Ch.24Royal Palace Banquet #1

They say leaving home means a hard life, and it was truly so.

The journey away from the Duke’s territory to visit the domains of nobles in the same faction was exhausting.

Following Helena’s wish to explore every nook and cranny doubled our travel time, and sometimes we even found ourselves foraging for wild herbs in the mountains at odd times.

Perhaps because it was a fantasy world, everything seemed to be a jumble of various elements.

Still, it was enjoyable.

I could confidently say that despite the hardships, it was fun. I wondered if this was what traveling was supposed to be like.

“Lady Helena. Thank you for your hard work over this long period.”

As soon as we arrived at the mansion’s carriage area, a man greeted us.

It was Andy, Krauser’s butler.

“Hehe. Thank you. If anything, you’re the one who’s had it tough, Andy. I didn’t find it difficult at all—in fact, it was my first time traveling around outside for so long, and I enjoyed it.”

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

“Aren’t you being a bit too formal? Oh, by the way, was everything alright while we were gone?”

“Yes. Nothing special happened. Rather, I should be asking if you…”

Arriving at Krauser’s mansion, which now felt like my own home, I felt naturally at ease.

Helena seemed to feel the same way, as she relaxed her shoulders slightly while exchanging recent news with Andy.

I stood behind Helena and gave a slight nod as a greeting.

I didn’t want to interrupt their pleasant conversation. Andy seemed to understand this and responded with a smile and a slight nod.

Though other nobles might see this as inappropriate, for Andy and me, this felt much more natural.

Besides, since he was talking to Helena, I couldn’t afford to be distracted anyway.

“Oh my… I sincerely apologize. I was so pleased to see you that I’ve been terribly rude. Keeping Lady Helena here when she hasn’t even had time to rest from her journey…”

“Please don’t say that. I enjoyed having a relaxed conversation after so long.”

Helena comforted Andy, who couldn’t raise his head out of guilt, with a bitter smile.

The atmosphere was quite pleasant since she wasn’t just forcing herself to be accommodating, but Andy’s head-hanging posture made him look like someone who had committed a grave sin and was now regretting it.

“Oh, by the way. The Duke has ordered that you come to his office immediately upon arrival. It seems he has something very important to discuss…”

“Important? I understand. I’ll go right away.”

She nodded firmly with tightly pressed lips, then walked toward the office where the Duke was waiting.

Her hurried footsteps showed she was rushing. As a result, I had to follow her at a quick pace all the way to the office.

“I’ll go organize our luggage. Will you be… alright by yourself?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine.”

When we reached the office, I told Helena that I would be separating from her for a while.

Thanks to our souls having merged, her obsessive intensity had decreased considerably, making it okay for us to be apart like this.

She no longer had that abyss-like look in her eyes. Perhaps my promise to always return to her had a significant impact.

Either way, I couldn’t help but think it was a tremendous relief as I leisurely walked toward Helena’s room.

I was curious about what the Duke wanted to say, but I could always hear about it later from Helena.

“It’s clean.”

I exclaimed in admiration at the immaculately clean room, then put down the bag I was holding.

I intended to take out the clothes and neatly arrange them in the wardrobe.

We had prepared dresses separately, but fortunately or unfortunately, there had been no occasion to use them.

There were no social gatherings hosted by nobles, nor any major events that would require dresses.

From my perspective, it was quite fortunate to avoid such troublesome affairs.

“Finished…”

After a final check of Helena’s room, I went straight to my room to unpack.

Since I had less luggage than Helena, organizing didn’t take long, which allowed me to have a short break.

Though I wanted to lie down and stretch out on the bed, the sun was still high in the sky, so I had to give up on that idea.

In the end, the best I could do was lean against something similar to a headboard. But even that was better than nothing.

“Make it last as long as possible.”

I slumped my body, hoping my alone time would last a bit longer.

It might seem excessive, but we had been traveling outside for over a month. I thought it was natural to feel tired.

However, my sweet honey-like time didn’t last long.

Loud footsteps echoed down the corridor, and as soon as they stopped, someone flung my door open.

“Jion! Here you are!”

The person who had come to ambush me, Helena, locked the door behind her and quickly approached me as I sat on the bed.

The way she settled next to me was just like a puppy, which I found cute.

However, seeing the serious expression on her face, I tightened my relaxed mind and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“Father… has passed the title of Duke to me. I’m the Duchess from today.”

“Really? For real?”

It wasn’t as shocking as I might have expected, but hearing it directly still had some impact.

I knew it was Krauser’s educational policy to have his successor tour the duchy and allied territories, and I was aware that the title would be passed to the person who completed this circuit.

But to think he would hand over the title immediately upon our return… His decision was swift, perhaps too swift.

“Then what about the Duke… I mean, Lord Iss?”

“Well…”

◎◎◎

“…I’m sorry for calling you right after you arrived. But the sooner we handle this, the better. Please sit.”

“Yes, Father.”

In the Duke’s office, Helena took a seat across from Iss at his invitation.

From the items on the desk and Iss’s expression, it was clear he was about to discuss something quite serious.

In response, Helena inwardly swallowed hard and clenched her fists.

Although she no longer fell into extreme anxiety when Jion wasn’t by her side, the anxiety itself hadn’t disappeared.

Moreover, the heavy atmosphere seemed to weigh on her shoulders, gradually intensifying Helena’s tension.

After an awkward silence, Iss began speaking matter-of-factly, as if unconcerned.

“Helena. You know about our ancestor, Lord Bluemoon, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. At the young age of ten, he made great achievements that contributed significantly to the founding of the kingdom, thereby establishing the foundation of the Krauser Duchy.”

Bluemoon Krauser.

Known as the originator of the Krauser Duchy, he was a man who had been active on the battlefield since the age of ten and later became a founding contributor to the establishment of the Kingdom of Soter.

As such, he was a legendary figure that no one associated with the Krauser family could be unaware of.

“That’s right. Since Lord Bluemoon established the duchy, he set one principle for succession to preserve the family’s intelligence. That principle is meritocracy.”

Spouses are chosen based on ability and character rather than family background, and the successor to the duchy is selected solely based on ability.

Being female, illegitimate, or the youngest among many siblings was not considered at all.

And because they adhered to this principle, they had stood unwavering until now.

It wasn’t uncommon for noble ladies, who were typically used as tools for alliances between noble families, to ascend to the position of Duchess. Helena was one of them.

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.”

“I’m sure you are. Then do you also know that age is not a factor in succession to the duchy?”

“I’m well aware of that as well.”

After all, Lord Bluemoon began his achievements around the age of ten.

Therefore, any argument that one was too young to inherit the title of Duke was merely an empty claim, at least within the Krauser Duchy.

Helena nodded calmly, knowing this, but she couldn’t help but widen her eyes in surprise when she saw what Iss was offering her.

He was presenting the duchy’s specially made seal, designed to prevent forgery, saying it was now hers.

“Father. Surely…”

“You must have guessed when you left for your journey? That you might officially become the Duchess.”

Of course, she had vaguely suspected it.

Without exception, those who would inherit the title of Duke were made to tour the duchy or the territories of those in the same faction.

To broaden their perspective, even if just a little.

But she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly, which was why Helena’s gaze was trembling considerably.

“But… isn’t it too early? You’re still in good health…”

“Of course, I don’t intend to completely step away from affairs. Thanks to your assistance in learning the duties, I believe you could handle everything on your own, but it would be too harsh to burden my daughter who has just returned from a journey. So even though you’ll inherit the title, the work structure won’t change for the time being.”

“I appreciate that, but… it still seems rushed. Is there a specific reason?”

Helena knew well that the timing of title inheritance in the Krauser Duchy varied.

So even if she were to suddenly inherit the title tomorrow morning, she would have accepted it without much thought. However, she could see a hint of urgency in Iss’s stern face.

Helena asked the question because she noticed this, and Iss, seemingly having no intention to hide anything, readily answered.

“Soon, there will be a birthday banquet for His Majesty the King. All the nobles scattered throughout the land will gather for it.”

“Ah… has that time already come?”

The birthday of the current King Albert Soter falls in July, a time of mild heat.

It’s also optimal weather for social parties, with people wearing light clothes rather than heavy ones, and the night air being pleasantly cool.

As a result, the King’s birthday celebration spans several days and is essentially a social party under the pretext of celebrating his birthday.

“Yes. That’s why I intend to have you attend that banquet as the Duchess. It could be considered your first debut, in a sense.”

Unlike other noble ladies, Helena had rarely participated in social gatherings.

Or rather, it would be fair to say she had never attended any. As the successor to the Duke and using the excuse of honing her sword skills, she had avoided all unwanted gatherings.

It was the result of having the title of the nation’s genius swordswoman.

However, once she becomes the Duchess, she can’t make such excuses anymore.

It’s because of what people commonly refer to as the responsibilities and duties of a noble.

While it might still be possible to skip most gatherings as she does now, it would be difficult to avoid events where her presence is deemed necessary.

For example, events like the upcoming birthday celebration for the King.

“So, I can no longer escape from such gatherings.”

“You understand well. Personally, I think it might be fine to continue as is for a while longer, but wouldn’t it be awkward to enter social circles at too late an age? Considering that most ladies become the center of attention at gatherings from the age of sixteen, you’re already quite late…”

Twenty-three is already quite late, but if delayed any further, it might truly become irreversible.

Iss was concerned about this and wanted to block Helena’s escape route.

He had worried that it might be somewhat cruel as a father, but he believed that if she had to experience it eventually, it would be better for Helena to start adapting now.

Helena seemed to understand his intentions and nodded calmly.

She fully understood Iss’s words, and considering what lay ahead, she thought that becoming the Duchess sooner rather than later might not be a bad thing.

“Yes. If you insist, I’ll become the Duchess starting today. Will that suffice?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

While the succession ceremony for a title is typically conducted with considerable grandeur, they concluded the matter simply by transferring the seal, as if finding the process cumbersome.

For a succession to the title of Duke, it was incredibly modest.

“His Majesty’s birthday is in five days… should I arrive two days before?”

“Hmm. Arriving exactly on the day would leave too little margin, so that timing seems appropriate. There will be rooms at the palace, so you can stay there for a while. And…”

What about Jion Altram?

Iss barely suppressed this question that was about to escape his throat, letting out a low groan as if nothing was wrong.

He hesitated to bring it up, fearing he might learn something unnecessary.

“No, never mind. That’s all I needed to discuss, so you may retire and rest now. You’ve worked hard.”

Thus, cutting off his words and dismissing her was the best Iss could do.