### Chapter: 27
Invincible Duke, Richter Nuren of Havlem.
Iron-blooded Duke, Oliver Valenti of Wulken.
Golden Duke, Laprose Osiden of Boyar.
Demon Duke, Beatrix Catoban of Servette.
Wise Duke, Arodel Salon of Cheness.
These five dukes reign at the pinnacle of the Empire’s nobles.
The five dukes all trace their lineage back to the greatest state builders of the Empire, having held the second most powerful positions right after the Emperor for the past 300 years. During this time, while numerous other noble families have faced promotion, demotion, or even complete annihilation, these five dukes have remained steadfast without any change.
No new dukes have ascended, nor have any titles been rescinded. The five ducal families have maintained their positions alongside the Imperial Family without fail.
Even emperors, who might view other nobles as mere tools, treated these five dukes at least as valued partners. Though, it’s essential to acknowledge the emperor still held the upper hand.
In such a way, even the emperor couldn’t afford to treat them lightly, and the other nobles wouldn’t even dare to meet their gaze. Naturally, this reverence doesn’t exclude the family members of dukes as well.
But consider this – how would it feel to receive a frigid tongue-lashing from the youngest daughter of a duke?
“Hic, hic…”
“It’s okay. We probably won’t see her again.”
When you witness Louise trembling and hiccuping in the clubroom, it’s apparent she’s not in the best shape. So, I brought her here for a breather, but it seems as soon as she stepped into this familiar spot, she relaxed a bit too much.
If I’d just sent her off to school like that, it could have been a disaster! I can easily shoot over a quick excuse note to her teacher for her random absence, so all is well! That’s what power is for, right? It’s a bit petty—meh, who doesn’t like a little misuse now and then?
“O-Oppa…”
Despite being stuffed away in the corner, I brewed some long-forgotten tea leaves. Gently patting her back, I placed the cup before her. Louise, although sobbing, carefully picked up the cup while trembling. What on earth am I going to do with her?
I understood Louise’s feelings; the gap between a duke and a baron is unfathomable! If I exaggerate just a smidge, the difference is even more stark than between a baron and a commoner. Wait, is it really an exaggeration? I mean, a baron’s ways to mess with a commoner are straightforward, but the ways a duke can toy with a baron are literally endless!
So, a beloved daughter of the duke treats her coldly? It wouldn’t be surprising if a gloomy thought crossed Louise’s mind about the potential downfall of her family! Thinking it could be caused by her own actions would leave anyone feeling a bit paranoid.
Honestly, it’s commendable that Louise didn’t burst into tears in front of Marghetta. Bravo, our brave girl!
“She probably didn’t mean anything malicious. She spoke privately to you. If she had ill will, she would’ve called you out in public!”
After I settled down next to her, I kept comforting her. I didn’t think Marghetta was trying to outright attack Louise. The Valenti family are more the type to take action first and chat later if they really want someone gone. So whatever Marghetta said were just friendly exchanges, akin to small talk!
Although I refrained from mentioning that, as it would surely send her into a waterfall of tears!
“B-But… What if because of me… My father… Our family…”
Despite my attempts to soothe her, Louise continued weeping. How sad it is that in their first meeting for a year, Marghetta leaves our well-behaved Louise in tears. Thanks a lot, Princess Marghetta…
“No matter who they are, a duke can’t just attack an innocent noble family. If that kind of nonsense happens, I’ll step in and handle it, so don’t worry!”
But honestly, that was a bit boastful of me. Should a duke ever decide to go for someone’s throat, it implies they have the emperor’s seal of approval. If I wanted to thwart the duke without any royal backing, I’d better write my will beforehand!
Well, perhaps with all my might, I could delay them for three days? After that, I’d probably take a one-way trip to ‘Late Carl Krascius!’
Seeing Louise manage a distressed smile made me feel a bit better, but her eyes were still puffy and red. I figured it was best to keep her in the clubroom for the time being. If I let her out now and she bumps into Marghetta again, I’m pretty sure it would be the final countdown!
Honestly, it seems like I could grow to resent Marghetta a little right now.
In the end, Louise remained in the clubroom until club hours started. She insisted she would be fine, but that was utter nonsense! I commanded her to stay put—look at her cheeks! They’re still a cherry red!
Then, from far away, I heard the hurried footsteps of five people approaching. They were distinctly faster than they usually walked, so it sounded like they were practically sprinting. Yet they managed to keep enough composure to not bounce in here during class. What a relief; it’s gratifying to see some common sense is still intact!
“Lady Louise!”
The first to dash in was Ainter. He met my gaze as he entered and waved subtly, so I greeted him back. Sure, you may all be imbeciles, but the sentiment you hold for Louise is genuine.
With everyone showing up, I shook Louise awake. She must have been incredibly exhausted since she unexpectedly dozed off. I took the coat I draped over her and stood up. Watching five guys come barreling in makes me a smidge uneasy, to be honest.
“Louise, are you okay?”
Erich, having shoved past Ainter, was about to lunge at Louise, so I quickly caught him. Seriously, just let the girl wake up! If you pounce on her after she’s just opened her eyes, she might freak out and fall over!
“She’s not hurt. No need to panic! Something surprised her earlier, so I let her rest a bit.”
As I pressed back on Erich, the other four slowed their hurried advance. I turned to check on Louise, and thankfully, she seemed fully awake now.
Hmm, I think I could let them off now.
Shifting my stance to clear a path, the five of them lunged at her like a pride of lions diving at an unsuspecting gazelle.
Is my eye twitching?
Wrapped up in a mass of limbs, Louise looked confused yet thrilled to be cared for. Just moments ago, she was downcast due to Marghetta’s harsh words, so her clubmates’ warmth was likely restoring some of her spirit.
Let’s not forget, though, that Marghetta’s attack stemmed from those very club members!
“We’re thrilled to be here with you, Louise! So there’s no need to worry.”
“What others think means nothing to us. Your warm-hearted demeanor is what we cherish most!”
While I casually spectated the nurturing session, I realized Louise must have finished her tale since the group shifted into consolation mode. Their assurances flew around—a wave of ‘don’t worry about it,’ ‘we’ll protect you,’ etc. Externally, they appeared truly supportive in spirit.
And again, I must stress: we are conveniently brushing aside the fact that those club members were actually the reason for Marghetta’s ire.
“Yes, thank you! Carl oppa said he’d protect me, too, if anything happened.”
As Louise cheerfully mentioned me, all five turned to look my way. Apparently, Ainter seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
I have no idea what you’re thinking, but you’re clearly overestimating me here.
‘How could a civil servant stand up against a duke?’
I mean, I may have a fighting chance against a marquis; those families can actually experience demotions or worse! But against a duke? They’re practically walking disasters. Once they start swinging, the only strategy is to pray!
But alas, I was the one throwing a boast around! I smiled back at their gazes. Still, considering the Valenti duke has no reason to launch an attack on Louise, what am I so worried about? Is this what they call panic by association?
Well, anyway, with Louise’s condition improving, all my worries came to an end for today.
I consoled Louise with the claim that she probably wouldn’t run into Marghetta again during club hours. Yet surely that would turn out to be false! Most likely, Marghetta would swing by to check on Louise again!
She wasn’t fond of Louise mingling with prominent foreign figures, so the only solution to that would be disbanding the club.
But we both know that’s never going to happen. Louise wouldn’t disband the club, and neither would I want such a fate! Who would even dare face the ire of those five? Not to mention, how would I monitor them all?
I’d end up desperately begging Louise not to disband!
Yet, Marghetta seemed blissfully ignorant of this ordeal. The club was set to continue, and Louise would undoubtedly keep fraternizing with significant players. Marghetta would surmise that her words fell on deaf ears, hence she’d likely show up at the clubroom again.
‘First, it’s the Crown Prince; now, it’s the Duke’s daughter tagging along?’
This headache of mine…
At least the duke’s clan wouldn’t directly harass Louise, but Marghetta had plenty of ways to ruin her day.
‘Guess I should visit her soon.’
What choices do I even have? I’ll need to find Marghetta before she sidles back over to Louise! It’s critical I explain the importance of the club and how I’m keeping watch so that any untoward incidents are averted.
But upon a moment’s reflection, this all feels a bit off. Marghetta must know I’m the club’s advisor, so why would she go out of her way to warn Louise? Did she think it was beneficial to produce caution despite my presence? Or perhaps she’d prefer the club itself to vanish?
Right now, I can’t truly decipher that! I’ll have to poke around for more clarity when I meet Marghetta.
“Looks like the opportunity popped up sooner than I expected. Good morning, Carl.”
The next morning in the clubroom, smack in the middle of class hours, Marghetta waltzed in like she owned the place.
I was planning to pay her a visit.
Oh, but I really didn’t expect her to come to me!
Seeing her beaming with that radiant smile just made my annoyance spike a little.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.