Chapter 10
Lowenhardt’s Scheme
Tessia shoved Alex into a narrow alley as though stuffing him inside, then leaned on the wall and strode in after him. Because the light was behind her, casting her in silhouette, the pressure bearing down on Alex—who had fallen to the ground—was three times stronger than usual.
“W-why are you doing this!”
Tessia grabbed Alex by the collar. Shoving her face close to his, she ground out her words between clenched teeth.
“About that day—you will never mention it anywhere. You will not wonder where I slept. You will not ask. You will not inquire of anyone else!”
She snapped at him. The force of her tone crushed Alex, and he bobbed his head rapidly.
“Y-yes, yes ma’am!”
“Is there anyone who has been talking about that day? Anyone curious about my whereabouts?”
“N-no, nobody!”
Who would dare to concern themselves with the whereabouts of the Empire’s Blood Fairy? Besides, that day everyone had been dead drunk and barely conscious. Alex was the only one who cared at all—because he was her adjutant. Tessia knew exactly what kind of storm would erupt if this incident ever leaked. The Emperor himself would surely pester her relentlessly… Tessia swallowed hard.
Ugh!
This was a matter of Lowenhardt’s very life.
Lowenhardt sat back against the sofa, legs elegantly crossed. His languid posture made him look like a god of play captured in an oil painting. A long sigh slipped from between his lips.
“I suppose I should think about the next move.”
It hadn’t been intentional, but he had spent the night with her. That alone meant he had taken the first step in advancing his relationship with Tessia. The first step toward moving from candidate fiancé to fiancé. Once that fact was known, no one could deny that Lowenhardt was the most likely choice. But he couldn’t simply leave everything to chance. He brushed his lips with his fingers.
Even though they had shared a night together, Tessia still didn’t know he was one of her fiancé candidates. And knowing her temperament, even if he revealed it, she might not find him appealing at all. On the contrary—since he had already promised to take responsibility, if he then admitted he was also a candidate, she might only feel burdened. It seemed far better not to bring up the engagement at all, but to approach her naturally.
Lowenhardt’s goal was not merely to become her fiancé by obligation. He needed to become her fiancé through her love. Moreover, before any rivals arrived, he had to solidify his position as the foremost candidate. For that, he needed to be strategic and careful from many angles—before Tessia began to see him as nothing more than a duty.
Yes. It’s best not to reveal that I’m a fiancé candidate.
At the moment, the only ones who knew about the upcoming engagement were the imperial family and the Duke and Duchess of Clarisse. The wisest move would be to ask the Emperor to keep them quiet. According to the data Lowenhardt had gathered, the Emperor was utterly infatuated with Tessia—so much so that, if she asked, he might capture every pig in all of Estonia. At the time, Lowenhardt had wondered why pigs, of all things. But after seeing Tessia’s obsession with meat, the reason became clear. Winning Tessia’s favor meant winning with meat.
Then, by contrast—what strategy would win the Emperor’s favor? If the Emperor grew fond of Lowenhardt, everything would proceed much more smoothly. And the one the Emperor adored above all was, of course, Tessia. Singing her praises in front of him would certainly help, but that alone was too weak.
He tapped his cheek lightly with long fingers.
“Ah.”
Yes. He had found the perfect method.
During his time in Tiranaban, Lowenhardt had mingled widely in society and observed many marriages. People said their lives changed after marriage—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. He had seen both successes and failures. To succeed, one simply needed to avoid the common pitfalls. And in most cases where the wife demanded divorce, there were two reasons: either the husband was unfaithful, or he had fallen out of favor with his in-laws.
Among nobles, marriage symbolized the union of two houses. One could not simply ignore the power of the wife’s family. Lowenhardt had seen countless divorces forced by the wife’s family.
The case he needed to focus on was this: when the son-in-law offended a father who adored his daughter. Most of those men had made the mistake of tying their wives down—keeping them from social life, forbidding visits to their families, treating them like ghosts within their own clan.
Lowenhardt’s lips curved upward. In such cases, family elders would usually intervene. But as a live-in son-in-law (deril-sawi), he would avoid that risk altogether. That was likely the very reason the Emperor wanted one.
Thus lay Lowenhardt’s path: emphasize the advantages of a live-in son-in-law! And if he could further convince the Emperor that he, Lowenhardt, was the only suitable choice, he would win the man’s favor. To know yourself and your enemy is the way to victory.
And so, Lowenhardt boldly requested an audience with the Emperor.
Lowenhardt decided to approach carefully. He had little firsthand experience with the Emperor and needed to handle any surprises naturally. It would be better than before, when he’d approached in complete ignorance.
“Oh! Prince Lowenhardt!”
The atmosphere was good from the start. The Emperor had not summoned him to some stiff, bureaucratic office, but to a private receiving room. That alone showed he bore some goodwill.
Lowenhardt put on his most dazzling smile—one of his charms. After all, no one spits at a smiling face.
“I greet His Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Estonia.”
The Emperor studied him sharply, eyes raking him from head to toe. Lowenhardt endured it calmly. Then, after a moment’s silence, the Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha! I invited such a precious guest and forgot to greet you properly. There’s so much we didn’t finish talking about before. Prince, you look much older in person than in your portrait!”
Lowenhardt laughed brightly at the Emperor’s joke. To flatter the powerful, one must be able to laugh at anything.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Though there was an accident, I am glad at least a childhood portrait survived. Even back in Tiranaban, I admired Your Majesty’s character and the Princess’s splendid achievements. I longed, from the depths of my heart, to come to Estonia—having cherished Princess Tessia all this time.”
He smoothly moved past the subject of the portrait, mixing in just the right amount of praise for Tessia, adding a bashful look to show his feelings were sincere. Last time, flustered, he had forgotten to emphasize his admiration for her.
“What! You already knew of our Tessia?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you know, Princess Tessia is not only noble in character but also exceptional in ability—she lacks nothing. And when I first met her, I realized my thoughts had been correct. I lost my heart to her at once. It was only natural.”
The Emperor’s eyes gleamed as he listened to Lowenhardt’s gentle words. He had successfully won the first step of the Emperor’s favor.
“Of course! I understand your heart, Prince. Our Tessia is indeed such a child—impossible not to love! Before, I worried whether she would take to you. How is it these days?”
“I believe Princess Tessia does not think poorly of me.”
“Is that so? Hah, well, Tessia knows she’s beautiful, and she’s weak to beauty in others too.”
The Emperor chuckled lightly. Now was the moment—before asking for anything further, something needed to be established.
“Yes, Your Majesty. If I am granted the honor of marrying the Princess and becoming her husband, I will devote my very soul to making her happy.”
“Prince…”
The Emperor’s tone was eager, as if to ask exactly how he planned to make her happy. Lowenhardt met his eyes and continued softly.
“I have no home to return to, no family waiting for me. Coming to Estonia meant abandoning the Tiranaban royal house. Princess Tessia would be my only family.”
He wore a tender, wistful expression. The Emperor seemed to understand—Lowenhardt was saying that, since Tessia would be his only family, he would never trouble her with family affairs.
“Hah! The Tiranaban king might be hurt to hear that.”
But the Emperor looked pleased. As someone already set on taking a son-in-law, this was only natural.
“Of course,” Lowenhardt continued, “but it is only right. My wife, the Princess, must always come before any royal house.”
“What a fine young man! Once again, I see choosing you as Tessia’s fiancé candidate was an excellent decision. Our Tessia, as you know, is not a child to stay at home.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. The Princess is a knight beyond compare. I’ve heard that even monsters tremble and flee at the sound of her name.”
“Hahaha! Exactly! Our Tessia is extraordinary! And let me say plainly—I consider you the most suitable candidate!”
“It would not be right to burden her with household matters. I intend to personally handle the family’s affairs, great and small.”
Tessia had spent her life on battlefields. She likely had little talent or time for household management. Lowenhardt assumed as much—she had always been far too busy to learn such things. According to the knights, she had never once been late or absent from training. To her, the knight order was everything. By saying this, Lowenhardt was showing his support—making it clear he would never fault her for neglecting household duties.
And indeed, just as he expected, the words won the Emperor’s favor.
“Prince, you truly think rightly! Our Tessia is always short on time, burdened with great tasks. The knight order cannot function without her. That you would shoulder household matters in her place—I’m grateful. But, Prince…”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lowenhardt held his gentle smile.
“I only wish our Tessia would reduce her time on the battlefield… just a little.”
