The Horrific Secret of the Ryan Family
I arrived in front of my mother's room.
"Your Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager. Her Imperial Majesty the Empress has arrived."
When the chamberlain announced my arrival to my mother, a reply soon came from within.
Creak.
The door opened, revealing my mother sipping tea and reading a book. She looked up, her face registering surprise.
"Well now, Theodora. Didn't you say you were busy at this hour?"
"Yes... but there's something I'm curious about."
At my words, my mother gently closed her book and looked at me inquisitively.
"Oh? This mother of yours doesn't know all that much, you know."
"Well... today, Deviang..."
As I explained what had happened earlier, my mother's eyes widened in surprise.
"I see... I heard the late Grand Duchess Fulvia cherished Deviang deeply. If the fountain pen his mother gave him was shattered, he must be heartbroken."
Her words made me feel a bit downcast.
"Were they... really that close as mother and son?"
My mother nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course... Valorang caused every single one of his sons to die before they even reached a year old. Deviang must have been the absolute apple of her eye."
"What?"
My mother looked surprised by my reaction.
"Did you not know? Deviang originally had two older brothers."
Startled, I quickly replied.
"I had no idea he had older brothers."
A shadow of sorrow crossed my mother's face.
"Well... they died because of Valorang shortly after they were born, so it's only natural you wouldn't know."
"D-died because of Valorang?"
And so, I learned the horrific secret of the Ryan family that my mother harbored.
"Is... is that really true?"
Chills ran down my spine. I knew Valorang was mad, but to think he was that insane...
"After Grand Duchess Fulvia passed away, Deviang was almost executed himself. Your father stepped in and saved him."
"Father did?"
My mother gave a small nod.
"Yes. Under imperial law, executing the heir to a Grand Duchy or a title of kingdom rank requires the Emperor's permission. If I recall correctly, he was imprisoned in the prison tower for about two years instead."
Shock... utter disbelief. To think he had endured such things in his childhood.
"W-why would Valorang... go that far...?"
My mother sighed, her expression heavy with melancholy.
"I do not know either... why he became such a monster..."
The next day.
I headed to the center of Roman to buy gifts for Theodora and Mary, as well as a new fountain pen for myself.
Since it was an imperial procession...
"Huh? It looks like Her Majesty has arrived."
"What's going on?"
An imperial procession required a massive amount of manpower. Over a hundred heavily armed guards, and a cavalry unit escorting the carriage. Naturally, the eyes of the entire populace were drawn to us. It would have been stranger if we didn't stand out.
Besides, with the guards shouting at the top of their lungs for people to clear the street, it was impossible for anyone to miss. Personally, I wasn't fond of such grand displays... but Theodora's security had to be flawless. There was no telling when or where an assassin might strike.
"Dear... why are you looking around so much?"
"Just... checking to see if there are any suspicious characters."
Or rather, I found myself constantly scanning the crowd's reactions. Before long, we arrived at the heart of the city...
"By the way, does Lady Mary really prefer weapons and horses?"
Theodora asked with a look of sheer bewilderment, and I nodded.
"Yes. You have no idea how much she loves them. She's a warrior by nature."
Mary didn't care for the things typical noblewomen liked—pretty dresses, jewelry, or fine tea sets. Instead, she craved high-quality weapons and legendary steeds. She was practically obsessed with weapons, like a madwoman.
The look of pure adoration in her eyes as she spent all day staring at the weapons in the Grand Duchy's armory was something I would never forget...
"But as a lady of the Grand Duchy, wouldn't she already have plenty of weapons?"
I nodded at her reasonable question.
"She does. Besides, our family has possessed countless masterwork weapons and legendary horses for generations."
Ever since the first Grand Duke, who was absolutely mad about weapons and horses, our ancestors had squandered fortunes at auctions buying legendary armaments.
Hearing this, Theodora spoke with a hint of anxiety.
"And yet... you're saying we should just buy her something from a regular weapon shop?"
"Why not? It's just a formality anyway, right?"
At my words, Theodora shrieked in a sharp voice.
"What do you mean, a formality?! You incredibly thoughtless man!"
Startled by her sudden outburst, I winced.
"Whoa... you startled me. Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"
"This is the first gift I'm giving to my sister-in-law since our marriage! How can you say something so irresponsible, claiming a mere formality is enough?"
I countered her argument.
"But the Grand Duchy is already overflowing with priceless weapons. Why waste money? If we just take any decent sword and engrave 'Bestowed by the Empress' on it, she'll be thrilled."
After all, the "Imperial Brand" carried its own prestige.
Right now, all the weapons stored in the Grand Duchy belonged to me, but once I stepped down, Mary would inherit them anyway. Why spend money to add more expensive clutter?
"If a sword is too much, maybe just some ordinary leather armor..."
Glare!
Was it just my imagination, or were red lasers about to shoot out of Theodora's crimson eyes?
"Hmph, fine. Let's buy your fountain pen first... then we'll head to the auction house. We can look for a weapon fit for my sister-in-law there. If all else fails, we can always buy one from another noble."
"Do as you wish."
She was probably so preoccupied with her upcoming marriage to Agrippa that she wouldn't care about wedding gifts anyway.
With that, our carriage arrived at the department store. It was a massive five-story building—and considering the basement levels, its scale was truly staggering.
As we stepped down from the carriage, a black-haired man in his fifties stepped forward, bowing a full ninety degrees.
"Your Imperial Majesty, Your Grace the Grand Duke. Thank you for gracing our department store with your presence today. I am Francois, the manager of the Marche Department Store. It is an absolute honor to serve Your Majesty today."
"Very well. Lead the way."
As Theodora spoke, Francois nodded respectfully.
The department stores in this world were quite different from the ones in modern times. A typical department store here sold everything indiscriminately, from daily necessities and furniture to hammers and weapons.
However, the Marche Department Store was different. While ordinary department stores targeted everyone from the middle class to low-income earners, Marche catered exclusively to the wealthy.
Consequently, it was filled with luxury goods, expensive teas, and high-priced items.
"But there aren't many people here."
The rumors I had heard about this place always described it as being packed to the brim.
"Ah, yes. In honor of Your Imperial Majesty's visit, we have closed the store to the general public for the day."
I was utterly shocked. Wait, what? If a massive department store like this closes for a whole day... the tax revenue from today's sales is completely gone?
Dumbfounded by the realization, I muttered under my breath.
"A... a whole day's worth of tax revenue..."
Furthermore, the taxes collected from luxury goods stores like this were essentially consumption taxes paid by the wealthy—a form of "wealth tax" that generated very little backlash.
While blindly imposing wealth taxes wasn't always wise, the revenue they generated was immense, making them a literal goose that laid golden eggs. And that goose... was taking a day off.
Stomp!
"Urgh!"
Theodora lightly stepped on my foot with her high heel and whispered in my ear.
"Dear... must you really think about taxes even today?"
Ugh... right. I would have to make sure to tell her in advance not to clear out entire venues for future imperial outings.
Soon, we arrived at the section dedicated to writing instruments. Brands like Harthall, Montdique, Arrow, Pelikana, and others lined the shelves.
"May I ask what brand of fountain pen you previously used?"
"Montdique."
Montdique was a brand named after the towering mountain range situated between the Kingdom of Shardena and the Empire. It was arguably the most expensive and prestigious fountain pen brand in existence.
"Then allow me to guide you to the Montdique boutique first."
He opened the door, which was ornately adorned with the name Montdique.
"We greet Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and His Grace the Grand Duke."
The clerks bowed in perfect unison.
"Thank you. We are here to purchase a fountain pen for my husband today, so please show us what you have."
At Theodora's words, a clerk stepped forward and escorted her to a plush sofa in the center of the boutique.
"Is there a specific model Your Grace is looking for?"
I replied to his question.
"Nothing in particular. I just need something with a large ink capacity for long writing sessions, and a smooth writing feel."
The man, who appeared to be in his fifties, nodded.
"Hmm, in that case, this would be the finest choice."
He retrieved a small box from the display case.
"Our master artisans at Montdique poured their utmost care into crafting this nib."
Upon opening the box, a fountain pen with a striking, cigar-shaped black barrel was revealed.
"The nib is made of 14k gold with a gorgeous three-tone decoration, tipped with platinum. It is designed to write, quite literally, for ten thousand years."
Intrigued, I picked up the pen. The center of gravity was subtly shifted toward the front.
"Hmm... writing for long periods with this would tire my fingers. I would prefer the center of gravity to be closer to the back."
The clerk nodded at my feedback.
"In that case, please give me just a moment."
He brought out another box and opened it.
"This model has brass weighted into the back to shift the center of gravity rearward. The nib is identical to the one I just showed you."
I unscrewed the end of the pen and asked.
"How do you fill this with ink?"
"You remove the nib and use an eyedropper to fill it."
"Doesn't that get ink all over your hands?"
There were various ways to fill a fountain pen, but I detested using an eyedropper. It was far too tedious.
Seeing the clerk break into a cold sweat as he scrambled to fetch yet another pen, I let out a sigh.
"Sigh... Do you not have anything like this?"
I reached into my coat, pulled out my broken fountain pen, and handed it to him.
"Oh...? This is...? How unusual. Our brand, Montdique, has never produced a model like this. Where did you acquire it?"
Huh? What is he talking about? The brand logo is clearly engraved on it.
"My mother gave it to me as a gift when I first began my studies."
At my words, the clerk slipped on a monocle and examined the nib with intense focus.
"This... is a custom-made piece."
"Custom-made?"
The clerk nodded in agreement.
"Hmm... This nib was crafted by an artisan who has long since retired. Judging by how worn the platinum tip is, it seems to have been used for nearly thirty years. How did it break?"
Hearing that it was custom-made, a glimmer of hope sparked within me.
"I accidentally dropped it from my desk a few days ago and broke it. Is there any way to repair it?"
The clerk shook his head regretfully.
"Unfortunately, once a fountain pen's barrel is cracked, it cannot be repaired. I'm afraid... you'll have to either commission a new one or purchase a replacement."
As disappointment washed over me, Theodora spoke up.
"Is there truly no way to repair it?"
The clerk looked at the fractured pieces and sighed.
"Normally, once a barrel of this material breaks, it cannot be reconstructed. We would have to replace the barrel entirely, but we no longer manufacture barrels of this small size... I will inquire with our headquarters, but I must advise you not to get your hopes too high."
I nodded in resignation.
"Then please bring me the pen that is closest to this one."
After browsing a few more options, I settled on one that felt decent in my hand and bought it.