Chapter 173

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: You Have No One But Me
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If they were in Etruscan, Prince Alfonso would have flatly refused Grand Duchess Lariesa's visit.

However, now that the physical setting had changed to Gallico, a subtle shift had occurred in their respective positions.

These days, Grand Duchess Lariesa was the only person from Gallico who came to see Prince Alfonso.

If he refused Lariesa's visits, Alfonso would often go a full week without seeing anyone.

“I brought this because I wanted to share it with you.”

As if mimicking a country girl, she placed a rush basket overflowing with bread, cheese, and fruit on the table.

It was enough food for one person for two or three days.

It wasn't that his meals were bad, so he didn't particularly need it, but Alfonso accepted the items with a word of thanks.

“You've brought something again today. You really don't have to, but thank you.”

The Grand Duchess pretended not to notice the prince's lukewarm reaction and pulled a bottle of wine from the basket as well.

“This is a sparkling wine, a specialty of the Kingdom of Gallico. I brought it because I wanted to drink it with you, Your Highness.”

If the food was a gesture of consideration for Alfonso, the wine was for Lariesa's own selfish reasons.

But sometimes, one person's hope is another's despair.

Drinking with Grand Duchess Lariesa in his own chambers—Prince Alfonso truly wanted to refuse.

If he got drunk and so much as held her hand, his life would be held hostage. It was absolutely out of the question.

“It's a bit early for a drink. Let's save it for another time.”

Watching the prince put the sparkling wine she had taken out back into the rush basket, the Grand Duchess felt a strange sense of displeasure.

*I... I'm going through so much trouble for you...*

Duke Eude had told his wife to manage their daughter properly, but Duchess Bernadette was always lenient and lacked discipline.

However, that didn't mean Lariesa could go out as she pleased.

Today, too, she had made all sorts of excuses, lying that she was going to the dressmaker's, before taking a carriage straight to the royal palace.

But there was no way to hide her visits to the palace from her family.

When Lariesa returned to the ducal residence, she would be severely scolded by Madame Eugenie—whose tongue was as sharp as a sword—while the troubled Duchess Bernadette stood by helplessly.

And that was if she was lucky. She had to pray that word didn't reach her father's ears.

“By any chance.”

Prince Alfonso began to speak. Lariesa looked at him with sparkling eyes.

“Is there any new information about the knight I asked you about?”

There was another reason he accepted Grand Duchess Lariesa's visits instead of refusing them.

He wanted to hide that fact if possible, but when circumstances are dire, anyone would find it difficult to maintain their elegance.

“Ah... You mean the story about that Etruscan knight.”

Lariesa replied, her spirits visibly dampened.

Prince Alfonso had previously asked Grand Duchess Lariesa to inquire about Sir Elko's situation.

There was no one else he could ask.

Lariesa didn't want to talk about it. The timeline overlapped with her own mistake.

Strictly speaking, Grand Duchess Lariesa was at least thirty percent to blame for Sir Elko's sacrifice, but she considered it a 'mistake' rather than her 'fault'.

“That knight...”

But Lariesa couldn't avoid making inquiries about Sir Elko.

Fulfilling Alfonso's request was the only way she could maintain a connection to her 'Golden Prince'.

Though sometimes clueless, Lariesa was perceptive enough to know that she wasn't being warmly welcomed by Alfonso.

“Is he alive?”

Alfonso asked, unable to wait for Lariesa's reply.

Lariesa reined in her souring mood—*Why has he never shown such urgent curiosity about my daily life?*—and answered slowly.

“Yes, he's not dead. He's alive.”

“Thank God!”

Alfonso sighed in relief and made the sign of the cross without realizing it.

Wanting to draw his attention back to herself, Lariesa continued.

“After being brought to Gallico, the knight was interrogated by His Majesty Philip IV's men about Duke Mireille's affair. But it seems he didn't confess to anything.”

*Sir Elko kept his mouth shut until the end...!*

Alfonso felt as if his heart would break.

Despite the brief description of 'interrogation', he could vividly imagine the torture Sir Elko must have endured.

*They must have told him they'd make it easy for him if he just said my name. They're capable of that and more.*

“And after that?”

“There's been no news since then. No word of his death, nor have I heard of any further punishment. He's probably still imprisoned in the dungeons of Montpelier Palace.”

Hearing this, the prince was lost in thought. It was as if he had retreated into his own world.

Lariesa, who had expected a word of praise for bringing him the news, finally felt her mood sour completely.

“Excuse me, Prince Alfonso.”

“Yes? Grand Duchess.”

“Are you going to maintain that stiff attitude?”

“What did you just say?”

Prince Alfonso's expression hardened as he stared at Grand Duchess Lariesa.

Ever since Lariesa had acted arrogantly in Etruscan, boasting about the 'Great Kingdom of Gallico', Alfonso had become sensitive to this kind of provocation.

Besides, he was now truly a captive in the Kingdom of Gallico.

Ostensibly an envoy, he was effectively a hostage. He was in an even more sensitive state.

When Prince Alfonso's expression hardened, a startled Lariesa backed down.

She put on a pitiful expression, her eyebrows drooping, and said.

“Your Highness. Please don't be like this with me. Right now, you truly have no one but me.”

She hurriedly rose from her seat. In truth, it was past time for her to leave.

Her father, Duke Eude, was scheduled to visit the palace in the afternoon. She had to leave before she ran into him.

“Be careful of Princess Auguste. She is not who she appears to be. ...No, don't trust anyone in this palace. Not even my father.”

With that whispered warning, Grand Duchess Lariesa quickly left the prince's chambers.

She glanced back a couple of times as she left, but she had no choice but to go.

After Grand Duchess Lariesa departed, leaving a trail of lingering regret in her wake, Prince Alfonso was left alone in his luxurious prison with the rush basket she had brought, deep in thought.

*'What on earth did the Grand Duchess mean?'*

At first glance, it sounded like Lariesa's usual irrational jealousy. But...

*'No one in the palace? Not even her own father?'*

This seemed like a hint at something beyond a woman's jealousy.

Her insistence on visiting every three days and leaving food was also strange. He needed to examine it more closely.

* * *

At King Leo III's summons, Cardinal de Mare went to the palace dressed in his red cardinal robes.

It was an official audience at the King's formal request.

*'I know why he's summoned me, but...'*

Cardinal de Mare had also been informed that the situation in the Gaeta region was dire.

He hadn't heard about the infantry reinforcements, but with the cavalry refusing to move, it was obvious what the King wanted to say to an envoy from the Holy See.

*'He's undoubtedly going to ask me to petition Pope Ludovico to put pressure on the King of Gallico.'*

Cardinal de Mare made calculations in his small head as he walked elegantly down the splendid corridors of Palazzo Carlo and stopped before the King's office.

*'I know what he wants, but the timing is bad.'*

Pressing his throbbing temples, Cardinal de Mare considered what excuse to give the King as he followed an attendant into the office.

“His Eminence, Cardinal de Mare!”

Inside sat Leo III and his three confidants: Marquis Valdesal, Count Contarini, and Sir Delpianosa.

Starting with Sir Delpianosa, the three nobles rose from their seats in unison.

Even the King himself rose from his throne to greet Cardinal de Mare.

The Cardinal didn't show it, but he inwardly gave a wry smile.

*'Such a warm welcome. He must be desperate.'*

“Cardinal de Mare!”

Leo III personally rose from his seat and walked a few steps forward, his arms open in a friendly gesture.

*'Does he expect me to embrace him?'*

“Have you been well?”

Hiding his sarcastic inner thoughts, Cardinal de Mare replied with smooth manners.

“Thanks to Your Majesty's heavenly benevolence, I have been living comfortably.”

“Sit, sit here.”

After they were seated at the table, the topic Leo III brought up did not deviate one bit from Cardinal de Mare's expectations.

“So... we were hoping His Holiness Pope Ludovico might mediate...”

Marquis Valdesal, who had first proposed seeking help from the Cardinal, explained the matter to him.

*'This man. He should have contacted me first before bringing it to the King.'*

The Cardinal clicked his tongue, knowing that Marquis Valdesal, a man he was acquainted with, would have to take the blame for today's failure, and replied.

“I fully understand the Marquis's intentions. In normal times, I would of course have made such a request to His Holiness Pope Ludovico.”

There was only one word that could follow. Marquis Valdesal and Leo III waited for it, praying it wouldn't come.

“However...”

Just as they'd feared. They couldn't hide their distorted expressions.

“The timing is not good. His Holiness Pope Ludovico is in no position to say anything unpleasant to Philip IV of Gallico right now.”

“Is it because of... the matter of Yesak?”

Count Contarini asked cautiously. Cardinal de Mare nodded.

“That is correct. You are aware that His Holiness Pope Ludovico is currently preparing for a 'Holy War', are you not?”

As the Moor Empire grew in power, past Popes had united the monarchs of the Yesab faith to send an army to retake Yesak, the holy land of Yesab.

This was called a 'Holy War' or a 'Crusade'.

The First Crusade was over a hundred years ago, and the Second Crusade was over forty years ago.

What Pope Ludovico was now preparing was the Third Crusade.

A Pope who plants the flag of the Holy See in Yesak, the ancient city of a thousand years, the eternal land, would have his achievements praised for not just a thousand, but ten thousand years.

“I heard that Grand Duke Oldenburg of Sternheim has volunteered to be the commander-in-chief.”

“That is correct.”

“Then what does that have to do with the Kingdom of Gallico...?”

The Grand Duchy of Sternheim was a northern grand duchy, renowned for the piety of its ruler, Grand Duke Oldenburg.

And that was all.

Among the generally poor northern allied nations, its situation was relatively better, but it was ultimately still a small country.

Furthermore, though distantly related by blood to Leo III of Etruscan, it had no significant connection to Gallico.

“Grand Duke Oldenburg may be the commander-in-chief, but the Grand Duchy of Sternheim cannot bear the financial burden. Philip IV of Gallico has promised His Holiness Pope Ludovico substantial support for the Third Crusade.”

“Ah...”

Marquis Valdesal's regretful voice echoed in the office.

“It is said that the Grand Duke of Sternheim will soon visit Gallico to discuss the specific scale of the support.”

“Then...”

“Before the scale of the support is finalized, His Holiness Pope Ludovico will naturally be unwilling to say anything unpleasant to His Majesty Philip IV. And even after it is finalized, he will feel greatly burdened until the funds are actually disbursed.”

It was a reasonable argument. No debtor can hold their head high before their creditor.

Not even a Pope could escape the rules of the human world.

“There is a way, however...”

Cardinal de Mare began.