Ch.8Fairy Disease (2)

*Thump thump thump—*

“Young Master! Claude, Young Master! Are you in there!?”

“…Ugh.”

How noisy.

I woke up to the sound of someone roughly pounding on the door. Looking out the window, I could see the sky was slightly reddened, so I must have slept for quite a while.

Chloe… was still sleeping, leaning against my shoulder.

Normally, Chloe would have woken me up, but this is quite a different experience.

Looking at Chloe sleeping peacefully with her head slightly bowed, I felt what I had noticed before falling asleep—her sleeping demeanor was completely different from when she was awake.

*Thump thump thump thump—*

“Young Master! Young Master!”

“Ah, right… Yes, come in.”

I had forgotten while looking at Chloe.

After I gave permission, two haggard-looking servants and one attendant entered the room. Even with masks covering their mouths, they couldn’t hide their distorted expressions.

“What’s the matter?”

“The Duke is looking for you.”

It seems there’s more to it than just that. Their faces look absolutely deathly.

Even that old attendant, who usually maintains a relaxed posture while slightly looking down on us, has a stiff expression. There must definitely be other reasons.

But there’s no point in questioning them here; I wouldn’t get any meaningful answers anyway.

“Yes, let’s go now.”

It would be faster to ask the Duke directly.

Actually, since the Duke is looking for me, wouldn’t he tell me the reason first?

But… what should I do about her?

“Chloe is still sleeping.”

I could wake her up, but I’ll let her continue sleeping. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the usually energetic Chloe looking so vulnerable.

I carefully secured Chloe’s body leaning against my shoulder, then slowly moved my arm down to place her head on the armrest of the sofa.

The impatient servants frowned slightly at my actions, but what could they do about it? If the attendant isn’t saying anything, what right do they have to comment?

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

*Creeeeak—*

After carefully settling Chloe, I followed the attendant and servants outside.

“…”

Chloe watched his retreating back with half-opened eyes, but no one noticed.

……….

“…Lord Louis and Lady Anne?”

“Yes.”

The situation I heard from the Duke’s mouth was more desperate than I had imagined.

While I was sleeping, the situation had spiraled out of control.

‘The eldest son Louis, the eldest daughter Anne, and their spouses have all contracted fairy disease. The third son, that skinny one, died yesterday, so now only the second son Bruno and the second daughter Sophie remain.’

The Duke’s face had become so gaunt that he was almost unrecognizable compared to two days ago. Well, I’d probably look the same if my children were dying from an illness.

Louis’s son and Anne’s daughter have also contracted fairy disease, but fortunately, being children, their chances of dying are lower.

“How is Lord Louis’s condition?”

“They told me to… prepare myself. Not just for Louis, but for Anne as well.”

“…”

I had asked just in case, but it seems that adults like Louis and Anne have difficulty withstanding the fairy disease.

Then, the reason the Duke called me… is it about the succession issue? Is he seeking advice from me, his illegitimate son?

“My son.”

“…Yes.”

…I still can’t get used to it. This old man calling me his son, and me regarding him as my father.

Despite having known him for a long time, with my memories from my previous life and having first met him at age 13 in this world, I see this old man, Charles de Bourgogne, more as a workplace superior than a father.

“I know you don’t think of me as your true father.”

“…”

So he was aware after all.

I’ve always maintained a stiff attitude, whether in official settings or in private moments like this.

“And I certainly know that you don’t get along well with the other children. Since you’re an outsider in the family and not close to anyone, your opinion would be more neutral.”

“What…?”

Well, that’s true, but… it hurts a bit when he says it so bluntly.

It makes me feel like I’m being ostracized… or am I actually being ostracized? Hmm?

“Between Louis’s eldest son, the heir apparent, and the second son Bruno, who do you think should be the successor?”

“…”

Why is he asking me this question…?

If I choose the heir apparent, I’ll be hated by the second son, and if I choose the second son, I’ll be hated by the eldest when he grows up.

“…Wouldn’t it be better to follow the principle of primogeniture?”

In times like this, it’s best to stick to the fundamentals.

It’s the choice that would earn me the least enmity.

“Principles… yes, principles are good. But you know very well that the Duchy of Burgundy is not in a position to adhere to principles right now, don’t you?”

“…”

That’s… true. The Duchy of Burgundy is literally in a precarious state.

During the reign of the previous Duke, my grandfather, the duchy severed its vassal relationship with the Kingdom of Caroling to become independent, but it wasn’t entirely beneficial.

The Kingdom of Caroling immediately became hostile, closing all borders and killing trade, and now we had to stand alone, which dramatically increased military expenditures.

The most serious issue is the exclave—territory separated from the mainland.

The Duchy of Burgundy’s territory is divided into two parts: the inland region, which is the birthplace of the Burgundy family and contains the capital Dijon, and the coastal region, which was newly annexed through conquest by the previous Duke.

When the Duchy of Burgundy was a vassal of the Kingdom of Caroling, traveling between these two regions wasn’t a problem, but after independence, the inland and coastal regions became separated by the territory of the Kingdom of Caroling.

This means that just to collect taxes from our coastal territory, we have to pay transit fees while passing through either the Kingdom of Caroling or the Holy Empire.

And both the Kingdom of Caroling and the Holy Empire charge us enormous transit fees. Of course they would.

‘Thinking about it again… he really stirred up trouble before he passed…’

80% of the coastal region newly annexed by the previous Duke through conquest was originally territory of the Holy Empire, and 20% was territory of the Kingdom of Caroling.

What country in the world would remain friendly with a nation that stole its territory?

Not only conquering the Holy Empire’s territory but also declaring independence from the Kingdom of Caroling and snatching their land… it’s an impressive achievement, if you exclude diplomacy as an option.

China or America in my previous life could afford to ignore diplomacy due to their immense power, but for the Duchy of Burgundy, doing so would mean immediate destruction. We can barely win against a kingdom, let alone an empire.

‘Surrounded by the Kingdom to the west and the Empire to the east, territory split in two, commerce in ruins, and spending enormous amounts of tax revenue on military expenses.’

This is the current situation of the Duchy of Burgundy.

…No matter how you look at it, we’re screwed, aren’t we?

I offer my condolences to whoever becomes the next Duke.

“As you know, I don’t think I’ll last much longer.”

“…Please don’t say that.”

“No, I know my body better than anyone. I’m only 55, but my body isn’t what it used to be. Headaches, blurry vision, trembling hands… haah…”

“If Louis and I had married earlier, my grandson would be a proper young man by now, and I wouldn’t have to worry about this.”

The Duke said this after heaving a deep sigh.

I could only silently listen to his lament.

“So you think the same way… Please take care of Bruno.”

Seeing my attitude, the Duke made an expression that could have been either a smile or a grimace, then presented the option I had been considering.

Is he saying it directly because there could be problems later if I said it myself? He’s even concerned about such details for me… really.

“…Yes.”

Adhering strictly to principles could literally spell the end of the Duchy of Burgundy.

The Duke chose a more stable option rather than sticking to principles, and I agreed, quietly nodding my head.

The fairy disease that had spread throughout the castle finally subsided after two days of complete lockdown.

Countless people without immunity died, including Louis and Anne.

……….

“Young Master, let me check your clothes one last time.”

“Thank you, Chloe.”

“Hehe…”

After a week with no new cases of fairy disease, the Duke decided to hold all the postponed funerals at once.

The third son Pierre, who had died from a fall earlier, along with the eldest son Louis and the eldest daughter Anne, were placed in ornate coffins, while the other servants and attendants were placed in ordinary coffins.

I was getting dressed to attend the funeral, with Chloe making final adjustments to my appearance.

“There! All done!”

“I’ll be going then.”

Although the fairy disease outbreak had ended, it was decided to hold the funeral with a small number of attendees as a precaution.

Since servants and maids were not allowed to attend the funeral, Chloe couldn’t accompany me.

Chloe seemed disappointed by this, continuing to adjust my clothes until the last possible moment before finally declaring me ready.

“Um… Young Master.”

Just as I was about to open the door and leave, Chloe hesitantly called out to me.

“What is it?”

“Just in case… since there might still be fairy disease around… please keep your distance from others.”

“Really? Alright.”

I won’t contract fairy disease, but others don’t have immunity.

Getting too close to others could be disrespectful, even if there haven’t been any new cases for over a week. After all, there’s always a possibility.

Chloe is truly too kind for her own good.

I nodded with a smile to Chloe, then headed to the church where the funeral would be held.

The funeral proceeded smoothly, and all that remained was the final part where the ducal family would pay their respects before the coffins of Louis, Pierre, and Anne.

Although I was technically part of the ducal family, being an illegitimate child meant the church didn’t recognize me, so I couldn’t participate in that tribute and had to stand in the back row.

And then, the chandelier fell on them.