Chapter 24
When Rafaella made a look of utter disgust, William whispered in a low voice.
“I trust that you will keep your promise.”
William’s blue eyes rested calmly on Rafaella. Faced with his clear, unwavering gaze, she had no choice but to place her hand on his arm.
The final round of the card game they had played in the carriage had been William’s victory. As if all his previous losses had been a lie, it was an impeccably clean and perfect win.
And the stake of that bet had been neither chips, nor money, nor a flick to the forehead.
It was that during their time with the relief corps, Rafaella would observe “at least the minimum level of etiquette.”
Since Rafaella had insisted there would be no favors in the bet and had left a bruise on William’s forehead, she was now bound to follow proper manners for the entire duration of the relief mission.
“Tch. I thought you were the type with not a shred of cunning or flexibility.”
“…I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Despite Rafaella’s grumbling, William maintained his upright posture and composed expression.
Once Rafaella resigned herself and descended with William’s escort, Count Sester hurried forward to greet them.
“Greetings to the Empire’s Star, Her Highness the Seventh Princess. I am Hugo Sester, count and lord of this land. Duke Klimt, it has been some time. It is an honor to have you both visit this place.”
As she received the greeting with indifference, Rafaella’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
Her gaze was fixed on the count’s back.
“Hmm?”
Noticing Rafaella’s sharp scrutiny, Count Sester hastily wiped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and spoke in a rush.
“My apologies. That is my daughter. I brought her so she could greet Your Highness, but she is still young and terribly shy. She’s not usually like this… truly, I am ashamed.”
Count Sester gently pulled Rosalie forward from behind his large frame, where she had been completely hidden.
“Rosalie, hurry and show proper respect to Her Highness.”
From the moment Rafaella stepped out of the carriage, Rosalie—who had recognized her—had already lost all color in her face. Pale and trembling, she offered her greeting in a barely audible voice.
“I-I greet… the Empire’s Star, Her Highness the Seventh Princess.”
Seeing Rosalie’s pallor, Rafaella instead broke into a playful grin and replied casually.
“Nice to meet you. What a pretty young lady.”
Rosalie bowed her head even deeper. As an awkward silence settled in, Count Sester quickly spoke again.
“You must be tired from the long journey. Please, come inside. A meal has been prepared.”
“Before that, I’d like a precise report on the situation along the coast.”
William asked with a worried look.
“Were there any changes during the week it took us to arrive?”
“Fortunately, there has been no additional damage. However, the situation remains far from reassuring.”
“And the investigation?”
“It is ongoing. Additional reports should be submitted soon. For now, let us proceed to the meeting room, Your Grace.”
“Very well.”
“I’m coming too.”
Rafaella interjected abruptly.
William looked at her in surprise, but she merely shrugged, answering lightly.
“I’m the one in overall charge, aren’t I? Let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Highness. This way, please.”
For a fleeting moment, Count Sester cast Rafaella a strange look, but he soon led the way naturally. William and Rafaella followed behind him.
As she passed by, Rafaella didn’t forget to give Rosalie a small wink. Startled, Rosalie quickly lowered her head again, her fair cheeks flushing red.
To think that the cool older sister I met at dawn was a princess…
Rosalie was already reeling from worry the moment she saw Rafaella step down from the royal carriage: first, from failing to recognize her in the cave; second, from casually calling her “older sister”; and third, from fear that the secret of their hideout might be exposed.
Her head had been spinning nonstop.
But after receiving Rafaella’s wink just now, she felt that all three worries might be unfounded. It felt like a shared understanding—I won’t tell, so you won’t either—like a conspiratorial handshake between comrades sharing a secret.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips.
Phew… seeing Her Highness wink at me makes me feel at ease.
Rosalie lifted her head slightly again and stared down the hallway where Rafaella had disappeared. Even though it was already empty, her eyes continued to sparkle as she gazed for a long while.
And there was someone else staring intently at Rosalie.
An old refugee man who had blended in with the relief corps.
A wicked smile slowly spread across his wretched, deeply wrinkled face.
The three arrived at the meeting room and took seats around a large table.
Soon, maids brought in refreshments, and Count Sester’s secretary entered to present reports on the areas affected by monster attacks.
As William reviewed the documents, he spoke with a puzzled expression.
“The number of affected areas is smaller than expected.”
“Yes. The monsters focused their attacks on the port district rather than residential areas.”
“Hm. Repeated attacks on a single location.”
“Yes. Until a few years ago, they would raid fishing villages for food, but their pattern suddenly changed. Recently, they seem to be concentrating on destroying facilities.”
“There must be a reason.”
“We’re investigating, but access is difficult.”
While Count Sester and William exchanged grave words, Rafaella silently crunched on cookies.
Glancing at her from time to time, Count Sester’s thoughts grew complicated. It was because of the secret letter he had received from the Empress a few days earlier.
No matter what happens to the princess, pretend you know nothing. The people I have sent will handle everything. Remain silent, and I will guarantee the safety of your family and your territory.
In short, it meant that the princess would soon be killed here.
And it was a plan devised by none other than the Empress herself. An order that a mere border count could never refuse.
I despised political strife and intrigue, which is why I chose to live in this remote land… but this time, I cannot escape it.
As a parent raising a daughter, Count Sester wanted no part in such matters—especially since the princess was around the same age as his own child.
While William turned his attention back to the documents, Count Sester let out a heavy sigh.
At that moment, Rafaella—who had been doing nothing but munching cookies—suddenly spoke.
“That’s a deep sigh.”
“Pardon? Ah, well… being plagued by this for years tends to give one headaches.”
“What rank were the monsters that appeared?”
“Mostly rank five. Orcs were the majority, with a few rank-four bearwolves mixed in.”
“And the casualties were mostly men, as reported earlier?”
“Yes.”
“Hm… interesting.”
“What do you find interesting about it, Your Highness?”
Count Sester asked in confusion, but Rafaella showed no intention of answering and simply reached for another cookie.
Kuuung—!
At that moment, a loud impact echoed from outside the building.
All three flinched, but dismissed it as a disturbance caused by unloading relief supplies.
After quickly finishing the documents, William and Count Sester discussed the relief corps’ schedule and plans for investigating the cause.
“Then we’ll depart for the port early tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll make sure everything is prepared without issue.”
“And Count, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
As Count Sester began to tidy up, he quickly sat back down at William’s question.
“Please, go ahead.”
“Do you personally oversee tax management here, or do you employ a separate accountant?”
“My secretaries and I handle it directly.”
“I see.”
“May I ask why you’re asking?”
William chose his words carefully.
The Empire did have laws regarding taxation, but a misstep could easily be seen as infringing upon a lord’s administrative autonomy.
After a moment of deliberation, William decided—true to his nature—to take a straightforward approach.
“How many people have been expelled recently for failing to pay taxes?”
“What?!”
Count Sester reacted in shock, as if the question were absurd.
“No one has been expelled from my territory in the past ten years! That is the pride and honor of Sester!”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely! It’s the duty of a lord to provide work and sustenance to anyone who wishes to live in Sester!”
“I merely heard something and wanted to confirm it. No need to get so agitated.”
“I have reported this to the capital as well. I swear there is not a single lie in it!”
Count Sester replied loudly, brows deeply furrowed in indignation.
He had governed his land with integrity for decades, enduring many hardships. He persevered because he wanted to be a father his beloved daughter Rosalie could be proud of when he eventually passed the territory on to her.
Whenever he felt shaken, lonely, or exhausted, he relied on cigars and sweets to get through it. Over time, his dependence on sugary treats had left him obese—but he wore that weight like a medal. Proof that he had endured.
“I will open the document archives immediately. Examine them as much as you wish. If I had extorted taxes and lined my pockets, I wouldn’t have requested relief from the capital in the first place! I would have rebuilt the port with that money!”
Seeing Count Sester’s eyes grow moist, as if he were on the verge of tears, William found himself equally flustered. He decided it would be better to speak plainly and confirm the facts.
“On our way here, we met refugees who claimed they had been tenant farmers here before being driven out.”
“That’s impossible! There is no tenant farming system in my territory!”
“They said excessive taxes stripped them of everything, forcing them to build a village in the mountains. Do you know anything about this?”
“A village in the mountains…?”
Count Sester’s face twisted ominously.
“D-Don’t tell me…!”
BANG—!
At that moment, someone violently threw open the door to the meeting room.
