Volume 5, Chapter 5 – The Strange Queen

So the factions are sizing up the newcomers.

The relationships between nobles were a tangled web. Smaller nobles attached themselves to larger ones, hoping to gain a higher status. In turn, conflicts of interest would always arise between the great noble houses, and these grudges would be passed down to the smaller nobles. At the same time, the smaller noble families would form friendships with others attached to the same great house while presenting a united front to outsiders, thus forming factions. The nobles who had been gathered in small groups earlier did not speak with those from other circles. From this, it was clear that the conflicts between the factions were extremely pronounced.

Yisi felt a tug on her clothes from Camilla. As if not wanting to be overheard, Camilla lowered her head and spoke in a very soft voice.

“Onee-sama, if you do not wish to be embroiled in noble socializing, please step back a little. Many nobles will soon come forward to strike up a conversation with Edith, and at that time, you, who are visiting the Royal Castle for the first time, will become a topic of discussion.”

“Ah, thank you, Camilla.”

Yisi consciously moved with Camilla to the wall of the grand hall, putting some distance between them and Edith.

Just as Camilla had said, once Edith walked to the center of the hall, most of the nobles swarmed toward her like bees and butterflies drawn to the scent of nectar. They greeted Edith with smiles, and Edith gracefully received them all, handling the situation with a maturity that belied her age.

It became quiet around Yisi and Camilla.

“Phew, I’m glad you pulled me away, Camilla. Otherwise, I’d be exhausted trying to deal with them right now. I didn’t expect the Pescia family to be so popular. Do all those people greeting Pepe know her? Or are they all part of the Pescia family’s faction?”

“Although Edith rarely comes to the Royal Castle, she pinned the Pescia family crest to her chest when she entered the hall. While those people may not know Edith personally, they recognize the Pescia family crest. There is a clear difference between the crest used by the direct line and those used by collateral branches. Since there are only two members in the direct line of the Pescia family, it is very easy to determine Edith’s identity.”

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“But didn’t Pepe say we weren’t supposed to reveal our identities?”

The goal was to launch a surprise attack, joining forces with the Queen to strike from both sides at once to annihilate the rebel army led by Count Hillary. Therefore, they couldn’t let it be known that someone from the Pescia family had come to the Royal Castle.

Camilla glanced around first before explaining.

“From the moment we entered the castle and reported our identities to the soldiers, our movements were already exposed. But in many cases, even if your movements are exposed, there’s nothing the other party can do. Even if Count Hillary learns that Edith came to the Royal Castle, he won’t know what her purpose is.”

“Secondly, mobilizing a large army takes a very long time, and one must also consider whether mobilizing soldiers will put the main battlefront at a disadvantage. So, rather than moving his army first, Count Hillary will send spies to confirm Count Pescia’s intentions.”

“As for how to confirm it, although the Pescia Territory is located on the border, its strength is widely known. The royal family will not pass up the chance to ally with us. If we were to leave immediately after finishing our discussion, the suspicion would be great enough for them to be certain that our two sides have joined forces.”

“So as long as we stay in the Royal Castle, Count Hillary will lower his guard and consequently reduce the number of troops deployed to defend the front with the Pescia Territory?”

“Precisely. Therefore, Edith will be staying in the Royal Castle for a long time to come. Communication will be handled by someone else.”

“Wouldn’t it be more direct to just send someone to the Pescia Territory to scout the army’s movements?”

“No, spies cannot find out everything. Information as secret as army movements is the most classified of secrets. Ordinary people would almost never come into contact with such matters. Pinning one’s hopes on that is tantamount to fishing for the moon in the water. According to my Father’s and my predictions, during this time, Count Hillary will likely send someone to show goodwill to you, Onee-sama, in the hopes that Count Pescia will not join the battle.”

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“I see…”

Although Camilla’s explanation was very clear, Yisi still felt a little lost. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand, but simply that she found it complicated.

The struggles between nobles are so troublesome… It seems I’m not cut out to be a noble.

Yisi then pointed to some of the other nobles who had not gone forward to greet Edith. Most of them were elderly individuals over a hundred years old—the Blood Clan has twice the lifespan of humans, so even at a hundred, their appearance was not much different from a person in their forties.

“Are those nobles who are on bad terms with Count Pescia?”

An unexpected voice interjected into their conversation.

“Not at all. They are the conservatives among conservatives; they don’t take the initiative to greet the younger generation. You have much to learn, my dear attendant.”

It was a young man wearing glasses.

He wore a proper white suit and had blue, medium-short hair. His brow exuded a gentle and wise aura. Despite being scrutinized, Yisi didn’t feel any sense of disgust; on the contrary, she felt that he was probably an easy person to talk to.

“Watch your words, Magic Chanter.”

Camilla frowned slightly and issued a low warning. The young man paused for a moment, then tilted his head.

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“Ah, could it be that this young lady is a noble?”

“No, I don’t have a noble title. I’m just an attendant to Pepe—I mean, to the eldest daughter of the Pescia family.”

She had been able to enter the Royal Castle precisely because of her status as Edith’s attendant. Originally, Count Pescia had prepared to grant her the title of Viscountess, but she hadn’t accepted it, so she was still a commoner.

“That’s a relief. I was worried for a moment that I had misspoken. In that case, please allow me to introduce myself, ladies. I am Augustin Riel, and I recently became a member of the Court Magic Chanters. I currently hold a position at the Noble Academy within the capital. I saw you two ladies come in with Lady Pescia earlier and was slightly curious. This must be the second young lady of the Pescia family, correct?”

The young man’s gaze shifted to Camilla’s waist—no wings—then stopped at Yisi’s waist—wings.

Very obviously, the young man froze for an instant, then slowly recovered his smile.

“To think she has a pureblood as an attendant… My rudeness knows no bounds. Please, milady, tell me how I might obtain your forgiveness.”

“It’s fine, really. I am indeed Pepe’s handmaiden.”

“Pepe…” The young man’s expression worsened. “…I understand.”

During their conversation, the grand hall suddenly grew noisy. It wasn’t the sound of whispers, but a disorderly clamor mixed with the discontented murmurs of the people.

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Naturally, Yisi cast her gaze toward the crowd in the center of the hall.

“What’s happening?”

Also looking at the crowd, the young man gave a wry smile.

“I suppose Her Majesty the Queen has announced the cancellation of the meeting again.”

“Again? But the meeting hasn’t even started, has it?”

“This is the tenth time this month. Ever since a powerful assassin broke into the Royal Castle a month ago, the once-diligent Queen has had a sudden change in personality. Not only is she unwilling to make any decisions, but she also pushes all sorts of matters onto the nobles to handle themselves—oh, Lady Pescia is coming over. It might be best not to be seen lingering here. I shall take my leave. May we meet again, ladies.”

Just as the young man left, Edith arrived in front of Yisi, her face sullen like a child whose toy had been snatched away.

“Who was that man just now?”

“Someone who answered a question for me. More importantly, Edith, now that the Queen has dismissed the court, are we going back?”

“Was it that man who told you that…? I’m not going back. The night has only just begun. I’m going to seek a private audience with Her Majesty. You and Camilla can look around the castle for now. Just remember not to say anything reckless, or you’ll be thrown in the dungeon. Even I would have some trouble explaining that.”