Chapter 15
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If he had noticed sooner and watched more carefully, would something have changed?
Deyan realized it was a useless regret and tried to stop his thoughts.
But the more he tried, the more the superficial information he had known about Idir kept surfacing.
"Is that your personality?"
"What do you mean?"
To think he even knew something like this.
'Ah, right.'
He recalled rumors he had once dismissed as nonsense from gossips meddling in politics.
They were rumors that had once grown wildly around her, only to vanish as quickly as foam.
「Idir Hubert crippled her younger brother to secure the right of succession.」
「Idir Hubert is behind the death of the Grand Duchess Hubert. She was the first to discover the body, and...」
「The Grand Duchess Hubert strongly supported the young master's right of succession.」
Idir hadn't even debuted in high society yet, so she couldn't have been even fourteen.
The content was far too gruesome for rumors attached to such a young girl.
Yet, these rumors had spread rapidly across the continent with plausible-sounding grounds.
Of course, at the time, Deyan had been too busy trying to save his own life and his comrades' lives on the battlefield to care.
'I’m sure I saw it in the newspaper.'
Even in the midst of that chaos, Holdin had always made sure to get the papers to keep an eye on the political situation.
Deyan, too, would pass the time on sleepless nights by fiddling with the scraps of newspapers Holdin left behind, so he must have read it at some point.
He desperately tried to retrace the memories of that time.
「Why was the Grand Duchess's death shrouded in mystery?」
'They hid it because they couldn't announce that the young lady had strangled her own mother to death.'
Deyan, who recalled the nonsense printed in bold letters, froze in place.
「Idir Hubert crippled her rival, her younger brother, for the right of succession.」
「In fact, since the Grand Duchess's death, the young master of Hubert has not appeared in any public activities, and his very survival is unclear.」
「If the young lady did not murder the Grand Duchess, there is no reason for Grand Duke Hubert to remain silent about her death.」
Struck by a sudden thought, Deyan nervously picked at the spot where his thumbnail used to be.
When were those rumors, which occasionally surfaced like cockroaches crawling out just as they were about to be forgotten, finally quelled?
It was when Deyan, who had been roaming the battlefields, was staying in the Imperial Palace for a brief period to deliver reports.
It was the same time Idir Hubert, having turned fourteen, began to show herself to the world in earnest.
The innocent gaze of a young girl.
The blades of suspicion directed at her were sheathed in an instant at the sight of her frail figure, unable to hide her distress and eventually shedding tears over the pouring rumors.
Was that all?
The newspapers that had slandered her were shut down, and public opinion turned in Idir's favor.
Around that time, Grand Duke Hubert seemed to resume public activities, only to go quiet again for personal reasons.
That void was filled by Idir, who wasn't even an adult yet.
'It’s already known information that Grand Duke Hubert’s health is poor.'
Even so, to show that he was still alive, he had made an appearance from a distance during last year's Independence Day.
Thanks to that, he remembered that the support base for Idir had become even more solid.
"A young lady who does her best for the country despite experiencing such a terrible thing at a young age."
This was Idir's publicly known image.
Gentle and kind-hearted, with a deep love for her country.
"I want revenge."
A woman who was plotting a revenge drama behind the scenes.
"No way."
His face twisted uncontrollably.
He had only thought that the revenge Idir spoke of was simply finding and punishing the culprit who murdered the Grand Duchess.
'Is the young lady satisfied with just that?'
Everything that had arbitrarily judged her grief, pushed her into a corner, threatened the safety of the country, and mocked Plene without mercy.
Could the revenge Idir spoke of be a revenge for all of those things?
'If that’s why she even wanted the power of a demon.'
Why would Idir go to the trouble of keeping him alive, restraining him, and entering into a complex contract?
"What do you know about why I go to such lengths, you who have always been on the side of the strong!"
Perhaps the revenge she truly desires is...
'War.'
To have every country on the continent engulfed in the flames of war, and in that madness, to have Plene alone stand tall.
The downfall of the three countries that had pressured Plene all this time.
The conquest of the continent by a small, weak nation that was once despised as a "Shrimp Country."
Isn't that what Idir wants?
"Insane...!"
Deyan jumped up and strode forward.
Expecting it to be locked, he reached for the door, but the handle turned smoothly without resistance.
"…?"
Feeling something was off, Deyan opened the door to check the hallway anyway.
"Is there something you need?"
A voice came from right beside him, though he didn't know how long she had been standing there.
Deyan reflexively tensed his body, ready to throw a punch at any moment, and turned his head.
Standing there was a woman in a neat dress.
It was the female knight named Giselle, who usually served as Idir's maid.
"I need to speak with the young lady."
"The young lady is currently attending a state council meeting, so a face-to-face meeting is difficult."
She spoke professionally and reached into her waist.
Deyan tensed, fearing a weapon might pop out, but what Giselle pulled out was a small pocket watch on a thin chain.
"There may be some variance, but the meeting usually ends around 2:00 PM. If you don't mind waiting for about three hours, I will convey your message."
It was a businesslike tone.
"That Sir Nemanich wishes for tea time."
"I don't want tea. I want to talk to her."
"Yes. I will convey that you wish for tea time. Is there anything else you need?"
"…."
When Deyan didn't answer, Giselle's gaze drifted down to his feet.
"Shall I bring you some shoes to wear?"
At her words, Deyan finally realized he was barefoot.
"No, never mind."
"Yes, very well."
Giselle bowed politely.
Unable to be any more unreasonable, Deyan retreated quietly.
Closing the door behind him as he returned to the room, he began to ponder anew.
'So compliant?'
And to offer him shoes when he might run away?
"…Is this her way of telling me not to act rashly since she has Holdin as a hostage?"
If it were Idir, he felt she would certainly do that.
Reasoning through it as best he could, he returned to the bed and sat on the edge.
As he sat in silence for a moment, he suddenly sensed someone's presence.
"…?"
Making do, Deyan picked up a pen from the desk in the corner of the room instead of a weapon and cautiously opened the door.
There, he found a pair of men's shoes that looked like they would fit him perfectly, boots for comfortable movement, and five pairs of socks.
And they were placed very neatly, too.
It seemed she could have hidden her presence perfectly but chose not to, likely because she wanted Deyan to notice.
'What is she playing at?'
To keep someone locked up and then treat them like a guest—what a joke.
Even as he felt completely toyed with by Idir, Deyan couldn't resist.
He had to at least get some shoes on if he wanted to break the window and jump out or do anything else.
In the end, he gathered the socks and shoes placed neatly in front of the door and returned to the room.
When he shoved his feet into the boots, they fit perfectly, as if they had been custom-made.
'Damn it. I'm being played like a fiddle.'
* * *
"Young lady. Your complexion is very poor."
"I heard you haven't been sleeping well lately. Are you alright?"
Immediately after the state council meeting ended.
Before leaving, the Minister of Foreign Affairs handed her a container of tea, claiming it would help her sleep.
"Thank you."
I expressed my sincere gratitude for his heartfelt concern and stood up.
According to what Giselle had relayed earlier, Deyan had requested a private audience with me.
"I have a guest waiting for me. I shall take my leave now."
"Young lady. You must take care of your health. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
They, who were nearly the age of my parents or grandparents, fretted over my health.
It was only natural.
Ever since that day, my father had begun to wither away, and in the end, he had completely lost his sanity.
If I collapse, this country is finished as well.
'I must do well.'
I handed the gifted tea to Giselle and headed toward the annex.
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