CH 35.1

Feeling a sense of relief after being taken to Duke Chartelle’s castle, Roseline was able to have a private meeting with her uncle, Duke Raoul du Chartelle. Roseline, who didn’t bring any clothes except the ones she was wearing, was given a dress to change into the moment she arrived at the castle. Roseline, who is a bit uncomfortable in the dress since it’s been several days since she put one on, feels a bit miserable. Raoul looks at her and chuckles.

“Heheh. By the way, Roseline, you truly haven’t changed a bit. You’re even just as spoiled as you were when you were a child, aren’t you?”

“Uncle! Please don’t tease me so much!”

He’s probably talking about how when she was little, she used to beg him to play with her and then start crying. Since her uncle knows what she was like when she was little, his teasing is pretty mean. Roseline’s face turns red with embarrassment. Even if she was feeling highly emotional at the time, now that she’s calmed down, remembering how she hugged Raoul in front of everyone makes her feel a surge of humiliation.

“As much as I’d like to take a pleasant stroll down memory lane, I’ll get straight to the point. What happened in Clermont? There was someone accompanying you, but he seemed to be a commoner. If you hid your identity and came here alone, then something quite serious must be happening, correct?” Raoul asks Roseline, his expression serious once more.

Falteringly, Roseline talks about the incident that occurred at the royal palace and about what happened on her journey here. The more she speaks, the more grim Raoul’s expression becomes.

“Hm, I see. Not only the nobles of the palace, but the king and queen as well… To think that the situation has become this serious.”

“I apologize, Uncle. If only I had acted sooner…”

“There’s no helping that. I also noticed that something strange was happening in Commune, but I was unable to obtain any definite proof.”

“You realized?”

“Commune is a trade nation. If you pay attention to the movements of people and goods, the answer will naturally present itself. When changes in these things occur, the only thing to consider is whether the problem lies in the past or the future. I noticed that visitors and goods from the north were gradually decreasing, so I was wondering if something happened in the north. But even if I realized, I am equally at fault for being unable to protect the royal family. I’m sorry, Roseline. You’ve done well making it here safely.”

Raoul, her maternal uncle, seemed pained for a moment, as if there was something on his mind, but this didn’t last long before he showed concern for Roseline.

“But those damned vampires… Why would they infiltrate the royal palace?”

“Wasn’t it so they could take over the country? As far as the common people can see, the king is alive and well. Wouldn’t their goal be to control the country from the shadows?”

“Is that so? Even if that is the case, it seems to me that either their plan is too sloppy or their execution is poor.”

“Sloppy?” Roseline asks, and Raoul nods.

“A vampire takes a person’s place. Or perhaps the person is made into their underling. However, not all the humans in the palace are made into vampires. It could be said that this is the reason why you were saved, but… If so, then it doesn’t make the least bit of sense. Why would they not target you first?”

“Couldn’t there be a limit to those who can be replaced by a vampire, or perhaps some sort of conditions? Also, there were pursuers sent after me when I was escaping to Charante. Perhaps they didn’t factor my escape into their plans?”

“That cannot be. I don’t know if there are any limits or conditions, but even the pursuing soldiers were turned into vampires. With the palace nobility and even the soldiers turned, that would mean there are quite a number of vampires lurking about. If so, they should prioritize the noblemen with the highest status and influence. No matter how much you held back the king and queen, they couldn’t have overlooked only you, their only daughter with the right to inherit the throne. If anything, you should be given priority for being replaced, or if not replaced, at least imprisoned. It may be a high-handed method, but if they mean to take control of the palace, replacing you isn’t the only way.”

Roseline is first in line to inherit the throne of Commune. If they want the country under their thumb, they would never just leave her be. Even assuming that Roseline was able to sense the danger and escape before the vampires could get their hands on her, they were able to turn the king into one of them and replace even the lowest soldiers, so it’s far too unnatural that they wouldn’t make their move on Roseline before all else. She herself also feels that something is out of place.

“In the first place, the pursuers are also strange. They were able to use dragons. In that case, why didn’t they send another pursuer immediately after the first one? They should have known that if you got away and let nobles across the country know the truth, it would present an obstacle to their plan to take over the country. Normally, they would be searching for you in a frenzy. Also, the Clermont soldiers would understand that causing a commotion just outside Charante’s city walls would draw attention. Furthermore, even if a lockdown of Clermont would also temporarily prevent information from leaving the city, the surrounding cities would find out about the lockdown within a few days. It’s as if they’re announcing to us that something strange is happening in Clermont. Then, there would be no meaning in acting in secret. If anything, it seems as if they have no intention to hide.”

There was also the irregularity that was Chaos’s carriage, but even if she was delayed by a few days, Roseline would have few places to go after escaping. They should have had no trouble getting ahead of her and laying a trap in her path. And their other actions weren’t anywhere close to being behind the scenes. Just as Raoul says, If their intention is to control the country from the shadows, their poor execution certainly does stand out after listing all the suspicious aspects of it.

“Vampires can take the place of humans. What’s truly terrifying about this is that an ally could become an enemy at any moment and nobody would notice. They’re similar to spies. In other words, concealing their existence is crucial, and if their opponent finds out and becomes cautious of them, then they lose that value.”

Seeing people who had the same appearance but had turned into someone entirely different, Roseline was filled with an indescribable fear. However, what is truly terrifying is an enemy that is indistinguishable from the original person. If the Clermont vampires had approached her while acting no different from before, she surely wouldn’t have noticed until the blade pierced her throat.

“However, it loses all meaning if their personality and actions change so much that it’s immediately noticeable, to say nothing of the fact that they’d never be able to control the country if they’re discovered to be monsters. To begin with, seizing control of the royal palace isn’t enough to take over the country. Sudden political changes may cause backlash from the country’s nobles as well as its people. That is why they must act while concealing their existence until they’ve accomplished something, even if it takes time. In particular, they must wait until the majority of the country’s nobility have been replaced by vampires. Do they truly intend to take over the country? Or perhaps they have some other goal.”

“Another goal?”

“This is still only speculation. In any case, we must retake Clermont immediately. These are monsters with the intelligence to secretly seize control of the royal palace. There’s nothing more cunning than that. We may be correct to overthink things. Roseline, be careful. It’s possible that in the future, an enemy may approach you while pretending to be an ally. You must never let your guard down.”

They still don’t know the whole story about their enemies. It’s unclear just how much their power is growing in Clermont. If their influence has reached not just Clermont, but other territories as well, then the other nobles aside from Raoul and possibly even the citizens may become their enemies as well if things go poorly. If they let their guard down around their allies, then there’s a good chance their enemies will take advantage of that moment of carelessness.

“Uncle, how long will it take to raise an army to send to Clermont?”

“I plan to leave the day after tomorrow. I must contact Duke Mayenne and Duke Numour. It will take a bit of time before I arrive in Clermont.”

“Then, please take me with you!”

“That is… However…”

Having Roseline be the symbol of their cause would be ideal for raising an army. To those who don’t know the circumstances, Raoul alone raising an army could be mistaken for a coup d’etat. If they know that Roseline, who is the legitimate heir to the throne, is the symbol of their cause, more nobles will listen to them and hurry to join the princess. Even so, Raoul frowns at Roseline’s offer.

“I am the princess of Commune. I cannot sit here and wait while the people of Clermont are waiting for me.”

“Even if the king and queen are captured, can you strike?”

There is a high risk to attacking enemy territory, but more than that, the reason he doesn’t want to take her with him is because he doesn’t want her to bear the stigma of killing her own parents. They aren’t her parents anymore. Her parents are probably dead. Even if they were turned into vampire minions, they probably can’t go back to being human anymore. This is something Roseline herself is also aware of. However, logic and emotion are different sometimes. What Raoul is concerned about is whether she can still swing her blade while looking at her parents’ faces.

“I can strike,” Roseline answers immediately. “I have sacrificed many to make it here. I must avenge those people. Even if the one doing harm to this country is a relative. That is a princess’s duty.”

“…I understand. We will go together.” Having felt Roseline’s strong will, Raoul has no choice but to accept her. He also feels a tinge of melancholy and bitterness.

“You’ve grown, haven’t you? I am overjoyed that the little tomboy Roseline is growing as a princess. And yet, all I can do is force you. Regardless of my wishes, there’s nothing else I can do,” Raoul says, smiling bitterly. Then, his gaze turning serious once more, he tells Roseline, “Listen to me, Your Highness. From now on, you cannot think of me as your uncle. I am your vassal. If you hold personal feelings towards me as a relative, it may cause you to make decisions that are lacking in impartiality. And even if you have no such intention, it won’t be seen that way by the other vassals. Vassals always look to their king. You are the king. You must make decisions as a king without personal feelings. Never forget this.”

“…Yes.”

“However, now that everyone has been cleared out of the room, we are the only ones here. Now, we are not a king and a duke. We are simply an uncle and his niece. …So, it’s alright to mourn. If nobody mourns for them, your parents will be lonesome. Right now, you can cry. And tomorrow, you will once again fulfill your duty as a princess.”

Roseline’s expression crumbles. Her resolve has not dulled. But even so, that doesn’t mean that there are no smoldering emotions in her heart. As if she doesn’t want to show anyone her distorted expression, she buries her face in Raoul’s chest.

“Why… Why did this happen?! Just what exactly did they do to Mother and Father?! Why did everyone at the palace have to be sacrificed?! I’m so powerless, all I could do was run…! Mother… Father…!”

Raoul pats Roseline as he hugs her. Even if she is aware of her status as a ruler, Roseline is still young. However, as the princess of Commune, she will continue to be faced with even more difficult decisions from here on out.

That’s why she needs someone to watch over her and support her so that she doesn’t lose control of her emotions. However, since she is the princess, there are a limited number of people who are in a position to support her. Many of them were in Clermont and in the royal palace. And all of them were unfairly stolen from her.

This is fine for now. At the very least, Raoul can support her until after this battle ends. However, Raoul also has his position as a duke. It’s also a fact that he can’t stay by her side forever.

After this battle ends, will there be anyone who will be able to stand by her side?