The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[His Highness the Crown Prince Eradicates Pest, Gains Divinity]
Translated by: ME
A thorough background check had been conducted on all the students who would be our peers at the academy. After all, I, the Crown Prince, and my fiancée, Ellie, would be attending. If anything were to happen, it could become a matter of grave responsibility for the institution.
There were a few individuals who caught my attention. Among the student body, roughly half were nobles and half commoners. The ones of interest were among the nobles.
Well, no matter. If any of them were to cause trouble, I would simply deal with it appropriately. I would not let anyone lay a hand on Ellie. If anyone were to try… what should I do then, I wonder?
* * *
[It's that young lady again…] I heard a sigh escape my lips.
Ingrid Everton, the daughter of a Marquis. Right now, she was being stopped by Norman as she tried to bump into Ellie in the hallway. She ended up colliding with Norman instead of Ellie, and with slightly flushed cheeks, she stammered, [Oh… my apologies.]
The other day, she had complained to Ellie, [Isn't your attire a bit too flashy?] It was a dress I had gifted Ellie. When I asked if she had any problem with that, she fell silent with a guilty look and went away, muttering, [No, not really…]
Before that, it was her hairstyle. [All that fluffiness seems like it would get in the way. Wouldn't it be better to tie it up?] Ellie had responded with a deflated [Haa…], but her face clearly said, [What is this girl talking about?]
She persistently bothers Ellie, but all her actions are merely irritating and haven't caused any real harm. Since Ellie doesn't seem particularly troubled by them, I have no reason to intervene.
The dress I gave Ellie is not flashy at all. It's an excellent dress that brings out her cuteness to the fullest while making it clear to everyone that she is mine. And her hair… isn't its fluffy, wind-tousled appearance adorable? The way she shakes her head, seemingly bothered by it, is cute in its own right. Is that young lady picking a fight with me?
If she thinks Ellie's pale yellow dress is flashy, then what about the bright red dress she's wearing? The one that excessively emphasizes her figure and seems designed to flaunt her chest? …Ah, I see. It's not 'flashy'; it's what you'd call 'vulgar'.
As for her hairstyle, she ties it up high, but doesn't all that loose hair framing her face get in the way? Or is that not hair, but facial fuzz that has grown abnormally?
That young lady's words and actions are unbearably irritating.
* * *
Lately, Ellie has been getting along well with some of the girls in our year. I'm happy for Ellie, truly… though I wish she would pay a bit more attention to me as well.
One of these girls, Lady Emilia Forsythe, handed Ellie a note and left. She's the one who gives Ellie sweets whenever I'm absent due to official duties. I must admit, she has good taste, recognizing the cuteness of Ellie enjoying her treats.
Ellie looked curiously at the note Emilia left. I peered over from beside her as she rustled the paper open. Ellie made no move to hide it. The note was written in a very neat, easy-to-read script.
[I overheard the Target muttering, 'Why won't Elizabeth just disappear? I'm definitely more suited for the position.' I believe the subject is #3.]
…What is this?
[…Ellie, what does this mean?] My voice unintentionally dropped lower. Ellie flinched and let out a small [Eep!]
That won't do. I need to stay calm.
I deduced that the 'Target' mentioned was the aforementioned Lady Ingrid. Her? Wondering why Ellie won't disappear? Thinking she's more suited? …I'd like to give her a detailed, point-by-point explanation. I don't know what misconception she's operating under.
I told the flustered Ellie, [We'll talk later,] and proceeded to attend class.
* * *
Back at the castle, I heard the full story from Ellie. It seems Ellie has become very close with two other girls. While I'm glad for her, my feelings are a little complicated.
The note's contents were almost exactly as I had thought. And according to Lady Emilia's deduction, '#3' referred to the position of my consort and, by extension, Norman who would likely come with it.
How utterly trivial.
Just as there is no substitute for Ellie for me, there is probably no master greater than Ellie for Norman. He accepted the position of head dedicated knight without a moment's hesitation. While it's slightly annoying that the guard knights direct such pure 'loyalty' to their master, I am aware of it. So I tolerate it.
Ingrid Everton. And the Everton Marquisate. I've had both investigated thoroughly.
The current Marquis Everton, Ingrid's father, has an inflated sense of ambition. He likely plans to make his daughter the Crown Princess, position himself as her backing, and secure benefits for himself. The Marquise Everton is famously a spendthrift, and rumors say Ingrid is the same—rumors that are mostly true, though her spending is modest compared to her mother's.
Though a Marquisate, their house has no significant achievements and sits near the bottom of the peerage. They have one son, an unremarkable man whose only notable quality is his greed.
Their domain isn't particularly large, but it holds a silver mine, providing a decent income. However, the tax rate in this domain is somewhat high compared to others. It's within the kingdom's legal limits, but it must make life difficult for the common folk. Consequently, the population is low, consisting mostly of miners and their families. Despite the high tax rate, the actual revenue is low.
Their land management is utterly incompetent.
Adjacent to them lies the vast Duchy of Macnagan, which has the lowest tax rate in the kingdom—so low one wonders how they manage. But the Duchy boasts a diverse range of industries. They grow and process agricultural and livestock products, sell them, and even run local restaurants to attract people. Thanks to the large Aime River, they get high-quality clay for pottery and sand for glasswork. They even have educational institutions to train artisans. It's beyond comparing greener pastures.
People leaving the Everton Marquisate naturally flow into the neighboring Macnagan Duchy. The Duchy's diverse industries always welcome new talent, so one can find work within days of arriving empty-handed.
While this seems logical to me, the Marquis Everton apparently can't accept it. He arbitrarily holds a grudge against the Macnagan Ducal house. Judging by Ellie's attitude, the inhabitants of that… extraordinary household don't even have the Everton Marquisate on their radar. From the Macnagan family's perspective, being antagonized by the Evertons must be confusing. They're simply focused on their own work.
This is one reason the Evertons excessively resent the Macnagans. The other reason is Ellie. The Marquis had been persistently pushing his daughter as my consort. When I chose Ellie as my fiancée, the Everton family objected the most.
Who would want to embrace a known parasite that would drain the national treasury? They shouldn't take me for a fool.
If they want to ingratiate themselves, they could at least be more subtle about it. With their transparent act, it's a struggle to even pretend to be deceived.
As for their daughter, Ingrid, it's highly likely she's being manipulated by her parents. If that were the only issue, there might be some room for leniency. But she's so foolish that she'd be useless for anything other than being confined.
Now then, shall we crush this troublesome Marquisate?
An incompetent fool driven only by ambition is of no benefit. His family, who seem to think money grows on trees to fund their extravagance, are nothing but a blight.
I felt a smile escape me.
I can eradicate a pest for the kingdom. And simultaneously, remove a potential enemy for Ellie. Ah, this is getting rather enjoyable. I might even thank Lady Ingrid.
* * *
I submitted the documents I had prepared in advance to the council. I've thoroughly investigated all the individuals who are 'better off removed' before my ascension. Marquis Everton was one of them. He is unnecessary.
The Marquis hasn't committed any particular crime. He is simply incompetent. The compiled documents detailed his domain's revenue and expenditures.
They collect taxes but give nothing back to the land, using everything solely to satisfy their own desires. Consequently, even their valuable mine isn't being utilized to its full potential.
The domain's population has fallen to nearly one-tenth of its peak. Because they don't invest in the land, public order is poor. Though, the land is so unsuitable for living that not even a proper slum can form—a small blessing, perhaps.
It was slightly better during the previous Marquis's time. In the thirteen years under the current Marquis, the domain has become barren.
Based on this, I applied to the council for the confiscation of their lands and their demotion due to dereliction of duty.
The application passed almost laughably easily. I also included a list of the young lady's harassments towards Ellie. While they were trivial and insignificant, their inclusion would make some fools think, [This harsh punishment is because they targeted Ellie, isn't it?]
If it were just about targeting Ellie, removing the problem daughter would suffice. But some fools wouldn't even realize the issue was far greater and entirely different. Let them cower in fear. [Lay a hand on the Crown Prince's beloved fiancée, and your house will be destroyed.] While not entirely accurate, it's not completely wrong either, so it's fine.
I also submitted the documents regarding the Marquisate's punishment and Lady Ingrid's inexplicable actions to the Academy Headmaster. There's also suspicion she cheated on her entrance exams. I hinted that allowing this to continue could risk harm to Ellie and damage the academy's reputation. As a result, Lady Ingrid was 'expelled'.
The Marquisate had their lands confiscated and were demoted to Viscounts. Their townhouse in the royal capital and a portion of their private assets were left to them. I handed the entire domain over to the Macnagan Ducal house. They probably won't mismanage it… and it should keep Elric confined to his lands for a few more years.
To avoid the appearance of unfairly favoring only the Macnagans, I granted the silver mine to the adjacent marquisate—the Orchard family, the Queen's family and the house of my aide, Hendrick. I essentially dumped the whole matter on them, saying, [You deal with it.] I'm curious to see how it turns out in a few years.
The former Marquisate apparently filed an appeal with the贵族院 (Guìzú Yuàn - House of Lords/House of Peers) mediation office, protesting the decision, but it was, of course, rejected. It's foolish that they still don't understand the consequences of their own actions.
Since there's a risk of their misplaced resentment targeting someone, I've placed the Everton Viscountcy under surveillance. Perhaps in a few years, the entire family will have succumbed to illness. Not that I care.
Hendrick and Robert told me I seemed unusually lively while bringing down the Everton house. Unnecessary commentary. Anyone would be a little cheerful seeing useless clutter being cleared away. When I said that, Hendrick laughed and said, [Makes you seem more human, doesn't it?]
I see. I never expected to hear that from Hendrick. More human, huh? It must be Ellie's influence.
* * *
Ellie let out a [Hoh heh…] sound upon seeing the notice of Lady Ingrid's expulsion posted on the school bulletin board. …What emotion was behind that sound? Surprise? Or something else?
[Expelled… is it?] It seemed she was indeed surprised.
It had only been three days since I asked Ellie to leave it to me. The demotion notice had already been delivered to the Everton house. I had also sent auditors. All that remained was for them to complete their move to their townhouse.
Ellie was looking at me as if she wanted to say something. But remember, I wasn't the one who decided Lady Ingrid's punishment. I merely produced and submitted the documents that provided the Headmaster with the information for his decision. The punishment for the Everton house was ultimately decided by the council and approved by His Majesty, right?
I briefly explained the changes surrounding their house over the past three days and mentioned that the Ducal territory would be expanding slightly.
[Ah… that, the barren land next to ours…]
[Yes. I gave the mine to another house, but I pushed the task of dealing with that barren land onto them. Elrick should be stuck there a little longer, don't you think?]
[Lord Leon…!!]
There she goes again! Stop putting your hands together and praying to me!!
I grabbed Ellie's hands to stop her from worshipping me, but Marina, standing behind her, had her hands firmly together and was muttering something under her breath. Don't tell me they've even created some kind of scripture!?
Ellie, with her hands still held by me, turned to look at Marina.
[Marina! What should I do!? His Highness is too divine, I can't look directly at him!]
What is that!?
[I understand, my lady.]
No, you don't!
[That's right… that's it… Let's build a stone statue to enshrine His Highness!]
Why would you do that!?
[A wonderful idea! As expected of you, my lady!]
In what way is it wonderful!?
Hey, Norman! Don't just stand there laughing, do something! I saw Noel's mouth twitching too!
[Then I shall immediately arrange for a stonemason.]
[Please do! Cost is no object! I'll donate my entire allowance!]
[No, Norman! Stop Marina!]
I had Norman stop Marina, who was about to run off. I thought that was the end of it, but then I heard a voice from behind.
[I have overheard the discussion. I shall seek out the finest stonemason in the capital.]
E L S A !!
This is bad. Even Noel might not be able to stop her.
What is this?! Why is the Macnagan family always like this?!
Ah, but… Ellie is laughing happily. Seeing her smile like that makes me feel like I could forgive anything.
…No, on second thought, I can't allow this. I'll issue a notice to the stonemasons in the capital not to accept any commissions from the Macnagan Ducal house.
I'll probably be accused of abusing my power by Ellie and the rest of the Ducal household, but couldn't they consider my peace of mind for once…?
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