Chapter 465: Veiled Motives

Count Euz withdrew, and Duke Altringen simply regarded me with cold eyes. This was the first time we’d met since I’d last seen him in the east. Considering I’d been appointed the duke’s guard commander, this meeting was actually a little overdue.

"You were appointed guard commander to protect me, Baron, yet you never once came to see me. Isn’t it a bit much to make me wait until the crown prince’s wedding just to see your face?"

"I apologize. I’ve been caught up in so many disputes with my neighbors that I haven’t had time to visit."

"I heard about the war with Basel. I suppose that’s understandable."

To be honest, the thought of visiting had never even crossed my mind.

Who’d bother with a has-been duke?

Besides, Duke Altringen and I were like oil and water. The downfall of Duke Radensdorf had ultimately come about because of my exploits, and that downfall had given me the chance to rise in the world.

"Diplomacy with the Habsburgs is extremely important. My brother entrusted me with it so I’d focus on foreign affairs instead of pulling any funny business at home. Don’t you think that’s a laughable ploy?"

"So you’re thinking of breaking the friendship between the Habsburgs and Altringen?"

"I am a man of Altringen, Baron. I may hate my brother, but I can’t put our house at a disadvantage."

So even after committing treason, he was still an Altringen to the bone? A man might betray people, but he’d never betray his family. That was the common mindset and creed of medieval nobles.

"Your job isn’t simply to escort me. You know that, don’t you?"

"I know I need to strengthen ties with His Imperial Highness the crown prince."

"There’s one more thing. Do you know what it is?"

"This is just a guess, but is it finding a match for Princess Evangeline?"

For the first time, Duke Altringen’s eyes widened. I hadn’t even mentioned this guess to the grand duke, and the duke’s surprised reaction proved I was right.

"This is surprising. I think I understand why my brother keeps you close, Baron. I thought you were just a hero who was good at war, but you’re a man of real talent with political insight as well. What made you guess that?"

"No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t think of a single family in the country worthy of Princess Evangeline’s hand."

"Only a prince’s heir could match my niece’s status, but unfortunately, every one of the princes’ heirs is already married. So for my beloved niece’s sake, we started considering ties with the Habsburg family."

"To form a blood alliance against Burgundy, I imagine."

"The Habsburgs and Burgundy have been at odds for ages. That’s why the Habsburgs have been so generous in supporting us, but my brother didn’t think that was enough. Isn’t a blood alliance the surest bond of trust?"

His mindset revealed regret. He seemed to be thinking that if he’d had someone like me at his side, he would have won the civil war. He’d shown that same regret the last time I’d seen him, too.

"It seems that, of the two of us brothers, only my brother received the Lord’s grace in the end."

"It’s not too late to devote yourself faithfully to diplomacy. Shouldn’t the fighting between brothers end here?"

"Deep, deep grudges will always linger between us. Sooner or later, my brother will cut me down. Eliminating a strong rival for the crown prince’s sake is only natural."

"Don’t tell me the real reason you’re heading to Austria is..."

"If I can secure a key position under Kaiser Friedrich, my brother won’t be able to get rid of me so easily. I gladly accepted the mission to Austria so that I could survive."

I see. So the real reason was survival. Then again, given Duke Altringen’s position, that instinct was only natural. The crown prince’s biggest rival? Having fought his own brother for power, the duke was practically that by default.

The grand duke planned to use his brother for as long as he remained useful and then toss him aside, and the duke, knowing this, planned to hang on in Austria somehow until he secured a key position.

Austria might also use the duke to keep Beren in check. They were strange bedfellows, each with their own agenda. It was supposed to be the crown prince and Lily’s holy wedding, but all anyone talked about was politics, and the wedding itself took a back seat.

"It seems the star of this wedding isn’t the crown prince and his bride, but my son-in-law."

"Tell me about it. I had no idea I’d be this popular."

"Kahaha, think of it as your reward for dunking the Count of Basel in a cesspool."

I didn’t know whether it was because of that achievement, as my father-in-law said, but all sorts of nobles rushed over to talk politics the moment the space beside me opened up, and I felt like they’d drain the life right out of me.

If they’d been run-of-the-mill nobles, I’d have ignored them, but every single one was a prince or a high-ranking noble I couldn’t afford to brush off. This, my father-in-law said, was the standing the House of Streit now held.

After the crown prince made his entrance, the bride entered holding Marquis Offenburg’s hand. Hmm, he didn’t look like a man giving away a cherished niece. His attitude seemed purely dutiful and businesslike.

As expected, the relationship between Lily and her uncle had frozen over completely.

I couldn’t see Lily’s expression behind the veil, but from experience, I could tell she wasn’t in a good mood. The crown prince, oblivious to all this, was grinning from ear to ear.

The grand duke, seated in the place of honor, looked on contentedly, and the new queen, Elisabeth... Why is she looking at me? When our eyes met, the queen smiled meaningfully, and I quickly looked away.

"Son-in-law, how does it feel to have had the honor of standing in as the crown princess’s proxy groom?"

"It feels like I’ve married off my little sister. I feel a bit empty."

"You must have cherished the crown princess quite a lot."

"Hilda cherished Lily like a little sister, too."

I quickly added that in case my father-in-law got the wrong idea. He’d been eyeing me strangely, but then he let out another hearty laugh and patted my shoulder with a hand the size of a dinner plate.

When Lily’s veil was lifted and her face revealed, Michael let out a sigh.

I could feel his envy toward the crown prince.

"His Highness is so lucky to get such a beautiful bride. She looks even more beautiful than when I saw her in Feuzen. If my wife were that pretty, I wouldn’t have any complaints either."

What did he just say? This guy doesn’t know how good he has it. I’d suspected as much ever since he’d tried hitting on Viola. What could he possibly have to complain about with a wife as modest and well-mannered as my sister-in-law?

My sister-in-law wasn’t a conventional beauty, but in my eyes, she deserved to be called beautiful. It was a good thing she wasn’t here right now; she was at a gathering with the other noble ladies.

And Michael’s remark was more than enough to set off my father-in-law’s temper, because Michael still didn’t have any children.

"Michael! Are you still going on about looks? What you need is children! How long are you planning to avoid your wife?! Your brother-in-law already has an heir on the way, and the so-called heir to the House of Count Steiner is...!"

"Oh, Father. Please keep your voice down! We’re in the middle of a holy wedding!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stop envying His Highness and do your duty properly!"

Michael, put in his place, hung his head with nothing to say for himself. Ulrich was busy standing guard with Fiel, so he missed seeing Michael get chewed out by my father-in-law. If Ulrich had seen it, he’d have teased Michael to no end.

"I hereby declare that, through holy vows before the Lord, the sacred marriage of these two is complete."

The court priest of Breisburg, who was also its archbishop, finished officiating, and the wedding moved on to the reception. Then came the main event, Lily’s veil dance, and the unmarried young ladies went wild.

They were so desperate for a piece of the veil that they looked like a school of piranhas. Angela, as the crown princess’s close aide, cut the veil into pieces for them, and one piece was noticeably larger than the rest.

The young ladies coveted that one most of all.

"That’s mine! Get out of the way!"

"Get away from my piece of veil right now!"

"Eek! Who pulled my hair?!"

All hell broke loose, and the nobles watched the scene with great amusement. Lily and the crown prince were roaring with laughter, too. And when the biggest piece was tossed into the crowd, it turned into an all-out bloodbath.

Among them, Bodo’s older sister Ariel was the most aggressive. It was believed that the maiden who caught a piece of the veil would receive the wedding’s blessing and find a wonderful husband.

This custom later evolved into the bouquet toss we know today. But the one who snagged the biggest piece of veil wasn’t Ariel or any of the other young ladies. It was Princess Evangeline, who’d been lying in wait for her chance.

The dumbfounded faces of the young ladies were a sight to behold, and Ariel, bitterly frustrated, could only stamp her feet. Princess Evangeline triumphantly waved the piece at the crown prince and shouted.

"Brother, now I can get married too!"

The crown prince let out a bewildered laugh. Come to think of it, did the young lady who caught a piece of Hilda’s veil ever get married? Since I hadn’t seen her among the young ladies today, perhaps she had.

Anyway, thanks to Princess Evangeline’s stunt, the reception became lively and rowdy, unlike the ceremony, which had been so steeped in formality. People swarmed around the crown prince and Lily, the true stars of the wedding.

The attention on me faded into the background.

Well, I was glad for the chance to catch my breath.

But almost immediately, someone came looking for me.

It was Grand Duke Karlus.