The Duke's Daughter Goes Her Own Way
[The Duke's Son, Eduardo Aristoll, and the People Around Him (1)]
Translated by: ME
Me's note:
I have decided to use the japanese bracket instead of the common bracket for dialogue.
I think Edward is the most likely translation for it but I'll stick with Eduardo because I don't want to mix him up with Edward Macnagan.
***
One evening at dinner, my brother spoke with a rare, beaming smile.
「Mother, Eduardo, I have an announcement.」
「What is it, Robert? To be so formal…」
My mother, looking somewhat taken aback yet still smiling, urged him to continue. My brother, maintaining his smile, declared.
「I have found my lifelong partner. The marriage will take place after His Highness the Crown Prince's ceremony, but I have already obtained permission from her parents.」
「Ha……?」
I was dumbfounded.
Not just me, Mother was dumbfounded too.
My mother, who is strict about manners, inadvertently dropped the napkin she was holding.
This was the first time I had ever seen my mother make such a blunder.
The serving maid hurriedly picked up the napkin Mother had dropped.
She seemed surprised too.
It couldn't be helped, as the servants had probably never seen Mother be careless before.
「Brother… what you just said… is it true…?」
「Where would be the need for me to lie?」
He had an incredibly good smile.
…Unfortunately, even if my brother's smile is genuine, it somehow always looks suspicious.
「There's one thing I'd like to ask of you…」
「Yes? What is it?」
「Even after I take a wife, she won't be able to involve herself much in the work of the household or the territory. So, I'd like to continue entrusting those tasks to you… May I leave them in your hands?」
「That, well… yes. I don't mind, but…」
Regarding the household's miscellaneous affairs, it's primarily Mother and the butler who manage them. What I do is more like helping Mother.
As for the management of the territory, that is originally the work of the head of the family, my brother. However, as he is busy with affairs of state, I act as his proxy.
Fortunately, I don't dislike either managing the household or the territory.
I had considered that from now on, as my brother would likely become even busier at the heart of the nation, managing the territory would probably become my job.
But, if my brother takes a wife, then the household matters should be the work of that wife—the 'Duchess,' should they not?
Or perhaps, she is a young lady who dislikes such 'trivial matters' (as they might appear)?
No, that couldn't be the case for the woman my brother would choose.
When a young lady who sidled up to him at a soiree asked, 「Lord Robert, what is it that interests you most at present?」 he smiled and replied, 「I suppose it's whether Clause 1, Section 3, Article 23 of the Commercial Stores Act is necessary or not.」
Naturally, the young lady left with a strained smile, saying, 「I-I see…」
As an aside, I heard that the only ones who bit on that topic were His Highness the Crown Prince, his fiancée, and his aide, Paul Nelson.
And, further as an aside, all three of them reportedly answered in unison, 「It is unnecessary.」
…To think there were three people who bit… I remember thinking 「Whoa…」 about the relationships surrounding my brother.
We decided to finish dinner for the time being, with the understanding that the details would be discussed afterwards.
Mother was so tremendously shaken that she dropped her knife once during the meal and had her fork replaced twice.
Well, I can understand feeling that way.
After all, this brother of mine was the type who always said with a straight face, 「As long as there is an heir, perhaps I don't need to take a wife.」
He even went so far as to say, 「How about taking in an orphan with similar features and passing them off as my child?」
As for 'how about it?'—it's obviously a bad idea, but.
He seemed so likely to actually do it that Mother and I desperately admonished him, asking 「Are you planning to plot against the Royal Family?」
Isn't this exactly the situation described as 'a bolt from the blue?' …Even though it's night.
***
「…So, who is the other party? Where is she from?」
After the meal, we moved to the salon, and Mother was the first to ask my brother.
My brother still wore a clear, cheerful, good smile. Why does it seem so suspicious…?
「Her Highness, Linalia Floria Berkleine.」
At my brother's words, both Mother and I froze as if time had stopped.
What did my brother just say…?
「Linalia… the First Princess, Your Highness…? Is that what you said, Robert…?」
Mother asked in a strained voice. My brother nodded with a smile.
「Yes. That is correct.」
「Ha…」
Mother was at a loss for words.
Naturally.
Our Aristoll Ducal House once committed an act of disrespect towards Her Majesty the Queen and was punished by having its house rank lowered.
And now, a Princess is marrying *down* into this house?
How could such a thing happen?
Moreover, politically speaking, I can't see any significant merit in her marrying down into our house.
When our house fell to the lowest rank among the ducal houses, most of the hangers-on who had arbitrarily surrounded us left.
The remaining scum who thought 「There might still be some benefit」 were all driven away by my brother.
The faction our house maintains is now practically non-existent.
All that remains in our house is its antiquity, second only to the Macnagan Ducal House.
…Well, that house is also a strange one, being just 'the oldest ducal house.' Though now, it is, for the time being, the birth family of the next Queen.
Wait a minute…
「Brother, at dinner earlier, didn't you say 'I have already obtained permission from her parents'…?」
「I did. Is there a problem?」
Problem? Isn't it obvious!?
The Princess's 'parents' are His and Her Majesty, the King and Queen, right!?
'Obtained permission' means it's 'already irreversible,' right!?
「Yo… You've already obtained Their Majesties' consent…?」
Mother looked pale.
「Yes. Today, I was granted an audience with Their Majesties, and I went with Lina to request permission for her to marry down. Their Majesties smiled and gave us their blessing.」
Brother, it's great that you're all smiles, but please notice that Mother doesn't look so good!
And Brother, you're calling Her Highness the Princess by a nickname! I'm too shocked to speak!
I no longer knew what to say, so we decided to adjourn for the time being.
Mother, leaning on a maid's arm, returned to her room with unsteady steps.
I had countless questions I wanted to ask my brother, but since he retreated to his room saying, 「I have some work I brought home,」 I had no choice but to return to my room as well.
***
Our house is a Ducal House.
Until just a few years ago, it was the highest-ranked Ducal House.
The highest rank of peerage is Duke, and we were first among them. The pinnacle of the nobility.
It's a position more than sufficient to cause misunderstandings.
Nobles possess various privileges.
These privileges also change depending on rank, increasing the higher one goes.
Our house, being at the pinnacle, was granted many such privileges.
But we must not forget.
The exercise of 'rights' necessitates the fulfillment of 'duties.'
Just as 'buying' an item at a store requires 'payment' in money.
Simply 'sitting back and doing as one pleases' is never permissible behavior.
It is equivalent to 'taking merchandise from a store without permission.'
The latter is judged by criminal law.
Then, as for the former, it should be judged by the laws of the nobility.
Unfortunately, our father was a man who 'misunderstood' this.
He believed that as the pinnacle of the nobility, he was in a position where all manner of arrogance was permitted. Money comes even if you sleep. His word was absolute. Even the Royal Family would be in trouble without our house, so there was no need for our house to be overly deferential to them.
…How can a person misunderstand so much?
Even as his child, I am lost for words, utterly appalled.
Moreover, our house received the highest rank thanks to our grandfather's meritorious deeds.
Father contributed nothing to it.
This was obvious to anyone, so those capable of sound thinking left his side.
Only scum, like beasts aiming to devour our house, remained.
Father's inflated self-esteem and desires knew no bounds.
He aimed to marry our sister—his own daughter—into the Royal Family.
Did he think he could manipulate the Royal Family from behind the scenes or something? However you look at it, it's an impossible plan.
For a petty villain like Father, who could only conjure up transparently wicked schemes, there was no way he could stand against that Royal Family.
When I whispered this to my brother, he smiled sardonically.
「Precisely because he doesn't know his own smallness, he fails to recognize the magnitude of others. Even if there's a massive mountain right in front of him, he only sees what's immediately before his eyes, so he doesn't even realize it's a mountain.」
Exactly right.
And just as expected, when His Highness the Crown Prince was selecting his fiancée, he apparently didn't even mention our sister's name.
Well, of course not.
She was just a younger version of Father, a troublesome girl to handle. There's no way she would have been chosen.
His Highness the Crown Prince's fiancée was ultimately decided from among the final three candidates, and it was the young lady of the Macnagan Ducal House, the one thought least likely.
Why was she thought 'least likely'? Firstly, there was a bit of an age gap with His Highness. Then, the fact that her house showed no interest whatsoever in national politics. And also, that she was too young, so there was no information about her, among other reasons.
After the Crown Prince's fiancée was officially decided, Father was indignant, saying, 「Our house offers more advantages than the Macnagans!」
But the 'advantages' Father spoke of would have been nothing but 'disadvantages' and 'unnecessary things' from the other side's perspective.
Our sister, who had been constantly fed only pleasantries by Father, threw a tantrum upon hearing the decision.
…A tantrum-throwing daughter would only be further shunned by everyone, right? Well, it's useless to say anything.
By that time, Mother had completely given up on Father and our sister.
My brother had also cut ties with them early on.
I, however, still felt a bit of sympathy, thinking that ignorant, benighted sister of mine was just a victim of Father's delusions… I thought there was no saving Father himself.
And then, those two did it, as if it were only natural.
Of all places, at a Royal tea party, our sister engaged in behavior unbecoming of a noble lady, like a 'brawl.'
In the most formal of settings, she acted with no regard for status whatsoever. When I heard the story, I was so shocked I was rendered speechless.
The punishment for this was 'one year of forbidden entry to the castle.'
This was a rather lenient punishment.
I heard it was Her Majesty the Queen who decided it, showing mercy with the reasoning that it was 'the act of a young girl.'
If it had been an adult woman, it wouldn't have ended with just that.
But Father complained about it and, of all things, personally lodged an objection with Her Majesty the Queen.
Is he an idiot? …He must be an idiot.
My brother's actions from that point were swift.
He moved faster than a beast spotting its prey.
My brother, who was studying law at Stanford Academy at the time, gathered materials with his instructor's help and confronted Father with them.
Documents concerning the 'duties of the nobility' that Father had continuously neglected, the money poured into our sister, the money wasted for Father's vanity, the pleas from the territory that Father had consistently ignored, and various other papers.
Stacking these bundles before Father, my brother declared with a smile.
「If I submit these to the mediation office of the House of Lords, it will probably be possible to reduce our house to an Earldom. What will you do, Father? Will you cling to that seat and be called 'Earl,' or will you step down now and be called 'former Duke'?」
My impression, seeing it up close, was just one thing.
Scary!!
That's all.
Even I, who wasn't the target of his hostility, thought so. Father, who was facing that hostility and anger head-on, looked so bad he seemed about to collapse.
Not pale. He had gone beyond pale to an ashen color.
My brother's negotiation method was like that of a swindler.
First, he presents an utterly unacceptable demand, then follows it with one that seems acceptable by comparison.
If you thought about it calmly, both should be unacceptable demands, but Father in that state was incapable of 'calm judgment.' My brother was making sure of that.
Less than a week later, Father abdicated his Ducal title and left for the territory as if fleeing.
Our sister, having witnessed my brother's handling of Father, probably realized she would also be on the receiving end of his hostility. She left the mansion, following Father.
After the two left, Mother and my brother apologized again to Her Majesty the Queen, bringing the 'dismissal of Father' as a sort of gift. Her Majesty granted us pardon. But as a nominal punishment, our house rank was lowered to the lowest among the Ducal houses.
That was still a very lenient punishment, so we are nothing but grateful to Her Majesty.
After the series of upheavals was settled, my brother said with a smile again.
「Well then, shall we clean up the remaining scraps?」
…Why… is it only when saying such lines that he seems peculiarly lively…? And why does he have such a brilliantly good smile…?
I decided then that I would never, ever oppose this person.
***
After Father abdicated the Dukedom, Mother served as the 'Duke Proxy' for a while.
Then, when my brother came of age, Mother passed the position to him.
Thus was born the 'Youngest Duke,' at the tender age of eighteen.
Around that time, His Highness the Crown Prince requested my brother to serve as his aide. It seemed His Highness had been waiting for the situation in our house to settle.
My brother accepted without hesitation, and so it has been until now.
***
The youngest Duke, and aide to the Crown Prince.
That means he is a top-tier noble, with a promising future ahead.
On top of that, my brother is exceptionally good-looking.
As for his character… well… hmm. No! He is definitely not a bad person! That's for sure! To me, he is a respectable, good brother. …Though I don't know how he seems from a sister's perspective.
Since my brother inherited the title, various houses have proposed marriage alliances.
Every time such letters arrived, my brother would sigh, looking thoroughly annoyed.
Well, I can understand the feeling.
Even to refuse, a reason is necessary.
Especially towards high-ranking noble houses like Marquess houses.
My brother was always troubled over the wording for those refusals.
I receive marriage proposals too, but I turn down all offers to 'marry.' This is because I will probably have to remain in the Aristoll Ducal House and manage the territory.
It would be fine if my brother had the spare time, but he is responsible for the politics of the 'nation,' which is vaster than our territory. He likely can't manage the territory as well.
However, because my brother was refusing every single proposal one after another, Mother worried, 「I wonder if that child might not be interested in women, or something like that…」
When I hinted this to my brother, he sighed and said, 「It's not particularly that…」
I can understand my brother's feelings to some extent.
When attending soirées, many of the women who sidle up to him seem to want to be tied to his 'looks,' 'power,' or 'wealth.'
If I lacked all those elements, those women wouldn't even glance my way.
It's not that I'm longing for a burning passion or anything.
But if possible, I'd prefer someone other than those whose sole aim is those so-called 'bonus' elements.
And that's how I, with little power or wealth, feel.
For my brother, who is already addressed as 'Your Grace,' it's even more so.
「For reference, what kind of woman would you hope for, Brother?」
When I asked, my brother sighed again.
「Perhaps a woman who wouldn't ask foolish questions like, 'Which is more important, me or your work?'」
Ah… I see…
Actually, my brother once had an engagement annulled.
It was with a young lady found and pushed onto him by Father. She was the second daughter of a Count house.
Although my brother wasn't as busy as he is now, he was diligently studying various subjects 'for the day when he must stand as the Duke.'
Because of this, his scheduled meetings with the young lady were canceled several times.
Then, one day, after yet another cancellation, the young lady apparently said to my brother.
「Which is more important to you, me or your studies?」
Or so.
After a moment's pause, my brother reportedly answered with a smile.
「The moment you said that, my studies became more important.」
…I bet it was an incredibly good smile, wasn't it…? It *is* Brother, after all…
A few days later, the engagement was neatly withdrawn.
It seems the young lady, crying, pressed her parents, saying she couldn't take it anymore.
Even though it was a marriage proposal from a higher-ranking Ducal house, they pleaded that if this continued, their daughter might even become a nun. They were fully aware it was rude, but they begged to have the matter treated as if it never happened.
While Father reported this with a bitter expression, my brother was, as usual, cheerfully smiling.
This person's smile is scary…
And now, that brother is engaged to Her Highness the Princess…
It wouldn't be strange for His Highness, who lives in the royal castle, and my brother, who works at the castle, to have points of contact.
On the contrary, since he serves as an aide to the Crown Prince, who is the Princess's brother, there should be plenty of opportunities for them to meet.
The Princess is renowned as a woman of talent.
If it were Her Highness, she would likely return a witty answer to my brother's deliberately provocative, ill-natured remarks. …Though I don't know her actual character.
How old is Her Highness now?
I believe she is three years younger than the Crown Prince…
If His Highness is now eighteen, then the Princess is fifteen…? That's a seven-year difference with Brother…? Well, married couples with larger age gaps aren't rare, so maybe it's not something to be surprised about.
But still… Hmm…
However, no matter how much I think about it, it's all after the fact now.
Since they've already received permission from Their Majesties.
But until yesterday, there wasn't the slightest hint of this from my brother…
***
Later, a surprising fact came to light.
The backstory of this overly abrupt engagement was an outrageous one: that very day, Princess Linalia suddenly proposed marriage, and after hearing her out, my brother made an immediate decision on the spot.
Even more surprising, right after the matter was settled at a startling speed, the two of them went together to seek permission from Their Majesties.
That's why it was so fast! The actions after the idea struck!
When I inadvertently said that, my brother laughed merrily.
「No. The one who said 'Let's go get permission from Their Majesties right away' wasn't me, it was Lina. I just went with her because it would be pathetic to let her shoulder the major affair of a Princess's marriage down all by herself.」
Whoa…
Could it be that Her Highness Linalia is a person who is like a female version of this brother…?
That's scar— no, terrif— no, um… reliable. Yes! Reliable!
Ah, I see now.
The reason why my brother said, 'Even after I take a wife, I want to leave the household and territory matters to you.'
It's not that she dislikes those 'trivial matters.'
In reality, for a noble wife, those are anything but trivial; they are important matters.
But the other party is Her Highness Linalia.
Perhaps what she is looking at, what she is dealing with, is the 'nation.'
Not 'a single territory within the nation.' Not 'the people of that territory.'
It's the 'nation itself,' formed by many territories combined, and 'all its citizens.'
It's the same thing my brother has his sights set on.
For Her Highness, who seeks to bring change dealing with the 'nation,' the problems of a 'territory' must be truly trivial.
Ah, seriously!
How can I not cooperate with that!
It's going to be tough from now on.
Thinking that, I nonetheless found myself looking forward to what my brother and Her Highness would accomplish from now on, feeling a sense of excitement, like when I was a child.
***
One month after my brother's overly abrupt announcement that he had "found a partner."
The dreadful event known as the meeting of the two families arrived.
For a normal engagement or marriage, it's a standard event. 'Marriage' also creates a bond between houses. There's even a term for it: 'cliquism' or 'family clique.'
But this marriage won't create such a clique.
After all, the other party is royalty.
They are not the ones to be 'surrounded by a clique.'
Moreover, the current Berkleine Royal Family maintains an independent stance, not surrounding themselves with any cliques. It's a house whose founding king left words saying 'Be fair.'
As expected, the other party is just too grand…
At this 'meeting of families,' the ones attending from their side are 'Their Majesties' and 'Their Highnesses.'
It's a bit late now, but maybe I don't have to go… Ah, not allowed, Brother…? I see…
The interior of our family's carriage heading to the castle was silent, frozen with tension.
Mother, for instance, had looked unwell since morning. It seemed she had barely eaten any breakfast.
Only my brother was composed, leaning back deeply in his seat with a cool expression, scanning through documents.
…Brother, are you acquainted with the concept of 'nervousness'…?
Father and our sister were, of course, absent.
Officially, Father's abdication is 'due to illness and recuperation,' but after such a spectacular mess, those around us probably think, 「Ah… (I see).」 Naturally.
While the underlying circumstances are such that they should be inferred, we cannot drag someone ostensibly bedridden due to illness to such an occasion.
What a convenient phrase, 'illness and recuperation.'
Because of Father's blunder, our house had to endure some feelings of inferiority. But it wasn't all bad.
People who 'don't want to get involved with troublesome matters' leave, and we can cut off those rotten individuals who go out of their way to come and mock us.
Though my brother smiled refreshingly yet suspiciously, saying, 「Since they come declaring 'I am a nobody' themselves, I rather feel like thanking them.」
Does 'adversity' not exist for this person…?
***
Once, I went to see my sister.
Although she went to the territory with Father of her own will, after a few months, letters began arriving expressing her desire to return to the royal capital.
My brother seemed to judge it 「too soon,」 and didn't even reply to them.
At first, the letters contained complaints that showed she didn't understand her position, like 「Life with just Father is boring.」
It was only natural for my brother to ignore them.
Gradually, they changed from complaints to pleas.
She didn't mind not being at the Ducal mansion in the capital. She didn't mind not being in the capital. Could she please live somewhere separate from Father?
That was the content.
And what made me resolve that 「I must go check on her」 was a letter that arrived about a year after she went to the territory.
Please. Even a convent is fine. Please let me move somewhere, anywhere, away from Father.
Brother, I beg you. Even if you cannot forgive me for what I did. If you don't want to see my face, I will live quietly somewhere far away. I'll even go to another country.
Please. Let me leave this house.
Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.
Three sheets of stationery. Except for the first few lines, the rest were filled entirely with 'Please.'
Scary!! Or rather, This is Baad!!
It had become customary for me to check my sister's letters first, as my brother tended to put them off. So, I was the one who opened that letter.
Growing genuinely concerned about my sister's mental state, I hurriedly showed the letter to my brother.
He looked down at the letter for a while, flicked through the second and third sheets filled with 'Please,' and then let out a small laugh.
No, he laughed! What the, scary!! How can you laugh seeing this!?
「I suppose I must go check on the situation,」 he said, yet a smile played on his lips.
Scary!!
What kind of laugh is that!?
I volunteered to go check on my sister myself.
Because my sister would probably be afraid of my brother himself or his agents.
My brother didn't so much hate our sister as he was exasperated by her. And now, he is perfectly indifferent. To my brother, our sister is probably less meaningful than a stone by the roadside.
But I couldn't become quite that indifferent. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I don't know.
It is not easy for a young child to understand the 'meaning' of the studies and manners they are being taught.
Understanding 'why they are necessary' or 'what use they are' comes only after one comprehends the logic of things.
Wasn't it somewhat inevitable for my sister to dislike those things that were 'unpleasant to her'?
And to dislike our mother, who she felt was forcing these 'unpleasant things' and 'things she disliked' upon her?
And then, to become attached to our father, who shielded her from them—wasn't that a very natural course of events?
Certainly, my sister, who refused to listen to our words, is undoubtedly at fault.
Especially since our house was the leading Ducal house. We were in a position where we had to adhere to standards more than others. A single, tiny mistake would be viewed more harshly for us than for other houses.
My sister, who didn't try to understand that, was indeed foolish.
But.
Shouldn't we have tried to understand our sister's position a little more?
Didn't we give up on her too quickly?
Something akin to regret had been coiling inside me all this time.
My brother must have noticed my feelings.
「Will you lend a hand or not? If you lend a hand, to what extent can you take responsibility? You must judge that for yourself.」
Those were the words he said to me before I left.
「Regarding Father, I think it's fine to abandon him no matter what happens, but concerning Florence…」
My brother paused briefly, looked at me, and gave a slight smile.
「If anything were to happen, the Aristoll Ducal House should at least take responsibility.」
Regarding Father, it's completely 'non-involvement by the Ducal House.'
But regarding our sister, he still acknowledges her as the 'Duke's sister'…
…My apologies, Brother.
I was thinking, somewhat, 'Does this person have neither blood nor tears?'…
It seems you did care about our sister, at least a tiny bit…
***
Arriving at the territory, I headed to our family's secondary residence where Father and my sister lived.
The Ducal mansion is located in the territorial capital.
But that is the residence used when we—'Robert Aristoll, the Duke, and his family'—stay in the territory.
The residence assigned to Father and my sister is a secondary one, located away from the territorial capital.
It's much larger than a commoner's house, I'm sure. The facilities are probably luxurious. But compared to the main mansion in the territorial capital, it's not just inferior; it's incomparably smaller.
Even so, it should be more than sufficient for just Father and my sister to live in.
The living expenses, while modest compared to what Father had before, are still enough to live a life that would seem luxurious to lower nobles.
According to my brother, requests for money were now 「nonexistent.」 …The word 'now' implies there were some initially…?
About five servants are stationed there.
As one would expect, there were no visible abnormalities from the outside. Of course not. If there were, it would be a big problem.
The approach leading from the gate was also neatly maintained.
I had informed the manager of the secondary residence about my visit today. Whether he relayed that to Father or my sister was left to his discretion, so I'm not sure.
Well now, I wonder what it's like inside…?
Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.
OR
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
-Horizontal.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment