Chapter 172

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: The Secret Only Grand Princess Lariesa Knows
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Grand Princess Lariesa shuddered, thinking of the family dinner from a few days ago. It had been a dreadful three and a half hours.

Princess Auguste had brazenly thrown herself at Prince Alfonso, showing no shame.

- “Please don't feel uncomfortable, Prince Alfonso. Feel free to contact me anytime.”

Even Philip IV, who should have been neutral—or rather, who should have supported Lariesa, having designated Grand Princess Lariesa de Valois as a potential bride and sent her to the Kingdom of Etruscan—was openly backing Princess Auguste.

- “If there's anywhere near the palace you'd like to visit, ask Auguste to take you.”

It had been a humiliating 'family' dinner.

'I was the one who was supposed to be discussing marriage with Prince Alfonso!'

Philip IV and Princess Auguste weren't even real family, just distant relatives, so it was understandable they were only pursuing their own interests.

Lariesa was also full of resentment toward her father.

While the despicable Auguste schemed to snatch Alfonso away and His Majesty the King abetted her, Grand Duke Eudes, who should have protected Lariesa, did nothing.

On the contrary, he had even stopped Lariesa when she was about to lash out.

'What kind of father is he...!'

Lariesa's eyes welled up with tears of indignation.

She was afraid of her father, but fear was one thing, and resentment was another.

'This isn't right. It's really not. I'm going to talk to Father. If he won't let me marry Prince Alfonso, it means he doesn't love me!'

Lariesa's whining usually only worked on her mother.

However, while Grand Duke Eudes would firmly refuse at first, he would often relent and feign ignorance when Grand Duchess Bernadette repeatedly urged him.

Besides, even if it didn't work out, she would go mad with frustration if she couldn't even tell her father how she felt.

She left her room in the inner castle and headed for Grand Duke Eudes's office.

Grand Princess Lariesa noticed that the aide who was usually at the entrance to her father's office was missing.

'What's this?'

The servants, common knights, and low-ranking nobles who were usually milling about were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed her father had dismissed his subordinates.

'It's better for a private conversation, anyway.'

Lariesa shook her head to dispel the rising tension.

She stood before her father's office and raised her hand to knock.

- “Tell them not to act rashly.”

Someone was already inside.

Having had some success eavesdropping on Auguste's conversation a few days ago, Lariesa naturally held her breath and listened to the discussion coming from within.

- “Prince Alfonso...”

She immediately perked up her ears at the mention of Alfonso.

- “What His Majesty the King is doing...”

- “A scapegoat...”

- “We must not go anywhere near it...”

Grand Princess Lariesa grew paler and paler as she listened to their grave tones and the content of their conversation.

- “Once the matter in Gaeta is finished, soon...”

- “The end...”

The conversation between her father and his subordinate continued for a long time after that. It was world-shattering.

Having overheard everything, Grand Princess Lariesa stumbled away, her face ashen.

'Prince Alfonso...!'

* * *

Leo III was in a foul mood.

- *Crumple!*

He crushed the report sent by the old Marquis of Montefeltro in one hand.

“How! How could Gallico utter such nonsense!”

Sensing the absence of the Marquis of Marquez, who had been brilliant at managing the king's mood, Marquis Valdesal and Count Contarini could only bow their heads repeatedly.

The king's aide, Sir Delpianos, mustered his courage and asked.

“Your Majesty, what nonsense has that wicked northern faction spouted this time to provoke such fury?”

“Read it with your own eyes!”

Leo III shoved the parchment he had crumpled toward Sir Delpianos as if throwing it.

Sir Delpianos picked up the wrinkled paper and flattened it, and the other two ministers gathered beside him, their heads together, to read the parchment.

「...(excerpt)... Thus, I urged the Montpellier heavy cavalry to withdraw their forces, as their own prince has been dispatched to our country as an envoy.

However, the commander of the Gallican heavy cavalry replied that he would only receive orders once the negotiations between our two nations were concluded, and that he could not move an inch without a command from the Gallican central government...(end of excerpt)...」

“Hah!”

It was a sigh of disbelief from Marquis Valdesal as he read the paper.

“Are you saying those Gallican bastards are refusing to leave our border?”

Count Contarini cried out from the side.

“They're refusing to withdraw their troops even though we've sent our prince to their country? Does that make any sense! This is completely different from what they said at the beginning!”

“Keep reading! It gets worse!”

Leo III shouted, his voice filled with rage. The three noblemen fell silent and continued reading the parchment.

「...The Gallican forces are showing unsettling movements... In addition to the heavy cavalry, infantry forces are being reinforced... A protest was delivered, but there has been no reply from the heavy cavalry... The size of the infantry is estimated at about 3,000 so far... and it is gradually increasing...

We await the command of our wise King.

Your faithful servant, Odantonio de Montefeltro.」

Marquis Valdesal spoke in a trembling voice.

“Infantry... is being reinforced?”

If infantry were added, the Gallican heavy cavalry would have the strength to invade the Etruscan heartland at a moment's notice.

The ministers' pupils trembled with anxiety.

“This means... the Kingdom of Gallico might not stop at a localized military provocation...”

Marquis Valdesal started to voice his prediction but couldn't bring himself to finish, swallowing the last words.

If the 3,000 Montpellier heavy cavalry stationed outside Gaeta were reinforced with just 6,000 infantrymen, they would have enough military might to wreak havoc within the Kingdom of Etruscan at any time.

They might be invaded by the Kingdom of Gallico.

And this, while their only prince and heir to the throne was on Gallican soil.

He stole an anxious glance at Leo III.

Count Contarini, who was always slightly less pessimistic than Marquis Valdesal, exclaimed.

“We must immediately send a dispatch to Prince Alfonso and have him lodge a stern protest with Philip IV!”

Count Contarini didn't seem to think the Kingdom of Gallico would actually attack.

“Do you think I haven't tried?”

Leo III shouted, not even bothering to hide his displeasure.

“That boy Alfonso, he doesn't reply! I sent him a long letter the very day he arrived at the Palace of Montpellier, detailing the conduct expected of a future monarch!”

Nearly three weeks had passed since the prince arrived at the Palais de Montpellier.

It was now early July. There had been no news from the prince's party all this time.

If it were just Alfonso's letters that were late, he would have dismissed him as a terribly unfilial son, but even the letters from the accompanying Marquis of Marquez and Alfonso's aide, Sir Bernardino, were delayed.

The last they had heard was a single letter announcing their safe arrival right after they entered the Montpellier Palace.

“Your Majesty, but we have no other way.”

The Kingdom of Etruscan didn't have many options left.

Count Contarini urged Leo III.

He was not one to make remarks that might displease the king, so for even Count Contarini to speak this way meant the situation was dire.

“Send a dispatch rider to His Highness Prince Alfonso. Whether he protests strongly to Philip IV or quickly concludes the marriage alliance, we must prevent additional infantry from joining the Montpellier heavy cavalry stationed in Gaeta.”

Marquis Valdesal carefully offered his opinion.

“Your Majesty, what about seeking help from Cardinal Simon de Mare...?”

“Oh?”

“Philip IV is, after all, a monarch of the Yesabic faith. If Pope Ludovico were to say a word, Philip, bound by his duty of obedience to God's vicar, would not be able to ignore it.”

He was speaking circuitously, but the point was that being excommunicated by the Pope would make it impossible to rule normally, so Philip would have no choice but to be mindful.

“But will His Holiness the Pope truly restrain the Kingdom of Gallico for the sake of the Kingdom of Etruscan?”

Sir Delpianos threw cold water on the idea. Marquis Valdesal replied in a grave voice.

“His Holiness the Pope is, in principle, obligated to peacefully unite the nations of the Yesabic faith and create a paradise on earth. ...Surely he would not turn a blind eye.”

He could. Pope Ludovico was more than capable of turning a blind eye.

But they couldn't just wait and do nothing.

Leo III roughly summarized the situation.

“Right. Marquis Valdesal is correct. I don't know what conditions that old fox of a Pope will set, but let's hear him out. Sir Delpianos, arrange a day to summon Cardinal de Mare to the palace, and prepare a dispatch rider for Alfonso.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The ministers hurried away.

* * *

Had Prince Alfonso, who was being misunderstood as intentionally ignoring his father's letters, heard the conversation that took place in Palazzo Carlo, he would have felt truly wronged.

He truly hadn't received a single letter.

No, the letters weren't the only problem.

The negotiations hadn't advanced one bit, and the prince's every move was being monitored.

“I expected them to act like this to some extent, but this is just inhumane!”

This was the outburst from the good-natured Prince Alfonso, who rarely got worked up, to Sir Bernardino.

Philip IV had used a hunting competition as an excuse to disappear for a week, and after that, he vanished again, claiming he had matters to discuss with the Holy See.

In the king's absence, Princess Auguste was put in charge of Prince Alfonso.

She had been strangely cold from the beginning and gradually became more and more insincere.

It reached a point where she even said this to Prince Alfonso when he asked about an audience with Philip IV.

- “If you're a guest, you should wait quietly like one. We'll be sure to contact you when the time is right.”

The external appointments arranged by the Gallicans grew fewer and fewer.

Prince Alfonso often found himself idly sitting in his assigned quarters, killing time for over a week.

In other words, Prince Alfonso and his Etruscan entourage were practically imprisoned in their lavish quarters in the very center of the Montpellier Palace.

“Your Highness. No instructions whatsoever are coming from our home country.”

The Marquis of Marquez reported with a heavy expression.

“This is not normal. Enough time has passed for at least two sets of instructions or reminders to have arrived from His Majesty the King. It seems...”

The Marquis of Marquez couldn't bring himself to finish his thought, his voice trailing off.

“Mm.”

Prince Alfonso could only let out a low hum, having nothing else to say.

It appeared the Montpellier Palace was also intercepting their correspondence.

This was treatment that should never be shown to a diplomatic envoy. One never knew when they might receive the same in return.

“They're just throwing all caution to the wind.”

Alfonso muttered through clenched teeth.

It was then.

“Prince Alfonso!”

A familiar, detestable voice echoed through the quarters.

“Ah, she's here.”

The Marquis of Marquez glanced at Prince Alfonso, gauging his reaction.

“We will take our leave for now.”

The Marquis of Marquez and Sir Bernardino excused themselves.

As the two Etruscan nobles left, a Gallican noblewoman entered. It was Grand Princess Lariesa.

“Prince Alfonso!”

She entered with a happy smile spread across her plain face.

Despite a looming headache, Prince Alfonso greeted her politely.

“Grand Princess Lariesa.”