147. This Is All My Fear. (2)
Zvalter carefully scrutinized the approaching figures.
‘The flags are loud and flashy, but there aren’t many people. I’ve got too much baggage… Did the advance team bring supplies? But coming here without a declaration of war? Come on, even the royal family shouldn’t be this over the top!’
He boasted boldly in front of his retainers, but in reality, Zvalter’s mind was a tangled mess.
Shouldn’t I just run out and beg for forgiveness right now?
What sort of accident had he caused for these illustrious high-ranking nobles to band together and send soldiers?
The closer they got, the faster his heart raced, and his hands were drenched in sweat.
Then, the approaching allied forces halted upon seeing their army.
Zvalter also stopped moving and examined the opponents.
“Lord, we should first meet with their commander and see what’s going on,” Baron Homern advised.
Zvalter nodded and stepped forward.
At that moment, a few riders from the other side galloped ahead.
‘Impressive horsemanship. Let’s see what these guys look like… Huh?’
The approaching figures seemed somewhat familiar. But the young man leading them looked even more familiar.
‘That handsome guy resembles my son…?’
Zvalter’s eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the face of the approaching man.
“Hey! What are you doing here!”
The one at the front was Ghislaine. The ones following him were also the close associates of his son, including Belinda.
Why was his son popping out from among those noble banners?
Zvalter was at a loss for words, utterly baffled. Meanwhile, Ghislaine, who had come closer, wore a perplexed expression and asked.
“Father, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here for combat preparation…”
“With whom?”
“With you, you guys?”
“……?”
“……?”
Both of them stood dumbfounded, a moment of silence enveloping the surroundings.
Baron Homern broke the silence and interjected urgently.
“G-Grand Duke! Is that you? What’s going on here? What on earth happened in the capital!”
“I just came to sell cosmetics, you know?”
His nonchalant tone only got Baron Homern riled up.
“If it’s nothing important, then why are the royal family and nobles sending an army!”
“Uh, I think there’s a misunderstanding…”
Zvalter finally snapped out of it and asked in confusion.
“I heard rumors that you had a dispute with Marquis Branford. Wasn’t that why the army came?”
“Isn’t that why you’ve come?”
“Ah, I get the situation now. It really wasn’t a big deal. I just made a decent transaction with the Marquis.”
“A transaction? I’ve heard rumors that you were imprisoned by the House of Marquis Branford. Aren’t you being held as a hostage?”
It’s true that I was held for half a month, but that was to treat Rosalyn.
Well, if I had failed, I wouldn’t have been able to escape, and it would have blown up… but since I succeeded, no problem.
Ghislaine shook his head and continued speaking.
“Since it seems confusing, let me explain quickly.”
Ghislaine briefly explained what had happened in the capital.
As the story unfolded, Zvalter and the retainers’ expressions colored with horror.
“The Marquis Branford has agreed to be your guardian in exchange for treating his daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Count Ailzbur and Count Norton are supporting and backing you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve also become a member of the Crown Prince Faction?”
“Ah, and my father as well.”
“Why me?”
“It just happened that way.”
Zvalter swallowed dryly, trying to organize his confused thoughts.
After all, he was loyal to the royal family, so he was just like a member of the Crown Prince Faction.
They just ignored him and didn’t include him before.
‘Does this even make sense?’
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t add up. He glanced at the army behind Ghislaine again.
The flags of the royal family and high-ranking nobles were still fluttering in the wind.
If all that were manipulated, even his life would be worth little.
‘Is this really real? Does this even make sense?’
It felt like he was losing his mind witnessing such absurdities unfold before him.
Even good things need a certain degree of moderation to be genuinely joyful. When too many good things happen, doubt and anxiety creep in instead.
Zvalter shut his eyes.
‘This is a dream.’
“Father?”
‘When I open my eyes, I’ll return to reality.’
“Father!”
‘Get away! You treacherous ones!’
Whoosh!
Zvalter summoned his mana and opened his eyes.
His bright eyes glowed with spirit.
Yet, the spectacle before him remained unchanged.
“Oh, it’s still the same. It’s real.”
Ghislaine groaned, frustrated that the conversation wasn’t flowing smoothly.
“Father, what on earth is wrong with you?”
“…I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it.”
“Just accept it because it’s true.”
“…Okay.”
Zvalter wasn’t the only one struggling to believe Ghislaine’s explanation. The chief officer, Baron Homern, spat out his words quickly, almost choking.
“Is, is that a lie, Your Grand Duke?”
“Why would I make a pointless lie that would be found out soon?”
“No, no matter how you put it… does this even make sense…?”
Homern’s mind was spinning in circles.
The Marquis Branford became the guardian? The same guy called the kingdom’s most powerful person?
Moreover, the heavyweights of the kingdom are sending support and backing?
If that’s true, it means Ghislaine has officially become a more influential noble than his father, Count Perdium.
This was the power of political acumen that transcended titles.
He used to be just a rich brat, but now he’s returned as a spoiled brat with a powerful backing.
Already having the purse strings means he couldn’t be touched, but now a terrifying backing has appeared.
The few retainers who followed Zvalter were also turning their eyes and sweating profusely.
‘Why? Why are those powerful figures backing that brat?’
“Are they all insane?”
Zvalter’s eyes lit up as he finally spoke.
“So, those many wagons must be…?”
“Yes, you’re correct in your assumption. Those are wedding gifts from Marquis Branford…”
“Wedding gifts!”
“…What?”
“Since you treated his daughter and became her guardian, it only makes sense that the next step is marriage! It seems he took a liking to you because of all your impressive abilities. Hahaha!”
Zvalter pieced the situation together with his best-case scenario.
No matter how much Ghislaine had treated his daughter, the quantity was simply too much to be just a gift.
So, there could only be one answer: wedding gifts.
Homern was beside himself with joy.
“Oh, congratulations! After all the worry following the broken engagement, to have the Marquis of Branford as your father-in-law! This is truly a joyous occasion for the family! A big celebration!”
“Hahaha, look at you, don’t get too carried away. I mean, my son isn’t a bad choice, right? Looks like you made a good match.”
“Of course, of course! He’s rich and capable, what could be lacking? Sure, he has a bit of a nasty temper, but once he enters that household, he’ll be forced to change! Hahaha!”
“Right? Hahaha!”
Everyone from Perdium was bursting with happiness.
The earlier tension melted away into triviality, and with the news that Ghislaine was to become the Marquis’ son-in-law, how could they not rejoice?
“……”
Ghislaine and his close associates could only watch and click their tongues at the scene.
It was one thing not to believe it, but once they did, they were completely crossing the line.
Should they correct this misunderstanding? But they were so thrilled it was hard to figure out when to interrupt their excitement.
Ghislaine sighed deeply at his father, who was overjoyed.
“These aren’t wedding gifts.”
“Hahaha… No?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I’m saying it’s not.”
The atmosphere rapidly turned cold.
Zvalter cleared his throat awkwardly a few times and asked, “Ahem, then what on earth is it?”
“Support supplies for Perdium. The royal secretary has come along, so you might want to hear the full explanation.”
“The royal family?”
Zvalter was taken aback. The royal family sent someone all the way here?
As Ghislaine gestured for him to turn, a handsome middle-aged man approached with a smile.
“I present to you the valiant wolf of the North, the Duke of Perdium. I am Baron Andy Share, royal secretary.”
“Ah, welcome. What brings you all the way here?”
“I’ve come to deliver a message from His Majesty the King.”
“Y-yes, please, go ahead.”
He knew the general situation and tried to remain composed, but his voice trembled for no reason.
While he could brush off Marquis Branford, he genuinely had no idea why the royal family was helping Perdium.
Seeing the overly nervous Perdium people, Baron Share couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
‘What… were they plotting a rebellion or something?’
It seemed rather suspicious, but uncovering such risks was the inspector’s job.
Like a seasoned administrator, he quickly unfurled a luxurious scroll and declared,
“……In recognition of the contributions to safeguarding the kingdom’s borders, we send support supplies to Count Perdium…Furthermore, the Minister of the Interior has consulted, and all noble peers at the advisory meeting have agreed, to increase the support for Perdium from now on…Having no doubt about your loyalty to the royal family…”
“Since everyone has agreed through the proper procedures, moving forward, we will increase support for Perdium from now on… I have no doubt about our loyalty to the royal family…”
An endless string of tedious and flowery phrases followed. To sum it up simply, it meant they would provide a little more support for Perdium.
Once the announcement was finished, Baron Share smiled and said, “Next year, the scale of support will decrease a little compared to now. This time it’s to cover the gaps we’ve had so far.”
Zvalter and the retainers were left speechless, mouths agape.
Baron Share’s words just wouldn’t sink in.
‘I heard Marquis Branford became Ghislaine’s guardian, and they’re immediately providing support like this…!’
“Wowaaah!”
Homern couldn’t hold back and exclaimed, causing the other retainers to burst out laughing and shout in excitement.
“Finally, our hardships are over! With this amount, we can focus on the northern borders all year round!”
“There will be additional support from other territories too. We’ll be able to sleep soundly from now on!”
Everyone was bursting with joy.
While Ghislaine’s support had improved their situation since providing Runestone, it wasn’t enough to let their guard down.
Most importantly, constantly having to beg Ghislaine for a share was just too inconvenient.
But with this official support from the royal family, things would change.
Zvalter beamed with satisfaction and said, “Hehe, now the territory’s administration will thrive. Well done, Ghislaine.”
‘Now I don’t have to make miserable requests from my son. I will reclaim my authority as a father.’
Homern chimed in. “The Grand Duke has accomplished something great! Hahaha. It was difficult to manage the budget when using the minimal support from Runestone, but things have turned out well. Still, you’ve worked hard, Grand Duke. Uhehehe.”
‘Did you think we’d keep being dragged along by you guys? Hehehe.’
Homern’s expression hinted at his newfound resolve not to make any more groveling requests.
What was there to be disappointed about when they were promised support every year?
Albert, the treasurer, tossed aside his usual cool demeanor and became excited.
“I need to confirm if the supplies you’ve sent match the list and organize them. We must keep what belongs to us. Ah, Grand Duke? About the food you said you’d share in a few months… I think you don’t need to send it? Hahaha!”
‘If you want the support supplies, Grand Duke, you should beg us instead.’
Zvalter and Homern laughed loudly.
“Hahaha, that’s right! This is all ours!”
“Now let’s use it comfortably for once!”
As everyone celebrated, Baron Share scratched his cheek and said, “Um… Not all of this is going to Perdium.”
“Eh?”
Zvalter’s eyes went wide. How could he say they wouldn’t give everything sent to Perdium? What a foolish statement!
Baron Share hesitated, clearly troubled on his face. “The distribution… will be handled by Baron Penris.”
The faces of Zvalter and the Perdium people hardened like stone.
They slowly turned their heads to where Ghislaine stood, arms crossed, wearing a bemused smile.
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