abcnovels
Chapter 443: Hands
Chapter 443: Hands
Chapter 443: Hands
(Cards)
A few more days later.
I went to Father.
I didnt expect the talk of your marriage would escalate so much.
Even if I refuse them they will just send me more so I just gave up.
I sigh and show him a blatantly tired expression.
However.
Quit the act. I know that you were letting them do as they pleased. What do you want?
Its not really an act you know. Im really tired right now. Mostly.
Seriously..
Seeing me sticking my tongue out for him a little, Father tiredly shook his head.
As expected of Father.
He clearly saw through what I was doing huh. Well, its fine even if he noticed though.
I only wish for one thing. Id like to bring Finne with me to the Dominion.
You are using Finne to avoid dealing with other women?
She can use me to avoid other men too.
Even though you are my son, you sure are selfish. To think that you would put the woman you refused at your side to ward off other women.
Im Lize-aneues younger brother after all.
Since Father was directing his blameful gaze at me, I shift the target to Lize-aneue instead.
That person has refused Duke Reinfelds proposal countless times already.
Even so, they still stay together.
You want to become like those two?
Maybe.
How indecisive. Do you really have no intention of marrying anyone? Honestly speaking, right now you can have anyone you want you know?
Perhaps. I might regret this later but I am not intending to marry at the moment.
why?
Fathers question made me turn silent for a short while.
If I lie then I can make up any kind of excuse.
But there is no point in lying here.
After all, the only ones here are me and Father.
because I dont have the confidence that I can make anyone happy.
Happiness can come later.
I dont want to fail. Father may think that I am acting like a child but.I want love to be something beautiful. I dont want it to crumble away in front of my eyes.
Good griefare you referring to me now?
No, I want to be like Father and Mother when I get married. Right now Im just not confident that I can be like that. If I have the confidence then I will think about marriage again.
Confidence huh.putting Leonard on the throne, the Demons problem, and the conflict with other countries, do you intend to put everything off until all of that is resolved?
That would be the case.in my situation, I can lose my life at any moment. After all, once I head to the Dominion, the enemys eyes will turn toward me. Can you marry anyone when you do not even know when you might die?
Father kept silent for a while.
He then changed the topic.
He probably feels that its useless to say anything more.
It would probably be possible to put some restraint on the Dominions aristocrats with Finne but that wont work on the Imperial aristocrats you know? It is already well known that you turned down Duke Kleinerts proposal after all.
Please dont worry. I will spread some rumors.
What kind?
That I refused because I was concerned about Leo, or that I was worried about our faction. If I mix in some of the facts then they would buy it. Also..I can not leave Finne in the Imperial Capital alone. Its too dangerous after all.
I dont think that it will be that much different in the Dominion but..its still better than just Traugott alone there. I dont know when I will die myself after all. Fine. do whatever you like.
Thank you very much.
I said my thanks and bowed.
When I raised my head, Father was still looking at me when he usually just leaves.
Is there anything else?
Im sorry. I couldnt give you a peaceful life.
Whats this all of a sudden? This much is normal in a succession war right.
This time its different. After the Crown Princes death, if I had nominated a successor, none of this would happen.
Even if you do that no one would respect that successor. Many had already gathered to support the Crown Prince. Just because he died, no one would follow a successor you named. There will be backlashes and eventually conflicts will be born in the end.
A battle for the right of succession is one thing but a battle that takes place after a candidate obtains the throne will be a civil war.
Since the Crown Prince passed away, there is no other option but to have a succession war.
That person was the only exception after all.
That might certainly be the case. The conflicts will only smolder if we leave them alone. Still, it wouldnt burn us like it is now.
If you leave the fire alone it will only get bigger. If it is going to burn anyway, we should let it burn out right now. We should not leave our problems to the next generation.
Even if it costs you your peace?
If no one is going to do it then it falls to me to do it right? I am not going to laze around knowing that there is something that only I can do you know.
I see. Then do your best for a little bit more. If the SS-rank adventurers can settle the Demons problem then we will have a war with the Kingdom to worry about next. If Leonard comes out victorious, he will surpass Eric. If the Demons prove to be too much for the Adventurers to deal with then it will be a war against the Demons. I will have to be at the frontline but Leonard will be there as well. Its a battle for the whole continent and participating alone would give you recognition. No one would recognize a person who was not there as their ruler. Either way, it is only a matter of time until Leonard ascends the throne.
..I dont think Eric-aniue would give up as long as he still has a hand to play though?
Theres nothing he can do. He has already done everything he could as a Minister of Foreign Affairs. That is his limit.
However, Eric-aniues faction is still powerful. Most of the Dukes are on his side. Above all.there is also his marriage with Lady Altenburg. The Duke of Altenburg is the house with the longest history in the Empire. As long as he has their backing, I dont think that he wouldnt give us some resistance.
House Altenburg has been with the Empire ever since the country was founded.
They boast a long history that is comparable to that of the Imperial Family.
They are so influential that they have produced Franzs predecessor, the predecessor of that predecessor, and another predecessor before him. A family that produced Prime Ministers for the Empire for 3 consecutive generations.
Erics wife hails from House Altenburg.
With their backing, Eric has gained many aristocrats as his allies.
This is the biggest reason why Eric does nothing so far.
He already has the strongest faction without any need to involve himself in unnecessary conflicts. He simply needed to crush the last of his rivals and win the war.
No matter what he does, as long as Leonard continues to prove his worth in battles, there will be nothing that his faction can do. That should be the worst kind of development for Eric. There are many things to be done outside the country but none for the inside. He has been focusing too much on that after all.
That might be the case but Eric-aniue was the one who stood the closest to Wilhelm-aniue when he was alive. I expect him to have some kind of trump card hidden.
[Using your trump card at the timing when your opponent would hate it the most] huh. Thats Wilhelms teaching right.
Wilhelm-aniue always used his trump card at the moment where it could crush his opponents. It is an act to snuff out his opponents chance of victory. Im sure that Eric-aniue will do the same.
So you have some idea of what kind of trump card he is hiding?
Its because I dont know what it is that I am having a hard time right now.
I guess so. Then let me change the question. Since you also received that same teaching, what kind of trump cards are you hiding? Revealing your serious side after you have let everyone make light of you for so long should be one of them. The fact that you revealed that to everyone means that you still have some kind of hands left right?
You are giving me too much credit.
Hmph, well, I will leave it at that then.
He doesnt believe that at all.
Actually, since that was a lie, it cant be helped that he didnt believe it.
The trump card to use when your opponent uses theirs.
Something that can rid your opponent of their chance at winning.
When I recalled Wilhelm-aniues teaching, the door to the throne room suddenly opened.
The person who entered was an out-of-breath Imperial Knight.
Th, theres a report, Your Majesty!
Say it.
Yes, sir! The investigation team the Guild sent to the Kingdom has started their investigation on Grimoires bases and encountered multiple Demons, sir!