Ch.209Royal Family (5)

“Is this… the Senate?”

Thanks to His Majesty’s grace, I obtained a seat in the Senate and decided to attend once… what an absolute mess.

I’ve heard that even in the ancient empires, their senates were filled with conflicting opinions and shouting matches during debates, but this is on another level entirely.

This isn’t just shouting—it’s pure malice, a collective embodiment of ill will.

Well, at least I understand His Majesty’s intentions now.

When His Majesty suddenly announced the creation of a Senate, I thought he was relinquishing his power. I was extremely flustered, thinking all my investments would go to waste.

But that wasn’t the case at all.

“Your Majesty intended to control the Senate by leveraging the weaknesses of the central senators, didn’t you? That way, you could effectively turn the Senate into a rubber stamp for your will.”

“…That’s correct, but it’s a bit awkward when you state it so bluntly.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

His Majesty merely pretended to distribute power, using that very pretense as bait to lure in the fish.

Looking at today’s Senate proceedings, with tax increase proposals from the start, I suspect all this discord and conflict was His Majesty’s intention all along.

And it will continue to be so.

If the senators cannot unite, they’re nothing but rubber stamps. This will only strengthen the legitimacy of His Majesty’s rule and actions.

It’s not a new realization, but I’m glad I accepted the proposal to support His Majesty during the Carolingian succession dispute.

Now all that remains is Ethan…

“Sir Ethan went for a walk with Princess Lillianne and Princess Claudia.”

‘Excellent…!’

Today has been full of good news.

I’ve been accompanying Ethan to Dijon for this very purpose… the first attempts weren’t successful, but this time it worked out perfectly.

The boy has his slow moments, so I honestly didn’t expect much, but seducing a princess? He can actually perform when it counts.

“…”

‘Oh dear.’

His Majesty suddenly furrows his brow slightly and looks at me as if he knew all along.

I shouldn’t show my excitement so openly.

I’m not certain what feelings His Majesty harbors toward Princess Lillianne, as there’s no clear information, but cherishing one’s children is a basic quality most parents possess, so I must be careful.

From His Majesty’s perspective, I might appear to be someone making political advances toward his precious daughter. While political maneuvers involving a ruler’s children are common practice, His Majesty’s way of thinking differs greatly from ordinary nobles, so I must choose my words carefully.

“When I came to Dijon last year to pledge my loyalty, I brought Ethan along to show him the bustling city. I believe that’s when he became acquainted with the Princess.”

“Is that so…? Hmm, why didn’t she tell me anything about it?”

“Ah, I should have informed you about the connection between my son and the Princess. My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“No, I meant Lili, not you.”

Lili—using a nickname for Princess Lillianne suggests that despite having multiple wives like a libertine, he definitely has strong family affection.

Judging by his reaction just now, he seems to be suspicious of me… I should take a defensive approach.

“Isn’t that typical of children, Your Majesty? It’s common for them not to tell their parents about their daily encounters.”

“Indeed, you’re right. From that perspective, perhaps Lili simply didn’t mention meeting Ethan because she was embarrassed.”

In reality, Ethan was likely just not memorable enough for Lillianne to mention at the time, but they both interpret the past event in connection with what just happened.

It’s a reasonable interpretation that there must have been some prior connection for them to spend time together immediately upon meeting after a year.

“What were they doing before going for a walk?”

“Princess Lillianne and Sir Ethan were enjoying snacks at that table, exchanging food with each other. When Lady Claudia arrived, the three of them left together. The wine Sir Ethan brought is currently stored in the temporary storage.”

“Snacks, you say? Bringing wine and food—he really came prepared, didn’t he? My goodness…”

…Fortunately, he doesn’t seem too upset about it.

Though he’s certain I orchestrated this situation from behind the scenes, that itself doesn’t seem to be a major issue for him.

“What, did you think I would blame you? For daring to make advances toward my precious daughter?”

“Well, that…”

“If he had forcibly taken Lili’s affection, that would be different, but merely trying to make a good impression—I can’t fault that. Besides, from what I can see, Lili seems quite fond of Ethan as well.”

Hmm… his thinking is certainly unusual in peculiar ways.

Even if a noble approached someone’s child for political purposes, most parents wouldn’t mind much since noble marriages are typically governed by politics anyway.

However, His Majesty isn’t evaluating my actions by these common standards.

Rather than political calculations, he’s judging everything primarily based on the genuine connection forming between Ethan and Princess Lillianne.

…What is this?

When I analyze His Majesty’s thinking, it becomes even more frightening.

“For now, let’s observe them, and if their feelings remain unchanged until they turn 17, it would be good to bring them together.”

“Y-You mean?!”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

I don’t quite understand why he chose 17—slightly later than the typical marriage age—but what does it matter? I’ve gotten what I wanted.

With this, there are no more fellow vassals who can compete with Aquitaine. Moreover, having connections to the royal family means we can easily overcome minor issues as long as Aquitaine doesn’t actively cause trouble.

But… from now on, I must live quietly. More precisely, I shouldn’t reveal any further ambition.

The only way to rise higher than this would be direct confrontation with the royal family.

No matter how loyal to the king I am, Aquitaine has grown too powerful, and now we’re even forming a marital alliance with the royal family. If I try to amass more power from here, His Majesty surely won’t stand for it.

But it doesn’t matter if further advancement is blocked. I wouldn’t have risen this far if the King hadn’t designated me as his partner. From now on, I’ll just quietly—

“Before that, I should meet your son in person.”

“…Yes, of course you should.”

Well, this is a reasonable action.

Even though it’s common in noble society to use children as tools for alliances, many nobles still want to personally meet their future sons-in-law or daughters-in-law.

“I need to confirm that your son isn’t approaching Lili solely for political purposes.”

“…And if that were the case?”

“If he doesn’t love Lili… then I’d have to take back what I just said.”

…What the hell?

No, what noble decides marriages based solely on love—

……….

“…Lili seems to be quite taken with him.”

I tracked their route by asking servants along the way, and their path is quite remarkable.

They’ve practically circled the entire palace.

I recall that Lili has met many people before but never connected with them this deeply… seeing this, it’s clear she genuinely likes Ethan.

And now they’re at the dining hall.

Being in the palace dulls the impact somewhat, but… if we consider the palace as a home, it’s like my daughter invited a boy her age to play at home and even asked him to stay for dinner.

…Ugh.

‘I hope this Ethan fellow isn’t approaching Lili solely for political purposes.’

Even if Lili likes Ethan, if he has no feelings for her and only wants her background, I must intervene as a father.

While noble marriages are often arranged for political purposes, I have enough authority and power to not need such political considerations, so I want to match my children with those they love. Of course, one-sided love or exploitative relationships are out of the question.

‘…No, even if I had to consider politics, my judgment about marriage wouldn’t change.’

Marrying off your children to someone they don’t love for your own benefit—isn’t that the worst thing a parent could do? I should work harder myself rather than resort to that.

It’s not like we’re in the Middle Ages— well, we are, but… anyway, that’s going too far.

“Seeing so many people outside, they must all be inside.”

“It… appears so.”

There are many soldiers and servants on duty outside the dining hall. It seems all three are inside.

“—?!”

“Enough, enough, skip the greetings and salutes.”

When the servants spotted me and startled to attention, I immediately stopped them.

Outside might be different, but inside the palace where I live, receiving formal greetings from every servant would be exhausting. Besides, I don’t want to startle those inside.

“Are they all in—… Huh?”

As I silenced the servants and opened the dining hall door, I was immediately greeted by a… how should I put it… an extremely suffocating scene.

Ines was sitting across from Lili and Ethan at the table with a stern expression, while Chloe and Claudia were watching from a distance as if enjoying a movie. Their faces were even slightly flushed.

“…Your Majesty?”

Ines’s aura is so intense that Lili and Ethan are visibly intimidated. They’ve practically turned pale.

What on earth is going on here?

“Ines, what are you doing? Stand up! You’re an adult—why are you treating these kids this way?”

“B-But… he blatantly asked me for Lili’s hand!”

“…Is this seat taken? I’ll sit down.”