Chapter 57
‘But if that’s the case, why doesn’t sister just become the Emperor? If she wants, I could really push for it. …But she probably doesn’t have that ambition.’
As I gazed at sister blankly, Irene, oblivious to my thoughts, smiled brightly at me. So I smiled back.
As we were smiling at each other, the Second Prince suddenly spoke up.
“More importantly, where do you plan to send those guys? They’re in my custody now, but I can’t keep them forever. The moment I let go, they’ll make their move.”
Interrupting a cozy sibling moment. However, it was an issue that needed to be addressed, so I reluctantly answered.
“I’ll discuss that with the Kans boss first when he arrives, and then let you know.”
“…What?”
Why? What? We’re deciding on a collective residence for the Kans, so of course we should consult with the people who will live there first. Do they need permission from you about where to live? Even if it’s the Empire, that’s not right, is it?
“Do you have a hideout in mind?” Irene asked.
“Yes. I accidentally found it while looking at old maps. There’s an old village occupied by a Spider Queen. It’s a village with ore caves, surrounded by mountains, quite isolated.”
Ah, if sister asks, it’s a different story.
Perhaps because my attitude changed so drastically, the Second Prince glanced at me with a look of disbelief, but who cares. You don’t like me either. I don’t like you too.
“However, after the ore ran out and people abandoned the village, the Spider Queen took over. Current maps don’t show any trace of the village, it’s marked as the Spider Queen’s nest, so people don’t approach it.”
The Second Prince made a ‘hmm’ sound.
Can’t you think silently? Do you have to vocalize to feel satisfied? Come to think of it, this guy is an attention seeker too.
“Not bad. But the Spider Queen is a tricky monster. There’s no benefit in subjugating it, and since it’s deep in the forest, it doesn’t harm the Empire’s citizens, so it’s just left alone. But you’re talking about settling in such a place?”
The Second Prince interjected, showing off his knowledge. Though it’s more common sense than knowledge.
“However, it’s an optimal place to hide from someone’s eyes. That’s why I said I need to discuss with the boss first. Whether they’ll accept it or not.”
In reality, even if they refused, I planned to persuade them, so in a way, they had no choice. I felt sorry for them, but I needed people to guard that place for a possible future. The Kans group, who could handle most monsters on their own, was indeed optimal for living in such a dangerous place.
They’re the kind who see Honey Grives as food, so they should do well. Moreover, I heard farming used to be quite successful there in the past, so the land must be fertile. There’s a small lake, so they could fish too.
As the Spider Queen has ruled for a long time, animals might be scarce, but if we subjugate the queen, animals will return. Even if not, they could raise chickens or pigs. Also, I could support their initial settlement. Even without sister’s help, I had enough money to provide that level of support.
“What if they don’t accept? They’ll have to go if I order them to.”
“Your Highness, think about who loses if we lose those people.”
They’re important witnesses. We should be building trust and planning for the future, not giving orders. If they flee overseas, we’ll have to start playing hide and seek with the First Prince.
In the original story, the other side was one step ahead, so I think it might be the same this time. If the Kans flee overseas, I have no idea where they’d go. The original story didn’t have detailed descriptions about that.
“Irene, your brother is trying to teach me.”
Ugh. The Second Prince whined and acted cute towards sister. But as expected of our sister. Irene gently smiled and turned the tables on the Second Prince.
“It’s because our Fei is smart. Your Highness will have a lot to learn from him.”
“…Do you really think so?”
“Of course. The more one rules, the more humble and open-minded they should be. Everyone is good at different things. No matter how excellent Your Highness is, you can’t be the best in everything.”
“That’s right. Your wise words are all correct.”
The Second Prince waved his hand at me. It was a gesture to leave. Not once did he ask me to stay until the end. I guess he didn’t like sister praising me now.
But what should I do? My business isn’t finished yet. I need to resolve Taran’s issue.
“Sister, I have something to say.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“After deciding on a residence with the boss, I’m thinking of visiting a local territory.”
“What? No way. You need to recuperate, not go anywhere.”
“I made a promise to Taran.”
“Taran?”
I explained to the curious Irene about my promise with Taran and the circumstances. Irene, being kindhearted, got genuinely angry and fumed.
“Such a vicious lord should be arrested immediately! Don’t you agree, Your Highness?”
The Second Prince gave me a strange look before agreeing with Irene.
“Sister would have succeeded the Duke’s position. You’ll be busy enough, so I wanted to go myself.”
Although we’re a ducal family, the other party is also a noble. A lord, at that. We don’t have the authority to forcibly arrest someone based on one side’s story, especially a Kans’. So it’s essential to meet Taran face-to-face and make him admit his wrongdoing. Of course, he won’t admit it easily, so that’s when we’ll need to use our family’s influence a bit.
“Ah… about that, Fei.”
“Yes?”
Irene looked troubled and carefully opened her mouth.
“We kept father’s death a secret. Only His Majesty, His Highness, you and me, Luwen, and Merin know the truth.”
I see, Irene took action after being certain that the Kans weren’t the culprits.
“There’s a letter father left for me, saying he took poison.”
“Then can’t we use that as evidence?”
“We can’t. It contains content that can’t be revealed to the outside. So we had to delay the funeral to find out what kind of poison it was, and there was only one way. I’m sorry, Fei.”
“What are you sorry to me for? You must be more upset. I’m fine.”
It seemed there was content related to the ‘promise’ father mentioned just before he passed away. Seeing the Second Prince quiet, it seems he knows about the letter too.
“More importantly, poison… I have a few guesses.”
I advised Irene about several types of poison, mixing in real information. Of course, along with methods to extract poison from blood. The problem is that it can’t be identified by conventional methods, but it definitely leaves evidence in the body for a long time.
In the original story, even after much time had passed, Irene didn’t give up and finally uncovered the poison. I felt sorry for passing off the knowledge sister had worked hard to obtain as my own, but it would be better to reduce her time of mental suffering. How must Irene, who loved and respected father, feel?
“Thank you. I’ll have them check the poisons you mentioned first.”
“I hope… it’s revealed quickly. So sister won’t suffer.”
Irene’s eyes trembled slightly as she smiled bitterly. Is it because I’m seeing such a weak side of her for the first time? My heart ached. Should I have saved father after all? If I had made up my mind and visited a little earlier…
‘No. I did my best.’
That was my best. If I had visited before he took the poison, he wouldn’t have believed me. Rather, if I had mentioned it first and then he drank the poisoned alcohol, he might have suspected me. That blood doesn’t go anywhere.
Just thinking about it makes me sad.
Yes, now is better. This is the right path. I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not my fault.
“So Fei, please, I’m begging you, focus on your recovery. We can’t have anything happen to you too, okay?”
…Ah. As the conversation drifted elsewhere, I forgot about Taran’s matter. Trying not to show that I had forgotten, I shook my head slightly.
“I don’t want to trouble sister who’s already having a hard time. I also want to resolve Taran’s grievances as soon as possible. So it’s right for me to move.”
“Fei…”
I was planning to stimulate her emotionally first, then persuade her by mentioning the clinic, but it feels a bit off. For some reason, I have a strong feeling that sister might allow it if I go with Master…
I should make the first move quickly. The truth is, I don’t want to go. The Second Prince can handle it without moving directly! How could a local lord defy a summons from the royal family?
“I promised to teach Taran at the clinic, so I need to remove the Kans mark. He’s a hardworking child, ah…”
I trailed off mid-sentence and staggered. Luwen, who was standing by, was startled and quickly caught me. I held my forehead and lowered my head as if dizzy. Having just recovered from illness, it was a good time for a feigned illness to be believable.
