I Became the illegitimate son of a duke

141 – Before and After (4)

“Thanks for today, Ines.”

Thanks to Ines, the task of managing the image of the vassals has become very easy.

Simply satisfying something materially or showing a prosperous Dijon did not improve my image that much. So, should I say that I am influenced by my skills and wealth rather than by my character?

Anyway, that wasn’t what I wanted, so I tried to show my sincere and kind personality to my vassals, but I was worried because there weren’t many ways to show that personality, but Ines solved it very neatly.

“Yes? Thank you?”

“The way you hugged me and showed affection in front of your vassals. Did the vassals view me… Change because of that?”

“…”

When Ines answered with an expression that he did not know what he was talking about, Ines’ expression suddenly turned bloody as he tried to explain again about what happened today and express his gratitude.

It’s not like when I was fighting Chloe, it’s just that my face is hardened, but since she always gave me only soft expressions, that little bit of hardness looks very scary.

“Ines?”

“…The West.”

I tried to call Ines, wondering what was going on, but Ines’ cold, subdued voice coldly scratched my ear canal and entered my ears. Then, the voice travels down the spine and spreads throughout the body.

Even the title that calls me is not His Majesty, as we have been talking about lately, but Seobangnim, which we used to use in the past.

Eh…?

“Do you think I would have been hugged by the West while thinking about that?”

You can clearly see Ines trying to keep his expression as much as possible. And the voice was simply cold until just now, but now there is a little resentment in it.

…Ah.

It’s a big deal.

“Of course not!”

“Then why do you say that?”

“Well… Ines, who said she would attend in the middle of the banquet, attended the middle and caught the attention of the nobles. So I thought that was a plan—-no, I’m sorry. I misjudged.”

He was asked why he said that, and he answered at a loss, but it was the wrong choice.

Ines wasn’t feeling any better. No, it seems to have gotten worse.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry! It’s been a while since I’ve been outside for a long time, so it’s been really hard, right? Let’s take a quick rest. Right, it’s time for Marianne and Rotter to be sleeping too.”

“…”

Even with my appeal, Ines doesn’t move. Legs, face, everything.

Even if you grab the arm and carefully pull it, only the arm moves little by little, and both legs remain fixed on the floor.

…It’s dangerous, it’s going to really explode in just a little while.

“What?!”

“Come on, let’s go quickly.”

Rather than pulling my arms, I just hugged Ines completely and then lifted him up. Ines, who had maintained a firm expression just a moment ago, didn’t expect me to come out this far.

And that embarrassment immediately turns into shame and resentment as soon as Ines grasps the situation.

“I haven’t even received an apology yet… Yup…”

Ines, who had complained in a grievous way, couldn’t finish his words.

…Warm, sticky.

“Oops… Oops…”

Ines resists and twists his body, but the resistance soon fades.

Ines’s downy hairs, which had risen stiffly until they had just touched his skin, now lose their strength and hang down.

“Whoa… Are you calm?”

“…I don’t know.”

About a minute later, he tried to talk to Ines again, but the reply was a pouty tone.

Of course, that’s just words. The sharp corners of the mouth, the stiff face, and the sharp eyes just a moment ago had completely disappeared and completely softened.

“Kuh, let’s go.”

“…”

I carry the silent Ines and go to the bedroom. Unlike when he just heard, there is no resistance.

…………

“…The strong-looking Carolingian is doomed.”

“The throne has moved, so technically it’s not destruction, right?”

“A person is not a Hydra and can only wear one crown. Could King Lothaling be crazy and throw away the Crown and wear a Carolingian crown?”

The results of the battle for the Carolingian throne became a gossip from numerous nobles around the world, and among them, the nobles of the Holy Empire were the most colorful.

Since the Carolingian Kingdom and the Holy Empire have been fighting each other for hundreds of years while adjoining their borders, it has no choice but to do so. It is a subject that anyone would be interested in.

“Hmm… I’m in trouble.”

And the Emperor of the Holy Empire is concerned rather than interested in this scenario.

The Holy Empire was unable to deal with either the Caroling Kingdom or the Rotaring Kingdom hastily, but the two merged.

Above all, Claude, the King of Rota Ring-Car Rolling, has the personality of easily giving up justification in order to gain a profit, judging from the information he has obtained so far.

And there are many monarchs who had such a character in the history books, and all of them loved to project their power abroad.

‘…Reformation is needed. Bigger and more radical reforms than ever before.’

After the end of the holy war, the emperor was barely working on national integration, giving up what was to be discarded and gaining what was to be gained.

As much as the invasion was successfully stopped, the result of the crusade can be seen as a victory for the empire, and as a result, numerous nobles who participated in the crusade lost their power within the empire.

Thanks to that, the emperor’s authority, which had been weakened over the centuries, was restored to some extent, and the Imperial Office, an institution that projected administrative power, was established, and the Holy Empire began to take shape again.

But that’s not enough. No matter how many reforms have been carried out, the current Holy Empire still has a strong nature as a combination of various territories and nobles, so the empire has a structure that is very vulnerable to the protests of individual lords.

And the emperor found an answer to solve that fragile structure in Rotaring, a neighboring country.

“Divide… Dominate.”

…………

“Is that… True?”

Duke Laurel is doubting his ears to see if he heard correctly.

I am not denying reality. That’s because I’m really dumbfounded.

“There is no doubt, Your Highness! The king of Lotharing has not abated his ambition even after devouring Caroling!”

The words of the envoy were shocking.

After ending Caroling, Lotharing is now turning the tip of the sword toward the Empire, and planning to devour Laurel first.

“Isn’t it an over-exaggerated interpretation?”

“No! It was clearly a hint to quit being a vassal of the Holy Empire and come under him!”

The words of the envoy are simple.

The King of Rota Ring said that if he wanted to get his factory, he would turn his word around and become his vassal.

Of course, it is not possible to decide the important matter of being a vassal simply based on that factory, but if you just say to become a vassal, it will not look good, so it is argued that it is only a pretense.

“mmm… Well, I haven’t had a face-to-face conversation with my son-in-law, so I need to respect your judgment. But respect literally doesn’t mean acceptance.”

“Your Highness…!”

“I know that all the soldiers who have been mobilized have not been disbanded yet, but could such a thing be done? Most of all, except for the factory, didn’t you listen to all my requests?”

The Duke of Laurel judges based on common sense and guesses Claude’s intentions.

The envoy feels frustrated by the duke who judges an unscientific person with common sense, but the duke is not greatly swayed by rumors because he has read numerous letters from his granddaughter. Although, of course, it is slightly affected.

‘It’s very repugnant to show condescension with a building like that, but it’s not completely incomprehensible from the perspective of the monarch’s authority.’

The Duke ignores the envoy’s whining and begins to judge Claude’s actions.

If the monarch who made the law breaks the law, it is truly a laughing stock. Of course, in a country, the word of the monarch who rules the country is the law, but it is a different story if the law is codified.

Laws, if used incorrectly, can undermine the authority of a monarch, but if used well, they can enhance the authority of a king, and this clearly belongs to the latter category.

If a ruler shows that he obeys even the smallest law, the people will follow him, which leads to the strengthening of his control over the people, which is no different from the rise of the monarch’s authority.

“Of course, as you say, it could be that he really meant it.”

“As expected…!”

“So what was it?”

“…Yes?”

The envoy is overjoyed that the duke listened to his argument, but soon the joy turns to bewilderment.

“Loyalty to the emperor or loyalty to the king, does anything change? No, it’s more beneficial to be loyal to the king.”

“What the hell is that…”

“It means that it doesn’t matter who the lord becomes as long as the authority of the Laurel family is guaranteed. Oh, come to think of it, was the Duchy of Laurel a vassal of the First Kingdom of Rotaling in the past?”

Abandoning the envoy who can’t keep up with the flow of the story, the duke of Laurel begins to seriously consider changing the master.

If that really happens, as the family that produced the queen, it will be able to exert a great influence in Rotaring, and if things go well, various benefits will be guaranteed.

Of course, if you change the target of loyalty from the Holy Empire to the Rotaring Kingdom, the Emperor will not stand still, and if that happens, the Duchy of Laurel will be at the forefront, so it’s difficult.

‘If your son-in-law really said something like that… It’s not the time yet.’

If the son-in-law has a conflict with the Holy Empire in mind, Laurel is better off still attached to the Holy Empire.

No matter how much the current empire has become more like a confederation of countries than a single country, borders and nationality are still important factors that cannot be ignored. There is a difference between what can be done abroad and what can be done at home.

Until the son-in-law reveals himself, he must prepare as much as possible for things that can only be done as a member of the Holy Empire.

If your son-in-law really didn’t mean that… Well, I’ll just use what I’ve prepared.