Chapter 315: Honor(1)
Chapter 315: Honor(1)
You’ve probably heard the saying, "Does honor put food on the table?" It’s a phrase usually directed at people who cause a scene or act stubbornly because they refuse to let go of their so-called pride.
But regardless of how frustrating it can be, the truth is that honor does put food on the table. While honor can be interpreted in many ways, it is almost always directly linked to one's image.
Just as a first impression lasts a long time, a fixed image lingers in people's minds. For celebrities or public figures in my past life, that image was everything.
If one's honor is tarnished and their image collapses, the loss is indescribable. Income streams can dry up instantly, and in severe cases, it leads to social ostracization.
Even in this world, which resembles the Middle Ages, things aren't much different. No matter what lofty ideals you attach to honor, it is fundamentally about image.
Occasionally, you find people who value pragmatism or financial gain over honor, but even they possess a basic level of honor, whether they realize it or not.
No matter how much one pursues mammonism, the fact remains that they live within the fence of the 'law.' If you commit a crime, pragmatism goes out the window and you're headed straight to prison.
This is exactly why people faithfully obey the law. If you break it, people will naturally point fingers, and your image will inevitably plummet.
The same applies to actions that are morally wrong, even if they aren't criminal. The reason nobles lose political battles is often because they've done something to disgrace their honor, regardless of their actual power.
You don't have to look far—just look at my father and me. My father started as a mere baron, but he is a force so powerful that the Empire supports him openly. As for me, well, I don't even need to explain.
If my father weren't the Red Lion but just an ordinary knight, and if I weren't Xenon, we would have remained a perfectly ordinary noble family. In this way, there is much to be gained from honor.
Thus, honor is not only a great social asset but also, in a way, the foundation that sustains a nation. Especially for 'soldiers' who defend the country, honor is more precious than life itself.
This isn't just a metaphor; it's a fact, because being a soldier is a profession where one stakes their 'life' as collateral. While the world is full of people who claim they'd die for their honor, few actually throw their lives away to protect it as soldiers do.
The unique law of the Minerva Empire, which forcibly enlists anyone who insults a soldier, is rooted in this principle. It’s meant to show the offender firsthand that a soldier's honor isn't something to be disparaged lightly.
However, as seen in Friedrich's case, there are times when one must temporarily set that honor aside. To be honest, having explored the history of my previous life, Friedrich is actually on the milder side.
There is a perfect example of what happens when people cling to honor until the bitter end. It might feel like I'm overusing this example, but it's war.
In my past life, two global wars broke out because Europe couldn't let go of its pride. In this reincarnated world, the Race War erupted for similar reasons.
As such, one must know when to lay down their honor and not be stubborn in trying to seize it.
In that light, Friedrich's choice could be seen as the right one. If he hadn't let go of his pride until the end, a second Jayros Revolution might have broken out.
[King Friedrich personally steps forward to disclose his past mistakes to the Commoner Representative Group.]
[Unable to overcome his youthful passions, he shared an affection with a woman other than Queen Maria...]
[Though he took the child in, he did not accept her as family. She was subjected to neglect and disregard since the past...]
It seemed Queen Maria's persuasion had worked, as Friedrich revealed all of his wrongdoings.
The news appearing in the papers was so detailed it made me think, Did he really go this far?
He didn't mention names, but anyone with even a slight inkling of the situation would realize who was who.
Because of this, I briefly worried if he was trying to use Adelia politically as I had feared. If that were the case, I would have retaliated immediately.
[Count Kamar: "If you intend to take responsibility only because you were pushed into it, then step down from the throne yourself. Our Kingdom of Tayros must seek a different system from now on."]
["The people of our Kingdom of Tayros are enlightened. They know how to think and act for themselves; they stand together and raise their voices. They are well aware of their own power."]
["Does the current system truly suit our Kingdom of Tayros? At the very least, shouldn't we rise through a minimum level of elections rather than blood ties, like in Albenheim?"]
Following that, Count Kamar's hidden true intentions burst forth. Surprisingly, he spoke of 'voting.'
Even in Albenheim, commoners aren't given the right to vote—only nobles are. Yet, he was suggesting that commoners should have voting rights as well.
Strictly speaking, it would likely be given to the Commoner Representative Group. It sounded close to democracy, but there were many ambiguous points.
Still, it remained a radical statement. Since a revolution had nearly broken out, the justification was perfectly framed.
The nobles would have no choice but to comply out of fear of revolution, and the commoners had realized they possessed 'power.'
It was a bizarre hybrid of the Holy Roman Empire's unique elective system and a republic's voting rights. Add to that a dash of Athenian democracy.
Perhaps it was to be expected from a nation of culture, but it seemed they were using this incident as nourishment to evolve further.
Of course, this didn't mean the situation was perfectly resolved. Friedrich had to endure the flood of criticism that followed his confession.
[King Friedrich was no romantic; he was just an ordinary king.]
[In truth, the biggest victim is Queen Maria.]
However, perhaps because he was a king and not just an ordinary noble, the criticisms were relatively dry, like those above. But the fact that there was criticism at all showed great courage.
And because King Friedrich usually had a good image, most of the Commoner Representative Group reacted with, "All that for just that?"
A mistake is a mistake, but since a revolution almost happened because he was embarrassed by it, the whole thing felt somewhat anticlimactic. For an event triggered by a king's inability to keep it in his pants, the scale had grown unnecessarily large.
Because of this, the arrows of blame naturally turned toward Xenon—that is, me. People wondered what King Friedrich having an illegitimate child had to do with me.
So, I kindly sent out a letter.
[The hidden child mentioned by King Friedrich is currently serving as my faithful exclusive maid. And... (omitted) ...thus, the current situation occurred. I offer my apologies to the citizens of the Kingdom of Tayros who almost suffered due to my petty desire for revenge.]
Once the full story was revealed through my letter, people were finally able to understand. It was a choice that could have diminished my own honor, but it was something that had to be done.
However, contrary to my worries, surprisingly few people criticized me. Instead, they said they were able to see a more human side of me and realized I was a person with emotions.
Besides, the Tayros Royal Family was already taking so much heat that the arrows of criticism aimed at me were quite few.
Wait, what did they think of me before this?
I hope they didn't think of me as some machine that just churned out manuscripts all day. Regardless, I'm glad things seem to have settled down well.
When it was announced that the Xenon Biography would be released as scheduled, the citizens of the Kingdom of Tayros cheered with open arms. Just as a conclusion was about to be reached for this long-running incident...
"What? Father... I mean, King Friedrich stepped down from the throne?"
"Yeah. Instead, Queen Maria is taking over. I guess we have to call her Queen Maria from now on."
"To think such a thing happened..."
Surprisingly, news reached us that Friedrich had abdicated and passed the throne to Maria.
At that news, not only Adelia but I couldn't help but be shocked. After all, while I expected him to set aside his honor, I didn't expect him to give up the throne.
The throne isn't some trivial thing; it's the leadership of a nation. Especially in the Kingdom of Tayros, which professes to be a monarchy, the king's power is sky-high.
Passing that throne to the Queen was certainly an extraordinary move. I stared at the newspaper with a dazed expression, falling into deep thought.
Is it to prevent Count Kamar from gaining too much ground?
Currently, Count Kamar was pushing for a form of democratization. If it were actually implemented, anyone could see that Count Kamar would be the next leader.
Furthermore, unlike some members of the royal family who had directly tormented King Friedrich and Adelia, Queen Maria was strictly a 'victim.'
Moreover, far from tormenting Adelia, Queen Maria had secretly supported her. The fact that she supported a child who didn't share a single drop of her blood showed her magnanimous nature.
Therefore, passing the throne to Queen Maria could break the current deadlock, but normally, people don't find it easy to let go of power.
Just why did Friedrich give up the throne? As someone receiving the news only through newspapers, it was a choice I found difficult to understand.
"Father gave the throne to Mother?"
Lara, who had been listening to our conversation, chimed in while munching on a cookie. For the record, the cookies were baked by Adelia herself.
When she first tried, she burned them until they looked like coal, but her skills were gradually improving. The catch today was that they were salty because she put in too much salt.
I glanced at the intruding Lara and told her the facts.
"Yes. That's what it says."
"That's strange. Why did he give it to Mother instead of Brother Laos? Munch munch."
Lara expressed her doubt while eating the cookies as if they suited her palate. Just as she said, the biggest mystery was why Friedrich abdicated to Maria instead of Laos.
Although Queen Maria came from an insignificant noble family, now that she was Queen, her family would grow to at least the rank of Count.
Furthermore, it's easier said than done; he would have faced immense opposition, yet King Friedrich handed over the throne with lightning speed. This suggested it was likely done without much internal consultation.
I couldn't help but question Friedrich's actions, which were entirely difficult to read.
"Isaac Oppa. Look at this."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Read this part of the newspaper."
Just as I was about to sink back into thought, Lara pointed to a certain section with her finger. I shifted my gaze there.
[Perhaps Xenon did all this to help the Kingdom of Tayros develop further? To make the commoners realize once again that they have power...]
[The right to vote grants 'qualification' to commoners as well. The boundary between nobles and commoners is gradually crumbling.]
[Other nations are also wary of the 'voting' mentioned by Count Kamar and are trying to discern the intentions of Xenon, who started all this...]
What kind of nonsense is this? Is this what they call a conspiracy theory? I let out a hollow laugh as I read the article Lara pointed out.
It was a classic case of a "better interpretation than the dream." At this point, nothing would surprise me, so it was better to just give up. Let them think whatever they want.
"Did you really do it for this, Oppa...?"
"Not at all. I just did it to protect Adelia Noona. There's no grand reason behind it."
"If you say so."
Her face said she didn't believe me at all, but I decided to let it go. Trying to explain every little thing would only tire me out, and she probably wouldn't believe me anyway.
I gave a bitter smile watching Lara nibble on the cookies and then looked up. When I did, I saw Adelia sitting across from me, looking at me demurely.
When I gave her a bright smile, Adelia smiled softly back and nodded. I missed her usual confident smirk, but seeing her smile was enough.
"Adelia Noona."
"Yes, Young Master Isaac."
"You're okay now, right?"
At my question, Adelia answered.
"I am happy. Truly."
"Then that's enough."
As long as Adelia had completely let go of her lingering regrets, that was enough for me.
Perhaps seeing us like that was heartwarming, because Lara, who had been munching on snacks, suddenly spoke up.
"So, when are you and Unnie going to have a baby?"
"..."
"..."
"Wasn't it that babies happen if you sleep in the same bed?"
This mischievous kid.
*
Several days had passed since King Friedrich handed the throne to Queen Maria.
Since I still couldn't figure out Friedrich's true intentions, I was spending my days as usual.
"...Who is coming this time?"
"It seems King Fried—no, the Former King is coming to visit with Princess Hiriya. It appears they are coming to apologize."
Friedrich and Hiriya were scheduled to visit our mansion.
"What about Crown Prince Laos?"
"I'm not sure about that."
Except for Crown Prince Laos.