“What should we do?”
The aide, who had been surveying the surroundings, lowered his voice a little further and cautiously inquired. His tone was filled with concern.
Yet, in stark contrast to the aide’s high-strung tension, Heinri answered lightly.
“Leave them be.”
“But… Her Majesty’s suspicions are growing increasingly excessive.”
Heinri was well aware of that. The agents Fressian had planted were not limited to Count Hasson; they were weaving tales throughout the imperial palace to create the flow of events they desired.
Anelli had said that since Fressian was dealt with, the little sprouts within the palace should resolve themselves.
Those who have lost their leader will immediately fall into chaos, and if we strike swiftly now, we could likely clean them up without much trouble.
But Heinri decided against it.
“What will become of excessive suspicion?”
Heinri glanced sideways at the aide. Seeing the aide unable to readily answer, he offered a faint smile.
“It is a sickness.”
The aide’s eyes widened. Heinri, withdrawing his gaze from him, stared straight ahead and continued indifferently.
“A monarch who has lost proper judgment is apt to turn into a tyrant, and a vassal in their right mind would be unable to follow such a ruler.”
“But the official position of successor is still…”
The aide trailed off.
Heinri stated firmly.
“It was Her Majesty who elevated the successor. Then, it must also be Her Majesty who can pull them down. So, leave it be.”
Anelli’s words surfaced in Heinri’s mind. *Since our intentions align, I shall repay you properly.*
She was right.
“Her suspicions will spread like wildfire and soon consume the successor she cherished.”
There was no reason to find patience vexing. As long as he shared Anelli’s purpose, reigning above all was a foregone conclusion.
* * *
On the day I returned from the Lindea River, Lilia was flustered to see me perfectly fine.
And as one day passed, then two, her complexion gradually worsened until today, when she claimed to be ill and shut herself in her bedroom.
Though she called it a fever, I knew the real reason perfectly well.
“So the bodies have finally been discovered?”
I asked, straightening my posture in the private room where I was spending a leisurely afternoon.
In response to my question, Zigore, who had come after hearing the news from outside, reported cheerfully.
[Yes, that’s what they say!]
“You’ve worked hard going back and forth.”
[Not at all!]
At my praise, Zigore puffed up his feathers fully as he answered.
Originally, Tristan, who mainly stuck close to Lilia, had decided to stay by the Lindea River for a while to search for traces of monsters, so his duties were now taken over by Zigore.
Zigore busily kept watch around Lilia and inquired about news from outside.
Right after returning from the river, he seemed listless, but after what seemed like a private conversation with Mori, he regained his usual lively self, which was fortunate.
However… it seemed they had a big fight.
‘They still aren’t greeting each other.’
Seeing them avoid looking at each other for days now, even while placed side by side, confirmed it.
Even now, Zigore must clearly see Mori coiled up in a corner of the desk.
I’m keeping an eye on it for now, but if it starts affecting daily life, I might have to intervene.
‘I never thought I’d be mediating a dispute between a sparrow and a snake…’
Anyway, apart from that, the news Zigore brought was worth welcoming.
“Yes, that’s news worthy of her taking to her bed.”
I nodded and murmured.
Although Fressian and his subordinates were discovered after some time had passed, the shattered trees and wounds on the bodies led to the conclusion that it was the work of monsters.
The problem, however, was that while everyone was saying it was the work of monsters, the Emperor alone believed it might be magic.
Because of this, the formation of the subjugation force to hunt the monsters still hadn’t been completed.
Naturally, the voices of the imperial citizens seeking me grew louder, and Father found it increasingly difficult to keep me hidden.
‘At most until tomorrow? He’ll probably tell me to step forward for now, won’t he?’
Since the Emperor suspects the Magic Tower and is also fostering distrust regarding the Resurrected One, he’ll think harboring me is dangerous.
While declaring me the minor duke of Roam right away is difficult, he’ll likely propose that he’ll sort things out soon, so for now, let’s resolve the empire’s urgent matter first.
Of course, since I never intended to become a minor duke in the first place, there was no longer any need to buy time through Heinri, which actually made things easier.
‘Anyway, Father is away from the mansion more often lately, busy placating the Emperor.’
Thanks to that, it’s become much easier for me to search Father’s study. What a virtuous cycle!
Although it deviated somewhat from the plan I had when I first entered Roam, in the end, everything was flowing in a very favorable direction for me.
“It’s quite noisy outside, though.”
At my murmur, Samuel, who was observing outside from a window, subtly replied.
“It seems the workers are moving luggage.”
“Ah, was today the day Mother decided to remove all of Sister’s belongings?”
For several days, Sister Phrygian had desperately tried to somehow reclaim the position of minor duke before I, as the Resurrected One, made my journey to the Lindea River.
However, Sister’s fatal mistake was trying to persuade Father first.
Having worked primarily with Father as the minor duke, Sister seemed to have momentarily forgotten Mother’s power.
Or perhaps, she didn’t think Mother would go this far.
“Yes, I heard they were loading it onto a luggage carriage at noon!”
Pallides said with a bright voice.
Previously, Father had personally taken Sister Phrygian to the Kendal barony to try to annul the marriage, but failed.
Afterwards, Mother, furious with Sister Phrygian, declared she would send her eldest daughter, who had damaged the family’s dignity and run off in a stolen marriage, to the barony as a bride.
‘A bride, in name only.’
In reality, it was casting her out. Given how the servants were already whispering about Sister’s unprecedented actions, she likely had no choice to calm the household atmosphere.
‘And as a direct blood relative, she must also bear responsibility for my actions.’
If problems arose with this marriage, the Kendal barony would surely clamor that they had been tricked into marriage by the eldest daughter of Roam.
It was only natural that the atmosphere among the knights who followed Sister became wretched.
Actually, after the incident where I had Pallides spar with them, I visited a couple more times and did similar things.
The more frequent it became, the more visibly their spirits dampened; with this latest event, they must have fallen into complete self-loathing, right?
I asked as if murmuring to myself.
“No knights picking fights lately?”
“Even if they fight, they’re no match at all. They’re all just weaklings.”
“They’ve been acting like street ruffians lately; one couldn’t find any of the pride a knight should possess.”
Pallides clicked her tongue and disparaged the Roam knights. Samuel also calmly assessed the Roam knights.
I nodded, sank deeper into the chair, and rested my chin on my hand.
“I see…”
After pondering for a moment, I took out a sheet of paper. I wrote a brief passage straight down, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it.
“Pallides, could you deliver this secretly to Sister Phrygian?”
“Yes!”
Pallides took the letter and left the private room. I watched her retreating figure intently for a moment, then stood up.
As I approached the window where Samuel was keeping watch, I saw workers bustling about outside.
“As a younger sibling, I couldn’t even give a proper wedding gift, so I should take care of it now.”
Having been so coldly cast out by the mother she trusted, Sister Phrygian must be shuddering with a sense of betrayal.
And when she finds out that Mother secretly introduced Sayri to the Crown Prince, how much more furious will she be?
I felt the corners of my mouth naturally form a smooth curve.
Ah, I suppose I was pleased.
* * *
Ganik, who was looking after the large Bark and the baby Lizardman, and Nadav returned to the bracelet.
And Tristan and Zigore, Pallides and Minte were busy handling various tasks assigned by Anelli.
The only idle one among the Dullahans was Mori, who was simply lurking in a corner of the private room.
Since the day she returned from the river and questioned Mori about monster information, Anelli hadn’t particularly ordered him to do anything more. Nor did she tell him to enter the bracelet.
She just left Mori loose in the room and went about her own business.
Today was the same. Anelli said she should go watch the raging Phrygian and left for a while, and the other Dullahans also went off to their respective tasks.
Mori, who had been quietly coiled up guarding the private room, raised his head at the sound of the door opening.
Minte, who knew how to easily open a doorknob, was entering the private room.
[Mori.]
Minte, staring coldly at Mori, briefly scanned the room. Confirming no one else was there, she asked in a calm tone.
[Why on earth are you acting like this?]
[Wh-what?]
[I thought you, of all people, would have been waiting for the Captain, but you’re nothing like that now.]
At Minte’s words, Mori hesitated and averted his gaze. Minte, who seemed to be observing Mori’s reaction closely, slowly rose.
[You’ve changed a lot.]
[Y-you’re the ones who changed.]
Mori, curling up tightly, retorted as if mumbling.
[H-how can you all be so peaceful?]
[What are you talking about?]
Mori didn’t answer, but Minte didn’t press him. She merely glared with an intense gaze.
Unable to withstand that gaze, Mori reluctantly opened his mouth.
[Th-the Captain was strong and merciful. Not a sc-scary person like that.]
At Mori’s words, Minte narrowed her eyes. Her swaying tail betrayed her low spirits.
But Mori didn’t stop speaking. Because he too had been feeling terribly stifled for days.
[He was someone who tried to save even one more life.]
Not a human who would destroy everything and then laugh coldly like that.
Mori’s words didn’t continue.
[Mori.]
Because Minte bared her teeth and let out a low growl.
[If you dare raise a hand against the Captain, I’ll deal with you first.]
Having warned in a voice full of displeasure, Minte swiftly turned and leaped nimbly up to the open windowsill.
Mori, looking up at Minte who had gone outside with a gloomy gaze, buried his head dejectedly.
[You know nothing.]
He muttered in a resentful tone and fell silent for a long while.
But soon, unable to bear the frustration, he opened his mouth again.
[Why does no one else remember?]
The voice, brimming with tears, was a soliloquy expecting no answer.
So Mori couldn’t help but startle at the voice that abruptly cut in.
“Remember what?”