10. An Audience With His Majesty

Because I’d saved Duke Bazrack’s granddaughter’s life, I was to have an audience with His Majesty the King. I was nervous that there’d be a big rush if I was meeting the most important person in the kingdom, but it was in ten days, not immediately. Why does it have to be that far away? While I was thinking that, Gina came in with a woman I didn’t know.

“I’ve called an instructor to teach you etiquette. You need to practice before your audience with the King.”

The teacher gave me a wonderful curtsey before smiling brightly. I tried to give her one back, but she looked troubled. She can tell how bad I am just from that, huh... They’d never let me see the King like this. Which must’ve been why they’d given me ten extra days to practice.

From that day on, my Skill research was put on hold while my days were filled with etiquette lessons. Not only did I learn how to curtsey like a proper noble, but I also learned how to walk and how to sweep the hem of my dress. I practiced it all over and over again. Thanks to that, I was finally able to curtsey properly! I was so happy to finally get praise from my teacher.

＋＋＋

On the day of my audience with the King, the maids started cleaning me up early in the morning. They worked even harder than they had when I had my tea party with Lord Glen in the garden. The gown I was wearing today was one I got from Duke Bazrack as thanks for saving his granddaughter. I was relieved that I didn’t have to pick one out by myself. It was made of some rarely-used glossy light purple fabric, and it managed to make even me look fancy, despite my height!

“It’s like I’m the daughter of a noble...”

“Lady Chelsea, you’ve always been the daughter of a noble!” Martha chimed in after I whispered to myself.

I knew I was technically the daughter of Baron Eucharis, but unlike my sister Lady Margaret, I’d never been able to wear anything as nice as this, so I’d never felt like it.

After they put some light makeup on me, they finally got to accessories, but... The earrings, necklace, and bracelet were all made with a stone called spinel which was the same color as the dress. I was shocked that they were all shinier than anything I’d ever seen before.

“What if I accidentally drop something...”

“Don’t worry. If that ever happened, a knight would pick it up for you.” This time it was Gina who responded to my muttering.

Even if it’d get picked up, I still definitely don’t want to drop them! I was so worried that I would have preferred not to wear them at all, but since they were gifts from Duke Bazrack, it would be rude not to.

Once I was all ready, Lord Glen came to get me. Unlike his usual attire, he had a big decorative white cloth under his collar. His dark purple cloak and decorated jacket must have been his formal clothes. Behind him stood a few knights.

“You look cute in whatever you wear,” he complimented me, taking my hand with a soft smile.

“T-Thank you.” I usually felt like he treated me like a kid, but for some reason, I didn’t this time. Ah, I can feel my cheeks getting hot! I was probably as red as an apple. Embarrassed, I looked downwards.

Apparently, he was going to stay with me through the whole audience, because he was worried I’d faint from the stress. He’d gotten permission from the King himself, too... I had no idea how he managed that. Maybe he’s secretly a super high-ranking noble.

When we stood in front of a big black-painted door, it slowly opened. I walked in just as my etiquette teacher had taught me, standing straight and being careful not to make any sounds. The audience chamber was about the size of my lab, but much taller. In the far center of the room was a chair that somehow looked both extravagant and subdued. That must be the King’s throne.

Lord Glen and I stopped around the middle of the chamber. It was full of knights and high-ranking nobles. Once the second afternoon bell rang, His Majesty entered. I bowed my head. The air seemed still. I could hear the crunching of carpet as he walked, and the thump when he sat on his throne.

“Raise your head.”

Huh? In the briefing session, I’d been told to wait for the prime minister to call on me before lifting my head, but...the voice I heard was directly in front of me.

Looking up, I saw a man with long dark blue hair and blue eyes giving me a sour look. Our eyes met!? Surprised, I looked downwards again.

“So you’re Chelsea.”

His words froze me to the core. My heart was pounding, and I was getting dizzy. About when I started to feel faint, I heard Lord Glen’s voice.

“Your Majesty... I don’t think you need to use your [Overpower] Skill here,” he said, very frankly.

Is that okay!? I thought. I glanced over to him, only to see him acting completely normally. Looking at the knights and prime minister, they were all as close to fainting as I was.

“I wanted to see if it’d work on you, Glen, but I guess not,” the King said, grinning at him before switching back to his sour face.

The moment he did, the faintness and chill disappeared. As I breathed a sigh of relief, His Majesty gave the prime minister a signal with his chin. From then on, just as the briefing had said, the prime minister spoke to me.

First, I got praised for saving Duke Bazrack’s, the younger brother of the former king’s, granddaughter’s life. Really praised. Enough that my face was burning from embarrassment.

As thanks for my achievement, I was to become a research fellow for the country. As a research fellow, I would wear a white robe with a purple stole. And for as long as I was a minor, I would live in the same room at the lodging house. Once I was an adult, they would prepare another place for me within the citadel. Other than that, I’d get paid even more than now, and get more maids... Also, I’d be getting a special garden within the citadel grounds for my Skill. They gave me a list of precautions, too.

Once he finished talking, I was to sign three pages of parchment. When I went to check what they were for, the prime minister gave me an explanation.

“The first page is an agreement to become a research fellow for the country. The second is an agreement in regards to the precautions I just mentioned about your personal garden. The third is to have you adopted into the Sargent Margraviate.”

...Huh? What was that last part!? My eyes widened in shock, but he just continued.

“Please sign all three pages. The first two should be signed as ‘Chelsea Sargent,’ while the last only needs your given name.”

I slowly looked over to Lord Glen beside me. He gave me a smile as if to say his prank succeeded, before giving me a strong nod. Ah, that’s right. He said that in exchange for me promising not to make any bad seeds, he’d make sure I could stay at the Research Institute as a researcher and be adopted into another noble family.

But...isn’t it a little mean to have me find this out in front of the king of all people!? My little bit of anger at him managed to wash away my nervousness. Using the opportunity, I signed all three of the papers. It was helpful, because I thought I’d been shaking too much to be able to write properly.

When I finished signing all three, the prime minister handed them to the king. And as soon as he did, His Majesty’s sour look changed back into a smile.

Hm? Is it just me, or does he look a lot like Lord Glen? His hair and eye color were exactly the same. Looking between them in wonder, His Majesty suddenly burst out laughing.

“Don’t we look alike?”

I wasn’t sure if I was actually allowed to respond verbally, so I nodded.

The king’s smile only deepened. “Glen is my much younger little brother.”

“Huh!?”

“You didn’t have to tell her here...” My head darted to look at Lord Glen beside me, who was scowling with a huge sigh. He might not have wanted me to know. I was much more surprised about learning he was the king’s younger brother than I was to be adopted. Wait, forget that, was I...!?

“H-Have I been disrespectful to you, Lord Gle—Your Highness!?” I was so shocked, I couldn’t stop the words from leaving my mouth.

“You haven’t been disrespectful in the least. And please, don’t call me ‘Your Highness.’”

“A-Alright, Lord Glen...”

“Oh, I should mention this too. Soon, we’ll be calling your recorded birth parents for an audience. Ask Glen for the details,” His Majesty told me before exiting the chamber with the prime minister.

Father and Lady Medisina are coming here...? Having heard that, I thought back to one of the rare times my father had come home...

...Lady Medisina had ordered me to stay in the shed and to lock the door. Since I’d be whipped as punishment if I left, all I could do was sit there. Then, my father came to the shed.

“Chelsea, why are you hiding in a shed? Come out,” he ordered in a cold voice, much to my terror. I was so scared that I was about to come out, before I heard Lady Medisina’s voice.

“That girl is too rebellious. Once she comes out, I’ll make sure to discipline her accordingly.”

My heart squeezed painfully. Father had told me to come out, but I’d be whipped by Lady Medisina if I did... I just wrapped myself in my thin cloth blanket and waited.

Once Father left again for work, Lady Medisina disciplined me by whip. Not only the whip this time...but also throwing things and kicking me, so much that I was worried I’d die.

Remembering the fear I felt then, I was terrified now. If they come to the castle, they might whip and abuse me again, just like at home...

“Chelsea? You’ve gone pale. Let’s get you back to your room.”

Feeling faint again, I did my best to nod to Lord Glen before he took me back to my room.

＋＋＋

The next day, I was still as white as a ghost. I could barely eat any of my breakfast. Gina and Martha were worried, and tried to speak to me, but their words just went in one ear and out the other. I knew in my head that I couldn’t stay like this, but my heart didn’t agree.

Lord Tris came and escorted me to my lab while I was still feeling awful. He looked like he wanted to say something as we walked in, but headed off to the fields anyway. As soon as Lord Glen saw me, he pulled me over to the couch. While I sat there, staring into space, the Spirit Tree outside sparkled and Kitten Ele appeared.

«You don’t seem well. What’s wrong?»

I opened my mouth, before closing it again and shaking my head.

«It’s alright if you don’t want to talk,» he said, rubbing against my legs. I picked him up and put him on my lap, and he curled up as usual.

I knew everyone was worried about me, but I just couldn’t help it. While I gave a big sigh, there was a knock on the door. I thought it’d be Gina or Martha pushing their carts in for our mana pool-growing tea time, but the person who stepped in was the son of Margrave Sargent and Deputy Commander of the Second Order of Knights, Lord Marx. He was carrying a box.

“I called him, thinking you should meet again,” Lord Glen explained before sitting beside me.

“Reintroducing myself, Miss—no, just Chelsea, now—I’m Marx, your new older brother. This is a celebratory gift from your new parents... The current Margrave Sargent and his wife,” Lord Marx said, giving me both a big smile and the box.

“...Thank you,” I responded, still depressed, before opening the box. Inside was a big brooch; in the middle was a sword-like emblem.

“That’s the Sargent Margraviate’s emblem. That’s proof you’re now part of our family. Keep it safe.”

The Sargent Margraviate’s emblem...? That’s right! I wasn’t the daughter of Baron Eucharis anymore. I was officially adopted by Margrave Sargent. While I looked at the brooch in awe, Lord Glen patted my head from his spot beside me.

“We’ve got something to tell you, gloomy Chelsea,” he said.

I nodded at him to go on.

“We’ve done some investigating, and we’ve learned that Medisina isn’t your birth mother.”

“Eh!?”

“Your real birth mother is the current Margrave Sargent’s younger sister, Sophia. On the other hand, Margaret is Medisina’s daughter.”

My jaw dropped, and all I could do was blink.

To think, my mother isn’t who I thought... Then that explained the difference in treatment between Lady Margaret and me. My hair color wasn’t at all similar to either Father or Lady Medisina, or even her father Marquis Ackroyd. I didn’t look like any of them. I’d been told it was a mutation, but it was because my mother was a different woman!

As I nodded to myself, Lord Marx kneeled directly in front of me, looking into my eyes.

“That means your new parents are really your uncle and aunt, and we’re cousins. You can call me brother, now.”

Lord Marx... No, Brother said that with another smile. I was shocked into silence, but Lord Glen gave me a gentle smile, too.

“It looks like you’re feeling a bit better. Let’s call everyone in,” he said, standing to ring the bell on the table. When he did, both Gina and Martha came in pushing carts, and Lord Tris followed behind them. Gina put the white cloth over the table, while Martha covered the tables with sweets and drinks.

Once they were finished, Lord Glen spoke again, “Looks like it’s done, so let’s sit down.”

Taking my hand, he led me to my usual cushioned seat. Right before my eyes, I saw a round cake as big as my head for the first time. On top of it was a chocolate plate that said “Congratulations!”

“I thought we’d celebrate you becoming a research fellow today,” he told me, seeing my surprise.

Lord Tris and my new brother sat in the empty chairs. Ele stayed on the sofa in his kitten form.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I replied, still not quite there yet as I looked around at everyone. Lord Glen’s smile was even gentler than usual, while Lord Tris and Brother grinned happily. Gina and Martha were clapping for me from their spot by the wall without making any noise.

Ele looked at my face before giving a little nod. «You look as if you’re feeling a bit better, now,» I heard him say.

“Let’s eat!”

At Lord Glen’s words, I said my thanks to the earth god before starting to eat. I hadn’t been able to eat breakfast, but I could get things down now. After eating a little piece of cake, I bit into the chocolate plate. Ah! That wasn’t good manners, was it!? I looked over to Gina and Martha, who gave me strained smiles.

“Oh, I forgot to mention. As a research fellow for the nation, you’re just about the same status as royalty.”

Royalty... So I’m just as highly-ranked as Lord Glen is as the King’s brother!?

“While it was originally only while you were here with your new Skill, now you’ll always be that status.”

“Yeah. Becoming a research fellow is super amazing! I actually wanted to give you an even bigger party!”

“The Second Order of Knights will be able to protect you freely from now on. I’m glad.”

Lord Glen, Lord Tris, and Brother all spoke up.

I thought to myself as I ate my flan after my cake... Now I was both the daughter of Margrave Sargent, and a research fellow. My father and Lady Medisina were coming to the castle soon, but since my status is different now, they couldn’t whip me, right? It’d be strange for them to discipline someone from another family. They might say bad things, but if it wasn’t physically painful, I could handle it. It might not be as bad as I thought...

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my mood brightened. There are people who are nice to me—who protect me—who worry about me! Swallowing the bite of flan, I nodded to myself.