Timid and Shy - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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14.

Isabel sighed and spoke coldly.
“Perhaps my beauty isn’t as remarkable as I thought. Everyone I’ve met has praised my looks so lavishly that I believed it was quite formidable. But seeing Robert refuse to continue his relationship suggests he won’t come to Wiscom, and Frederick shows no reaction whatsoever.”
Philip, thinking Isabel felt wounded in her pride about her appearance, offered comfort.
“Naturally, princes won’t fall for mere beauty. You’re the same way, aren’t you? You wouldn’t choose a more handsome prince just for his face.”
“True enough. But given all the effort and money I’ve spent on my appearance, I’m getting so little in return. At first it seemed like everything would fall into place, but in the end I’m holding nothing at all. Even that foolish Frederick—”
“Don’t call him a fool. You’ll slip up later.”
“Do you think there’s no way to recover things with Robert?”
Philip leaned back against the sofa and spoke at leisure.
“He won’t come to Wiscom unless we extend our hand first. If Frederick chooses Gareth instead of us, then we’ll have to cling to Robert. I can’t bring myself to trust the Empress, no matter how I think about it.”
Isabel looked at Philip and spoke.
“Does Robert truly have no intention of competing with Frederick? Even as a bastard, he should be ambitious about the Uranos Empire.”
“Why? Are you disappointed? Did you actually grow fond of Robert, despite what you say?”
“No. It’s just that if Robert doesn’t give up, Frederick will cling to me. The idea of him acquiring something his half-brother desperately wants—that seems quite seductive, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true. If Robert had really been ambitious, he wouldn’t have severed relations with us.”
Isabel spoke coldly.
“Exactly. I’m disappointed that Robert turned out to be so useless.”

***

Unlike the Wiscom siblings’ dismay, Robert did not regret severing ties with Philip.
He understood that even if he complied with what the Empress wanted, she would still check his moves. Yet Robert found himself thinking that the real problem lay not in his desire to rely on Wiscom, but in the method itself.
Robert believed that staying in the Capital would make it difficult to escape Cressida’s grasp.
‘She’ll manipulate public opinion and use her connections to find fault with me endlessly. Irritating.’
Robert thought it was time to graduate from the Academy and find real work—work that would give him legitimate reason to leave the Capital entirely.
As Robert examined a map of the Uranos Empire, his eyes fell on Ariel.
‘The northernmost territory of Uranos. And Sophia—Ariel.’
Sophia had been used by her aunt, the Duchess of Wiscom, and yet returned meekly to Ariel without a single word of protest. Surely she had never even harbored thoughts of revenge against Wiscom.
‘It must be difficult to endure after suffering injustice you can’t adequately address. Especially if it’s the first time it’s happened.’
Robert thought of the Empress and shook his head. Finding it strange that he felt such sympathy for Sophia, he gave a hollow laugh and turned his gaze to the territory adjacent to Ariel.
Umbriel.
The space where the lord’s name should be written was blank. As Robert pointed at Umbriel with his finger, Mauve, a junior secretary waiting nearby, rolled his eyes once before speaking.
“As you can see, both Ariel and Umbriel border the nation of Seaturn. Ariel has been well-maintained through successive generations by the Baron of Ariel, whereas Umbriel has continuously changed hands and currently has no lord.”
“Still, it’s safe?”
“For now, yes. Regarding the Seaturn border, as you can see it’s blocked off by the Titania Mountains and its ranges. Of course there should be a Border Guard stationed at the border itself, but… both Umbriel and Ariel are struggling to cover the costs of border defense. Ariel has been meticulously managed through the generations with consistent investment in its facilities, so it can operate its territory while receiving Central subsidies. Umbriel’s situation is different.”
“Why? Are there too many expenses?”
“Exactly. Whether it’s been seven or eight generations of lords, I’m not certain, but Umbriel is nearly bankrupt, and the border fortifications, strongholds, and outposts have all been left to decay. Since they’ve been neglected for so long, they’ve naturally crumbled, and there are many places that need to be rebuilt. Beyond the facilities, they can’t even properly maintain the guard force—recruitment is in a dire state. Of course people won’t gather if they’re not being paid.”
“Does the Central authority simply ignore this?”
“The Central view seems to be that Seaturn doesn’t appear to be preparing an invasion, and with Titania present, it’s not considered urgent. They’re reluctant to invest substantial funds. It would require several times the budget needed for Ariel.”
Mauve continued his explanation, noting that Robert’s gaze had lingered on Umbriel for far too long.
“So naturally there’s plenty of work to be done, but the Central authority turns a blind eye, which is why all the lords step down and flee. The previous lord fled in the dead of night. When they went to file a report the next day, the lord’s entire family had vanished. It’s surely an exaggeration, but the fact that the successor overlooked subordinates’ desertions shows just how dire Umbriel’s circumstances are.”
“I see. If the Central authority’s judgment is wrong, something catastrophic could happen.”
“For now, they’re gradually expanding Ariel’s defense jurisdiction. For Ariel, the territory does grow, but the costs increase too, so it continues to refuse while its lands expand.”
“What about raising its status to Border Earl?”
“The Baron of Ariel refused. As for Umbriel, there’s no need to speak of it.”
“Why did the Baron of Ariel refuse?”
“A Border Earl can independently manage military, economic, and administrative affairs, which might seem like a good opportunity to build power, but the Baron of Ariel cannot cover the costs. Without the budget the Central authority provides, it would lead directly to bankruptcy. Umbriel is even worse off. Even if some wealthy madman were to go there and buy the title, he’d be bankrupt in a year or two. Once the territory is lost, the title disappears with it, so he’d simply be throwing away money. Anyone with sense would refuse such a position.”
“I see.”
Robert’s finger still rested on Umbriel’s territory. Mauve watched Robert’s finger anxiously. Robert closed his eyes and deliberated.
Even as he thought, his finger remained fixed on Umbriel.
Mauve began searching through documents and placing several candidate territories on the desk, territories he thought Robert might be interested in.
Though aware that Mauve was watching him, Robert showed no sign of removing his finger from Umbriel.
Robert opened his eyes and finally lifted his finger from the map. With a sense of relief, Mauve quickly pointed out several territories he had selected.
“Your Highness, there are other territories that might interest you. What of Rosalind or Belinda? They’re not far from the Capital and are modest but prosperous. They originally belonged to the territories of the Rosalind and Belinda families, but—”
Robert cut off Mauve’s words and spoke.
“No. Umbriel is perfect. It has to be Umbriel.”
“But why? Didn’t I just explain how vast the financial drain is? Perhaps you should examine the other territories—”
“Hmph! You think the Empress or Cressida would simply allow me to keep a territory that appears even remotely manageable? They’ll scheme and connive to drag the Lord’s relatives into my affairs to obstruct me. I need to make it look as though I’m stumbling into a trap of my own accord—that’s the only way they’ll leave me be.”
“But it’s not just that it looks like a trap—there’s a genuine hole the size of…….”
“His Majesty will think it worth trying once himself, and Cressida will assume I’m capable of plotting. Besides, I have Ariel nearby.”
“But Ariel has nothing to do with this…….”
“Mauve! Bring me everything we have on Umbriel. I need to prepare a countermeasure before I give my approval. I have no intention of walking straight into a real disaster.”
“But you wouldn’t need to. Why don’t you simply examine another territory more carefully…… Don’t rush into this…….”
“Mauve! What did I just ask you to do?”
“To inform you of what you should know, and to follow your orders.”
Mauve flinched at the rebuke and answered, then hurried toward the Administrative Bureau to locate the Umbriel documents.

***

Mauve did not stop sighing throughout the entire journey to the Administrative Bureau.
All while his mouth remained equally restless with complaints.
“Ah…… this is really something! They say hardship finds those who seek it, but our Prince to go acting like that. What a cursed lot I’ve drawn! That fortune teller—I shouldn’t have listened to that wretch.”
As Mauve drew near the Administrative Bureau, he encountered a familiar face—a friend who worked as a clerk there. The man greeted him with his characteristic loose, easygoing manner.
“Mauve! Why do you look half dead? Did Sarah break up with you?”
“Michael! When a friend is troubled, you’re supposed to comfort him, not tease him. And I’ll thank you not to make jokes about Sarah, if you please.”
“Why are you being so strict between us?”
Mauve did not answer. That attitude of Michael’s was precisely why Mauve had so few friends left. Though Mauve was often irritated by it, he tolerated Michael because the man had introduced him to Sarah.
This time, Mauve’s words came out sharp.
“Why are you loafing about again? Did you cause some trouble and run away?”
“What kind of thing is that to say? I’m an exceptionally promising talent, according to my superiors here! What brings you out?”
‘He’s never been exceptional once in his life—promising talent? Did all the actual talent die?’
Mauve clicked his tongue even as he spoke.
“Because of our Prince. Why would anyone deliberately seek out hardship, no matter how well-bred they are?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean—Umbriel.”
“Ah! That troublesome Border Territory that might go bankrupt.”
“You seem well-informed. So you’re not completely idle then.”
“I’ve told you repeatedly—an exceptionally promising talent!”
“In any case, there’s no Lord there at present. But Robert—the Prince, I mean…… ah…….”
Michael stifled a laugh as he spoke.
“He wants to go to Umbriel?”
“That’s right. If only it were a dream. Because of the superior’s whim, those of us underlings end up suffering. Prince Robert can fail once and simply return to the Imperial Palace, but what sin have the Prince’s household committed? We’re dragged into a doomed endeavor that will obviously fail.”
“I can’t fathom what Prince Robert is thinking.”
“Neither can I. Not a clue. I need to take the Umbriel documents from the Administrative Bureau. Give me a hand, will you?”
“Sorry. I’ve got somewhere I need to be. Just mention my name and they’ll gather the materials for you. Good luck.”
Michael waved and departed, leaving Mauve behind.
“Wretched fellow…… all that boasting and then no help. Never mind. I wasn’t counting on such blessings anyway.”
Mauve cursed Michael instead of Robert as he entered the Administrative Bureau. The clerks, having heard his request, hastily gathered the documents.
The Administrative Bureau staff breathed a sigh of relief as the Umbriel matter passed into Mauve’s hands.
With the full cooperation and sympathy of the Administrative Bureau staff, Mauve headed toward Prince Robert’s office, accompanied even by the personnel the Bureau had sent to assist.
Mauve spoke to the Administrative Bureau employees traveling with him.
“How kind of you. Working in the Administrative Bureau must mean you have many peers and colleagues, so you probably don’t suffer the same emotional turmoil I do. If there’s ever an opening, or if anyone wanted to transfer to the Prince’s household…….”
The Administrative Bureau staff pretended not to hear Mauve’s lament as they delivered the documents to Prince Robert’s office. They bowed politely to him and departed without delay.
Judging by how swiftly they fled, they had clearly received prior instructions—not to linger at the Prince’s household and to return promptly.
Mauve cast a reproachful glance at the departing staff and, seeing the mountain of documents before him, silently prayed that Prince Robert would reconsider. But even Mauve already knew that such a prayer would go unanswered.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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