Geumui’s Return (1)
“It’s the Ross Taylor mansion… “It’s been 5 years, Abama.”
The dispute over the succession of the imperial throne, which had been burning like a flame, seemed to be taking some shape as the years passed.
It was a war of nerves that continued for a long time after Prince Lindon suddenly gave up his right to succeed to the throne one day.
There was some sort of power struggle and power struggle between the three princesses of Emperor Cloel… Now that too was becoming a thing of the past.
The 3rd princess Fenia, who received the most support, was imprisoned on Aken Island in the southernmost corner of the continent, and the 2nd princess Persica was also imprisoned in the imperial library and never came out.
Was he disillusioned with the various treacherous crooks who were united in their approach solely out of greed for power? Or is it just a matter of taking a breath before a full-blown fight?
The reason is unknown, but at least it was good news for 1st Princess Selaha.
“If you ask me to, I will have to go. “The Ross Taylor family is a prestigious family that contributes a lot to the imperial family, so there is a need for the imperial family to save face.”
She is a girl who feels an unknown chill, like the calm winter air.
There is no arrogance or fuss. Only delicate elegance, like a work of ice, surrounds the body.
Even the hair has a bluish glow, like a snowflake covered in thin ice.
In the center of the throne room, which was so large that it was comparable to the girl’s body, was Emperor Cloel, the ruler of the Cloel Empire and a rare saint.
An old-fashioned silk carpet stretched out from the emperor’s throne, extending all the way to Selaha’s feet.
The imperial guards stand solemnly with their spears raised, not even moving a single inch. Numerous aides who had gathered to advise the emperor were also bowing their heads on one side of the throne room.
“I will prepare well and leave on time. but… .”
Emperor Cloel ordered First Princess Selaha to visit Rosstaylor Mansion.
It seemed like he had already had a conversation with his closest associate, Crepin Rosstaylor.
“It’s a shame that I can’t meet Fenia because the timing isn’t right.”
Selaha, the Princess of Frost, said that and bowed her head.
There was a strange silence among the closest associates on either side of Emperor Cloel. Because those words had many meanings.
It has been over a year since Princess Fenia Elias Cloel of Charity left the imperial family to study.
No matter how strong the power supporting Princess Fenia is, even that power becomes weak when the person herself is far away.
At this time, when Princess Fenia returns for a long-awaited vacation, if the forces supporting Fenia take advantage of this opportunity to act again and refine their loyalty, it will not be a very good thing for Selaha.
Selaha wanted to stay in the imperial palace and see what was going on, but he was not very pleased with the fact that he had to cross paths with Princess Fenia and go to the far-off Duchy of Rosstaylor at a time like this.
Fenia herself said that she did not have a strong desire for power, but Selaha did not believe her.
Therefore, Emperor Cloel’s instructions ordering Fenia to stay away during this important time when she returned to the imperial family were not very satisfactory. Of course, Selaha has no right to refuse that.
“I understand your desire to meet Fenia after a long time and clear the air, but from your perspective, the Duchy of Rosstaylor would be a much bigger opportunity.”
Are you forcibly separating yourself from Princess Fenia? In response to Selaha’s words, which contained such a question, Emperor Cloel did not bother to reply.
“Selaha, you know very well what the social club at Ross Taylor Mansion is like.”
Selaha nodded.
Craffin Ross Taylor, the head of the Ross Taylor family, does not particularly enjoy opening such social gatherings.
However, there is a name for being the most powerful person on the continent. That is why it is necessary to make friends with various nobles.
Therefore, when these social events are held, they are held in a grand manner.
This is truly a golden opportunity for the small nobles in the outskirts. It is very rare for people from all kinds of influential and noble families to come together like that.
Originally, the imperial family had a custom of sending their closest aides to grace the occasion, but this year, the senders were upgraded to the next level and the first princess herself went out.
This is to show off the solidarity, as there has been a deep exchange between the Cloel imperial family and the Rosstaylor family for a long time.
I’m not particularly offended by it being used as a symbol. The position of the princess is a position with stronger symbolism than actual power. Selaha knows that well too.
Rather, this Ross Taylor social gathering is an opportunity.
In order to become an emperor, the Rosstaylor family is a tool that you must thoroughly learn how to use. It is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the Ross-Taylor family and interact with its members.
It doesn’t end there.
This enormous social gathering takes place over five days, in order to easily accommodate the busy schedules of all participants.
Just looking at the people scheduled to be invited, there were many prominent figures who were leading the empire. The people that come to mind right away are all big names.
Margrave Zahur, who single-handedly manages the largest granary region at the southern tip of the empire.
Roland is an investor who is responsible for all practical fund flows of Elte Trading Company.
Evian Nortondale, the head of the Nortondale family, one of the most prestigious martial families.
Valbern, a rare innovator known as ‘father’ to the alchemists of the alchemy city of Cret.
Saint Clarice is praised as the most noble messenger of God at the top of the Telos Church.
Sinir Bloomriver, the head of the Bloomriver family, a prestigious magical family and known as the ‘House of Witches’.
Legion commander Magnus Calamore, famous for commanding the northern grasslands and killing the largest number of demi-humans.
The first princess of the Cloel imperial family, and even Selaha, the princess of frost, who has emerged as a fairly powerful next emperor.
Of course, since it is the Ross Taylor mansion, people from the Ross Taylor family will also attend.
Most noble, matriarch Crepin Rosstaylor. And even its successor, Tanya Rothtaylor.
In addition, Crepin himself said that he is even planning to use this opportunity to reinstate his precious son, Ed Ross-Taylor.
Isn’t this the son whom he personally kicked out for insulting the noble Princess Fenia? Now they say they will accept him as a member of the family again, but I don’t know their intentions.
‘what… Currently, the actual successor is his younger sister, Tanya Rostaylor… .’
Selaha left the throne room and exited the central palace of the imperial family, escorted by knights.
As I walked through the grand, beautifully decorated imperial garden, I fell into deep thought.
With so many people attending, it is impossible to include everyone.
I’ll try to be as open as possible and get to know each other widely… There is a need to set priorities.
Military power, financial power, and even religious support.
It is narrowed down to Magnus Calamore, the commander of the Northern Corps, Roland, an investor with connections to the Elte Company, and Clarisse, a saint of the church.
In addition, there is a need to get in touch with the Ross Taylor family once more. Since I don’t know Tanya Rosstaylor, who is currently in the position of successor, I plan to use this opportunity to speak up.
“Hmm… .”
What comes to mind at this point is Ed Ross Taylor, who will be reinstated this time.
I have no idea what Crepin Rosstaylor is thinking. From what Selaha had heard a long time ago, there was a rumor that he was a bastard among bastards who could not be saved.
Anyway, wasn’t he a man who lived on the ground as a fallen nobleman for nearly two years?
He would have lost all dignity and authority, and most of all, he would have fully experienced how hellish it was to live without the prestige of his family.
The more people like that, the more anxious they are to cling to the family rather than ruling it.
Since he had been at the bottom for several years, his position within the family would have been ambiguous, and since he would not have had the opportunity to meet many influential people, it seemed certain that he would be left out in social circles.
Still, I’d like to open my eyes with the idea of investing in advance if I see a possibility, but… When I think about the time I have, I don’t know if I will have time to invest in him. To put it bluntly, he is a person of little importance.
“Princess Selaha. “I will tell you to prepare to go to the Duchy of Rosstaylor.”
“Please.”
After telling this to the royal guards, Selaha entered the palace gate.
Anyway, no matter what anyone says, the person that Selaha is most concerned about right now is Princess Fenia.
There is no telling what she will do when she returns to the imperial palace during vacation. Wasn’t she even in a situation where she had to leave Selah’s place?
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Selaha decided to instruct his associates to come to their senses.
* * *
“I was waiting. Please come in.”
Claire, the captain of Princess Fenia’s guard, bowed her head.
I thanked him and walked through the front door of the royal residence. Tanya came in after me and looked around hesitantly.
“It feels like it’s a different world here, brother.”
Tanya, who was entering the royal residence for the first time, looked around and quickly cleared her throat, fearing that she might look undignified.
The most luxurious and expensive facility on Aken Island is the Ofilis Pavilion. If you think simply in terms of expenditure, the royal family’s accommodation is a close second.
However, there is a difference in scale.
Ofilis Hall is a luxurious dormitory built for students from all noble families to share, but this royal residence was built solely for Princess Fenia.
Although it is less than half the size of the Ofilis Building, it is a ridiculous luxury considering that it was built for just one person.
It took a while to get past the main gate guarded by guards, across the garden, and into the residence that looked like a mansion.
And after going through a neat and luxurious-looking hallway for a while, I saw Princess Fenia’s reception room.
“Now, wait a minute…” .”
Before Tanya entered the reception room, she quickly straightened her hair and rearranged her clothes.
Tanya has already met Princess Fenia several times. However, this is the first time she has officially visited since becoming student president.
It was just yesterday morning that Tanya wrote a letter to the royal family residence.
It’s summer vacation, and the Ross Taylor siblings return to their home. However, before that, there is something I would like to ask of Princess Fenia. That was the tone of the story.
Princess Fenia is not someone you can easily meet. However, perhaps it was because of her position as student council president, or perhaps she just saw our names and met us, she surprisingly readily accepted.
As a result, we, the Ross Taylor siblings, came to the royal residence early in the morning.
When the door to the reception room opened, Princess Fenia was seen sitting alone on a sofa that looked expensive at first glance.
A lace dress with a subtle atmosphere. Platinum-blonde hair stretches down along the lines of the clothes.
The size of the sofa is so ostentatious that it does not suit the girl’s body.
It looks noble, but at the same time, it seems lonely.
“Hello, Princess Fenia. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.”
When I said hello first, Tanya quickly followed suit and bowed her head.
Princess Fenia lowered her gaze, nodded, and then looked towards the sofa across from her. Tanya and I went without saying anything and sat down across from each other.
“You look healthy, Ed Rosstaylor. And Miss Tanya.”
“yes. “Has the princess been at peace so far?”
“… … .”
Princess Fenia did not respond for a moment and lowered her gaze again.
“Same as always.”
The inn’s butler came to us politely and put the tea down. Tanya quickly put a sip in her mouth.
“Princess Fenia. The reason we came here today… .”
“I guess you need my authority.”
Fenia did not hesitate and got straight to the point.
How me and Tanya are reflected in her eyes, and how she is penetrating us.
I don’t know anything about that, but at least it doesn’t look hostile.
Rather, Princess Fenia’s tone was even more relaxed.
“Ed Ross Taylor, since I am the one responsible for excommunicating you, my recognition will make it easier for you to be reinstated.”
I feel like it was said somewhat explicitly.
Anyway, since I have to play the lottery, it has become like asking for a push.
As I said, returning to the Ross Taylor mansion is a big gamble on my part. This is something that requires a lot of preparation.
Even if there is no big problem since I decided to go with Lucy, force alone does not solve everything.
In the culture among aristocrats, most problems are eventually solved by ‘authority’.
Recognition from a high and noble person makes it difficult to touch that person.
“Now that I think about it, it’s been a long time since I sent greetings to the Ross Taylor family. Ed Rosstaylor, would you please forward my handwritten letter to Lord Crepin on my behalf?”
Fenia did not say much. From the beginning, the letter was prepared in advance.
The servant slowly approached and held out Princess Fenia’s personal letter… It was surrounded by a lot of luxurious gold frames, and the seal of the Cloel Imperial Family was also attached.
No one can deliver personal letters from the royal family by being delegated the right to do so. The meaning of this one-page personal letter is heavier than you might think.
The important thing is that it is not sealed with wax.
The fact that the letter is not sealed implies that the sender completely trusts the messenger. In the middle of the letter, he indirectly expressed his deep belief that there would be no mischief whatsoever.
Historically, this is a classic method used to introduce someone you trust to others. It’s an unnecessarily complicated etiquette, but it’s always been the courtesy of the royal family.
In fact, it is as if he has been recognized by Princess Fenia and has been entrusted with her authority. This letter, by its very existence, grants special authority that prevents the messenger from being tampered with.
“I didn’t need to write a power of attorney. “If I can just carry that much with me, it will be a golden return.”
“I didn’t know you would help me so easily. more… “I was ready to negotiate.”
“… … .”
Princess Fenia didn’t bother to answer those words.
Princess Fenia is a person who has a skeptical view of the Rosstaylor family, and she planned to reveal her intention to delve into that and find out the internal circumstances of the Rosstaylor family.
However, Princess Fenia readily cooperated before doing such a troublesome task.
However, he didn’t say anything more. There was silence for a while after that, to the point where I felt embarrassed for saying something.
Princess Fenia just stared at me for a long time.
His gaze seemed strangely vague and heavy, so I tried to find another topic to talk about… It wasn’t worth it.
* * *
– ‘The carriage sent from the Ross Taylor mansion will arrive in about two days.’
Tanya said that and returned to the Ofilis building. Now it’s really time to go home.
You cannot manage the camp while you are back at the mansion. Therefore, it was necessary to take various measures to ensure that it was okay to be away for long periods of time.
I made a lock on the cabin door and hung it closed, and I cleaned up all the tools lying around outside.
All traps set up here and there in the forest had to be recovered, oiled, and placed in storage, and it was decided to dispose of all food ingredients except those that could be stored for a long time.
It was around this time that I returned to camp after thinking about finishing everything today.
“Eh, Ed. “It’s here hehe!”
Yenika, who was sitting by the fire, greeted me in a strangely fussy tone.
He raised his tone to slyly make a fuss and then snarled. Even if he pretended to be nervous, he was nervous.
“Look, Mr. Bell gave me some precious herbs and I added them to the curry! I looked at the liver and ate it earlier… “The scent is really amazing!”
“… … .”
As I looked at Yenika’s face with half-moon eyes, Yenika stamped her feet and broke into a cold sweat.
“you… Why are you looking at me like that? .”
The sight of it whimpering and hiccuping is clearly the Yenica Palover itself.
As if I had hit the nail on the head, Yenika momentarily looked away.
“… … .”
“Are you worrying about useless things again?” ?”
“No, you know… .”
Ever since the end-of-semester exams were over, Yenika had been like this.
Yenika hugged her knees and rested her chin on them. Anyway, it always looks the same when I’m feeling intimidated.
“I… . I thought I knew a lot about Ed, but sometimes I feel like I don’t know anything at all… .”
“me?”
He took off his shoes, shook off the dust inside, and spoke.
“I guarantee you, there is no one in this academy who is as close to me as you are.”
“What do you do when your body is close… . “I have no idea what Ed thinks or how he lives.”
Yenika then sighed heavily. She wondered why he was like this again, and suddenly one thing that she expected came to mind.
“Is it because you gave up being the chief? “Do you think you were rude to me?”
“Huh… ! no! no! no! no! no!”
“It’s clear that you denied it five times… .”
As I shook off my shoes, dust rose up. I frowned and waved my hands. In any case, even if you move around actively in the forest, your clothes will quickly become dirty.
“Is there anyone who behaves well from the beginning? “That’s how we all learn.”
“… You know, Ed… I’m talking about it separately… .”
“… … ?”
“Ed, can you please excuse me? A mistake or something… Well, a slip of the tongue or something… .”
When I looked at Yenika with an expression as if I was at a loss for the world, Yenika waved her arms. The expression on his face was that he felt sorry for the world, so I felt even more sorry about him.
“Ho, by any chance what I just said was a mistake?”
“Did you really eat something wrong?”
In the end, Yenika closes her eyes tightly and confesses.
“I feel like my head is going to explode. I just kept having bad thoughts… .”
“Bad idea?”
“… Ed, I think you might end up hating me.”
There, as expected, I was speechless.
Jenica is a kind and good person by nature, but sometimes her attitude can be rude to others.
This happens more often in good-natured and well-to-do people, so it is unlikely that there will be no experience of being hated by others in that way.
That’s why Yenika is so flustered. I wonder if that might happen to me too.
“Let’s stop worrying.”
“… … .”
“Even if you are a little rude, would I dislike you so easily? “You are a very special person to me.”
Yenika took a moment to catch her breath, then subtly raised her gaze and caught my eye. Judging from the tears welling up in her raised eyes, she seemed to have been in a lot of trouble.
Doesn’t this make me feel like I’m always being mean to Yenika? I always try to be nice to people.
“anyway… I have something to say. “Aren’t you going back to your hometown this vacation?”
“huh?”
“Are you interested in accepting a simple request?”
* * *
Two days later, a luxurious carriage crossed the Maxes Bridge.
I, who was waiting at the front door with my luggage packed, took Tanya’s luggage and helped her carry it.
“They sent a pretty big carriage. Well, since you will be spending a lot of time in the carriage, it is better to have a carriage that is as large and comfortable as possible.”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“No, I did some work so I could sleep in the carriage. “You look a little tired too.”
“I’m a little tired after finishing camp work.”
“Yes, well… however… .”
Tanya looked at the carriage crossing the Maxes Bridge, then leaned towards me and whispered.
“The atmosphere is so scary, is it possible that the carriage goes like this all the way…?” ?”
I turned my head and looked behind me, and there were two girls standing side by side.
There was a girl with light pink hair wearing a white blouse, a navy blue flared skirt, and a brown shawl, and there was another girl with a short body wearing a loosely attired shirt and skirt with white hair flowing down.
Needless to say, Jenica Palover and Lucy Mayril.
The two looked at each other quizzically… He had a face that seemed to ask why on earth he was here.
… Well, that’s how it happened.
