Chapter 60: The Unseen Hand

Colin Meister in a monastery habit.

In stark contrast, the four men and one woman who entered behind him wore thick coats, each adorned with a lavish brooch bearing a familiar crest.

They were all representatives of families who had governed the vast northern territories autonomously for more than half a century.

Each of them held enough power to command their own armies in their respective domains.

“The Duke of Malta himself has come all this way.”

“Isn’t that Count Vertun and Baron Eibel? It’s been ages since I last saw their faces!”

“The great northern nobles have come here in person?”

The nobles were in an uproar.

That was how enormous their influence was.

“Why on earth…?”

Marquis Fabian’s fists trembled.

These were people who never involved themselves in political power struggles.

The north was distant, and they were earnest in defending the Empire’s borders and tending to their own lands.

Of the autonomous territories, Malta’s domain was the most independent—so much so that imperial law often didn’t apply there. It was common for them not to attend the Council of State.

“We’re late from crossing such a long distance. Has the voting already finished?”

At the Duke of Malta’s words, the Emperor raised his hand.

“The Duke and those under the Duke’s banner are all representatives of families who hold vital positions in this nation. Therefore, your votes count as well.”

The Emperor nodded at his attendant, giving a signal.

“I shall bestow voting rights upon the great northern nobles as well. If anyone objects, speak now.”

At Beltar’s declaration, everyone fell silent.

There was simply no justification to block their votes.

“Since it seems no one has objections, let us proceed with the voting.”

At Beltar’s gesture, the attendant preparing the ballots quickly moved to hand them over.

The Duke of Malta received a slip of paper far smaller than his hand and let out a hearty laugh.

“There are only five of us. Do we really need ballots?”

“And if so?”

“We’ll just speak our votes aloud, if that’s all right with Your Majesty?”

At the Duke’s words, Beltar also burst out laughing.

“No objection to that. Go ahead.”

With the Emperor’s permission, the Duke raised the slip of paper and spoke.

“I, Kurk of House Malta, cast my vote ‘against’ this motion!”

Murmurs rippled through the hall!

“I, Susan, Count of House Vertun, vote against the motion.”

“I, Baron of House Eibel… also cast my vote against.”

Each subsequent vote was also a rejection.

“Uh… hmmm.”

The Minister of Palace Affairs hesitated for a moment with a flustered face, then finally spoke up.

“Forty votes in favor. Forty-one votes against. By a margin of one vote… this motion is hereby declared ‘rejected.’”

“Waaah!”

“We won!”

“It’s been rejected!”

The conservative nobles leaped up, cheering before the announcement had even finished.

On the other hand, the faces of the radical nobles twisted as if they had tasted rotten fruit.

Marquis Fabian’s expression, in particular, was spectacular.

“Damn it.”

Marquis Fabian clenched his teeth with a murderous glare.

Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the grand hall.

‘So, Marquis—how does it feel to taste such a miserable defeat?’

With arms folded, Rohan watched the marquis’s retreating back.

He looked deeply shaken, but Rohan wasn’t satisfied.

After all, this was just the beginning.

He intended to return everything he had received from the marquis, exactly as it had been given.



***



“We did it, Your Highness! We really succeeded!”

William, back at the Boronia Palace, shouted, his face flushed with excitement.

“To think the great northern nobles would really move! Did you use some sort of magic?”

He could hardly believe it.

Those men, famous for being glued to their seats, had come all the way to the capital to cast their votes themselves!

Thanks to them, the voting results were overturned, and the marquis’s desired ‘Succession Law Amendment’ failed.

The look on the marquis’s face at that moment—

“It’s simply amazing. Really… how did you come up with such a plan?”

Count Nidro, who had accompanied him, couldn’t suppress his excitement.

“I thought I’d seen everything life had to offer as I grew older, but there are still surprises. Life is truly something. Hahaha!”

His eyes sparkled with joy.

“From now on, the conservatives will stand firmly behind me. Now that they’ve seen the northern nobles move, there’s no need for hesitation.”

At Rohan’s words, Count Nidro nodded vigorously.

“Exactly as you say. I was already growing tired of those who kept wavering. In fact, there are already quite a few who are subtly trying to approach you.”

The conservative nobles had been deeply skeptical about Rohan’s succession.

Rohan was a prince of commoner origin.

Unlike the radical nobles, who only wanted to line up behind whoever gave them profit, the conservatives had a unique loyalty to the Empire.

So, even though they disliked the marquis, the thought of putting an incompetent emperor on the throne as a compromise was even more distasteful.

“By the way,”

He whispered quietly to Rohan.

“I was surprised to see some nobles who had followed the marquis cast their votes against him. It seems Count Frolan has done his job well.”

“It wasn’t quite as much as I’d hoped, but thanks to that, we won the vote.”

“Now that they’ve voted against him, those nobles will surely have earned the marquis’s hatred. What do you plan to do?”

He was asking if Rohan would bring them over to his side or discard them now that they’d outlived their usefulness.

“What would you do?”

Instead of answering, Rohan turned the question back to Count Nidro.



***



News of the rejected proposal spread like wildfire.

Word that the ‘Succession Law Amendment’ had been struck down in the Imperial Palace by a single vote was first to sweep through the capital.

“Haha, are we going to see a bloodbath soon?”

“Marquis Fabian never leaves a traitor unpunished.”

“Well, yes, the traitors are one thing… but what’s really shocking is the arrival of the northern great nobles.”

“Ah, how I wish I could have witnessed that moment with my own eyes!”

Everyone who worked in the palace chimed in with their amazement at the news.

“I just passed by and saw the Duke of Malta in person! My goodness, how can a person be that huge?”

“Is he really as big as a bear, like they say?”

“No need to ask. I’ve never seen anyone that big in my entire life.”

Those who had been oppressed by the marquis’s power began to speak of hope, while those who had stayed neutral found themselves shaken.

Those who had aligned themselves with the marquis were deeply unsettled.

A war between factions.

This time, the loser was clearer than ever.

Around that time—

Lucretia was sorting fabrics at her foundation’s shop.

Ding-a-ling!

At the clear chime of the bell, she stopped her hands and walked to the door.

Opening the mailbox, she found a letter with no sender.

She went into her private room and opened the letter.

And then—

“Oh my.”

Upon reading its contents, she covered her mouth in surprise.

Just a few lines. But their meaning was immense.

“…Rejected.”

The corners of her lips slowly lifted, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Now I can finally thread the needle properly.”

That evening.

After closing up shop, she quietly walked to the back and opened the door to a secret room.

The secret room wasn’t large, but it was comfortably decorated.

On the wall hung a map of noble lineages and trade routes, embroidered with her own hand.

“You’re all here, I see.”

Inside, women of all ages were already seated.

From young ladies to women whose faces were lined with wrinkles.

At a glance, they all seemed ordinary.

But all of them had suffered irreparable pain at the hands of House Fabian—family killed, or separated from their children for life.

“Everyone.”

Lucretia smiled as she looked at them.

“Finally, the time has come.”

Her eyes shone more brightly than ever before.



***



The next day.

Guests arrived at Boronia Palace.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Hahaha! This is my first time seeing the crown prince’s face! What a pleasure!”

It was none other than Colin Meister and the northern great nobles.

Duke Kurk Malta greeted them in his booming voice.

A long diagonal scar marked his face; his build was as massive as a bear, and he stood twice as tall as the average woman.

He held a grand duke’s rank, and in the north, he was practically a king.

“I am pleased as well, Duke.”

For that reason, Rohan spoke to him respectfully.

For various reasons… he was sure to be a great help in the future.

“I’ve heard much about you.”

“About me, you mean?”

As Colin looked over, the duke waved his hand.

The Duke of Malta let out another hearty laugh.

“Dmyko, that rascal, has told me many things about the crown prince. Said you’re young but incredibly mature and admirable.”

“Is that so?”

Rohan smiled.

‘I knew he was close with Lord Gerald, but even Dmyko…’

So the friendship extended through the generations.

That was unexpected.

‘How small my world was until now.’

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

He’d barely entered the capital before being thrust unwillingly onto the throne, and then became the marquis’s puppet.

He knew much about the marquis and government affairs, but his knowledge of these personal relationships was lacking.

Rohan always considered that a weakness of his.

“He said you even showed him something truly mysterious.”

The duke grinned, and Rohan, realizing exactly what ‘mysterious thing’ he meant, grinned back.

“I gave it to him as a parting gift. He seemed to really like it.”

“Of course! That rascal’s always been obsessed with ores, a true eccentric.”

He laughed again, booming.

“William.”

“Y-yes, yes sir. Duke.”

William, who had been standing stiffly the whole time, looked visibly tense.

“You’ve grown so much. Feels like only yesterday you were bawling after wetting your pants.”

“Huh? Wh-when did I ever!”

The families were acquainted, so naturally the duke knew William well.

William’s face turned red as those around them burst out laughing.

“Ah, it’s about time to be off.”

They had come to the capital for urgent business, and would soon return to the north.

“I received your letter well, Your Highness. Please keep your promise in that letter.”

“Of course. I will not forget the favor you’ve shown me.”

Rohan smiled and nodded.

“You really do have a unique presence, Your Highness.”

The duke gave a curious look, then turned to leave.

“Come on, let’s head home!”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

The nobles who’d come with him answered robustly and mounted their horses.

Neigh!

Despite their status, they did not travel by carriage.

They had ridden northern horses, far larger than ordinary ones, all the way here.

“Until we meet again, Your Highness.”

Leaving a powerful impression, the great northern nobles swiftly departed the palace.

“Whew, dredging up old memories after so long was exhausting.”

William wiped cold sweat from his brow.

Count Nidro burst out laughing.

“Is it true what he said, that you wet your pants?”

“Huh? N-no, he was just joking! The duke was just making fun of me!”

“You think the duke would lie?”

“It’s really not true, Count! Please, don’t embarrass me any further!”

William grabbed his head and groaned, “Aaaah!”