Chapter 266: It Begins

Ever since I transferred here, I have been blessed with women (though they are all in the range one could fairly call mature ladies). Aside from that, I would not call my life drawing the short straw, but it does feel like I keep being driven into difficult situations and made to struggle. Still, compared to being born a complete commoner and not even knowing where the next meal would come from, I am far more fortunate.

When we arrived at Count von Kirchhoff’s residence and stepped down from the carriage in front of the gate, I was stunned by how chaotic the area in front of the Count’s mansion had become.

The Duke of Vélez had taken up position in front of the Count’s gate. I had heard there would be ten people in total, yet twenty—no, closer to thirty—men were milling about. Some were in ordinary clothes; others wore metal helms and metal armor and carried metal shields. Torches burned all around, making it as bright as daytime. The sheer pomp made me want to pull back. Carriages were lined up all the way in front of the neighboring residences. Just how many nobles had gathered? And had this always been an event that would draw this much attention? Had it been destined to become this from the start? The excessive fuss made tears prick at my eyes. If the Duke clapped me on the back now and said "You’re the star of today’s show!", I would probably cry.

The road that had been deserted when I last came was now lined with carriages on both sides as we advanced. When I stepped down from the carriage, someone who looked every bit the steward recognized me at once.

"You are Ambassador Marie, I presume. His Grace is waiting."

He took the lead and guided me.

The crowd parted instantly, opening a path. A tent had been pitched in front of the Count’s gate. Was this headquarters? That meant the Duke was further inside.

"A woman."

"What, he brought a woman?"

"Surely he doesn’t intend to make her fight?"

"What is the new ambassador thinking?"

"No, he probably just brought her to look after him."

"But look—she’s wearing a leather breastplate and a helm. She’s even carrying a sword."

"True. Even if this is His Grace’s little game, isn’t he making a mockery of it?"

"Well, whatever. Having a looker like that in a place full of men will at least take our minds off things."

"Those breasts and that ass! They get the blood going—!!"

"There’s no way that’s the ambassador’s woman."

"I heard the ambassador is just over ten years old. There’s no way he’s already claimed a woman like that."

All sorts of comments were made along the way. The speakers did not even bother to lower their voices, so I heard every word. Those who did not know the real Lily were free to imagine whatever they liked. I wanted to tell them that there are things it is better not to know. Still, I wondered what faces they were making as they said it, but I could not glare at them, so I simply walked on with a blank expression.

Inside the tent were the Duke and his hangers-on; the smell of men was at full blast. Sweat already hung thick in the air. Every gaze locked onto Lily. Well, that was fine.

"I’ve been waiting! Ambassador Marie! Hmm, the one you brought behind you—isn’t that the maid from the other day? Are you going to make that maid fight? Will she be of any use? Or perhaps you’ll have her comfort you if you get injured? Ahahaha!"

The Duke’s mind seemed to have already entered combat mode. He was overflowing with an abnormal sense of exaltation and speaking in an extremely arrogant tone. It was completely different from his usual familiar manner; everything now came from above. I wanted to ask whether it was really all right for a commander to be this worked up before anything had even started, but I stayed silent.

"This person crossed the line between life and death together with me on the journey from the Marie Kingdom to the Kingdom of Mainz. She works harder than an ordinary man, which is why I brought her. And to introduce the other—this man (I pointed at Rudolf) is the steward of our residence, but he is skilled. I believe he will be of use. Please give him any order you wish."

Rudolf bowed. They should have met before, but perhaps the Duke had no hobby of remembering men’s faces.

"I see. However, as I said before, I don’t think Ambassador Marie (at some point he had dropped the honorific) will need to do anything today. Just watch as if you were aboard a great ship. I will show you the strength of House Vélez!!"

He was arrogance itself. Perhaps he had been too frank until now. I privately concluded that this was simply how dukes normally were.

"Understood. We are weak, so we shall observe Your Grace’s masterful performance."

I bowed my head. I had nothing but anxiety, but here I could only request and believe.

I sat in the chair I was given and waited. Rudolf and Lily stood behind me. The Duke’s seat was a little apart; people came and went in rotation, spoke with him, and left. The place where I sat had become an air pocket—no one approached.

After a while a man with a flustered face came and said something to the Duke. Instantly the Duke’s expression twisted. What was it? The Duke, who until a moment ago had been speaking in a loud voice, suddenly dropped to a whisper. The men around him put their heads together in consultation.

The voices were too low to hear clearly, but fragments reached me:

"Inside the residence"

"Increase the numbers"

"His Majesty the King"

"Bows"

What was going on? I knew that even if they included me in the discussion I would be of no use. Still, I thought it was only proper to at least say something. I knew the word hō-ren-sō did not exist in this world.

That thought must have shown on my face, because the Duke beckoned me. I went to his side and sat (Rudolf had moved a chair for me). The moment I sat, the Duke said:

"Ambassador Marie, something terrible has happened."

"What is it?"

"His Majesty the King is apparently here in secret."

So that’s it, I thought, yet I still had to pretend to be surprised. After all, the Queen had looked so delighted; I had expected this. Surely Count von Kirchhoff’s house had been informed in advance.

"Eh?! Is that true?"

I put on a surprised face. The Duke looked as if he had received exactly the reaction he wanted.

"That’s right! I never imagined His Majesty would attend in person."

I did not point out who had been the one shaken a moment ago. Wait—that made me realize something. Where exactly was His Majesty "attending"?

"May I ask one thing? Where will His Majesty be watching from?"

The Duke gave me a look that said You don’t even know that?

"Probably the second floor of the Count’s residence. During the earlier arrangements the Count complained that so many people wanted to watch that turning them down was a struggle. At first he refused everyone, but there were so many requests that he started charging. Even then people kept asking. In the end the seats were being traded at outrageous prices. I also heard that the neighboring Marquis’s residence built a platform in their garden so they could see into the Count’s garden and made viewing seats. Good grief—I had wanted to keep it private, but it has become a huge affair. What a bother."

He said "what a bother," yet I could not tell what he was actually bothered by. From my perspective, the bothersome one seemed to be the Duke himself.