Chapter 11 - The Trust of Count Nord Ludovico
It was in a room in the royal castle that evening that Count Nord Ludovico Foscar heard the news.
He had been summoned by the Crown Prince, who wanted to decide on the dates for the announcement of the engagement and the presentation of his fiancée.
Even though it was a joyous occasion, his spirits were not lifted. Fatigue was ingrained deep within his body and heart.
For almost the entire day yesterday, Ludovico had been agonizingly thinking. Specifically, about how he should apologize to Marquess Mares.
He would start to write a letter and then stop, start writing and then tear it up, repeating this several times before realizing that no matter what he wrote, it would only look like sarcasm, which left him feeling desperate.
Even when he tried talking to his wife, she only asked why he was worrying about such a thing, and he only learned that there was no one around him who shared his sense of desperation.
Since he didn't think that young lady could remain in the royal capital like this, eventually the Marquess himself would come up to the capital, or perhaps the young son, who he heard was a few years younger, would be made the new representative. Ludovico thought he would have no choice but to apologize directly to the person herself or the young son.
"Count Nord, what do you think?"
The Crown Prince's cheerful voice reached his ears, and Ludovico was pulled back to reality from the depths of his thoughts. He remembered that he had been listening to talk about the theme of the presentation banquet.
"—As you wish, Your Highness. I believe it is a very fine theme."
He replied with a forced smile. Of course, nothing of the conversation up to this point had entered his head.
"You understand, don't you? As expected of Claudia's father. This is—what is it?"
The Crown Prince's long-winded speech, which seemed about to become even more high-spirited, was interrupted by his own voice, which rapidly became displeased. One of the chamberlains was whispering something into the Crown Prince's ear.
A look of suspicion appeared on the Crown Prince's face, followed by an expression that looked as if he were about to click his tongue.
Even if one weren't Ludovico, it was easy to guess that something had happened regarding that young lady.
"What is the matter, Your Highness?"
"It's about her. I'm told she has vacated the residence in the royal capital."
"The Marquess's residence, you mean?"
"Yes. And the Mares Knight Corps of the Royal Guard."
"What about the Mares Knight Corps?"
"It seems all members have gone somewhere."
Sweat trickled down Ludovico's back.
"—What could this mean?"
"I do not know. They say she left the city gates of the capital and headed down the Lena Road, so she likely headed for the port of Corgia. I hear the knights accompanied her. A send-off, perhaps?"
Was that really all? The timid part of Ludovico was issuing a warning.
"Certainly, a proclamation of exile would not reach someone on a ship, but..."
"She is certainly quick-witted in that regard. She will surely be able to reach her destination. It is likely the Marquess of Mares's territory, but even that is still part of the kingdom. It is not something one can escape from by running."
The worst-case scenario that Ludovico had been secretly entertaining was that the young lady, having become desperate, would have the Mares knights fight a battle in the royal capital. She seemed like a person far removed from desperation, but it is precisely such people who, when they truly become desperate, are unpredictable in what they might do.
In any case, if she had left the royal capital, it meant the worst-case scenario would no longer be realized.
"Come to think of it."
He spoke of something he had suddenly remembered.
"It seems she visited Saint Rainia Cathedral yesterday. My servant mentioned seeing her at the cathedral."
"The cathedral?"
"I cannot say what her intention was, however."
"Having run out of moves and being unable to bow her head now, she intends to rely on the Church, then?"
The Crown Prince's tone was as if he were mocking the Marquess's daughter.
"I cannot say anything regarding that. However, it is a standard move for those who can no longer obtain protection in the secular world to rely on the Church."
As he spoke, he also wondered if she was such an easy-to-understand person.
"It's a hackneyed method. But, well, if she enters a convent and does not return to the secular world, that is fine in its own way."
If she took the tonsure and lived in seclusion, there would be no problem even without a pardon. The Crown Prince was thinking that he would never have to see that detestable Marquess's daughter's face again.
Ludovico felt something wasn't quite right about the Crown Prince's words.
—If that were the case, the cathedral in the royal capital should suffice, and there would be no need to vacate the residence in the first place.
Interpreting it normally, it would be the Church because she had no other options, and the tonsure as a last resort. But if that were so, the reason for vacating the residence as if fleeing and leaving the royal capital would disappear.
There was no way that young lady would do such a thing without a reason.
Thinking that far, Ludovico realized. Somewhere along the line, he had come to deeply trust that Marquess's daughter.
It was precisely because he assumed she wouldn't do anything illogical and that there were no groundless actions that he felt things didn't sit right. In other words, that meant he trusted that young lady—probably far more than the Crown Prince in front of him.
The sound of hands clapping interrupted Ludovico's thoughts. It was the Crown Prince.
"Now then, a tiresome interruption has occurred, but Claudia, this is about your presentation. Regarding the attire, Count Nord—"
The long-winded speech of the Crown Prince, who had apparently recovered his mood, began, and Ludovico let his consciousness sink somewhere else while giving vague nods.
[Author's Note]
He is a timid, sensible man whose stress is so great that the words of the country's leader don't enter his head.
Poor guy.