Sister I am the Queen in This Life [Novel] Chapter 144

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Shaking Gallico with Two Letters
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"His Majesty the King must be agonizing over this as well."

A faint smile remained on Ariadne's face throughout. It was the confidence of someone who had fully grasped the unfolding situation.

"To have executed the jester immediately... His Majesty Leo III clearly doesn't want the fact that Prince Alfonso was involved to spread. He's prioritizing a situation that damages his son's—pardon me—marketability over finalizing the marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Gallico. This means that finalizing the alliance isn't something that must be achieved at all costs. It's less regrettable than a son with a ruined reputation."

Ariadne asked.

"Is it paternal affection?"

"No."

Queen Marguerite answered curtly. Ariadne replied with a smile.

"Then what of Philip IV? He seems to have a keen interest in seeing this marriage alliance succeed."

Queen Marguerite answered frankly.

"It's not like Philip. In fact, the proposal for this marriage was strange from the very beginning."

"The King of Gallico tried to pretend otherwise, but he conceded far too much. As if it were a deliberately set trap."

"But for the Kingdom of Etruscan, it was a poisoned chalice we couldn't refuse to drink."

Ariadne said confidently.

"Then shall we make it so that His Majesty Philip IV has no choice but to break off this engagement?"

Queen Marguerite and Lady Carla's eyes widened. They had never considered provoking Philip IV across the Pyrenees, but rather persuading Leo III in the palace right next door.

"By what trick could that be possible?"

Ariadne held up one finger.

"First, we will stimulate anxiety and anger. His Majesty Philip IV is still a young king in his late twenties."

She explained without hesitation.

"Send a 'secret' letter to someone in the Kingdom of Gallico—someone who can report directly to His Majesty Philip IV, and someone with a loose tongue who can spread rumors well enough to reach His Majesty's ears. The letter should say, 'Duke Mireille is dead, and the Kingdom of Etruscan plans to add scandalous details to his cause of death to steer the marriage alliance in their favor.'"

Queen Marguerite seemed to grasp the gist of it, but Lady Carla stared at Ariadne with a face full of confusion. Ariadne kindly added an explanation.

"First, His Majesty Philip IV will be furious. It will seem as if the Kingdom of Etruscan is brazenly turning the tables. But the key is to spread a rumor in the Gallican court that this is the policy the Etruscan royal family will soon adopt. Public opinion in Gallico will inevitably spread: 'Accepting such a marriage alliance is a disgrace to Gallico.' The first step is to foster an atmosphere of, 'Why should we, of all people, have to enter into such an alliance?'"

"Then what is the second?"

"The second is to shake his surroundings. His Majesty Philip IV is in his third year on the throne, a king who ascended with blood on his hands. He cannot have finished physically securing his position yet."

Ariadne's green eyes sparkled. The Queen was astounded by the fifteen-year-old girl's ingenuity, which seemed to peer right into the heart of the Kingdom of Gallico.

"Who do you think would be most horrified to learn of Grand Duchess Lariesa's current predicament—that if the letter's existence is revealed, she could be immediately detained in Etruscan?"

Lady Carla interjected.

"Wouldn't it be Grand Duchess Lariesa herself?"

But Queen Marguerite gestured for Lady Carla to be quiet and then spoke.

"...Grand Duke Eudes de Valois."

"You are wise, Your Majesty. You should subtly tip off the person who would be most concerned. However, in truth."

Ariadne gazed through the window of the queen's private chamber toward the distant main gate of the palace.

"Even if we do nothing, Grand Duchess Lariesa's aide has likely already sent a fast messenger to Gallico."

In fact, Count Levien had sent the youngest member of the delegation as a swift messenger to Grand Duke Eudes.

"Grand Duke Eudes will be ready to raise hell, insisting his daughter must be brought back from Etruscan at once and that this marriage proposal is trash, if we just give him the kindling."

"You're saying Eudes needs an excuse."

"Yes, Your Majesty. The first letter will provide the justification, opening a path for Grand Duke Eudes to act. You may send the second letter, or you may not. Sending it would make things a bit more certain."

Queen Marguerite considered for a moment.

"Let's write both."

At her decision, Lady Carla looked at Queen Marguerite in surprise.

"Your Majesty! It is far too dangerous!"

The last time Queen Marguerite had written a political letter to Gallico, it had come back to haunt her for a long time.

"I know. But if I don't save my son, who will?"

Lady Carla was also deeply concerned for Prince Alfonso's safety. But she tried to stop her mistress until the very end.

"Then please, write only the first letter! She said it doesn't matter whether you send the second one or not!"

But the queen's stance was firm.

"If we are going to do this, we must do it properly. Ariadne de Mare, how do you calculate the probability of success with and without the second letter?"

In truth, precise probabilities did not exist in the world, but a statesperson always needed a yardstick to aid their judgment. Ariadne made her best estimate.

"Even if you don't write it, I believe there is a seventy percent chance of success."

"And if I do?"

"Ninety percent."

Queen Marguerite nodded.

"We'll write it. Bring me my pen."

Lady Carla could no longer dissuade the queen from her decision.

It was time to once again write to an old friend with whom she had long lost contact. With a bruised face, the queen lifted a quill and began to write on the parchment in a gentle hand.

「To the Archbishop of Montpellier,

It has been some time. I fear that even a once-close friendship may fade when time and physical distance cast their shadows as barriers.

Today, I take up my pen after a long while out of loyalty to my motherland, Gallico. I do not know if word has already reached you, but Duke Mireille, the head of the delegation sent to discuss the marriage alliance between the Kingdom of Gallico and the Kingdom of Etruscan, was unfortunately assassinated within the grounds of Palazzo Carlo the day before yesterday.

After much consideration, the Etruscan royal family will likely announce that Duke Mireille was killed while attempting unauthorized espionage within Palazzo Carlo.... (Omitted) ...While there is some evidence of espionage, it is not conclusive.」

Duke Mireille had died in a section of the palace he had no business being in, riding in an Etruscan royal carriage and wearing a coachman's clothes. There was no escaping the stigma of having been engaged in espionage.

「...A response will be needed in Gallico to this scandalous announcement. Lest you be taken aback by a sudden declaration, I wished to offer a friendly hand and give you a hint in advance as to how to respond.... (Omitted)

- Marguerite, daughter of Brienne, who longs for her motherland.」

She blew on the parchment to dry the ink and handed it to Lady Carla, who was waiting beside her.

"Last time, the Archbishop of Montpellier scurried right over to Philip with my letter."

"After that, you ceased all correspondence with the Archbishop."

"He may wonder about my ulterior motives for suddenly writing to him again after all this time, but regardless of my intentions, he won't be able to resist taking this to Philip."

She held out her hand to Lady Carla. Lady Carla immediately presented the second sheet of parchment.

Queen Marguerite's second letter was addressed to Grand Duke Eudes de Valois. Unlike the first letter with its ornate modifiers, the second was short and seemed relatively frank.

「To my dear brother Eudes,

I write to you after a long time. Today, I write regarding a rather unpleasant matter.

Lariesa, who is also my cousin's daughter, has caused some trouble. It is related to the recent uproar over Duke Mireille's death. It seems Lariesa asked Duke Mireille to kill someone, and the duke died while carrying out her request.

I have in my possession written proof that Grand Duchess Lariesa made this request of Duke Mireille. It came into my hands first through a palace official, and to protect the Grand Duchess, I have not yet revealed it to His Majesty Leo III, but I can no longer handle this on my own.

I ask for your wise counsel from Gallico. I do not know how much longer I can hold this back alone here.

- Marguerite of Etruscan.」

She handed the finished letter to Ariadne. A smile spread across Ariadne's face after she read both letters.

"Send the first letter immediately, and send the second so that it arrives about three days later."

"Why?"

"It's a matter of how long the ingredients take to cook. When you stir-fry potatoes and mushrooms, which do you cook first?"

Queen Marguerite had never cooked with her own hands. Lady Carla, who was standing beside her, answered instead.

"The potatoes. They take time to cook through."

"Correct."

Ariadne smiled brightly.

"The purpose of the first letter is to start a rumor, so it needs some time to simmer after it arrives. But the purpose of the second letter is to deliver information, so it will take effect as soon as it gets there."

Queen Marguerite clapped her hands with a look of surprise.

"Brilliant, and so sharp! By the time Eudes receives the second letter and flies into a rage, the rumor sparked by the first letter must have spread through Montpellier so he can use it as ammunition to insist to Philip that they recall the marriage delegation."

"Yes. Three days might be a bit tight, but we are in a hurry."

A smile graced Queen Marguerite's face.

"We'll have to see, but it seems to me that just as you said, Grand Duke Eudes will seize on the pretext and raise a fuss, demanding they break off the marriage negotiations and bring Lariesa back home at once."

But the smile on Queen Marguerite's face soon vanished, and she returned to her usual dry expression.

"You are a clever child. Now, let's talk about you. What are your motives for getting involved in this?"

She looked down at Ariadne with her arms crossed.

"Is it because you think you can take her place if you just break the marriage alliance with Gallico?"

Queen Marguerite's tone was not cold or accusatory. However, she did not soften her choice of words at all.

"Alfonso is the heir to the throne. If you were to marry him, it would be a morganatic marriage. Do you think that could happen? Do you truly want that? I simply cannot understand why you've thrown yourself into this with such devotion."

You can never rise in station. You can never ascend to the throne.

Queen Marguerite did not say these things out of hatred for Ariadne. In her world, she spoke them because they were simply self-evident truths.

And one thing seemed clear. Queen Marguerite had no intention of helping Ariadne become the prince's bride.

"Your Majesty."

But Ariadne simply bowed her head, her expression serene.