“Succession conflict?”
“...Let’s hear it, go on.”
Agnes and Ethan showed interest in the discussion about Princess Rainy’s succession dispute. As the only nobles among them, they seemed to have a firmer understanding of the subject, while the others stayed silent, waiting for Lydia to continue, still unclear on ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) her exact meaning.
“To start, Her Majesty the Queen, Princess Rainy’s mother, was not originally entitled to the throne.”
“...What?”
“Considering that, she has certainly managed to act as the ruler for quite some time.”
“Yes. Queen Veronica has effectively ruled for about 15 years, which is quite a long period.”
“...It’s a long time indeed. And I think I can guess how she’s continued to rule despite not being the rightful heir.”
Ethan seemed to have an inkling of how Queen Veronica had managed to hold power over the Kingdom of Defrin. Lydia nodded at his response, continuing with her anticipated explanation.
“Yes. Her Majesty is currently ruling on behalf of Princess Rainy, who holds the primary right of succession. This arrangement began the day Princess Rainy’s grandfather, King Resion, passed away 15 years ago.”
Princess Rainy, as the primary successor to the throne, is still young, while Queen Veronica, lacking any legitimate claim herself, governs as her proxy. Normally, it would be impossible for her to serve as queen without a right to succession, but given Princess Rainy’s situation, it became feasible. When King Resion died 15 years ago, Princess Rainy would have only been around four or five years old.
“Though she was too young to inherit the throne, there was no other heir at the time. King Resion had only one wife during his life, and the princess’s father also took no other wives or concubines besides Queen Veronica.”
“So the right of succession naturally fell to Princess Rainy. No matter what, they couldn’t hand succession over to a daughter-in-law with no blood ties.”
“...Exactly. And Queen Veronica, well aware of her lack of claim, skillfully exploited a loophole to seize power.”
“It doesn’t sound unreasonable. She might have claimed she’d govern as regent until Princess Rainy, as her daughter, reached an age to make sound decisions. Something along those lines, right?”
“Precisely, just as you said, Lady Agnes.”
“...Hmm.”
Listening to Agnes and Lydia’s exchange, Ethan appeared to ponder something, then posed another question.
“From what I know, the concept of ‘adulthood’ in the Kingdom of Defrin isn’t different from that of the Empire of Argentia. If Queen Veronica took control in that way, shouldn’t Princess Rainy have ascended as queen last year?”
“...That would have been the case. However, Queen Veronica has prepared several means to retain her power. Most notably, there’s a law stating, ‘If the rightful heir is unable to assume the throne due to studies or other reasons, the regent may hold royal authority in their place for that period.’”
“...So that’s why the foreign princess had to study abroad at the Argentia Academy?”
“...Yes. By sending the princess to the Academy, the queen effectively secured four more years of governance, though at the time she was unaware of the true power Princess Rainy’s unique magic held.”
“The true power of Princess Rainy’s unique magic?”
“...What does that mean?”
I already knew the truth behind this power, but the rest, save for our warrior, couldn’t help but be puzzled by Lydia’s explanation.
“Princess Rainy’s unique magic, ‘Bad Luck Bringer,’ doesn’t transfer her misfortune to others.”
“...What do you mean?”
“The target of Princess Rainy’s misfortune is not someone else; it’s her ‘future self.’”
“....”
“....”
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“....”
Everyone stared blankly, mouths agape at Lydia’s shocking revelation.
Everyone, except for me and the warrior, seemed astonished, casting curious glances at Lydia, silently urging her to continue explaining the nature of this unique magic.
“What exactly does it mean to draw misfortune from one’s future self?”
“Exactly as it sounds. Princess Rainy suffers an unusual amount of misfortune in her youth because she is preemptively experiencing all the bad luck she would otherwise endure in the future.”
“Drawing misfortune from her future self...is that even possible?”
“It’s only a legend, but I’ve heard that Defrin’s first king possessed a similar unique magic.”
“Unique magic, like the first king’s...a perfect justification for claiming succession.”
“So, what exactly does this magic entail? If she’s drawing misfortune from her future self, it should eventually come to an end, shouldn’t it? Surely, there’s a limit to the misfortune one can experience in a lifetime.”
“Yes, Princess Rainy’s curse will indeed come to an end. King Alonso, Defrin’s first king, reportedly had his misfortune end at twenty. So, likely, Princess Rainy’s bad luck will cease on her twentieth birthday.”
“Three days from now...no, make that two, since a day has passed.”
Lydia nodded silently at Ethan’s guess.
“It makes sense why the queen wants the princess dead. After all, once she passes twenty, she’ll no longer suffer misfortune, meaning assassinations like this would be pointless, wouldn’t they?”
“Given that the first king possessed the same unique magic, it’s crucial. If harnessed well, it’s a power that could establish a kingdom.”
“...But why try to kill her now? After going through so much trouble to hold onto power by changing the laws. Could it be just a mortal’s fleeting whim?”
“Queen Veronica learned of the princess’s nature only recently. The tale was passed down solely within the royal family of Defrin. Her Majesty is neither of royal blood nor surrounded by family to recount these stories—her husband and in-laws are all gone.”
“So, she bided her time, thinking nothing would change, and now she’s panicking. Hence the rush to summon the princess back to the kingdom.”
“Yes. Regardless of the method, should anything happen to the princess outside the Kingdom of Defrin, complications are sure to arise. If the Empire of Argentia were to investigate her death and find evidence implicating the Defrin royal family...it would provide legitimate grounds for war.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s her own princess; having soldiers trespass in another nation is an invasion, after all.”
Despite their alliance, there was a clear power disparity between the Empire of Argentia and the Kingdom of Defrin. If hostilities arose, it would be obvious which side would prevail, preventing the queen from sending assassins to the empire.
“So now, she’s desperate to kill her as soon as they’ve crossed into her territory, even sending knights to do the dirty work.”
“If her assassination attempt fails, she risks not only losing the throne but also facing charges for her other offenses. With her survival at stake, she has little choice.”
“What now? Since they attacked first, can we go after them now?”
“No, not yet. As I mentioned, Princess Rainy’s misfortune still has three days left.”
“....”
“I agree. If we seek revenge, it would be best to wait three days. Moving too soon might mean we fail, despite our efforts.”
“Within the palace, there are still those who are wary of Queen Veronica’s rule and wish for Princess Rainy’s succession. Many knights, unlike Sir Bartholomeo, do not blindly follow the queen, remaining neutral.”
“Launching a rebellion while the princess’s aura is clouded with misfortune would likely sway these neutral factions to Queen Veronica. Conversely, once the princess’s curse ends, they’re more likely to support us, right?”
“Exactly, warrior.”
“So, there’s no choice. We have to hold out for three more days. If we endure just three more days, it’s a guaranteed win, right?”
“...Ha. We have to put up with this for another three days?”
Agnes let out a sigh, feeling weary at the thought of enduring their current lifestyle for another three days.
I shared her frustration with this nomadic life, constantly fleeing bandits and monsters alike.
...At least, from today, we wouldn’t have to sleep outside anymore.
“With all our tents destroyed and the carriage wrecked, camping isn’t possible anymore.”
“...What now? We can’t enter a village because of the princess’s misfortune, right?”
“Is there any need to enter a village, Lady Agnes?”
“Huh?”
“With all these fine steeds left behind, there’s no need to delay our journey to the villa.”
Thanks to the unexpected arrival of these knights, we now had plenty of riderless horses.
And with the magical lamps to light our way, we should reach the royal villa by the end of today without needing to stop.