Chapter 48: The People of the Baron's Family
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: The People of the Baron's Family
A blush crept across her skin, which was as white as a snowflake, so flawless it seemed as if powder would dust off at a touch. She looked like a nameless winter flower that had overcome the midwinter cold to bloom.
“Ah, um…”
Eusebia’s dark eyes wavered like a sailboat caught in a fierce storm.
The noblewomen and young ladies who had been holding their breath nearby began to whisper behind their fans. Eusebia’s face grew even redder, and beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Even so, she didn’t pull her hand from my grasp. When I gently caressed her palm, she flinched in surprise, a sight I found incredibly endearing.
“Eusebia.”
It was then that Baroness Adeleade intervened. Coming to her senses, Eusebia let go of my hand and stepped back.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“The one who should be apologizing is this knight. Isn’t that right?”
Adeleade looked up at me pointedly. She had already hidden Eusebia behind her back.
Eusebia, however, didn’t stop sneaking glances at me from over her mother’s shoulder. When our eyes met, her face flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly looked away, feigning indifference. She was a cute girl.
“You are correct. Lady Eusebia, I apologize for taking your hand so brazenly. I was afraid that, like snow that melts away the more one tries to hold it, you too would disappear.”
“…But I’m always in the castle. I always have been, and I always will be.”
Adeleade’s brow twitched.
“Eusebia.”
Her voice was a degree sterner. Eusebia flinched and disappeared among the noblewomen, not forgetting to give me a slight nod before she left.
It seemed I had made a good first impression. It was worth memorizing those lines, I thought, scratching the goosebumps on my arm. Isn’t there research that says a first impression is half the battle? This was a more than perfect start.
For Adeleade, however, it seemed to be the opposite.
“It would be wise to watch your words and actions within the castle. If you truly care for someone, you should prevent them from being swept up in unwanted scandals. Isn’t that right?”
With the same snow-white skin and dark eyes as Eusebia, Adeleade looked more like a much older sister.
The only difference was that her hair was tied up, giving her a graceful and dignified air. Her demeanor was as tranquil as a dawn mist. She exuded the aura of a true noble.
Though the tendency was to marry young, the fact that she had two grown sons meant she had to be at least forty, an unbelievable fact given her appearance.
“I hope that scandal becomes a reality.”
As befitting someone from a family with a long and storied history, Adeleade primarily used ambiguous, diplomatic rhetoric. This was likely the first time she had heard such a direct, even audacious, statement. Was that why? She was at a loss for words.
In contrast, the whispers among the surrounding noblewomen and young ladies grew louder. Caught in the middle, Eusebia didn’t know what to do with herself.
Adeleade was an experienced noblewoman. She quickly regained her composure, her finely sculpted brow twisting as she looked up at me.
“That is not polite.”
“I admit, I was too hasty. I shall return next time with better manners.”
At the mention of a next time, Adeleade’s expression soured even further. I gave a light nod and turned away. Segerik, who had been watching me with his mouth agape, hurried over.
“Well, I’ll be. So this is why you asked me for an introduction? Who knew you were hiding such devious intentions?”
“I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused.”
Segerik waved his hand at my insincere apology.
“Haha, it was amusing, so it’s fine. To think you could anger my mother, who is usually so composed. But you’d best be careful. My father won’t stand for it if he finds out you were hitting on my sister.”
Some riffraff was trying to snatch away the jewel he had cherished for nearly twenty years; there was no way the greedy baron would let it slide.
“It’s something that has to be dealt with sooner or later.”
Segerik’s eyes widened, then he grinned slyly.
“You’re serious, aren’t you? Hmm, it won’t be easy. Do you have any idea how many men have approached my sister after seeing her beauty? Not a single one of them received my father’s permission. To satisfy him, you’d have to be the son of a count, at the very least. Or offer him a benefit of equal value. An impossible task.”
I thought differently.
“A benefit of equal value, you say. Would doubling the size of his territory suffice?”
Segerik, who had been leading me toward his group, stopped dead in his tracks.
“Ha, you’ll have a hard enough time recovering the territory you lost. Are you saying you’ll take Baron Debussy’s entire domain?”
“Didn’t Baron Debussy mention a portion of our territory as a condition for the truce negotiations? There’s no reason we can’t do the same.”
“Hmm…”
Segerik looked troubled. His promise of support had been hastily made to avoid losing ground to Ailgar. It was only natural that he would be reluctant to offer more.
Before he could refuse, I quickly continued.
“This is for your sake as well, Lord Segerik.”
“For my sake?”
“Isn’t Sir Joang the most problematic of Lord Ailgar’s supporters? Without him, would Lord Ailgar have ever dared to challenge your authority?”
Segerik nodded automatically.
“You’re right. The discord in the family started because he’s been whispering nonsense in Father’s ear.”
“This is your chance to oust that thorn in your side.”
“…I’d like to hear more.”
I led him to the terrace. The group that had been waiting for him was left high and dry, but we paid them no mind.
After confirming the terrace was empty, I continued.
“As a key official, he is not free from responsibility for this defeat. His eagerness for a truce is likely a shallow ploy to lessen that responsibility.”
“As if that could hide his blunder. The shameless man.”
I nodded in agreement.
“If we manage to reverse this defeat, won’t Sir Joang’s failure look even greater? It would mean the baron’s so-called strategist is less capable than a young man like me.”
“And as a bonus, I will have proven my insight, military skill, and decisiveness, earning my father’s trust and solidifying my position as his successor.”
I answered with a smile.
The look in Segerik’s eyes as he watched me grew more intense. My stock was surely skyrocketing in his mind.
Despite having the justification of being the eldest son, Segerik was losing ground to Ailgar. It was obvious he lacked proper vassals.
Therefore, to him, I—who appeared to possess not only outstanding martial prowess but also strategic acumen—was more valuable than any treasure.
‘Everything is relative, after all.’
However, being valued more highly wasn’t entirely a good thing. Segerik scanned me with narrowed eyes.
“And what do you gain from this? Ah, don’t give me any talk of loyalty or fidelity. I don’t trust men without greed. I know it’s always those types who stab you in the back.”
He was suspicious of my true intentions. An outstanding subordinate, after all, often plays his lord from above. To earn his trust, I had to act the part of someone brilliant, yet controllable.
In fact, the act had already begun.
“You saw what I desire, did you not?”
I turned my gaze back into the banquet hall. My eyes met Eusebia’s, who happened to be looking this way. Startled, she quickly turned her head and feigned indifference.
“You… you were serious?”
Segerik had seen the same thing I had.
“If your position is solidified, Lord Segerik, you will have the power to recommend a husband for your sister to the baron. Isn’t that so?”
Segerik’s stiff expression slowly relaxed, replaced by a sly smile.
“That’s something Ailgar, who can’t even attend the advisory council, could never do. Heh, you’re quite the man, aren’t you?”
He was saying my intentions were transparent. The funny thing was, he was the one who was easy to read. I feigned ignorance and smiled. Whatever his hidden meaning, it meant he would ultimately accept my proposal.
#
Meanwhile, the baron and Joang Conrad, who had left the banquet hall, were talking in the baron’s office.
“My lord. Are you truly going to accept that absurd proposal?”
Joang Conrad repeated what he had said in the banquet hall. The baron simply fiddled with a soldier-shaped game piece, not answering.
The map spread across the table between them was adorned with pieces representing various military units and flags of all colors.
“The truce negotiations are already halfway complete. If we resume the war now, an enraged Baron Debussy will surely impose even harsher conditions. We must prevent this.”
The baron’s hand, which was about to pick up another piece, froze. Only then did he raise his head to look at Joang Conrad.
Joang Conrad, who had been speaking with fervor, shut his mouth under the baron’s profound, emotionless gaze.
The baron spoke.
“Baron Debussy won’t be able to demand more. If we go all out, he’ll have to worry about Count Dresden joining the war.”
“The count will demand even more than Baron Debussy.”
Was anything in this world free? It was the way of the world that if you received help, you had to give something in return.
“That’s why I said, ‘if we go all out.’ Baron Debussy won’t think I’d actually do it, but he won’t be able to ignore the slightest possibility, so he won’t be able to demand more.”
It would be for the best if Allen won, just as he claimed, but even if he didn’t, there was nothing to lose.
“So you don’t trust him.”
“Just because he’s skilled doesn’t guarantee he can lead an army well. However, if he can demonstrate a minimum of leadership, it could combine with his outstanding martial prowess to give Baron Debussy quite a surprise.”
Even that much would give them the upper hand in the truce negotiations that would resume later.
The baron narrowed his eyes and stared at Joang Conrad.
“But this is strange. You’re not one to miss something like this. Did something happen between you and that man?”
Joang Conrad flinched. The baron was right. He had been more agitated than usual, and his thinking had been shortsighted. It was all because Allen had provoked him with his insolent words. He gritted his teeth.
“I was merely flustered, as I’ve never seen someone run wild without knowing their place.”
“Flustered, you say. Well, I suppose that’s understandable.”
Despite his words, the baron’s gaze grew colder.
Sensing the change, Joang broke out in a cold sweat. The baron was a cold-blooded man who would discard even his own right-hand man without hesitation if he deemed him useless. He couldn’t afford to be complacent over a small mistake.
“Then, I will proceed with the preparations under that assumption.”
Gritting his teeth at the thought of Allen, the cause of all this, Joang Conrad bowed his head and hastily left the office.
“Hmm…”
The baron simply watched him go with an inscrutable, emotionless expression.
By the time Joang returned to the banquet hall, the party was over. Josephine, who had stayed behind to wait for him, approached.
“What happened to that scoundrel?”
“He’s sided with Segerik.”
His already crumpled expression twisted even further.
“What? Truly, there’s not a single likable thing about that man.”
“I found him quite likable. He’s handsome, and the way he looks down on you… it’s thrilling, like he’s some kind of king.”
Josephine’s face flushed as she shivered, lost in some fantasy. Joang Conrad frowned.
“Can you not conduct yourself properly?”
“What’s the big deal? It’s just us here. And don’t you worry, Father. He seemed very interested in women. Not only did his eyes subtly scan my chest, but he was also making passes at Eusebia. Honestly, what does he see in a stupid girl like that? If I had enough time, I could win him over myself.”
Joang Conrad’s face brightened instantly.
“He made a pass at Lady Eusebia? The fool is digging his own grave. Even if he returns from the battlefield with achievements, the baron won’t look upon him favorably. And he won’t have any achievements, so it’s even better.”
“Why not? Even I, who knows nothing of swordsmanship, could see his skills are unmatched. Especially that strength… hmmph.”
Josephine fanned her face. Joang Conrad clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“No single knight can win a war alone. That means he needs mercenaries, but how much money can a knight’s son possibly have? He’ll only be able to hire a bunch of riffraff, and those types will turn tail and run or play dead the moment the horns of war sound.”
That was why he had opposed Allen’s proposal without even hearing it out properly. Josephine licked her lips and said.
“Still, isn’t it a waste to let a man of his skill just die? If we were to recruit him…”
“No. He’s a loose cannon. For our grand plan, it’s better to have no such variables.”
The conditions were set for Allen’s defeat. What was the point of getting angry at a man who was about to die? Even if he did return alive, he would have to pay a harsh price for his failure.
Finally relieved of his worries, Joang Conrad could smile. But that smile didn’t last long.
As if he had been waiting, Allen immediately began to gather mercenaries. Before long, a troop of them entered through Polton’s castle gates.
There were thirty of them—elite mercenaries who, contrary to their profession, were disciplined and equipped with gear that, while not expensive, was meticulously maintained.
The finishing touch was the fully armored figure leading them at the front. His equipment, warhorse, and haughty demeanor made him look like a knight.
Joang Conrad’s eyes trembled as he witnessed the sight.
“How can a mere knight’s son acquire mercenaries like these?”