Chapter 88

On that day, in the audience chamber of the Carpa Kingdom's royal palace, an unexpected 'Ceremony' was being held.

The name of the ceremony was the 'Ceremony of Recognition.' As the name suggests, it was a ceremony for the nobles of the Carpa Kingdom to receive recognition from the royal family.

By undergoing the 'Ceremony of Recognition,' one's name would be recorded in the royal family's 'Register,' and by receiving a 'Copy,' one would finally obtain the status of a noble in the Carpa Kingdom.

In that sense, it was an extremely important ceremony for the nobles, but in reality, few people placed much emphasis on the ceremony itself.

After all, the Carpa Kingdom was a large country. If all the nobles, including the lower-ranking ones without titles, were to have their names listed in the 'Register' with grand ceremonies each time, the king would be overwhelmed.

Therefore, the 'Ceremony of Recognition' was usually held once a year, consolidating all the applicants for that year into a single, highly formalized ceremony.

Of course, there were exceptions. A typical example would be during wartime. If a local noble was unable to travel to the capital due to being caught up in the conflict, or if a noble's heir died in battle and a common-born illegitimate son had to be urgently elevated to the nobility, there would be cases where the noble would request to have their name entered in the 'Register' at a time other than the annual 'Ceremony of Recognition.'

However, in reverse, this was a special case. Even during wartime, it was rare for nobles to receive the 'Ceremony of Recognition' outside the designated day, and to request it during peacetime like now would be tantamount to declaring that there were exceptional circumstances.

Therefore, it was only natural that Nilda Gazir, who was receiving the 'Ceremony of Recognition' alone today, would attract more attention than usual.

---

"From this moment on, I will conduct the 'Ceremony of Recognition.' Margrave Gazir, and his daughter, Nilda. Step forward."

"Hai."

"Yes, yes!"

In the solemn audience chamber, a high-pitched voice echoed. The one who let out a comically high-pitched voice due to nervousness was Nilda Gazir.

Well, it was understandable. On either side of the audience chamber, the lords and generals of the Carpa Kingdom were lined up, watching her with keen interest.

For a girl who had been secluded in a rural domain until today, it would be strange if she were not nervous in this situation. The Margrave Gazir, who walked in front of her, was also trying hard to maintain a composed expression, but his entire body exuded a palpable worry that his daughter might make a mistake.

Walking straight. Just that simple act became incredibly difficult when combined with the conditions of "being under the scrutiny of many eyes" and "not breaking etiquette."

Nevertheless, thanks to the intensive training she received from her sister the day before, Nilda managed to reach the foot of the throne with only minor, endearing mistakes.

Queen Aura, seated on the throne, looked down at the elderly Margrave and his daughter kneeling below and spoke.

"Margrave Gazir. Present the 'Copy' of Nilda Gazir."

"Yes, here it is."

While still kneeling, the Margrave Gazir took out a piece of dragon skin paper from his robe, which was then received by one of the clerks and handed to the queen on the throne.

A light murmur of surprise rippled through the audience chamber, where the nobles were waiting.

It was understandable. The usual 'Ceremony of Recognition' involved the king writing the new noble's name in the 'Register' and then handing the 'Copy' to the noble's guardian (usually the head of the family). Here, the guardian was presenting the 'Copy' to the king, which was the reverse of the usual process.

Not only was it unusual to hold the 'Ceremony of Recognition' for a single person at this time, but the fact that the 'Copy' already existed suggested that there were special circumstances. This was enough information to confirm that there were significant reasons behind it.

"Hmm, it's correct. This signature is the handwriting of King Sancho."

After reviewing the 'Copy,' the queen declared in a loud voice that could be heard by everyone in the audience chamber.

Of course, it was intentional. This was not the first time Aura had seen Nilda's 'Copy.' A few days earlier, Aura had met with the Margrave Gazir one-on-one to discuss the matter and had thoroughly confirmed the 'Copy' at that time.

Reconfirming it here was a performance. Through Nilda Gazir's 'Ceremony of Recognition,' Aura was clearly demonstrating to the surroundings the mistakes of the previous king, Sancho I.

"Prepare writing materials."

"Yes, here they are."

Two clerks presented a wooden board, similar to a drawing board, to the queen on the throne, and a third clerk handed her a dragon bone pen.

"Hmm."

The queen, with practiced hands, spread the 'Register' on the wooden board and added Nilda's name to the Margrave Gazir's family entry. Then, Aura placed the 'Copy' on the wooden board and wrote her own name under King Sancho I's signature.

"Here."

"Hai."

The 'Copy' of the 'Register,' now bearing the signatures of two kings, was taken by a clerk from the queen's hand. The clerk quickly dried the ink with dry sand and returned the dragon skin paper to the Margrave Gazir.

"Confirm it."

In response to the queen's words from the throne, the elderly lord took the dragon skin paper and examined it.

"Yes, I have confirmed it. There are no errors."

"Hmm. Then, I, Aura I, Queen of the Carpa Kingdom, hereby guarantee that Nilda Gazir was a noble of the Carpa Kingdom six years ago, as of this moment."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"It is a great honor, Your Majesty."

In response to the queen's declaration, the Margrave Gazir and Nilda bowed deeply together.

Guaranteeing that Nilda had been a noble for the past six years, starting from this moment, was a declaration that seemed contradictory but was not difficult to infer the underlying reasons with a little thought.

By the time a few of the more astute nobles had deduced the truth from their speculations, the queen stood up from the throne and declared in a loud voice accustomed to public speaking.

"Some of you may already understand, but I will explain. Recently, it was discovered that the name of this girl, Nilda Gazir, was not recorded in the royal family's 'Register.' However, the 'Copy' was found in the Margrave Gazir's family, and upon verification, the king's signature was genuine.

From this fact, it is inevitable to conclude that there are some omissions in the current royal family's 'Register.' It would be overly optimistic to think that the only name omitted is Nilda Gazir. Those who, like Nilda, possess a 'Copy' with the signature of the late King Sancho I, should submit their 'Copy' to the royal family for verification."

The queen's declaration caused a restless murmur to spread through the audience chamber. For the nobles, being listed in the 'Register' or not was a matter that could drastically change their lives, so this reaction was understandable.

If it had not been for the prior example of Nilda Gazir being successfully re-registered in the 'Register' without any issues, the confusion might have been even greater. In that sense, the prior performance was effective.

Continuing, the queen declared in a loud voice.

"Under normal peacetime conditions, a fee is required to hold the 'Ceremony of Recognition' on a day other than the annual designated day. However, this time, no fee is required. If the person and their guardian bring the 'Copy,' I promise to immediately re-register their name in the 'Register.' Of course, the registration date will be the date written on the 'Copy.' Additionally, if the guardian cannot come to the capital due to various circumstances, the person alone is also acceptable."

Although the queen's words were in the form of commands, the content clearly showed that the royal family was making a full concession. In other words, it was equivalent to acknowledging that the responsibility for the omissions in the 'Register' lay with the royal family.

Incidentally, the addition of "the person alone is also acceptable" was to account for the worst-case scenario where the guardian had died in the previous war.

"The deadline is from today until six months from now. Those who bring a 'Copy' with the signature of King Sancho I within this period will be re-registered in the 'Register.' After the deadline, no further applications will be accepted. I ask everyone to inform the entire country about this matter. Is that clear?"

In response to the queen's words, the assembled nobles in the audience chamber bowed respectfully, as they were accustomed to doing.

---

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

An omission was found in the 'Register.'

This information spread among the nobles of the Carpa Kingdom with a significant impact.

Fortunately, the number of nobles recognized by the late King Sancho I, whose reign lasted less than a year and who spent most of his short reign on the front lines, was not large. As a result, the chaos caused by this was smaller than the royal family had anticipated.

However, it was not non-existent. A few nobles with a clear idea of the situation rushed to their homes to retrieve the problematic 'Copy.'

Especially difficult were the local nobles. The Carpa Kingdom was a large country in terms of territory. It was already a challenge to deliver accurate information from the capital to the regions, and in areas with poor road conditions, it could take months for a noble to bring their 'Copy' to the capital.

Fortunately, Queen Aura had set a relatively generous deadline of "six months," but this was not absolute.

What if the information did not reach accurately for some reason? What if the noble had a pressing matter that they could not leave unattended? What if the noble was ill and could not endure a long journey? Considering such unforeseen circumstances, the six-month deadline was not an absolute guarantee of safety.

Therefore, it was only natural that the rumor of the 'Register' omission would spread throughout the royal palace.

And in the shadow of this rumor, Zenjiro was meeting with Lucinda Gazir in one of the palace rooms.

---

"This is our first meeting. I am Zenjiro, the consort of Queen Aura of the Carpa Kingdom. I am pleased that you have responded to my summons today."

"I am the first daughter of the Gazir Margrave family, Lucinda. I am deeply honored to be invited here today."

"Hmm, please sit down."

"Yes, thank you."

In a secluded room deep within the palace, the woman sat down in the seat opposite Zenjiro with a refined gesture.

Lucinda Gazir.

Due to a minor mistake by Aura, Zenjiro had become known as "interested" in this woman.

In that sense, this meeting could be considered a kind of "arranged meeting," and more specifically, an "arranged meeting" initiated by Zenjiro.

(I must not be rude in any way.)

It was understandable that Zenjiro was tense inside.

In any case, while maintaining the formal language of a royal, Zenjiro tried to be as friendly as possible.

"The journey from the Margrave's domain to the capital must have been difficult for a woman. Are you well?"

"Thank you, I am fine. As a country girl, I am confident in my physical strength."

In response to Zenjiro's safe topic, Lucinda responded with a smile and a polite demeanor.

On the other hand, Zenjiro's inner feelings were complex.

As the one who had invited her, he could not refuse her.

However, considering the future as a concubine, it was natural to have a rejection response inside.

Moreover, the words of Secretary Fabio, "You are in a position where it is almost impossible to spend your life without a single concubine," came to mind, and his rationality put a stop to his emotions.

With both rationality and emotions entangled, Zenjiro could not determine what the 'correct' feeling to have towards the woman in front of him was.

Of course, emotions are uncontrollable even by the person themselves, but having some guidelines would make it easier to build interpersonal relationships.

(Not good, my thoughts are scattered. I don't even know what I want.)

Zenjiro, with a smile plastered on his face, was inwardly sweating. Even with his not-so-sharp mind, he understood that maintaining silence in this situation would be unwise.

"I see. You are indeed as resilient as the Margrave boasts."

In response to Zenjiro's words, the woman sitting opposite him lowered her eyebrows slightly and smiled wryly.

"Please take my father's words with a grain of salt. He is rather indulgent with his children."

Somehow, Zenjiro felt that her words and expression were close to her true self and was drawn in by her question.

"Really? That's surprising. To me, the Margrave seems like a stern and martial figure."

"I believe that assessment is correct. He is merciless when training my younger brother as a warrior. However, in daily life, he is very indulgent with his family.

Especially with my younger brother, Xavier, and my younger sister, Nilda, he sometimes seems more like a grandfather than a father."

Indeed, the age difference between the elderly Margrave and his children, who were not yet twenty, was such that they could be mistaken for a grandfather and his grandchildren.

Moreover, the Margrave had lost his wife and his two eldest sons in the previous war. It was natural for him to be overprotective of his remaining children.

In any case, Zenjiro felt a surprisingly warm and homey atmosphere in the Gazir Margrave family and naturally continued the conversation with a relaxed smile.

"I see. I feel like I've seen a different side of the Margrave. I might look at him differently from now on."

"Well, perhaps I should have kept that to myself. I would appreciate it if you could keep it a secret from my father."

"Hmm, we'll see."

Before he knew it, the initial tension and negative feelings had faded, and Zenjiro was enjoying the conversation with the woman in front of him.

"However, if I may, I don't think the Margrave's evaluation of you is just a parent's bias. Even from this brief conversation, I have a very good impression that supports the Margrave's evaluation."

There was no lie in his words.

Initially, his mind was clouded with thoughts of "concubine candidate" and "it's impossible to live without a concubine," but as he calmed down, Zenjiro's impression of Lucinda was very positive.

She had a typical medium build and height. Her face was small and lacked prominent features, making her very plain.

One could call her "beautiful" without feeling guilty, but her name would rarely come up in a conversation about who is beautiful.

Objectively, Lucinda's appearance was at this level.

Moreover, she was wearing a dress that, unusually for the tropical Carpa Kingdom, did not expose her chest or back, deepening the impression of plainness. The dress was also a subdued color, a bluish-gray, which further emphasized this.

However, such a composed appearance, while not an asset in the first impression, changed its meaning when they sat down and conversed.

A calm and measured way of speaking. A modest attitude that never made the other person uncomfortable. Intelligence that did not misunderstand even when his words were slightly lacking, and a good character that never tried to take advantage by pretending to misunderstand.

After experiencing such a personality, the plain appearance and clothing became a strength, reinforcing the impression of a "composed and talented woman."

Furthermore, what struck Zenjiro personally was that Lucinda did not emit the scent of 'perfume' that he disliked.

Of course, it would be a breach of etiquette to come to the palace without any perfume, so she had lightly applied it to her hair, neck, and wrists. However, it was a plant-based scent, like peppermint, which Zenjiro did not find unpleasant.

The information that Zenjiro disliked animal-based perfumes was surprisingly known by few people.

This was because, in the Carpa Kingdom, animal-based perfumes were highly valued for their rarity. Therefore, Queen Aura always polished her hair with imported animal-based perfumes when appearing in public, and Zenjiro himself also adapted to the beauty standards of this world in formal settings.

Only the maids who worked in the harem knew that the queen, upon returning to the harem, immediately washed off all the perfumes to suit her husband's preferences.

Zenjiro's tutor, Lady Octavia, who regularly visited the harem, might have guessed, but she was a paragon of virtue and would not unnecessarily spread information obtained in the line of duty.

However, Lucinda, who suspected that Zenjiro's "interest" in her was a result of political strategy, smiled wryly at his words.

"Thank you for your kind words. However, Zenjiro-sama, your words carry great power. When speaking to a lowly woman, I would appreciate it if you could be a bit more considerate."

"…Yes, you're right. I will take your advice to heart. Thank you."

"Not at all. I am grateful that you have taken my words to heart."

The smile Zenjiro directed at Lucinda Gaz