Ch.761st Prince Leopold

“And Lord Hektor. If you don’t mind, please step outside for a moment. I have important matters to discuss with the Aishan-Gioro Princess.”

So that Royal Guard’s name was Hektor.

The knight bowed his head, closed the door, and promptly left.

The sound of his footsteps echoed down the corridor.

So he wants a private audience with me after all.

I suspected as much when he had me come without Nigel.

“Despite your fatigue, you’ve responded to my invitation. I thank you once again.”

“Not at all. How could someone living under the Empire’s protection rudely refuse an invitation from His Highness the Prince?”

No need to pretend you’re being considerate. Both you and Ernst knew I was unwell when you summoned me.

You also knew I couldn’t refuse an imperial invitation at this point.

Well, I don’t particularly mind since it’s convenient for me to clarify where I stand anyway.

“Hmm… there was no need to feel so burdened. Please, sit here comfortably.”

“I appreciate your consideration.”

Leopold gestured toward the sofa at the front of his office.

It was similar to the furniture in the reception room.

As I sat down, Leopold settled into the sofa opposite me.

Only then did I properly take in his appearance.

Bright blonde hair reminiscent of lemons. Clear blue eyes.

He was a man with an impressive sharp jawline, cleanly shaved without a single hair.

His gentle-looking eyes held a strange dignity, as if his gaze alone proved his status.

Leopold was twenty-eight this year, wasn’t he?

So this is what he looks like in person. He appears about five years younger than his actual age.

Seated, Leopold looked at me and smiled lightly.

His curved eyes were filled with deep interest.

“Clearly, street rumors cannot be trusted. The academy’s version is more accurate.”

“…What do you mean?”

Rumors? Surely not what I’m thinking?

Even so, that nickname couldn’t have reached the imperial palace.

But when it comes to academy rumors, there’s only one that comes to mind…

You should choose your words carefully, Leopold.

“The Daffodil Princess… it seems the time for full bloom has arrived.”

Great, I’m going to Ernst.

—-

Of course I wasn’t serious.

No matter what, abruptly leaving in front of a prince would be tantamount to an act of hostility.

“I’d prefer you call me the Were Eater. I don’t particularly enjoy compliments about my appearance.”

“Hmm…? Ah, I see! Indeed, a true knight seeks to prove themselves through skill rather than appearance. The Aishan-Gioro Princess must feel the same.”

That wasn’t really my intention; I just find it uncomfortable.

But since he’s interpreting it so favorably, I might as well agree.

“I’ve committed a great discourtesy. I sincerely apologize.”

“Please… don’t concern yourself with it. For His Highness to bow his head to a mere princess, I’m too honored to know how to respond.”

“There’s no need to try so hard. You can speak comfortably. Though it hasn’t been publicly announced, I already know your true status from the Margrave.”

Speak comfortably?

That must be just a polite formality. Who would believe such words?

“Your words are too generous for me.”

“I’m sincere. If you wish, you needn’t even use honorifics. This is a private meeting after all.”

Really? Let me test if you’re truly sincere.

Good timing. Whether I cooperate with Leopold or not, I should assess his character.

“Well that’s more comfortable for me. I was getting hives from being so formal.”

I’d been straining to be polite, pulling together every bit of etiquette knowledge I had.

“Ahem, such… warrior-like boldness and imposing spirit, truly impressive.”

“That’s my charm.”

The prince looked slightly taken aback at my sudden change in speech.

Surely he won’t say something like “Remove this disrespectful woman at once!”

I’d be disappointed if he did.

It would mean he can’t even stand by his own words, showing how small-minded he is.

“…The princess continues to surprise me in many ways.”

Hmm. It seems he’s quite shocked now that he’s actually hearing informal speech.

Well, since he’s not showing any displeasure… I’d say he passes the basic character test.

Not bad.

Much better than an authoritarian who says one thing and does another.

“…In any case, may I consider us somewhat closer now?”

“Well, I suppose so, don’t you think?”

After all, as you said, our statuses are similar.

A prince without backing and the heir to the Elector, descendant of Great’s Twelve Knights.

—-

“So, I’d like to hear why you invited me today. Surely you didn’t really just want to hear battle stories.”

“To be honest, I would like to hear those later… but certainly, the reason I requested this private audience wasn’t that. I sent the invitation to discuss the upcoming ceremony and what follows.”

“What follows?”

Now we’re getting to the point.

“First, the princess will be granted the position of Imperial Knight, a first-class medal of honor, and the title of Master. Additionally, the baronetcy of Median will be bestowed.”

In this world’s empire, knighthood was a position, not a title.

It was proof that one had sufficient ability and was prepared to dedicate oneself to the Empire and humanity.

“The Baron of Median. I heard it had completely fallen.”

“Indeed. No property or territory remains. Therefore, you likely won’t receive the former Median lands as your fief for the time being.”

“A noble title without land seems rather ambiguous for a reward, doesn’t it?”

The fact that the Median family was one of Great’s Twelve Knights is information known only to a few, including the imperial family.

So it’s essentially just a meaningless title, which makes it a rather peculiar reward.

“You’re not wrong. For now, it’s little more than proof that half of the princess’s bloodline belongs to the Empire. At least for now.”

“Hmm…”

“Originally, I planned to announce that the princess is a descendant of the Twelve Knights and propose a political marriage. That would eventually make you an empress of the Empire, which would be beneficial for both of us.”

That means your thinking has changed now. What a relief.

For both you and me.

That said.

“Empress? You sound quite confident about becoming emperor. That’s different from what I’ve heard.”

“It would have been difficult originally. But after recent events, my position is gradually changing.”

Leopold sighed and continued his explanation.

Originally, the power difference between the 1st Prince and 3rd Prince was about 2:8.

Under normal circumstances, this would be considered a decisive gap.

However, this recent Were Eater attack has changed the dynamics significantly.

While Isabella’s faction strongly advocated for palace defense, Leopold argued that dispatching knights throughout the island to stop the riots should be the priority.

Given Leopold’s minimal influence, his request was ignored in favor of Isabella’s.

As a result, when it was revealed that the palace assault was merely a diversion, Leopold’s assessment proved correct.

Additionally, those caught in the riots now support Leopold, who had tried to save them.

Now the power gap has narrowed to about 4:6.

If he can make me a hero and definitively bring me to his side, he might be able to turn the tide.

“It’s rather ironic that the great tragedy that engulfed the island ended up saving me… but that’s how it turned out.”

“Let me make this clear: I won’t marry anyone. Not a single person.”

I folded my arms and leaned back, clearly showing my displeasure and firm resolve.

It might be somewhat rude, but my speech has long since abandoned courtesy anyway.

“I know. I heard from Margrave Ludwig that you strongly oppose marriage. So I’ve abandoned that proposal. Now that you’re set to inherit the position of Elector, I won’t publicize the story about the Twelve Knights either.”

That was obvious.

Unless one becomes part of the imperial family, the prestige of the Twelve Knights would only threaten imperial authority.

Even if that person pledges loyalty and support to the imperial family, they can’t know if it’s genuine or if there are hidden motives.

“However, for the princess to be accepted as the heir to the Elector without significant opposition, there are many hurdles to overcome. This recent achievement is significant, but there’s still the issue of your ethnicity and… well, your reputation from Dane.”

“…That’s true.”

“So now I come to my main point. To be direct: I’ll help with those issues, so can you support me? If you do, when you’re officially announced as the heir to the Elector, I’ll actively express my agreement. Not just me, but my entire faction.”

It’s not a bad offer…

Though my fame will continue to grow as I fight anyway, so it’s not an incredibly compelling benefit.

“When you say support, specifically what level are you talking about?”

“An official declaration of support would be best…”

“That would be difficult. I’m still technically a foreign princess, and making official statements about imperial succession issues would be risky.”

Wouldn’t that be interference in internal affairs?

If I make such official statements as a princess, it would carry significant diplomatic weight.

It could appear as if Ka’har is interfering with imperial power.

In reality, the Ka’har don’t care about diplomacy, but still.

Either way, sharp criticism would follow, and if that news reaches Ka’har, Orhan would react.

If he hears what his daughter, who was supposed to return in three years, is doing in the Empire, he might realize my true intention of never returning.

“Aren’t you essentially in exile? I was under the impression that once this becomes known, your princess status won’t hold much meaning.”

“That’s not something I want revealed yet. If Orhan hears that I’ve drawn a line between myself and Ka’har, I don’t know how that man will react.”

If he becomes certain that I’ve betrayed Ka’har… he’d realize this is no time to be conducting eastern expeditions.

What would happen then?

I’ve only met Orhan once, so I can’t be certain of his reaction…

But whether he attacks the Empire in anger or strengthens his defenses in anticipation of an imperial attack, either outcome is something I don’t want.

“Orhan… Margrave Ludwig did warn me about him. Hmm… then what about reversing the order? What about after you become the heir to the Elector? There’s still plenty of time before the imperial election, and if you become the Elector’s heir during that time, your ties with your homeland would automatically be severed. Wouldn’t that resolve the issue?”

Heir to the Elector. By my estimation, that would take at least two years.

The Empire needs to stabilize, and I need to build my reputation. There’s a long way to go.

That should be fine.

“You’re not wrong. By then… it probably won’t matter. So you’ll help me become the Elector’s heir, and in return, once I become the heir, I’ll support you. That’s the deal.”

This is completely collusion.

Well, I suppose this is appropriate. I was planning to support Leopold anyway.

It’s a slightly disadvantageous deal for me, but creating a small sense of debt in the prince isn’t a bad idea.

“I can do that much, but can I add one condition?”

“By all means, tell me. If it’s something I can accommodate, I’ll respond positively.”

“Later, if some noble dares to make unpleasant moves against me… I might provoke them into a duel. But it would be problematic if they’re from your faction, right? So I’d like you to tell your subordinates in advance. Tell them not to mess with me. That should reduce such incidents by half at least.”

“That’s simple enough. I’ll gladly do so.”

The condition seemed easy enough, as Prince Leopold nodded with a pleased expression.

“However, to convince the nobles in such cases, we’ll need evidence that the princess is on our side… you’ll need to show closeness to me in public settings a few times. Would that be acceptable? Not explicit support or a male-female social relationship, but at least a friendly attitude.”

“As long as I don’t have to wear a dress and dance.”

“Can you dance?”

What is this guy suddenly asking?

…I can’t, actually.