Chapter 75

"…Lady Letty, you’re quite something, aren’t you?"

"…Oh, what are you talking about, Rudy?"

Lady Letty, Alfred’s younger sister, asked with a mischievous grin, despite knowing the answer. I opened my mouth to respond to her question.

"About… the exchange just now. From the start, your goal was to get permission to go out, wasn’t it?"

"Hehe, you got it right."

It was true that she wanted to meet Iris, but that was more of a bonus. What she truly sought was the permission to go out, and my guess hit the mark perfectly.

I placed a large stack of documents on her study desk. Her study was smaller than Alfred’s and had cute little trinkets placed here and there, but the number and content of the books on the shelves were not very princess-like.

"I learned this from my brother, you know? In negotiations, it’s easier to get what you really want if you first present a more difficult, less acceptable demand. It worked perfectly, didn’t it?"

"Indeed, it did," I laughed.

"…That’s why you kept mentioning your relationship with Iris. You’re quite the sly one."

"Hehe… I might have exaggerated a bit. It seems my brother noticed halfway through."

"…That’s right."

Thinking back, that bitter expression he had at the time must have been because of that. Alfred probably realized what Letty wanted by then. Still, he let her play out her plan, perhaps out of respect for her feelings.

She sat down in the chair at her study desk, a beautiful piece with a white base. It was easy to imagine that past royal children had written letters on such a desk, but the reality of the numerous documents scattered on it shattered that fantasy.

"Well, I did get the verbal commitment. If I happen to meet the Duchess of Armenia in the capital, I can’t be blamed, can I?"

"That’s why you’re in such a hurry…"

The commotion is over, but Iris will likely stay in the capital for a while longer. There’s still the aftermath of the various troubles caused by Edward to deal with.

"Yes. My desire to meet the Duchess of Armenia is genuine."

"…Why are you so fixated on her? I understand it’s natural to be concerned seeing your dear brother heartbroken, but—"

"…That’s true. You’re right, Rudy. But it’s not because of the fear of losing my dear brother, as you might imagine."

Her quick and accurate assessment of my thoughts, followed by her denial, left me with no choice but to wait for her to continue.

Without responding, I remained silent, and she chuckled.

"Of course, there’s a bit of that. …But simply put, I’m curious. For example… ‘that brother’ has a very narrow world. As a child, he was protected by Elria, and as an adult, he surrounds himself with people who say pleasant things. Isn’t the result of this the annulment of his engagement to the Duchess of Armenia?"

By ‘that brother,’ she meant Edward, whom she always refers to as ‘that brother.’

"However, in a different sense, my brother’s world is also narrow. In his world, there are only me and Rudy. The rest are either useful or not, and he keeps them based on that criterion, I think."

Her words finally made me understand what she was trying to say. Indeed, Alfred’s world might be narrow in a different way from Edward’s.

It’s not about having limited knowledge, but about who he seeks out. He doesn’t need someone just because they are useful… but someone he can trust, seek advice from, and have casual conversations with. Such a person is rare. It’s only Letty and, to a lesser extent, myself.

"As a royal, it might be inevitable. But I think my brother is particularly so. In a palace full of enemies, he had to carry the burden of being a liability from a young age. Perhaps that was unavoidable."

Letty sighed.

"…But that’s not an excuse. The people under my brother, who act based on cost-benefit calculations, are there because of his abilities. This is a strength, but relying solely on it makes his position fragile. To put it in a naive way, it’s the lack of bonds… or a sense of solidarity. If my brother makes a mistake, they might leave him immediately."

Indeed, her reasoning made sense. Currently, those under Prince Alfred are the emerging and provincial nobles. They have joined him because of their own solid achievements. If they were to choose a more capable prince… well, compared to Edward, it would be Prince Alfred.

However, if they were to choose based on such criteria… if there were two equally capable individuals, and they were asked which one to support, the answer would be ‘either one is fine.’

Initially, there were many neutral parties, perhaps for this reason.

"…The neutral parties leaning slightly towards my brother this time was mainly due to the House of Armenia siding with him. Why did the head of the House of Armenia choose my brother? Yes, it could be because he was seen as such. But with such a large house, they could have ignored it and remained neutral, or even resigned and retreated to their territory, citing the expulsion scandal. Yet, the head stayed and openly supported my brother, becoming his right hand… because he felt a sense of gratitude, perhaps?"

"…Because he felt a sense of gratitude?"

"Yes. The risk of dividing the country was taken, and the choice was made because Prince Alfred himself helped the House of Armenia unconditionally, wasn’t it?"

"…A gain that wasn’t calculated…"

"Yes. …And if we look ahead to the end of the conflict, shouldn’t we increase such allies, Rudy?"

"…To strengthen the royal power, yes."

"Yes. If it’s just about consolidating the power of the nobles, as the kings of the past did… with my brother’s abilities, it shouldn’t be difficult in the current peacetime. Well, even in wartime, he has strong connections with the military, so there shouldn’t be any problems commanding the army as a king."

…Indeed, as Letty said, if you consider that the top of the military is Grandfather and that Dean, Prince Alfred, is involved in the training, it seems likely that they would follow him. He blends in quite well. In that setting, Prince Alfred acts as Dean, not as a prince, which is why he doesn’t create barriers.

"…I digress, but if we want to accelerate the strengthening of royal power in the future, my brother needs to solidify his own camp… That’s what I think."

"I see. Lady Letty—"

"…What is it?"

"…You really haven’t been allowed to go out, have you?"

I couldn’t help but ask, based on her previous words. I mean, it’s not normal to hear such a detailed analysis from a younger girl, even considering her royal status.

"…What’s wrong? Why the sudden question?"

"You talk as if you’re a part of it, so I couldn’t help but ask."

"…It’s the opposite. It’s because I’m confined here that I want to know as much as possible about the outside world and make inferences."

"…Is that so?"

"Yes, it is."

I felt a sense of loss. Even to a layman, it’s clear that someone with her talent, who can show such insight, might not be given the opportunity to use her full potential.

"It’s not a loss at all, Rudy. After all, I haven’t conducted negotiations myself. Anyone can analyze events that have already happened, right?"

…Not anyone can do that. How highly does Letty view others? The lack of social interaction must have its drawbacks…

Moreover, Letty, did you just read my thoughts? If you have that skill, I think you could do well in negotiations.

Thinking this, Letty smiled. …Can she read my thoughts right now? The thought made me laugh.