Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 54

Eirik shifted the topic nonchalantly, “So, our opinion will be crucial. It is a matter of inter-family conflict.”

“Exactly,” Tilberg confirmed.

“Our demands are straightforward,” Eirik stated. “We will accept 500,000 Jeres over three years.”

“…Excuse me?” Tilberg was taken aback, but Eirik continued without pause.

“And we will waive the port usage fee at Nieas Harbor for 50 years.”

“Ah, yes,” Tilberg responded.

“There are also minor conditions. I have prepared the documents, which you can take with you when you leave,” Eirik added.

“At this rate, Crispin might think territorial warfare is a better option…” Tilberg muttered.

Eirik narrowed his eyes. Was this an attempt to instigate a conflict to weaken both families’ power simultaneously?

“But considering it’s the Cladnier family we’re dealing with, I’ll report it as you instructed,” Tilberg said.

It seemed that Tilberg was merely expressing his opinion, not trying to incite conflict. He was straightforward and, to put it bluntly, somewhat naive.

At that moment, Miesa’s words flashed through Eirik’s mind: calling Tilberg a swindler and a traitor. It seemed so out of character for Tilberg that Eirik had dismissed it as a misunderstanding. But now, for some reason, those words resurfaced.

After a brief silence, Tilberg spoke again, “Dialle’s execution is in fifteen days. Do you wish to attend?”

“I’m afraid I cannot leave my duties, but I will send one of my knights.”

“Understood,” Tilberg replied smoothly. Eirik wondered if the king had instructed this cooperative demeanor, but he refrained from probing and stood up.

“Now that our conversation is over, shall we go meet my wife?”

“Yes, and there is one more thing,” Tilberg said, indicating a box brought by the servant. “I also have another item for Lady Cladnier.”

“What is it? You seem to have many gifts.”

“It’s an armor tailored to her size. It’s…”

Stumbling over his words, Tilberg continued in a hushed tone, “Given her condition, you must have noticed by now…”

“Armor?”

“Yes, something to wear under her clothes…”

Tilberg, looking guilty, lowered his head. “I meant to deliver it earlier but never found the right moment. However, it seems improper for me to keep it.”

Eirik looked coldly at the man before him. Tilberg’s face flustered, highlighting the scar above his eyebrow— a scar that had always bothered Eirik, resembling the whip marks on Miesa’s back.

“I understand,” Eirik said.

He resented that the king’s way of protecting her was this inadequate piece of armor. But what stung more was that he, too, had once made her wear similar protection. The circumstances might have been different, but the failure to guarantee her safety felt the same.

Eirik gestured to Cullen to take care of the box. He didn’t offer a formal thank you or specify where to place it, but Cullen, well attuned to Eirik’s unspoken commands, quickly removed the box.

After watching Cullen leave, Eirik turned back to Tilberg. “Shall we go to the living room? The Madam and the Lady of Cladnier are waiting.”

Eirik left the parlor and opened the door to the living room.

Inside, Margravine Cladnier was consoling Miesa, who was lying on the floor. Despite her efforts, Miesa remained motionless. Mrs. Manere and Gella stood to the side, looking equally troubled.

Given that Tilberg was well aware of Miesa’s condition, there was no need to explain or seek his understanding. Eirik briefly introduced the guest to his mother, and Tilberg respectfully greeted the Margravine.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Dale, the second son of the Tilberg family and currently serving as Tilberg of the royal guards.”

Before he could finish, Miesa abruptly stood up from the floor. Upon seeing Tilberg’s face, she scrunched her nose and let out a barking laugh.

To Eirik’s astonishment, the man standing beside him also began to laugh in the same barking manner, almost like imitating an animal.

“……?”

Noticing the puzzled expressions of Eirik and the Margravine, Tilberg awkwardly covered his mouth and explained, “When Lady Cladnier was a child, I used to play with her like this.”

“Is that so,” Eirik replied, suppressing the rising emotions and maintaining a polite demeanor.

“Miesa seems to have enjoyed it very much. Please, have a seat.”

Eirik gestured towards the sofa. As they sat, Tilberg continued, “So, it started with imitating animal sounds back when the Lady was still a princess.”

Miesa must have adopted it because she found it amusing. Despite the unsettling feeling, Eirik calmly offered Tilberg some tea.

“Please, have some. It’s supposed to help cool you down.”

“Thank you. It seems we’re in the height of summer now,” Tilberg noted, shifting the conversation to the weather.

Leaving the weather talk to his mother, Eirik reached out to Miesa. She instinctively nestled into his arms and let out another joyful laugh.

Seeing this, Tilberg wore a bewildered expression but continued to engage with the Margravine’s conversation.

When Miesa reached for the tea table, Eirik adeptly held her and picked up small candy pieces, feeding them to her one by one. Miesa opened her mouth like a baby bird, eagerly accepting each piece and urging him for more as they melted away.

Eirik tenderly wiped her mouth, focusing entirely on her. Tilberg’s face grew stiffer, feeling increasingly sidelined.

“I should take my leave now. It wouldn’t be proper to stay too long,” Tilberg finally said.

Before long, Tilberg stood up. Eirik entrusted Miesa to his mother and the maids and left the living room to see Tilberg off.

“Lord Cladnier, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you a bit more.”

“Of course. Let’s return to the parlor.”

Having already spent the afternoon, Eirik didn’t mind extending it a bit. He led Tilberg back to the parlor and sat down again.

“It seems Lady Cladnier is much more comfortable here than at the palace,” Tilberg noted.

Eirik offered a courteous smile at the obvious statement. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Yet Tilberg appeared tense. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally spoke, “His Majesty is not in a good mood these days.”

“Is that so.”

Naturally, given that a royal maid, not Miesa, had consumed the poison, the king would be displeased.

“And there is one more thing you should know… His Majesty becomes even more uncontrollable when he feels he has lost face.”

Eirik understood that despite his personal feelings, the captain of the royal guards was indeed offering valuable advice. He listened intently.

“I see.”

“…When are you planning to return to your estate?”

“Now that the rainy season is over, I was considering heading down soon.”

Tilberg leaned in and added in a whisper, “It might be best to stay until winter this year.”

He elaborated, “There are the Harvest Festival and the hunting competition around that time, right? It would be wise to make sure you’re present at these major events to avoid falling out of favor.”

Eirik responded with a dry expression, “Attending a few major events isn’t likely to appease His Majesty’s displeasure.”

Tilberg sighed heavily and replied reluctantly, “There might be some venting of frustrations. I have a rough idea of what might happen…”

“Such as?”

“It’s hard to say exactly, but it would be better if you accompany your wife.”

He added briefly, “Fortunately, the Lady may not be aware of what’s happening, regardless of the situation.”

“Ah.”

Indeed, the king had not yet had the satisfaction of humiliating Cladnier by bringing Miesa down. Understanding Tilberg’s point, Eirik nodded.

“I’ll consider it. Thank you for the advice.”

After seeing Tilberg off, Eirik returned to the living room, where he found Mrs. Manere talking earnestly. She turned her head as he entered.

“Young master.”

“Were you in the middle of a conversation?”

Something seemed off about his mother’s expression. She wore a gracious smile, but it was clear she was hiding something. The pale, drawn face of Edil standing behind her confirmed this.

“I was just asking the Margravine how she raised such a remarkable son, of course, the son takes after the mother,” Mrs. Manere said with a warm smile, as if she were part of the household.

“In the few days I’ve been here, I’ve seen how much you adore the young madam—”

Eirik braced himself and took a seat.

“—and how calmly you handled someone who was infatuated with your wife. Truly admirable.”

Eirik was caught off guard by her comment but masked his surprise with a reflexive smile.

“He’s not a bad person,” he replied, his cold gaze shifting from the placidly seated Miesa to Edil, who flinched and lowered her head, trembling.

“Yes, Captain Tilberg is a good man, albeit a bit perplexing at times…” Mrs. Manere hesitated before whispering, “Are you aware of the assassination attempt by the Kielar Assassins?”