Chapter 54

The day after Patrick's sudden proposal, a letter arrived at the mansion in the afternoon.

The sender was the Duke of Hillrose, and the family seal was carefully pressed. The suspicious letter, which the gardener had received from a mysterious man, was cautiously checked by Patrick and me.

"…It's addressed to Patrick. It says to come to the castle today."

"Is he trying to separate us?"

I don't know the Duke of Hillrose's ultimate goal, but the purpose of this letter is clear: to separate Patrick and me. Given that it was delivered by someone who seems to be working for the Duke, it's evident that a specific time is set.

Patrick, frowning, said resentfully,

"I won't be at the Duke of Hillrose's beck and call. We can ignore it and stay here."

"But… if we don't go, something terrible might happen in the capital. The Duke is probably there, isn't he?"

"However, leaving here…."

Either the Dukedom of Darkness or the capital is a feint, and the other is the real target. Logically, the capital is the real target. Is the Duke's aim to keep me away from the capital?

Is he planning to cause something that Patrick can't handle alone in the capital?

The possibility is low, but the opposite could also be true. His goal might be me or this territory, and he's trying to separate Patrick from me.

"Patrick, which do you think is the real target?"

"Nine out of ten, it's the capital."

"I think so too. So, I should go to the capital, right?"

I think the best strategy is for me to handle the main issue, and for Patrick to stay here as a precaution.

After a moment of silence, Patrick looked me in the eye and said,

"Yumiera, you can't ignore the crisis in the capital, can you?"

"Yeah."

"Yumiera, you're worried about this territory too, right?"

"Yeah."

He's confirming my resolve. I have two concerns, but I'm only one person. I think Patrick is giving me the choice, forcing me to make a decision.

He said with an unusually serious face,

"Save one at all costs, and be prepared to abandon the other. Yumiera, choose which is more important: the capital or this territory. The more important one will be handled by you, and the other by me."

"Hehe."

I couldn't help but laugh. Is Patrick trying to be strict? There's also the option of choosing one and going there together.

Patrick has no intention of abandoning either from the start. He's determined to make sure both are safe because we're together.

"Then I'll protect my home. I'm the lord of this territory, after all. Please take care of the capital."

"Understood. I'll return as soon as anything happens."

"Anything like what?"

"When Yumiera does something."

Wait, am I the one who always messes things up?

"Is my trust so low?"

"Since you blew the monster-summoning whistle in your first year at the academy, I haven't trusted you once."

"Then come back when I blow the whistle."

"Got it, let's go, Ryu."

I, with zero trust, am entrusting the capital to Patrick, who trusts me despite my lack of trust. He, with zero trust, is entrusting the territory to me.

Ryu, sensing the tense atmosphere, barked and leaped onto Patrick's back, flying towards the capital.

◆ ◆ ◆

A few minutes later, the outside of the mansion became noisy.

Could the Duke's target be our territory? The timing is too perfect; he might have been monitoring Patrick's departure.

I rushed out of the mansion and saw a carriage with the Duke's family crest. The person who came out was, of course...

"Yumiera! I'm here!"

It's you!

Elenora jumped out of the carriage and ran towards me, almost colliding with me. I gently caught her.

"…Um, what brings you here?"

"Congratulations on your engagement!"

…What are you talking about?

I calmed down the still excited Elenora and led her inside the mansion to ask what was going on. She had only just heard about the proposal yesterday, so how did she know?

"So, where did you hear about the engagement?"

"From this letter! What kind of proposal was it? Oh! A beautiful ring, I've never seen such a gem before."

I left Elenora to her excitement and read the letter she handed me. It said that Patrick and I were getting married and that a wedding would be held in the territory soon.

I had no memory of sending such a letter, so I checked the envelope. My signature was clearly there, and it was definitely my handwriting.

Could this be an invitation to the "Congratulations on Patrick Level 99" party? What kind of mix-up is this? Damon must be more clumsy than I thought.

Well, the marriage is certain, so it's fine. We'll be happy.

Phew, I was taken aback by the carefree lady.

What was it again? The Duke's coup? There's no way he would leave his daughter and do something so grand. Maybe everyone is mistaken, like with the wedding invitation.

I noticed the envelope Elenora was holding under her arm. It's not the letter I sent, right?

"Miss Elenora, what's in that envelope?"

"Huh? The envelope? …Oh! This is a letter I need to deliver to my brother."

"To Ronald?"

It seemed to be a letter unrelated to me.

Elenora then began to tear open the envelope. A few documents fell out.

"Is it okay to open it?"

"It's a family letter. There's no problem with me reading it."

I'm not sure about that. Even family members have privacy… Wait, she has no siblings other than her brother, and her mother has passed away. So, it's from the Duke to Ronald?

Elenora read the documents with a serious face and then handed them to me.

"I don't understand. Does Yumiera understand?"

"Well… I shouldn't read it, right?"

Despite my words, curiosity got the better of me, and I skimmed through the documents.

They were plans for a coup. The capital would be attacked by monsters, and during the chaos, the king and crown prince would be captured, and the kingdom's power would be seized. Skilled mercenaries from the neighboring country of Remrest would also be hired.

A meeting of radical nobles who support the Duke was also planned for tonight.

"…I shouldn't have read this."

I was forced to read something very important. Why did the Duke send this to Ronald? Is Ronald planning to betray and join the Duke's side?

As I was thinking, a small note slipped out from between the documents. Elenora picked it up from the floor and read it aloud.

"To Ronald, take care of Elenora… Oh, Father, I'm fine on my own."

I couldn't predict how her brother would act, but one thing was clear.

The Duke of Hillrose is definitely up to no good. He's planning a coup. How should I tell her…?

Elenora asked the one thing I didn't want her to ask.

"So, what did the letter say?"

"…The Duke of Hillrose, your father, is planning a coup."

She will find out eventually, sooner or later. So, I might as well tell her now.

"A coup?"

"Rebellion… In other words, he's trying to overthrow the king and turn the kingdom upside down."

"Such…."

Even she was shocked. She lowered her head and trembled. After a while, she looked up and said firmly,

"That's impossible!"

"But the Duke's plan is right here…"

"That's impossible… Maybe I won't be able to marry Edwin."

I thought she was worried about her marriage to the prince, but it seemed to be something else. Her voice grew darker as she continued,

"Maybe Yumiera doesn't like me."

"What are you saying all of a sudden…"

"Maybe my brother doesn't think highly of me either."

Elenora, repeating negative statements, lowered her head again. She looked like she was about to cry and continued,

"Maybe no one likes me at all."

"Miss Elenora?"

As I approached her with concern, she shouted, tears streaming down her face,

"But! But, Father! He absolutely loves this country, the Balshain Kingdom! There are many things in the world that I don't understand, and I don't know what others are thinking, but Father's love for the country is absolute!"

Elenora, sobbing, declared that the Duke of Hillrose loves the kingdom. She buried her face in my chest and cried like a child.

Eventually, exhausted from crying, she fell asleep.

As I looked at Elenora's sleeping face, Rita timidly handed me a crumpled piece of paper.

"It was thrown at the front door."

"This is…."

The crumpled paper had the Duke's family crest, and the message was very brief.

"Waiting outside the city."

The person waiting is obvious. The time for a showdown with the cruel father who made his only daughter cry is near.