Chapter 86

Just as I thought I was freed from the cramped carriage, Rosalimondo and I were brought to a room that, while not small, was assigned to the master.

Well, I would like to say, "Please have a talk between the two of you," but since the master didn’t let me go, I had to stay and listen to the conversation.

In the room with just the three of us, the silence was heavy.

Yeah, really heavy. Especially the atmosphere around the master.

With his arms crossed, the master leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. After a while, he slowly opened his deep crimson eyes and directed them at Rosalimondo.

“Rosalimondo, was everything up until now just an act?”

I thought he was going to say something out of the blue, but when I looked at Rosalimondo, her lips were more relaxed than usual, as if she was about to say, "That’s the right answer."

“Your actions have been inconsistent. I thought you had your own reasons, but there were too few common points. I wondered if it was just your personality, but today it became clear.”

It seems they already understood each other, but I was completely in the dark.

“You are being targeted, by your family.”

“Huh?”

Another outrageous statement.

So, is that why this house is so tense?

There are many people who see the master as an obstacle. If the master were to disappear, there are families that could inherit his rights. Other countries might also take advantage of the chaos in the ducal family to start a military conflict.

Even though the ducal family is tense, I’m not surprised anymore, but I’m still puzzled as to why Rosalimondo, a mere female relative with no inheritance rights, is being targeted.

If she were to marry into the family and become the duchess, it would make sense, but...

“Not all of it was an act, but you were trying to make people think you were a difficult and unintelligent person, weren’t you?”

In response, Rosalimondo’s smile deepened.

“Huh, that’s right. I can say that a woman who doesn’t act is probably living in a world of imagination.”

In other words, she’s admitting it.

There are no women who don’t act—especially in the social world, where everyone is wearing a mask.

“I’ve tried my best to live. I’ve thought about how to survive and have lived that way, and before I knew it, I became like this.”

“If I die, your brother will be the closest to the inheritance. You would use anything to achieve that, right? It wasn’t enough for Rosalimondo to become the duchess and gain power through her family.”

“To our family, power seems to be very important.”

“If you die in this territory, it can be used to hold someone accountable. If you can involve people from the capital or even the royal family, you could even strip the title.”

“Claude-sama is disliked by many.”

Rosalimondo said with a sigh.

“It’s not that I’m disliked, but the ducal family is. They say it’s because of the concentration of wealth. Indeed, the territory is vast and has various resources. If it’s said that there is a lot of wealth, then that’s true, but we don’t monopolize it. It’s just that ignorant fools are spreading rumors and bad reputations.”

“I know. But there are still many people who envy it. Claude-sama is not the type to be a puppet, so it’s natural that there are people who want to involve others and eliminate him, like my family.”

“To avoid being discarded like a tool, you wanted to make them think you weren’t worth killing.”

For now, if the master were to disappear, the previous duke, my father-in-law, would become the duke, but the position of the next heir would be vacant.

And the closest bloodline is Rosalimondo’s family.

“Going south wasn’t a coincidence, was it? Wasn’t it to use it as a source of funds to make connections in the capital and expand your faction?”

“If the princess were to marry, things would change, but now the royal family is also strict with Claude-sama, so it seems the timing is perfect.”

This is really a troublesome family.

When we talked about the marriage, I was told about the troubles, but why are there so many? It’s not just a little.

“The carriage was prepared by someone from the south. They must be telling you how they deceived the surveillance right about now.”

“Oh, you’re quick.”

“By chance, I found the people who finished their job and fled.”

I wonder if it was really by chance. It seems that the rough work was related to that.

They said they wouldn’t let the people involved in the coal mine escape, but maybe they had already found and were monitoring them?

“What does Claude-sama want to do with my family? Do you want to bury them all, or show mercy?”

“Why didn’t you tell me anything, Rosalimondo?”

“Oh, if I had told you, it wouldn’t have contributed to Claude-sama’s growth. If I had given you the answer beforehand, I thought it wouldn’t foster your vigilance.”

Hmm... You knew your family’s intentions and deliberately didn’t tell me? To promote the master’s growth, is that a kind of harassment?

No, before that, if you knew and kept quiet, it’s quite malicious, and you could be punished by association...

“Do you know my dream, Claude-sama?”

“Yes, to leave a name behind, right?”

“Yes. That’s from when I was still a child. When I realized that my father and brother were treating me like a tool, I thought that if I became famous, I wouldn’t be killed.”

“Why?”

“If I became famous, it would be harder to kill me, right? If I were to die mysteriously, the public would surely try to uncover the mystery, and people’s attention would protect me. In that sense, marrying Claude-sama isn’t bad. Personally, I don’t like Claude-sama, but...”

At the ducal family level, a dedicated knight would be assigned, making it harder to be eliminated.

But it’s a bit surprising. The master is generally considered extremely handsome, but Rosalimondo doesn’t like him.

I would say I prefer him, but it’s not a love marriage, and I didn’t choose him based on his looks, so I’ve never really thought about whether he’s my type or not.

I don’t dislike him, though.

“Personal preferences don’t matter, but if you go this far and stay silent, it will affect the ducal family’s reputation.”

“I won’t beg for my father’s and brother’s lives. Instead, I would appreciate it if you could show mercy to my mother and me. We’ve had a conversation, haven’t we?”

It’s more like the master noticed and confirmed it.

“So, if possible, I would like to live in that village.”

“...Why there? There’s nothing there, and it’s not suitable for a noble like you.”

“I would be offended if you underestimated me. I lived in a rural area for about half a year during my studies. I can take care of livestock, tend to the fields, and cook.”

Rosalimondo laughed softly.

I thought this lady was more than just a lady, and in a way, she’s amazing. She’s learning to survive even if she can’t be a noble anymore.

I was also taught to survive in the city if I had to leave Lagner, but it wasn’t voluntary.

“But if you ask me why, I can only say that I simply like it. It’s peaceful and oppressive, and I think it’s very suitable for hiding.”

I can’t tell which of her words are sincere, but probably all of them.

The master, who couldn’t tell if she was praising or criticizing, finally spoke.

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