Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Translation: godsn
"I would like to establish residential quarters within the royal castle for the retired soldiers. They need a new foundation where they can live with their families."
"Pardon?"
Marquess Gilifos asked again, doubting his own ears.
"Why the surprise? You were the one who stopped my carriage to remind me of their existence."
Medeia replied with a faint smile. And she remembered.
In the future, among the rebel army that would rise in the capital, there were also retired soldiers.
'They smeared Pelleus's reputation for suppressing them. Calling him a bloodthirsty king who slaughtered even his own people and comrades.'
By keeping these soldiers within the royal castle, Medeia planned to pit them against the rebels and strip them of their justification.
"...I assumed Your Highness wouldn't know, given that those who disapprove of them surround you."
"Just because one covers their eyes and ears doesn't mean they should remain ignorant. The royal family currently lacks the resources, the nobles turn away because there's no profit, and the Regent seeks to fuel their resentment—so there's no one but you, Marquess, to entrust with this matter."
Gilifos's eyelids fluttered slightly.
"If you're aware there's neither resources nor profit in this, why do you intend to proceed?"
"As you said, I am the Princess of Valdina. I'm merely doing what a princess ought to do."
Gilifos was surprised that the princess had such a clear grasp of Valdina's internal affairs.
"I hope you're not planning to reject them now that it's too late, Marquess."
"......"
Truthfully, the issue of the retired soldiers' settlement was one even Gilifos hadn't been able to properly address.
Most of them were impoverished commoners.
Finding them a means to survive was an endeavor that brought no honor, only heavy expenses.
The anger of those shunned by the royal family grew by the day, but Gilifos, having retired, couldn't step forward to advocate for them.
At best, he could only provide sporadic support to cover their basic needs.
And now, the princess was volunteering to create a residence for them?
"If funds fall short, let me know through Neril. I'll assist to the best of my ability."
"Does Your Highness have any valuables left to spare?"
Gilifos alluded indirectly to the rumors circulating about the princess's dire circumstances.
"That's not for you to worry about, Marquess. You should be more concerned with how to manage the retired soldiers without inciting unrest."
The princess's remark was sharp.
"...For matters like this, the Prime Minister would be more useful."
Siseo Emil Reges.
The current young Prime Minister of Valdina, Siseo, was a god of administrative efficiency.
When the former elderly Prime Minister passed away suddenly and Siseo succeeded him, there were great concerns that he might be too young.
But watching him swiftly bring order to the chaotic state affairs soon dispelled those worries.
There was even a jest that the only reason Valdina remained intact—with the princess wreaking havoc inside and a decade-long war raging outside—was solely thanks to Siseo.
"But Prime Minister Siseo doesn't care for the soldiers as much as you do, Marquess."
Medeia pointed out calmly.
"He prioritizes efficiency. He'd first consider whether bringing retired soldiers into the royal castle holds enough value after they've served their purpose."
"Even if I were to act, Siseo—that man—wouldn't allow it. If it were Your Highness's command, he'd resist even more. What will you do if the Prime Minister doesn't approve?"
Gilifos pressed again.
"As we've always done, Prime Minister Siseo and I will find a way to compromise."
Medeia placed the golden royal seal on the table.
Gilifos couldn't help but burst into laughter.
To speak of compromise while wielding the king's seal, to which the Prime Minister had no choice but to submit.
"Hah. So the rumors of Your Highness raising his blood pressure weren't lies after all."
But the light laughter vanished into his beard as quickly as it had come.
"Your Highness, do you trust me? What if I were to abscond with every last coin of your fortune?"
Gilifos was curious.
Where did this young, green princess find such audacity?
"Your Highness has no family to reclaim your wealth, nor any subordinates to rely upon. Ah, perhaps Neril is an exception. But even she is hopeless when it comes to numbers......"
"No. I trust no one."
Gilifos's provocation could not shake Medeia's composure.
"But I do believe in the sincerity of your heart toward the people."
She tapped the stack of papers. Thud. Thud. The coarse sound resonated deeper than ever before.
"As long as their lives depend on this, you will carry out my request more faithfully than anyone."
"......"
"Was I mistaken?"
For a moment, the Marquess was at a loss for words.
Tick. Tock.
The sound of the clock's second hand seemed unnaturally loud. Medeia waited in silence.
At last, the Marquess shook his head.
"......You saw right through me."
His rough voice, scraping like gravel, sounded as if it had been hiding in darkness for far too long.
"The people are the most cumbersome and burdensome yoke God has placed upon us. How could I ever escape it?"
His wrinkled, yet still large and firm hand pulled the stack of documents toward him.
"No additional funds will be necessary. If Her Highness the Princess is stepping forward, how could a Marquess of this kingdom sit idly by?"
Medeia nodded in lieu of a reply.
It's done. I've succeeded.
This was a man who valued honor above life itself. Once he accepted a task, no obstacle would stop him from seeing it through.
Neither the Regent nor Siseo could withstand his tenacity.
"Ah, one more thing."
Before Medeia could rise to leave, she added:
"There is one more favor I must ask of you, Marquess."
Her gaze shifted slightly, as though this were a different matter entirely.
"If you would, please look into whether any of the retired soldiers or their families bear the name Theo."
A flicker of doubt passed over Gilifos's face at her words, but he swiftly masked it and asked:
"Is this person of great importance to Your Highness?"
Medeia nodded.
"Utterly vital."
Memories of her past life surfaced vividly in her mind.
Theo would soon become the second-in-command of the rebel army storming the royal castle—the true leader who held them together.
He said his father was a retired soldier.
"You killed them! My father, my brother—all because of you Valdina royals!"
She could still hear his scream, choked with blood.
Yet, in the final moment, Theo had not pursued Medeia as she fled.
"Princess. Letting you go isn't because I forgive you Valdina scum. It's just... not right."
His hoarse voice, thick with conflicted emotion, and his ash-gray eyes, trembling violently, remained vivid in her memory.
When the rebel leader learned Medeia had escaped, he stabbed Theo through the heart in a rage.
And around that time, Pelleus returned from the battlefield, crushed the rebellion, and rescued Medeia.
Without Theo, the rebel army lost its cohesion and collapsed.
Though they had been hastily gathered with funds from her uncle, their disintegration proved just how pivotal Theo had been in holding them together.
"Yes, we must find him without fail."
Medeia's reply was calm.
He was the one she needed most—to prevent the coming rebellion, and for what would follow.
Her eyes gleamed sharply.
"Your Highness!"
Neril greeted Medeia as she emerged from her private audience with Marquess Gilifos.
When the Marquess did not follow, Neril's face clouded with worry.
"Did things not go well?"