Princess Leticia quietly stood up and turned her back to me while walking towards the window.
She contemplated her future, casting her gaze out the window and taking in the vast, expansive scenery.
“… Do you remember when we first met, Ludy?” [Leticia]
“Of course. When I first met you, I had been brought to the castle by Alfred and you were hiding behind him the entire time, trying to conceal your face because you were too shy.” [Ludy]
“… Ah, such an embarrassing thing to do.” [Leticia]
Letty agreed somewhat bashfully, and I smiled while recalling these nostalgic memories.
“It was quite fun. I was very happy at the time. You often played in the garden behind the castle, right? When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to step foot outside of the castle. The castle was already heavy with tension, and I could never visit the Royal Palace either. You enjoy keeping my Elder Brother company, am I right? … Grandmother, Elder Brother, and you are the world to me.” [Leticia]
“… Letty…” [Ludy]
“Ludy, please don’t make that face. I’m very happy, you know. Certainly, I don’t know what it’s like to mingle within a group or what kind of environment a school may have, and I don’t know about the matters people of the same generation talk about … but I can understand what lies beyond all that superficiality.” [Leticia]
Ever since she was young, she could never partake in life outside of her cage… Indeed, she lives in a situation wherein her life is similar to that of a caged bird. Her caged life helped her understand the current political battlefield and the feud with Elliya for the throne.
“Somehow, my grandmother doesn’t understand my desire to visit the outside world. Thankfully, Elder Brother doesn’t see me as a pawn to be used in a limited life.” [Leticia]
Speaking of how she’s been trapped, without a doubt, Leticia could have been forced to marry a lord for the sake of pulling his house to Alfred’s side.
“Additionally, it is impossible for Elder Brother to marry anyone under these circumstances.” [Leticia]
“Well, about the marriage of “that Onii-Sama” and the low-born woman, it may spell trouble for them if a child is born with a weakened bloodline.” [Leticia]
It is as Leticia says. For that very reason, Alfred is suppressing Edward’s influence.
“What if the Baron’s daughter bears children by the time Prince Alfred removes Prince Edward from the Royal Family?”
The Royal Family had few direct descendants. They were Prince Alfred, Prince Edward, and Princess Leticia.
Currently, Prince Alfred and Prince Edward were vying for the throne. To ensure Prince Edward was crowned king, his faction dragged many nobles into the dispute. Should Edward’s faction lose, at best, they would be imprisoned for life, and at worst, they would be sentenced to death.
Hypothetically speaking…and by no means do I envision this ever occurring…should Prince Alfred lose, there was a nine in ten chance that the cold face of death would greet him. It was very unlikely that Elliya would stop at punishment as light as imprisonment. Therefore, Prince Alfred was also fighting an uphill battle…
Back to the topic at hand.
The w
inner will remain in power, whereas the loser will be expelled from the Royal Family. Hypothetically speaking, if Princess Letty were married and with a child before Prince Alfred claims the throne, then only Prince Alfred and her child would be in line for the throne.
In this situation, the one married to Princess Letty would certainly think this:
If “something” were to happen to Prince Alfred, my house would give rise to the new Royal Family.
… In other words, that would spark a civil war.
Yes, they want to stop the Queen Dowager [1] from supporting Prince Alfred at all costs.
“Didn’t Elder Brother discourage me from entering any political marriages that could have benefited his faction to keep me out of Elliya’s sights? He made everyone believe I had a weak constitution in order to keep me out of the limelight… Really, Brother has done nothing but protect me, hasn’t he?” [Leticia]
“ … It is proof of how much he dotes upon you, Princess Letty.” [Ludy]
“ … Fufufu. You’re right … In that case, I wonder if my marriage could decide Elder Brother’s victory? Aah … if Alfred were to be defeated, that damn Brother could marry me into a foreign country for personal gain.” [Leticia]
… Hearing Princess Letty utter the word “marriage” pained my heart a little.
But it was only for a moment; perhaps it was just a fleeting emotion… and so I refocused on my conversation with Princess Letty.
“ … The possibility makes me anxious, and I’ve grown quite lonely without you and Elder Brother in the castle. As I thought, the past was the most enjoyable time.” [Leticia]
Princess Letty showed a melancholic smile after she said that. Drawn in by that smile, my face became serious as I felt a renewed dedication to the lonely siblings.
“… Ludy, we must win. For Brother, for the Daughter of Duke Armelia, and for my own sake.” [Leticia]
“That’s right.” [Ludy]
“For the moment, we need a countermeasure to address the Armelia Fief’s trade disturbance. Since it concerns Elder Brother, have you done anything about it yet?” [Leticia]
“Eeh, well……” [Ludy]
“I will do my part to help in any way that I can.” [Leticia]
Princess Letty ended the conversation with a smile.