Roman's Misdeeds and the Princesses of the Nations
Meanwhile, at the Tebere royal palace.
"What… what do you mean? A… a succession?"
"Yes. It is exactly as I have reported."
In the courtyard of this place—whose very name evoked Rome—King Remerus was aghast. His scraggly brown beard and short, lifeless hair looked as though they had been singed. His dark eyes lacked any spark, dull and withered. The man, who appeared older than his years, dropped the cup he had been holding and sank carefully into his seat, as if afraid he might collapse. He had been enjoying a light tea with guests; delicate refreshments were laid out on the outdoor table. Three women faced him, one of whom was his daughter, Servilia. The other two were young ladies who seemed far too vibrant to be in the company of the aging king. They remained silent, merely observing the exchange.
"So… what I just heard is correct, then…?"
"Yes. He has formally assumed the position of family head. Official notices have been sent to the counts and nobles under the Cornelius family, informing them of the change. This letter is from Roman Cornelius himself. It states that he wishes to invite members of the Tebere royal family to the upcoming succession celebration."
"Ghh…!"
King Remerus's hands trembled as he accepted the letter. It was identical to the reply he had once sent to Nigilia—an invitation that served as a clear warning that Roman had seen the contents of that earlier correspondence.
"What a disgrace…! And of all people, that scoundrel…!"
"…Father?"
"Ngh…!"
He wanted to shout, but with Servilia right beside him, he could not even open his mouth. How could he possibly admit in front of his daughter that he had been trying to seduce the former prostitute who had swallowed up the ducal house? Fortunately, Servilia was still somewhat reflective after the previous incident and did not press the matter. Instead, she turned to the man who had come to report and asked again.
"…Is that true? This is Roman we're talking about. The commoners' opinion of him was that he was a foolish young master who ran wild after his father Marcus died. I heard the servants and knights supported her, while the opposing retainers at least performed their minimum duties."
"Yes. In truth, Lady Nigilia's character was impeccable. If only her retainers and subordinates had followed her properly, things might have worked out."
"Then why is Roman the head? It's only been a week since the broken engagement incident. His reputation should be at its worst after that scandal spread. Why…?"
While Servilia voiced her doubts, King Remerus lifted his head.
"Th-then what happened to Nigilia?! From what I know, that scoundrel and Nigilia didn't get along badly! No, given her nature, she might have even offered him the headship herself! In that case, she should still be safely acting as the lady of the house!"
"Well… setting aside Your Majesty's reaction, Lady Nigilia's biggest problem was that her subordinate nobles wouldn't listen to her. Now that her son has returned, she could have used Roman as a figurehead while controlling things from behind the scenes."
"What happened to Nigilia?!"
The man bowed his head and awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"Well… begging your pardon, this is rather difficult to put into words…"
"H-hey, what's with that reaction! Hohoho, don't tell me she's dead?! That scoundrel finally… even if their blood wasn't connected, he spilled the blood of the woman who was his mother!"
"No, she is alive. However…"
"Don't drag it out. As you can see, my father's condition is strange. Even if it's hard to say in front of us, please speak honestly."
"Then I shall report it."
He spoke plainly. Nigilia had confessed to being the one who killed Marcus. When Roman returned home, she had instead tried to kill the boy. The servants had turned on her, and she was imprisoned in turn. When asked why she had done such a thing, she had confessed everything. In other words, the entire story—from beginning to end—was that it had been "a honey trap to seize the Cornelius family," a narrative spun entirely in Roman's favor. Rumors of Nigilia's fate had spread alongside it. Most claimed she had been given the treatment befitting a prostitute who had coveted the ducal house—namely, becoming her stepson's sex slave—but the details were more than enough to make King Remerus clutch his face.
"Is that… really true… Nigilia really did assassinate Marcus…"
"The full details are spreading without any attempt at concealment. Lady Nigilia herself confessed her crimes in front of the commoners. Furthermore…"
"Furthermore?"
"She was naked, they say. She was adorned with various ornaments meant to humiliate a woman, and she looked like a completely different person. Since that was her former profession, she danced on stage as if soliciting customers on the street. The commoners threw filth at her, yet she smiled until the very end and held her ground on the stage…"
"Ghhhh…! Nigiliaaa…!"
"What is that… I have met Lady Nigilia myself. I cannot imagine her doing something like that. No, especially not in her right mind. She must have been threatened, after all."
"That may be so. But her subordinate nobles value bloodlines above all. In any case, they were delighted that he had inherited the headship, and the retainers and servants supported him without objection. When I inquired about the internal situation through my own people, they said, 'It was as if he had become a different person—someone truly worthy of our service.'"
"What nonsense is that. I, his former fiancée, know full well how foolish that boy was. And yet they claim he is worthy?"
"They say he has changed completely since the broken engagement incident. There were strange rumors mixed in about memory loss or something similar, but aside from that, many say he has drive and approaches his duties with sincerity."
"Ha! The people of that family must all be fools! If a person could change so easily, there would be no criminals or villains in this world!! And that incident? How many days have passed since then for them to say such things~! How could a fool who didn't even know the basics change overnight!!"
"Even so…"
"Most of the information comes from reports through salt merchants, doesn't it? There must be falsehoods in there?!"
"But no matter who I ask, they all say the same thing. In reality, the atmosphere in the territory has changed dramatically, and everything is bustling. From recruiting laborers because there aren't enough hands, to showing enthusiasm for job issues, and even personally consulting with subordinate nobles about public welfare matters—the latter was directly stated by the count's family, so it's hard to dismiss as a lie."
"That pig was a fool who only knew about women!"
"Ah, they also say he has lost weight. That, along with what I mentioned earlier, is certain. They praised him highly, saying he had become quite a handsome young man."
"The more I hear, the less I understand! What is this?! Is this not a story about someone else?!"
"Without falsehood, it is the story of Roman Cornelius."
"Ghh…?!"
Most of it could be dismissed as nonsense, but doing so would derail the conversation. Thanks to that, Servilia could not completely deny the man's words even while doubting them. Regardless of what anyone said, events were unfolding.
"……Wait. Let me ask one more thing."
"Yes."
King Remerus let out a breath. He was disgusted that Nigilia, whom he had been secretly trying to seduce, was being treated as a sex slave, but that was precisely why he had tried to make a move.
"Surely there was a knight order that the family had raised. Separate from the disobedient retainers, that knight order was said to follow Nigilia very well. I heard that the knight commander swore eternal, unchanging loyalty because Nigilia had once saved her life. They were so loyal that if she went outside, they would secretly follow and protect her even without orders."
"That is quite the personal story. We knew they had a good relationship with the knight order, but this is the first I've heard of such details. At best, we only knew the knight order was part of Nigilia's faction."
"You don't need to know where I heard it. But if it was them, they would have rescued Nigilia."
"That is not the case."
"……? ……Why?"
"That knight order has been subdued."
"—What?"
He let out a dumbfounded sound. If it was them, they could have killed Roman and restored Nigilia to her original position…
"This too has been publicly announced on a large scale. The Valkyria Knight Order attempted to assassinate the family head, Roman Cornelius. The reason is something Your Majesty would know as well."
"Th… then…?"
"Including the ringleader, Knight Commander Sigrid, all the knights were captured. There were no casualties, and since the family head himself fought back and ended it, they were merely punished."
"Wait! What? Who fought back against whom?! That Sigrid! When I met Lady Nigilia, I once sparred with her, but regardless of her personality, she was a woman who could exchange blows with me on equal terms—!!"
"That is what the story says. In any case, it seems she was indeed subdued and has received punishment. Under the charge of trying to kill the family head Roman and install the prostitute Nigilia in the ducal house, she herself has been demoted to a sex slave. The same goes for the knights who participated in the rebellion. They are not even allowed proper clothing and are parading around in the guise of prostitutes, calling themselves the Pussy Knight Order."
"Th… what… what knight order did you say?"
"What is that disgrace?! N-no, this joke has gone too far! It would be more merciful to simply behead them cleanly!! No, at that point, some would surely have committed suicide!"
"No. They are all following the family head with smiles. They were loyal with the will to obey any command, and it was excessively sexual."
"Don't spout nonsense! They are all people with resolve! They are not the kind of people who would follow someone after receiving such disgrace!!"
"It is true. This is something I witnessed with my own eyes, so it is not a lie."
"Haa…?"
"The previous report was excessive, so I went there myself. When I saw it, they were indeed marching in a state no different from prostitutes. I thought the march was their punishment for the rebellion, but surprisingly, they were displaying the severed heads of bandits to the commoners. It was a disgrace so severe that one might faint upon seeing it, yet there was pride in their display of military achievements."
"In that state…?"
"Yes. It is no joke—they maintained strict discipline. It is no wonder the place has gained a reputation as an excellent posting that female knights most want to be assigned to. There is no other house where a group composed entirely of female knights can display such military prowess… aside from the matter of their attire, that is."
"Is it that severe?"
"Your Majesty will be attending the banquet hosted by the Cornelius family, correct? In that case, it would be best to see it for yourself. While it can be described in words, with guests present, using vulgar language would diminish Tebere's dignity, so I would prefer to refrain."
"A disgrace of that level…"
"I… I don't know… What is this story even about…?"
It was Roman's story. Thanks to that, both Servilia and King Remerus could not hide their bewilderment, their eyes spinning, when the two women who had been silent until now spoke up.
"In that case, it was indeed not a mistake…"
"That's right. It must be a demand to condemn Servilia."
"…What do you mean?"
The beautiful woman with short black hair and a curt expression let her obsidian-like eyes gleam. She wore a long-sleeved cheongsam that covered her hands, a monocle over one eye, and a black-and-red official hat on her head. Though she was the smallest in both height and bust, her attitude was haughty.
"The military grain our Chang Kingdom receives every time. This time, less than usual arrived. Not only that, but even though we reported that additional support was needed due to the locust plague caused by the barbarians, they continued to provide only the bare minimum that would invite complaints. This never happened when that woman Nigilia and Marcus were the heads."
"That is not our fault, but…"
"Wait, let me continue. The barbarians are an unknown group that shakes the Five Great Kingdoms. Geographically, the Four Kingdoms had no choice but to become Tebere's shield, and in return, you were supposed to support us using that fertile land, was that not the promise?"
"U-uh… I know. It's common sense here."
"You know? It's common sense? Heh… Really? The academy banquet incident. That was to kill Roman in front of us and absorb the family, was it not? At that time, if all of us 'princesses of the Five Great Kingdoms' had heard your condemnation and agreed, it would have created justification for absorbing the family. —Even though it was an act carried out without even our consent."
"U……"
"The academy was created with the purpose of contributing to each kingdom without politically exploiting one another here. Even though you broke that taboo, the operation failed. As a result of shaking the national noble Cornelius family, damage is coming to us. And in a very unpleasant way, at that."
"But that was that trash fatty acting on his own…!"
"—Hey."
"…Ghk!"
When Servilia tried to make excuses again, the cheongsam beauty flared up.
"Don't make me laugh. Don't make excuses. Don't talk nonsense. It was all your doing, Servilia Tebere. A woman who is a princess didn't even think about the gains she would get afterward and ran away because she hated the man, causing trouble in every direction. No, if the operation had succeeded, I wouldn't have said this. But even that failed, and now you're causing trouble in multiple directions… Hey? The soldiers fighting on the battlefield on behalf of your country are not expendable goods, are they?"
"…………"
"If only you had endured, our soldiers could have eaten their fill at any time. Even so, the golden crops produced by the Cornelius family are a great comfort to the soldiers. But on days when even that couldn't be secured, they had to spend the day empty-handed and were sent to the battlefield the next day. I find that extremely unpleasant."
"U………"
She could not utter a single word. In the end, when Servilia lowered her tail, the woman let out a sigh and sat back down.
"Well, since I now know the reason the Cornelius family did this, I will have a word with them as well. Lastly, if you can't even handle one noble of your own country, you might as well quickly disband the royal army and bring in that man."
"Even so, that is a bit……"
"After hearing that just now, you still try to make excuses… No, I know Servilia is stubborn, but you're not someone who lies. In that case, regardless of the rumors, I will assume that man called Roman has that much of a problem."
"Aah~! Princess Sunho! Th-that's right! I'm glad you understand!"
"Don't call me by name so casually. In any case, there won't be a second time. At the upcoming banquet, either apologize or suggest re-engagement—resolve it neatly. Then they won't do something like this either."
"But… that bastard really did cause trouble for the Four Kingdoms?! In that case, shouldn't we regard him as a traitor colluding with the barbarians and issue a royal decree…?!"
"—While all Four Kingdoms are on edge because of the barbarians, what do you think will happen if the center starts a civil war?"
"Ngh…!"
"If you cause trouble, it won't be resolved even with the royal army, so that's why the engagement was proposed, right? If Tebere can't handle it alone, it will cause trouble for the surrounding kingdoms as well, and then soldiers will be pulled from the battlefield to get involved in the central conflict—do you think we can allow that? Nonsense. If you're serious, Servilia, I will really kill you."
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
"Don't look for roundabout ways to avoid marriage—talk so that it can be resolved smoothly. It's not like I'm telling you to get married right now; resolving the situation comes first. I'm speaking as a representative of the Four Kingdoms this time, but if the same thing happens again, I won't be able to end it with a smile, understand?"
"Y-yes… Princess Sunho… So please stop being angry…!"
"Tsk."
"Uuuu… Even though we're childhood friends, you're so harsh~!"
Servilia made a tearful face, but the cheongsam beauty called Sunho leisurely sipped her tea. Thanks to that, the remaining guest who had missed the timing to speak finally raised his hand.
"Aha, then Servilia's attendance at the banquet is confirmed~?"
"It is, but… you, could it be…?"
"Umm~☆ Since the topic came up, I was thinking of tagging along~!"
"E-eh, suddenly?!"
"What do you mean suddenly! The Cornelius family is the best among the families supporting the Four Kingdoms, so an introduction is necessary, right~? Looking at the situation, marriage might not happen, but since it's a friend's matter, maybe I can help~?! Look, if I don't go, it'll be a loss~! With things like this, the banquet atmosphere might be gloomy because of you! Isn't a lively mood maker absolutely necessary~? Right? Right? I'm totally needed~?!"
"I think it should be fine since I believe the other princesses will also participate… B-but what about your home country's intentions? There's a possibility they'll send a different princess instead of you."
"I don't know about that☆ If Dad says something, Remerus uncle can just handle it, right?"
"Me?!"
"Aww, please~! Huh? Uncleee~! It's a once-in-a-lifetime request~!"
"Th-that's enough! What if someone sees and misunderstands! My wife is already on edge these days and it's scary…?!"
"…Heh, that's because she can feel you're messing around with another woman. Is the other party that Nigilia auntie you mentioned just now~?"
"───?!!?!"
"Aah~! As expected, bullseye?! Then should I say it? Should I just say it? I'll say it like a loose woman~?!"
"Ghk! I get it! I'll smooth this over, so stop clinging to me!"
"Kyaa~☆ Making an immediate decision is so cool~☆ Hug me~☆"
"I said stop already!"
"Okay okay, then it's agreed with Tebere uncle too? No taking it back later and saying something different to my dad~?"
"O… OK…! Leave it to me!"
"Deal made~☆"
Having toyed with King Remerus, she raised her index finger high.
"Chapel's representative Tania joins the fray! Now then, on behalf of Servilia, I'll determine what kind of man that Roman fellow is~☆"
Just looking at her filled one with energy. Positive energy flowed throughout her entire body. The noble Ero-Ero White Gyaru laughed energetically.