Chapter 20: Dispute Between Two Families part 1
The reason why the Lâtel family had never been recognized as a proper Duchy, and why Lady Manuela was only nominally called a Princess, was clear: the Empire had no intention of allowing the Lâtel family to establish deep roots.
Fay understood this because it had happened before, in a similar manner, with the case of Rania, the current Queen. Rania had also received the title of Princess after the downfall of the Delphi Kingdom, which then led to her rise as the Queen.
“Wait.”
Fay’s expression hardened as she sat with composure. Though the Crown Prince was being courteous, he was still her client, and there was no way he would bring up his broken engagement without a reason—especially in the middle of discussing the task at hand. Could it be…?
“Is what I’m supposed to do somehow related to your past, Your Highness?”
“You could say that.”
“Then…”
The Lâtel family, in name, might have been a Duchy, but it was an honorary position at best. They lived in a royal-funded estate and received a stipend, even after the engagement was broken. Since they had no lands or serfs, it wasn’t surprising. Therefore, it seemed highly unlikely that any suspicious activity could be brewing within the Lâtel household, especially considering that many of their servants were likely placed there by the royal family.
But what if something did seem off?
‘Now that she was no longer his fiancée, aren’t the conditions for the family’s destruction even closer?’
A cold sweat ran down Fay’s back, just as Lucius tapped her arm lightly, bringing her back to her senses.
Oh. I’m safe, she thought with a strange sense of relief. Then the Crown Prince spoke again.
“My marriage was always going to be a political one due to my status. It was the same with my engagement to Princess Lâtel, and I’ve never complained about it. I assume the Lâtel family felt the same.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And it was the Lâtel family who proposed the breakup of the engagement.”
“What?!”
Fay couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why would they do that? It was unimaginable. The imperial family could easily erase the Lâtel family with a single decree. So what could have driven them to act that way? What kind of backing or reasons could they possibly have?
It made no sense.
“Surprising, but it’s true. After a long investigation, while there’s no solid proof, there are signs that the Orleans Duchy might have had a hand in it.”
“The Orleans Duchy?”
“Up until just before the engagement was called off, there were traces of consistent contact with someone from that side. We don’t know the content of their interactions, but it’s suspicious.”
“But… there’s no Princess from the Orleans family. What would they gain from this?”
“I chose my agent well, Miss Fay. You’re quite knowledgeable about the intricacies of noble society. It’s fortunate.”
‘Did I act too suspicious?’
Fay’s extensive knowledge of noble family dynamics and relations was obvious, given her role as an ‘Eina.’ She had spent countless hours memorizing those details while shedding tears late into the night, and now that knowledge was being unintentionally put to good use in this critical moment.
However, the Crown Prince must have known that Fay was just an orphan from the Grace Monastery. Fortunately, he didn’t seem overly suspicious.
“As you mentioned, the Orleans family isn’t looking to replace my engagement with their own candidate. They don’t have a suitable daughter of age, nor are they making any moves to adopt one. And, they haven’t defied the Imperial Family’s wishes in any significant way.”
“I see…”
“There’s just one thing. Intelligence has revealed that they’ve been engaged in a subtle power struggle with the Marquis of Hyante behind the scenes. I’ve decided to scratch the surface there and see what comes up.”
“So the explosion I’m supposed to trigger will affect them too?”
“That’s correct. The event will unfold where the forces of the Orleans Duchy and the Marquis of Hyante are both present.”
‘The Marquis of Hyante…’
Lady Jonah Hyante had always tormented Fay, despite being friends with Duchess Klein. Even though Duchess Klein knew about Fay’s struggles, she never once intervened to prevent their meetings.
‘Duchess Orleans rarely even spoke to me due to her authoritative nature, but have I ever seen any direct conflict between the Hyante and Orleans families?’
The two weren’t particularly friendly to Morgana either, but there had been no overt signs of hostility between them.
‘Yet, if an incident occurs, they’ll immediately suspect each other? Were they really involved in such covert tension? It seems like there’s always something happening behind the scenes that I’m unaware of.’
At least Fay wouldn’t be directly entangled with the people of the Klein Duchy during the incident. That was some relief.
“I understand.”
Eventually, I’ll see for myself how things unfold. But… will Dott be there?
Fay gathered her thoughts and considered what she needed to do first.
The Crown Prince’s true goal was to uncover and destroy the Orleans Duchy’s scheme. Very well, I’ll find out what’s behind all of this.
Fay resolved to fulfill the task, having perceived the Crown Prince’s sincerity.
— — —
As they exited the palace in a carriage, Lucius pointed toward a large domed building.
“We still have time. Let’s go check that place out.”
“Is that alright?”
Fay asked cautiously. After all, they were in the royal palace, and wandering about seemed risky. She wasn’t well-versed in the layout of the palace, having only frequented Arcadnia Hall, where meetings and tea gatherings were held.
“You have that, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“The pass.”
The Crown Prince had handed her a rectangular badge with a large garnet set into it, emitting a faint orange glow under light, in addition to a brooch symbolizing the imperial covenant. He said this pass would allow her access to most areas in the palace, including the imperial library, except for certain restricted zones.
