episode_0272

“Openly pretending to uphold Nifrantz’s law while secretly mocking it and using criminals as pawns is a serious felony. Do you have any rebuttal?”

“…”

“Therefore, I strip Fruin Velasquez of all authority and banish her from the kingdom.”

That was the first time I saw Father like that. I wonder what he was thinking when he stripped his own son of all his power, took away his name, and cast him out.

I felt inexplicably gloomy myself. After all, I was the one who pushed Father to do this.

As if noticing my darkening expression, he quietly shook his head.

“You started all this, Narita. Were you so hesitant, so frivolous, merely out of fear of disappointing me?”

“Absolutely… not.”

“…Then brighten up. It’s a waste of that pretty face.”

Even while making light jokes, Father’s brow remained furrowed. Watching Fruin’s back fade into the distance in shackles, we had to move on to the next step.

“Hear ye, courtiers. There’s no point in hiding it now, but one should still acknowledge one’s shame.”

The King’s audience chamber. Father stood up before countless ministers and nobles.

In his wrinkled hand, he held another of Nifrantz’s national treasures, the King’s scepter. Only the king could wield it, a staff symbolizing the glorious 500-year history of the Nifrantz royal family.

“Many princes and princesses have expressed their desire to inherit this throne. Yet, I have never properly responded to that desire.”

“…”

Evan, who was quietly listening beside me, bowed deeply. He had somewhat guessed that it was Father’s intention not to appoint a successor.

My other siblings, who had long lived with a single dream, must have felt frustrated. Even an endless race has its limits.

“This was for only one reason. I felt I should give all my children an equal opportunity.”

“…Opportunity was certainly given fairly to everyone, Father!”

Meanwhile, Third Prince Glen, unable to contain his frustration, stepped forward. He interrupted the King’s speech and rose from his seat.

At this point, I even found him admirable. He must know best that it’s impossible. Yet, he doesn’t give up. His swollen belly is full of nothing but desire, and he didn’t even use proper titles in this formal setting.

“Sit down, Third Prince…! His Majesty’s speech hasn’t finished yet…!”

“No! I have something to say too. So, Father, you mean you delayed the succession decision to give the youngest, the Fifth Princess, a chance, don’t you?”

The Third Prince’s outburst was, in a way, a last-ditch effort. Having nothing left to lose, he decided to try something.

“Such impudence…!!”

“Everyone here knows why the turn didn’t come to the Third Prince…”

“Even the Second Prince, who has rightfully stepped down, remains silent… Why is he making such a fuss…!!”

However, the reaction was completely opposite to that of the Second Prince, who had also shown a last-ditch effort.

Second Prince Evan challenged me to a duel and lost. There was no falsehood in the process. The clear result naturally indicated his inferiority.

But there was much meaning in it. He showed his all and displayed his ability. Furthermore, the level of that duel was exceptionally high.

Though he lost to me in the end, the overall picture worked to my advantage. Everyone present praised Evan.

“Yes, that’s right. As you said, Glen. I’m sorry. That’s something I should have conveyed properly to you all. I apologize.”

“…Yes? Yes, well…”

Glen overlooked one more thing. That there was still someone who could make a last-ditch effort.

“I delayed the succession decision out of purely personal feelings. It was the will of my first wife, Lea Flora Nifrantz, who has already passed away. She said that since she couldn’t see the future of her own child, please protect him for her.”

“Ah… th-that is…”

“So, I delayed it because I felt shame. I watched a little longer, knowing it went against morality. But now I see it wasn’t a wrong thought at all. Even if I could go back in time, I would delay that decision until today, and in the end, I would come to the same conclusion.”

It was the same for Ulysses Pertus Nifrantz, the King of Nifrantz, who was nearing his end. Once a successor was chosen, his authority would gradually flow to me.

For the king, it was a death sentence. Because power creates authority. All support would shift to me, and he would leave, entrusting everything he carried to the young person who would lead the future.

That’s why he questioned Glen. So, what can you do?

“At this hour, in this place, I shall announce it. I, Ulysses Pertus Nifrantz, King of Nifrantz, command it. Fifth Princess, step forward.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Click-clack-

Knowing the weight of what lay ahead, I abandoned a light and brisk gait. I walked more seriously, and more maturely than before.

As elegantly and gracefully as possible, highlighting the bearing of a king. I took each step heavily and calmly, putting all I had into it.

Thump-

I knelt before the King.

“Fifth Princess, Narita Florain Nifrantz. I bestow upon you the final right of succession to the throne. This is the authority of the current King’s direct selection of a successor, and you may choose to ascend the throne at your own discretion in the not-too-distant future.”

“…Thank you.”

“Is there anything else you wish to say?”

I lifted my gaze from the floor and quietly looked up at Father’s face.

His expression, relieved of all burdens, looked much lighter. He had shaken off his previous bitterness and was ready to leave the rest to me.

And, this is my guess, but he seemed to have something more he wanted to say. And it had to be through my mouth.

It wasn’t difficult to discern. He was my blood relative. In this battlefield where intrigue raged, he was one of my few allies.

“Then… may I borrow your seat for a moment.”

“As you wish. Now… this Nifrantz is yours.”

Thump-

I rose to my feet. I turned around to face everyone gathered in the audience chamber.

The princes and princesses seated nearby, and the countless ministers of the royal family. A little further away, there were numerous nobles who supported me, and somewhere among them were my women, including Yuri.

How many things had happened before I reached this point? If I tried to count each one, I might be up all night.

But because I had something to convey, I went back to my roots. My birthplace, the starting point of who I am.

“I know it. A girl this young as king, no matter what I show, there will be those who resent it.”

“Your Highness, that’s…”

“No. Don’t argue. It’s a fact that cannot be concealed by any words. I don’t think everyone will fully support me. That’s the natural order of things.”

I was once entangled in all sorts of slander and conspiracies and had fallen to the depths of despair. It would be a bigger problem if I haven’t realized that.

“But accept it. I have proven myself and seized the throne. This, too, is a fact. Even if they buried my mother in history and tried to repeat the same thing to me, in the end, I stood up and took everything.”

According to Nix, those who concealed my mother’s achievements and framed her as a traitor still remain in this room. The blood in me still screams for them to be killed.

But as the king, I decided to bury the past in the past. History is written by the victor. Because I overcame defeat and won, history will change.

“Accept it. Then… I, too, will accept it. For the sake of Nifrantz only.”

“…For Nifrantz.”

“For Nifrantz!!”

And on this new page, a new history will be written.

…

…

…

A few days later, the place I visited was none other than the Nifrantz Academy.

I had been so busy as a princess that I had forgotten, but I was also Narias Philbrogue, the president of the Nifrantz Academy’s student council.

Naturally, the academy was in an uproar. I had proudly revealed my identity, and soon after I secured the right of succession.

“Hello, everyone.”

“…”

The cadets who met me in the hallway would freeze in their tracks. The hand that was raised to greet them as usual would stop halfway, and the upturned corners of the mouth that were about to smile would stiffen.

“W-welcome… no, it’s an honorable day, Princess Narita-!!”

“Long live Princess Narita-!!”

“Lighten up, you guys. I’m not a princess right now.”

I held the hem of my academy uniform and smiled playfully.

“When I’m wearing a cadet uniform, treat me like Narias Philbrogue. I don’t like this stiff atmosphere.”

“Is… is that so…? Is it alright…? We won’t get arrested for insulting you by calling you by your old name…?”

“Instead of arresting you with charges added, wouldn’t it be quicker if I handled it myself?”

“Kyaaaack!!”

It was definitely a male cadet, but his shriek was as delicate as a woman’s. I laughed, clutching my stomach.

I was doing my best to return to normal, pulling all sorts of pranks. It wasn’t easy to lie down and take the insults.

Suddenly, a certain someone came to see me.

“N… Narias Philbrogue…”

A woman who greatly admired Princess Narita and greatly disliked Narias Philbrogue.

Amelia Fried, the head of the Department of Magic.