episode_0069

77.

“You’re crazy! Such nonsense!”

Vanessa, Duke of Lydrin, tore the letters sent in the name of the royal family to shreds.

It was an extremely rude act, but no one there could say a word to her in anger. Even the royal messenger who brought the letter seemed to have some understanding.

“Get out now! Now you bring something like this because it is the decision of a sacred royal family that worships a goddess?!”

In front of Vanessa, who was getting angry and saying more, two women who looked like Vanessa but were clearly younger, her twin daughters Yuri and Marie, came out and took the royal messenger with them.

“I’m sorry. It’s not polite to treat a lion like this.”

“My mother was so angry… Do you understand?”

“Yes, since this is the content that needs to be conveyed anyway… I knew it would end up like this.”

The royal messenger responded to Yuri and Marie’s words with a bitter smile.

“Please rest a little.”

“I will reply in the author’s name.”

“Reply? But the duke…”

“Mother’s opinion and the family’s opinion are different.”

“We have no intention of being hostile to the royal family, nor do we have any intention of opposing this decision.”

The royal messenger thought that the situation here was complicated as the twins laughed and spoke from left and right, but it was not for her to interfere as she was only an outsider. She just nodded, said she understood, and left, following the guidance of the attendant the twins had given her.

“Are you two opposing the Duke’s wishes?”

Yuri and Mari turned back without being surprised at the voice heard from behind Wang Xing.

“My mother is too emotional. Your eyes are clouded with anger. Rachel, you know that too, right?”

“What benefit does the Duke have by going against the will of the royal family now? Whether it’s Queen Nephytia or Princess Anis, the royal family is royal. To put it bluntly, it’s just someone else’s business.”

Yuri and Marie shifted their gaze from Rachel, who had first spoken to them, and focused on Princess Liana next to her and Rona, who was guarding her.

“The same goes for Princess Liana who is there.”

“Is there any reason for our duchy to support the princess?”

Liana was startled when the green eyes of identical twins turned towards her, but then she opened her mouth.

“Ha, but your sister is using her power to threaten the ministers to seize power, imprison my mother, and is pushing the nonsense of a peace agreement with the devil!! And the hero is also imprisoned in the royal castle!! Are you saying you’re going to just ignore this atrocity?”

“What’s wrong with that? The affairs of the queen and princesses are the affairs of the royal family, and we are not allowed to interfere, right?”

“There’s nothing certain about the hero’s confinement, right? Officially, you are under protection, not confinement, and I understand you are doing well in the royal castle?”

“To dismiss the peace agreement with the Demon King as nonsense, is it because the Demon King’s army has disappeared from the front lines? Whether it’s defeating the Demon King or signing a peace agreement, wouldn’t it be good for the kingdom if the Demon King’s army doesn’t invade and there is peace?”

“There is a religious problem, but… I understand that the saint in the royal capital has also reinterpreted the doctrine. The interpretation that defined the Demon King as an unconditional enemy was too biased, and it does not mean that we should be hostile even when people hope for peace on the other side. There are extreme opponents, but there are also many people who support it, and in any case, there seems to be no reason for us to take sides.”

As the twins took turns talking, Liana rolled her eyes as she searched for a retort, and then said,

“Then you guys don’t plan on listening to your aunt?! Are you going to push your aunt away just because you don’t like it, just like your sister did to your mother?”

At Liana’s bombshell, the twins, as well as Rachel and Lorna, quickly turned their heads to see if anyone other than them was around.

After confirming that no one was around, the twins sighed and only realized from the people’s reactions that their remarks had been excessive, and spoke to the hesitant Liana.

“Haa…. Liana, speaking as your cousin, we can’t readily say we support you because you’re like this.”

“You’re not in a position where you can say what you feel emotionally in front of us right now, are you? It’s not persuasion, it’s not threatening. If you say that, how are we supposed to respond?”

“Well, that’s…. Yeah, I said it wrong…”

“It’s good to agree right away, but do it right from the beginning. If you want us to help, you should bring a story that benefits the dukedom rather than an obvious justification that appeals to emotions.”

“And don’t forget that your mother is not always on your side. The judgment itself is emotional, but your mother is probably using you to make a profit for the duke family.”

“It’s just that we don’t think it’s really necessary to take on the risk.”

“Do you understand? It’s not enough to just insist on doing the right thing. Show us what you can give us.”

The twins, who shot at Liana, who kept her mouth shut, immediately turned around and left the scene, as if that was the end of their words.

Liana, who was looking at the back of the twins leaving, sighed with a depressed face.

“Ha…. I wonder what on earth I said like such a fool… I’m sorry, it seems like things are only getting more complicated because of me.”

“Don’t blame yourself too much. From the looks of it, if it weren’t for Liana, the conversation wouldn’t have been possible at all. Seeing as it just ended up being just a matter of giving advice, it seems like there is a difference of opinion and that you view Liana more favorably than I thought?”

“Well… we are cousins of the same age, so we hung out well together when we were young, right? My sister was difficult to deal with, so when it comes to friendship, I’m probably closer.”

“So, it’s okay to listen to what you say.”

“But even if they listen to me, what on earth do I have to offer to the duke? Is there anything they want from us? And if there was such a thing, wouldn’t my aunt have already thought of it and said it? Still, opposing it means I have no choice.”

Rachel was biting her lip as if she couldn’t think of a sharp move to hear Liana’s words pouring out as if she was lamenting, but then suddenly turned her head and focused on Lorna, who had been silent until now.

“Rona, do you have any good thoughts?”

“Huh? Nana? I don’t really have any good ideas…”

“Still, say whatever comes to mind. That could be a clue and help you think of a good way.”

“Uhm…. If you say so…”

Lorna blurted out her words, narrowed her eyebrows, seemed to think for a moment, and then opened her mouth again.

“It’s a bit extreme, and I don’t know if it makes sense, but if you don’t have what you want, why not make it here?”

“Making it?”

“You know, just like you did to me before by conspiring with the hero…”

It was difficult and embarrassing to talk in detail in such an open place, so Lorna spoke only vaguely, but Rachel immediately understood what she wanted to say.

“It would be a good idea if possible, but it would be a bit difficult here as it is not a royal castle where I worked and knew a lot of things… There are no warriors like back then, but if I can find some weakness, well…”

Liana asked, looking at Lorna next to Rachel, who was lost in thought.

“Collused with the warrior before? Did Lorna, by any chance, suffer something from Rachel?”

“Uh, that’s it…”

Seeing Lorna hesitant to open her mouth further, Liana shook her head and said.

“No, you don’t need to tell me right now. What Rachel is thinking now probably won’t be a topic to talk about in a place like this once it comes to a conclusion, so let’s all move to our seats for now.”

Following Liana’s words, Lorna and Rachel headed to the villa provided to them by the Raidrin Dukes.

It was an unofficial visit, but even without the support of the current duke, Vanessa, the duchy could not treat Liana, one of the two princesses of the kingdom, poorly.

The story would have been different if Anis had accused Lyana of treason and had her wanted, but there was a warning from the Demon King, and perhaps she judged that going that far would be politically burdensome and unreasonable, so Anis did not take any special action against Lyana, who ran away.

The same was true for the Raidrin duchy. Anise did not try to make an issue of Vanessa’s escape by touching the dukedom itself, and because of that, public opinion within the dukedom was that although there was no need to capture Liana and offer her up, there was no reason to support her and intervene in the royal family’s affairs. He was gaining strength around his twin daughters, Yuri and Marie.

In reality, the public opinion that there was no need to intervene in the affairs of the royal family was more prevalent, but due to the hard-line attitude of Vanessa, the current owner of the dukedom, public opinion within the dukedom was barely balanced.

As if to indicate the status of the dukedom, the royal guard knights who escaped from the royal castle with them were also staying in the annex, which was as large as the mansion of a fairly wealthy commoner, and standing guard for Liana.

Liana, along with Rachel and Lorna, exchanged brief greetings with the few members of her force, praised them for their hard work, and entered the annex.