Chapter 77

1/2

Lady Letty gently stood up. Then, she turned her back to me and walked all the way to the window.

I thought she was going to do something, but she just seemed to be gazing at the view below.

"…Do you remember, Rudy? The time we first met?"

"Yes, of course. When I was brought to the castle by Lord Alfred, you were behind Lord Alfred, and it took a while for you to show your face."

"…That’s right, wasn’t it?"

Letty agreed slightly bashfully and smiled as if reminiscing.

"It was fun… very, very fun. We often played in the garden below, didn’t we? When I was young, I couldn’t step outside this castle at all. I had never even been to the town, let alone the royal palace. I looked forward so much to you coming with my brother… My grandmother, my brother, and you were my entire world."

"…Lady Letty…"

"Rudy, don’t look at me like that. I am happy. Indeed, there are many things I am curious about, like what the social world is like, what the school is like, and what the children of my age talk about…"

Since childhood, I have been known as frail, and I have never interacted with children of my age or attended school. It’s a situation that truly fits the phrase 'a bird in a cage.'

"…But, I understand that being protected is more important than that."

The conflict with Lady Elria, and the current struggle for power among the nobility. It refers to how the Queen Dowager and Lord Alfred thoroughly kept Lady Letty away from these things.

"…I don’t know about my grandmother, but my brother never treated me as a tool. He must have thought of the idea of marrying me off in this situation."

Indeed, that’s true. Lady Letty could have been married into a family with influence among the opposing nobles.

"…Well, regarding the marriage between the neutral faction and the family of my brother’s faction, it could also lead to complications if I were to have a child, which would be troublesome for my brother."

As Lady Letty said, that’s why Lord Alfred is holding back the Queen Dowager.

"‘If Letty had a child when Edward was expelled?’"

The current royal family’s direct line is small. There are Lord Alfred, Lord Edward, and Lady Letty.

Lord Alfred and Lord Edward are currently in conflict. This struggle, involving the nobility, was initiated by Lord Edward and his family to make Lord Edward the king. The worst-case scenario for the loser is death, and the best is lifelong confinement.

If… though it’s an ominous thought… Lord Alfred were to lose, the most likely outcome would be death. It’s hard to imagine Lady Elria letting it end with just confinement.

Therefore, Lord Alfred cannot back down from this fight…

Let’s get back to the topic.

No matter who wins, one side will fall from the royal family.

If Lady Letty were to get married and have a child before Lord Alfred’s victory.

The only direct descendant left in the royal family would be Lord Alfred. In that situation, the family Lady Letty marries into would surely think:

"If something happens to Lord Alfred, a king will come from our family."

…This could ignite a new conflict.

That’s why Lord Alfred is holding back the Queen Dowager.

"But, not recommending marriage within my brother’s faction is probably to keep me from being targeted before settling things with Elria. Pretending to be frail and keeping me off the stage is to distance me from such schemes… I really am being protected by my brother, aren’t I?"

"…That’s because Lady Letty is very important to him."

"…Hehehe. That’s right. …So, will I get married only after my brother wins? Or if he loses, I’ll be used as a pawn, like being married off to another country?"

…At the word 'marriage' from Lady Letty, I felt a slight pain in my chest.

But it was such a brief moment that I thought it was just my imagination… and quickly focused back on the conversation with Lady Letty.

"…There were times I felt anxious and lonely. But, that time was the most fun, wasn’t it?"

Lady Letty said this with a sad smile. Then, she put away her smile and changed to a serious, determined expression.

"…Rudy, we must win. For my brother, for me, and for the Duchess of Armenia."

"That’s right."

"First, we need to counter the obstruction of trade by the House of Armenia. My brother must have already taken some steps, right?"

"Yes, well…"

"I will do whatever I can to help."

Lady Letty smiled and concluded.