Chapter 15

“It’s to bury a royal scandal. Officially, the charges against me will simply be glossed over. However, I was told that if I agreed to remain the Princess’s partner under the current circumstances, I would be publicly declared innocent.”

“That’s…”

“They want me to be the official husband while Lord Robin is brought in as her lover. Then, if the child born to Lord Robin and Princess Mia is a boy, that child becomes the next King.”

“That is absolutely ridiculous!”

Just how much more did they intend to hurt Nazelbert?

“I agree. That’s why I refused. Consequently, my exile to the frontier remains unchanged… It seems His Majesty never expected me to accept the offer anyway, and likely calculated that forcing the marriage wouldn’t work out in the long run.”

“So even the King chose covering up a scandal over the future of the country?”

“Who knows. It seems opinions are split between His Majesty and the Queen. Apparently, Lord Robin is already causing all sorts of trouble at the castle. I suspect His Majesty might even be considering passing the throne to the Second Prince.”

Originally, the Princess was only allowed to become the next Queen on the condition that she married Nazelbert. This was because she hadn’t studied politics at all.

At this rate, the nation’s future was supposedly in genuine peril.

…In peril? Just how incompetent was she?

“As a result, many nobles are starting to make their moves—deciding whether to side with Princess Mia or the Second Prince.”

“Usually, they would follow the King’s lead, wouldn’t they? And His Majesty currently plans for Princess Mia to take the throne?”

“The King’s position is complicated. The current Queen is my aunt, and she also carries the blood of my grandmother, who came from the country’s other ducal house. The heads of both ducal houses are the Queen’s allies. They—including my own father—want to be able to manipulate Princess Mia’s child however they please. In fact, they might even prefer this outcome because they’ll have more freedom than if I were the one by her side.”

To put it bluntly… did that mean Lord Robin was nothing more than a stud horse?

“Yikes…”

It was true; the current Queen was from the House of Florescrus and also shared the bloodline of the other house, the House of Adamsgomes.

In short, for the House of Florescrus, it didn’t matter if Lord Nazelbert was the consort or if Lord Robin’s child became the next King. They were likely thinking, “Actually, it might be better if a more manageable Princess and Robin’s child took the throne.”

“That’s… that’s so selfish! It’s horrible!”

Between the Queen’s demands, the Princess’s whims, and the schemes of both ducal houses, Nazelbert was the only one being forced to suffer all the consequences…!

If the charges were just swept under the rug, there would surely be people who continued to believe he was the villain.

Seeing my indignation, Nazelbert gave a troubled smile.

“It’s already decided. It’s simply inconvenient for them to have me loitering around nearby.”

How selfish could royalty be? It was unforgivable!

Not that I could actually do anything about it, but it was just too unfair.

Why did such a kind and talented person have to have his life ruined and be sent away to the frontier?

“I’ll be fine, Lady Agnes. More importantly, we need to discuss you.”

“Me?”

“The rest of the documents state the following: If I refuse to marry the Princess, I am to marry Lady Agnes as originally planned and govern the frontier.”

The designated frontier was a small territory at the edge of the country, currently overseen by an official dispatched from the Royal Capital.

However, the damage caused by magical beasts there was apparently relentless, making it a rather difficult place to manage.

While the people there would likely want to welcome someone like Nazelbert, they might be wary of him due to the rumors of his ‘crime.’ If he went, he was likely in for a world of hardship.

“Initially, I planned to return you to the House of Eventail no matter what. But I’m starting to wonder if that’s truly for the best. Lady Agnes, you have an injury on your face, don’t you?”

“Eh? Ah, yes. I think the bruise has faded quite a bit… If it’s like usual, it should disappear in about a month.”

“…Like usual?”

“I’m just a bit of a slow learner. Father tends to hit me because of it.”

“As I thought, returning you to the House of Eventail is out of the question. But taking you to the frontier is also…”

Nazelbert began to mutter to himself, lost in worry. Even his profile was handsome.

Regardless, I gave him the answer I had already decided on.

“In that case, I’ll go to a convent.”

“I’m against that. If you went now, the dishonorable rumors would make your life a living hell.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Nazelbert rejected the convent idea.

“Eh?! But it seems like such a peaceful facility…?”

“Convents are supported by government subsidies. Furthermore, noble daughters are often sent there temporarily before marriage.”

I had a vague idea of that, but I hadn’t realized the country’s influence would be reflected so directly…

If I didn’t want to go home and I couldn’t go to a convent, then all that was left was…

“Then, I’ll go with you to the frontier. Unless, of course, you’d find it disagreeable, Lord Nazelbert.”

“I can’t say I agree with that either. We have no idea what kind of life awaits us there…”

Even so, going to the frontier felt like the best option.

If I could stay here at the Duke’s house, that would be ideal, but once Nazelbert left, that would surely be impossible.

Returning to my parents’ house was out of the question, and my hope of going to a convent had vanished. I didn’t have the confidence to suddenly go out and work as a commoner, either.

The part about marrying Lord Nazelbert was the main hurdle, but if he didn’t desire a physical relationship, I was perfectly fine with a ‘white marriage’.¹

He didn’t seem like the type to treat me coldly. As for children, he could just have them with someone he actually fell in love with. I certainly wouldn’t overstep my bounds!