“To be frank, I still wish to observe the Emperor’s movements, but my mother insisted on meeting with you. I believe you know the reason why, Count Krissus.”
Laslo gave a short nod. He had roughly guessed that this meeting was orchestrated solely by Barbara’s will.
“The fact that the invitation arrived a month after Edel sent her reply means it took the Grand Lady a month to persuade the Marquis, doesn’t it?”
Barbara, who had been scrutinizing Laslo sharply until now, asked, “Is Edel… doing well?”
Laslo reflected on the things Barbara had pondered and sacrificed just to ask that question. While he still held the upper hand in this relationship, he wondered how things would play out in the future.
He drained the last of his black tea and replied, “Do you think someone born and raised as an aristocrat finds it comfortable living as a maid? Furthermore, she was recently unwell due to the schemes of a head maid who was jealous of her.”
Barbara’s eyes widened at those words. “What? You mean a mere head maid dared to harm a noble?”
“Mind your tongue, Grand Lady. She is no longer an aristocrat.”
Laslo’s reply pained Barbara’s heart. That Edel, who possessed more nobility than anyone in high society, was now in a position where she was defenseless against the machinations of a mere head maid—it was intolerable.
Barbara clenched her teeth, stifling her surging emotions. “You allowed such a thing to happen in your house without taking any measures?”
“I immediately summoned a skilled doctor and had medicine prepared. I’ve had her recuperate in the guest room. She has improved significantly now.”
“And the head maid?”
“I’ve issued a warning; she won’t act rashly in the future.”
“Having been humiliated, she might be planning an even more calculated revenge.”
Laslo let out a cynical laugh. “She is surely aware of what happens to those who ignore my warnings…”
He tilted his head, looking at Barbara as he said lightly, “If she defies my orders again, well, I suppose it just means she wasn’t destined for a long life.”
Marquis Celestine seemed slightly tense at Laslo’s cold pressure, but Barbara did not shrink back in the slightest. Instead, she stared—no, glared—at him.
“I don’t care what happens to some maid. What I want, Count Krissus, is for you to put your name on the line and guarantee Edel’s safety. Before she is harmed by those scoundrels.”
“Is that the condition for the House of Celestine to pledge loyalty to the Emperor?”
“I never said that.”
“But the fact that you invited me into this noble marquessate implies as much. You are well aware that I have more than a few eyes fixed upon me, Grand Lady.”
The conversation between them stalled for a moment. As Laslo noted, the news of him visiting the Celestine residence would have already spread to the Three Great Houses and other key figures.
With the Lancaster Ducal Family—which once held the greatest power—now annihilated by the Emperor, the pro-imperial nobles trying to solidify the Emperor’s authority, the old-guard nobles attempting to protect their traditional power, and the neutral nobles caught in between were all on high alert for the impending tectonic shifts in power.
It was only natural that a key player like Laslo would be under constant surveillance.
Laslo cast a gaze toward Marquis Celestine. “Are you truly fine with this, Marquis? To speak bluntly, haven’t you made a major decision that could harm your house because of your mother’s personal connections?”
Marquis Celestine smiled gently. “If Lady Edel had been dragged off to another family, my mother wouldn’t have arranged a meeting like this—she would have simply kidnapped her.”
“…Should I take it as an honor that you attempted a conversation first?”
“Haha. What I mean to say is that Lady Edel’s situation was merely the catalyst that accelerated our decision. Our family’s stance would have ultimately been no different.”
Yet, the fact that it accelerated the decision could not be dismissed lightly; it showed just how important Edel’s problem was. Especially to Barbara.
“If Edel’s letter is true, you are a man who knows how to protect the weak. And yet, I am confused to hear that Edel is now ill because of a head maid.”
Seeing the deepening frown on Barbara’s forehead, Laslo let out a short sigh. “This matter was due to my lack of oversight. Once she has fully recovered, I intend to have her work somewhere other than the laundry room.”
“Even so, she is a maid…”
“You know what kind of rumors would spread if I treated her differently.”
Of course, letting her work as a maid wouldn’t completely prevent gossip, but all the servants of the Krissus Count Family knew that Edel was working as a maid. That was likely why the rumors hadn’t spiraled out of control in high society.
“I intend to have her live as a maid until the public’s interest fades.”
“And once the interest fades?”
“That is the part I am struggling with. Which is why…”
Laslo asked Barbara directly, “To what extent do you intend to look after Edel? What are you willing to do for her?”
Had anyone else heard this, they might have considered it an incredibly rude question, but not Barbara. She replied as if she had been waiting for it.
“Just let Edel go. I will handle the rest.”
“If I don’t let her go, it sounds like you’d actually steal her away.”
“If necessary.”
Laslo was quite taken with Barbara’s aggressive yet haughty demeanor. Never before had he been so fond of a woman much older than himself.
“The Lady might find it unpleasant, but I think you and I could get along quite well.”
“They say age doesn’t matter in love, but this much of an age gap is hard to overcome, Count.”
“Hahaha! That is truly a pity.”
As Laslo laughed heartily, Marquis Celestine looked surprised, while Barbara’s gaze sharpened further as she tried to gauge his hidden motives.
However, Laslo was in quite a pleasant mood.
*‘If it’s the House of Celestine, it’s not a bad place to hand Edel over to. Even the Canyon Count Family or the Three Great Houses would find it difficult to touch her there.’*
Having Barbara resolve his worries about Edel’s future felt like a great relief.
“I promise this, on the condition that our future relationship moves in a friendly direction: once Edel’s name stops being bandied about in high society, I will look for an opportune moment to bring her to you. I will leave the rest to you.”
“…Very well. I shall await that day.”
The rest of the tea time flowed in a relatively harmonious atmosphere. Laslo returned home with the letter Barbara had written to Edel. His steps were light, having shed a bit of his guilt toward her.
***
*Bang!*
The door to the Emperor’s office swung open violently, and Demarcus walked in, looking visibly incensed. He said to the attendant who was standing guard, “Since there will be no end to the petitions and bribes begging for leniency throughout this week, have Count Talon handle them.”
“I suppose many will be invoking the late Emperor’s name.”
“Indeed. Has there ever been an emperor as beloved by the nobles as my father?”
His voice, praising his own father, was remarkably harsh. To Demarcus, his father had been nothing short of a disaster.
The late Emperor—that is, Demarcus’s father—had enjoyed an ‘excessively’ good relationship with the nobles. There was no reason for him not to. He had little interest in ruling, left most matters to the officials, and graciously overlooked any trouble the nobles caused. After all, they were good friends who provided him with money and entertainment.
“They must be dying of longing for those days, the bastards.”
Demarcus had just returned from refusing all requests from noble criminals who, despite having committed serious crimes, had boldly demanded their release.
Thanks to his declaration upon ascending the throne that he would personally review all crimes related to the nobility, criminals who would have previously been set free with a few bribes were now serving their full, legally mandated sentences.
“Your Majesty is rebuilding the laws of the Empire.”
“…”
“There are many who welcome the stricter rulings even amidst all this.”
Count Talon, the Emperor’s close attendant, said this while trying to soothe Demarcus’s irritation.
“It’s truly a relief that my father passed away before the nobility rotted away completely. If he had lived, the entire country might have turned into a rotten swamp.”
“Before that could happen, the people would have likely risen up. There is a limit to what one can endure, after all.”
“That’s true. Though those fools don’t seem to have the slightest idea where their power and wealth come from.”
Demarcus shook his head as he looked out the window.