The Duty of a Noble (4)
Before his regression, Grey Gibraltar, the traitor, had lived a life riddled with lies. To be precise, he hadn't hesitated to lie if it was necessary to become a traitor. He'd whispered false words of love. He'd penned false letters. He'd sown discord between people with falsehoods.
In that sense.
"Forging a love letter is child's play."
I began writing the letter right there in front of Queen Carmen and Grand Duke Winchester.
"And don't worry. I've already been granted proxy authority for about half of it anyway."
"To what extent?"
"The kind where, even if I forge the letter and report it afterward, I won't get chewed out?"
"......"
Father trusts me. From the moment I decided to commit treason, and based on the results I've shown since, I've built that trust.
"Father has no need to worry. No matter what shady schemes Grey Gibraltar pulls in secret, he'll back me up—as long as I don't do that."
"That?"
"Like forging Mother's letter but mixing in professions of love for the king."
No matter how safely I'd wormed my way into Father's fold, he undoubtedly had a reverse scale that would make him swing his sword.
"I won't write anything like that. The letter will only express sudden worry for her summoned son."
Of course, I had no intention of pushing things that far when my own neck was on the line.
"Instead, I'll include content that would tempt the king. Under the premise that he secretly intercepts it midway."
"What kind of content? It's hard to fool him with ordinary fare."
"That if Saint Geo Nostrum dares to act rashly, she'll never set foot in the capital again."
"That's been true before and now—"
"No. It's different."
The situation had changed drastically.
"Three years ago, Mother received an invitation from her maternal uncle, Baron Gunther. To celebrate his receipt of an honorary medal."
Back then, her relationship with Father had been strained. She'd boarded the carriage to the capital, but things were different now.
"Just that one time. That single instance will be a noose around the king's neck."
"Even if she flatly declares she won't come to the capital?"
"That's why we need to add the right nuance."
I recalled Mother from before the regression.
"If we subtly twist it into a threat of never returning to the capital."
Thinking of her current harmonious life with Father made it an unwelcome memory in many ways, but it was a huge help in baiting the incompetent king.
"As long as no major incident happens here, it's tantamount to saying she intends to visit the capital."
"It can be interpreted that way...?"
"There's a difference between 0% and 1%. And the one interpreting it will be Saint Geo Nostrum."
I lightly penned a phrase and showed it directly to the two of them.
"No matter what Your Majesty does, he was once known throughout the kingdom as a future star rivaling my father in his youth."
It looked like a simple recounting of past facts.
"If Charlotte Gibraltar is said to have written this, and Saint Geo Nostrum is the one reading it?"
"...At the very least, he'll try to act like the sane version of himself from back then. Hm."
The grand duke scanned the letter's content with distant eyes.
"If there's one thing I regret, it's that I was deceived by that Saint Geo from back then into marrying you. I could apologize for a lifetime and it wouldn't be enough."
"...That's already a story from fifteen years ago, Father."
"Both of us from Morgania saw Saint Geo during his 'competent prince' days."
The difference was that Carmen had watched up close as the competent prince devolved into the incompetent king.
"Using illusions of the past, hm..."
The grand duke handed the letter back to me with a wry smile.
"Exactly. If that's what it takes to rein in that wastrel, then so be it. I leave it to you, Grey Gibraltar."
"No trouble at all."
I quickly filled in the rest, then gripped the quill firmly again.
"And honestly, the content doesn't matter much. The real hook is this."
More certain than any interpretation of the words was what lingered at the letter's end.
"Whether the body is full of curses against Saint Geo or not, the moment he sees this at the end, he'll lock himself in his room and wallow in nostalgia alone."
"Wait, that signature...?"
Carmen immediately spotted the carefully crafted signature I'd poured my effort into.
— Charlotte's Old Signature —
"Yes. The one Mother used in her student days—more precisely, before marriage."
"......How do you even know that?"
"Father isn't the type to throw away love letters. And I can enter his study without permission."
"......"
That I could arbitrarily view the love letters he and Mother exchanged in their youth?
"This is a good chance to make clear just what position I hold in Gibraltar."
"I see. So that man views you as the de facto heir to Gibraltar, the next margrave."
The grand duke stroked his beard gravely.
"The fool in love..."
He knew Crimson Gibraltar better than anyone.
"By the way, this is still in the planning stages with low odds, but."
I folded the letter in Mother's style and turned to Queen Carmen.
"Regarding Father's second wife issue, there are some fairly positive signs—"
"What?!"
Carmen shot to her feet with a shout.
"Is that true?!"
"......"
"Ahem. Forget I said that. You too, Father."
Carmen waved at the grand duke, who had closed his eyes entirely, then settled back gracefully.
"So Crimson Gibraltar, the margrave, is really considering taking a second wife? No lies allowed."
"1%."
"Hey."
A crack appeared on Carmen's face for a moment.
"Are you joking right now?"
"Now you see the difference between 0% and 1%?"
"......"
"No joke. Because I'm actually designing it that way."
It would shatter many of Father's convictions on a personal level.
"You think your father can be convinced on that front?"
"Wrong target."
To avoid breaking convictions, I targeted someone other than Father.
"I've been having deep talks with my mother."
"......"
"Whenever Father heads to the training grounds to personally train Noir, I visit Mother and chat about this and that. Not frequently, but."
Times when Mother and I were alone.
"I suggested that taking a stepmother to bear children, and having those kids grow close with ours, might be nice."
"......"
"A doting husband can't win against his wife."
I'd proposed to Mother.
"Moreover."
Thinking only of love was insufficient.
"Politically arranged marriages to expand the family's influence are a noble's duty, after all."
The political entanglements between our Gibraltar, the kingdom, and the empire ran deep.
"An alliance with Morgania means we can send our children to the capital with peace of mind. Even Charlotte's kids—Carmen wouldn't harm them at minimum, to avoid offending Crimson Gibraltar."
"Ha..."
"And if more children keep coming, with Morgania's backing, they might grow up in an even better environment."
I'd stimulated Mother's "motherly side."
"I grew up in Gibraltar for thirteen years, and I can vouch—it's not exactly the best environment for raising kids so far."
When treason failed.
"If something happens to her, won't she need a stepmother to protect her infant children?"
At least, someone reliable to entrust them to, even if she and the margrave lost their heads. That's how I persuaded her.
"That's why, when I first met Your Highness Queen Carmen, I asked if I could call you Mother."
"You don't mean... from that moment...?"
"Heh."
I shrugged lightly and slipped the folded letter into an envelope.
"I don't want to end up executed under guilt by association because of my parents' mistakes."
Morgania was our alliance, insurance, and escape route.
"In seven years, I might be calling you Mother-in-law officially?"
"......"
"And if we maintain a common-law relationship before the formal declaration?"
"Ha."
Insurance she could trust, no choice but to trust.
"You're truly ruthless, playing with people's hearts so cruelly."
Because Queen Carmen still loved Crimson Gibraltar.
"Fine. But leave delivering that letter to the king to me."
Carmen crossed her legs with a sly grin.
"This is right up my alley."
The next day, early dawn.
"Urp, uurrgh..."
The undead—no, the golden-haired, red-eyed man clutching a liquor bottle staggered down the hotel corridor in the predawn hours, draped haphazardly in a robe. His entire body reeked of booze, to the point where he couldn't recall when he'd started drinking, but no one dared say a word to him.
Who would touch the king's body when he was drunk and wandering?
Many had tried to support the tottering king, only to have their fingers severed the next day for daring to lay hands on his sacred person once sober.
Better to let him fall if he must.
Thus, no one paid Saint Geo Nostrum any mind as he wobbled along—they just steered clear as best they could. The halls were empty at dawn anyway.
"...Hm?"
Even at dawn, a murmur from somewhere.
Saint Geo leaned half against the stair railing, perking his ears toward the lobby noise.
"No, I mean, this is..."
"Wait until morning, I said."
"I have to go back too...! I rushed here overnight...!"
"Then leave it with me."
"That's outrageous...! The lady said to deliver it personally...!"
Countess.
That word alone made his ears twitch.
Come to think of it, hadn't that Gibraltar brat visited yesterday—
"I have to get back to Gibraltar fast...! Let me see the young master. Please!"
"......"
Anyone witnessing the scene might think magic was afoot.
"Who are you?"
"H-Huh?!?"
"Y-Your Majesty."
The dust-caked servant's eyes bulged, and the knight blocking the lobby hastily bowed.
"Where's this letter from, and for whom?"
"W-Well..."
"His Majesty asked! Answer!"
The knight barked urgently.
"This lowly one is from the House of Gibraltar...! Lady Charlotte Gibraltar sent this letter as urgent news on the same day...!"
Snatch.
"A-Aah...!?"
"Not even sealed."
The movement was too swift for the servant to react.
"Wh-When...? Ah, th-that..."
"What? Why? I'm going to read it."
Drunk as he was, the exhausted courier couldn't track the king's hand.
"Just checking the contents, then I'll return it..."
The moment the king tore open the envelope, his face drained of color.
"...Huh?"
As if the alcohol had evaporated in an instant, he unfolded the neatly folded letter inside.
"!!"
Even upside down, the king's gaze fixed on one corner of the paper.
"Y-Your Majesty...!"
"...Read it. Hmph. Nothing special. Here."
The king tossed the letter and envelope straight at the courier's chest, then turned away.
Thud, thud.
He headed straight back to his room.
"Hah, hah, hah."
Panting heavily.
"As expected... opportunity still remains...!"
Muttering nonsense, the king returned to his room and poured the dregs of wine from the glass by his bed into a fresh one.
"My Charlotte...!"
He pulled something from his bosom, and soon white powder spilled out, dissolving into the wine.
Gulp, gulp.
The king drained the wine laced with white powder.
"My..."
"This time, without fail..."
Then—
He collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes.
Was it because he was already heavily drunk? Or did the powder in the booze contain some sleep aid?
"Heh, heh heh..."
The king chuckled softly as he sank into deep slumber.
Squeeze.
Clutching the pillow and sheets—it evoked certain associations.
Thump, thump thump.
His up-and-down motions in his sleep remained confined to his room.
"......"
If anyone watched the scene, it would only be a shadow.
Dawn.
"...The letter smells like booze."
The forged letter had arrived—envelope torn, paper unfolded.
"What in the world is His Majesty doing?"
"Drinking himself to sleep, probably. Fantasizing about weird stuff with Charlotte. Yawn."
Queen Carmen stretched languidly with a long yawn, her pose catlike enough to draw a brief chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"No, just—didn't you stay up all night? Aren't you tired?"
"I am."
Grand Duke Winchester had retired to his room ages ago.
"We talked Gibraltar territory all night."
Now in the queen's bedroom: just her and me.
"Sleepy."
"Shall I call a maid?"
"No need. No one enters this room until noon. Hm, then..."
Queen Carmen flashed a mischievous grin.
"Want to sleep with your mommy?"
She patted the spot beside her on the bed.
"Like sharing a bed with the empire's imperial granddaughter?"