Side Story 37. Anemone Smiled Brightly (13)
"What do you mean?"
As he glared at me, I couldn't find the slightest bit of anger that had arisen a moment ago.
"Your Highness the Duke has already gathered what I mean, right? Do you need any more confirmation from me?”
Duke Arthemius's expression slightly hardened at my answer. His only son, Arcanta, was in a very similar position to me. He and I were in a unique situation where we were the only successors to the dukes, individuals who had power that nearly rivaled that of the imperial family. This would have been very unpleasant to the emperor's eyes.
"And if I want to verify this?" Duke Arthemius stared at me seriously, swallowing dryly.
I leisurely answered while taking a sip of tea. "Well, it’s not like I can't talk about it, so to answer you, the Blood Emperor wanted to take me as a daughter-in-law and attempted to swallow my family. As empress and duke, my son would become a crown prince and the heir to the duchy, so the duchy would naturally get merged.”
Of course, when he proposed to me, it didn’t seem like the crown prince calculated this and acted based on these politics. If he had plotted this, he would have tried to forcibly gain my hand, but his response after I refused his proposal was a word of apology.
Based on the information collected through Sister Armand, after I refused, the emperor and the crown prince seemed to have been largely divided. If I were to make a rough guess, the emperor probably tried to force the wedding between the crown prince and me, and the crown prince opposed it. If this were true, the proposal was only an opportunity, but their conflict was because of their vastly different political tendencies.
“I see. So, that’s why His Highness the Crown Prince...”
The information about the crown prince getting dumped was top-secret as it was a scandal.
Nevertheless, as if he could gather what had happened, Duke Arthemius muttered gravely, "Of course you refused. So, the Blood Emperor has been aiming for your life, and after sensing this, you purposely drew attention to yourself by killing the emperor's envoy?”
As expected, he was a formidable nobleman. Just from me telling him that I’d almost become the crown princess, he clearly pointed out the basis of my actions.
"That's right. I had to pay attention not only to my life but also to the Asteria family."
At my affirmation, Duke Arthemius laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha! That's why he even issued a wanted order to his only child. After all, even if it is the Blood Emperor, he won’t be able to recklessly manipulate Duke Asteria, someone who gave up their own child.”
As he spoke in admiration, the duke suddenly asked me curiously, "Who made this plan? Was it Duke Asteria-nim? Or was it you?”
He changed the name-ending from a casual “you" to a formal "you.” This meant that he recognized me as a pillar and a vassal supporting the Asteria Duchy. Not just as my father's child.
"It was me. Fortunately, His Highness Duke Asteria was not cold-hearted enough to abandon his daughter for the sake of the family.”
"I see. Then I ask you, the strategist of the Asteria Duchy, for advice. What should I do in order for my son to live?" Duke Arthemius was asking this both as a duke and as a father.
I gently put down the teacup I was holding and answered, "Duke Arthemius’s life is also tied to his child’s life. If you have the courage to go against the sword that aims for your neck, you will live, but if you are frightened and trap yourself in your territory, you will die."
The Blood Emperor would likely order Arcanta to serve under him when he gets older, just like he did to me. For me, it was being a crown princess, but for Arcanta, he would probably give him a position worthy of a duke. If he refused, the Blood Emperor would likely try to kill him as he did with me. If I were to guess what position it would be, he’d probably be made prime minister or chief attendant.
"Hmm... Is that so? If this is true, then I’ll need to give him more education.” The duke seemed to have realized what I was saying.
The fact that Duke Arthemius said he’d have Arcanta build his knowledge meant that he would send him to be a prime minister rather than the chief attendant. It was a wise decision. The chief attendant of the Blood Emperor was a perilous position where outside eyes could not reach.
Therefore, the only way to live was to be the prime minister, who could be active externally. Of course, even if he were prime minister, his life would still be at risk. Just as the Blood Emperor was trying to swallow the Asteria Duchy, he’d also be trying to get rid of the Arthemius Duchy. It was natural since the Blood Emperor’s goal was to make the feudal system nominal and establish a perfect absolute imperial power.
"Then, I'd like to hear Your Highness's opinion on my proposal.”
He had to choose whether to accept my hand or refuse and enter the path of decline.
Duke Arthemius smiled. "I can't make a judgment yet. I will refrain from giving an answer."
I smiled broadly at the duke's answer. "That is a wise choice."
Duke Arthemius’s decision was reserved. In other words, it was not a rejection. Which meant that even if he didn’t hold hands with the Asteria family and me, he wouldn't join with the Blood Emperor.
Children were precious to dukes too.
In the first place, I knew that the chances of us immediately cooperating were extremely slim even if I talked with him for a hundred days. Still, the desired results were achieved since I prevented Duke Arthemius and the Blood Emperor from riding the same boat.
Let's leave what's left to my father. He would have recognized my intention and won over Viscount Carter.
Seeing my smile, Duke Arthemius smiled bitterly. "Who knows, perhaps it's a wiser choice to join hands with you now. In my eyes, you seem to be more dangerous than the Blood Emperor.”
That's too much. How do I look more dangerous than that greedy wolf?
"So regarding cooperating, I’ll reserve my decision. Next time, let’s meet at an official reception hall, not at a place like this."
I readily nodded at the duke's words.
However, we didn’t know that this would be the last meeting between Duke Arthemius and me. When Asteria and Arthemius met in the future, the duke and I would already be dead.
* * *
Once I emerged from the room after the meeting with Duke Arthemius, Doomstone looked at me and waved. "Did you finish what you wanted to say?"
"I managed to convey what I wanted. But strangely, you look happy?”
He seemed to be energized and refreshed as if he had just finished exercising, which made me feel similarly energized and refreshed.
Doomstone rolled his eyes. "Uhhhh? Just because?"
He seemed to have found no excuse even after rolling his eyes like that.
I looked at Roland as he waited for Duke Arthemius, who was lost in thought in the room. "Count Roland-nim, why are you wearing sunglasses that you don’t usually wear?"
Glont ahjussi said that securing visibility was as important as weapon maintenance for people who lived by the sword. So, it seemed strange for a knight like Roland to wear sunglasses that clouded one’s view.
"Ahem! I just dressed up to be cool." Roland avoided my gaze as he said that.
Sunglasses that block the view, and a warrior wearing them indoors to look cool?
When I looked at Doomstone again, Doomstone also avoided my gaze.
Hmm~ That's suspicious.
"Did you guys fight?” I asked assuredly.
Fighting was what Doomstone liked the most in the world, even more than eating food. My guess was obvious since he’d previously said his hands were itching. Doomstone had turned his head and avoided my gaze, but I could see his pupils shaking.
"Then the sunglasses are for...?”
"No! It’s really for looking cool!" Roland blushed and waved his hands, excessively denying this.
It looked even more suspicious. I poked Doomstone's side and whispered to him, "So what's the truth?”
"The eyes behind those glasses are now like chestnuts."
Roland raised his voice as he watched Doomstone respond in a soft whisper. "Ah, no! You! You said you'd keep it a secret!”
The whisper was extremely muffled, but as expected, a superhuman also had keen hearing.
At Roland's protest, Doomstone snorted and shrugged. "Hmph, when did I say that? Old Man, you just asked me to keep it a secret. When did I agree?”
"You…! You reckless fellow!"
"What? Do you want to fight again? I don’t mind!"
As Doomstone smiled and took a fighting stance, Roland flinched and trembled with anger. "Didn’t I say only once while His Highness was chatting?!"
Was he just shaking because he was scared? Ayy, no way. He was called the strongest in the Empire, next to Sir Achilles.
"Who cares? Let's fight with your subordinates as well this time. They seemed to be quite useful,” Doomstone said.
"Ugh!"
Roland made a distressed sound. I glanced at Doomstone and smiled pleasantly as I said, "I told you they were important guests, right?"
Doomstone’s smiling face hardened. Then, he panicked and made excuses. "I, I didn’t one-sidedly ask for a fight! Two hands have to hit to clap! That old man agreed to fight!"
I looked at Roland. Roland took out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe his eyes under the sunglasses. "Sob, sob! I said I didn't want to.”
“Ah! No! Old Man, are you going to be like this?”
When Doomstone reached out in fluster, Roland exaggeratedly covered his face with his arm and made a fuss. "Oh, my! He's hitting an old man!"
"Are you really going to be like this?!”
Doomstone's expression of injustice is really funny. Cute.
At Doomstone's shouting, the swollen blue-green eyes under the sunglasses seemed to be saying that you started first.
Should I tease him, too?
"Oh my! Doomstone! Did you actually mercilessly beat an old man?” I teased as both Doomstone and Roland became intimidated.
"No, I only fought because that old man agreed!"
"Khmm! I may be old, but it’s still not okay to beat me so one-sidedly" Roland coughed dryly as if his pride as a knight was hurt.
"No. Your eyelids turned so blue to the point they’re almost black, and you’re floundering and trying to defend yourself with your arms, so what could you do? Doomstone! I told you not to fight!”
Roland's expression became more distorted than Doomstone’s at my nagging. But what could I do? After all, I had to match my words to my actions just now. Regardless of whether he was a great knight or not, now he had no choice but to act like an old man who got viciously beaten.
Doomstone smiled at Roland as if to say, ‘serves you right,’ and Roland cursed at Doomstone with his expression because he couldn’t say anything.
I couldn't stand the childish war of nerves between the two men and burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"
It was really funny. Even though I hadn’t lived long, meeting Doomstone was the best choice I made. I couldn’t stop the laughter. I was so happy that I almost cried.
At the sound of my laughter, Doomstone and Roland looked at me with puzzled faces. I wiped my eyes, still laughing. Then, I put on the wig, hat, and sunglasses again and said, "Well, since I've finished about half of my business, let's go for a walk."
"Huh? Where?"
At Doomstone’s question, I shrugged. "I don't know. Wherever my feet take me? Since it’s Harvest Day, don’t you think we should enjoy it?”
"Okay! Then let's go right away!"
I think it would be fun to go anywhere with you. I held Doomstone's hand and pulled him along.
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