The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Approaches the Mystery of the Duke of Macnagan Family! ...or So it Seems, but He Doesn't]
Translated by: ME
Third of March, Ellie came to me with a very cheerful smile.
It's quite rare for Ellie to visit me while I'm working. But I have a hunch that today's matter is 'that'. I told her to come in and waited, and Ellie arrived with a beaming smile. She's cute as always.
[Thank you for your time.]
As always, she bows politely. I really like Ellie for not neglecting these things. I escorted Ellie to the sofa and sat next to her.
[So? What's up today?]
When I asked, Ellie busily took out a folded piece of paper from the small bag she had. She opened it with both hands and held it up so that the front was visible to me.
[I passed!]
Ellie is smiling so much that I can't help but smile too. What Ellie is proudly displaying is a letter of acceptance from Stanford University. I received the same one the other day.
[Congratulations.]
[How about you, Leon-sama?]
Ellie carefully folded the acceptance letter again, put it back in her bag, and asked with a smile. However, although it was formally a question, Ellie's tone didn't doubt that I would pass.
[I passed.]
[Congratulations!]
It's a blessing with a full smile. It's the best congratulatory gift.
Ellie is rummaging through her small bag again. I wonder what will come out... As I watched, she took out a small box and offered it to me.
[This is a congratulatory gift!]
[Even though I didn't say I passed?]
As I said while receiving the box, Ellie laughed cheerfully.
[There's no way Leon-sama would fail.]
Ellie really thinks highly of me.
[Thank you. Can I open it?]
[Please do. ...Even if you don't like it, please accept it.]
I laughed at Ellie, who suddenly had a serious face, and opened the small box. It's a jewelry case. Moreover, it's from a high-end jewelry store that is a royal warrant holder. It's a rare gift for Ellie.
When I opened it, the contents were a set of cufflinks and a tie pin. It's made of elegant silver, and round emeralds that resemble Ellie's eyes are embedded in them.
[Thank you. I'm happy.]
I'm really happy (especially the emeralds that are the color of Ellie's eyes). When I told her that, Ellie smiled with relief.
[I'm glad you're pleased.]
[Yeah. I'll use them.]
I also want to keep it because it's too precious.
[I'm also preparing a congratulatory gift for Ellie, but it's not ready yet. I'm sorry.]
When I said that, Ellie made a blank [Hoe?] sound.
[...Your Highness, you were preparing it even though you didn't know if I would pass?]
She's calling me [Your Highness] again. As I stared at Ellie, she seemed to notice and corrected herself in a small voice, [Leon-sama.] Ellie doesn't get used to my name easily. If I were to say it, honorifics such as [sama] are unnecessary...
[I thought there was no way Ellie would fail.]
When I said that, Ellie gave a wry smile. Isn't absolute trust heavy? That's what you always give me, right?
With the academy entrance in May, I revised some of the security arrangements for me and Ellie. Unlike before, when we were basically in the royal castle, we would be spending most of the day at the academy. It is necessary to place security personnel inside the academy as well.
I went to the academy for a meeting about that. The academy also has its own security guards. The head of those guards, the headmaster, Noel, and I decided on the placement of soldiers and the allocation of numbers. ...If Ellie were here, she would be happy to participate. I wonder if I should have brought her. I thought so, but Ellie is visiting the clinic with the Queen today. Ellie is gradually being assigned public duties. Well, that's on hold for a while.
We decided on a general security system, and the rest would be handled flexibly on the ground... and it was settled.
[However, Lady Elizabeth is a very talented person.]
I was offered tea, and now I'm leisurely having tea with the headmaster.
[Ah. I know.]
When I smiled, the headmaster jokingly bowed his head, saying, [I'm sorry for my rudeness.]
Apparently, my entrance exam scores were the best. This academy wouldn't pander to royalty, so that's probably the case. ...In the past, there have been royals who took the exam here and failed. And Ellie is in second place, only slightly behind me. Of all things, she made a spelling mistake in history, which is Ellie's specialty. She'd be depressed if I told her. I'll keep it a secret.
[Headmaster, could I borrow her thesis?]
[I have it prepared.]
The headmaster stood up and returned with a bundle of papers from his desk. I was curious about what she wrote, so I asked the headmaster in advance. The handed-over paper certainly had Ellie's neat and beautiful handwriting.
[Flood control...]
The title of the thesis is [The Flooding of the Aeme River and its Suppression and Prevention - Flood Control and Irrigation Plans and their Economic Effects.] The Aeme River is a large river in the Macnagan Duchy. It floods about once every few years. Palliative treatment is being carried out without fundamental measures being taken. This was unexpected. It is a thesis that details large-scale civil engineering works and even mentions the economic effects.
[Lady Elizabeth has a broad perspective. There are also many historical facts cited.]
[She especially likes history...]
[The history lecturer was pleased. He said that she sees history as [past lessons] and tries to use it for the future. He said he would be happy if she chose history. However, the engineering and economics lecturers also wanted Elizabeth-sama.]
I couldn't help but laugh at the headmaster, who said it with pleasure. Certainly, Ellie's thesis doesn't make it clear what she wants to specialize in. Because Ellie is unpredictable, she may be planning to go in a completely different direction.
[And one more thing...]
One more thing? What the headmaster is offering is a thin bundle of paper. It's about four or five sheets. I received it and had a puzzled expression. As expected, Ellie's handwriting says [Verification of Miracles] with a dubious title. And at the bottom of the paper, it says [Seeking the opinions of the chemistry and physics lecturers.]
I flipped through it and couldn't help but sigh. What are you doing, Ellie...? It was a text about the cookie (provisional) that Ellie made before. In short, it's about [I did it according to the procedure, but for some reason it has no taste and is so hard that I can't bite it. I want you to think about how that happens.] It clearly states the ingredients of the cookie and the procedure that was followed. And it lists the possibilities of hardening and the possibilities of losing taste, and refutes them one by one. The last part is summarized as [I was about to give up thinking because I didn't understand, but as a scholar, that is an unforgivable folly. Therefore, I would like to ask for the help of knowledgeable lecturers.]
Was that cookie (provisional) so frustrating...?
[It was very popular with the chemistry and physics lecturers.]
[...Very popular?]
That much?
[Yes. There was a burst of laughter.]
[Burst of laughter...]
I can never tell Ellie this.
When I returned the paper with the complaints about the cookie (provisional) to the headmaster, the headmaster laughed happily.
[The chemistry lecturer even said that this is good enough to pass.]
[That's...]
I don't know what to say anymore.
[Anyway, we welcome Your Highness and Elizabeth-sama. We hope that your life at the academy will be a good one.]
[Thank you.]
I returned the greeting with a smile to the smiling headmaster.
At the Duke's house, where I simply went to ask if I could go to school with Ellie, something happened again that exceeded my imagination. The Macnagan Duke's family has been full of mysteries since before, but how can visiting them deepen the mysteries even further?
The whole family greeted me when I visited. Ellie is wearing a beautiful, light blue dress. Around her neck is the necklace I gave her as a congratulatory gift. It's an item that only history buffs would know about, but I was sure that Ellie would notice it. I wonder if Ellie noticed the letters on the back of the top decoration. Well, it doesn't matter if she doesn't notice. It's just my self-satisfaction. Anyway, I'm happy that she's wearing it.
The Duke was so happy when I offered to take her to and from the academy that it was exaggerated. ...Honestly, I was taken aback. Why is he so happy? No, it's more convenient than being opposed. The Duchess is also happy. They are not the kind of people who would flaunt the fact that their daughter is the Crown Princess. So, what is it? Are they simply happy that their daughter is being treated with care? ...I don't think so.
However, Ellie showed a little hesitation. To that Ellie, the Duchess said clearly.
[...You will be confined to a narrow carriage with that thing every day, morning and evening, for twenty minutes.]
What is that thing? What does it mean to be confined to a carriage? I don't understand, but anyway, it's not peaceful. ...Also, I may be overthinking it, but the servants outside the window have been making strange movements for a while now. What is that too?
When I asked the meaning of the Duchess's words, the Duke and Duchess looked at each other and nodded. Then, they began to speak in a solemn tone.
[Today, there is something we would like you to hear, Your Highness.]
[We have not been hiding it, but we apologize for the fact that it has taken such a form as a result.]
It's very serious. Does the Duke's family have such a serious secret?
...As a result, I was told a ridiculous story.
Next to me, Ellie has tears in her big eyes and is trembling slightly.
[Ellie, are you okay?]
When I stroked her back, she looked at me with a slightly relieved face. But her back is still trembling.
The Duke's family's concern was about their son, Elrick. A boy who has shown an abnormal obsession with Ellie since she was born, and still dotes on Ellie abnormally. The way he is obsessed and the way he dotes on her are beyond comprehension. ...Rather, I can only think that it's something that you shouldn't be able to understand. ...Collecting the hair that fell out when Ellie brushed it, that would be terrifying to anyone. It's no wonder Ellie is trembling.
When I called the butler and asked how Elrick was doing, a terrifying answer came back.
[...He is in his room, choosing clothes to dress 'My Ellie Doll' in.]
What is that? 'My Ellie Doll'? I can only imagine the worst...
[So, what is that doll?!]
Ellie broke down. It was the first time I'd seen her so distraught. No, the content being discussed is too much; it's impossible to tell her not to be upset. Ellie is already crying. All I can do is rub her back to help her calm down, even a little.
Furthermore, the butler revealed the terrifying information that Elrick had entered Ellie's room without permission and taken clothes from her closet. Ellie is even more upset and is now sobbing. Ellie, desperately wiping away tears with the cuff of her dress, has dull, clouded eyes. Her focus seems off, too.
This is no good. This house is dangerous. I have to get Ellie out of here...
With that single thought, I told the Duke,
[Would it be alright if I took Ellie back to the castle?]
That is what I said. The moment I said that, the Duke and Duchess, Ellie, and even the butler and maids in the room all looked at me with pleading eyes. ...Just how cornered are you all, together!
Despite the fact that I was asking to take their daughter to another house, the conversation progressed at an alarmingly rapid pace. Just a few minutes after my proposal, the butler gave the surprising report that [the luggage is ready.] What exactly is the Macnagan Dukedom...?
While I was still a little dumbfounded, Ellie looked out the window and stared blankly. Drawn in, I looked in that direction as well, and the sight before me was completely incomprehensible, causing my thoughts to come to a complete halt.
Outside the window, not only maids and servants but also a man who looked like a gardener, and even men whose attire suggested they usually worked in covert operations, were gathered. And they were all clapping with bright smiles, saying things like [Congratulations] to Ellie.
...What is this? What kind of scene is this?
While I was stunned by the incomprehensibility of it all, Noel, unusually, spoke up. Noel, whose job is to 'stand by', doesn't open his mouth unless spoken to. Was there something that bothered him that much?
[What is that thing you've been doing... ?]
While saying [that], Noel imitated the hand movements that the servants were doing. The Duke gave a truly bright and pleasant smile.
[It is the hand sign passed down in our Macnagan Dukedom.]
...Passed down in the Dukedom? A hand sign? Why would such a thing be passed down? You have a bright and pleasant smile, but what you're saying makes no sense, Duke. And so, I witness another mystery of the Macnagan Dukedom.
The butler said it was 'temporary luggage', and the time it took to prepare was incredibly fast. Yet, Ellie's luggage completely filled two of the Dukedom's carriages. It's beyond just being quick at work. It still doesn't make sense.
When Ellie got into the carriage I had come in, it seemed like the entire Dukedom's staff, probably excluding Elrick, came to see her off. ...In the back, there's even the cook.
[Then, Your Highness, please take care of our daughter...]
The Duke and Duchess bowed deeply, and when I replied, [Leave it to me,] the servants also bowed. ...What is this? There are many people making gestures of praying with their hands together towards me. The way the servants are looking at me is similar to how they would look at an object of worship... It's scary.
It's only about ten minutes to the Royal Castle. The townhouses of people of the Dukedom are all in districts relatively close to the Royal Castle. The higher the peerage, the closer the distance to the Royal Castle, and the further away, the lower the peerage. The townhouses of baronial families near the bottom of the ranks are not in the districts where noble residences line up but are mixed in with private houses.
Inside the carriage that had started moving, Ellie turned to me and bowed deeply.
[Your Highness, thank you very much...]
Her voice is tinged with exhaustion. She was so distraught earlier; it can't be helped. She's calling me 'Your Highness' again, but I'll leave her alone for now.
[It's alright. There's no need to thank me.]
[No! The moment Your Highness said you would take me to the Royal Castle... I saw a halo around Your Highness! That's how much I was saved!]
...A halo...? Could it be that? Did all those people who were putting their hands together also see a halo around me...?
[Now I can escape from the life of locking my room with three locks! I can say goodbye to the days of being afraid of the outside of the window when I change clothes!]
...Was that what her days were like...? What is this? It seems quite different from the typical 'noble life'...
Noel, sitting across from me, is looking at Ellie with a slightly pitying gaze. I understand how he feels, but he should stop.
[It's just my selfishness. It's not something to be thanked so much for.]
That's right. If you put it that way, that's all it is. I also have the ulterior motive of making it easier to spend time with Ellie. If Ellie is right there every day, that would make me very happy.
However, Ellie, after stammering, [Your Highness... how...] was about to put her hands together. Why is she praying?!
I quickly grabbed Ellie's hands and stopped her from praying.
[Yeah, you don't have to pray.]
[But...]
What do you mean, 'but'!?
...There's something I've realized, just a little. I thought Ellie's words and actions were a bit off in an upward direction, but that's not it. The Macnagan Dukedom itself is straight up in an upward direction.
One day, about a week after I brought Ellie to the castle in what amounted to a kidnapping. The Duke and Duchess came to visit me and Ellie.
[Your Highness, we are truly grateful for helping our daughter this time...]
Next to the Duke, who was bowing and speaking as if overcome with emotion, the Duchess was also giving a deep bow. Is it that bad?! ...It must be that bad. Judging from how cornered they seemed.
I calmed the couple down, who were thanking me over and over, and urged them to take a seat.
[We have succeeded in isolating Elrick, so we came to report it.]
After moistening his mouth with tea, the Duke's opening line was that. Isolation...? Isn't he your heir...?
[You succeeded in capturing Brother!?]
Ellie's voice is lively. The words 'capturing my brother,' which I've never heard before, came out, but I'll refrain from commenting.
[Yes. If we let him run wild any longer, he's bound to do something at the academy.]
[We've also completed a new restraint for confining him. Ellie, you don't have to worry about anything.]
The Duke and Duchess say with remarkably stern expressions, but the content is terrible. A new restraint means there's an old restraint, too...? Ellie is delighted, her cheeks slightly flushed, saying, [That's wonderful...]
...What should I do? I can't keep up.
[Although it's before his enrollment, we've submitted a one-year leave of absence to the academy. In the meantime, we're hoping to correct him at least somewhat...]
[I see...]
What else can I say? When I talk to the people of the Macnagan Dukedom, I always get stuck and don't know what to say.
[A lot of weird stuff came out of Al's room... but, Ellie, you don't want to hear about it, do you?]
To the Duchess, who smiled at Ellie with a worried look, Ellie nodded vigorously.
[No! Please don't let me hear it! There are things in this world that are better left unknown!]
[That's right... We all burned them one by one in the garden. I felt like we'd be cursed if we didn't...]
I know that in the religious rituals of the East, there is a ritual called 'O-takiage' to purify unclean things with fire. Could that be it...?
[How about burning Brother as well... ?]
Ellie!? What, is she saying something scary!?
[That's too much... ...There's no way we could get away with it.]
That's not the point, Duchess!!
[Both of you, stop saying dangerous things.]
I was relieved that the Duke said that to calm them down. However, the next moment---
[The problem isn't that. Al would definitely escape. He wouldn't commit such a foolish act.]
That's not the point either!? It's not uncommon for several family members to die suspiciously in a feud among great nobles. But this family is different. The cause of the feud is fundamentally different...
[When Ellie applied to Steinford Academy, she submitted a paper...]
[Ah, I saw it. The flood control of the Aeme River, right?]
When I nodded, the Duke nodded as well.
[Yes. If you know about it, then we can get to the point quickly. ...Actually, that's the Elrick Correction Program.]
...Huh? I must have looked puzzled. Ellie explained with a deep sigh.
[Brother is very talented, but he has so many unfortunate elements that his overall evaluation is 'super pervert'.]
...Yeah. I can't deny it, but is that really the way to put it?
[Originally, there was no need for him to attend Steinford Academy. He has already mastered the studies he needs to, and he has no intention of taking office, so there's no need to add the prestige of being a Steinford graduate.]
He has no intention of taking office... Why is this Dukedom so reluctant to appear in public?
[Then why did he take the Steinford exam? Simply because I took it.]
Elrick is amazing for passing just for that reason!
[Basically, Brother doesn't listen to anyone. He only acts for the sake of what he likes.]
[And that's Ellie...]
When I muttered that, Ellie nodded with a disgusted look.
[So, we thought about it. If I devised a measure that would require a long period of time, and had Brother carry it out, wouldn't we be able to confine Brother to the territory for a long period of time!?]
Ellie looked up slightly to the sky as if she had received a revelation! The Duke and Duchess were also nodding in agreement.
[The flood control of the Aeme River has also been a long-standing issue in the Macnagan territory. So, what if I drafted it and had Brother carry it out... ?]
...There are many things I want to say, but I'll just listen for now.
[In order to hide the unnaturalness of having Brother carry it out, we used the Steinford Academy exam. As if 'I had been thinking about it for a while, and I want to carry it out now, but I don't have the time or the power to do it myself'.]
It's an unnecessarily grand plan. I can't believe it's just a plan to separate a brother who is obsessed with his sister.
[There are many places in that paper that need to be adjusted before it can be put into practice. My brother is unnecessarily talented, so he will adjust them properly. There are also places where I deliberately proceeded with only theoretical arguments and theoretical values. He will also make corrections to those... It will probably take a year just to do that.]
Certainly, there were such places. I thought it was an unusual theory for Ellie, a theory with holes in it, but I never thought there was such a hidden reason...
[I stirred things up by saying, 'Ellie seems to want to do this, but aren't you going to help?' It was easier than twisting a baby's arm; he jumped right on board with the plan. Kukuku…]
…That sounds like a villain's line, Duke.
[The thesis states that it will take fifteen years to complete. However, that's my brother. He will definitely shorten the period. So, I set a constraint of five years for the construction of the economic zone. This will at least isolate him in the territory for five years.]
Indeed, that was written there too… After implementing flood control, the plan is to build an economic zone by placing commercial facilities and the like on land that is currently barren due to being a flood-prone area. The plan was to cover the construction costs with profits after five years. That 'five years'… I never imagined it had this kind of meaning…
[At the earliest, it will be five to six years, but we can keep him isolated in the territory. He's currently all fired up, saying, 'My first joint project with Ellie!']
[Nooooo!!!]
I stroked Ellie's back again to comfort her as she clutched her head and screamed. From the other side, the Duchess was also stroking Ellie's hair. I hadn't noticed it the other day, but the Duchess was a very loving and gentle woman. …I thought she had sharp eyes like someone from the underworld the other day.
[It's okay, Ellie. In five years, you should already be the Crown Princess. Even he has enough common sense to know that 'messing with the Crown Prince and Princess is bad'~]
That's a rough kind of common sense!? As I watched the mother and daughter huddling together with indescribable feelings, the Duke bowed his head to me again.
[Your Highness, I am truly grateful… Thank you for choosing Ellie as your consort…!]
[No, please raise your head. I am the one who is grateful that you have offered such a wonderful young lady as Ellie.]
[Your Highness…]
The Duke muttered as if overcome with emotion, then lowered his head and began to clasp his hands together. Please stop doing that!!
[Truly, once my daughter becomes the Crown Princess, we will no longer be in a position to meet easily, but the same goes for him. There is no higher status to protect my daughter. …I am truly grateful…]
Even the Duchess lowered her head and began to clasp her hands together. Ellie! Please don't clasp your hands together either!
I somehow managed to get the three of them to raise their heads and stop clasping their hands. …I'm so tired. It's more mentally exhausting than my usual official duties…
The Duke, with a bright smile, drank his tea, and the Duchess, with an equally bright and gentle smile, said,
[A long-standing burden has become a little lighter, hasn't it~]
[That's right. It's all thanks to Your Highness.]
Ellie smiled as she watched the two of them laughing together, [Ufufu,] and [Ahaha.] …I can't keep up with the situation anymore.
[The servants are also grateful to Your Highness,]
The Duke said as if remembering.
[It seems they bought a portrait of Your Highness in town and made an altar to worship it.]
Don't say that with a smile!! That's not something to say!!!
And Duchess, please don't smile and say, [That was a good piece~]!
[I want to go worship too,] Ellie! That's not what you should be saying!
…It seems that in the Duke's household, I am not the 'Crown Prince' but a 'God'… Give me a break… …No, really, please…
After that, I told the Duke to remove the altar and spent time persuading the reluctant Duke and Duchess…
The Macnagan Dukedom is not just a mystery, it's already in the realm of a demonic region. That was the spring day I revised my perception…
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