A Reliable Backer (2)
Ganix Obina was what one might call a man of no presence.
The Empire was a nation free of the so-called constraints of principal wives and concubines. Born of countless noble houses and lesser kingdoms fused into one, it had abolished the distinction between principal and secondary consorts entirely, promising every wife of the Emperor equal standing. That single reform had quelled the resistance of innumerable aristocrats and allowed the Empire to rise successfully.
Because of it, the title of Third Prince carried no handicap of birth. In the line of succession, Ganix Obina stood in a position of considerable rank.
And yet, for all that he was the Empire's Third Prince, he had never once revealed any real presence in the twenty-one years of his life.
His birth mother had died delivering him, and her family, despite having a grandson within the Imperial Palace, had left him essentially abandoned, never intervening in his affairs. In a palace where the struggle for succession burned fierce, Ganix had been left alone without a single protector — and he had been content with that life. He was, by nature, a timid soul with no hunger for power.
Falling behind one's rivals also meant the shackles closing around one's throat hung that much looser. So he had shut himself away inside the Imperial Palace, losing himself in his hobby of painting and the quiet pleasure of acquiring knowledge. Even at twenty-one, his only betrothal was to a fiancée twelve years his junior — a forced arrangement, given how many nobles threw themselves at a prince of the blood — and his personal life was utterly free of scandal or romantic entanglement.
He was, in every sense, pure, upright, and kindhearted — a man who did not belong in the Imperial Palace at all.
And precisely because of that, Ganix had managed to maintain reasonably good relations with his brothers and sisters. In the palace, siblings were rivals by default; genuine affection was nearly impossible. But no one considered Ganix a competitor, so they could deal with him at ease. He was always there inside the palace walls, quietly listening to the weary confidences of his exhausted siblings — a hydrangea planted in a pot, decorative and harmless.
…Or so it had been.
"Brother Ganix's behavior changed half a year ago. He began avoiding conversation, left the palace frequently, and even his mannerisms and speech became those of an entirely different person."
"At first I was worried, but he never turned violent, so I didn't suspect anything serious."
"There were even times I felt relieved — that my timid older brother had finally become more lively."
"But Brother Ganix's transformation did not stop there."
Nobles unaccustomed to the Imperial Palace began appearing within its walls with increasing frequency. The one who had invited them was Ganix. Unlike the days when he had been a fixture of the palace, he now strode freely between the court and the outside world, building a faction of his own.
Had it ended there, it would have been understandable enough. The Emperor grew older by the day, and Ganix was a figure of succession rank. It was only natural that nobles would seek to forge ties with a prince of the blood. If anything, it was Ganix's previous refusal to do so that had been the anomaly.
And then the incident occurred.
"The Ninth Prince… Lazarus was much younger than I, but he was a good child."
Lazarus Obina had been a spirited boy of twelve. He grew angry at injustice and knew how to apologize when he was wrong. He still caused the occasional mishap befitting his age, but he was bright and sturdy — a boy every bit as lively as a child of twelve should be.
That Lazarus was dead.
The cause of death: drowning. He had gone boating with Ganix for a day of water play, they said, and the boat had capsized.
The news had not yet reached the ears of the Empire's nobility, but the imperial family already knew. For now the information was being suppressed to prevent chaos and to determine the precise cause of death — but before long, word of the Ninth Prince's passing would spread across the entire Empire.
A tragic accident that left every soul in the Imperial Palace stricken with grief.
"But I know one fact that no one else does."
Only two people in the entire palace had any reason to question that death.
"Lazarus hated water with a passion."
As a child of seven, Lazarus had nearly drowned, and ever since he had been terrified of deep water, refusing it utterly. Bathing in a tub was manageable, but boarding a boat was unthinkable. Ashamed that someone destined for great things should fear something as ordinary as water, he had confided the truth only to his nursemaid and to Rachel.
"And that same Lazarus went water-playing? It was far too suspicious."
With drowning listed as the cause of death, it was nearly impossible to dismiss the matter as a simple accident.
"So I began investigating the events of that day with real doubt in my heart."
"But a few days ago, I received word that Lazarus's nursemaid was dead."
Suicide. That was the official cause.
She had been seen suffering openly over Lazarus's death and her own absence when it happened. She was not of imperial blood, and so her death attracted little attention and was quietly buried. But to Rachel's eyes, Lazarus's nursemaid was not a woman who would end her own life. She had grieved, yes — but she had also been determined to see the culprit caught. For such a person to suddenly take her own life was jarringly out of character.
"That was when I understood. It was a warning."
A warning to dig no further into Lazarus's death. And with that, Rachel became certain that Ganix was the culprit.
"I don't know why he killed Lazarus, or for what reason. But that Brother Ganix is plotting something — that much is certain."
"And I realized that if I stayed as I was, I would be next. Like young Lazarus, I have few connections of my own."
Rachel, too, had devoted herself to magical research rather than the pursuit of power, and so she possessed no reliable allies. Remaining idle, she concluded, might well see her meet with an "accident" of her own — just as Lazarus had.
"Which is why you chose us."
"Exactly. You have no existing ties to the other nobles or to my siblings, and yet — not now, but soon — you are the ones who will send the greatest shockwave through the Empire. The Evergarden family was the right choice."
So Rachel had chosen the Evergardens. Barely half a year earlier they had been a poor, ill-reputed baronial house; then, abruptly, they had begun to rise. Forging a connection with them, she calculated, would make even Ganix hesitate before touching her.
"…Forgive my presumption, Your Highness, but what would you have done if we had already joined hands with another prince or princess?"
"…Even if you already had another backer, I judged that my information alone would put Brother Ganix under the scrutiny and containment of his siblings. That would still have been a worthwhile outcome."
"Though I will admit I considered it something of a gamble."
"I see. Most prudent of you."
Rachel is the cautious type, but she's not so indecisive that she freezes when a choice needs making.
And right now, our plan needs a collaborator we can count on to stand with us.
Rachel needs us desperately — but we can always take another partner's hand. She's the one who's desperate here.
Having heard Rachel's explanation, Felix's mind raced. The Evergarden family's hand was already strong. Even without Rachel, their plans would suffer no real setback. Rachel, on the other hand, faced something close to ruin without the Evergardens. Felix and Rosaria might be the ones bowing their heads at present, but in truth it was Rachel who was on her knees before them.
In that case, there's no reason to refuse.
"The hour has grown late, Your Highness."
"…So it has. I hadn't realized how much time had passed."
After a brief moment of consideration, Felix spoke. Rachel's eyes widened for an instant, then settled back into a carefully blank expression. She had taken his words for a refusal.
But then—
"If it would not be an imposition… perhaps we might continue this conversation at my family's estate."
"…!? Do you mean it?"
The moment Felix invited her to the Evergarden estate, Rachel slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. An invitation to continue talks at the family home was as good as taking her hand.
"Of course. House Evergarden will always welcome Princess Rachel."
"Then I accept your invitation with gratitude."
She took the hand Felix extended and shook it firmly. In that moment, the Empire's Fifth Princess and the baronial house of Evergarden were bound by a reliable alliance.
"Then, would it be acceptable to send the detailed schedule by letter afterward?"
"Yes. I'll assign one of my people to you — please send it through them."
"…Whew."
As the conversation wound down and the atmosphere of parting settled over the room, Rosaria let out a quiet sigh of relief.
I have no idea what's going on, but something feels off. So… the Third Prince is the bad guy? Or was it the Fourth?
While Felix carried on a fluent conversation with Rachel, Rosaria had been unable to insert herself into the discussion at all, fidgeting and watching from the sidelines with no idea what she was supposed to do.
Anyway, it seems like it ended well enough… I just want to go sleep.
"Then we shall take our leave. Eternal peace to the Empire."
"E-Eternal peace to the Empire…"
"And everlasting prosperity. To you."
Felix offered a final, formal bow and opened the door to leave.
Let's get out of here.
Rosaria hurried after him, about to scurry out of the room — when a voice stopped her.
"A moment, Lady Rosaria?"
"Y-Yes?!"
Startled by Rachel's sudden call, Rosaria froze halfway through the doorway and turned back with a stiff little jerk of her head.
"I-Is something the matter…?"
What? Did I mess something up? Why is she calling me…?
Sweating nervously under Rachel's summons, Rosaria asked with careful politeness.
"The joint examination. It was truly impressive."
"Ah, ahaha! Y-You're too kind! It really wasn't anything special!"
"Ah — I suppose you're my senior now. Senior Rosaria."
"Se… Excuse me?!"
"I look forward to working with you. Senior. Ro.sa.ri.a?"
"…Huh?"
Bang—
"…What was that about?"
Contrary to every expectation, Rachel had smiled and called her senior — and in that same instant, the door closed.
"? Something wrong?"
"Huh? Ah, no…! It's nothing."
Why did she suddenly call me? And 'senior,' of all things… is she messing with me?
Felix found Rosaria standing frozen, staring blankly at the closed door, and called to her. Scratching her head, she fell into step beside him.
Something about it all was complicated — but a very long night was finally drawing to a close.