Chapter 66 – Sincerely Begging for a Connection in Some Way (Touko’s POV)
Even after achieving their goal of making Touko queen, the secret meetings at the Dukes of Sakuragi continued.
When Touko entered the study of the head of the family late that night, she was greeted by the Duke alone.
Touko scurried around the room,
“Oh, Yuzuriha isn’t here?”
“…That stupid girl…”
“Eh, what is it? Where is she?”
The Duke presented a letter to Touko with a somber look on his face.
“Let me see—’I will embark on a journey to protect my partner’s back. Take care, Father’—What’s this?”
“I found this note on that idiot girl’s bed. I haven’t heard from her since.”
“She… She definitely followed Suzuha’s older brother, didn’t she? I didn’t expect The Duke to give her permission.”
“I wouldn’t give her permission!”
The Duke rubbed his temples,
“Now is not the right time to go to that man’s side. The queen has just been replaced, the purge is over, but potential rebels are still lurking, and the war with the neighboring country is still ongoing. But the duchess who should be the pillar of the nation’s support, the duke’s direct eldest daughter, has left the capital—!”
“Well, as the queen, I’m happy to hear you say that.”
“The idiot girl asked many times to follow that man, but of course I refused all of them. And yet.”
“Did you explain it properly to Yuzuriha?”
“Of course. She was so insistent, so I gave her a stern warning, saying, ‘Don’t lose sight of what you should be doing as a daughter of the Duke family.’ And then, the next day, here we are—!”
“—Hmm, I see. So maybe it’s The Duke’s fault, then?”
The Duke raised his eyebrows at Touko’s unexpected words.
“What does that mean…?”
“Think about it. What is it that all the aristocrats in our country are trying to do at this point in time?”
“They will work hard to quickly rebuild the national system, end the war with the neighboring countries on the most favorable terms possible, make peace and stabilize the government.”
“Fufu. Not at all.”
Touko cut it down to a single word,
“Well, everyone seems to think that it should be someone from the unlucky lot of higher-ranking aristocrats to take care of it. For example, someone like the Queen, me.”
“Hmm…”
“But there are things that they have to do at this point in order to develop their household and domain. That’s why all these aristocrats are desperately trying to seize the opportunity and get ahead of each other.”
“—What the h**l is that?”
“Seriously, after I’ve said this much, if you haven’t realized it, you’d be ridiculed by other aristocrats, you know?”
Touko shrugged her shoulders and simply said the answer.
“It’s obvious. It’s getting to know Suzuha’s older brother a little bit better.”
“…W-What…!?”
Touko smiled faintly at the Duke’s expression, as if she had struck a nerve.
“The Dukes of Sakuragi are firmly attached to Suzuha’s older brother, but all the other aristocrats are sincerely begging for a connection in some way, from the bottom of their hearts. It’s only natural, right? He saved the continent from the abnormal proliferation of ogres, becoming the savior and hero of the nation and the very embodiment of its military power. Moreover, Yuzuriha, who played a crucial role, is head over heels for him, and let’s not forget the Amazons who practically dominate the neighboring country. And yet, he has no other backing besides me and the Sakuragi Duke family. It’s an incredibly rare and extraordinary find, you know?”
“…However, I haven’t received any requests asking to be introduced to that man…”
“Even if they ask The Duke to introduce them to Suzuha’s older brother now, it’s bound to be put off for one reason or another, isn’t it? If that’s the case, it would be quicker to contact Suzuha’s older brother directly by themselves. But if they find out that Suzuha’s older brother is no longer in the capital, I’m sure he’ll get a lot of requests to connect with him, right?”
“…Surely you’re right…”
The Duke nodded in agreement.
“So, it turns out that instead of advising Yuzuriha, I unintentionally gave permission for her to accompany him, huh?”
“I don’t think Yuzuriha thinks about that, though… If you ask her what’s most important to her, I think she’d likely say, ‘That’s to protect my partner’s back!’ with a straight face.”
“But it seems that the result was not a mistake. At least this time.”
“Oh? Are you getting anxious that you might lose Suzuha’s older brother?”
“…It’s better to be safe than sorry, after all.”
“Well, the situation is convenient for us, too. It’s also good for national security.”
“…Why is my daughter’s presence with that man a matter of national security?”
“Well, if it were just the Suzuha siblings, it might be a different story. But with Yuzuriha around as well, there won’t be any foolish aristocrats attempting something stupid.”
Touko’s expression turned serious in an instant.
“The worst thing that could happen to our country right now is to lose Suzuha’s older brother’s favor.”
“……”
“At first glance, it may not seem likely, but in reality, that is still a very real possibility. However, if the aristocrats were to act foolishly and as a result, Suzuha’s older brother becomes disappointed and decides to leave the country, that moment would mark the end for our nation. No matter what Suzuha’s older brother himself may think or say at that moment.”
“……”
“Suzuha’s older brother is the hero who saved this continent from the ogres, Yuzuriha will definitely join his side, and even the Amazons will be furious. Any one of them would be enough to destroy our country, right?”
“……”
“And when the neighboring countries find out about the situation, they will definitely attack our country. It’ll be a race to strike first. Even I would do the same.”
“…It would probably be wise to issue a notice regarding contacting the new Margrave of Lohengrin.”
“I’ve already made the preparations. But well, if Yuzuriha is by his side, those who dare to disrespect Suzuha’s older brother will all be crushed into minced meat, and there won’t be anything left of them. Yuzuriha is scary when she gets angry, you know.”
Touko spoke as if it was someone else’s problem, but the Duke understands…
Even Touko, when seriously angered, can obliterate her opponents with an immensely powerful magic, leaving no trace of them, not even bones.
