Chapter 27
The Shardina Ducal House.
One of only two ducal families in the Empire, and like Assenbach, a house that was incorporated into the Empire through negotiation.
Back when Esperusa’s unification war was reaching its final stage, the king of the northeast, Assenbach, surrendered to the Empire under the condition of retaining autonomy over his lands, thus becoming a duke.
So what about the other ducal house, Shardina?
If Assenbach was the king of the northeast, then Shardina was the center of the western union.
The power structure in the western coastal region was complicated. The nobles appointed by the Empire, the native lords of the west, and the merchant guilds responsible for the region’s wealth all tangled together, creating an extremely complex web of power.
The house that unified these tangled western powers through bloodline politics was none other than Shardina.
It sounds complicated, but really, it’s simple.
They arranged so many marriages that the families became inseparably bound to one another.
When they submitted to the Empire, they even demanded that their heir be made empress as a condition. Shardina, who had always lived by marriage politics, valued practical gain even more than Assenbach.
That’s why it was strange for Shardina to appear here now.
“The merchant union would never want the Empire to break apart.”
For the economy to prosper, peace is essential. The Empire had already stabilized, so why would Shardina aid Assenbach’s rebellion?
“Our Lucy…”
Theodora trailed off without answering what I muttered.
“You’ve been locked in the Opal Palace all this time, but how do you know all that?”
I gave an awkward smile instead of answering.
Just like when she asked how I knew information about traitors, I couldn’t exactly say it was because I read the original story.
But wait… did the original even include this much detail?
The 13th Princess was a political story, yes, but it leaned more on romance. Did it really go into this much detail about Shardina’s traditions and politics? And did I remember it all?
Maybe I should have studied for civil service exams instead of working at a company.
I let out a dry laugh. I must have really loved the original story, remembering even details I couldn’t be sure were there.
But if this involves two dukes of the Empire, the scale of events isn’t doubled—it’s multiplied four, eight times.
And in the original story, there was no mention of Shardina at all. What use was memorizing if the crucial parts don’t match reality?
“It might not be the duke himself, but his family or followers. What’s certain is that the pirate band now active used to be Shardina’s knight order, and that pirate band is funded by Assenbach’s house.”
“Then securing proof of money flow would be most certain.”
Theodore nodded at my words.
“There are other activities the duke supports—like backing Bellios Kingdom’s independence movement, or buying up national bonds through the merchant guild. But those are easy to cut off once exposed. Revealing his ties to pirates would be most fatal.”
Theo grinned.
“Luckily, we have Richard on our side, don’t we? It won’t be easy, but not impossible either.”
Richard’s mother came from a family that was part of the western union. Because of that, western nobles generally supported Richard. It was his political homeland.
But if the accused was Shardina, wouldn’t that make it worse?
“If it involves the western union, Richard might back away. If both Assenbach and Shardina get damaged, it hurts him too.”
“That’s why you have to persuade him.”
Theo smiled brightly. I was speechless.
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Why? Richard isn’t the type to only care about gain and loss.”
I couldn’t answer.
Sure, Richard is hot-headed and acts on emotion, but he’s not so stupid that he doesn’t know where his political power comes from.
“But still…”
“Just talk to him, Lucy. He’ll listen to you.”
Theo said it with meaning.
Since she put it that way, I couldn’t refuse. I would try to persuade him, though I had no hope. I nodded in resignation.
“Throwing the Empire into chaos is the first step. After that, comes a direct strike—the capital itself.”
“They’ll attack?”
I raised my voice in surprise.
“The duke will raise an army?”
“No, with magic.”
Theo cut in firmly.
“Assenbach has been gathering mages who can’t enter or were expelled from the Mage Tower. From what I can tell, it’s for curse magic, though not confirmed. They’re just stockpiling materials often used for magic.”
“What happens if a curse is activated?”
“Well, maybe everyone in the palace slowly wastes away and dies. Or maybe a plague spreads through the capital?”
I couldn’t even be surprised anymore. When I first heard of rebellion, it felt abstract. But the more I learned, the more terrifyingly real it became.
“This part, Rudolf or Lady Ariadne will handle. No one is more suited to dealing with magic than them.”
I agreed, though doubting Ariadne, the great mage, would involve herself.
“When the curse takes effect and the emperor dies, or at least the imperial family falls into chaos, that’s when the duke will move. He might raise an army and march on the capital, or simply declare Assenbach’s independence. I couldn’t uncover the plan beyond that.”
Theo spoke with frustration, but even this was shocking. To uncover so much in less than a month was unbelievable.
…No, such an investigation couldn’t be done in just that time.
“Sis, may I ask something?”
“If it’s you, Lucy, I’ll answer anything.”
She said lightly, but I was serious.
“When did you start investigating the duke’s rebellion?”
Theo’s smile faded slightly, and she answered seriously.
“Since I named Teridion.”
“What? How…?”
“One of Assenbach’s beasts is the Blue Serpent.”
I gasped in shock. Theo’s grandfather was a subordinate of Assenbach?
“Yes. This is a war to catch the Blue Serpent. I’ve been preparing for it for a very long time. I never imagined I’d gain such strong allies as you.”
I never knew.
All my knowledge was from the original story. In the story, Theo was only a neutral information broker.
In the story, Assenbach’s house was framed and destroyed, and Imelda worked to clear that false charge.
Nowhere in those stories was Theo mentioned.
What really is the true nature of the original story?
The question I had thought of many times came back again. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.
What mattered was that Theo had prepared for this for a long time. And thanks to that, I could go along with it.
I nodded after整理 my thoughts.
“Was that explanation enough?”
“Yes, more than enough.”
“I’ll contact Richard and Rudolf myself. You’re busy with very important work right now, aren’t you?”
Theo winked playfully.
“So, how’s Lucy’s cute little young master doing these days?”
At that, my mood sank instantly. I had forgotten about Tristan for a moment, but now it resurfaced.
“What’s wrong, Lucy? Did something happen?”
Theo must have noticed my troubled look.
I hesitated whether to tell her, but I knew I couldn’t handle this alone, and Theo needed to know things had gotten worse.
“Actually…”
I told her about Tristan—how he had been avoiding me, but today finally spoke, only to run away in pain when I said I wanted his happiness.
“What! Lucy!”
Theo’s reaction was fierce.
“That’s so, so, SO romantic! That’s basically a proposal!”
She clutched her blushing cheeks and screamed. To be heard, I had to raise my voice too.
“What are you talking about! I told you it’s not like that!”
She had reacted the same when I said I wanted Tristan to become a duke. Theo seemed to believe I fell for him at first sight, and no matter how I denied it, she never listened.
“A lonely illegitimate boy, and a young princess who only wishes for his happiness. Their love grows day by day beneath the blue meadows… Lucy, this is pure romance! A book! This should be a book—it’ll be a bestseller!”
“Tristan hates me!”
I shouted.
“And that’s not the point. He doesn’t want to see me anymore! I don’t know why. I only spoke honestly!”
The more I spoke, the more upset I grew.
“Lucy?”
“I know I was being dreamy, but what else could I say? I couldn’t talk about killing dukes or revenge right there. And it’s not like I insulted or threatened him, so why is he like this?”
“Lucy, wait—calm down—”
“What if I never see Tristan again? The duke’s rebellion is coming, and if I fail to persuade him…”
A tear dropped from my eye.
“What if Tristan dies?”
If he hated me, I’d accept it.
If he didn’t want revenge, I’d respect that.
If the emperor didn’t allow him to be duke, that couldn’t be helped.
But if he died—if despite everything, death came for him—
…I felt like I would collapse.
“Lucy, don’t cry…”
Theo panicked, then came and hugged me. Unlike before, it wasn’t a suffocating hug. It was gentle, as if she feared I might break.
Her hands on my shoulders were warm. Sniffling, I cried a little in her arms.
Then Theo spoke carefully.
“Actually, Lucy… there’s something I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t want to hurt you. But maybe it’s better if you know.”
“What is it?”
“Your little young master, Tristan. I think I know why he ran off.”
I quickly looked up at her.
“I told you before—he’s abused in his house. From a young age, he barely eats, works rough jobs, and Ludwig beats him. But that’s not all.”
Theo’s expression darkened.
“Lucy… everyone who was ever kind to him has died.”
