Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Husband Evaluation (2)
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…
The Empire's 1st Imperial Princess Leah left those words behind and departed from Duke Luke.
In the spot where she had passed, a thick pomegranate fragrance lingered.
The black-haired duke brushed back his hair over his forehead and inhaled the lingering scent.
Then, he leaned against the corridor wall with a hollow expression.
"Are you all right, Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
Lord Dyke of Bellair watched his demeanor closely.
He too wore an incredulous look at the notion of such an ordinary-looking knight becoming her husband.
"I told you to call me Grand Duke when we're in public."
"My apologies."
He glanced cautiously at the Hawson Kingdom bastard, who looked troubled.
Then, he slowly shared his thoughts on what had just happened.
"Your Grace the Grand Duke, there's actually one suspicious point."
"What is it?"
The duke, heartbroken, muttered with the back of his hand over his eyes.
Lord Bellair conveyed his meaning carefully.
"What Her Highness Leah said just now might be a lie."
A lie.
At the sudden surge of hope, Luke jerked his head up.
"Is that true?"
"Yes, isn't it strange? The next emperor marrying an ordinary guard knight."
The old man gently stroked his mustache.
His seasoned gaze, honed from ruling a border city for thirty years, was sharp.
"Moreover, I've heard that Her Highness Leah favors capable men. An ordinary fellow wouldn't catch her eye."
The duke agreed, placing a finger on his chin and falling into thought.
"Certainly, that man from earlier barely had any mana detectable. He was at an ordinary knight's level."
"She might have indirectly expressed no interest in political marriages through that knight."
Luke nodded, finding it plausible.
Dyke added words to bolster confidence in his opinion.
"Besides, that petite sorceress standing nearby earlier looked extremely surprised when she heard it."
The old man raised a finger.
With a voice full of conviction, he said,
"He didn't know either that Her Highness had chosen her guard knight as husband. In other words, what just happened was Her Highness's impulsive action."
However, those words soon wounded Luke.
"Does that mean I'm so undesirable that she has to use a guard knight as an excuse…."
"We don't know yet. Honestly, it was her first time meeting you, Your Grace, so talk of a political marriage might have flustered her."
The old man continued adeptly.
"Women often act unexpectedly when flustered, after all."
"Is that from experience?"
Luke remarked, impressed by his eloquent speech.
The old man cleared his throat and replied humbly.
"With four wives…."
"Indeed… Your wisdom is beyond measure."
Dyke chuckled and pointed at himself with a fist.
"I've eaten cold stares for thirty years here between the Empire and Hawson."
He flashed wise black eyes and spoke of the plan ahead.
"For now, in the friendly matches between our nations, show the strength of the knights you've raised, Your Highness. Demonstrate powerful military might, just as it proves Her Highness Leah favors capable men."
"You're right. At the very least, I'll show her what kind of man I am."
Luke clenched his fist and gazed out the window.
Outside, laborers were busy preparing for the afternoon demonstration matches between the two nations.
"Then, she'll regret rejecting me a little."
Luke had his own confidence.
He commanded all the southern military forces, with plenty of elite knights at his disposal.
His knight order, formed by scouting luminaries from various regions, was renowned for its excellence.
"We'll overwhelm from the start with strong knights, then crush that guard knight at the end."
"An excellent choice. Then Her Highness Leah will learn the 'coolness' of southern men."
Luke wore a faint smile.
Afterward, with hands clasped behind his back alongside Dyke, he headed to the first floor of the annex where his knight order awaited.
"Who should represent our side?"
"How about Count Arthur, the supreme sword of our south."
The old man, close to the Empire's border, had gathered quite a bit of their intelligence.
He relayed what he knew directly to the duke.
"I've heard that Her Highness Leah's knight order captain has only recently reached swordmaster level. However, Sir Arthur has maintained that realm for a full ten years."
Even among swordmasters, individual levels vary.
Experience generally improves skill, but it declines again with age.
In that regard, reaching swordmaster around twenty and entering his tenth year at the peak form of thirty.
This was the true prime of a knight.
"Good. Put him forward as representative and fill the rest with veteran knights as much as possible."
"Understood. I'll make the preparations."
Dyke, thinking this was his chance to fully board the influential Duke Luke's faction, raised the corner of his mouth.
He strode ahead with light steps to show off his subordinates.
「――――――」
Outside, such schemes were brewing.
Unlike the Hawson Kingdom side, Leah, who had rented the guest room, was solely focused on drafting her report to her father.
She sat at the uncomfortable desk in the guest office.
With an indifferent expression, she wielded her quill, trying to concentrate only on her duties.
But.
…
The brows of the future empress furrowed more and more delicately.
She glanced up toward the guest sofa.
"Hehe-. You really gonna leave it there-?"
"Hmm… That's weird, no danger in putting it here."
Mago and I sat across the table from each other, gazing amicably as we played chess. Plus, we were munching on watermelon from a plate.
…
The princess made a sullen face, wondering how long it had been since her office was this lively.
"You let go? You let go, right?"
"Aaah-!! Wait, wait!! I gave you a pass earlier too!!"
Mago stood from the sofa, pointing at my queen.
I protested loudly in outrage.
At that sight, Leah's patience hit rock bottom, and she rose from her chair.
She addressed us, who were eagerly playing right in front of her.
"How long do you plan to stay here exactly?"
At the princess's cold question, Mago flinched for a moment.
But I shrugged it off as no big deal.
With sly fox-like eyes and a cheeky grin, I spoke to Leah in a friendly tone.
"Come on-, what choice do we have-. Mago and I are ordered as guard knights to perform our duties in the same space at all times-."
The Empire's 1st Imperial Princess was utterly exasperated by my beaming smile.
She stuck out her tongue, thinking I was probably the only one in the world who could act so cheekily toward her.
"You really are something…."
Leah sighed deeply and removed her monocle.
She gazed at me steadily, spacing out alone for a moment.
"Could it be…."
Thinking back, she usually got extremely sensitive when her work was interrupted.
Yet now, it was only mildly annoying—like having family at home—it felt comfortable.
To her, I picked up a red, firm slice of watermelon and showed it.
"Won't Your Highness have some fruit and rest? This is the best for hot weather."
…
Leah soon realized why I was acting this way.
A guard knight's duty also included making their lord comfortable.
"You're truly an extraordinary man."
The princess chuckled and wiped her monocle with a handkerchief.
She then roughly tucked it into the pocket of her taut white shirt and stood from the desk.
"Still, aren't you being too defenseless in front of the Empire's princess?"
Leah was down to just her white shirt and skirt, having removed her uniform jacket.
Her hand on her waist accentuated the beautiful curve of her hips.
"Even after my 'declaration' earlier, you're unfazed."
Declaration.
I intuited it referred to her surprise announcement in front of Duke Luke just moments ago.
"Come on-. Didn't Your Highness say it was just an excuse to brush off the bothersome duke?"
"Yeah yeah!"
Mago, listening from the side, nodded too.
She had relaxed after hearing the reason Leah added on the way back from the duke.
…
Seeing my nonchalant reaction, Leah's face turned icy cold.
Like when facing an enemy nation's war.
"You're really oblivious in these matters."
The 1st Imperial Princess muttered softly.
When I asked again, unable to hear well, she brushed her bangs back and said,
"No, I need to cool my head too."
The princess plopped down right next to me.
The sofa sank softly as she sat beside me.
"Chess…. It'll be nice to play after so long."
She took the seat opposite Mago and crossed her voluptuous thighs.
Black stockings stretched along her smooth skin.
Mago's expression turned oddly sullen.
The great witch's golden eyes focused on the princess's figure like a wary cat.
"How about it, Lady Mago. Care for a game with me?"
"Sure."
Mago had long resolved not to yield to princesses.
She confidently set up the chessboard and replied.
"I heard you lost to Veil."
"He keeps dodging rematches like a fox."
I turned my head from the princess's gaze, pretending otherwise.
"I taught Veil chess."
Mago pointed at herself proudly.
As if boasting she had made memories with him first long ago.
"So, to beat me, you'll need to heat your head even more."
"Thanks for the concern, Mago."
The two women smiled at each other.
However, I could feel it.
The office temperature dropping from their fierce auras.
'Advise either one, and I'll get an earful.'
My innate laziness detector activated, and I quietly stood.
Leaving the two engrossed in chess, I headed to the office desk.
―――――.
The sounds of chess pieces clacking echoed at regular intervals in the office.
Meanwhile, I gazed steadily out the window at the site of the afternoon inter-nation demonstration matches.
'It'll be held there.'
A vast marble arena.
Circular seats accommodating thousands.
Not as grand as Lastium, but space for most residents to watch.
Bellair had long been serious about knight training as a border region.
It lived up to its reputation in scale.
Knights were already up there practicing, checking the venue.
Among them was one with mana even stronger than Richard's.
'Hmm…?'
The basics and mana solidification I always emphasized.
He had practiced them diligently for years, exuding remarkable presence.
'That must be the south's supreme sword.'
I noted his strength but wasn't worried.
I simply appreciated the southern kingdom's fidelity to fundamentals.
'No wonder Hawson is the strongest among city-states.'
Turning from the anticipated enjoyable match, I looked around for anything more interesting.
'Hmm…?'
Suddenly, the reports Leah had been intently reading caught my eye.
The top one was a standard notice to His Imperial Majesty about the alliance's conclusion.
But when I slyly pulled out the paper beneath.
My signature sly eyes went wide.
The contents were beyond imagination.
While Leah focused on her pride-staked chess match with Mago.
I blankly took in the paper's words.
「Official Consort Appointment Decree.」
Just as Father obtained three wives.
Regardless of Irina's presence, I intend to proceed with my engagement to Veil.
「Child Planning Document.」
I haven't thought specifically yet.
However, I believe more children the better.
「Honeymoon Planning Document.」
No need for a honeymoon.
We'll spend time at a nearby western estate.
「Retirement Planning Document.」
Once the children are grown, I'll immediately step down and head west together.
He'll manage the farm, and I'll handle imperial family education.
'Uh….'
I remembered her claiming it was just an excuse to Duke Luke.
But I blankly stared at Leah, who had already envisioned such a distant future.
"You're no slouch either. Witch-like clever moves."
"Your skill is impressive too, Your Highness. Quite the prowess."
The Empire's 1st Imperial Princess blinked her long, beautiful eyelids with a noble expression.
Her profile, focused on chess, was utterly divine.
Looking back at her documents, saliva pooled in my mouth involuntarily.
I swallowed it and carefully returned them to place.
'Could the future I saw through the orb… be real…?'