LIGHTNOVELSTORY EP.10
Fortunately, I somehow managed to escape from Maria’s full encirclement.
Even though she exuded an unusual atmosphere, thoughts of the reward she couldn’t help but acknowledge flashed through my mind.
“Could you please request the blacksmith who supplies weapons to the Imperial Family to make a sword for me?!”
“…Tch, so this is how you’re getting out of it.”
Having her submit the request on my behalf to the royal blacksmith, who couldn’t accept requests in a personal capacity even for a fortune, was the ‘gift’ I had asked of her.
“Indeed, it’s a worthy gift that I can’t provide myself. …What a pity.”
She let out a very heavy sigh but ultimately accepted my request.
Thanks to that, after successfully avoiding the crisis, I did my best to avoid situations where I would be alone with Maria.
“Shall we eat together?”
“Sorry, I just had a sandwich a moment ago.”
I made excuses to evade the meal at a rather small dining table—one that felt cramped for just the two of us—inside the Imperial Palace.
“Would you like to guard my bedroom for a change?”
“…Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“Who knows? An assassin might break in.”
“If an assassin could infiltrate where your escort knights are on triple alert, then there’s nothing I could do to stop them!”
Was this person even in their right mind? Her request for me to guard her bedroom was dismissed immediately.
In reality, I could run over in no time if anything happened since my room was right next to hers. Besides, the walls were so thin that I would notice if someone cast Silence Magic, barring any odd incidents.
“Pfft.”
But after this repeated pattern for several days, Maria wore a faint smile.
“What’s up this time?”
“Oh, nothing. How long do you think you can keep running?”
Though she said it with a smile, her eyes weren’t laughing. In that gaze, I felt like a sparrow poised before a snake.
“Uh, um, when did I say I was running?”
I knew it wouldn’t work, but I feigned innocence to avoid acknowledging it. Maria merely snorted at my words.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
She had already succeeded in half of her plan.
Muttering something unclear, she gathered her coat.
“We have about three days left until the day I meet His Majesty, right? I’ll take some time to request the weapon you asked for. That person never enters the capital, so I probably won’t return until tomorrow.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to go without an escort?”
“The knights you’ve assigned are quite capable. At least near the Palatinate, I’ll be safe.”
Then why did she ask me to guard her bedroom?
As I pondered this, she shrugged.
“As I mentioned before, the circumstances around the Imperial Palace are a bit different from those in the capital city. It’s a space where others’ eyes do not reach.”
That made sense.
It was a reasonable explanation.
As I nodded, Maria spoke to me.
“Anyway, I’ll be off now.”
“Uh, take care.”
“You too, make sure to guard your home well, okay?”
…Hmm, something feels off about this situation.
Isn’t this something only a married couple would say?
“Then I’m off!”
With that, Maria left swiftly, almost fleeing.
Oh my, oh my.
I could hear the maids squealing in excitement.
Their reactions made my face flush red.
This was definitely intentional.
—
Now that Maria had gone out, I couldn’t stand the teasing from Matilda and the other maids, so I stepped outside as well.
But where to go?
Of course, there were nobles in the capital whom I knew, but the issue was that I didn’t know where they lived. Well, I could probably track them down by asking around, but it would be rude to visit unannounced.
In the end, the only places I could visit were the families I knew well enough, where I wouldn’t mind being rude.
“Oh?”
Thinking it over, there was one such place.
So, I went to find it.
“Hello.”
“…What brings you here?”
It was the Wurttemberg Marquis Family.
I received a warm welcome greeting from Yom as I stepped inside.
“Did you not hear me telling you to leave?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay~”
“I’m the landlord here!”
“A landlord who enjoys cross-dressing? Seems like the Wurttemberg Marquis Family lacks character.”
“Gah!”
While the cross-dresser fumed, a maid came out to escort me. While I waited in the reception room, sipping the tea served by the attendants, Yom, with a face full of displeasure, entered after changing clothes.
“Is the Marquis not here?”
“My father is currently attending to matters in our territory.”
“Then he probably hasn’t heard about you yet.”
“…What? Did you come here to tease me?”
“Not exactly.”
Since I was already here, I decided to ask him about the curiosity that had been nagging at me.
“Where did you get that awakening agent you used last time?”
He countered my question with one of his own.
“Why? Are you planning to get some for yourself?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
My genuinely displeased expression took him by surprise.
“Originally, the formula for that drug was created in our area. The ingredients come from this region, too.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I pulled out a similar drug and placed it on the table. The side effects were quite severe, so the one I used had been toned down enough to only cause a slight feeling of fatigue.
The reason I presented this was simple.
“This concentrated version is strictly regulated by us due to its dangers, you know. We work closely with neighboring kingdoms to manage everything from production. So, there shouldn’t be any amounts we don’t know about—where did you even get that?”
“…Just to be clear, you do know that this drug isn’t illegal, right?”
“I know. I just want to confirm because the ones who usually deal in these things often get involved with human trafficking or drug distribution.”
Even though I held the title of vice-leader, I cared for our territory just as much. After all, it was the hometown where I was born and raised. I had no intention of tolerating any illegal organizations operating there.
“Well, with that reasoning…”
Yom seemed to understand my point and nodded.
In general, unless they were particularly shady individuals, nobles usually disliked illegal organizations setting up in their regions. Such people typically didn’t pay taxes and often caused chaos in their territories, so it was natural for few to like them.
“Please wait a moment.”
He left the reception room and went somewhere, returning shortly with a receipt in hand.
“Here’s the transaction record.”
Accepting the receipt, I checked the name of the trading partner. Indeed, none of the names I recognized from previous organizations were listed.
“Are all the merchants reliable?”
“These are the ones we’ve been dealing with since my grandfather’s time.”
“That’s the most trustworthy answer I’ve heard.”
I had no right to question goods obtained through legitimate means, especially since the country didn’t prohibit them. It seemed there were some resellers among those who had already purchased it. Perhaps I should write a letter to my father to verify this situation.
“So, is that all you needed?”
“Don’t be silly.”
Yom’s eagerness to get me out only fueled my desire to play with him a bit.
I timed my question just as the maids entered to bring in refreshments.
“So, who did you send to buy the cross-dressing clothes?”
Pfft!
Yom quickly turned his head, spitting out his tea while coughing as if it had gone down the wrong way.
“Cough, cough! What the hell are you talking about?”
“No, I heard you like to cross-dress.”
“That’s just a ridiculous rumor you made up!”
“Gasp! Are you questioning the truth that has been pronounced under the lord’s name?”
“Damn it! That’s not what I meant…! -Ugh!”
Bam!
With a tone completely changed, Yom slammed his hand on the table. Of course, he quickly withdrew his hand, shaking it as if it hurt.
The maids hurriedly placed the refreshments down and quickly slipped out at his shout.
“Damn it. What the hell are you doing to me? What did I do wrong?”
“Who was it that tried to frame me first?”
“…I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and sighed at my words.
“Damn it, I was too worked up back then and charged in without thinking. I guess I was blinded by jealousy for a moment.”
He stood up and bowed his head deeply, apologizing. It turned out he wasn’t a bad person after all, just someone whose personality didn’t mesh well with mine, and he knew how to make amends.
Having already dealt a significant blow by spreading the rumor about him being a cross-dresser, I decided to accept his apology at this point.
“Just be careful from now on.”
“Understood.”
There was no need to cultivate ties with the Wurttemberg family, but on the flip side, there was no need to make an enemy either. It seemed best to end our conflict here and maintain a cordial relationship.
“Still, wrong is wrong, so I think some sort of compensation would be appreciated.”
“What do you want?”
His attitude, acknowledging his fault straightforwardly, seemed sincere. Well, if I had lost, he probably wouldn’t have been so compliant, but that’s how duels work. If you’re unhappy, just win, and I won. So that was the end of the story.
I made a hand gesture to indicate something reasonable, with a sense of earnestness.
“Just something appropriately thoughtful, and without being too obvious. Got it?”
“Hmm, understood. Do you have a personal vault set up with the Merchant Guild?”
“Of course.”
“Please tell me the number. I’ll deposit it there.”
“Sure thing.”
While there were no banks, magic had made savings accounts and similar things a reality. Moreover, merchants could check transaction records magically, allowing them to be used conveniently anywhere within the empire.
If he would deposit the money into that account, it would save me the hassle and be a pleasant arrangement, so I wrote down the number for him.
After all, withdrawing money was impossible without some magical personal verification, so there was no need to worry about security.
“Then, is that really all you need?”
To his faint glimmer of hope, I regretfully had no intention of ending my teasing just yet.
“No way.”
Crisp.
As I bit into a warm cracker that had just been baked, I asked him again.
“So, where did you get those cross-dressing clothes?”
“Gah!”
His reaction was amusing, adding to my enjoyment of the teasing.
—
“Just get lost already…!”
“Okay, okay, I got it.”
After enough of my teasing, Yom finally couldn’t hold back and shouted at me, pointing a finger in accusation.
I had seen enough fun and decided it was time to get ready to leave. I had dealt with everything I needed to, so now I should head back.
As I put on my discarded coat and prepared to leave, Yom, who had been hurryingly urging me to go, suddenly seemed curious and asked,
“By the way, where are you staying? I haven’t heard any rumors about you around here.”
I casually replied without thinking.
“I’m staying at the sub-palace where Maria is.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yom nodded thoughtfully, then froze.
“What did you say?”
He grabbed my shoulders and shook me wildly, questioning.
“Wh-what did you just say? Sub-palace? Did you say sub-palace?”
“Uh, uh-huh, that’s right? They said it’s a place for guests to stay.”
“Please be precise. Which area of the sub-palace are you staying in? The outer palace? It must be the outer palace!”
His intense reaction puzzled me, and I responded.
“No, I’m staying in the inner palace.”
At my answer, Yom’s legs seemed to give way, and he staggered.
“G-Gosh.”
“Why? Is there a reason I shouldn’t go there?”
His reaction made me uneasy, prompting me to ask.
“Uh, that place is where the Emperor or their direct descendants secretly bring in… lovers!”
“What.”
I too could only freeze in that moment.