Chapter 34

"Thank you for the favorite registration and the rating!"

"House Heinrich?"

"Yes. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before. However, when I went to Levanor with Prince Alan two years ago, I don't think I met Count Heinrich. I can't remember where I heard that name..."

The next day at noon.

Olivia and the others set off for the capital.

Olivia's carriage was shared with Alan and Cyrus, while Princess Florenzia and the others were in another carriage. To prevent the princess and Legion from fleeing, they also borrowed soldiers from the Earl of Zachville. They felt that the number of guards they brought was not enough.

After the carriage had been moving for a while, Olivia mentioned the name "Count Heinrich" that had been bothering her since yesterday, and Alan tilted his head in thought before answering.

"Indeed, I didn't meet Count Heinrich when I went to Levanor two years ago. I heard the name for the first time... Could it be just my imagination?"

"Maybe... But it's a name I feel like I've heard somewhere."

At that moment, Cyrus, who had been deep in thought, suddenly looked up.

"If Olivia feels like she's heard it before, perhaps it's a noble family with ties to our country."

With those words, Olivia's face lit up.

"That's it! I remember now! A while ago, I looked into the titles that are under the royal family's custody, and it should have been listed there!"

"We don't have a House Heinrich in our country."

Alan looked puzzled. Olivia shook her head.

"No, that's not it. Um, the Verdil Marquessate!"

"The Verdil Marquessate? The one that was abolished thirty years ago because there was no one to inherit it?"

Despite his imminent renunciation of his title, Alan, who had been the crown prince for many years, quickly remembered.

The Verdil Marquessate had been under the royal family's custody for thirty years because the head of the house had passed away and there was no one to inherit the title. In Brioll, only those within six degrees of kinship from the head of the house could inherit the title, and there was no one in the country who met this criterion.

"What connection does the Verdil Marquessate have with the Heinrich Countship in Levanor?"

"The late head of the Verdil Marquessate's father's sister married into the Heinrich Countship."

When Olivia answered immediately, Alan made a strange face.

"You... have investigated that much...?"

Alan looked completely exasperated, but Cyrus chuckled.

"That's Olivia for you. If she's interested, she investigates everything."

"Why are you interested in such things?"

"W-well, it was just by chance... The previous head of the Verdil Marquessate—the father of the late head—was researching a fever, and while investigating that, I found it by chance..."

She had found this information while investigating the marquessate and didn't find it particularly interesting, so she had completely forgotten about it until now.

"So, what does the connection between the Heinrich Countship and the Verdil Marquessate have to do with anything?"

"I can't be sure without investigating, but... there's a possibility that the Legion guard is within six degrees of kinship from the head of the house."

"I see, so what?"

"If the Legion guard can inherit the Verdil Marquessate... then, couldn't that support the marriage between Princess Florenzia and the Legion guard?"

"..."

Alan let out a deep sigh.

Cyrus laughed and patted Olivia's head.

"I kind of expected this, but you really didn't keep quiet, brother."

Alan slumped back into his seat.

"Even so, it's unexpected. ...Just so you know, it will be difficult to persuade Father and the King of Levanor."