🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 28
Since Count Tolquie was a trustworthy person, I decided to put the matter of the Deark rock salt aside for the time being.
Instead, I decided to investigate Duke Nothen Merchen. That bastard was someone I needed to get out of Killian’s way as soon as possible.
Just because I had read the original novel twenty-two times didn’t mean I knew everything. I knew a great deal about the overall flow of the story, as well as my favorite Killian and my second favorite, Adel, but that didn’t mean I knew every little detail about all the other characters who were living through the same period of time.
Besides, wasn’t I already twisting the story around while living among people who breathed and lived according to their own free will in this world?
That meant I couldn’t simply trust the original story and optimistically sit back and do nothing.
For now, Killian was coming and going from the Imperial Palace as my attendant, so I could keep him away from Duke Merchen. But that wasn’t a fundamental solution. What if Killian went to the Merchen territory with the duke as early as next year?
“I need to cut the problem off at the root.”
I needed someone who could monitor Nothen’s every move. Someone who could dig up everything—when he woke up, when he went to sleep, whom he met, what he spent his money on, everything. It would be even better if that person already had some feelings of dislike toward Nothen….
“I’m pretty sure Marquis Lwendiff was that kind of person.”
In the original novel, it was only revealed that Adel was Marquis Lwendiff’s daughter after Killian killed Nothen and officially became Adel’s lover.
Because of that, Marquis Lwendiff couldn’t oppose the relationship between Killian and Adel, but I remembered something.
The thoughts of Marquis Lwendiff that occasionally appeared in the novel.
‘That bastard is just as irritating as the former duke. I can’t believe he isn’t related to the former duke by blood.’
‘That guy has just as much of a rotten attitude as the former duke. His speech, expressions, and actions—I don’t like any of them.’
‘That bastard is just as arrogant as the former duke. The moment he picks up a sword, his eyes change. It’s like he has a split personality.’
Of course, after learning how Killian had lived all those years and realizing that his true feelings were directed entirely toward Adel, Marquis Lwendiff became the best father and father-in-law imaginable.
“Ah…. What if I ask Marquis Lwendiff for help and he ends up opposing Killian later? Like Romeo and Juliet! ‘Our families are sworn enemies! My daughter can never marry that family’s son!’ That would be troublesome, wouldn’t it? Ah, no. I can cover for Killian, so that’s fine. For now, Marquis Lwendiff is my best option.”
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no one better than Marquis Lwendiff. He was also the only person at the Grand Nobles’ Council who would say whatever he wanted without caring about Duke Merchen’s reaction.
It wasn’t that their political positions were different, exactly. It was more like… well, he simply seemed to dislike Duke Merchen himself.
Now that I had made up my mind, it was time to put the plan into action.
Just thinking about meeting the talkative—no, affectionate—Marquis Lwendiff made me feel a little dizzy, but….
Thinking of Killian gave me the strength to endure!
“Thia!!!”
Perhaps because it had been so long since she had entered the palace, Adel came running toward me much more excitedly than usual.
“Adel! Ghk! Ack!”
Our Adel, who had been so skinny she was practically nothing but bones when she left the orphanage, had changed.
She had some serious bones on her now. Seriously.
I was startled by the force with which she hugged me, almost squeezing my chest, and coughed out a breath.
Killian, who had been frowning deeply, forcibly pulled Adel away from me and said,
“What are you doing? Be careful! How can you just run into her like that? Thia, are you all right?”
“T-Thia. S-Sorry. I was j-just happy to see you.”
Adel’s face turned deathly pale.
Worried that I might have hurt her feelings, I hurriedly tried to hug her back, but I couldn’t because Killian was still examining every part of my body to make sure I was unharmed.
I waved my hands and reassured Adel.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Adel! What happened? How did you get so strong? Did you train while we weren’t seeing each other? That’s amazing! You’re really impressive! So cool!”
“Thia, Adel was always strong. She was strong enough to knock me over.”
“Pfft.”
I couldn’t help bursting out laughing at Killian’s quiet whisper in my ear.
“What was that! What did you say? Killian Merchen! You insulted me, didn’t you?”
“No. I only complimented you on how strong you were.”
“What? Huh? Really? Hmmmm.”
Adel tilted her head.
Apparently, she couldn’t tell whether that had been a compliment or an insult.
That mischievous Killian. He seemed to deliberately pick annoying things to say to Adel so she wouldn’t realize how he really felt, but to me, he was nothing but adorable.
I soothed Adel, who was still glaring at Killian.
“What Killian said is true, Adel. Being strong is good, right? It’s a good thing. In many ways….”
Of course. If you want to keep up with an exceptionally vigorous Killian and break the bed every night, you need to be strong!
Being merely strong wasn’t enough. Hehehe.
As always, I linked arms with Killian and Adel and began walking.
“It’s even better having all three of us together again after so long! How about making strawberry jam with Deark strawberries today?”
“Okay!”
“Me too!”
My beautiful life as an incarnated fan living alongside my favorite characters continued on and on.
“Your Highness, Marquis Lwendiff has arrived.”
“Oh! Really? All right.”
Killian and Adel ate a mountain of sandwiches filled with strawberry jam, played for quite a while, and then went home.
My stomach was pleasantly full, and I felt so drowsy that I thought a quick nap would be perfect!
But then there was the overwhelming presence of Marquis Lwendiff, who could make my spine straighten simply by appearing.
His presence was truly something else.
“Empire! Even when the pitch-black night arrives, do not be afraid! For is there not Her Highness Princess Celestia Monde, who shines more beautifully and brightly than the stars themselves? In fact, you might even go blind, so please put on some sunglasses! The Empire’s sparkling, beautiful star, Her Highness Princess Celestia Monde. I, Baphortem Lwendiff, humbly offer my greetings. It is the greatest honor imaginable that you have summoned me. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I simply could not sleep!”
Good grief.
“Can’t you make it a little shorter, Marquis? I almost fell asleep.”
“Ahahahahaha! Any praise I offer Your Highness feels insufficient. It seems there are no words in this world capable of conveying my sincerity toward Your Highness, so I simply got carried away…. If it made you uncomfortable, I shall be more mindful in the future.”
“No, it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable.”
I gave an awkward laugh before offering the tea sitting in front of the marquis.
“I called you because I have a favor to ask.”
“Y-You truly mean it? Your Highness has a favor… to ask of me? Do you really think of me so highly? I am deeply moved! This humble body, Baphortem Lwendiff, has already sworn allegiance to Your Highness, but I shall swear it once more! Command me to do anything whatsoever!!!”
Good grief, seriously….
This was a completely different kind of exhausting from Dad.
It felt similar in some ways, yet somehow completely different….
“Yes. Well, there’s someone whose background I want to investigate without anyone knowing. He’s a fairly high-ranking person, so it could be dangerous….”
“Hahaha. Surely you don’t mean His Majesty the Emperor.”
“What kind of nonsense is that! There’s no need to investigate Dad. He’s practically an open book.”
“Hahahahaha! His Majesty? An open book? Hahahahaha!”
“Oh, enough! Anyway! Could you do it for me, Marquis? You can refuse if it feels like too much. It would be a little troublesome to find someone else, though.”
“……”
“I don’t want Adel’s father to get hurt because of me.”
“O-Oooh! Ooooooh!”
Marquis Lwendiff let out a series of incomprehensible exclamations.
Then his face flushed red, then pale, then red again.
What was happening? Was he about to transform?
Without realizing it, I clenched my fists in tension.
“Your Highness.”
The marquis suddenly grabbed my hand.
Looking at me with eyes warmer than anything I had ever seen, he spoke.
“I considered meeting Adel again to be a stroke of luck that might come only once in a lifetime.”
“Uh, yeah. You did?”
“To think that such an Adel was able to meet Your Highness… I believe that is the greatest happiness one could ever experience, even greater than life itself.”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that?”
I tilted my head at the marquis’s solemn expression.
I mulled over his words as if I were solving a language section on an exam.
For the record, I came from an athletics background. In other words, studying was extremely difficult for me….
The fact that I reread Moonflower over and over because I couldn’t properly understand it should tell you everything.
“What do you mean? It sounds like something good, though. If it’s good, then that’s all that matters.”
I tried to brush it off with my simple three-step logic, but suddenly the marquis stood up from the sofa, walked over to me, dropped to one knee, and bowed his upper body.
What was this?
Why was he doing this now?!
He looked straight into my eyes, which were so round they looked ready to pop out, and opened his mouth.
“For the rest of my life, until the day I die, there will be nothing in my life that takes precedence over Your Highness’s commands.”
“M-Marquis?”
Why was he taking things this far?
“My safety, my family’s honor and power, all the wealth and knights of my family, even my wife and Adel. I offer all of them to Your Highness.”
Gaaah!
My father is still alive!
Why was he making an oath that could get him branded a traitor if he made even the slightest mistake?!
I was so shocked that I could only stammer, unable to say anything.
The marquis raised his head, looked at me, and asked,
“Whom would you like me to dig up?”
Brrr.
I got chills.
He was seriously terrifying.
