Chapter 43

The day after it was revealed that Mr. Ronald was Elenora's brother, the son of the Duke of Hillrose, I came to the royal castle alone.

I sighed as I looked up at the castle I hadn't seen in a long time after getting off the carriage. Well, there's nothing I can do. I'm just going to have a little chat with Her Majesty and then leave, so there's nothing to be worried about.

I was led to a cozy room on the upper floor of the castle, which I had visited before. I quite like this room because it has a calm atmosphere amidst the grandeur of the castle.

Inside the room, Her Majesty the Queen was waiting alone with a tea set in front of her.

"Oh, Yumiera, it's been a while."

"It's been a while, Your Majesty."

"Don't be so formal? Would you like some tea?"

Her Majesty poured the tea herself, and I felt even more awkward. Her every movement exuded nobility, even when pouring tea.

I had learned how to make tea from Rita before, but after being told that the tea leaves were "too pitiful," I washed my hands of the art of tea.

"How does it taste? Does it suit your palate?"

"Yes, it's very delicious."

My tongue, which had a history of drinking poisoned tea, was not to be trusted. But it must be delicious because it carries Her Majesty's heart. Good, I said the right thing.

I don't know if she noticed my poor sense of taste, but she giggled like a child and then spoke.

"Did you go to Ashbation? How was his family?"

"Yes, I have a report on that. Thanks to you, Patrick and I are now officially engaged."

"That's wonderful. Do you have a date for the wedding?"

Why does everyone want to have a wedding? Is everyone so eager to eat cake? Isn't that the only thing to look forward to at such events?

Of course, the date for the wedding is not set yet. It's not even decided whether it will be held. For some reason, Patrick is overly enthusiastic about it.

"It hasn't been decided yet. Both the capital and the border areas are quite busy, so we're waiting to see how things develop."

"Oh, the Kingdom of Remus, I see. The news has already reached the capital. It seems you repelled them. As a queen, I thank the efforts of the Duke of Dorkness."

"No, I didn't do anything. Please thank the Margrave."

It has been a week since the skirmish with the neighboring country. It's not surprising that the news has already reached the king and queen.

Despite the possibility of war between countries, the queen seems quite calm.

"This morning, we received information from the center of Remus. The struggle for the throne has intensified, and it seems they can't even think about sending troops."

"Is that... good news?"

"It's good news for our country. Of course, we have our own internal conflicts as well."

At least, the threat from the neighboring country of Remus seems to have decreased. But if something happens, I intend to go immediately, not for the sake of the country, but for Patrick's family.

Since the queen mentioned the issue with the second prince's faction, I decided to bring up the matter.

"Since Lady Elenora will be keeping her distance from the prince, I think the second prince's faction will calm down."

"That's good. Elenora, she's a good girl, but..."

The queen's vague words suggest that Elenora has done something in the past.

I decided to ask about the duke as well. Reflecting on it now, she had warned me to be careful of the radicals, but not of the duke.

"Lady Elenora said that even her father opposes her getting close to Prince Edwin. What is the Duke of Hillrose thinking?"

"...You know about Ronald, don't you?"

"Yes, I know."

I was a bit surprised that the queen already knew about yesterday's events.

She spoke slowly, as if weighing her words.

"You don't need to be wary of the Duke of Hillrose. Of course, I recommend keeping your distance. He will likely cause trouble soon."

"Trouble?"

"Yes, both the king and I want to stop him, but he won't. He has always been that way, and his predictions have always been accurate."

The term "future prediction" regarding the duke came up again. From the way the queen spoke, it seemed that the prediction would come true at any moment.

The reasons for separating his only son and causing trouble soon must be related to this "future prediction."

"What is this 'future prediction'? What did the Duke of Hillrose predict?"

"...The revival of the Demon King was known to the Hillrose family. He predicted the domestic turmoil that would occur before and after the revival."

I didn't expect the Demon King's name to come up. The Hillrose family was founded by the first king's younger brother, so it makes sense that they knew about his revival.

The domestic turmoil before and after the Demon King's revival—since he is already dead, it must be about the turmoil after his revival.

So, the reason the second prince's faction gained momentum was that Prince Edwin, who defeated the Demon King, was the most suitable next king. This is indeed the turmoil after the Demon King's defeat.

If he foresaw this... wait, shouldn't the duke have joined the second prince's faction and promoted the marriage between Prince Edwin and Elenora?

As I wondered, the queen continued.

"He has his own thoughts. You shouldn't worry too much. I can't say for sure, but you won't be affected."

"...I understand."

It's very intriguing, but if I get involved, it will only cause trouble. If I'm not affected, it's best to stay out of it.

After that, we talked about the state of my territory and my visit to Ashbation, and the tea party with the queen ended.

After parting ways with her, I walked through the castle. The castle is a place where encounters with troublesome nobles are frequent, so I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Perhaps I should have asked for a guide to escort me back for protection. But the carriage comes with the guide, and I don't really like carriages. The ride is uncomfortable, and it's faster to walk.

Could I escape through the window without meeting anyone? No, entry and exit through windows were recently banned. There are many witnesses here, so the chances of Patrick finding out are high.

I thought that the probability of meeting someone I didn't want to see was not that high... but I had such thoughts before.

I ran into the Duke of Hillrose in the castle corridor. He greeted me calmly.

"Oh, Duke of Dorkness. It's been a year since the ceremony."

"...Thank you for that time."

"I didn't do anything. The Demon King was defeated by the duke. The ceremony was to honor the duke, wasn't it?"

The Duke of Hillrose, though not showing his age, exuded a dark aura. His expression seemed to look down on people, and he didn't seem like a good person.

Although I was told not to be wary, I was also advised to keep my distance, especially since he was likely to cause trouble soon.

"The main character of the ceremony was Prince Edwin, wasn't it?"

I should have left the scene quickly, but I probed about the second prince's faction.

He chuckled and replied.

"If you have a proper sense and a minimum level of intelligence, you wouldn't think that prince was the hero who defeated the Demon King."

"...Prince Edwin is one of the most skilled in the country."

"Huh, to be recognized by the world's strongest, that prince must be quite lucky."

The duke laughed heartily.

It was within my expectations that the details of the Demon King's defeat were known. I think anyone who is well-informed would understand.

I didn't get any useful information, but I should leave this place. I tried to pass by the duke.

"Is that so? Then I'll take my leave."

"Wait. I have one question."

I could have brushed him off and left, but since he hadn't done anything to me, I stopped obediently.

"What is it? I have no intention of joining your faction."

"You don't need to join those fools. What I want to know is whether you love this country, its land, and its people. The royal family and the king are irrelevant."

Is it okay to call the people in his faction fools? And the crucial question is whether I love the country. A patriot being asked about patriotism.

To be honest, I don't have a shred of patriotism, but I decided to give a safe answer.

"I am a noble of the Balshain Kingdom, so of course I swear loyalty to the royal family."

"No, no. Regardless of the truth of your statement, the meaning is different. What I want to know is whether you love the country, its land, and its people. The royal family and the king are irrelevant."

He's a dangerous person. To call the king a wimp in the king's castle in a country with a monarchy.

I became nervous, wondering if anyone had heard him, and looked around. Why am I the one who is nervous?

Do you love the country? Do you love the people? As a noble, you should. But I can't quite understand the emotion that would be described as patriotism.

I should have answered the question quickly to leave, but the words wouldn't come out. I can't say I love the country. But I'm not a noble for my own sake.

Perhaps seeing my struggle, the duke changed his question.

"...Let me rephrase. Suppose you come across a village suffering from hunger. What would you do?"

"I can't create food out of nothing—"

"No, I'm asking about your principles. What would you aim to do?"

"Of course, I would think of ways to resolve the food shortage."

What a basic response. I do have a conscience.

He twisted his mouth in a malicious way and said,

"I see... There are people suffering from hunger somewhere in the world. Would you take action for them?"

"It's impossible to help everyone in the world. I will do what I can within my reach."

I'm not a god, so I can't save all the unfortunate people in the world. For now, I will use my power for my nearby area, my territory, and the kingdom.

The duke, who asked questions with unclear intentions, deepened his malicious smile.

"Excellent, you understand your limits at your age. You're not a wimp. Keep it up."

"Ha, then I'll be on my way."

The Duke of Hillrose smiled broadly, looking very pleased. His creepy smile, Ronald's friendly smile, and Elenora's straightforward emotions—how different they are as a family.

He only says things that make no sense, and I can't deal with him anymore. I decided to leave this time and slipped past the duke.

After taking a few steps, I was stopped again. I turned my head to respond.

"Wait."

"What is it this time?"

"Be kind to Elenora."

The duke's smile was completely different from before, almost like a kind father.

Before I could respond, he left, leaving me standing there alone.