“Just in time, I have a daughter.”
Glom carefully continued, paying close attention to Aria’s reaction.
The first princess, Selina Bertica, who was said to be so frail that she would not live long.
Having had no value as royalty, she was forgotten for over ten years after the queen died, but thinking about it now, she was a child who had no ability to escape from the royal castle.
If that’s the case, unless she was killed, she was naturally somewhere confined within the castle.
“…Princess? Martini, is there still any direct royal blood left in the castle?”
“Yes. There is a human named Selina Bertica, the first princess.”
“I ordered all direct royal blood to be gathered here today.”
Dweik let out a gasp as he realized his father’s intent and glanced at Glom.
When Glom subtly nodded as if to say to stay quiet, Dweik hesitated for a moment before lowering his gaze.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t inform you. The princess is very frail and unable to move freely, so she was not brought here. I was also in the middle of other tasks when I was informed of this, so I hurriedly ordered a report to be sent. Have you perhaps seen it?”
“Report? Ah, is this it… Indeed, there is one. It was my oversight for not confirming it.”
“No, it was my mistake for hastily sending the report.”
As Glom listened to the conversation between the Progenitor and the Grand Duke, he couldn’t help but internally cheer.
It seemed that the Progenitor hadn’t properly recognized the presence of the princess, who had merely been surviving unnoticed, tucked away in a corner of the royal castle.
For a moment, he wondered if it was possible to overlook information about royalty, but Glom concluded that it wasn’t so odd after all.
After all, wasn’t it just moments ago that Glom himself had even forgotten about his daughter’s existence?
From the perspective of the Bertica Kingdom, the princess held no value apart from her bloodline, and the vampires had only recently seized the castle.
There are always various difficulties in the process of information being communicated from the lowest levels to the top.
If one claimed not to even know she existed, that would be one thing, but it wouldn’t be surprising if information about someone whose priority was low took a bit longer to reach the Progenitor within a limited timeframe.
“Well, that’s fine. So what about the princess?”
Glom closed his eyes for a moment and collected his thoughts.
It’s regrettable for Selina, but there was no other way.
“If you require the life of a direct royal bloodline to bear the responsibility for the defeat… the first princess will gladly offer herself as a noble sacrifice.”
Glom replied solemnly, lowering his head as if heavy with the matter.
No matter how worthless his daughter was as royalty, it was still a painful thing to offer his child’s life.
‘However, this is the best course of action.’
It might sound cold, but after all, wasn’t it just a matter of years left to live?
If her fate was to fade away like scattered ashes, it would be better to go out with more meaning.
If he could save his father and brother and leave open the possibility of rebuilding the Bertica royal family, the pitiful Selina would fulfill her duty as a princess with a willing heart.
“Indeed. You are saying the first princess will offer her life, so you want us to spare yours, right?”
“…That is correct.”
Aria let out a laugh as if she found it unexpected.
Glom presented the best solution he could within the given rules.
What remained was purely whether she would keep to her word of sparing the others in exchange for a single direct royal bloodline, or go back on it and apply pressure.
Having already cast the dice, Glom and Dweik awaited Aria’s answer with desperation.
Finally, Aria’s lips parted slightly.
However, the words that flowed out were something they couldn’t have imagined, despite all possibilities calculated.
“I’m sorry, but that will not do, Selina.”
At those words directed towards someone not present, or even invisible, Glom and Dweik jumped in surprise and lifted their heads.
Rustling, a significant presence emerged from behind the throne where Aria had been seated.
Glom and Dweik stared dumbfoundedly at the throne.
Before long, a figure suddenly rose from behind the throne.
The looks of shock in Glom and Dweik’s eyes were evident as they caught sight of the woman revealed in the light.
The first princess, Selina Bertica.
The flesh and blood they had just sold to the vampires not long ago was now standing on her own, wearing a bittersweet expression.
“Selina had been sitting behind the throne waiting since before you all arrived at the audience chamber, hiding in the shadows.”
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