The Price of Power
Olivia stroked the Duke of Klaus’s thigh and the back of his hand a few times, as if to soothe him.
“Getting worked up is bad for your health.”
“I apologize.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? I’m only worried about your health, Grandfather.”
She waited until she saw him take a few deep breaths to calm his heart before she continued in a composed tone.
“And thinking realistically, even if I were to suddenly enter the Imperial Palace as the Imperial Princess, it would only put me in danger. The palace is completely under the thumb of the Duke of Schwaben.”
“…….”
“But if I don’t enter the palace and live outside while claiming the right of succession as the Imperial Princess, I would have no justification.”
Duke Klaus was silent for a while. His heart wanted to restore everything to Olivia immediately, but he could not deny that her words were correct.
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“At the very least, when I enter the palace, I want to be able to surround myself with only my own people. That is the minimum condition for revealing my identity.”
The Duke nodded. She was right.
Olivia spoke in a low voice.
“And I want to kill Ezekiel Schwaben. I must kill him.”
Duke Klaus was startled by the deep-seated hatred laced in her voice.
Of course, the House of Schwaben was an enemy to him as well, one that deserved to die. However, it was the previous and the second-to-last dukes who had killed his daughter, Adelheid. To Duke Klaus, Ezekiel Schwaben was merely a brat who had inherited the legacy of his predecessors.
But Olivia seemed to have a personal grudge against Ezekiel. His finger lightly stroked Olivia’s cheek.
“Via, is there some history between you and that bastard?”
“…No.”
Olivia shook her head. She couldn’t tell him about her past life, and even if she could, she had no intention of burdening her grandfather with such a miserable story.
So, she shook her head, seeking comfort in her heart alone, and buried her face back into Duke Klaus’s lap.
“I want to have power.”
“Via….”
“The power to protect the people precious to me. You, Grandfather, the Klaus family, the Lutgarths…. Reclaiming the position of Imperial Princess itself isn’t the important thing. It’s a necessary means to obtain the power to protect.”
“I see….”
“I can never coexist with the Schwabens. They will constantly threaten me and the people I hold dear.”
The Duke could desperately understand that sentiment. He knew the despair of someone who had failed to protect their loved ones better than anyone else.
“The Schwabens must have known that my foster mother was hiding in Lutgarth. And they must have been watching me, her daughter, as well,” Olivia said.
“It won’t be long before the fact that Laila is Olivia of Lutgarth becomes known. Now that you have met me, someone will soon figure out my foster mother’s identity.”
“The only link between the Countess of Andex and me is Gisela. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come out to meet you.”
Duke Klaus sighed deeply. In the end, he had broken Olivia’s disguise.
She shook her head.
“How could I not know how desperately you wanted to see me, Grandfather? And besides, once I gained notoriety, it was bound to happen anyway.”
There was Mary, and there was the lawyer she contacted regarding Pavel’s estate. The only reason she had been able to act as Laila until now was that no one had been suspicious enough to investigate the people around her.
It would have been revealed eventually. The timeline had simply been moved up a little.
“What would you like me to do?” Duke Klaus said, looking down at her.
“I will do whatever you wish. I will do everything in my power to help you achieve what you intend to do.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
Olivia kissed the palm of his hand once and rubbed her face against it. It was the most reassuring declaration of support in the world.
It was the afternoon of the very same day that Duke Klaus had left when Helmut Schwaben visited the House of Krut.
The House of Krut belonged to the aristocratic faction if one had to categorize them, but they were not actively supporting the Schwabens. They were in a similar position to the majority of families who followed the prevailing trend for the sake of their family’s safety.
Therefore, they did not immediately report what they had learned about Duke Klaus to the Schwabens. Krut was not a vassal of Schwaben. They intended to use the information before its value dropped, but they were determined to extract a sufficient price for it.
The eldest son had even argued that they should align themselves with the Klaus side now that an opportunity had arisen.
However, they received the visit while they were still unable to decide on anything. They hadn’t expected the Schwabens to move this quickly. They certainly hadn’t expected a key figure like Helmut to come in person.
‘Well, it is Duke Klaus, not just anyone else.’
Since Duke Klaus had broken his twenty-year seclusion, it was no wonder the Duke of Schwaben was reacting sensitively.
The Marchioness of Krut composed her expression and welcomed Helmut.
“Welcome, Sir Helmut. To what do I owe this sudden visit?”
The reason she had come out instead of her husband was that she judged it would be difficult for him to pressure a lady overtly.
Helmut, a cousin of Ezekiel Schwaben and an Imperial Secretary, smiled, lifted his hat slightly, and bowed politely.
“It is a pleasure to see you, Marchioness of Krut.”
“Welcome. Please, sit for a moment. I will have tea brought out.”
“No, thank you. I have a schedule to follow after this, so I must return soon. The reason for my visit today is none other than to convey an apology from Her Imperial Highness.”
“An apology?”
The Marchioness of Krut asked back, caught off guard by the unexpected words. Helmut nodded.
“I heard that Her Imperial Highness quarreled with another guest at the party yesterday and left without even saying goodbye to you.”
“Ah.”
“She was very troubled by it. I have come to convey her apologies on her behalf.”
With that, Helmut gestured to the attendant waiting behind him. The attendant was holding a small box.
The Marchioness of Krut hesitated, unable to answer immediately. Helmut had downplayed it by saying she “quarreled with another guest,” as if it were nothing, but he was effectively mentioning the fact that Duke Klaus had been there.
The attendant opened the box and showed it to her. Inside was a pair of beautiful gloves embroidered with silver thread and decorated with small pearls. The box itself was a high-end item made of ebony, making it valuable enough to be a gift in its own right.
“Her Imperial Highness wishes to repay the gloves she borrowed from you with these.”
“Ah, yes. They are truly beautiful gloves.”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been something to rejoice over, but the Marchioness of Krut could not readily express her joy.
Helmut continued with a gentle expression.
“It seems Her Imperial Highness met Duke Klaus for the first time and, not recognizing who he was, said some things she shouldn’t have. I am thinking of going to apologize to him on her behalf as well, though I don’t know if he will accept it.”
“Since Her Imperial Highness is being so thoughtful, he will surely accept it.”
The Marchioness of Krut said words she didn’t even believe herself. Helmut continued, still smiling.
“May I ask for your mediation? The ties between the House of Krut and the House of Klaus seem to be very deep, so I feel that if you were to speak, the Duke would not be able to refuse.”
The Marchioness of Krut realized that the answer she could give had already been decided.
She could not say here that the ties between the House of Klaus and the House of Krut were deep. That would be no different from saying she would switch her allegiance from the House of Schwaben to the House of Klaus.
In the end, the only answer she could give was a denial.
“Deep ties? Surely not.”
“But the man who had been in seclusion for twenty years attended your party and even stayed the night.”
Helmut said, as if he were genuinely surprised. Taking it as a threat, the Marchioness of Krut stiffened her back and replied.
“He only stayed the night because he collapsed and I took care of him. As for attending the party… I believe there was someone else he wanted to meet.”
“Who would that be?”
Helmut asked, then added as if it were nothing.
“I ask because I intend to go to that person and request mediation.”
“It is Lady Laila.”
The Marchioness of Krut sighed softly after answering.
‘The House of Schwaben would have found out soon enough anyway. The maids and the coachman must have known. The only reason he came personally is to pressure our family.’
Meanwhile, Helmut was silent for a moment at that answer. The Marchioness of Krut looked at him with anxious eyes.
However, he soon smiled and bid her farewell.
“Thank you for letting me know. Now that I know who to ask for mediation, my worries are certainly eased.”
“Not at all.”
“I will not take up any more of your time. Thank you for welcoming me so kindly despite my sudden visit. I shall take my leave.”
He bowed politely, lifting his hat again with a courteous attitude, and exited the drawing room. The Marchioness of Krut, drained of all energy, slumped onto the sofa in the drawing room.