“Hyungnim. I have always thought that the relationship between you and me wasn’t bad.”
“I think that’s true, my younger sibling.”
I didn’t dislike my younger sibling. It was that way from the moment I first saw him.
To be honest, well, if I were to express it accurately, I would say that at the moment I first saw him, I didn’t really have any particular feelings.
My younger sibling’s skills were excellent, but he was not at my level.
That fact seemed to have been a source of some anxiety for him. He probably thought I might take over the title of the Marquis.
Did the Marquis think about that at all? Well, I’m not sure. He always pretended to be honest but was actually a scheming old man behind the scenes.
And according to his logic, the Marquis should be succeeded by someone ‘more capable.’
I agree with that. However, I am not that ‘capable one.’ My younger sibling has learned everything necessary to manage a territory, but I have not.
Even if I had learned, if I had no intention of applying it for the benefit of the land, wouldn’t that mean it was already a lost cause?
So, I was grateful for the existence of my younger sibling. It was the reason the Marquis didn’t obsess over me and allowed me to be.
“So, please understand my true feelings that I don’t want to burden you with such a huge responsibility.”
“Is that really your true feeling?”
“Yes, it is. But at the same time, there is a greater truth in the fact that I don’t want to take on that burden myself.”
“Hyungnim, could you please spar with me just once? Until one of us loses consciousness?”
“Are you planning to assault a lady?”
“…….”
My younger sibling sighed deeply.
“You’re not going to tell me to marry you, are you?”
“Then it would be a serious problem. And that’s exactly why it’s you. Because you’re the only son of the Marquis. Isn’t that fortunate? Because I ended up like this.”
The title of Marquis is enormous. How enormous? It means that the Marquis holds the front line of this kingdom.
In fact, the territory was vast. The Marquisate was large, with many soldiers, but its influence within the kingdom couldn’t be said to be overwhelmingly strong.
Of course, no noble would be foolish enough to challenge the Marquis, who, in essence, prevents war simply by existing. It’s not because they respect the role of the Marquisate, but purely because of its military power.
That said, the land is not barren. It is not as famous as the Count’s fertile fields, but the land has been enough to feed the people, export some produce to neighboring territories, and maintain the military.
Though it’s not as large as the Royal City or other vast territories, it is still one of the most important and largest territories nearby and occupies a significant portion of the kingdom’s economy.
So, it is unthinkable for the heir of the Marquis to marry the Empress of the Empire.
All the nobles and royals of the kingdom would oppose such a union. There would also be dissatisfaction—no, fear—within the Empire.
Especially considering this is a territory that was only recently recovering from being trampled by the Empress’s army.
The Empress must know that to some extent.
“It will probably end with just showing you. You will become a dragon slayer. How proud is that? The witch will probably still have some parts of the dragon’s corpse left, so you can ask her to make a sword. Attaching a few scales to a handguard should be enough.”
“……And after becoming a dragon slayer, I will be watched closely, won’t I? Isn’t that right?”
At my younger sibling’s words, I fell silent.
“…………At least there will be no interference from the Empire. Everyone will understand. The reason the Empress won’t marry you, and why you won’t have a lasting influence in the Empire.”
“But, Hyungnim. What about the interference within the kingdom?”
Hmm…
I’m sorry to say, but that would be the same even if my identity were revealed.
While I may not be as firm a shield as my younger sibling, as a bastard, if I am a dragon slayer and my relationship with my younger sibling isn’t too bad, it wouldn’t be strange for me to check the Marquisate within the kingdom.
“I’m sorry.”
In the end, I realized I had reached a dead end and bowed my head to my younger sibling.
This is why I hated when the Empress came. The higher the position of someone, the heavier their words weigh.
And when they come, they do so quickly and inevitably, leaving me to bear the full impact.
It wasn’t just the Empress. The witch and the shadow were the same.
I had only spoken to them to ask for a little help, but both of them had already calculated in their heads and quickly came to the territory.
Slowly, without drawing attention, I had planned to strengthen the territory politically, making it impregnable.
But that plan completely collapsed at that point. Now, this place was no longer just an impregnable fortress.
It was more like a demon king’s castle, something out of a myth.
I had already failed in managing it properly, preventing news from leaking out.
Now, the only way to live a peaceful life here was to make it clear to everyone what would happen if they touched this place.
And the fact that it had come to this was entirely my fault.
After discovering I was the Marquis’ illegitimate son, the first thing I thought of was how to take Ayla away from the Baron’s house.
But, I procrastinated and gradually set my sights on bigger goals, and in the end, it led to this.
“……”
When my younger sibling said nothing, I looked up again, and he was staring at me, mouth agape.
His clothes were the same black outfit worn by the shadow. Maybe that’s why the atmosphere felt so strange.
“I’ve never seen you apologize to me before, hyungnim.”
“……Is that so?”
“Yes. Well, actually, when I think about it, you didn’t really do anything that would require an apology. If anything, it would be more appropriate to apologize to father or mother.”
At my younger sibling’s words, I closed my mouth.
The Marquis and mother, huh.
“However, this time, it’s not something I can decide alone. I’ll have to speak to father first.”
“……The Marquis won’t come, right?”
“That’s uncertain. If father calls him, will he come to the territory?”
“Well, I guess it depends on the situation at that time.”
“……”
As I gave a vague evasive answer, my younger sibling smiled bitterly.
“In that case, maybe he will come. Of course, if that happens, I will stay here in the territory. After all, I’m the only sibling, right?”
I would have to meet the Marquis without my younger sibling.
Although my younger sibling hadn’t really been much of a shield, having him by my side had at least softened the Marquis’ personality.
“So…”
“The Empress will likely be staying here for the time being. While I leave to speak with my father. You do know that the Marquisate is quite far from here, right?”
“……”
It took me a month to arrive here for the first time. Of course, if you ask whether I traveled at full speed, I wouldn’t say so.
I did my best in my own way, but I came directly here to avoid factoring in the time needed to stop by the Marquisate, reveal my identity to the Marquis and my mother, and make them understand.
Even aside from that, I barely survived the wrecked carriage, fought off the bandits surrounding me, assessed my physical condition, and familiarized myself with the terrain to get here.
At least I was able to salvage a good amount of my equipment from the carriage and even obtain a decent maid outfit, but the delay was inevitable. Not that I could have reduced the time any further.
So, I can’t say that the distance from the Marquisate to the County takes a full month to travel. If a messenger were sent, they’d arrive within a week at most.
The Marquis dislikes unnecessary delays, so if they travel in haste, it could take about that long. Unlike nobles who ‘travel in procession’ when moving elsewhere, he gives off a different impression.
Still, wouldn’t it take nearly a month? Time is needed to exchange information and organize our stance.
“I see.”
Then, there’s no helping it.
The Empress is someone who exercises patience when there’s something she wants or desires. If the Marquis himself were to come here, she would willingly wait.
“I’ll endure somehow.”
“Calling it ‘enduring’ the trouble you’ve brought upon us seems a bit off, doesn’t it? It’s simply what must be done.”
But despite saying that, my younger sibling’s face was rather bright.
“So, I’ll be staying at the Marquisate for a while. Don’t worry. Once Father arrives, everything will be resolved clearly, won’t it?”
Returning to his own territory, he won’t have to think about this matter for a while.
That must be why his expression is so bright.
“I hope you’ll be able to return as soon as possible.”
“Well, who knows? It’s hard to say how much work has piled up in the territory. But, I’ll do my best.”
Even at those words, I had nothing to say.
What could I do?
The root of this hardship lay with me.