This is the guy.
I could feel the conviction building within me.
The guy I’d seen back then was undoubtedly this person.
“Haha, I apologize. You look remarkably like someone I know.”
“It’s something people occasionally mistake, after all. It happens often, so it’s quite alright.”
Hearing that voice again only solidified my conviction. This guy was indeed that guy. Unfortunately, I still didn’t know who the hidden person was, but even identifying one was a sufficient achievement.
I returned to my seat immediately.
“Quite a happening, I see. Do you have someone you know in the capital?”
“Do you think I don’t know anyone? After all, there are plenty of people out there I’ve greeted while roaming the world.”
It’s just that there are fewer people with whom I’ve maintained steady contact and friendship.
Keeping conversation with Yom at a moderate level, I continued to observe him. I made sure not to look directly at him, opting for a side glance to see who he was meeting and what he was doing. However, he was peculiarly inactive.
The only thing he did until the banquet concluded was eat.
At that point, I began to wonder.
Is he really a member of the nobility?
It’s only natural to be skeptical because, for nobles, managing connections isn’t optional; it’s a duty. This held true anywhere. After all, the most significant criterion for nobles making decisions is bloodline.
In a class where lineage is paramount, the value of connections is not even up for debate. Most issues among nobles begin and end with connections, even if one doesn’t engage in politics.
“Hmmm….”
“You seem to be lost in thought since earlier; is there something about that person bothering you?”
“He does bear a resemblance.”
Avoiding direct answers, he moistened his finger and began writing something on a napkin.
“Is it related to those who’ve had dealings with our family?”
My eyebrows twitched.
Well, I had expected him to catch on. It’s been hardly a moment since I asked, and Yom’s associates had all been taken down; how could he possibly be unaware?
By the time one reaches the status of a marquis, they would have some awareness of the outline of such an incident, so he surely knew.
However, connecting that to this situation was a different matter.
“How did you know?”
“Well, unless it’s connected to Her Majesty Maria, there’s no way you’d be this passionate about the capital’s affairs.”
“…….”
If it wasn’t about Maria, there’s no way you’d be this diligent.
Taken aback by the straightforward jab, my mind felt a bit dizzy for a moment.
…However, he wasn’t wrong.
“Anyway, you’re right. It is indeed related.”
“Is that so?”
Yom, too, glanced at the person I had been keeping an eye on.
“Considering how aggressively you’re moving, it seems the Empress must have provoked you somehow.”
I nodded in response to his softly spoken words.
Since Yom had seen my face a few times, he had some grasp of the motivations behind my actions.
He pondered for a moment before speaking to me.
“Actually, I have a suggestion regarding that matter as well.”
He said this as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and flipped it over, handing it to me.
“Actually, the reason we were making inquiries here and there is that a certain issue hasn’t been resolved well.”
I reached out to check the content. At that moment, Yom suddenly grabbed my hand.
“If you could help me a bit, I think I could assist you in return.”
His eyes were gleaming with excitement.
――
Maria was skillfully greeting the nobles. Given the magnitude of the matter at hand, she was taking it quite seriously, but since she was essentially the host of the event, the burden on her wasn’t all that heavy.
After all, this gathering was also a kickoff for a charity organization, so no one particularly liked discussing heavy topics in such settings.
It was just a bit of a hassle to hold back people who were eager to get back to their busy lives.
Yet, even Maria found it challenging to deal with one particular individual.
“May I ask what you’re thinking?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This organization, wasn’t it created to target us?”
“…Sigh. Must we discuss such matters even in a place like this?”
“I’m not a fan of inefficiency, you see.”
It was none other than Antonius von Wittelbach, the only Court Duke of the Empire.
The reason he used the title of Court Duke rather than a princely title like other lords was simple.
The Wittelbach family originally ruled the Palatinate. Just before the founding of the Empire, they had plenty of fame and power but chose to hand over the Palatinate to the underprivileged Habsburg dynasty in exchange for the hereditary title of Court Duke.
Although the Palatinate had now become a city governed by a separate bureaucratic organization, their influence remained solid. At the very least, it was more than enough to have a say in the central political landscape.
‘The Empress sure knows how to gather the right people, even him.’
It was rather strange, considering that someone who intended to make her son Emperor was assembling only those necessary for central politics while leaving those who actually had the right to make an Emperor out of the picture.
What on earth was the Empress thinking?
Maria let out a sigh.
Had she failed to draw in the nobles well, she could claim incompetence to dismantle their power structures, but it was hard to attack when she was successfully courting such key figures.
“It’s unfortunate. I have some people I personally brought in, yet I never anticipated they’d get caught in such scandals.”
“I’ve also heard rumors that you moved directly alongside the inspection team.”
“It’s a sad thing. That those we aligned with to achieve good deeds must be investigated alongside them.”
I dragged out the conversation with somewhat evasive answers. Mentioning such matters in such a public setting wasn’t particularly wise.
One could question why the Court Duke behaved this way, but that was simply his nature. Having built his reputation by speaking his mind even in front of the Emperor, he remained respected even for statements bordering on foolishness.
Ultimately, the nobles needed to rely on his support to confront the Emperor with political issues, so this was only natural.
“You don’t intend to answer?”
“You’re speaking of something that’s unclear, so how can I provide an answer?”
“Is that so?”
He then set down his utensils and stood up from his seat.
“I’m afraid I must take my leave now, as I have pressing public affairs to attend to. Thank you for inviting me to such a gathering, Your Majesty.”
With a look that said he’d seen enough, he gave a deep bow to Maria and made his exit.
Watching his retreating figure, Maria let out another deep sigh.
This was the hassle of politics. In a class system, higher status usually has the upper hand, but at least in this Palatinate, rank held as much significance as symbols of power.
And while the Court Duke might have been outranked by the Emperor and other electors, his status and symbolic weight were unmatched. People might forget the titles held by the now-vanished Wittelbach family, but they certainly remembered that the city of Palatinate was the capital of the empire.
And that meant, unless he grievously insulted someone, even the imperial family couldn’t punish him whimsically.
Unfortunately for her, he knew that well, and no matter how blunt or occasionally vulgar his words were, he always adhered to proper etiquette.
The problem, however, was that once he made his move, it would become increasingly difficult to keep others from following suit.
Maria desperately hoped Wilhelm had already narrowed down the list of suspects.
And it appeared that the divine was kind enough to heed her prayer this time.
“Maria, I found him. That person.”
“Excuse me? Who are you talking about?”
As soon as Wilhelm reached her side, he pointed through the space made by their bodies with his finger. At the end of his pointer, the Court Duke’s carriage was passing by.
Specifically, it was a retainer following the Court Duke.
Her eyes lit up.
“Oh my.”
“Do you know him?”
Having only lurked on the fringes of events, Wilhelm was woefully unaware of how significant this revelation was (it wasn’t just ignorance; there were countless reasons he wouldn’t know what Maria did).
But Maria’s gaze sparkled with excitement.
Just then, Wilhelm pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her.
“What’s this…?”
“It’s something Yom asked me to pass along. He said if we helped with this, he’d be willing to help us back.”
Upon reading the document handed to her, Maria felt a strong urge surge within.
“Actually, there’s been lots of chatter regarding the succession rights of the Marquis of Württemberg. The Empress’s faction is proposing to trade our territories for those significantly nearer to the families of other electors, suspecting it might be a ploy to push our family out into the provinces while giving us another border. My father is understandably suspicious.”
“It appears the Princess has been backed by the Emperor. If you resolve this, I will fully support Her Highness in this matter.”
In a public place, the urge to embrace this revelation was overwhelming.
In her heart, she wished to act on impulse, but at least for now, she lacked the courage to do so.
“I will accept this.”
Naturally, there was no reason to refuse.
When dealing with the Court Duke, there were few better cards to play than the Marquis family.
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