RTPM 10

Chapter – 10

It was an absurd notion. The Teze Dukes’ family was the oldest and most prestigious lineage since the founding of the country, wielding tremendous influence over society as a whole. The duke alone could never have achieved that level of power. The roles of the branch families and collateral lines surrounding the dukedom were enormous, and as much as he believed that, he had to claim his own share of it.

Honestly, he shouldn’t even be thinking like that.

From distant in-laws to distant cousins, the entire extended family relied on the Teze Dukes. The duke was not the kind to hand out favors easily, but as long as people didn’t make too much trouble, he was generally lenient.

For example, quietly inserting themselves into various business rights or using the duke’s name to gain prestige among other nobles—such things were practically sanctioned privileges. To continue enjoying those rights in the future, nothing was more important than the position of the duchess.

“…There’s no way such a pauper could ever become the Teze Duchess.”

In truth, she had never been someone he liked from the start. He thought, since Count Ohara pampered his only daughter, she must be “a naïve, worldly-unaware flower,” but Evangeline was far too clever. To the eyes of others, she might appear just a pretty face, but Count Lian saw differently.

“My eyes will never be deceived.”

In her calm, composed gaze, he could glimpse a character that rivaled even the Teze Duke. Though she sometimes appeared to give freely without hesitation, there were moments when she clearly drew a line between herself and them. Despite having been in the duke’s residence for less than two years, her attempts to imitate the late duchess were infuriating.

But now, the situation had changed.

Even the money that had made her tolerable was gone, and the late duchess had passed away. Fortunately—or unfortunately—no matter how blind he became, Count Lian would never go so far as to confront the Teze Duke directly.

Doing so would lead to ruin.

He could see all too clearly the consequences of provoking that terrifying man. Yet he couldn’t just leave this woman, whose essence had been drained of everything, untouched. In the end, Count Lian chose a simple and reliable solution:

To enlist someone else’s help.

“…What brings you here, Count?”

“Your Highness.”

Even the formidable duke could not directly control certain people; he had to rely on others. In that regard, Princess Bellona was uniquely suited for the task.

“You said you wouldn’t come again. This is surprising.”

“Not that I wouldn’t come, but that I couldn’t. I lacked the nerve at the time…”

“You understand that, do you?”

“Of course. But what could I do? Honestly, at that time, who could have been more suitable for the position of Teze Duchess than Your Highness?”

“…Hmph.”

The princess’s snort wasn’t unpleasant. As expected, Count Lian quietly hummed with satisfaction, having found the right person to approach.

Bellona, the emperor’s only younger sister, adored the Teze Duke. She appeared demure and reserved at first glance, but inside, her passion burned like molten lava. Once she set her sights on a person or thing, she pursued it relentlessly. It was well-known in social circles that she followed the duke everywhere he went and even begged their elder brother, the emperor, with tears in her eyes.

Unfortunately, the emperor was as rational as the Teze Duke and detested troublesome matters. Being newly ascended, he was fully aware that the support of Decarno, head of the nobility, was essential to securing his throne. Forcing a marriage at that time could have endangered his own position.

And in the Bellice Empire, the Teze Duke currently held exactly that position.

In the end, the emperor attended Evangeline’s engagement ceremony to offer a congratulatory toast, letting matters end there. That night, he paid little mind to his younger sister’s emotional turmoil. Surprised or not, he simply ignored it. But Bellona’s feelings for the duke exceeded even her brother’s understanding.

In a fit of frustration, she determined she would marry a man superior to the duke and, in a hasty decision, became engaged to Prince Lichten, who had come with a congratulatory delegation. This occurred just three days after their first meeting. Astonished, the emperor shrugged and paid a huge dowry without complaint—thinking it better to send her far away than deal with her trouble at home.

She returned to her homeland exactly three months later.

An even more formidable ex-fiancée, fueled by twisted resentment.

“Honestly, I think you two went through all this so that it would come to this.”

“…Ah, so the rumors are true?”

Bellona’s emerald eyes sparkled with a naive curiosity, despite having collected every newspaper published in Loarc. She was extraordinarily innocent where the Teze Duke was concerned.

“My goodness, what should one do? That a noble duke should suffer such things…”

“How can you have such a pure heart, Your Highness?”

“Thinking of the harm caused to someone so noble, I feel the world is unfair.”

Tears welled in Bellona’s eyes, and she dabbed them with a handkerchief. She seemed to sense what Count Lian intended to propose.

“…By the way, Count Lian, what brings you to see me?”

“Of course, Your Highness, we need you to heal the duke’s wounded heart.”

“Oh my! How could such a thing be?”

She covered her mouth in mild embarrassment, her slightly trembling lashes giving him a very suggestive look.

“However, Your Highness, he cannot simply dismiss Miss Ohara. To do so might bring ill words upon him.”

“That is exactly what I mean. Because of public attention, he must bear it and marry a woman like that… sigh.”

Count Lian sighed, glancing at Bellona’s eyes, which sharpened immediately at mention of the duke’s marriage. It was time to present his proposition.

“So, if Miss Ohara initiates the dissolution of the engagement, everything changes, doesn’t it?”

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

“Think about it. If Miss Ohara steps back on her own, the duke’s reputation remains intact. Who could possibly object if she chooses to withdraw?”

“But would Miss Ohara really yield so easily? Everyone knows she had her sights set on the duke from the beginning…”

Bellona could not directly say anything unkind, but her lips pursed. She believed that Evangeline had caused the broken engagement. Had that woman not schemed to take the duchess’s position, the duke would have naturally chosen her, the most noble woman in the empire.

“She won’t fall so easily. Her attachment to noble things is too strong.”

“Yet she is far too proud for her own good, isn’t she?”

“…Pardon?”

Her ears perked at Count Lian’s meaningful words, recalling the sweet, tempting promise he had made her two years ago, now even more enticing.

“Perhaps, if her pride is truly wounded, she might step aside in a fit of anger.”

◇ ◆ ◇

Bellona was not one to dawdle. Upon hearing that the duke had gone out, she immediately sent the imperial carriage to the Teze residence, allowing her to face her rival within a day.

“Well, your face shows quite a bit of wear, young lady.”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

Evangeline bowed politely, aware of her own appearance. Without the chance to prepare, her attire was hardly appropriate for the opulent tea room of the princess’s palace.

‘Pretending I’m fine,’ she thought.

Her unmatched grace, even out of place, made Bellona restless. There should have been signs of anxiety or indignation—but Evangeline’s eyes were as still as a winter lake.

“It was fortunate you could come while the duke was away. Otherwise, you might not have had the chance.”

“I see.”