NTWBR 13

Chapter 13

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“Help?”

“Yes, help.”

“You ask for help from me, and also from Duke Wellbrun? That doesn’t make sense.”

*’He’s quite desperate.’*

*’In the midst of being sold out like a dog soon enough!’*

The eyes of the two clashed in the air.

Their cold gazes seemed as if they would kill each other.

“Irene, why can’t you even consider that possibility?”

“……”

“I need help right now. Especially yours.”

“Why my help?”

At Irene’s sharp response, Crown Prince Franz’s face twisted into a bitter smile.

Irene didn’t want to concern herself with the meaning behind Franz’s smile either.

So she shot him a look of disdain.

Seeing this, Duke Wellbrun quietly opened his mouth.

“He said the situation in the home country is not good.”

“What do you mean by that, Duke?”

Irene reacted as if hearing it for the first time.

From Duke Wellbrun’s words, it seemed he had shared more in-depth details than he had with her that morning.

Hence, Irene acted as if she was hearing it for the first time.

However, Irene’s mysterious violet-blue eyes glowed.

And neither Crown Prince Franz nor Duke Wellbrun missed that.

It was just that Duke Wellbrun was a step faster.

“He was telling me about the situation within Mestia until just a moment ago.”

“For someone who is a Crown Prince of a nation……”

“You were going to say he has a loose tongue, weren’t you?”

“You know it.”

“Even if I have to be called loose-tongued, if it means I can have you, I don’t care, Irene.”

*’Franz Mestia… What is he thinking?’*

*’I need you to become Emperor, Irene de Istana.’*

Irene tried to grasp the meaning behind Crown Prince Franz’s words as he stared at her with a fervent gaze.

What could it possibly mean?

What drove him to utter such words so casually?

It was suspicious.

By now, Franz should be troubled by the scandal with his mistress, Shasha Obolo.

The rumors Shasha Obolo had been spreading should have landed him in even greater trouble, yet he spoke like this—it meant something was up.

“Your Highness seems quite desperate?”

As Duke Wellbrun struck, Franz brightened.

“Because I need Irene, Duke Wellbrun.”

“Is that desperation perhaps simply due to your unstable position within Mestia?”

“……”

Franz’s gaze towards Irene, who had pointed out his current situation directly, was not pleasant.

But Irene blatantly ignored it.

“Even an illiterate commoner knows at least this much: Your Highness Franz lacks the support of your maternal family.”

“True. My birth mother was a lower noble, after all.”

“……”

“And even the princesses deep within the palace are hearing malicious rumors about me.”

Franz spoke with self-mockery, enough to arouse pity from an unknowing onlooker.

*’Don’t even think about garnering sympathy, Franz Mestia!’*

*’Isn’t this enough? Irene de Istana?’*

“No, Irene? I don’t know through what channels you heard such rumors.

But rumors can be fabricated however one wants, after all.”

*’It’s definitely not fabricated. If anything, it’s been downplayed.’*

Irene alternated her gaze between Crown Prince Franz and Duke Wellbrun.

Listening further to both of them seemed likely to yield hints about Franz’s current situation that she didn’t know.

“Even if the rumors Madam mentioned aren’t true,”

Duke Wellbrun continued.

“At the very least, I can see those rumors are damaging to His Highness Franz. Moreover, the check from your half-brothers born to your stepmother, the current Empress, must be formidable.”

“…That is true, Duke.”

“And you said your only remaining support base is your teacher.”

“That is so, Duke.”

“It’s impressive that you’re even holding on.”

Duke Wellbrun’s words sounded like a compliment, yet not quite.

Hearing this, Franz seemed unfazed.

Irene couldn’t help but inwardly admire Franz’s audacity.

*’Let’s see how far that shamelessness goes!’*

“……”

“And in the midst of such rumors.”

“They’re just rumors… but they keep surfacing.”

“They can’t help but surface, since they aren’t good rumors.”

“…True. Indeed. So. I need you and Duke Wellbrun. I’ve laid out all my cards, Irene.”

“And so, Your Highness Franz?”

“What?”

At Irene’s words, Franz’s face showed bewilderment.

Irene realized for the first time that Crown Prince Franz was even capable of feeling flustered.

From her past memories, Crown Prince Franz had never shown such agitation.

He was always the one with only a cold expression on his picture-perfect face.

Not that Crown Prince Franz’s appearance was lacking.

His birth mother was famously beautiful, so Crown Prince Franz was also exceptionally handsome.

The only difference from his mother was that while she was a blonde beauty, Crown Prince Franz took after his father, Emperor Mestia, with his black hair.

And now, on that face, the emotion of bewilderment had surfaced.

Seeing this, Irene found it somewhat intriguing.

It was an expression she had never seen in her previous life.

“I think I’ve heard enough of His Highness Franz’s boastful displays of skill. Since His Highness seems unwilling to leave, I suppose I should take my leave.”

“No, Madam. He will be leaving shortly.”

“Is that so, Duke? Your Highness Franz?”

“…I’ll take my leave now, Irene. I’ll be going, Duke Wellbrun.”

With Irene’s blatant dismissal, Crown Prince Franz left.

Though Crown Prince Franz seemed displeased, it was of no concern to Irene.

Apparently judging that Franz had completely left the reception room, Duke Wellbrun’s posture shifted noticeably, becoming rather crooked.

Irene tensed inwardly at this change in Duke Wellbrun.

“I never imagined Madam would speak so boldly.”

“I likewise never imagined the Duke would speak so boldly.”

“Hahaha!”

“……”

“You’ve grown a lot, Madam.”

Duke Wellbrun’s eyes, looking at Irene, were filled only with cold calculation.

Irene simply responded with a smile to this change in Duke Wellbrun’s expression.

As the elegantly beautiful Irene smiled, it seemed to brightly illuminate her surroundings.

“This is no joke, Madam.”

“If it’s a compliment, I’ll gladly accept it, Duke.”

“Haha. You really have grown a lot.”

“Duke. A few hours ago, someone from the temple came.”

“I know. I heard that Petr Marshal visited the temple.”

*’As expected! He has ears everywhere.’*

Though he was her maternal uncle, Irene felt a hint of fear.

What if she turned such a person into an enemy? Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine.

“He must have gone on the Emperor’s orders.”

“Regardless, the important thing is that Petr Marshal went to the temple, isn’t it?”

“…And I too, visited the temple.”

“You’ve done a lot in just a few hours.”

“Is that so?”

Irene answered with a smile.

Every time Irene smiled, it seemed to brighten her surroundings.

However, Duke Wellbrun showed no particular reaction. He merely smiled.

“Madam.”

“Speak, Duke.”

“The news that Petr Marshal visited the temple means the Emperor has made a move.”

“I know.”

“And Crown Prince Franz made a proposal to Madam.”

“That, too, I know.”

“It will have reached the Emperor’s ears.”

Duke Wellbrun spoke in a calm tone.

That made his words feel all the more matter-of-fact.

Furthermore, the content itself was advice directed at Irene.

“I am aware.”

“Knowing that… you acted?”

“Do you think I would move without considering at least that much?”

At Irene’s response, Duke Wellbrun’s expression twisted slightly.

Irene had just turned sixteen.

And she was imbuing each of her actions with political meaning.

Though known to be uninterested in politics, Duke Wellbrun was still a politician.

Thus, he could easily catch the change.

*’I need to test the waters.’*

“Madam.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“May I ask you one thing?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Is it Clayton?”

From Duke Wellbrun’s mouth, Ernst was mentioned.

Ernst Clayton, the empire’s brightest genius with dirty blonde hair and green eyes.

Duke Wellbrun’s words seemed to suggest linking him with Irene.

“No.”

Irene denied it flatly.

Naturally.

To Irene, Ernst was merely a loyal advisor.

A loyal advisor and a trusted right-hand man. Believing that was all, she could deny it.

“I see, Madam.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“Then… let me ask one more.”

Duke Wellbrun leaned toward Irene. His golden eyes gleamed.

“So. Can you surpass Archiel? Can you, my niece?”

“……?”

“I’m asking if you can surpass Archiel.”

“It seems you doubt I can dispose of a mere child, Uncle?”

“I’m just asking, why are you being so combative?”

“Who is the one being combative here?”

A firm resolve rose in Irene’s beautiful violet-blue eyes.

Duke Wellbrun, meeting her gaze, looked into her eyes and then straightened up.

“Hahaha!”

“……?”

Irene was puzzled by Duke Wellbrun’s sudden laughter.

But she didn’t ask the reason. She felt there was certainly a reason for the laughter.

“Duke.”

“I like it very much. Good, my niece.”

“Why are you acting this way, Duke?”

“My, how stiff you are. So you’re confident you can beat that baby, Archiel, in your opinion?”

“Isn’t it natural, since legitimacy is on my side?”

*’And that child is not of the imperial bloodline.’*

Removing someone not of imperial blood from the succession race was something that could be done anytime.

So she was confident.

“Good, very good. That’s a card worth betting on.”

“Sometimes you call me niece, sometimes a card.”

“Is that wrong?”

“Is it true that Crown Prince Franz asked the Duke for help?”

“Does it seem like a lie? Ah, right. He went to you too, didn’t he?”

The Duke shrugged his shoulders.

At his actions, Irene felt some of her tension ease.

Moreover, since Crown Prince Franz had already spoken to the Duke, she saw no need to hide the morning’s events.

“Yes, Uncle.”

“He said he was thoroughly rejected.”

“Naturally. If I join hands with him, what happens to my legitimacy?”

“You’ve thought that far ahead?”

Duke Wellbrun’s words were directed at Irene.

Irene could understand the meaning behind them.

Nevertheless, her pride wouldn’t let her simply let it slide.

*’What exactly did he take me for?’*

Her mouth felt dry.

From Duke Wellbrun’s reaction, she could guess the reputation she had in noble society.

Just a mere chess piece.

Even that would be a generous assessment.

However, Irene smiled.

Because now, the evaluation of her in noble society was about to change.

She was confident.

She thought that if she couldn’t change that much, how could she become Emperor?

“Because I am Irene de Istana.”

“Who would say otherwise?”

“And because I am the First Imperial Successor of Istana. Not a puppet.”

At Irene’s declaration, a smile played on Duke Wellbrun’s lips.

“Good, good.”

Seeing the satisfied Duke Wellbrun, Irene rose from her seat.

She decided further conversation was pointless.

“Let me take my leave now, Duke.”

Irene was lost in thought inside the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.

*’Can I surpass Archiel… I can certainly defeat someone like Archiel. The problem is Arturia.’*

From Irene’s perspective, the biggest problem was Arturia.

She was confident she could eliminate Archiel, whom Pern V was trying to push. But Arturia? The problem was that she couldn’t immediately think of a way.

Moreover, the immediate priority was to provide an answer to Duke Wellbrun’s question.

She had said it was possible for now, but she felt she had to actually prove it.

If she only talked the talk, she felt the support of the Wellbrun Ducal House would vanish.

*’Truly a family of political masters.’*

She thought her assessment of Duke Wellbrun needed to change.

A snake.

A snake hidden behind the facade of a Sword Master.

That was Irene’s assessment of Kalaeton le Wellbrun.

And precisely because of that, her resolve to not let go of the Wellbrun Ducal House grew stronger.

*’I won’t let go.’*

It had been a day of returning to the Imperial Palace with a complicated mind.

If she revealed the secret of Archiel’s birth even now, she could surely eliminate him.

But if she revealed it now, it was as clear as day that Pern V’s wariness of Irene would intensify even further.

Irene’s head became complicated as her thoughts reached this point.

*’But still… I won’t be pushed around so easily, Father.’*

A few days later.

“Hey, my niece.”

It was a sudden visit from Duke Wellbrun.

At that time, Irene had been deep in thought in her study for a long while.

“What brings you here, Duke?”

“I came because I have something to say, my niece.”

“…Please, sit.”

No sooner had Duke Wellbrun sat down than a maid brought in refreshments.

Irene said nothing, just sipped her tea and looked at Duke Wellbrun.

“What do you have to say?”

“Let’s have some tea first.”

When both had silently finished their tea, Duke Wellbrun finally pulled a letter from his bosom and handed it over.

“What is this?”

“A letter from Laila.”

“Feel free to read it.”

Irene carefully read the letter from Empress Laila that Duke Wellbrun had handed her.

And after a short while, she set the letter down.

“Is this… true?”