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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: A Cunning Plan and an Unwelcome Encounter
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“Hey, Peanut.”
Cassel crooked a finger at Aika, beckoning her to come down.
“Grandfather, Uncle keeps calling me Peanut.”
“Oh?”
Aika seized the opportunity, whispering to Duke Valliat to tattle on him.
“He only does it because our Aika is so lovely. Cassel, if you've finished your business, you should take Aika home. She must be sleepy, and we can't keep her in this noisy place.”
“I was just about to. Peanut, come down.”
Just then.
Aika seemed to ponder for a moment, then her eyes suddenly twinkled.
The furtive glance she shot at Cassel was anything but ordinary.
“Grandfather, I'm going to the imperial palace next week.”
“The imperial palace?”
“Yes! I made a friend, and we're going to play there. His Majesty the Emperor said I could come too.”
“Oho, is that so? Then this old grandfather will be sure to come and see you.”
At that, Aika excitedly spread her arms and bounced.
“My friend's name is Ruspe. He's kind and gentle, and he knows his way around the palace. He even brought me a flower!”
“A flower, you say? What a fine young man.”
“Ruspe said he even comes to the palace by himself. He's a really amazing friend. His eyes are pretty, too.”
“Ruspe? Could you mean the young one from Kelfodia?”
Duke Valliat's gaze shifted to Cassel.
“That's correct.”
Ricardo Willow Kelfodia, the head of the Marquisate of Kelfodia, was the younger brother of the current emperor, Winchester Gaia Celledor.
He, too, was a member of the Celledor family with a claim to the throne.
And the sole child of the Marquis and Marquise of Kelfodia was Ruspe Winteris Kelfodia.
Though still young, Ruspe was the most cherished nephew of the current emperor, Winchester Gaia Celledor, who insisted on remaining unmarried.
As another claimant to the throne, he was also the one the emperor had his eye on as the next successor.
He resembled the emperor more than his own father, the Marquis of Kelfodia, and was both handsome and brilliant.
His only flaw was a somewhat timid disposition.
Be that as it may…
Cassel raised an eyebrow, glaring askance at Aika.
Aika flinched in surprise and hastily threw her arms around Duke Valliat's neck.
Only then, seemingly feeling safe, did she adorably stick out her tongue.
She'll try anything to make sure I take her to the palace.
“That boy is a good sort. Let me know when you're coming. And make sure Aika doesn't catch a cold.”
“It's nearly the height of summer.”
“Don't you know summer colds are the worst?”
Yes, yes, whatever you say.
Cassel rubbed the back of his neck in resignation.
No matter what he said, no one here was on his side.
* * *
Mission accomplished!
Just as I promised Ruspe, I was going to the imperial palace.
Uncle's glare was fierce, but he's scared of Grandfather!
Grandfather was the most popular person at the banquet.
Even though the spot where he was talking with Uncle was far from the center of the hall, people constantly came over, wanting to speak with him.
So, I couldn't pester him any further. I said my goodbyes to Grandfather and followed Uncle out.
“Uncle, let's look around a little more before we go!”
“Who said you could act so familiar?”
I looked up and saw Uncle's sullen face.
I feigned ignorance, widening my eyes.
“Hmm?”
“What's with the wide-eyed look? You betrayed me.”
“No! No! I didn't betray you, Uncle.”
Fearing he might leave without me, I quickly grabbed his hand.
“…Hehe.”
“You ran right over and tattled, and now what?”
“That wasn't a betrayal, it was a tactic!… I think.”
Was it?
Even after shouting it, a corner of my conscience pricked, and I averted my gaze.
“You've got an answer for everything.”
I thought he was going to flick my forehead, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
But no matter how long I waited, I felt nothing on my head.
“Tsk.”
I flinched at the annoyed click of his tongue and looked up to find his gaze fixed elsewhere.
Not at me?
Uncle didn't let go of my hand.
“Well, I see someone I didn't expect to find at the banquet.”
A man about Grandfather's age approached us.
He wasn't extremely old, but his hair was much whiter than my grandfather's.
His white hair was swept back neatly from his forehead, and he had reddish-brown, monolidded eyes.
His lips were stretched into a wide smile, but his eyes weren't smiling.
Snow-white hair and brown eyes.
And like Grandfather, he carried a cane.
On the cane, I saw two crossed trees on a hexagonal background, like a turtle's shell.
Ah, which family was that again?
That crest… I'm sure Mom taught me about it!
‘Ro-Rondo?!’
I'd heard about them from Mom before.
I loved to draw, and I always showed off my pictures to Mom.
Then one day, I drew the crest of House Valliat and showed it to her.
She was so surprised that, from then on, she taught me how to draw the crests of every noble house in the empire, from the simplest to the most complex.
And every time I drew a family's crest, she would tell me about that family.
Most of it was difficult to understand, but it was still a really fun time.
So fun that I memorized them all!
Rondo was among them.
“Mom, is this Rondo? The ugly turtle!”
“Haha, why is it ugly?”
“Because you said I have to be careful of them!”
When I drew four legs, a head, and a tail to make it look like a real turtle, Mom had let out a small laugh.
I heard that Rondo is close with House Deslin!
“But Aika, Deslin and Rondo are people with eyes like snakes. You must never be friendly with them. It might be… difficult for you to understand now, but please remember this.”
“Okay…!”
Rondo is a marquisate, but their power rivals that of a duchy, so they cannot be taken lightly.
They've maintained a brotherly relationship with Deslin, one of the duchies, for so long that they could be considered part of Deslin's faction, I think…?
And I heard that Deslin was the most powerful house during the reign of the emperor before last, and as an old family, they have many vassals.
I remembered Mom saying with a sigh that they were quite a troublesome bunch, and clashing with them would only be exhausting.
That's why I memorized it that way.
“Be careful of the turtle and the snake!”
“Our Aika is so smart. My beautiful daughter.”
But even though I'd never seen his face before, his voice sounded strangely familiar.
“Is there some reason I shouldn't be?”
At Uncle's low voice, the man flinched, his eyebrow twitching.
I was a little startled myself by his unusually low voice.
I don't know if it was just me, but it felt like Uncle's voice alone was enough to crush the surrounding atmosphere.
Is it because I betrayed him?
“…Of course not. I simply meant that it is a relief to see both His Grace Duke Valliat and the Marquis of Leguire are well after such a terrible ordeal. And to even host a banquet like this.”
Then, a scoff escaped Uncle's lips.
It seemed to drip with ice.
“Why? Are you afraid this unexpected outcome will disrupt your plans? Should I have rotted in a cell for a year?”
“P-Plans? It seems the Marquis is greatly mistaken. The incident was so shocking, I was merely concerned. By the way, is this child the Chancellor's daughter? The one I've only heard rumors of…”
The white-haired man's voice trailed off as his gaze drifted downward.
The destination of that gaze was me.
His reddish-brown eyes felt strangely cold.
The color of wood is supposed to be warm.
I flinched without thinking and quickly hid behind Uncle.
A sudden fear made me cling tightly to his leg as I looked up at him.
At the same time, Uncle's head turned toward me.
I thought he was going to scold me for being a nuisance, but he suddenly swept me up into his arms.
My body lifted into the air.
Startled, I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.
“If you spew any more nonsense, you'll be in for a headache.”
Uncle's voice had grown even colder than before.
