“…Count Charlotte?”
Ian Charlotte was currently Riersha’s tutor.
He was also the one who had once offered what seemed like a sincere warning, expressing concern over Riersha’s abilities.
“I cannot say for certain, but he made a rather pointed remark some time ago.”
“What did he say?”
“It was while I was investigating the vassals under His Grace’s orders. …When I encountered Count Charlotte in the grand conference hall, he said something that stayed with me.”
Oberon turned his mind back to that day.
“I had no idea the Young Lord was considering disbanding the private forces and making a move toward the capital.”
Ian Charlotte had spoken with an expression of what appeared to be genuine concern.
“Advancing to the capital is certainly welcome news, but in that case, the borders give me quite a bit of worry.”
On the surface, it sounded like perfectly ordinary conversation.
Worrying about the welfare of the Declair Empire was something any nobleman might do.
And yet, the meaning of those words could shift entirely depending on who had said them — and whose side they were on.
“…The borders, you say?”
At the very least, those were not words that a vassal of House Arachrene ought to be speaking.
⁂
Pernoa’s expression was drawn tight as he stepped out of the underground prison.
Oberon’s suspicion was not without merit — he had to admit that much.
The exchange Ian Charlotte had described carried a strange undercurrent, even to his own ears.
Of course, a single conversation was hardly enough to condemn Ian Charlotte outright, and yet…
He could not fully trust Oberon either. Not yet.
“Young Lord, where are you headed?”
When Pernoa turned not toward the Young Lord’s castle but somewhere else entirely, Rosinante followed carefully and ventured the question.
Pernoa’s mood had grown noticeably dark.
He must be on edge, given that Lady Riersha’s tutor is now under suspicion.
Rosinante quietly decided it was best to keep his thoughts to himself.
A short while later, Pernoa arrived at the entrance to the forest — the same one where they had held the treasure hunt earlier that day.
Nearby was also the clearing where Riersha took her lessons.
His expression still shadowed, Pernoa swept his gaze across the surroundings and spoke.
“Not long ago, Ian Charlotte came to see me.”
“…Him, of all people?”
“He told me he believed Riersha’s abilities posed a danger, and suggested we suspend her lessons for a time.”
It was news to Rosinante entirely, and his face showed it.
“Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
“…It does, certainly.”
If Oberon was telling the truth, then Ian Charlotte should have been working to expose Riersha’s abilities to the outside world — to corner her, to leave her vulnerable. That would have been the logical move.
But the ability Riersha had demonstrated today had been remarkably stable. Pernoa himself had been genuinely impressed.
The ease with which she had wielded her power spoke to a teacher who had guided her with painstaking care.
Judged on that alone, Ian Charlotte seemed far more trustworthy than Oberon.
His records were clean. His past, as far as any investigation had shown, was without blemish.
“What a headache.”
“Why does Oberon’s word weigh on you so heavily, my lord?”
Pernoa was quiet for a moment, as if considering how to answer.
“House Charlotte has produced exceptional strategists for generations.”
“…”
“If all of this is Ian Charlotte’s design, then it warrants looking into, wouldn’t you say?”
It might well be an overreach — nothing more than wild conjecture.
Looking at the situation plainly, the odds pointed far more toward Oberon playing some kind of game.
And yet…
Who could have imagined that someone had deliberately obstructed the flow of Riersha’s magic — suppressing her awakening on purpose?
If anyone had made that claim at the time, they would have been laughed out of the room.
“It’s better to root out even the seed of suspicion while we still can.”
⁂
The promotion examinations for House Arachrene were suddenly, undeniably close.
Without exception, everyone had grown tense. Even the children who usually drifted through their studies with little urgency were now throwing themselves into their lessons.
Riersha found the shift in atmosphere throughout the ducal castle almost disorienting.
But the mood was contagious, and she found herself focusing without even meaning to.
“Now then. Today we will be learning about the four ducal houses that stand as pillars of the Declair Empire.”
“Yes!”
Riersha gripped her pen and answered with spirit, and Carden smiled warmly in return.
We’re studying House Marcella today.
There was something pleasant about hearing a familiar name come up in lessons.
“House Marcella traces its origins to a celebrated painter…”
Speaking of which, she wondered how the Duke of Marcella was doing.
She had left the crown prince’s investiture banquet without even managing a proper farewell, and it had nagged at her ever since.
“As an aside, House Marcella has produced a great many artists over the years. Among its most famous stories is the tale of ending a war by gifting a breathtaking masterpiece to the enemy general.”
“…Wow. That’s incredible.”
“Indeed. It would not be an exaggeration to say there is no corner of the Declair Empire that House Marcella’s influence has not touched. They are quiet, but formidable. House Marcella is always present when matters of important diplomacy are concerned.”
Furthermore, as the house that set the trends of the entire empire, House Marcella reportedly wielded enough influence to reshape the hearts of its citizens in an instant.
Riersha called to mind the Duke of Marcella — red hair, golden eyes.
When they had first met, he had struck her as nothing more than a man full of mischief and teasing…
He was an absolutely tremendous power in this empire!
Hearing it laid out in a lesson made it all the more real, just how extraordinary a person the Duke of Marcella truly was.
She would have to make sure to stay on good terms with him.
“Next, we have House Willias. It’s safe to say that the majority of the empire’s great philosophers and legal scholars have come from House Willias. They played an enormous role in establishing the foundations upon which the Declair Empire stands, and the current duke is Macton Willias.”
So they were an exceptionally principled house, then?
The scales and sword — symbols of the goddess of justice — were the very emblem of House Willias.
Riersha committed each family’s crest to memory.
I need to learn these ahead of time so I don’t embarrass myself later.
Being able to recognize the emblems of noble houses was considered basic etiquette, as much a matter of common knowledge as of respect.
“And last is House Kineart, renowned above all else for producing empresses across generations.”
The house of empresses.
Riersha’s ears perked up at that.
Now that she thought about it, hadn’t Isierd also been brought over from House Kineart?
It must be a truly wicked family. There’s no question.
That was the thought running through her mind when Carden’s next words came as something she could barely believe.
“House Kineart is celebrated for its exceptional skill in medicine. Their remedies, in particular, have been described as a beam of light to the people of the empire suffering from illness.”
“…I can’t believe it.”
“I understand the reaction, but it is quite true. They possess remarkably deep knowledge in all things related to the medical arts. They have even been known to distribute medicines at no cost, and their popularity among the common people is, as a result, rather high.”
Riersha’s jaw dropped.
Carden nodded as though he entirely understood her response.
“Nobles often look quite different in person than they do in the public eye.”
“…”
“You’ve met the Duke of Marcella yourself, so I imagine you understand what I mean.”
The moment the comparison clicked, everything fell into place.
Was there anyone quite as two-faced as a nobleman?
A noble who evaded taxes behind closed doors could appear to the world as the most generous, warm-hearted benefactor imaginable.
Carden watched Riersha’s expression work through the confusion, and smiled to himself with quiet satisfaction.
He closed his book to signal the end of the lesson.
“That will do for today. I shall see you next week, Lady Riersha.”
