#17. Count Coleman’s Territory (2)
2023.08.17.
"……."
The words were few, but their weight was considerable. Guilt peeked through his small face—the guilt that while she had been running here and there without a wink of sleep, he himself had been playing around in peace. Amy pondered for a moment, feeling she had to answer carefully.
Noah was in the thick of puberty, an age that turned the whole world into an enemy, yet he never raised his hackles at her.
Not only that. After a childhood that was anything but ordinary, he had grown sensitive and prickly, yet he had accepted her from the very beginning, though they had met only a handful of times.
Ever since meeting his eyes, filled with boundless trust directed at her, she had been able to replace the sense of betrayal and emptiness that had tormented her mind and body since her regression with vengefulness, passion for a new life, and loyalty.
'The Second Prince will probably think I am devoting myself to him, but this is also for myself.'
Her second life would not be solely about revenge and repaying a debt of gratitude. Amy had no intention of ruining her newly obtained life by being blinded by vengeance.
'It’s not as if life ends just because you take revenge.'
There was even a specific place she had picked out over in the Southern Kingdom. When everything was over, she would grow old peacefully there, raising pets.
'Until then, I’ll do everything I can for Lord Noah.'
But she did not want him to feel indebted to her because of that, so Amy spoke gently.
"It is still too early. Once Joseph and I lay the groundwork, then it will be Lord Noah’s turn."
She felt pleased even as she said it. To think he was so different from the Crown Prince, who simply lapped up his subordinates’ toil as if it were only natural.
'Come to think of it, it should be about time for replies from the instructors with degrees in statecraft, various academic disciplines, and accounting….'
The plan to develop Noah was already proceeding smoothly.
"……."
Noah blinked his thick eyelashes sullenly, perhaps displeased with Amy’s answer. Amy pressed her lips together to suppress a smile. Oh my, how adorable.
Noah hesitated before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Amy…… why do you do so much for me?"
"……."
This time, Amy blinked silently. How could she explain the reason she regarded him as her lifelong benefactor?
'Well, it was rather late of him to ask.'
Amy recalled the past from before her regression and then crossed her arms.
'If I say it as it is, I’ll be treated like a madwoman, won’t I?'
Then the plan would go awry. That was the one thing she wanted to avoid. What mattered wasn’t reminiscing about the past. It was building a new future.
Having made up her mind, Amy spoke seriously.
"First, the reason I left the Crown Prince’s palace is that the Crown Prince is not fit to be Emperor."
"……Surely you aren’t going to say I have the qualities for it?"
Noah asked with a doubtful face. Amy inwardly cheered. She was grateful that he had made the excuse for her.
"I intend to find that out."
"……Am I being tested right now?"
Noah asked blankly, poking his own chest with a finger. Amy shook her head, holding back a laugh.
"You need only do as you please, Lord Noah. There is no need to force yourself. Still, since you were born of imperial blood, I am curious how you would govern the North."
Amy intended to support Noah in whatever he wanted to do. The position of Grand Duke was merely a means to that end, not the ultimate goal.
'It is true that it serves as a shield to protect Lord Noah from the current Crown Prince’s clutches and from the First Prince, who will become the new Crown Prince.'
Even so, if the Second Prince were to aim for the imperial throne…… that would be somewhat troublesome.
'My goal is to repay a favor, not to lay my life on the line.'
She truly wanted to avoid pointing a blade at the First Prince. That man was truly no ordinary person…….
"Amy?"
Perhaps he found it strange that she had suddenly gone quiet. At Noah’s call, Amy came to her senses.
"How far had we gotten? Ah, we were talking about Count Coleman."
"Yes, I thought it would be best to leave this place quickly, so I told the butler so during the banquet…… Will that be all right?"
It seemed to weigh on him that it had been an impulsive act without prior discussion. Amy smiled brightly.
"It is an excellent judgment. It is best to leave before the Count passes."
She had been thinking they should roughly offer wishes for his recovery and hurry to flee when she thought of Joseph. Amy’s face scrunched up.
"Ah, we still have to arrange the lumber contract……."
Joseph had earnestly urged that while they were here, they should purchase in bulk. When Amy showed her regret, Noah tilted his head.
"Lumber?"
"Yes, blackwood from this County of Coleman is the sturdiest in the North."
Thinking that she should have Joseph check with the carpenter sent to repair the Grand Duke’s castle to see how much stock was available, Amy asked Noah,
"By the way…… what are your thoughts on Viscount Burton? Will you recognize him as the successor and approve the succession to the countship?"
Noah pondered briefly at Amy’s question.
"Well, doesn’t the Grand Duchy follow Imperial law?"
"That is what I understand. Being subordinate to the Empire is not ideal, so we will have to revise the legal code later as well."
"For now, in the Empire, if there is no legitimate son and the family consents, the title is recognized even for a bastard son. Since there is no major disqualifying reason, I was thinking of approving it."
"I see."
Amy’s mind spun rapidly. For now, if she signaled the butler to have Viscount Burton come to the Grand Duke’s castle as soon as he was found and left behind the lumber supply contract…….
Then Noah’s voice was heard.
"Is it all right to do it that way?"
"Yes? Ah, yes. It is good."
Perhaps because Amy nodded her head so immediately, Noah seemed doubtful.
"……Really?"
"Yes, the grounds are certain and there is precedent."
So she thought Joseph, a legal expert, would agree as well.
"On the contrary, opposing it would take a great deal of effort. And there is no guarantee of success."
When Amy spoke decisively, Noah’s face finally relaxed.
"If Amy says so."
"Huh, so since we have to leave early tomorrow, we tell them to come out at sunrise?"
When Dwayne blinked and asked, Jack clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"We heard the same thing, so why…… She said before sunrise, while it’s still dark. Open your ears and live a little."
"It’s because he only cleans his ears once a year."
When Bradley chipped in from the side, Dwayne seemed to get worked up and lunged at him, saying he’d show how clean his ears were. Vernon pretended not to see the two tumbling around and spoke to Amy.
"Understood. I will tell the butler to request what is needed."
"Please do."
Joseph also spoke up quickly.
"I will prepare the new contract as well."
As Vernon and Joseph left the inner chamber, Jack glared at the two troublemakers and then hurriedly followed after them. Amy sat in a chair and straightened her back.
'I dismissed the servants and left only Vernon’s group and the mercenaries…… This is nice?'
She had braced herself for some inconvenience, but Vernon and Jack were the type to work on their own, so she actually found herself with free hands. Feeling relaxed for the first time in a while, Amy lifted her teacup to her lips.
"……."
When no one acknowledged them, Dwayne and Bradley, who had been rolling on the floor, stood up with embarrassed faces. Amy stopped them as they tried to sneak out of the inner chamber.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
Amy set down her teacup and spoke to them.
"Which of you two has the superior infiltration skills?"
"……."
The better one? Those words ignited their competitive spirits.
"Obviously me."
Cutting off Bradley’s first move, Dwayne snorted.
"Ah, if you’re so skilled, is that why you got kicked by a horse’s hind leg when hiding in the stable~?"
"I didn’t know the horse had foaled then……. What about you? You got caught by little Mark and hit with a rock."
As the two started bickering again, Amy made an exasperated face.
"I see that neither of you two suits infiltration."
Then she turned her head.
"I suppose the Mercenary Captain will have to handle it."
"Understood."
"No, I can really do it well……."
Dwayne spoke up belatedly, but when Amy glared at him, he hastily shut his mouth and shrank back.
'I thought they might be useful, but they turned out to be good-for-nothings.'
Tsk, she clicked her tongue inwardly and turned her head to speak softly with the Mercenary Captain.
"……It’s because of you."
When Bradley whispered to Dwayne, he pouted and grumbled.
"The chief handmaiden is totally scary, isn’t she? Her face is really pretty, but inside she’s no different from a morningstar."
Noah quietly approached the two, who were looking at them with rather regretful eyes.
"That just now, it’s a technique from the Southern Kingdom, isn’t it?"
Dwayne was startled by Noah, who suddenly spoke to him.
"Uh, Your Highness the Second Prince……"
Bradley, quicker on the uptake than Dwayne, nodded his head.
"That’s correct. It is the martial art of the Southern Kingdom’s foreign legion. We learned it while living near the Southern Kingdom."
"……."
Noah glanced at Amy, who was absorbed in her conversation, then narrowed his eyes and glared at Dwayne. Dwayne was bewildered, not knowing why Noah was acting like that.
"Morningstar……"
"Yes? What did you say just now?"
Dwayne, who hadn’t properly heard what Noah muttered under his breath, pricked his ears. Noah shook his head as if it were nothing and then lowered his voice to whisper.
"I want to learn that too."
"……Yes?"
Bradley opened his eyes wide and looked Noah over from head to toe. His small, slender frame seemed to have not an ounce of muscle compared to others his age. Dwayne stood there with his mouth hanging open, then raised his hand with a flourish.
"Me, I’ll teach you!"
Then he turned his head and whispered to Bradley in an extremely excited voice.
"I’ve always wanted to crush a member of the imperial family at least once."