Succession Round 1, Behind the Scenes with Ransel. (6)

14.

“It seems things have gotten out of hand. I’d like some advice on what to do.”

Lancel already had an answer ready for that. He quickly picked up a quill.

“Advice? No, I’ll gladly assist you.”

A crow hopped onto his shoulder. Lancel continued to play with the quill without even glancing at it.

“First, since you’re the leader of this secret organization, it’s best to put a scarecrow out front. You remember Mary, the maid I mentioned before, right? We’ll put her in front as your stand-in… a fake Lemon Verbena, that is.”

[Caw!]

When he got that far, the crow on his shoulder fluttered its wings in surprise.

He could almost feel Marigold’s bewilderment at suddenly becoming a stand-in (not!).

[Caw! Caw caw!]

“Quiet, quiet.”

Lancel ignored it again, cleanly.

“Keep in mind. From now on, Mary is Lemon Verbena. Any information you throw at the royals will be about Mary. So don’t worry or fret about anything. I’ll take care of everything. That’s all.”

[Caw caw! Caw caw caw!]

The crow flapped its wings.

Lancel quickly put the letter in its beak.

“That’s it.”

He grabbed the wings of the crow, whose mouth was now blocked. He threw it out the window.

“Go.”

The crow fluttered its feathers and flew away. Its receding figure looked a little complicated.

“Hmph.”

Lancel smiled.

‘Marigold. This time, you’re going to be the Empress.’

“Mary, did you hear?”

“Yes… yes!”

Lancel brought the nervous Marigold into the room.

“There’s nothing difficult. From today, you are Lemon Verbena. Just remember that.”

“…Um, well, that’s what I wanted to say. Master Lancel.”

“Yes?”

“Really, there’s no way this would happen, but! If. If I were really Lemon Verbena of the Darkhood… what would… happen then?”

She’s spilling the beans.

Lancel had expected the question, so he calmly raised his thumb.

“Who cares?”

“Yes? Is it okay?”

“Aren’t you not?”

“Ah! Yes! That’s true! But if, just if…!”

“If.”

Lancel paused, stroking his chin as if contemplating.

Soon, he patted Marigold on the shoulder and opened his mouth.

“Then wouldn’t it be better because you didn’t deceive anyone?”

“……?”

Persuasion complete.

A few days later, the day came when the first hint about Lemon Verbena was revealed.

A crow appeared in a quiet Imperial Capital square and began scattering dozens of pieces of paper in the air. The only thing written on them was:

[Hint 1. Lemon Verbena is a foreigner who recently entered the Imperial Capital]

It was the moment when the nobles of the Imperial Capital began their heated discussions.

15.

“If it’s a noble who came from abroad, there’s no need to look! It’s Countess Berr!”

“Hey, isn’t she married? How can such a person propose? Her husband is still alive and well.”

“I know! It was Lady Clanes!”

“Lady Clanes is only six years old this year?”

“You people are frustrating. Look at the name Lemon Verbena. The daughter of the Rosvarta family is the most likely.”

“Wasn’t she born in the Imperial Capital?”

“Ah. Was she?”

The nobles raised their voices as if they had found a source of vitality in their boring lives.

Needless to say, they flocked to the Misses who were nominated as candidates and began to ask questions.

“Let’s ask honestly. Miss Anise, are you Lemon Verbena?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Well, maybe I’m right?”

“I knew it! Miss Anise is Lemon Verbena, right?”

“I’ll leave it to your imagination. Haa, I wonder if Your Highness the Prince knows this fact. What if I go and leak my information a little…?”

“Ah. I guess not. Excuse me.”

“Yes? Wait a minute! I didn’t say I wasn’t!”

The Misses were reluctant to say clearly that they were not.

The opportunity for people like the Prince to approach them first was rare. They often took an attitude that seemed to want to be misunderstood.

At that point, Lancel contacted a man.

“You said you were Lancel? Make yourself comfortable.”

A man with a kind face pointed to the seat opposite him in the carriage.

The Second Prince.

Arwen Louis Phrygia.

“I heard you know something about Lemon Verbena, is that true?”

He was the Prince Lancel had chosen to marry Marigold this time.

He had an arrogant side, as expected of a royal, but among the many rogue Princes, this was a pretty good choice. Except for the terminally ill Fourth Prince, it might have been the best.

“There aren’t many people who know more about Lemon Verbena than I do. Your Highness.”

“I believe you. I can’t stand losing to my brothers, so I have to win.”

“……Come to think of it.”

Lancel brought up the question he had been wondering about.

“I remember that only the two Princes were originally participating in the bet, but how did everyone else jump in like this?”

“Don’t you know? The Imperial Ball is coming up soon. They’re all so anxious that only I’ll stand out. There are too many people who are stirring things up from the side.”

Was that the only reason?

Lancel had to hold back his laughter. As if the Empire wasn’t about to collapse, distrust and obsession with each other were rampant among the royals.

Is this the true face of the Empire I once served? I just hope a war doesn’t break out within 10 years.

“Anyway, tell me everything you know.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lancel lowered his voice and continued.

“Lemon Verbena may not be a noble.”

The Second Prince’s expression hardened.

“A commoner?”

“Yes, now.”

“What are you talking about? Tell me properly.”

“There are quite a few families who used to be powerful nobles but have now fallen into ruin, aren’t there? Lemon Verbena’s origin is from that side.”

“……A fallen noble who has lost everything, even her status… There are too many people who come to mind just by hearing that… There are more than one or two families that have gone bankrupt.”

“It will be enough information to narrow down the candidates.”

“Okay. I understand. You’ve been a great help, Lancel. If the information you gave me is true, I’ll give you a generous reward later. Look forward to it.”

The Second Prince winked and left.

‘I think I’ve spoon-fed him almost everything.’

Hints continued to be released once a month after that.

[Hint 2. Lemon Verbena is closer to twenty than thirty years old]

[Hint 3. Lemon Verbena’s hair is very light blonde]

[Hint 4. Lemon Verbena recently donated a large sum of money to the Martyrdom Church]

[Hint 5. Lemon Verbena doesn’t have her own house. She’s hiding in the house of a wealthy noble]

[Hint 6. Lemon Verbena is……]

.

.

.

“Master Lancel.”

“What.”

Lancel looked down at the maid Marigold, who was lying down using his leg as a pillow.

Outside the window, Baron Ibil Shen’s garden could be seen. Snowflakes were falling white, proving that winter was coming.

“I want to do better in my next life.”

The regressor Marigold seemed to be having a hard time with this round. I don’t know what she wanted to do.

“You’re talking about life as if you have several prepared.”

“What if I really had several?”

“Then it’s amazing.”

A moment of silence.

“If in the next life I…….”

Marigold mumbled something.

“…….”

Lancel was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Positively?”

“Yes. Positively.”

“You promised.”

Presumably.

If they only realized that Lemon Verbena was a commoner, countless people would gather in front of her as early as today.

All the hints about her had already been revealed. This was not a difficult twenty questions.

But people were still stuck with the preconceived notion that Lemon Verbena was a noble.

That was why most of the nobles hadn’t even figured it out yet.

Candidates continued to appear and disappear every day, and before they knew it, the Imperial Ball was just around the corner.

==========

Congratulations! The review of Marigold’s ‘Baronet’ title has been successfully completed. The emblem proving it will soon be bestowed by the Imperial Family!

==========

Marigold quit being a maid.

“How is it, Master Lancel?”

She was wearing a gorgeous party dress. It was a dress she had matched while wandering around clothing stores all day.

The snow-white hem decorated with golden embroidery fluttered along with Marigold’s movements. Her figure against the sun sparkled dazzlingly.

“It suits you well.”

“Hehe.”

Marigold had now completed all the preparations to participate in the Imperial Ball.

Of course, she would not propose to the Prince. Unlike the Misses of the Imperial Capital, the existence of the Prince did not seem to exist in her mind at all. It was obvious that she would stick to Lancel at this Imperial Ball as well.

But Lancel was not going to be there.

He was not planning to participate.

Marigold, who was unaware of this fact, would probably be left alone at the Imperial Ball, receiving all the attention of the royals.

Now that the stage was set, something would naturally happen.

If she was lucky, love between the Prince and Marigold might blossom at once, just like in the game.

“The Marigold Countess family…….”

And finally, the Second Prince reached the answer.

16.

Making Marigold the Empress. That thought seemed to have become like a lingering attachment for Lancel.

He couldn’t be sure whether it was the right answer or not. But when it came to ‘Is it worth trying?’, there was no need to hesitate.

‘I have to try to make her the Empress.’

Lancel simply thought so.

Isn’t it obvious? The game ‘Fallen Noble Lady Simulation’ was originally such a game. A game that focused on marrying Marigold to someone.

Marigold’s long journey to find happiness always ended by being chosen by someone who would become her partner.

Among the countless endings, only ‘Empress Marigold’ always held the position of the best.

Lancel knew that very well. That’s why he was trying so hard to marry her to someone of high status. Hoping that happiness would finally come to Marigold’s life, who had lost everything at the age of 10.

“Mary.”

And today.

“……The Marigold Countess family…….”

Lancel felt a thrill at the voice that came out of the Second Prince’s mouth.

It was the first time. It was the first time her ‘real name’ had come out of someone else’s mouth other than his.

It seemed that it was worth the effort to feed him hints without making it obvious.

“But that’s strange.”

The Second Prince’s expression was serious.

“If that Baronet Mary is really a Miss of the Marigold family… the Imperial Palace wouldn’t let that woman live.”

“What do you mean?”

Lancel doubted his ears for a moment.

The Second Prince’s mouth opened again.

“They’re a family of traitors.”

“…….”

All his thoughts stopped.

“The Imperial Family’s old enemy, the Marigold Countess family.”

His lips hardened.

His ears were ringing and his vision was blurred.

It felt like something had flown and hit him in the back of the head.

-Don’t be too curious about that family, Master.

“Come to think of it, this was originally a secret. I can’t help it since I’ve already said it. Just don’t go around telling people, Lancel.”

Marigold.

From the beginning.

She was someone who could not become the Empress.