A Crack in the Iron Mask
"...Could you be a bit more specific?"
"Pardon? Ah... It probably isn't all that different from what you do, Princess. Bringing food to the poor. Except, in quantities that are hopelessly insufficient for the number of people. Hehe, they reveal their ugly, foolish true colors in no time."
Tina giggled, as if she were recounting a delightful play she had recently watched.
It wasn't exactly my place to judge, but she was deeply twisted. Twisted enough to make my stomach turn.
That wasn't ugly or foolish; it was desperate. Anyone would become desperate in the face of starvation. To deliberately engineer such a situation just for amusement—there was no other word for it but sickeningly evil.
"Do you truly find that amusing?"
"Pardon? Well, of course. They look so utterly different from noble people like you and me, Princess. It feels just like visiting a zoo."
"...I see. Does everyone in the Lorencia family think that way?"
"Hmm, I wonder? I don't really talk to anyone besides Mother. But wouldn't everyone be more or less the same? After all, our Lorencia family is the rightful master of that land, as permitted by the Goddess."
"The Goddess would be absolutely thrilled to hear that."
"Right?"
Tina smiled cutely and took a crunchy bite out of a sweet cookie. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me.
I already knew that the Six Great Families, including the Lorencias, and the Noble Council held such mindsets. They were the kind of people who believed they were the true masters of this kingdom, even when facing the royal family. It was obvious how they viewed commoners. They probably didn't even see them as human beings.
Yet, I hadn't expected such an attitude to be as natural to them as breathing. Even compared to the other nobles I had met so far, Tina Lorencia's sensibilities were profoundly warped.
If Carmel were to join hands with such wicked people... Moreover, Carmel was currently under the fresh influence of the Curse of Mystillia. Her hatred for everything in this land would be at its absolute peak.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Excuse me. I am Luna Lorencia, Princess. I heard my daughter was here and came to find her."
"Ah, it's Mother!"
Feeling a sudden tension, I spoke.
"...Please, come in."
The door opened, and Luna Lorencia revealed herself. She was a woman of cold impressions. Though her attire was exceedingly lavish, the only lasting impression she left on me was one of sheer frigidity.
A sharp, silver bob that looked as if it had been sliced with a blade. A tight, deep blue dress. Perhaps her icy aura stemmed from those very features.
Luna bowed, showing her respects to the royalty. Her movements were flawless, without a single breach of etiquette.
"This is the first time we meet face-to-face, Princess. I heard my daughter has been imposing on you."
"Not at all. I was having a wonderful time as well."
"Is that so? If it is no intrusion, I would like to join you."
She must be anxious, I thought. Wondering what her naive daughter might have blabbed to me. I had no reason to avoid her either. I turned to the maid standing beside me.
"Would you? Aileen, please prepare more refreshments."
Upon my command, the maid immediately prepared another setting. Luna took her seat, lifted her teacup, and spoke.
"By the way, what were you and Tina discussing, Princess?"
How blatant. I threw the question right back at her.
"I am actually more curious about what you and my stepmother were discussing. Tina and I were just trying to guess."
"I merely shared a pleasant chat with the Queen regarding fashion. As you know, Her Majesty possesses a profound knowledge of garments and accessories. I am always full of admiration and learning from her."
"Did you travel all the way from distant Lorencia just to talk about that? Fufu, you must truly love clothes."
"Well, Her Majesty was the one who invited me. Besides, your words are correct, Princess. I live solely for my family and our business. It is only natural that I possess a great interest in clothing."
She barely shows any openings. She was entirely different from Tina, who was nothing but openings. Even if Luna shared the same beliefs as her daughter, she would never let them slip. She knew better than anyone that such thoughts could become a fatal weakness.
"Come to think of it, I have heard of your business. Do you have any plans to open a boutique in Lurie? I have grown rather bored of the local fashion lately."
"Of course, I do have such intentions. Would you be willing to assist me, Princess?"
Did she take the bait? I hadn't expected her to be so direct, though.
"Me? Of course, I would gladly visit as a customer... but I am a complete novice when it comes to commerce. I am not sure how I could help..."
"Are you not the practical administrator of the Roberts Merchant Guild, Princess?"
So she reveals her true colors. Throughout our conversation, Luna's expression had barely shifted. It was a cold face, as if she were wearing a mask. Matching her tone, I spoke in an equally chilly voice.
"If I were to do that, what benefit would there be for me?"
"I, Luna Lorencia, shall become your ally, Princess. Furthermore, I will offer ten percent of all revenue generated in Lurie directly to you. What do you think?"
"That is hardly a benefit. The profits generated by the Roberts Merchant Guild are already immense. There is no reason for me to share that pie with you only to take a mere ten percent back."
"But the money earned by the Roberts Merchant Guild belongs to the Roberts family and the guild itself, does it not? It is not your personal wealth, Princess."
She wasn't wrong. I was merely acting as the caretaker of the Roberts family's assets; I wasn't the actual owner. She was proposing that in exchange for letting her enter the Roberts Merchant Guild's territory, she would funnel a portion of the revenue directly into Princess Sera's personal coffers.
However, she was also completely wrong. Since I held absolute authority over the Roberts Merchant Guild, I had plenty of ways to convert its wealth into my own without ever needing to go through the Lorencias. Well, I suppose Luna's current proposal was offering herself as one of those methods.
Even so, the transaction fee was far too high. In the first place, I had little interest in embezzling the guild's wealth for myself. There was absolutely no reason to accept her offer.
"Did you make the same proposal to my stepmother, Queen Carmel?"
Carmel didn't possess an organization like the Roberts Merchant Guild. I wasn't sure how she could assist Luna, but with the Queen's authority, nothing was impossible. Luna tilted her head slightly before answering. That single gesture bore a striking resemblance to Tina.
"No. As I said, Her Majesty and I truly only discussed fashion and trends."
Well, it's not like she would just openly admit it. Conversely, she wouldn't reveal to Carmel that she had made this offer to me either. She was likely waiting to see who would be more useful when the time came to choose between us. A sly, snake-like maneuver.
"Thank you for the offer, but I cannot give you an answer right away. I must discuss this with Baron William as well."
It was a polite way of saying no. After all, it meant I would have to ask William, 'Is it alright if I embezzle the assets you entrusted to me?'
"How strange. Why would a noble as exalted as you, Princess, need to consult the opinion of a fake baron with no territory—someone who is barely even a baron?"
She was definitely Tina's mother. It was clear that Tina's worldview had been inherited from Luna and the Lorencia family. I replied with a smile.
"Of course I must. Because that is what we promised."
"I see. In that case, please pretend I never mentioned it. Forgive me for making such an unreasonable request."
Her tone was polite, but there was no telling what she was thinking inside. Perhaps she was dismissing me as a pathetic princess swayed by trivial sentimentality.
Despite being left out of the conversation between Luna and me, Tina didn't seem particularly uncomfortable. She looked perfectly content just watching me speak. I glanced at her and said,
"Come to think of it, Tina, you invited me to Lorencia before, didn't you? I have been too busy to keep that promise... but would it be alright if I visited in the near future?"
"Yes, Tina told me she had invited you, Princess. Of course, you are welcome at any time. We would consider it an absolute honor."
"We didn't specify the guest list back then. May I bring a few of my people along?"
"But of course. Might I ask who?"
"Baron William. I am still deciding on the others."
"William Roberts...? Yes. If that is your wish, Princess, then of course you must. I have no objections whatsoever."
At the mention of William's name, a slight crack seemed to appear in Luna's iron mask. She probably hadn't expected me to bring William of all people.
The sheer discomfort of having to lavishly entertain the "fake baron" they despised most as part of the Princess's entourage. That discomfort was precisely why I wanted to bring William. It wasn't just for a petty sense of satisfaction. I wanted to see what kind of openings that discomfort might create.
"I don't want to!"
Tina raised her voice for the first time. Luna frowned and looked toward her.
"Isn't Baron William just a commoner? And an orphan at that! Why would we... a ruffian who never even had the chance to learn etiquette and dignity from his parents! Princess, you don't need to associate with someone like him!"
The words poured out of her in a frantic rush. Tina was more agitated than I had ever seen her. Perhaps hearing me refer to him as "my person" made her feel as though I cherished William more than her.
Luna grabbed her daughter's shoulder, staring at her with a terrifying expression.
"Tina. Mind your tongue. You are in the presence of the Princess."
"But...!"
"Tina."
Luna squeezed Tina's shoulder, pressing down hard enough to cause pain. Overwhelmed by her mother's fierce aura, Tina finally apologized in a small voice.
"I-I am sorry, Princess... I spoke out of turn... I am sorry, Mother..."
"I, too, apologize for my daughter's behavior, Princess. I would be grateful if you could generously overlook the foolish words of an immature girl."
"...No, it is fine."
I knew all too well that no matter how polite their spoken apologies were, the thoughts harbored in their hearts remained unchanged. Since the atmosphere had already been ruined, the tea party soon came to an end. Watching the mother and daughter leave the room, I let out a deep sigh. I could feel it in my bones—the day I would have to face the Lorencias as enemies was drawing near.