Episode 147: This is all mine. (2)
Zwalter watched the approaching men carefully.
‘The flag is flying loudly, but there are few people. There is too much luggage… … . Did the advance party bring supplies? And they came like this without even declaring war? Even if they are the royal family, isn’t this too much?’
Although he shouted excitedly in front of the people, in reality, Zwalter was also in a state of confusion and thought he was going crazy.
I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be better to just run out and ask for forgiveness right now.
What on earth could have happened that would have caused these high-ranking nobles with such great reputations to join forces and send soldiers?
As I got closer, my heart started pounding and my hands became soaked with sweat.
It was then that the approaching Allied forces stopped moving when they saw the army on this side.
Zwalter also stopped moving and looked at his opponent.
“My Lord, I think it would be best to first meet with the commander over there and talk about what’s going on.”
Zwalter nodded at Homer’s words and stepped forward.
Then, from that side, several men on horseback rushed forward.
‘You’re quite good at horsemanship. Let me see what kind of guys you are… Huh?’
The guys approaching looked familiar, but the young guy at the front looked even more familiar.
‘That guy is so handsome, he looks like my son… … ?’
Zwalter saw the face of the approaching man and shouted in surprise.
“Hey! Why are you coming out of there!”
The one who took the lead was Giselle. Those who followed her were her son’s close associates, including Belinda.
Why on earth would my son jump out from among those nobles’ banners?
Zwalter was speechless in shock. Meanwhile, Giselle, who had come closer, also asked with a look of shock.
“Father, what are you doing here now?”
“I’m ready for battle now… … .”
“With who?”
“You, you guys?”
“… … ?”
“… … ?”
Both of them were dumbfounded and there was silence for a moment.
Homer broke the silence and interjected urgently.
“Your Highness! Are you alive? What is happening now? What on earth happened in the capital?”
“I just came to sell cosmetics?”
Homer scolded Giselle for saying that nothing had happened.
“It’s nothing serious, so why did the royal family and nobles send troops?”
“Oh, I think there’s some misunderstanding now… … .”
Zwalter also came to his senses belatedly and asked.
“I heard a rumor that you had an altercation with the Marquis of Branford. Isn’t that why the army came?”
“Aha, I see what’s going on. It was nothing serious. I just made a nice deal with the Marquis.”
“Deal? Rumor has it that you were held captive by the Marquis of Branford? Or were you taken hostage?”
It’s true that I was locked up for a fortnight, but it was to treat Rosalind.
Well, if I had definitely failed, I wouldn’t have been able to escape and things would have gotten worse… … But since I succeeded, there’s no problem.
Jiselle shook her head and continued speaking.
“It seems confusing, so let me explain it quickly.”
Jiselle briefly explained what had happened in the capital.
As the story progressed, Zwalter and his men’s expressions became filled with shock.
“The Marquis of Branford agreed to be your guardian in return for treating your daughter?”
“yes.”
“The Earls of Ailsburgh and Norton and others support and patronize you?”
“yes.”
“You also became a member of the pro-Prince faction?”
“Oh, and your father too.”
“Why me?”
“That’s what happened.”
Zwalter swallowed dryly and cleared his confused mind.
From the beginning, he was loyal to the royal family, so he was like a pro-prince faction.
That’s because you haven’t been including me and ignoring me for so long.
‘Hey, does this make sense?’
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. So I looked again at the army behind Jiselle.
The flags of the royal family and high nobility were still fluttering in the wind.
If all of that was done up, my son would not have enough lives even if he had ten.
‘Is this really true? Does this make sense?’
I felt like I was going crazy as the absurd unfolded before my eyes.
Good things need to be in a certain amount to be purely joyful. If good things become excessive, doubts will sprout and anxiety will arise.
Zwalter closed his eyes.
‘This is a dream.’
“father?”
‘When I open my eyes, I return to reality.’
“father!”
‘Get out! You filthy things!’
Flash!
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Zwalter opened his eyes, pulling up his mana.
The bright eyes were full of energy.
Still, the sight unfolding before my eyes remained unchanged.
“Oh, that’s right. That’s true.”
Jiselle grumbled in frustration at not being able to continue the conversation properly.
“Father, why are you doing this?”
“… … I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it.”
“Just accept it, it’s true.”
“……okay.”
Zwalter wasn’t the only one who didn’t believe Giselle’s explanation. The governor, Homer, spat out his words quickly, even spitting.
“Your Highness, is that lie true?”
“Why would I tell a useless lie that will be found out in an instant?”
“No, no matter what… … Does this make sense… … .”
Homer’s mind was spinning.
The Marquis of Branford has become your guardian? The man who is said to be the most powerful man in the kingdom?
And on top of that, the big names in the kingdom are sending their support and sponsorship!
If true, this means that Giselle is now officially a more powerful noble than her father, Count Ferdium.
This is the power of politics that transcends rank.
He used to be a rich bum, but now he’s back as a bum with a strong backing.
I couldn’t touch him because he already had the purse strings, but now he has this scary backing.
Several of the vassals who followed Zwalter also rolled their eyes and broke out in a cold sweat.
‘Why? Why do those powerful people treat that scoundrel like that?’
‘Aren’t you all crazy as a group?’
Only then did Zwalter speak, his eyes sparkling.
“Then, could it be that there are so many wagons… … .”
“Yes, you are right. That was given to us by the Marquis of Branford… .”
“It’s a dowry!”
“……yes?”
“You’ve cured your daughter and even become her guardian, so the next step is marriage, right? I guess he likes you because you have outstanding abilities in many ways. Hehehehe!”
Zwalter fitted the situation into the best scenario he could understand.
No matter how much Jiselle treated her daughter, the amount was too much for a gift.
In that case, there was only one answer: a dowry.
Homer was so happy that he almost fainted next to her.
“Oh my, congratulations! I had many worries after the breakup, but the Marquis of Branford is my in-law! This is truly a great event for the family! Great!”
“Haha, this guy is really something. Don’t be so excited. It’s late to say this, but my son is actually a decent guy, isn’t he? You must have a good sense of humor about him.”
“Of course, of course. You have a lot of money and ability, what could you possibly lack? You may have a bad temper, but if you move into that house, you’ll be forced to change. Hahahaha!”
“Really? Hahahaha!”
The people of Ferdium could not hide their joy.
What made me nervous turn out to be nothing serious, and how could I not be happy when I heard the news that Giselle would become the son-in-law of the Marquis of Branford?
“… … .”
Jiselle and her entourage just clicked their tongues and watched the scene.
When you don’t believe, you believe once, but this time, you cross the line hard.
I should correct my misconception, but I liked it so much that I was wondering when I should stop it.
Giselle sighed deeply and said to her delighted father.
“It’s not a dowry.”
“Hahaha… … No?”
“yes.”
“really?”
“No.”
The atmosphere instantly became cold.
Zwalter coughed a few times in embarrassment and asked.
“Ahem, then what the heck is that?”
“These are supplies to be sent to Ferdium. A royal secretary has come with you, so please listen to the rest of the explanation.”
“In the royal family?”
Zwalter was astonished. Did the royal family send someone here separately?
As Jiselle turned around and gestured, a handsome middle-aged man approached her with a smile.
“Greetings to the brave wolf of the North, His Excellency the Margrave of Ferdium. I am Baron Andy Share, the royal secretary.”
“Oh, welcome. What brings you all the way here?”
“I have come to convey the message of His Majesty the Wise King.”
“Ma, go ahead.”
I knew the general situation, so I tried to remain calm, but my voice was shaking for no reason.
Even if it was the Marquis of Branford, I didn’t know exactly why the royal family was helping Ferdium.
Baron Share couldn’t hide his puzzlement as he watched the Ferdium people acting awkwardly and nervously.
‘What… were you planning a rebellion or something?’
It was quite suspicious, but it was the inspector general’s job to dig up such risk factors.
As a skilled administrator, he immediately unfolded a luxurious scroll and spoke.
“… … In recognition of his merits in protecting the borders of the kingdom, we send aid to Count Ferdium. … … In addition, as requested by the Minister of the Household and agreed to by all the nobles of the Council in accordance with due process, we will increase our support for Ferdium from what it is now… … We have no doubt about your loyalty to the crown… … .”
It was a long and boring sentence with all sorts of excuses attached. To put it simply, it meant that they would provide a little more support to Perdium in the future.
After the message was finished, Baron Share smiled and said.
“Next year, the scale of support will be slightly smaller than it is now. This time, it will also be about filling in the gaps that were left behind.”
Zwalter and his men opened their mouths and remained speechless.
What Baron Share said didn’t register at all in my head.
‘The Marquis of Branford became Giselle’s guardian, and now he’s giving me his support…!’
“Wow!”
When Homer could not hold back his joy, the other vassals also burst into laughter and shouted.
“The hard work is finally over! With this amount, we can focus on the northern border all year long!”
“There is also support coming from other territories. I will be able to sleep comfortably from now on!”
Everyone was so happy they didn’t know what to do.
After Jiselle supported the Runestone, things got better than before, but it wasn’t enough to make me feel at ease.
It was really uncomfortable to always have to beg Jiselle to share while keeping an eye on her.
But if the royal family officially provides support like this, it’s a different story.
Zwalter said with a pleased smile.
“Hehehe, now the Yeongji household is starting to flourish. Good job, Jisel.”
‘I don’t have to feel sorry for my son anymore. I will regain my father’s authority.’
Homer also added a word.
“Your Highness, you have done a great job. Hahaha. It was a bit difficult to manage the budget because I had to receive and use the rune stones little by little, but it turned out well. Well, thank you for your hard work, Your Highness. Hehehe.”
‘How long did you think we’d be dragged around by you? Hehe.’
Homer’s expression even showed his determination not to make any more cowardly requests.
What could be regrettable when you receive support like this every year?
Albert, the treasurer, threw away his usual cool demeanor and started to act excitedly.
“We need to check and organize the supplies you sent to us to make sure they match the list. We need to take care of our own. Oh, Your Highness? You said you’d give us food in a few months… … I don’t think you need to give it to us? Hahaha!”
‘If you want to share in the supplies, you too, Archduke, ask us for help.’
Zwalter and Homer laughed loudly.
“Hahaha, that’s right! This is all ours!”
“Let’s use it with peace of mind now!”
At that moment when everyone was happy, Baron Share scratched his cheek and said.
“Hey… … Not all of this goes to Perdium.”
“huh?”
Zwalter’s eyes widened. How could he say such a mean thing, that he didn’t give everything he sent to Ferdium?
Baron Share continued to speak hesitantly. A look of embarrassment was evident on his face.
“The distribution will be handled by… Baron Fenris.”
The faces of the Ferdium people, including Zwalter, hardened like plaster statues.
They slowly turned their heads. When they turned around, they saw Giselle standing there with her arms crossed, laughing in vain.
