Ch.140Aftermath (3)

“Are you here? How was your day today?”

As I return to my room late at night, Chloe, who had been waiting inside, stands up to greet me.

Ah, seeing this smile makes all the frustration I’ve been feeling melt away.

“Today? It was absolutely exhausting. I just wanted to pay my respects and leave quickly, but why do they all talk so much?”

Why are they complaining to me about their own fights?

Well, I suppose since I’m their lord, I do have the authority to intervene in disputes between vassals. But that authority is merely nominal, with its scope stretching and shrinking like rubber, making the standards extremely ambiguous.

In short, when it benefits them, they say, “Our autonomous actions are our clear rights as vassals, so Your Lordship must not abandon your duty to protect your vassals!” But when it’s disadvantageous, they switch to, “Your Lordship has a duty to mediate disputes between vassals, so please do not abandon that duty!” That’s the nonsense they pull.

And the nobles make these arguments separately to appeal to me. Whether it’s about territory, interests, justification, succession rights, or whatever conflict exists between vassals, the weaker side whines for me to intervene, while the stronger side whines for me not to oppress them by abandoning my duty to protect vassal autonomy.

Why do they drag me into their own fights? Just resolve it among yourselves. It’s not like they’re offering anything in return.

“Ahaha… I can tell from your expression how hard you’ve worked.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yes, all the color has completely drained from your face. You should rest well from now on.”

“Thank you, Chloe.”

I need to rest as much as possible, as Chloe suggests. Tomorrow I have to meet with fourteen nobles, and if I allocate at least one hour per person, that’s a whopping fourteen hours.

What’s even more dreadful is that each of those hours is painfully similar. The ritual of pledging loyalty, raising taxes, giving gifts, conversing, listening to complaints—the pattern is exactly the same, and I’m utterly sick of it.

It would be fine if I were merely bored, but if suddenly one of those nobles grabs my clothes and starts whining, I just want to curse them out. Where was all this when they were telling me not to interfere in their affairs?

Sigh, enough. I’m off work now, so I shouldn’t think about it.

……….

“…So you’re asking for support?”

What’s this now?

I thought I only had to deal with domestic nobles… good grief.

“Yes, Your Majesty. This is a small request that Lorel is making to Your Majesty.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

When the envoy from the Duchy of Lorel arrived, I thought they were just here to congratulate me on the victory, but that wasn’t the case.

Making such direct requests is generally considered rude, but between close relations, it’s certainly not.

And my relationship with Lorel can definitely be considered close, given our blood ties.

“I’ve received a lot of help from Lorel in many ways, so shouldn’t I return the favor?”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

I’ve received Lorel’s help on numerous occasions—when they blocked the border to prevent my rebellious great-uncle from passing through, when they designated the Holy Empire’s currency as their official currency, when they facilitated exchanges with the Holy Empire’s forces, and so on.

To refuse Lorel’s request while ignoring all that help would be beyond rude—it would show a fundamental lack of human decency. I obviously have to grant it.

The problem is that the request is a bit…

‘I can accept the requests for funds and alliance, but…’

“With this, our Lorel will become greatly prosperous with abundant resources!”

“Hahaha…”

Lorel is now asking me to transfer the method of building factories—yes, factories.

They probably think that factories aren’t that significant, which is why they’re making this judgment… but the problem is that factories are absolutely not something that should be leaked.

Moreover, they’re not domestic nobles but nobles of the Empire. Factory-style manufacturing could quickly spread throughout the Empire.

Of course, there’s a limit to how long we can keep it contained, and factories will eventually spread widely, but the longer we can delay that, the better.

“Of course I’ll provide the funds and military alliance that Lorel requested. I’ll also prioritize supplying goods to Lorel from now on, at prices even lower than what we sell to the Empire.”

“Your Majesty?”

The merchant, who had been delighted, is taken aback by my last words.

I’m… sorry? I’d like to grant your request if possible, but factories are truly out of the question.

If they want abundant resources and that’s why they want factories, perhaps they’d prefer direct provision of goods rather than building factories to produce them?

“I would like to grant Lorel’s request, but the export of factory technology is strictly prohibited by law, so I cannot do so. Instead, I will continuously sell you so many goods at such low prices that you won’t even need factories, so please understand.”

“B-but… our Lorel wants to become wealthy by selling goods we produce ourselves, not just to use them.”

“Then can’t you import goods cheaply and sell them at appropriate prices? You would still make sufficient profit.”

“Your Majesty…!”

The envoy’s voice rises.

I can clearly feel their indignation—how could I refuse such a trivial request when they’ve granted all of my requests without complaint?

“I truly apologize, but the law prohibiting foreign export was established by me personally. If I were to violate a law that I myself enacted, wouldn’t that make me look ridiculous as a ruler?”

“Foreign… you say?”

“Yes, foreign.”

“…”

Good, it seems they understand.

The envoy’s expression, which had been full of indignation until just now, has changed to something rather enigmatic.

I can’t quite describe it precisely… but it’s like the expression of someone who realizes they left the gas valve open at home only after reaching the company parking lot.

……….

“I’m glad everyone could join us. Please enjoy yourselves in Dijon for the next three days.”

Finally, once everyone had gathered, the victory celebration began as scheduled.

Many nobles had assembled, from various parts of Lotharing to the nobles of Caroling who had just pledged their loyalty to me.

Of course, not all domestic vassals were present, only the powerful nobles, but this should be sufficient. Since they each have their own spheres of influence, they can convey an undistorted image of me to their followers.

I need to accommodate them as much as possible and make them think positively of me.

“What a pleasure to see you here!”

“Oh, have you been well?”

Large-scale banquets like this, especially ones where only powerful nobles gather, don’t seem to have been held much before.

Since nobles tend to prioritize their own territories over external affairs, most rarely venture outside their domains, often living isolated lives with little interest in the outside world.

Of course, such customs will soon disappear with the establishment of universities and social gatherings there, but this tendency still exists among the older nobility. I was worried the banquet might become dull due to their reluctance to converse with strangers, but seeing their reactions, I don’t think I need to worry.

They usually hate leaving their territories, but now that I’ve created this opportunity, they all seem to enjoy it—like those who claim to hate going to bars but go wild once they’re actually there.

“This is… hmm, so sweet and delicious! But it doesn’t have the flavor of honey…”

“It’s made with sugar. We have plenty, so please take some with you when you leave.”

“Who… oh my, Your Majesty the Queen—”

“Ah, that’s not necessary. We can’t have such complicated formalities at a banquet.”

Meanwhile, the Duke of Aquitaine, who was enjoying a pie sprinkled with sugar and filled with grape jam, is startled by Ines’s sudden appearance and attempts to bow, but stops at her gesture.

Other nobles nearby seem to notice Ines’s arrival from the Duke’s exclamation. The banquet hall, which had been noisy until just now, suddenly falls silent as everyone stares at Ines.

‘…Was this her plan?’

Ines had said she wanted to arrive late to the banquet, and though I didn’t understand why, I agreed—I didn’t expect it would turn out like this.

Ines, whose figure shows no sign of having given birth to two children, is showing off her beauty in a pure white dress, and others are gazing at her in admiration.

If Ines had been present from the beginning, everyone would have grown accustomed to her appearance, and such reactions would have been minimal or nonexistent. But her sudden appearance has greatly accentuated her beauty.

Everyone is admiring Ines, and I find I rather enjoy the feeling.

“Ines, you’re here?”

“Your Majesty!”

“?!”

As I approach Ines to greet her, she—who had just been speaking solemnly to the Duke of Aquitaine—rushes toward me like a girl meeting her beloved and grabs my arm tightly.

Seeing this, the others, who had been admiring Ines’s beauty until just now, are now admiring something else.

They’re looking at us as if we’re a young couple engaging in public displays of affection regardless of the setting.

Well… this might improve my image, though perhaps in a somewhat strange direction.

But it should be fine. Throughout history and across cultures, a couple with a good relationship is always viewed favorably.