Chapter: 782
The battle of egos between the two girls’ grandfathers was fierce. Both were bursting with pride for their grandfathers—specifically, their grandfathers and maternal grandfathers—so neither showed any signs of backing down.
Honestly, if Marquis Ravirje realized he was in the midst of such a showdown, he would probably freak out. Thankfully—or maybe unluckily—he remained blissfully unaware of this chaos. The Crown Princess didn’t know the little girl’s maternal grandfather and the girl didn’t know the Crown Princess’s grandfather either. Could it get any more fortunate?
“Our grandpa is so amazing! So amazing that the animals are jealous!”
“Ugh…!”
‘What the heck?’
And it seemed the fierce competition was tipping in favor of the Crown Princess.
But it wasn’t the situation itself that led to a possible victory; rather, it was the revelation of the animal kingdom’s existence that caused Marquis Ravirje’s granddaughter to lose her steam. She was biting her lips in disbelief, so it seemed to be having quite the effect.
But when you think about it, isn’t it obvious? If a bloodline from Marquis Ravirje travels all the way to the capital zoo, they must love animals. Naturally, when the other party says, “Our grandpa is surrounded by animals!” they can’t help but feel a bit rattled.
‘Kids will be kids.’
In the end, she’s just a regular little kid, despite being the grandchild of a marquis, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. I thought maybe she’d be a spoiled noble daughter or something, but she was just another kid her age.
“Well, u-uh, my grandpa…”
Desperate to reverse her impending checkmate, the granddaughter racked her mind for a way out.
“Mom!”
“Sweetheart?”
Just in time, she barely escaped defeat, running away to her mother.
Indeed, it was a beautiful moment when the lost daughter reunited with her mother. But why did it feel like a dramatic escape to me? I shouldn’t view the world through such dreary eyes.
“Anrietta! I told you to stay close to mom!”
“But the polar bear… it was so cool…”
Seeing the teary-eyed granddaughter—Anrietta—the woman presumed to be Marquis’s second daughter let out a small sigh.
“If you want to go anywhere, tell your mother first, okay?”
“Uuu… I’m sorry…”
And then she hugged Anrietta tightly, gently patting her back.
Watching the pale-faced girl gradually regain her color, it seemed the tension of losing her daughter was quickly dissipating.
“Anrietta! Ma’am!”
“Uuu!”
Now the second daughter’s husband and their second child appeared one after another.
Good, I thought it might take a while to find the lost parents, but it looks like they’d naturally reunite without me having to interject.
“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, we found our daughter.”
“Oh, no need to mention it. We just bumped into each other on the way and had a quick chat.”
Just then, as I was about to step back naturally, the husband of the second daughter bent down first.
That was quite an unexpected situation. Even though I received a disguise title from my father-in-law, I was still in the same garb as when I came from the circus. On the surface, no one could tell if I was commoner or noble, yet he bowed deeply.
This was no low-ranking noble; this was the husband of a marquis’ daughter.
‘Would I have done the same?’
Thinking momentarily from the son-in-law’s standpoint, it became clear.
It wouldn’t matter if the other person were a commoner, would it? If they helped me find my child, even a slave deserves a bow. I’d even consider exempting them from being a commoner right there and offer enough gold coins for three generations to live comfortably.
“Isn’t this coincidence a fate bestowed by Enen? By the way, I’m Albert Digo.”
‘A son-in-law by marriage, huh.’
If I remember correctly, Digo is indeed from the Marquis Ravirje’s lineage. Since his wife didn’t take on her husband’s name, it implies that he entered as a son-in-law.
One could see how that might be the more precarious situation. Living together with the marquis means a closer proximity; naturally, parents pay more attention to those nearby. With that attention comes favoritism and power. A marquis’s son-in-law would inevitably hold more strength than a typical local noble.
“I am Alan Viruna of Salrin.”
“Oh, you are a titled noble! My apologies!”
“No need for any apologies. It’s quite an honor to inherit the noble bloodline of Marquis Iones, resulting in an undeserved title.”
Naturally, when I explained my backing, Albert’s eyes sharpened.
After all, my father-in-law’s territory, Iones, rests on the empire’s west. Since the Marquis Ravirje is also west, they inevitably have a competitive yet cooperative relationship. The two marquis families definitely share lots of love and enmity.
“I never expected to see a neighbor from the west here.”
So it seems Albert instinctively feels wary of that, but he quickly added,
“Haha, neither did I. Moreover, I certainly didn’t expect to see such a lovely child!”
With that blatant compliment, the corners of Albert’s mouth shot up like a rocket.
That was the expected response, and it satisfied me. Any father of a five-year-old girl should respond like that.
“Dear.”
“Oh, ma’am. This is Baron Salrin, who’s connected with Marquis Iones.”
“Oh, I see. Since our neighbor from the west helped us find our daughter, it truly feels like Enen’s guidance.”
Having soothed Anrietta successfully, the second daughter then gently bowed, expressing her gratitude.
“Huh? Then is he your grandpa too?”
And little Anrietta, who had been clinging onto her second mother, tilted her head in confusion.
“That’s not the case. Your grandpa isn’t actually the Marquis.”
“What?! So our grandpa is the cooler one?!”
“No way! Our grandpa is cooler, right?!”
Yet again, a second wave of grandpa-related chaos erupted, making me shake my head and smile.
*
Helping to reunite Anrietta felt fortuitous, so I decided to stick with the Salrin Baron’s family.
“So, do you really have farm animals at your grandpa’s house?”
“We have ducks and chickens! So many of them!”
“Whoa…”
Moreover, Anrietta seemed to really like the Salrin Baron’s daughter. They started off bickering, it looked like they formed a bond through their squabbles.
This pleased me. Excluding her cousins, Anrietta hadn’t met many kids her age. Given that the Salrin Baron also hails from a cadet branch of the Masalo marquis family, they shouldn’t be far away in the west. They might get to meet often.
If the Salrin Baron is truly a proper Salrin Baron, that is.
‘Definitely a title held by Marquis Iones.’
When I married my wife and joined the Digo family, I thoroughly researched the rivalry between the Digo marquis family and the Masalo marquis family.
If my memory serves, the Salrin family was merely one of the many titles belonging to Marquis Iones. An ordinary title acquired back in the time of the fourth-generation Masalo patriarch. No one probably even remembers that title. To make matters worse, the Salrin title had no fief attached.
So, it was shocking to suddenly encounter someone claiming ties to Marquis Iones. If someone new had recently acquired a title, word would have definitely gotten around.
‘They can’t be impersonating someone.’
No lunatic would dare impersonate the title of such a high-ranking marquis in the empire. The claim of being connected to Marquis Iones must hold some truth.
But who could that be? Who on earth is using the title of a marquis dishonestly, and how could the marquis trust them enough to allow it?
“Dear.”
“Oh, ma’am.”
As I watched Anrietta and the Salrin Baron’s daughter stroll along, my wife came over and whispered.
“Why are you looking so serious all of a sudden?”
“Thinking about how anxious I was when Anrietta went missing. My heart is still racing; I can’t calm down just yet.”
“You worry too much. I was startled too, but she came back safe, so just relax.”
With a soft smile, she held my hand and I returned her smile.
‘Not a chance in hell.’
Despite my wife’s comforting words, I couldn’t feel at ease.
The rivalries between the Digo and Masalo marquis families loom large. I almost missed a crucial figure connected to that prominent marquis. The name Salrin was firmly in use, but I didn’t know why.
That was a disgrace—an undeniable failure to meet my father-in-law’s expectations and trust.
‘dare I call myself an intelligence officer?’
Even if my father-in-law remained in the dark, I should have known better. I oversee intelligence on the Digo marquis family, after all. I had earned the right to even have a relationship with my wife because of that skill.
‘For the time being, precious sleep is out the window.’
I steeled myself as I observed the back of the Salrin Baron.
It seems I’ll need to ascertain every cousin, sixth cousin, and neighbor to clear this nagging feeling.
“My family has so many animals!”
“Really?!”
“Yes, they’re all super cute!”
It appeared that the Salrin Baron’s son had also started conversing with Anrietta.
I sincerely hope that Anrietta can meet with these kids again. I’d hate to see her hurt because of adult circumstances.
*
Not long after returning to the Marquis Ravirje territory, I received a call from my father-in-law.
“Did you encounter someone named Salrin Baron while in the capital?”
And as soon as my father-in-law uttered the name Salrin Baron, I felt my blood run cold.
I had just returned and knew absolutely nothing. If my father-in-law asked me about Salrin Baron, I’d have no answer to give.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace! My abilities fell short, and I couldn’t identify the card hidden by the Masalo marquis!”
So I fell to the ground, apologizing not as my father-in-law’s son-in-law, but as Digo’s intelligence officer. This was undoubtedly my mistake and a result of poor judgment.
“Don’t mention it; rise up. It’s only natural not to know.”
“Y-yes?”
“First, read this.”
He stepped closer and handed me a letter.
As I cautiously got to my feet and accepted the document, he sighed softly.
I felt uneasy. What could be in it?
‘What is this?’
As soon as I turned my gaze to the letter, my body stiffened in shock.
[ To Albert Digo, who maintained the secret regarding the Crown Princess’s excursion, commendations from His Majesty the Emperor. ]
It was a letter of commendation from the Emperor himself regarding the bizarre fact that I had kept the Crown Princess’s clandestine excursion under wraps.
[ It appears the Crown Princess has formed a bond of friendship with your granddaughter; I hope she continues to be good friends. ]
The shocking contents stating that our Anrietta had become friends with the Crown Princess.
[ The Minister of Information has also expressed gratitude towards you, so keep that in mind. ]
Finally, there was a sentence providing insight into the Salrin Baron’s true identity.
‘Indeed…’
The Minister of Information is indeed intertwined with the Masalo family…
“Son-in-law.”
“Yes, father-in-law.”
“Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Be sure to take a nice break for a while.”
“…Thank you, father-in-law.”
My heart raced wildly.
I had almost tried to commit the madness of delving deep into the Minister of Information’s affairs.
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