IPBPBD 61🔐

chapter 61

Of course, Royden’s influence was not entirely absent.

At that time, the battlefield was stuck in a slow, grinding war, precariously balanced—and, of all things, the balance slightly tipped in favor of the Rioneff army.

Yes, the very Rioneff that Duke Ditrio belonged to.

Unable to make Kirzen a war hero, Royden adjusted the balance to favor the Genova forces.

The first reason was to buy time; the second was the hope that the enraged leader of Genova would eliminate Kirzen.

And noticing this, Marquis Zolta spared no effort to gain Royden’s favor.

Of course, this was technically an act of treason, so Zolta likely prepared some safeguards for himself.

But his opponent was Royden.

Not only did Royden have no intention of letting it slide, he traced the flow of Zolta’s funds and documented it.

All to hold Zolta’s life in his hands whenever necessary.

In other words, he could dispose of Zolta at any moment—but for now, it was not the right time, so he let it be.

Ultimately, it was Marquis Zolta who carried out the plan.

Since Zolta initiated it, he would also bear the responsibility.

Raoul intuitively understood that after this incident, Royden would eventually deal with Marquis Zolta.

“Yes, that too influenced the choices. In the end, it will fall into my hands. So it will be soon. By the time I return here, everything will be settled.”

“We must prepare for the final battle, then.”

“The last one. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Of course,” Raoul replied with a sly grin.

“You’ll be busy too, so I suggest you leave for now. Be careful not to get caught. When the time is right, I’ll contact you.”

Royden waved his hand, signaling Raoul to leave.

Raoul saluted briefly and turned his back.

Then, expressions changed on both their faces.

One seemed to be pondering what to do with a hunting dog he had raised, while the other contemplated how to bite the hand of the master who had raised him.

Though they shared the same path, their thoughts were entirely different.

That’s how much meaning the term “last” carried—each with their own interpretation of what “the last” meant.

The two maintained the outward appearance of a master-servant relationship full of trust, concealing their true thoughts.

At least, from the outside, it seemed that way.

A few days later, a horribly mangled corpse was found.

Since it was discovered in the northern forest, people paid little attention.

Rumor had it that monsters inhabited the deep northern forest.

Ferocious beasts were sometimes found, so it was assumed the victim was responsible for venturing into the forest.

Thus, people concluded the death was caused by beasts.

The corpse was covered with bite marks, so there was no reason to think otherwise.

And so, “someone’s” death was forgotten, disguised as a beast’s slaughter.

Though it stirred some interest briefly, attention soon faded.

All that remained was the thought to be more careful in the forest in the future.

Three days had passed since Kirzen left the estate.

Before leaving, he formally introduced the Ditrio knights, during which he clashed with the knight commander, Heinkel.

At least, that’s how Emilina saw it.

They measured each other’s intentions, engaging in a subtle power struggle.

The main issue was the oath of loyalty.

Heinkel argued:

“I cannot approve until everyone has returned.”

“Who gave you that right? Time is critical. Let’s just handle it with the current personnel.”

“Let’s be honest. You weren’t satisfied with the oath ceremony itself, weren’t you?”

“Are you trying to annoy me? You never take anything at face value.”

“I cannot accept it otherwise.”

“Stop quibbling and proceed. My patience only goes so far.”

“How amusing. Who’s giving in to whom? It was your choice not to dismiss me.”

“…Heinkel.”

“Fine. If you insist, I suppose I should yield first.”

“Yield what?”

“The obvious. I will have the remaining personnel perform the oath upon their return. No exceptions.”

“Ha, are you trying to joke with me?”

“Are you joking, Duke? Tradition cannot be dismissed so lightly. Especially the oath, which solidifies a knight’s loyalty. To simplify it would be disrespectful to the Duchess as well.”

Faced with Heinkel’s insistence, Kirzen had no choice but to compromise.

After all, only a few minor and trainee knights were absent.

But since the oath was meaningful, bypassing it entirely would insult all the affected knights.

Under the circumstances, a simplified procedure was sufficient.

The problem was that Heinkel had no intention of compromising.

Technically, the knights should have been gathered when Emilina entered the Ditrio estate, but Kirzen’s stubbornness delayed it.

Heinkel disapproved and refused to accept a simplified process.

Watching their clash, Emilina simply hoped the ordeal would pass quickly.

To be honest, she was exhausted just being there.

Whether the oath was simplified or done properly, what mattered was that loyalty was shown.

She just wanted a decision to be made quickly.

If it could have been done simply, she would have gladly supported it—but judging by the atmosphere, her interference would have sparked a confrontation.

Specifically, Sir Markus would have resented her.

In a way, supporting Kirzen was the same as taking sides.

She didn’t want to worsen relations by adding her own words.

After all, she would continue to meet them while staying at the estate.

Since no one could predict how events would unfold, she wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

So she waited quietly, lips pressed together, when suddenly she thought of Rogi.

She regretted his absence slightly.

Being stationed with the knights, he would have understood her situation.

Moreover, having a reliable ally in the Ditrio household would have provided psychological stability.

However, he hadn’t returned yet due to handling the aftermath of the Genova war.

Still, it was only a matter of time, so Emilina tried to soothe her disappointment.

As long as she remained at the estate, she could meet Rogi anytime.

It was merely delayed.

Thus, Emilina witnessed Kirzen and Heinkel’s power struggle during the oath ceremony.

“I’m not sure you can call it a proper oath…”

The remaining knights were so intimidated by the overt pressure from both sides that they barely managed.

Kirzen watched sternly, signaling them to proceed moderately, while Heinkel warned them to do it properly, even if it took time.

The knights paled with each passing moment, caught between conflicting orders.

Emilina felt so sorry for them that she ended up encouraging them.

In the end, when they stubbornly resisted, Emilina chased them both out.

Since they were trying to impose their discipline by controlling the oath, she had no choice.

The knights’ expressions as they looked at her were like…

“…looking at a savior.”

Recalling that memory, Emilina had a rather peaceful morning.

She was becoming accustomed to life at the Ditrio estate.

At least she no longer had to spend sleepless nights tense over sharing a bedroom with Kirzen.

Though, considering her first night, she had slept remarkably well—but she brushed off the thought.

After all, Kirzen’s presence made a huge difference.

So Emilina began her daily duties as Duchess, attended by the twin maids under Marie’s guidance.

It was somewhat ceremonial, but it was something.

She had no intention of doing it half-heartedly.

The problem was that the work was far more than she expected, and there was a mountain of things to learn…

“Is it very difficult?”

As Emilina struggled over documents, Rockbell quietly filled her teacup and asked.

She let out an awkward laugh, set the papers down, and sighed.

“Yes… It’s still unfamiliar, so my work is slow.”

Truly.

Emilina had underestimated household management.

She thought it was merely handling the estate’s costs and personnel.

Technically, that was true—but the criteria were vague, especially financially.

Rockbell had said she could spend whatever she deemed reasonable.

“Just how reasonable is ‘reasonable’?”

When she asked, he said the Duchess had no limits—spend as much as needed.

A truly irresponsible statement.

What if she squandered everything and went bankrupt? Who would be to blame?

“Of course, me,” she thought.

With a side of resentment, naturally.

It was an obvious outcome.

Thus, Emilina was stressed trying to set a standard.

When trying to follow Rockbell’s usual methods, other obstacles arose.

As Duchess, there were upkeep costs for dignity, estate decoration, parties, social investments…

All the miscellaneous expenses required for a noble life.

“Even nobles live a tiring life. Why do they spend money on such unnecessary things?”

Excluding investments, of course.

“Though, I’m no different,” she admitted.

Until now, she had ignored such things, but she too had enjoyed a similar lifestyle.

After all, the Klein family were nobles, even if they didn’t have much wealth—they paid attention to parties and social status.

The problem was that she had been the focus. Emilina had never wanted that.

“Sigh… no use dwelling on the past.”

Emilina had no knowledge of or interest in how much money these tasks required, making it hard to set a standard.

So she requested records from the previous Duchess. The reply was only an apology.

The former mistress had been too ill to manage the household.

Emilina had nothing to say in response.

So she returned to square one, unsure how much to spend, frustrated.

Seeing her, Rockbell spoke gently:

“The beginning is always like this. You’ll get used to it gradually.”

“Yes… I suppose I’ll get the hang of it over time. By the way, what about the matter I asked you to handle?”

“Some replies haven’t arrived yet, but one person responded first.”

Emilina brightened immediately.

“Good news. Who is it?”

“Countess Lazela. From a neutral family, with a virtuous character, a model for young ladies.”

Rockbell said no more, but Emilina understood.

There was no need to wait for other letters—the best choice was clear.

Now that a reply had arrived, Rockbell could quietly hope she would be chosen.

When he listed etiquette teachers, Countess Lazela was his top choice.

The reason: “neutral family” and “no children yet.”

Most wives allied with or neutral to the Ditrio household had already been considered.

The problem was that many proposed matches for their children.

Considering reputation and character, very few families met the conditions.

Other families had at least one flaw, so they were deferred.

A new mistress could cause unnecessary friction.

So they chose someone meeting the above conditions to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Rockbell could feel reassured when Countess Lazela responded positively.

If she became the mistress, there would be no marital discord.

Emilina, understanding this, nodded without comment.

“Indeed. I can meet Countess Lazela with peace of mind. Her reply was straightforward, without ulterior motives. Let’s decide immediately. She will be it.”

“Understood. I’ll inform the others separately.”

“Give them two days before contacting them. Immediate notice could upset them.”

“A wise choice. I’ll contact them in two days.”

Rockbell smiled contentedly.

As he stepped out to attend to something, Emilina glanced at the papers on her desk.

She still had budget allocations to handle.

With a deep sigh, she picked up the documents.

It seemed she had to continue her battle with endless paperwork.