Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 5

With the help of the maids, the princess was bathed and returned to her bed, where she remained until sunset. As dinner time approached, Eirik carried her to the dining room on the first floor of the mansion. Along the way, the princess almost knocked down a framed painting on the wall, prompting Eirik to lift her with one arm once again.

Upon entering the dining room, the Margrave glanced at them silently, while his mother, Taliesa, greeted them with a strained smile.

“Sit down.”

The meal began in silence but soon turned chaotic when Miesa dipped her hair into her soup and started drawing on the table with it. The royal maids eventually had to take her back to her room.

With only the family and a few servants left, the Margrave of Cladnier broke the silence. He struck the table with his fist, then began signaling with his hand:

[Is there a need to keep her alive for long?]

Eirik’s mother, the Margravine of Cladnier, responded with a faint smile and continued the hand signals. Despite not having combat experience, she was well-versed in the signals, being the mistress of a military family.

[If we kill her, the king will kill us all.]

Eirik simply raised his eyebrows in silence.

The dinner did not take long to finish. Once it was over, the three headed to the Margrave’s study. After instructing a servant to stand guard outside the study, the Margrave spoke up,

“She doesn’t have her wits about her, nor can she eat properly.”

The Margravine of Cladnier frowned at her husband’s crude words, but as usual, she poured him a drink and whispered soothingly,

“I’ve heard that the child was once normal, but became this way after witnessing people die in the royal palace. It’s quite pitiful, isn’t it?”

“The ones who are truly pitiful are us, aren’t they? She was grinning like an idiot while drawing with her hair in the soup,” grumbled the Margrave as he accepted the drink with a rough voice.

“I discreetly proposed a marriage alliance to the Crispin family, but it was completely rejected.”

It was a desperate attempt to salvage the situation after the initial betrothal between Eirik and Lady Crispin had fallen through, but it had not gone well.

Eirik furrowed his brow and asked, “Does the Crispin family have a daughter suitable for Emmerich?”

“There is a seven-year-old daughter of the Marquis’s cousin. I tried to arrange it somehow, but…”

Eirik’s cousin Emmerich was twenty-two. A fifteen-year age difference was not particularly shocking in a country where arranged marriages were common. However, Crispin had flatly refused.

“This morning, some retainers suggested replacing you with Emmerich. They said if the Marquis of Crispin wanted our family’s heir, we could simply change the heir.”

In the Kingdom of Esquillir, there is a saying: Cladnier for external threats, Crispin for internal ones.

It means that the Cladnier family guards the borders, while the Crispin family, as the head of the central guard, ensures the security of the capital. Together, the two families form the backbone of the kingdom’s military might.

In response to the king’s tyranny, the two families had conspired, and the betrothal was arranged in secret. They had planned to rebel as soon as the war ended, but now everything was falling apart.

“This deranged woman is putting your position at risk,” the Margrave said bluntly.

Eirik calmly asked, “Is Grand Duke Hagail still hesitating?”

The king’s cousin, Grand Duke Hagail, had become incapacitated due to an ‘accidental’ injury and could no longer produce heirs. He had since led a reclusive life, and attempts to reach out to him had only been met with refusals. Given that the only remaining royals were him and the princess, his involvement was essential for legitimizing any rebellion.

“He’s so timid. It seems like they took his mind along with his manhood when they castrated him,” the Margrave cursed before storming out of the room.

Watching her husband leave, the Margravine offered her son a glass of liquor.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Eirik accepted the glass, pondering for a moment before speaking.

“Uniting the two families was an unrealistic plan from the start. With the king watching so closely, there was no reason to attract unnecessary attention with a public wedding.”

The Margravine nodded, and Eirik continued, “With no clear candidate for the throne, persuading the nobles could take years. Meanwhile, how long can the Marquis’s daughter remain unmarried?”

To avoid the king’s suspicion, the marriage had to be kept secret, which meant that to the outside world, the Marquis of Crispin’s only daughter would appear unengaged. It would be unusual for a daughter from a prominent family to remain a spinster without any apparent reason.

When Eirik had been informed of the plan agreed upon by the heads of the families during the war, he had been astounded. Despite his detailed objections, the Margrave had dismissed them, insisting it wouldn’t take that long. Ultimately, Eirik had acquiesced to his father’s decision, but doubts still lingered.

“Exactly, why couldn’t they see what even you, so young, can see…” The Margravine’s thoughts mirrored Eirik’s as she sipped the last of the drink her husband had left.

“If you spend too much time on the battlefield, your political acumen dulls. This situation needs more than just the efforts of two families.”

The Margrave’s frustration at the political situation and the lack of support from courtiers who had either been executed by the king or reduced to sycophants left Eirik raising an eyebrow.

“Nevertheless, your father remains in surprisingly good health despite being so hot-tempered,” the Margravine commented.

Eirik almost nodded instinctively but caught himself.

“The king is watching us closely, enjoying our misery, and yet your father thinks of harming that girl. Has he ever sustained a head injury in battle?” asked the Margravine.

“No, nothing like that…”

“Then perhaps age has dulled his judgment. I was wary when he unilaterally decided on the matter with Crispin without any consultation.”

Though his mother always wore a gentle smile, she could be more forthright than his father, the head of the family.

“Let’s monitor the situation for now. And you,” she said, turning towards Eirik as she placed her glass down. “Do not get attached to that girl.”

“What?” Eirik’s face hardened at the unexpected remark. Does she also think it would be better to get rid of the princess?

At that moment, the memory of the previous night flashed in his mind—the princess, drugged and trembling, with a blank expression on her face. Remembering her feather-light, frail body weighed heavily on him.

But the words that came from the Margravine’s mouth were, “The affection of a man is fleeting. I don’t expect my son to be any different.”

Eirik was at a loss for words, unsure of her meaning. The Margravine gave him a faint smile.

“I’m not saying it’s bad for you to keep her close. Those two snake-like maids will report everything to the king, so it’s better to avoid giving them any excuses.”

Their eyes met, and the Margravine spoke firmly, “But if you’re going to show her kindness, don’t make it something you might take away later.”

“……”

“Don’t confuse that poor child. You can at least show her that much compassion, can’t you?”

With a deep sigh, the Margravine patted Eirik on the shoulder before leaving the study.

Eirik walked heavily back to what had been his room, but was now the bridal chamber. Just as he reached for the door handle, he overheard the maids’ disgruntled voices from inside.

“Why is she causing trouble again? Can’t she just stay still?”

“She’s probably full of energy after eating.”

While he had been away, the princess’s maids had started to vent their frustrations.

“Did you see the looks on those people’s faces? Unbelievable.”

“Come on, get her back on the bed. Stop dawdling.”

Though he couldn’t see what was happening inside, it was clear the last comment was directed at the princess. It was easy to imagine how she had been treated based on those few words.

Realizing he had instinctively been walking quietly, Eirik deliberately made louder steps as he approached the door again. This time, the voices inside fell silent.