Chapter 83

"Zenjiro-sama, please be careful of your footing."

"Ah, thank you."

In the completely dark palace corridor after sunset, Zenjiro walked with the knights guarding him from both sides.

The only light came from the flame in the oil dish held by the palace maid leading the way. It was impossible to illuminate the wide and long palace corridor with just one small flame, and the surroundings were filled with an eerie atmosphere.

The long shadows cast by the flickering flame were projected onto the dark palace corridor.

Under normal circumstances, Zenjiro might have felt a slight unease, but now he had no spare attention to spare for his surroundings.

The information he had just heard from Secretary Fabio had given him a strong shock.

Lowering his gaze to his feet to avoid tripping, Zenjiro tried to organize the information he had just heard in his mind.

It was about a series of events related to the battlefield where King Sancho I was killed and Princess Aura emerged victorious.

Sancho I, who had led the troops to avenge his brother, the king, and had devoted himself to annihilating the enemy country, had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in the war.

So, Sancho I decided to launch a night raid on the enemy camp with a small detachment he led, without informing Princess Aura, the deputy general, who had been reluctant about the war from the beginning.

After Sancho I left, Princess Aura, upon hearing the news from the soldiers, had a "bad feeling" and borrowed the troops of Duke Lala to pursue him.

Aura's bad feeling turned out to be correct. Sancho I, ambushed by the enemy during a night march, was killed without much of a fight.

"I barely made it in time to rescue him," Princess Aura, amidst the shock and confusion of the entire army upon hearing of the king's death, "quickly regained her composure" and reprimanded the entire army, fighting bravely to avenge the king.

Her command in the midnight battle was so impressive that she "directly assaulted the enemy's main camp."

As a result, Aura successfully defeated the enemy's supreme commander, the king of the enemy country.

The next morning, both armies, having lost their king, immediately began temporary peace negotiations.

"Coincidentally," all the hardline war supporters from both countries were killed in the night battle, so the peace negotiations proceeded quickly, and a temporary peace treaty was signed on the same day, "as if it had been pre-arranged."

Aura reported the information about "King Sancho I's death and the temporary ceasefire with the enemy army" to the capital via a small dragon messenger.

In the capital, where Sancho I's absence was being managed by Aura's uncle, Carlos II, upon receiving the report from the small dragon messenger, he ascended the throne three days later.

Around the same time, a moderate prince in the enemy country also ascended the throne.

The two new kings, realizing the folly of continuing the war, turned the ceasefire agreement on the battlefield into a formal peace treaty.

Recalling the information in his mind, Zenjiro made a grim face in the darkness, as if he had bitten into a bitter pill.

(The rescue barely made it in time. The ceasefire negotiations on the battlefield went smoothly. The uncle in the capital immediately ascended the throne upon hearing of the king's death. Then, a formal peace treaty was signed in just a few days.

Most importantly, for all the hardline war supporters from both countries to be killed in a single night battle, what kind of coincidence is that?)

According to Fabio, the immediate ascension of Carlos II was not particularly strange.

Originally, Sancho I had declared that he would not return to the capital until he had avenged his brother's enemy and had left a will-like document stating that if anything happened to him, he should entrust his successor to Uncle Carlos, who should quickly ascend the throne and stabilize the country.

Zenjiro, thinking about it, wanted to say, "If you could think that far, you shouldn't have declared a constant war in the first place," but that was a feeling only someone who had lost a family member unjustly could understand. At the time of Sancho I's ascension, there were several other royal family members, so he might not have felt the urgency.

It was not a matter for a third party, who was not familiar with military or political affairs, to comment on.

However, since Aura was involved, Zenjiro, who was her husband, could not be considered a third party. Even as a layman unfamiliar with military and political affairs, he needed to think seriously about it.

If he thought about it calmly, this incident would not be limited to the issue of his concubine.

The "list" that was not stored in the royal archives and was lost. It was unlikely that the only name on it was "Nilda Gazir."

Considering that Sancho I's reign lasted less than a year and he was constantly on the battlefield, there would not be many, but there must be other nobles in the same position as Nilda Gazir.

In that case, it would not be possible to keep the loss of the "list" a secret. If the "list" issue were to be made public, the domestic nobility would inevitably recall the incident of the two kings' deaths in battle. There might even be people who would suddenly become interested in the "truth."

By the time he realized it, Zenjiro had been thinking more about his wife's past battles than about his own concubine issue, and he continued to think about it until he left the palace.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

"Welcome home, Aura."

"Welcome back, Zenjiro."

The scene of a husband returning from work and a wife greeting him is a common sight in the world, but it is a rare sight in the harem.

Usually, Aura, the wife, returns home later than Zenjiro, the husband.

Standing up from the sofa, Aura, who had already changed into her room clothes and had no scent of perfume or bath oil, seemed to have finished her bath earlier.

"Phew, when I return to the harem late at night, I really appreciate the electricity."

Zenjiro blinked several times to adjust his eyes to the bright white light of the LED stand light illuminating the living room.

Unlike modern Japan, where streetlights stand even in back alleys with almost no foot traffic, here, spaces without people are generally pitch black. Relying only on the oil lamps held by the palace and harem maids, it feels like you have "safely returned to the realm of humans" when you finally reach the harem living room from the palace, which is a bit of an exaggeration but a sense of relief.

"That's true. Having the same amount of light at night as during the day can completely change your life."

While saying this, Aura helped Zenjiro take off his clothes. The national costume of the Kingdom of Carp, which Zenjiro wore at the palace, is similar to a kimono, closed in the front and tied with a belt. Helping his wife take off his clothes made him feel a bit like a salaryman couple after work, which was a bit embarrassing.

Thanks to the story he heard from Secretary Fabio, Zenjiro felt his tense expression relax.

"Thanks for the information from Secretary Fabio. It seems there was quite an unexpected event. Anyway, it looks like Lucinda is still free, and it seems I showed interest in her."

Zenjiro, who could see the complex emotions in his eyes, made Aura lower her gaze slightly.

"I'm sorry, it was my mistake."

"Hmm."

This time, Zenjiro couldn't say, "It's not your fault," because it was clearly all Aura's fault. If Aura hadn't plotted, they wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

When someone apologizes for something that is their fault, it's better to accept it to reduce their psychological burden.

Nodding slightly, Zenjiro accepted Aura's apology and said with a serious expression.

"Then, I owe you one, Aura. And I confirmed with Secretary Fabio, but it seems that calling Lucinda to the capital for a meeting is a done deal, right?"

Zenjiro's words were more of a confirmation than a question, and Aura nodded slightly with a humble expression.

"Yes. Given the situation, I cannot avoid calling Lucinda. Formally, it appears that you have shown active interest, and I have openly supported it. There is no option to not call Lucinda in this situation."

It was a shocking statement, but it was something Zenjiro had been aware of and had been pointed out by Secretary Fabio.

Zenjiro accepted the queen's words relatively calmly as "the words of the queen."

"Understood. Regarding this, I was told something that hurt my ears by Secretary Fabio."

"What did he say?"

The painful words from Secretary Fabio. Aura, who probably had a sense of guilt, frowned reflexively and asked. Zenjiro, with a wry smile, answered honestly.

"From my position, it's unreasonable to reject a concubine for life. So, I should not unconditionally reject Lucinda and should try to be more positive about it."

It was a harsh statement, but there was no room for argument.

"…He doesn't know how to sugarcoat his words, does he?"

"In situations like this. He's a great assistant who can also cover for you in the presence of third parties, but he's a bit too straightforward."

The royal couple, who shared a complaint about Secretary Fabio, understood each other. While Fabio was undoubtedly a rare loyal minister, there was no reason to like a nagging person.

However, since it was meaningless to list complaints about the secretary, Zenjiro moved on to the next topic.

"Anyway, I think what he said makes sense. So, I'm trying to be a bit more positive, at least to some extent, about facing Lucinda. Hey, Aura?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Let me ask you frankly. In this matter, can I consider you on my side?"

"Mm… Yes, I suppose."

In response to Zenjiro's probing, Aura hesitated a bit.

Zenjiro's intention was clear. From the perspective of Queen Aura, there was no reason to reject Zenjiro having a concubine. It would be strange for Aura, who was in that position, to be on the side of Zenjiro, who wished to reject a concubine.

Understanding that there was no room for deception after being asked such a clear question by Zenjiro, Aura let out a small sigh.

"Publicly, I am a complete enemy. I have already stated in front of General Pujol and Sir Xavier that I expect Lucinda to become your concubine. I cannot take any actions that oppose Lucinda's entry into the harem."

This was within Zenjiro's expectations, and he calmly prompted her to continue.

"Publicly, yes. Then, privately?"

"Privately, or rather, in actual actions, it depends on Lucinda. I need to assess Lucinda's character. If I judge that Lucinda is not a suitable person to entrust the harem to, I will take actions to prevent her entry into the harem, regardless of my public stance. If Lucinda is a person who is neither suitable nor unsuitable as a concubine, I will generally remain neutral. As a queen, I do want you to have a concubine, so I will support Lucinda to some extent, but I don't have a particular attachment to her. I can accept your request to continue living without a concubine for a while, if not forever. If I judge that Lucinda is a suitable person as a concubine… well, I will actively support her."

In other words, it means that Zenjiro will be her enemy.

"Ugh…"

Zenjiro crossed his arms, furrowed his nose, and groaned.

He knew this, but it was clear that in this matter, the interests of Zenjiro and Queen Aura would never align. As a private individual, Aura's feelings might align with his, but as a public figure, Aura would not prioritize her personal feelings over her public judgment, so it had no practical significance. However, knowing that "Aura also truly desires a life as a couple with just the two of us" provided some comfort to Zenjiro.

"Hey, by any chance, do you think this is a 'good opportunity'?"

The husband, who rarely asked such a questioning question, made the queen's eyes momentarily dart to the side, but she quickly made up her mind and nodded.

"To be honest, a little. Your desire to reject a concubine is personally pleasing, but as a public figure, it cannot be overlooked. Like Fabio, I do hope that this will be an opportunity for you to be more positive about having a concubine."

Queen Aura believed that Zenjiro needed to have a concubine as soon as possible. Not only for the sake of continuing the "bloodline magic" but also because the dissatisfaction of the domestic nobility would eventually become uncontrollable if he continued to reject a concubine.

In such a case, the fear was that the facts would not be accurately conveyed. When comparing the fact that "Zenjiro is rejecting a concubine" with the misunderstanding that "Aura is preventing other women from getting close to Zenjiro" based on the common sense of the Kingdom of Carp, unfortunately, the misunderstanding would be considered more credible.

Feeling the tightening of the encirclement, Zenjiro shuddered and shifted the topic away from reality.

"Ah, by the way, the direct cause of Aura's failure in this matter was that there was a second daughter in the Gazir border barony that Aura didn't know about, right? And the reason for that was that the list was lost on the battlefield by the previous king. So, isn't this more than just about the second daughter of the Gazir border barony, Nilda?"

Zenjiro's concern was something that Queen Aura had also noticed.

The queen nodded deeply.

"Yes. Since King Sancho's reign was less than a year and he spent most of it on the battlefield, there won't be many, but it is natural to assume that there are a few people in the same position as Nilda. This is a failure of the royal family, and we have an obligation to explain and improve. However, there is a risk that some people might see this as an opportunity and harbor evil intentions, so I will confirm the signs and limit the period