Chapter 74

"......Well then. It's been a while since I've moved my body."

"Are you going to infiltrate the military training again?"

"Yes. Since General Gazelle is here, it's a good opportunity."

I have been taken care of by General Gazelle since I was a child. I received training here in this palace, and even now, thanks to his connections, I occasionally participate in the military training. The knights aside, the military's main duty is to maintain public order in the city. It's precisely because I don't stand on the front stage that I can do this.

"......Brother. Moving your body is fine, but please use your head and hands first."

Sighing, Leticia appeared. Her nickname is Leti. She is my younger sister by the same mother and the third in line to the throne. She is a lovely girl with golden hair and soft emerald green eyes, resembling the face of our mother, whom I vaguely remember.

"Leti, are you done already?"

"Yes, Brother. While you were plotting evil and meeting your beloved, I finished."

Her smile was very lovely, but her eyes were not smiling. Without a word, she placed the documents she was holding on the desk.

"This is a bonus. ...I had some concerns about the flow of money."

While I am out, Leti handles the practical work. With the king now ill, the practical work I used to handle has increased, and without her, I wouldn't have been able to go out at all.

Sadly, she understood her delicate position from a young age—being in the midst of the power struggle within the palace. From that time, she studied not only academics but also administration with great enthusiasm.

Her practical skills and abilities are even recognized by the Duke of Armenia, the prime minister.

"You've become quite efficient. ...With this, I can rest assured and continue to entrust you with the work in the future."

"Brother, while you're saying that, please don't start planning your next outing."

I flipped through the report. There was nothing to add. In fact, she had even covered the areas that I usually overlook due to my frequent travels.

"The Minister of Personnel is on the side of the Second Prince. In such small matters, they inevitably fall behind."

"......Indeed."

The administration of the capital is divided into seven departments: Finance, Military, Law, Foreign Affairs, Personnel, Education, and Engineering. The prime minister oversees these, and above him is the king. The administration's job is to manage the royal direct-controlled territories, solidify the country's policies, and negotiate with the lords.

The power of the lords is immense, and thus it takes a lot of time to reconcile with them in the process of running the country. Therefore, I want to further centralize power, but the powerful nobles still stand in the way, making it difficult to move forward.

To change the subject.

The Minister of Finance, the Duke of Sagittarius, the Military, and Foreign Affairs are on my side.

On the other hand, the Personnel, Engineering, and Education departments are on the side of the Second Prince.

The Education department, in particular, is where people sent by the Daryl Church infiltrate the government, but after the recent excommunication scandal, the Second Prince's faction was purged, and the church is in chaos, so it is currently non-functional. I want to take this opportunity to completely separate it from the government.

Incidentally, the Law department is neutral. The Duke of Armenia, the prime minister, was also neutral before, but after the excommunication scandal, he is now seen as being on our side.

"Corrupt and pocketing money... How could a minister with personnel authority do such a thing..."

"He was too eager to play the game of musical chairs within the palace."

She sarcastically pointed out that he had not only used the embezzled funds for himself but also distributed them as bribes.

"While my brother and I play our territorial game, he was playing his own game to gain a position. ...There are games being played everywhere."

"You put it well. ...By the way, Brother."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Let me meet the daughter of the Duke of Armenia."

Her intensity, with her eyes shining, slightly overwhelmed me.

"......Why suddenly?"

Perhaps because of that, I foolishly asked more questions instead of cutting the conversation short.

"As a woman, I want to deepen my relationship with a rare and unique talent involved in politics. ...That's the official reason, but the real reason is that I have a close relationship with you."

"......I am not as close to her as you think."

"Oh! Surely not? You missed a golden opportunity to weaken the Duke of Armenia's power."

"That's..."

"Let's not talk about that. ...?"

Her sharp pursuit and the gleam in her eyes, which told me that any argument would be futile, made me sigh.

"......Even if I agree to meet her, I can't bring her here. Besides, you hardly ever leave the palace, let alone the capital."

"It will be safe with Brother and Rudy."

"......If the opportunity arises."

"See, you're going to leave me behind again. How cruel. Right, Rudy?"

"......I can't say anything about that."

Rudy, suddenly addressed, was smiling wryly. As for me, I probably had a bitter expression on my face.

"Rudy, too, reacts like that!"

Rudy's words made Leti pout in dissatisfaction. But then she sighed and her shoulders drooped, and the playful atmosphere suddenly turned dark.

I didn't want to hear what she would say next, but I silently waited for her to speak.

"......Let's put aside the matter of Lady Aries. Seriously, I want to experience the outside world more. As a member of the royal family, I want to walk around the city and see the people's lives with my own eyes."

"Do you understand your position and still wish for that?"

Leti's range of activities is limited to this palace and the royal palace. It's not just because she is a royal child.

She looks too much like our mother, and this resemblance becomes more apparent as she grows older. I understand that if the king, who is her father, sees her growing up, he will undoubtedly dote on her. However, the more he dotes on her, the more it could endanger her life.

For Elria, seeing the king dote on Leti, who resembles our mother, would be unpleasant. Already, Leti and I are a nuisance to her. If we provoke her, she might take direct action. Neither I nor the king can be with her 24/7. Moreover, seeing the king's pathological love for our mother, I can't even trust him.

...I know. This is my ego. I'm afraid of losing her, so I keep her locked away. I don't want to be powerless again, like I was when I lost our mother.

I might be as sick as the king, keeping Leti in a birdcage to avoid the fear of losing her.

"......I understand. If something happens, I will be nothing but a burden. But I still want to see the outside world. Even if I can't participate in society, you might think it's a big deal, but I want to see it."

I looked at Leti intently. ...She has really grown up.

"Even so, I want to see the outside world. I don't want to live comfortably in this fortress, seeing only what I want to see, like my brother."

...I know. If I keep her locked away, she will eventually leave on her own. It's better that she is negotiating with me like this.

"Alright."

"......What?"

"Will you walk around the city with us? It's fine when I and Rudy are with you."

"......Thank you, Brother!"

Leti smiled happily.

"Then, let's finish the remaining documents quickly. Brother, please don't delay your work and go out early."

"Alright, I understand."

She was in a good mood and picked up a different stack of documents from the ones she had placed earlier. These were the ones I had just finished. She left the room with them.

"Ah, Lady Leti, I'll carry them."

Rudy followed her out of the room.