Chapter 68

Readers had varying opinions on how to proceed with this ruined original work.

Some thought a world destruction ending was best, saying if it's already ruined, let's ruin it completely. Others disagreed, arguing that if it's a horror novel, that wasn't necessary, that plausibility needed to be refined first, and that something should be done about the people going insane.

There was a time when he himself was perplexed looking at such comments.

For him, who now bore the duty of altering the original work, there was only one choice.

"Leandros! Arndt!"

As soon as he arrived at the townhouse and ran to the kitchen, what caught his eye was Leandros crushing tomatoes.

...Why?

As he stood there blankly for a moment, Arndt, who had been stirring a pot from inside, came out.

"Your Grace! Was everything alright?"

"There wasn't anything. What were you two doing in the kitchen?"

"It's raining, and the townhouse is empty, so it felt lonely. I thought I'd try cooking as a hobby."

"I can understand you doing that, but Leandros can't cook."

"That's why I asked him to crush tomatoes."

So he can't do anything else.

Leandros put down the bowl and wooden spoon expressionlessly.

"Were you looking for us, Your Grace?"

"Ah, that's right. I just thought we should go back to the main castle. I was going to ask you to pack your things as quickly as possible."

The choice he had made was to make the protagonist escape.

When the conditions for reaching the climax of the play were met, the protagonist would die.

So wasn't it just a matter of removing the protagonist from that stage completely?

If the story started to falter due to the protagonist's absence, that was something he would have to deal with somehow.

After all, unless it was Yurik, he wouldn't stay dead even if he died.

But as soon as he spoke, Arndt came running with eyes as big as marbles.

"Now? Suddenly? Did you receive some threat or blackmail from the royal palace, Your Grace?!"

"W-what are you saying?"

"Is it a case where you need to quickly hide because of His Highness the Crown Prince? Should we hire mercenaries before returning to the main castle? It's not enough, but as a temporary measure before organizing a knightly order..."

How much had this person suffered to say such things!

This was definitely PTSD!

"It's not like that. I'm just worried about the castle. And there's nothing to do here."

"What do you mean, nothing to do? Aren't you the busiest person here, Your Grace?"

"Me? Why? Is it because of the hunting festival?"

"That too, but the capital nobles are in an uproar now. Some have lost their family heads or heirs, and some families are calling in collateral branches because they have no direct heirs."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Nobles always need a focal point. If they don't have one, they end up fighting individually and strengthening royal authority."

He was starting to understand.

The disaster at the hunting festival had weakened the power of the capital nobles, and the remaining people were trying to band together.

Those who form groups naturally focus on the disparity with their counterparts.

Whether it's wealth or the size of fiefdoms, nobles here line up based on something.

And what best visibly demonstrates that is the system of "titles."

"Your Grace is known to have suffered the least damage thanks to your two escort knights. And you also attended the memorial service."

"I thought they would be wary because of Hartmann's past actions."

"To the remaining capital nobles, it might actually appear symbolic."

Taking the Hartmann ducal family, once called a den of traitors, and making it the core of the noble forces against royal authority this time?

It was obvious how Yurik would take it if he fell for this.

But he couldn't just ignore the movements of the capital nobles either.

The reason he had come to the capital in the first place was to promote the Dikenting brand, which was on the verge of failing.

When had his plan to smoothly take first place and boast "look at this, this is a Dikenting weapon" come to this?

Pressing his throbbing temples, he said.

"When they ignored us for allegedly plotting treason, did they think we'd quickly come whenever they needed us now?"

"But it's also true that we're not being treated well compared to other families, Your Grace."

"Even so, I don't intend to play along with them. ...But Arndt, you're right."

He wanted to live peacefully with his children, not become an outcast in noble society.

Besides, there was also the weapons business.

"Are there any invitations for me?"

At those words, Arndt immediately ran and brought several thick letters.

It seemed he had been keeping them, watching to see if he had died and come back to life.

As he flipped through each envelope, a name suddenly caught his eye.

If it was this family...

"Ah."

Suddenly, a good idea occurred to him.

* * *

"Your Grace, thank you so much for your precious visit."

"Not at all, Baroness Arnold."

The first family he visited after coming to the capital was the Baron Arnold family.

He only brought Arndt along, but from the entrance, they received such attentive hospitality.

He had heard it would be a simple tea time, but dozens of sweet desserts filled the table.

Was that a real fresh flower on top of that cake?

The teacup was so cold and refreshing that one might think a thin layer of ice would form.

"Such hospitality."

"We should have visited you first, rather than inviting you, but we heard Your Grace was ill. We are deeply grateful for what happened at the hunting festival."

"My knights were simply following chivalry."

"I think they were inspired by Your Grace's generosity. Truly admirable."

They were smiling broadly, trying their best to please him.

Behind them stood a butler he had seen once before, politely.

The situation was quite different from the previous iteration.

"I am acquainted with Lady Amelia. I think it was only natural."

"Ah, that's right. Arnold and Hartmann have had connections from the past! How could there be such a fateful event? You visited our family before, didn't you?"

He had only taken the horn from Amelia.

They hadn't even talked for 5 minutes.

"I was passing by for recuperation."

"It would have been nice if we could have seen you together."

"Won't we have many more such meetings in the future?"

"That would be truly delightful, Your Grace. Please let us know if there's anything we can help with in the future."

The Baroness, who had been speaking gently, suddenly stood up and made a fuss.

"Oh my, Your Grace. Our daughter is a little late because she's getting ready. Come here. Amelia, greet His Grace. We haven't properly thanked him because we were in such a hurry!"

Amelia was coming in through the round arched door behind him.

She was wearing a much lighter blue dress than the navy one she had worn at the hunting festival.

Her loose hair, as if emphasizing that she was still unmarried, was decorated with fresh roses.

Of course, underneath, there was a face with lingering signs of illness.

Amelia bowed her head when she saw him, then completely turned her gaze away when she saw Arndt.

What was this?

"I'm glad to see you looking healthy, Lady Arnold."

"Th-thank y-you for that day. Th-thanks to y-you, I-I was able to s-save my life..."

"Amelia, dear! I told you not to stutter like that. I'm sorry, Your Grace. Our child has become so passive since she was ill. She's only just recovered from her illness."

"I see."

Given the circumstances, she must have been sick because of what that servant Yurik had planted did to Amelia.

It was good that he had eliminated the servant.

Even while he silently drank his tea, the Baroness sat Amelia next to him and chatted for a long time about this and that.

"Despite how she looks now, you wouldn't believe how much our child wanted to see Your Grace. I was really surprised. She wasn't originally like this."

She's long past marriageable age, but society still sees her as a young lady, and she's actually quite intelligent, and so on and so forth.

He drank his tea, letting all the words go in one ear and out the other.

The Baroness's scheme was so obvious.

Besides, he didn't have a preference for older women.

With such thoughts, he looked at Amelia.

Her gaze was directed toward him.

A bit more obliquely than him, and a bit higher.

The person standing there right now was.

"...!"

Wow, oh, really. Was this real?

They say children are born even in the midst of war.

Arndt, perhaps already feeling that gaze, was constantly fidgeting with his hands behind his back.

"Your Grace, this too is fate, and since you've come to this tea time, as a return gesture..."

"Where does Lady Arnold plan to stay after this?"

The Baroness covered her mouth and exclaimed "Oh my!" in a falsetto.

Amelia looked at him in surprise.

"I, I don't have any, particular."

"Then it seems there's nothing determined. Lady Baroness, would you like to come to Hartmann Castle?"

"What, what?"

Amelia had a troubled face, while the Baroness and the Baron beside her looked as if they might leap up in joy at any moment.

Amelia's gaze wandered before she quickly muttered.

"B-but I'm still n-not feeling well, and e-even if I visit, it's a l-long journey."

"Dear! Amelia! I'm sorry, Your Grace. Our child seems to lack proper judgment. Of course, we'll be delighted to visit. Oh ho ho ho."

"Yes. I would appreciate that. As a butler of the Hartmann ducal family."

"...What?"

Amelia looked at him blankly.

"B-but."

"I heard that my mother cherished Lady Arnold. Moreover, she was such an outstanding talent that she became the assistant head butler. Currently, the castle has undergone multiple repairs, and the resident staff has increased. Look at Arndt's arm."

Arndt's bandaged arm looked painful just to look at.

Pointing to that arm, he continued.

"My cherished servant has such an arm, and we were short of personnel to handle castle duties. If Lady Arnold would lend her strength, it would be a great help."

Though it was phrased as a request, it was as good as an order.

The Baron's family had no grounds to refuse a Duke's request.

Considering the favor of saving a life, even more so.

Moreover, considering Amelia's current gaze, she couldn't possibly refuse this offer...

"I'm s-sorry. Your Grace, it s-seems like a p-position too g-generous for me."

...Huh?

Amelia was restless.

It was a definite indication of refusal.

The Baroness, as if relieved, quickly said.

"That's right, Your Grace. At her age, it's difficult to readily leave for another household. Besides, she's at an age where she should seriously consider marriage. What should we do?"

"Ah, no. I respect Lady Arnold's wishes."

Huh? This wasn't right?

The tea time that followed somehow fizzled out.

Amelia seemed like she was sitting on thorns, and the Baroness tried to match him and Amelia, but there was no response.

And he couldn't bring up business matters here either.

In the end, the tea time concluded faster than expected without much achievement.

As if it were the Baroness's last struggle, she urged Amelia to escort him as he was leaving.

Amelia, looking like death, guided him outside the Baron's townhouse.

The front yard of the townhouse.

In the distance by the entrance, he was watching Arndt receive something from the Baron's butler.

"...Why d-did you make s-such an off-offer?"

"What offer? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I, I..."

Seeing him play innocent, Amelia opened and closed her mouth several times.

"...I, h-have already b-betrayed Your G-Grace's family once, s-so I c-can't be forgiven."

"That happened because you loved Dederik."

"..."

"Dederik didn't love my father or mother. But my servant, Arndt, cares for me very much."

"I, I think so too."

"And you have feelings for my servant."

"N-no, I don't!"

"That's why I made the offer to you."

Amelia turned to look at him.

Her face was completely red.

"Lady Arnold is the type who becomes a bit blind when it comes to the person she loves. To the extent that she drove her master to death."

"Th-that..."

"But conversely, if I possess the person Lady Arnold loves, doesn't that mean Lady Arnold could never commit betrayal again?"

"You're b-being rude!"

"Crown Prince Yurik hasn't finished yet."

Amelia's hands, which had been trembling with anger, stopped all at once.

Vague anxiety and fear began to settle on her face.

A servant who suddenly disappeared one day.

Her body starting to heal as if by a lie, followed by withdrawal symptoms.

Just by that alone, she could probably tell what Yurik had been doing to her so far.

When he lightly placed his hand on Amelia's shoulder, she flinched.

"Even if it's to atone for what you did in the past, won't you help me for a while?"

"A-are you serious? What c-can I, what c-can I possibly do?"

"What I expect from you is just one thing."

He could see Arndt receiving a cloak and exchanging greetings with the butler.

And also his arm in its pitiful state.

"If anything happens to Hartmann in the future..."

He would never let something like this happen again.

Even if he died many times on stage.