Holding my breath, I waited as Marquis Prynan rose as scheduled.
“Yes. Though it may be presumptuous, I wish to request permission to make a formal petition to His Majesty the King.”
“Permission granted.”
“Thank you. This time, I would like to speak about Lord Archiam, the Defense Lord. Defense Lord… while proclaiming to protect the nation, there is no sign of him actually doing so. If he fails to fulfill the duties entrusted to him by the royal family, it is only right to strip him of this grandiose, empty title.”
“…Alright. Lord Archiam, do you have any defense to offer here?”
In the blueprint envisioned by Marquis Prynan, I would step in to protect the Count here, sending the extremist nobles into a frenzy of delight.
However, it is regrettable that not only I, but even Count Archiam himself, has no interest in the position of the Defence Lord. The father stands up, his knees trembling. Yet, his words were delivered with dignity.
“I am Daren Archiam, head of the Archiam family. I have not fulfilled my duties as Defense Lord, a position bestowed upon me by the royal family. Therefore, I wish to relinquish the position effective today. I deeply regret my failure to fulfill my responsibilities and will henceforth devote myself entirely to managing my lands, striving to contribute to the prosperity of the Balshine Kingdom.”
Upon hearing the Count’s words, His Majesty the King opened his eyes in surprise. Then, lifting the corners of his mouth, he spoke, unable to hide his delight.
“I see. Then, effective today, I shall relieve Count Archiam of his duties as Defense Lord. He shall focus on managing his domain. …Daren, you look well. It reminds me of your days as a junior at the academy.”
Despite the pleasant atmosphere, the extremist nobles around me stare at me without restraint. No matter how much they expect me to say something, I won’t say a word.
Marquis Prynan also turns around and glares at me, as if to say, “You really did it.” We achieved our initial goal, so that’s fine, right?
With the intention of saying “Don’t hold it against me too much,” I tilted my head cutely. His angry expression softened and vanished. He turned back to face me and spoke again.
“Your Majesty, I have one more matter to report.”
“You have my permission to speak.”
“It’s about Count Dolknes. She’s harboring Eleanora, the daughter of the traitor Hillrose. The one who was missing.”
“…Count Dolknes. Is that true?”
Marquis Prynan really had it in for me. Seriously? He just kept harassing me.
The king asks me for confirmation, but he knows all about Eleanora. In fact, he knows Duke Hillrose is still alive. To be blunt, everyone here knows about Eleanora.
It benefits no one. Seriously, it’s just pure harassment. For a marquis to stoop to such petty tricks.
I have nothing to hide. No, I couldn’t hide anything, I declared with complete confidence.
“I’m completely innocent. There is a woman named Eleanora under my care at my home, but she is unrelated to Eleanora Hillrose. She’s a girl I found under a bridge.”
Around the part about finding her under a bridge, someone couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
In a world without DNA testing, this could easily turn into a he-said-she-said argument. Ultimately, Eleanora herself would have to be brought here and say, “I’m not Eleanora.” Kind of amusing.
Ah, the marquis’s anger must be rising. His expression, previously unseen save for his gleaming bald spot, became clear when he turned back again.
“Under the bridge? Who would believe such a lie? I saw her with my own eyes when Count Dolknes brought her here the day before yesterday!”
“I truly found her, so I have no other explanation. Couldn’t you have mistaken her for someone else? I see her almost daily at the academy, so I know her well. This is someone else.”
In the end, it comes down to whether His Majesty the King will side with me or the Marquis. This is a matter of life and death for me—my escape from the kingdom hangs in the balance, while for the Marquis, it’s merely a petty annoyance. Precisely because of that, I believe His Majesty will side with the one offering greater benefits and fewer drawbacks—meaning me.
Even so, fairness is essential when adjudicating between nobles. To give the king a plausible reason, I developed a discernible theory based on our close friendship at the academy.
About that ridiculous claim I made about finding her under the bridge… I’m terribly sorry about that.
“Hmm, at the academy. You haven’t met since graduation?”
“It hasn’t even been a year since graduation, has it? And we have met several times since.”
What a surprise. It hasn’t even been a year since graduation. Becoming a lord, getting caught up in Duke Hillrose’s ambitions, #2 arriving and battling the god, crashing into the neighbouring country, and meeting Patrick’s brother. There’s been a lot, but it all happened within a few months. The three years at the academy were eventful, too, but the intensity is different.
As for Eleanora, back when she was still the duke’s daughter… Yeah, I’ve seen her.
I’ve visited the duke’s household too, so my record of interaction is sufficient. Eleanora, the duke’s daughter, has been out of contact since the incident, and it was around then that I started living with Eleanora from the bridge.
Since I’ve interacted with both Eleanora from roughly the same period by chance, and I’m saying they’re different people, they absolutely must be different people.
I may look tough on the outside, but everyone knows I’m all bark and no bite. Armour yourself with logic, and you’ll find me a formidable opponent.
Marquis Prynan gritted his teeth before flashing a defiant smile.
“You say you’ve only known her for three years at the academy? It would be more reliable to ask those who’ve known her family since childhood, right up until she went missing.”
The marquis’s faction’s gaze shifted from me to the extremist nobles surrounding me. Had they changed their target?
But would they give testimony favourable to the marquis, whom they detest?
As I watched them, they exchanged glances, unsure what to do. Those who caught my gaze looked away awkwardly. Yeah, you guys are the type to switch sides in a heartbeat if it seems profitable. At this point, it’s almost refreshing—I might even find it endearing.
It wouldn’t be good if they switched sides. Even if we settle this now, if it gets carried over to next time, coming back to the capital will be a pain.
The theory that I could tell them apart because we were friends at the academy had been shut down. I’d have to strike from a different angle as I pondered what kind of flimsy excuse to concoct, a voice that wasn’t mine, nor the Marquis’, nor even the King’s, rang out. In this space, primarily filled with older men, the young man’s voice stood out distinctly.
“If we’re talking about time spent with Eleanora Hillrose, I’d say I’ve known her the longest. We were classmates at the academy since childhood.”
“…Your Highness.”
Marquess Prynan was startled by the voice from beyond his awareness and looked at its owner with a look of frustration.
His Royal Highness Edwin Balshine, the Second Prince. Among those present, he could think of no one else who had seen Eleanora’s face more often than him.
The man who had watched Eleanora all along—or more accurately, had been shown her face all along—spoke with certainty.
“I know the young lady under the care of Count Dolknes. Her name is Eleanora, but she was a completely different person from Eleanora Hillrose. You can trust me on this. I can state it with certainty as the Second Prince.”
Being adored by the daughter of the extremist leader, he must have found Eleanora annoying at times. I witnessed her being rebuffed countless times when she rushed Prince Edwin at the academy.
Even so. Even if their childhood was one where such a relationship settled into place, what they had built together, in their own way, surely existed.
He worried about the fallen Eleanora. Eleanora scolded the dejected prince. It couldn’t be dismissed as a one-sided love. That something I never thought existed might only be visible to the two of them.
But Prince Edwin, Eleanora is definitely someone else—what a liar he is… Or am I the biggest liar?
Yet his lies have made the situation crystal clear.
The Marquis remains silent. And His Majesty the King will make his judgment.
“…If you insist, I shall trust Edwin. The young lady under the care of the Count Dolknes bears no relation to Eleanora Hillrose. Furthermore, should any false testimony be discovered in the future… particularly concerning Edwin, whose testimony was accepted, severe punishment shall be imposed.”
Eleanora’s previously ambiguous position now had the king’s official endorsement.
This might be the first time I’ve felt grateful toward Prince Edwin. I’m deeply moved that he shielded Eleanora, even at the risk of jeopardising his own position.
With the prince’s help, I managed to evade Marquis Prynan’s petty harassment.
However, the Marquis was not one to end there. He promptly shifted his focus.
“Truly, Your Majesty, that was a splendid decision. Since His Highness Edwin, a childhood friend, says so, it must be correct. …And regarding the position of Defense Lord relinquished by Count Archiam, have you decided on a successor?”
“…If there is a suitable candidate, I suppose I must appoint them.”
“In that case, I recommend Viscount Alton. He is a fine man who governs his northern territories admirably. I believe he would be well-suited to the role of Defense Lord, whose purpose is to inspire both the kingdom’s nobles and its people to defend the realm from inside and outside.”
Every time the marquis opens his mouth, my heart races, fearing another bombshell might be dropped.
Ah, I see. Recommending a subordinate—or rather, an obviously handpicked noble—makes perfect sense. The goal was to funnel the initial position taken by Count Archiam to him. It reduces enemies while increasing allies.
Frankly, I couldn’t care less who becomes the Defence Lord. It’s infuriating that Marquis Prynan will ultimately profit, but there’s nothing left to do but watch.
The debate’s uncertain outcome shifted to a routine peacetime agenda, with a predictable conclusion.
The tense atmosphere eases. Sighs of relief can be heard from all around, and I exhale the same air. For a moment, I wondered how this would end.
The exchange between the King and the Marquis regarding the Defence Lord continues. His Majesty seems unwilling to retain a meaningless position, but he’ll likely yield in the end to avoid provoking too much resentment from Marquis Prynan.
To create the illusion of His Majesty’s well-founded judgment, they’re lining up flimsy justifications.
What even is a Defence Lord? Supposed to boost the nobility and citizens’ will to protect the kingdom from inside and outside… but without military authority, that’s impossible, right? Just like Count Archiam, that Viscount fellow couldn’t possibly fulfil his duties.
If anything, I’m far more helpful to the nation’s defence as a deterrent against foreign threats.
That viscount probably isn’t that high level either, so it’s not like they’re running a campaign saying, “Everyone, let’s level up!”
Huh? Wait, does that mean… could it be…?
A revelation struck me, and I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.
“The Defense Lord, in other words…”