CHAPTER 135………………………………………………….
The Deal
“No, I was surprised too. I just… got distracted for a moment, that’s why I was slow to react.”
“No. Don’t try to fool me… You had a hunch, didn’t you? You knew all along, didn’t you? I thought it was a little suspicious ever since you told me not to let Algernon slip away last time.”
Ange was flustered by Mariana’s sharper-than-expected insight.
“W-well… Your Highness is an outstanding person, both in character and abilities, so I just thought you’d become someone great one day. That’s all. …What could I possibly know?”
As Ange rattled off excuses, a cold sweat broke out along his back.
“You are handsome, yes… but does that really justify becoming emperor? Suspicious…”
“Suspicious? Well, when you help Your Highness, you inevitably hear a lot of things. Besides, the late emperor had no children in the first place. Anyone who saw how the nobles scrambled as soon as Your Highness returned would have thought the same.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, Miss.”
Even as she nodded at Ange’s playful chatter, Mariana did not remove the suspicious gaze she had fixed on him.
“By the way, you say you’re the real granddaughter of Marquis Crow, right? I understand you shouldn’t be going around flaunting it, but hiding it even from me… that’s a bit disappointing.”
Where exactly had her story spread? More importantly, rumors always get distorted as they pass from mouth to mouth, and Ange was starting to worry about that more than anything. While he was recovering, he couldn’t exactly explain himself to everyone.
He couldn’t tell whether people would view him with pity or scorn.
“How did you find out?”
At Ange’s cautious question, Mariana clicked her tongue.
“Sometimes you act fearless in the world, but at times like this, you’re just a timid kid your age. How did I know? Because Marquis Crow came looking for the Grand Duke.”
“Why did he?”
“Why? To take responsibility, of course—he’s the one who put Hildegarde in the empress’s seat. Before that, he knew Hildegarde’s true identity and still tried to arrange a marriage with my brother, didn’t he? What a shameless old man. Oh, I keep forgetting—you’re talking about your grandfather, right? Sorry.”
“I’ve never considered him family, so speak freely.”
Mariana let out a short sigh, her expression softening as she looked at Ange.
“Turns out, aside from that, the Marquis had a few other criminal charges. Not just minor illegalities while expanding his business, but murder, fraud, and more. And yet he kept clinging to you. Honestly, unbelievable.”
“To me?”
Ange felt the same disbelief. What power could he possibly have for such an important person to fixate on him like that?
“Yep. He must have decided to settle it before the Grand Duke ascended to the throne. People said the old man is cunning. Once you become emperor, would a criminal even dare to request an audience? That’s why he wanted to resolve it first.”
“So then?”
“He emphasized that you were his lost granddaughter and said that if it weren’t for you, the Grand Duke wouldn’t even have survived.”
“That’s ridiculous to the end.”
At Ange’s firm denial, Mariana lowered her gaze. Fidgeting with the folds of her skirt, she muttered softly.
“You can’t exactly call it nonsense. Both I and the Grand Duke received your help. In many ways. The Marquis cunningly exploited that. And he also claimed that if it weren’t for him, my brother wouldn’t have been able to save you.”
Ange furrowed his brow at the cryptic words.
“My brother said it’s true too. He claimed that if the Marquis hadn’t rushed to save me, he wouldn’t have known Hildegarde’s involvement. Yet, seeing Hildegarde act as if she had expected my brother to arrive… makes you wonder if it was all orchestrated with the Marquis. Of course, the Marquis himself jumps up denying it.”
“I’ve never thought of him as my grandfather. I’m sure he hasn’t either. He’s just acting urgently, using me as leverage. So tell the Grand Duke to handle it according to imperial law.”
“They said it was a murder committed out of necessity to find you.”
“A murder to find me… nonsense. Then they shouldn’t have tried to find me at all. And why did they pretend not to know when my father passed?”
Realizing he had been too harsh, Ange quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. Saying such things to you is pointless.”
“No, no. Friends can do that to each other.”
Friends? Who exactly considered whom a friend?
When Ange blinked in confusion, Mariana smiled faintly.
“Friends? Why, do you dislike it? I’ve considered us friends from the start. From the day we first met, when you took my side.”
“But I… I’m not of a status worthy of being called your friend, Mariana. By now, you know that the Boeuf-something surname is fake too.”
“No, now it’s more than enough. It’s annoying, but Marquis Crow is claiming you as his granddaughter. And…”
Lowering her voice, Mariana glanced around. It wasn’t a huge secret, but Ange’s personal matters meant it couldn’t be broadcasted.
“The Grand Duke also wants this resolved quietly. Any messy corruption left over from the previous emperor’s reign would be a huge political burden during his ascension. That’s why…”
Mariana leaned in close to Ange.
“By law, the Marquis should be executed for his crimes, but the Grand Duke plans to settle by imposing a huge fine on the Marquis family and stripping their title. And that title… he intends to give to you.”
“The marquisate?”
“Yes.”
Mariana nodded proudly. Ange would become a marquis! For a woman to inherit a title—it was, as far as Mariana knew, a first in the empire’s history.
“Do you think the Marquis will agree? And… a title for me?”
Ange frowned, shaking his head.
“The social scene will go crazy. If this truth comes out, they won’t even recognize you as a noble, let alone a marquis.”
They said surviving a life-threatening danger would bring fortune.
But Ange’s heart sank. Becoming a noble was a dream for anyone, but in destiny studies, fortune without effort brings disaster.
This ominous feeling was not just a simple worry—it felt like sinking into a swamp. If he received a marquisate without effort, he might overhear things from the Grand Duke or side dukes that he shouldn’t hear.
“I have no intention of becoming a marquis. So tell the Grand Duke to handle Marquis Crow according to the law. That will be better for his reign too.”
“Well… it seems the Marquis offered a huge sum on the condition that he passes the title to you.”
Mariana glanced at Ange.
Though a princess, she had never taken interest in politics or the social scene. She had always felt insecure about being adopted, and after being bullied at the academy, she wallowed in self-pity.
Lately, she tried paying attention to politics through newspapers and magazines, but keeping up with the Grand Duke’s calculations was still beyond her. She loved Algernon, but Mariana often felt frustrated and anxious.
‘I can’t spend my whole life like a bird in a cage, being protected and knowing nothing.’
Such a one-sided relationship could not last.
This applied not only to Algernon but also to Ange. He had helped and protected her so far; now, despite being insufficient, Mariana would help him.
“I heard the previous emperor’s extravagant spending caused financial problems. Here’s a secret: the Marquis proposed a solution, on the condition that you become heir to the Crow marquisate. It’s a sum too large to ignore, so even Grand Duke Algernon agreed. But regardless of the Marquis’s terms, I think this deal isn’t bad for you.”
“Miss… everyone will laugh at me, a marquis overnight.”
“Are you going to refuse this opportunity just because of that? And those who laugh, I won’t let them get away with it. Ange, do you know who I am?”
Mariana raised her chin, her expression noble.
“The sole princess of the Side Duchy… and the future empress.”
Ange smiled faintly, and Mariana nodded as if confirming her own words.
