Gasi

Part 7A silhouette was approaching Ramillies who was standing straight while guarding the residence.

Although Ramillies had confirmed that the approaching silhouette was a man who he knew well, Ramillies didn't change his straight posture that was like a rock.

「Working hard aren't you.」

「What's your business?」

Ramillies's words were curt even though he had half-guessed what this man's objective was.

This man was a comrade-in-arms and also a best friend of Ramillies, but duty came before feeling.

「Won't you stop already? Quit from a gatekeeper job like this.」

「I don't think there is anyone else who can do this job other than me though.」

Dahlia was a daughter of a criminal. She had lost the king's favor. Furthermore the queen was aiming for her life. It was the absolute truth that there was nobody else but Ramillies who could protect her.

If Dahlia was simply protected by some soldiers who were dispatched from the palace, she and her daughter would have been killed already since a long time ago.

「His majesty say that he will welcome you to be the royal guard's commander once more if you simply agree to it. I can't bear watching a man of your talent to be rotting at this kind of place.」

「That's really not like you, Olten(オルテン). A man rots only when they twist their principle.」

Ramillies didn't waver even when it was his best friend's words.

He had understood Olten's way of thinking since the beginning. Because Olten was a friend that he was proud to have. Olten acknowledged Ramillies's strength more than anyone and Ramillies also trust him to guard his back in the battlefield.

「Trystovy needs you! Answerer Kingdom is eyeing our country, and the antagonism between the nobles and commoners are also continuing to escalate. The day where you will be needed in the battlefield will surely come!」

Most of all Olten thought that he wasn't Ramillies's match when it came to controlling soldiers as a commander.

His best friend had a talent that was even more dazzling than jewel. Olten couldn't allow him to content himself with playing bodyguard in this kind of place.

「──What are you asking me to fight for? Is it for promotion? Is it to allow some nobles to do as they please?」

「T-that's...for the sake...of the country」

Ramillies's words were scathing, but his expression was gentle.

「Forgive me my friend. I have a thought of my own. A country that pinned a crime on someone innocent like Viktor-sama who had shed his blood for the sake of this country, isn't worthy for my loyalty and sword.」

Olten's feeling toward this country was genuine.

However the current Ramillies was simply unable to innocently believe in his homeland like in the past when he was still a knight.

Olten saw a despair so deep it didn't allow him to even cry inside Ramillies's smile.

──He couldn't change the resolve of this man.

He repeatedly told himself that it would be a waste for Ramillies to stay here, but as his best friend, he shouldn't make Ramillies went against his principle here.

「At least don't die. This is my request as your friend.」

There was no barrier that would protect Dahlia and others if Ramillies died.

Ramillies laughed with a quiet confidence.

「Have you forgotten the knight's oath? We aren't allowed to lose because we are burdened with people who we should protect on our back.」

Those words were spoken when he was appointed as a knight for the first time. Ramillies had never forgotten it even for a moment.

「Exactly. It's exactly as you said but...how regretful.」

A man who embodied the ideal knight to this degree was put into a mortal danger in obscurity just because of a selfish woman's wickedness.

Olten's lips twisted in loneliness when he was faced with such miserable reality.

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Part 8And then two more years passed.

Tonight too there were another assassins lurking in the darkness. They stepped into the detached palace where Dahlia and others were sleeping.

Although, the guard Ramillies had become famous as assassin killer, so only ignorant thugs or foreign assassins would visit here lately.

「He he...the king's favored concubine huh. I want to enjoy her first before we kill her.」

「Quiet. If we get found out then even that person won't cover up for us.」

「Yeah yeah...tough life.」

The man shrugged with a sigh.

Although it was in the past, there was no way a concubine who once received the king's affection wasn't beautiful. If they were going to kill her anyway, they should get their appropriate due first.

Although, it was a different story whether that was worth the risk or not.

「Even so this residence, the security is too light. Didn't they say that the king's daughter is living here?」

「The girl has the blood of criminal flowing inside her, so no one want to get involved with them.」

「Heh! They should just kill her together with that traitor to save the trouble.」

「We can get a nice paycheck thanks to that though.」

「You ain't wrong.」

They heard that there were only women and children and at best just a single guard. So they entered into the residence's garden carelessly without any vigilance.

Although usually the most difficult part in this kind of mission was to slip inside the castle where the royalty was living at.

They got through that most difficult obstacle thanks to their client's guidance. Because of that they thought that this mission was already as good as done.

Of course that was nothing more than their hubris.

「Hm? Is the moon covered by cloud...everyone, pay attention to where you step.」

The moon had been illuminating the ground beneath them brightly until just a moment ago, but it had been suddenly hidden by a thick dark cloud.

The number of nightlight that was placed inside the castle wasn't that many.

Much less the detached palace that was ignored by everyone. This place was genuinely dark.

Although the men were used to seeing inside darkness, they were perplexed by their dim vision where they could only see blurry silhouette. It was then──.

「──Die. There is no mercy for the trashes who are targeting the madam and Mar-oneesama.」

.

Of course, the mastermind also wasn't so foolish that they thought the foolish thugs could accomplish the assassination.

No matter what people said, the one who protected the detached palace for more than two years had done his duty without letting even a single one of the residents died until now.

There were even real knights wearing disguise among the assassins who were sent here.

And yet Ramillies kept sending all of them from this world to the distant nirvana like an unwavering rock.

Ramillies wouldn't even break a sweat against the average opponent.

If his best friend Olten received the order to carry out this mission, he would declare that they needed a squad of knights from regular army and a commander with martial prowess at the level of knight commander to accomplish it.

That was just how great a threat the martial prowess and calm judgment of the man named Ramillies.

The mastermind understood that the town's thugs wouldn't be able to do anything against Ramillies.

.

「Hou...it has been a long time since a professional assassin visit here.」

An assassin sneaked into the residence smoothly with the sound of sword fighting at the garden as his signal, but he jerked in surprise because someone unexpectedly talked to him.

It was only natural that the man was surprised.

They had sent attackers that consisted of only thugs for five or six times for the preparation of this day.

Ramillies should be letting his guard down around this time, or at the very least he should be assuming that it was an attack by thugs.

「I wouldn't be able to serve as knight commander if I can't see through diversion of this level.」

「Is it fine for you to be here? Even those thugs will be enough to kill the madam and the other people inside.」

The assassin intentionally laughed as provocation.

He understood that this wasn't an opponent that he could win by fighting head-on.

Too bad however, Ramillies only had a single body. He couldn't possibly face those thugs and the assassin in front of him at the same time.

If the assassin didn't fight Ramillies head-on and focused on defense, then it would be possible to at least buy some time. The assassin silently believed so.

No, if Ramillies got impatient and his movement turned dull, then perhaps he could even defeat──.

「Don't worry. They will all die without exception.」

「How? Do you plan to leave me to take care of them? I don't mind if you do that.」

The assassin laughed boldly. But Ramillies simply smiled pityingly at him.

「──What's so funny?」

Something was amiss.

Was something different from his assumption going on here?

It was while the man was pondering such possibilities in confusion that it happened.

「Kahyuh!」

The man heard a familiar and unique dying scream that could only be heard when the carotid artery in the throat was cut.

.

A black and small silhouette leaped out from behind the thugs.

The silhouette's movement was wild but refined. It reminded one of a wolf when hunting.

A man fell like a decayed tree without being unable to do a thing. Finally the men noticed the fact that they were under attack.

「S-shit! Is it the guard?」

「W-we got ten people here! Surround him and beat him up!」

The thugs moved about in confusion to take revenge for their comrade, but two men silently fell once more before they could find the attacker. This time the cause was thrown knives that deeply stabbed into their spinal cord.

The thugs felt terror because three of their comrades were killed without being able to do anything to fight back.

Even though they couldn't feel any repulsion about killing, they were sensitive to danger that could kill them.

「Hiiiih! Where? You coward, show yourself!」

「Crap...crap. We should run away quick...!」

「Stupid moron! Our lives will be gone if we run away without any result!」

The men were aware that their client was someone with really high position in the palace.

Of course, they weren't aware at the slightest that the mastermind was Veltina, but they were able to easily imagine that they wouldn't get away unharmed if they failed this request.

「The opponent is just one person! If we can just injure him a little...!」

It could be the arm or the leg or anywhere.

The man judged using their experience that even just a bit of injury would be enough to take away someone's fighting strength.

However in the end that was a logic that could only be applied when they were trampling weakling at a street corner somewhere.

「...Don't think that you guys can get away just because you are merely bait.」

「Don't tell me...this brat is-?」

The men finally saw the figure of their attacker.

It was a cute girl with blonde hair that looked vibrant even in this darkness.

She was still six or seven years old with a small body. The short sword that was dripping with blood looked really out of place in her hand. The men's eyes opened wide like saucer.

「T-this brat...how dare you!」

The men's meager pride seemed to be stimulated by this. They recovered from their panic and moved to surround the girl.

However they immediately noticed that another of their comrade had become a mute corpse.

They didn't even notice that a fourth victim had been killed. They hesitated whether they should continue fighting or run away without caring of any shame.

The girl wasn't someone who would quietly overlook that opening.

「──The madam and Mar-oneesama and Lisha-kaasama are behind me.」

The girl leaped at the center of the bewildered men and her sword drove into the heart of the man that she passed by.

「Guhah!」

──Fifth.

The limit of their pride and fortitude was reached there.

Nearly half of their comrades were killed without being able to fight back. Even if they continued fighting like this, it was highly likely that the remaining half would just get killed easily.

「D-dammit! This isn't like what I heard! This should be an easy job!」

「Even though it should be just killing woman and kid...!」

The girl's violet eyes were filled with the color of dark rage hearing the men's careless words.

「...You all absolutely won't get away.」

「Shit! You brat! What the hell is this monster!」

A man turned his back to abandon his comrades and run away, but a knife hit his neck and he expired.

They couldn't even show their back carelessly.

The terror of death that they felt so close to them for the first time made the men's expression convulsed and they begged for their life tearfully.

「W-we are in the wrong! Forgive us! We won't do anything like this again!」

「We'll do anything! We'll do anything so at least spare our life!」

The men desperately started to beg for their life while shutting their eyes from what they were about to do in this place.

They were people who took enjoyment from trampling the weak, but they were groveling unsightly to a wretched degree when facing someone stronger.

It didn't matter what was actually going on in their heart, they didn't have the slightest pride that would make them hesitate to butter up to the strong.

「...Lies. You all will just forget this after escaping from here.」

The girl had learned from her teacher Ramillies and also from real battle about the nature of these low-lives.

They wouldn't even feel indebted to the mercy they were given. They were humans who wouldn't hesitate to do anything in order to overcome the danger before their eyes.

If this kind of people were allowed to get away, it would expose the important thing that she should protect to danger.

That was why they had to be killed without the slightest mercy.

It would be a different matter if it was a key figure who was close to the mastermind, these were assassins at the level that the girl could defeat with her current strength. There wouldn't be anything good from letting them lived.

That lesson had been thoroughly driven into the girl.

Her teacherRamillies knew better than anyone that needless pity and hesitation could decide life and death.

「Give it up. After all you targeted the madam and Mar-oneesama.」

「N-no! I don't want to di...gufuh!」

The girl cut down the men who were so scared they couldn't move one by one.

There wasn't any hesitation at all in her movement. Only a warrior who was simply killing her enemies efficiently could be seen there.

.

「──Looks like they have finished over there. Is it okay that you don't save them?」

「Is there any worth in risking danger just to save disposable pawns?」

The assassin couldn't help but feeling flustered even though he replied emotionlessly at the surface.

Wasn't the guard just Ramillies alone?

Could it be there was a noble who was helping Dahlia?

If that was the case, it would be possible enough for him to gloss over this failure if he could bring back this information to his employer.

The problem was whether the man before him would allow that or not....

(I'm not so weak that I can be killed easily if I focus on running away. It's impossible that I, the Owl of Twilight can be done in that simply!)

The name of the Owl of Twilight Gunnar was quite famous among the underworld.

The number of nobles that had fallen victim to him couldn't be counted with two hands. It was a famous rumor in the underworld that it seemed his patron was Sforza House.

In addition, he had never failed the assassination mission that he received. It was something that Gunnar secretly took pride in, though it seemed that it would stop here.

「...First allow me to me say my congratulation. However, it's astonishing that there is someone so foolish who will ally themselves with Pazarov House at this point of time.」

「I wonder about that. I believe that Viktor-sama's popularity should be greater than your employer at least.」

「Popularity, something like that is useless!」

Gunnar laughed condescendingly.

「How did that popular count-sama ended up in the end? Something like popularity is powerless before strength, he is the proof!」

Something like childish justice only brought tons of damage without a single benefit.

The only thing that Gunnar trust was simply pure strength.

It didn't matter if it was military strength or political strength, strength was the only way one could carry out their will in this world.

「...The people who are drunk with strength will be defeated by strength. Your master too will regret it one day. Although it will be you first before your master.」

「No thanks. I have decided that I'll live long until I'm a hundred years old.」

「What a coincidence. Me too.」

The two of them accidentally laughed and moved at the same time.

Gunnar moved backward, while Ramillies moved toward Gunnar.

Gunnar just barely parried Ramillies's slash that couldn't be followed by eyesight.

That sword skill was certainly magnificent, but it wasn't at the level that was impossible for him to deal with.

Even though he wouldn't be able to win, if he focused on not losing....

「Naïve. If you are a believer of strength, you should obtain at least this much strength.」

Ramillies focused his mana in his lower body. Then he vanished from Gunnar's view in that instant.

「W-whaat?」

The nickname Owl of Twilight came from Gunnar's good eyesight.

Ramillies's rapid acceleration made even that Gunnar lost sight of him──it was an advanced partial strengthening of body using mana.

In Trystovy Kingdom, this technique should only be possessed only by people at the class of general or knight commander.

「If you have this much strength...why...」

「Even I have something that I trust more than strength.」

Gunnar moved his mouth to reply at Ramillies's words.

However no voice came out. Gunnar fell into the darkness of death while still holding on the resentment in his heart.

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Part 9「His overbearing attitude is quite intolerable to see.」

「Yes, his high-handedness is like he has become the king of this country.」

Count Valerie Ost turned down his face to hide his mocking smile while replying to Archduke Jack Antonio(アントニオ). (TN: In the character introduction his name is Jack Armadio, but here it is Antonio. I don't know which one is correct.)

Lately Duke Sforza and his faction were growing impudent as though they were the one in control of Trystovy Kingdom.

It was the fact that they were the biggest faction and grasped the authority, but at the same time they were definitely making a lot of enemy too.

Archduke Antonio possessed the biggest territory in the kingdom, even so he was distancing himself from the political struggle within the palace. And yet he received an insulting treatment in a banquet and he became one of the nobles that turned into Duke Sforza's enemy.

An archduke was different from the usual influential noble, he was like the lord of a semi-independent country.

Naturally the rank of archduke was higher than even a duke. Archduke Antonio's anger was deeply-rooted after Duke Sforza wounded his pride.

Not to mention the archduke was the king's biological little brother, although he was put up for adoption in the past and now he wasn't counted as a royalty anymore.

Originally he should be treated as someone with a high position that was only second to the king.

However the archduke who was distant from the center of the government had no strength to oppose Duke Sforza.

Count Valerie Ost used that chance to offer his cooperation.

Valerie was a good-looking man who turned 38 years old this year. His eyes were tinged green like emerald and they reflected his strong will. He was someone who drew a lot of interest.

He had tall and well-proportioned body. His glistening blonde hair that grew until his shoulder blade looked graceful as though it belonged to a woman.

He was a popular man even in the high society. Even the king took note of him as a genius who would shoulder Trystovy's future.

There was a reason why Valerie was approaching Duke Antonio.

He was the best friend of Count Viktor Pazarov who got executed. Originally it wouldn't be strange even if he got purged together with Viktor.

Fortunately Valerie was staying in Mauricia Kingdom since last year for recuperating from a sickness. Because of that even Duke Sforza's scheme was unable to reach Valerie.

After Valerie returned home, he acted as though his friendship with Viktor had never existed.

If he didn't do that then it was highly possible that Duke Sforza would target him once more.

He knew about Dahlia and others whose life were targeted by assassins at the detached palace, even so Valerie only remained an idle spectator without doing anything to help them no matter how heartrending it was for him to do that.

Valerie didn't have any son or daughter. For him Dahlia was already like a beloved daughter.

King Umberto who abandoned Dahlia was nothing but a despicable traitor for Valerie.

──Did Viktor die for the sake of these foolish bunches?

After he surmounted the despair and terror that he felt, only rage that was welling up from the bottom of his soul remained.

Trystovy Kingdom had been under the pressure of Answerer Kingdom since its founding. That was the geopolitical destiny between the two countries.

Trystovy was inferior in population and territory. As a maritime nation, it had to strive for cooperation with many nations using their economic strength.

To do that, it was necessary to educate and promote the commoners and nominate them to enter the upper echelons where they could carry on the national policy on their shoulder──that was the farsighted vision of Viktor.

Something like noble supremacism would only stop the talented people from obtaining important posts without bringing any benefit to the country.

The memory of drinking alcohol together with young comrades who shared the same goal continued to shine brightly within the most important part in Valerie's heart even now.

「As expected, Count Pazarov's plan is valid. I didn't like that man, but at the very least his talent was the real deal.」

「His connections to bring up the marriage talks can still be used. I can take care of it anytime if only his majesty agree with it.」

Whittling down the influence of Sforza House and carrying out internal reformation with Mauricia Kingdom's power supporting them from behind the scenes.

That was Viktor's scheme and also the reason why Veltina was enraged to him.

The plan at that time met setback, but the connections that were used to lay the groundwork and negotiating with Mauricia were still existing.

「Does Mauricia's king really have the intention to marry his little sister, her highness Catalina to Trystovy?」

Archduke Antonio asked uneasily.

It would be really shameful if he proposed a marriage talk but got refused. Archduke Antonio had to confirm that.

「The nobles of Mauricia Kingdom and Haurelia Kingdom are waiting for an impetus so war can break out right now. I think their side is the one that is more anxious for this marriage to happen rather than us.」

「...I see...leave persuading his majesty to me. Although it doesn't seem like it, his majesty too shouldn't have any intention of letting Sforza House doing as they please.」

Valerie wondered if perhaps King Umberto was simply a coward.

If the king wanted to prevent Sforza House's high-handedness, he should protect Viktor. It didn't even need to be compared to see which one of them was more loyal to the royal family.

Valerie didn't have any intention of forgiving Umberto for allowing a man who was irreplaceable to the kingdom died in vain like that.

「Then I will gather the nobles who are hostile toward Duke Sforza.」

「I'll leave that to you. My name must not come out yet while we are still in this stage.」

Archduke Antonio's words were no different than a declaration that if this plan ended up in failure, he intended to blame everything on Valerie while acting like he didn't know anything, and yet Valerie simply nodded silently.

From the start he already knew that Archduke Antonio didn't have the resolve to throw away his life for the sake of the country.

「Please leave it to me. This Valerie swear that no one will know of lord archduke's involvement.」

Valerie renewed his scorn toward Archduke Antonio without allowing it to show on his face.

Leaving the matter of dealing with the nobles entirely to Valerie was no different than granting the authority over the faction to him.

When one day Sforza House was ruined, it wouldn't be Archduke Antonio's faction that became the new biggest faction in the country, but Valerie's faction.

「Umu, I expect great things from you.」

Archduke Antonio was in a good mood without even being aware of that. Valerie bowed to him before he left.

As expected, even Duke Sforza would hesitate before he directly made a move toward the king's little brother.

The archduke was a simple and mediocre man, but his bloodline was at least valuable enough to be used.

Valerie's lips twisted thinly from the pleasure of revenge.

「──First I'll take revenge for Viktor from Sforza. Then next will be the kind, and then the nobles.」

Valerie was truly going mad at this moment.

A king who made him lost his irreplaceable best friend wasn't worthy to rule over this country.

He would destroy everything. He would overturn the very society of this Trystovy from its root for driving Viktor to death.

To achieve that he didn't care how much blood would flow or how many evil deeds he had to dirty his hands with. He wouldn't care even if he had to sacrifice his precious things.

Perhaps the memento of his departed best friend──Dahlia was also feeling the same.

Suddenly Valerie dropped his gaze toward the letter that came from her.

She too was going to sacrifice something important for her for the sake of her daughter.

Feeling reluctant to pay the price couldn't be allowed in order to achieve one's objective. Even if they were asked to sell their soul to the devil, they shouldn't hesitate if it was for the sake of obtaining something that they really wanted.

The idealist who once worried about the country together with Viktor now was going to become a demon king who destroyed all the outdated things in order to realize his ideal.

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Part 10Trystovy's king, Umberto I embraced the soft limbs of his young concubine and surrendered himself to the warmth of human skin.

The girl who had been a virgin just now was falling into a deep sleep after obtained the king's affection for the first time.

Umberto laid his hand on the girl as his duty dictated, but no affection toward the girl was welling up inside him at all. He couldn't hide his somber mood toward himself.

(I wonder how long this girl will survive.)

Lately Veltina's jealousy was going off the rails.

Veltina was certainly beautiful with delectable body, but she prioritized trying to become the crown prince's mother rather than being the king's wife. There was no way the king would find it amusing.

In that point, Dahlia was one of the few existences who Umberto could relax his guard around.

Dahlia never asked the king for anything that would benefit her house. It was unknown whether it was because of Dahlia's own temperament since birth or because she had been educated by Count Pazarov to act like that, but she simply wished for the king to treat her as a woman.

(Nothing goes like I want it. I can't even save a single concubine.)

However at that time, there was no option for him to back up Viktor and had a total confrontation against Duke Sforza.

Viktor too should play with intrigues to cause Duke Sforza to fall instead of avoiding dirty method and got trapped by his enemy instead.

If it was possible to execute the duke's faction thoroughly because of high treason, Umberto might chose to side with Viktor instead.

Sforza House and the noble supremacists had thoroughly infiltrated the palace with their men, from the maids, cooks, cleaners, gardeners, and even the knights guarding the palace. The king needed considerable incentive in order to turn them into enemy.

Umberto's life would be in danger if he turned the duke house into his enemy just because of the matter of commoner's promotion.

Actually there had been cases of Trystovy's king getting poisoned to death only for their death to be covered up as death from illness. There were three such kings just from what Umberto knew, in reality the number might be greater than that.

Adjusting the balance between the nobles and commoners while defending the country's territory from the superpower Answerer Kingdom──.

He was revered with grandiose title of king, but actually Umberto was nothing more than an administrator of the profit allocation of this country.

Viktor was lacking the discernment to see through that reality.

No, more than that, he was lacking malice. That was why he raised Dahlia to be such a pure woman.

Although at the present time, the situation was going to reach the limit that Umberto couldn't tolerate.

If he allowed Sforza House to become even more impudent than this, the balance of profit allocation would crumble and it might result in great chaos.

No matter the era, it was destiny for a stake that jutted out too much to be hammered back in.

「──Now then, it will be interesting to go along with Archduke Antonio's suggestion, but my life will be in danger if the rug is pulled from underneath me.」

Maintaining the balance by using the intervention from Mauricia Kingdom. That plan itself was good.

But Umberto was lacking a chess piece to protect himself while that plan was carried out. To compensate for the lacking piece, he should obtain it from somewhere or he should whittle down the opposing force.

「I want a tactician. A fellow who won't balk from dirtying his hand, someone who has misplaced things like their justice or common sense somewhere...」

He would be able to save Viktor and Dahlia if authority was concentrated on the king like at Answerer Kingdom.

At the very least he hoped he could become a powerful king one day, so that no one else would go through the same thing like those two.

It wouldn't be long in the future when such long awaited tactician visit Umberto.

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Part 11It wasn't long after that, a rumor about the marriage of Mauricia princess into Trystovy's royal family that had once died out was now spreading in the palace.

「It seems that his majesty is also serious about it this time.」

「No no, I heard that it's Mauricia's king who is enthusiastic about it instead.」

「Certainly, it might be difficult to keep expecting her highness Veltina to give birth to a crown prince at this point.」

Veltina hadn't given birth to even a single legitimate child for more than five years. The criticism that was directed to her was unprecedentedly severe.

The influence of Sforza House just barely managed to protect her from all those criticisms, but it was unavoidable that the topic of a new queen would come up in the near future for the sake of the kingdom's continuance.

Duke Batista Sforza was burning with unreasonable anger toward his daughter who was still unable to be pregnant with a child.

「I'll have to send another daughter if Veltina continue to fail in getting pregnant like this.」

Batista had three daughters from his legal wife, but the two other than Veltina had married major nobles with deep relationship to Sforza House.

Originally Batista hesitated to send a daughter of his concubine to marry the king, but he was starting to think that he had to make some sacrifice with Veltina being unable to give birth to a child right now.

History had taught that maternal relatives wielded great influence in the palace. Sforza House was boasting immense clout right now, but there was still a possibility that everything would collapse when the king changed.

「Good grief, even though his majesty's visitation has also decreased...what a troublesome daughter.」

Perhaps because the king had aged, the number he visited the inner palace had decreased to two times a week.

There was no doubt that the possibility of Veltina getting pregnant from here on had become increasingly lower.

「The marriage talk with Mauricia's princess is also a nuisance. It will be difficult to refuse it if his majesty feels like it. My daughter has to be pregnant at least before that...」

The information that her father Batista was recommending a marriage between Umberto and his illegitimate daughter reached Veltina through her trusted maid Roberta.

「Why are you doing this to me? Father!」

She actually understood why.

Batista had grown tired of waiting because Veltina wouldn't get pregnant even now.

Even Veltina had understood since a long time ago that she was demanded to give birth to the king's child.

From sleeping with the king, Veltina also the one who knew best that both the king and her weren't as young as before anymore.

Though it was a different problem whether she could accept it or not.

「The talk of Mauricia's princess marrying the king is also recurring once more. My lord too must be feeling agitated because of that.」

「That talk should have ended with Pazarov's execution isn't it!?」

Veltina's eyes widened and she shouted.

The only thing left for Veltina right now was her pride as the first queen.

If someone with higher status like Mauricia's princess came while she didn't even have any child and even her family abandoned her, who knew what would happen to Veltina's existence here.

「It seems Count Ost who was close to Count Pazarov is making his move. I don't have any proof because this is only a rumor between the maids here but...」

「Even though I heard that Count Ost has been emasculated completely...was he just pretending?」

Even though that guy was overlooked because there were multiple coincidences that let him gotten away, he dared to make a nuisance of himself toward her.

「There are quite many nobles from Pazarov faction who avoided any sentence at that time. Most of them are just trifling nobles, but it won't be strange if they are secretly moving behind the scene...no, don't tell me it's actually...!」

「Roberta, what's the matter?」

Roberta was usually calm and collected and possessed a lot of knowledge in the inner palace, but her face turned unusually pale right now. It made Veltina felt a very bad premonition. The matter must be very serious if it made Roberta changed her expression like this.

Veltina whose mental state was completely cornered approached Roberta with a grave look in her eyes.

「Say it quickly! What have you realized?」

「Yes...there is a rumor that I ignored because it seemed groundless but...the child that Count Pazarov's daughter gave birth to is actually a boy, but they have been keeping it a secret until now.」

Such thing was fundamentally impossible.

Newly born children would have their gender checked by the palace's doctor and a priest.

The king himself would also see the children with his own eyes right after they were born, so it was impossible that a mistake could happen.

But Dahlia and her child had continued to escape from any assassination attempts for more than two years.

There was also Count Ost and other nobles from Pazarov faction that suddenly started to maneuver behind the scene. Taking that into consideration, it made this rumor suddenly seemed like it might actually be true.

「I see...what a blunder I have made. I underestimated that woman.」

She made light of her because she thought she could kill her anytime she felt like it.

She was previously satisfied seeing Dahlia and her child spending a life that was no different from imprisonment due to fear of assassination. But she was too naïve. She should kill her no matter what kind of method she should use.

Veltina gritted her teeth audibly. A drop of blood trickled down from her lips to her chin before it dropped on the pure white table cloth, dying it with vivid red stain.