Chapter 126
However, before the council could even be convened, a problem arose. Gilrod announced that he intended to marry Siana off.
“I have found a suitable groom for my daughter.”
With Siana and Salode before him, the man spoke with a triumphant expression.
“He is a young man I regard as a son, and he carries royal blood. In truth, he is no different from a fiancé who was promised to Siana long ago.”
Just hearing that much was enough for Ophelia to understand what the man was implying.
Previously, Idren had told her that Gilrod had once attempted to take in a man with Brinwell royal blood as a son-in-law. And when Siana died before the wedding could take place, Gilrod had immediately adopted him instead.
The reason Gilrod was trying to make this happen now—earlier than in her previous life—was simple: to block conscription.
Siana held the Lerke family’s council seat. And to prevent the seat from being used politically, its holder was prohibited from attending the council for one month before and one month after marriage.
If that happened, conscription in the south would inevitably be disrupted. No—there was no doubt it would be. Because the man who intended this situation would ensure it unfolded that way.
Ophelia spoke to Gilrod, who occupied one side of her reception room.
“To form a marriage alliance with someone from Brinwell at a time like this… how unexpected.”
“I truly believe the outbreak of war is unfortunate,” Gilrod replied. “But a father will endure anything for his child’s happiness. I’ve wished for these two to be united for a very long time. I could not delay it any further.”
It was then that Salode, who had been listening beside them, spoke.
“His Majesty ordered all Nebel vessels to cease travel, did he not?”
“He did. However, Duke Rochden had already been in Aglante before that.”
“Was this reported to the King?”
“There is a treaty stating that authorized Brinwell noble houses may enter without reporting.”
“That treaty was nullified along with port docking rights.”
“If he was already in Aglante before then, what will you say now?”
That couldn’t be true. At the time, Rochden of Brinwell had definitely been in his homeland.
But because the report Salode had received was not through official channels, he couldn’t say so outright. Swallowing his frustration, Salode fell silent.
It had been necessary, but cutting off the Queen’s aide alone had already made him feel painfully aware of his own incompetence.
And now he had failed to enforce even the King’s direct orders.
At this rate, he would have nothing to say when the King returned.
As Salode closed his mouth and racked his brain for a way to contain the situation, Gilrod Nebel sneered.
“Is this really the conduct befitting the heir of Chesa?”
That was when the Queen intervened.
“Enough.”
Her voice carried no emotion, much like her demeanor of late. Turning her impassive gaze toward the head of House Nebel, she spoke.
“I’ve thought this for some time now, but you tend to be overly ruled by immediate emotions. He’s much younger than you. There’s no need to push him so hard.”
Though she did not know him intimately, Salode Chesa was not a man who would normally react so heatedly. Still, Ophelia deliberately took his side—not because of their friendship, but because of the deep hostility she harbored toward Gilrod Nebel.
In any case, conversations like this were meaningless. Gilrod would obtain what he wanted no matter what, and Ophelia was in no position to outright refuse. A parent had the legal right to marry off their child.
In that case, it was better to act in a way he could not predict.
Setting down her teacup, she rose from her seat. Looking down at the man whose neck she would gladly sever if given the chance, Ophelia said,
“Stand up. You said you wished to see your daughter. Then I will show her to you.”
Because Siana was staying within the Queen’s quarters, no one could enter without Ophelia’s permission.
Following behind Salode, who walked ahead out of courtesy, Ophelia proceeded down the corridor. Gilrod, walking half a step ahead of her, spoke.
“Do you intend to remain present as well, Your Majesty?”
“You were never a particularly affectionate father. And I happen to care quite a bit about Lerke. I’d rather not leave them alone.”
If she allowed the two to meet privately, there was no telling what harm Gilrod might inflict on his daughter.
She did not particularly cherish Siana—but she had not forgotten how the girl had once knelt before her and begged. Moreover, men who resembled Mahanas had always inspired her contempt.
“If my daughter marries, at least I’ll have peace of mind when it comes time to pass on the family.”
“Oh, I failed to mention—my intention is to take Duke Rochden in as a son-in-law. As Your Majesty knows, my daughter is rather young for her age.”
“You don’t seem to know your daughter very well. From what I’ve seen and heard, she’s more than capable of carrying her own weight.”
“No one knows their child better than a parent.”
So was that why her own father had been betrayed in her previous life?
Ophelia twisted her lips slightly as she recalled the fate of King Dares.
Gilrod continued.
“One more thing—once the marriage is concluded, I intend to pass the family to Duke Rochden. After my previous discourtesy toward Your Majesty, I came to realize that I am growing old.”
“I can’t deny that.”
But she could not allow things to proceed as this man desired.
If Siana married, the Lerke family’s council seat would pass to Gilrod. Legally, a final heir could retain their rights after marriage—but in reality, Siana would be forced to surrender the family to her husband.
If she didn’t, her life would be threatened.
Ophelia was not foolish enough to believe that just because her own marriage had been peaceful, others’ would be the same. Noble marriages—especially those with clear political objectives—placed even a spouse’s life on the scales if it meant achieving that goal.
What would Idren have done?
She thought of the man to whom she still had not replied. Though they were not lovers, he had written her countless tender words, barely concealing his desire to love her.
She could not say she loved him, nor that she shared his feelings—but she wished he would return soon. Before she ruined everything.
For that to happen, conscription in the south had to proceed, yet Gilrod stood in the way.
And before she realized it, Ophelia thought—if Gilrod were dead, would Idren return sooner?
The castle corridor they were walking through had open windows.
Staring at the man’s back as he walked ahead, Ophelia calculated what would need to be confirmed if she shoved Gilrod out the window. How many witnesses were there? If she claimed it was an accident, would that excuse hold? If Salode took her side, could this be covered up?
She realized then that she had extended her hand.
Before anyone noticed, Ophelia quietly clenched her fingers into a fist. She couldn’t afford to act rashly. She already had too few people she could trust.
Then, suddenly, a chill ran through her chest.
Had she really become this impulsive? Enough to move without thinking?
Just because she hadn’t spoken it aloud didn’t mean it wasn’t true. She clearly remembered how naturally she had imagined murder moments ago.
Impulse turning into action happened in an instant. What she had done to Mahanas was proof enough.
What if she made a mistake?
Even earlier—this was certainly a height that could kill someone. But what if Gilrod survived the fall? No—could she even push a grown man hard enough?
In truth, pushing or throwing someone at will was nearly impossible for her.
At that moment, Salode stopped walking. The red-haired man turned back and said,
“We’ve arrived.”
Siana clenched her trembling hands beneath the tea table.
She had hurriedly prepared upon hearing that the Queen was coming—but the faces that entered were not only the one she had been waiting for.
Seeing the familiar face seated before her made it hard to breathe.
“It’s been a while, my daughter.”
“H-hello, Father.”
“You seem to be doing well. That’s a relief.”
Though she hadn’t seen him in a long time, she wasn’t dull enough to miss the meaning behind his words. They sounded less like kindness and more like a threat.
“W-what brings you here?”
The words slipped out unsteadily.
“The way one speaks reveals who they are. If you can’t speak properly, you won’t be able to convey your intentions either.”
Why did the words she’d once heard from the King’s financial advisor come to mind now?
This wouldn’t do.
Siana remembered that the Queen was watching her. Not just the Queen—the King’s financial advisor who periodically evaluated her performance, and her father as well, were all watching.
That was when her father curled his lips upward.
Like everything about him, the smile felt ominous.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.”
And before she could ask, her father added—
