucinda, based on the assumption that he would do so.

If General Pujol proposed to Lucinda, it would go as planned. If not, you intended to make Zenjiro's words to the Gazir border lord seem like 'just a casual conversation.'

But now, General Pujol, who initially intended to marry Lucinda, changed his target to Nilda after hearing from you that 'Zenjiro is interested in Lucinda.'

In this situation, Zenjiro cannot pretend he doesn't know."

"I understand."

"Moreover, if you had initially given General Pujol permission to marry and then allowed him to marry Nilda, a younger sister, it would be a significant loss of face for General Pujol."

"...I understand."

"Furthermore, from Lucinda's perspective, at the age of twenty-five, a marriage that was almost finalized was taken away by a younger sister due to the royal family's intervention. If Zenjiro then says he cannot take Lucinda as a concubine, it is almost certain that she will harbor strong resentment against the royal family, unless she is an exceptional person."

"......I understand!"

Aura could not help but let her voice rise in response to the secretary's pointed remarks.

Why did it come to this?

According to Aura's plan, there were only two possible outcomes.

If the plan succeeded, a slight warning would be given to General Pujol. If it failed, the evaluation of the Gazir border lord, Zenjiro, would slightly worsen. That was the extent of the impact. However, due to a missing piece of information, the result turned out to be like digging her own grave.

Indeed, Aura was afraid that General Pujol, upon hearing that "Zenjiro is interested in Lucinda," would retract his marriage proposal on the spot. However, the possibility of this happening was almost zero.

Generally, when a man proposes to a woman from another family, especially to the head of the family or the eldest son, it is considered very impolite to retract the proposal unless there is a significant reason.

Of course, if Zenjiro had formally stated "I want Lucinda" at another place and time, it would be a significant reason. However, a casual remark like "I would like to meet her once" does not qualify as a significant reason.

Therefore, in this case, General Pujol should have married Lucinda, feeling slightly inferior to Zenjiro. However, with the addition of a younger sister, the situation changes completely.

For nobles, marriage is primarily about the connection between families. Therefore, a proposal like "if the sister doesn't work, the younger sister will do" is not considered particularly impolite (though personal feelings may be hurt). After all, whether the sister or the younger sister is married, the families will still be connected by blood. In fact, it is not uncommon for noble families to arrange a meeting where they present three daughters and say, "Choose the one you like."

"......"

Seeing her lord genuinely depressed for the first time in a long while, the secretary cleared his throat and said in a casual tone:

"Anyway, given the current situation, we cannot avoid explaining the entire matter to Zenjiro. I will explain the situation to Zenjiro, so please arrange a time for me to meet him soon."

"Are you going to say it?"

The queen, who thought it was her duty to explain the situation to her future son-in-law, tilted her head in surprise.

To the queen's puzzled expression, the loyal secretary replied:

"Yes. Normally, it would be your duty, Queen Aura, but this time, it is necessary to discuss matters related to King Sancho. I believe it would be difficult for you to explain the situation without mixing in personal feelings."

He stated this cold fact.

"I see... that's true..."

Aura had to agree with this self-awareness. Besides, to be honest, she was grateful for the offer.

This time, Aura did not have the confidence to look Zenjiro in the eye and explain what she had done.

"......"

When asked who was at fault, Aura already knew that the one who planned a poor strategy was the most to blame.

However, the irrational anger and frustration were too much to bear entirely on her own.

Eventually, Aura's emotions found a target outside of herself.

"Sancho... you really do haunt me...!"

The words, which sounded almost like a curse, slipped out between Aura's clenched teeth, unheard by the secretary standing behind her, and disappeared in her mouth.