Chapter 226
Sometimes It Has a Softer Appeal Than a Sword (1)
Hestia Neumann Tudor felt terribly nervous.
It had been a long time since the Crown Prince promised to deal exclusively with her in dwarven weapons; long after all the details for the alliance had been coordinated.
All that had to be done was for the representatives of both sides to sign the document and conclude the agreement. However, the personnel of the Leonberg kingdom, who seemed to be finished with their work, suddenly began dragging out negotiations.
When Hestia asked them what the reason was for the sudden change in attitude, the Crown Prince’s name eventually came out.
Hestia immediately sought out the prince.
“What part of the deal don’t you like?” Hestia asked, “Why the hell aren’t the negotiations finished?”
“Please wait.”
“How long on earth do you want me to wait? As your Highness knows, the negotiations can become difficult if our Duke of Seymour comes out of his room. There will be nothing for you to gain if you delay proceedings.”
“I’ll tell you soon, so wait.”
The prince just told Hestia to wait, repeating himself like a parrot. And if she was told to wait, she had to wait; it was the prince’s side that held the hilt. One day passed, and another day passed. The Crown Prince had said he would send a message. Hestia waited and waited; no news came.
She again went to the prince with a tight heart. But the Crown Prince refused to see her.
Hestia visited many times, but the result was the same: She couldn’t even enter the prince’s palace, being sent away by his knights. In the meantime, news came that the King of Leonberg was about to return. King Lionel’s feud with his firstborn was a famous story even in the distant Teuton.
It was the story of the eldest son of the Leonberger family who gained his father’s hatred and was driven to the north. The king’s son earned a great triumph there, but instead of acknowledging his child’s contributions, the king gave him the meaningless position of delegation leader and threw him into the Empire. It was said that the king then forced his son to be confined to the palace because he had lived a reckless existence in the Empire, barely returning with his life. The rumors went that if it were not for the war with the Empire, Prince Adrian would never have been released from confinement.
Because the current situation was uncertain, Hestia was worried that the feud between the two royal men would affect the negotiations. She had heard that the King of Leonberg was a somewhat emotional, somber, and dark monarch, a father who dismissed and opposed the works of his firstborn. Hestia was now in a hurry, so she went to the Crown Prince’s palace more and more to ask for visits. Of course, again, the Crown Prince did not grant her requests.
Hestia blamed herself.
It seems that she had been too optimistic about the negotiations. After settling the agreement, she had become overly excited that she would gain a monopoly over the trade in dwarven weapons. Hestia had not guessed that matters would be upset like this.
The situation wasn’t good.
To make matters worse, via the Rosethorn Knights, Hestia learned of Duke Seymour’s success in regaining control of his mind to some degree.
The fact that these foreigners of Leonberg had so far made only verbal promises and could change their minds at any time was unbearable to Hestia. But what truly bothered her was the fact that even when things have gotten to this point, she was still unable to give up her expectations because of the Crown Prince’s words.
Prince Adrian was different from other men.
There was a strange magical power in his words, the ability to make his listeners expect them to become true. Had it not been for him, Hestia would never have dreamed of actually rising above the oppression of Teuton’s men.
“Hestia, Hestia, Hestia. You believe in him even in this situation. What can I do with you?” she sighed.
While Hestia was occupied with her troubles, the King of Leonberg finally returned.
And shortly after the king returned, Hestia learned that the Crown Prince had been completely confined to his palace. He said he was not feeling well.
A man who was strong enough to trample on the Duke of Seymour, named the Number One in the West, was now a sick man. It was a lie that even a child would not believe. Hestia believed it was just a consequence of the feud in the Leonberger family and that it now affected Teuton.
And one day, the King of the Leonberg sent a messenger to Hestia.
“His Majesty says that he will be waiting for Teuton’s representative in his hall at noon tomorrow.”
To Hestia, it sounded as if the messenger was saying that a meeting would be held on the next day to cancel the negotiations. It was the moment when her faith in the Crown Prince, which had not wavered until the end, became dubious.
The next day was bright, and Hestia was neatly attired when she headed for the hall.
And there she met the monarch of the Leonberg kingdom.
“I, Hestia Neumann, of Teuton’s Tudor family, greets the Lord of the Leonberg Kingdom. It is an honor to meet your Majesty on this day.”
“I am also very happy to meet the most outstanding rose that the Tudor family so boasts of for the first time in my life.”
Formal greetings came and went.
Hestia bowed her head and began calculating how she should react to the king.
“I have heard of your Majesty’s circumstances and am glad that you are no longer in distress.”
“The agreement between Teuton and Leonberg will come true,” the king said quietly.
The unexpected words made Hestia raise her head, and for the first time, she saw the king’s face.
The man’s face was strangely familiar, and he seemed to be in his mid-thirties. The only difference was that the Crown Prince had not yet been beset by age, and if Hestia had to name the prime difference, it would be that the king’s temperament was much softer.
“You must have thought that I would end the agreement between our two countries.”
Hestia couldn’t stop herself from nodding.
“Would it perhaps be because you thought the feud between my son and me would affect Teuton? It would not be strange at all if you thought so.
“I didn’t mean it in such a manner, your Majesty,” Hestia hurriedly apologized and bowed her head, only then realizing how rude it had been for her to nod.
The king smiled generously and accepted her apology, adding, “Everything that my son promised will come true.”
The king said that the Crown Prince’s promises would be fulfilled.
“Thank you, Sire.”
Hestia bowed deeply and praised the king’s decision. Inside her mind, she was cursing Teuton’s spies. A dreamer who dreamed of independence from the Empire without being able to claim it; an old king who was struck by depression and looked much older than his age; a narrow-minded father who envied and hated his handsome son: None of what they had said was correct.
The look of the king, clearly that of a dreamer, was far too clear to be possessed by a person pursuing vain dreams. His appearance, which they had said was decrepit, rather seemed ten years younger than his age. In addition, even if he had only spoken a few words, the king’s voice contained a tone of absolute trust when he referred to the prince.
After that, the king expressed concerns over Hestia’s health, saying that young people had to be discipline themselves to take care of their bodies properly, spoke a few more casual words with her, and then sent her out.
“Ah…”
After leaving the hall, Hestia’s body relaxed, and she almost staggered in relief. But she soon corrected her posture and expression.
“Does your Highness need more time? If possible, we would like to complete a detailed review of the matter today.”
Members of Leonberg’s government who participated in the negotiations were waiting for her.
“The same holds true for me.”
Hestia read the document prepared by the kingdom’s officials. It bore the seal of the Leonberger royal family.
“This is exactly what we agreed upon.”
Hestia did not hesitate to stamp down Teuton’s seal on the spot.
Thus, the alliance between Teuton and Leonberg was formed. It was the moment when the princess, who had been forced to bloom in a garden like a flower because she was a woman, gained the powerful political leverage of possessing a monopoly on the trade of dwarven armaments.
And soon afterward, Duke Seymour had managed to shake off his defeat and made his appearance in the palace.
“His Majesty has commanded the consolidation of this alliance through marriage. Why have you done this arbitrarily, princess?”
The duke had never shown any hate toward Hestia. His face now did not show that he was angry with her; rather, it was as cold as ever. His eyes were alert, though, as if looking at something disagreeable.
Hestia was not sure about it, but she thought that if this wasn’t the royal palace of another country, the duke might have already felt very angry.
Hestia felt deep ridicule grow inside of her; that the feelings of love her uncle had shown her thus far were so shallow! It was only when she existed as a flower in a garden that the duke saw sweet affection as meaningful! Hestia’s father was no different. No, almost all Teutons were like this.
What they loved was an obedient and beautiful princess, not a princess who would dare share in their power.
“What his Majesty wanted is a solid alliance. Marriage was just one of the avenues we could have taken to attain this. Marriage does not have to be the sole premise for such treaties.”
Hiding her resentment, Hestia tried to politely persuade the Duke of Seymour.
“The goal of this mission was to ally with them through marriage. How can’t you know that it goes against his Majesty’s dignity for a princess not to complete the task given to her, but rather to arbitrarily interpret his Majesty’s will?”
But Duke Seymour didn’t listen to her. In the past, she would have bowed her head to the admonitions of the duke and simply said sorry.
“Duke Seymour. If you state that his Majesty’s name should be held in the greatest esteem, then you must know that your current behavior is insulting toward his Majesty, who appointed me to be in charge of this delegation.”
But not now; now, Hestia Neumann was no longer a powerless princess, longing for the gentle respect and affection of others.
Duke Seymour’s expression hardened.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I was just worried that you would be reprimanded by his Majesty, princess.”
“I have completed his Majesty’s mission. Don’t you think that us trading in dwarven armaments should be praised as an unexpected income and success that his Majesty didn’t expect?”
Duke Seymour could not answer her question. He just looked at her with a little confusion and even greater alertness. Hestia really liked the look: It felt as if they had entered an equal relationship now. Hestia had no intention of turning her uncle, who held near-absolute power in Teuton, into her enemy, however.
“I’m already looking forward to it, uncle: How majestic will it not be when the Rosethorn Knights are armed with dwarven weapons?”
At her words, the duke, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth.
“Treasures must have owners, and the same holds for sharp swords made by dwarves. But unfortunately, I don’t have the eye to tell good and bad weapons apart. I need a knight who is good at seeing the value in swords and good enough to be their master.”
Hestia drew the sword the prince had offered at the contest.
“Like this one, uncle.”
Then she swung it freely.
The duke’s expression changed, and greed emerged in the place of displeasure and alertness.
It was a face Hestia had never before seen upon her uncle. After all, the duke was a proud knight who had even given up the throne to complete his path with the sword. However, that great pride had now been crushed by the eldest son of Leonberg’s royal family.
“If these weapons will be a boon to our kingdom, even though it is not what we came here for, then why not be glad about it?”
And, as always, it was martial power that the duke valued above all else.
“I will be happy to cooperate with you, princess.”
A lovely grin boomed on Hestia’s face. As beautiful as a rose, with a smile as sharp as a rose’s thorn.
* * *
Hestia had been about to tell the king of her return home, about to say her goodbyes.
“I hope that Teuton will also participate in the upcoming banquet as our ally. Will you attend?”
“I can only apologize for being unable to do so because of an urgent situation in my home country.”
Hestia looked down again and again and tried to say the parting greeting she had prepared.
“I will be choosing the Crown Princess at the upcoming banquet. Since it is a matter of state and long overdue, the ceremony will also be held as soon as possible. I thought the event would become more meaningful if it included congratulations from our allies. However, you have said that there is an urgent situation in Teuton, so I cannot be greedy and keep you from your journey any longer.”
Hestia had certainly intended to depart before she heard the purpose of the banquet.
“If that’s the case, I should attend!” Hestia cried out the moment she heard the reason, unable to stop herself.
“I remember you saying that there was an urgent situation in your home country.”
“It’s not as urgent as attending our ally’s marriage celebration, and as ambassadors, offer our congratulations.”
The king laughed and thanked Hestia.
Thus, the princess and Teuton’s delegation delayed their return to attend a banquet in the Leonberg kingdom.
* * *
As busy as I was, the moment someone had asked me for an audience, I would have rejected it outright. But I couldn’t, and it wasn’t because the status of those who visited was high.
Rather, it was the opposite. They were barons, or at best, viscounts. My visitors were lesser nobles of the kingdom. It was not easy to refuse them an audience, as they were the rural lords who had kept their positions while the unscrupulous high lords and high-ranking nobles who had joined the Empire had been done away with.
“Yes, it’s been a while, Baron Tailheim.”
The baron, who had a gentle bearing, fell flat on his face and asked for my forgiveness.
“I should have greeted your Highness when I saw you, but I’m sorry I couldn’t.”
“I am at fault as well. I should have told you the news from Taylor, but I was so busy… I was far too busy.”
“I just believed that no news was good news and that he would be in safe hands serving under your Eternal Highness.”
After exchanging conventional greetings, I immediately asked why they had come to the capital.
“All the nobles of the kingdom have been summoned by his Majesty to the capital to attend the banquet.”
I thought that the banquet that Baron Tailheim was talking about was a simple victory celebration.
“My congratulations in advance. I hope your Highness can find a wife that suits your wise Highness.”
But it was not.
“What?”
When I frowned at his outrageous words and asked what he meant, Baron Tailheim answered me with his eyes wide open.
“I heard that it is a banquet to arrange your Highness’s marriage… Did your Highness not know?”
I didn’t know; I had no idea what had been happening while I was stuck in the palace and playing with my true body.
“It is said that this event will not only be attended by the nobles of our kingdom, but also envoys from other countries. I heard that most of them are accompanied by young women of the leading families of their respective realms. Your Highness will take one of them as your Highness’s bride-”
When I heard that, I couldn’t sit still. I jumped up and began to head to the king’s residence right away, but another man entered my palace. It was Siorin.
“Your Highness, are you at this banquet going to-”
“Get out!”
In the next moment, I chased Siorin from my palace, shouting loudly at him.
Then, the princess of Teuton came to me again.
“I thought it would be difficult to convince Duke Seymour of my actions, but it didn’t take anything special.”
“Isn’t that a good thing for you?” I noted.
“It is, but I feel bad. The uncle I had loved as a girl has an uglier heart than I thought him to have,” Hestia confided.
“Are you sure that you want to say that to people from other countries?”
“How are you? I came to see you, anyway.”
“If anyone hears us now, they’ll think we’re close together.”
The princess seemed to be hurt by my words.
“I was very close to your Highness, but it was not mutual.”
“I told you not to act like that in front of me.”
“It would have been great if your Highness was like any other man. If you were, you wouldn’t be cold to me, like you are being now,” Hestia replied with a smile, and it was a sad smile.
“That won’t work. And don’t say anything more like that. I don’t like it that the knights in my country are gossiping about us.”
When I asked Hestia what she had come here to do, she started to speak, and eagerly so. She told me all the bad rumors about a princess of a certain kingdom. Then she told me about others, saying that their faces were completely different once they removed their makeup. One princess was said to have a nasty personality and couldn’t find someone to marry her in her own country.
Hestia’s expression became twisted, her behavior distorted, as she related to me all the gossip she knew.
“What about it? So what?” I asked her, annoyed. Instead of answering me, she kept gossiping about women I had never even heard of.
“I don’t know how your Highness doesn’t see it as a big problem after I’ve just told you everything. You said you weren’t inspired by my appearance in any way. If I’m not adequate, they surely won’t be.”
“I don’t know what the hell you want to say to me.”
“I just don’t want you to be fooled by their fox-like natures, failing to see what they hide,” the princess said, then said a bunch of other stuff, and left.
“What is this?” I frowned, clucked my tongue, and headed straight to the king’s chamber.
“His Majesty is in the bath.”
The king did not meet with me.
“His Majesty is tired and taking a nap.”
“His Majesty has just gone to bed…”
The king made up all sorts of little excuses not to see me. I trembled at his betrayal.
Damn, I didn’t save you for this!
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