Timid and Shy - Chapter 21

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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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21.

The Emperor tapped Robert on the shoulder and spoke.
“First, see to matters in Umbreel and Ariel, then return to me. I shall provide you with a plausible pretext soon enough.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall depart for Umbreel at once.”
“When you go, bring Ariel’s envoys with you. No matter how urgent the business, remember—safety comes first.”
“Understood.”
Robert left the study. As Caliburn entered, the Emperor addressed him.
“It’s taking shape nicely.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. As it should.”
“I’m concerned about Frederick. He’s still hunting, I hear?”
“Yes. It seems he intends to spend the entire summer in the Cressida Territory.”
“Once Robert returns to the Capital, Frederick will have to spend his summer here as well. Have we still not found a tutor for Frederick?”
“The selection has proven difficult, Your Majesty. We must account for factional considerations, and there’s also the matter of how the Empress might receive such an appointment.”
The Emperor fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“Make it a punishment for Frederick. He’ll give us cause to discipline him soon enough.”
“I shall have preparations ready for immediate implementation.”
“I know my son is a disappointment, but I’m not ready to give up on him.”
“He is not ill-natured by disposition. With proper guidance, he will improve.”
“Will Frederick accept such guidance?”
Caliburn answered carefully.
“It will be possible, provided Cressida’s influence is removed.”
“Yes. But what can we do while Frederick remains in her grasp? Haven’t we already left it too late?”
The Emperor lingered in his study, consumed with worry for his son. Caliburn shook his head slowly.
‘He wouldn’t listen when I warned him before. And now, at last….’
The Emperor spoke, his voice heavy with regret.
“I regret ignoring your counsel, Caliburn. Yet if I had not surrendered Frederick to Cressida, would Robert be alive today? I do not believe he would be.”

***

A week after the Emperor received the resignation letter from Baron Ariel.
The Duke of Viscount House sat before the Emperor, the air between them thick with tension.
The Emperor spoke to the Duke of Viscount House.
“I am aware, you see, that Baron Ariel bears you resentment. As a father, he cannot have been pleased that his daughter’s debutante season was ruined, nor that the matter became widely known. One can hardly fault him for that. For a house like Viscount House to retaliate against Ariel over a bit of resentment directed at Philip—is that not excessive? They are relatives, after all. Surely you can overlook such a thing.”
The Duke of Viscount House replied.
“They misunderstood, Your Majesty. Philip’s visit to Ariel was intended as an apology for the unfortunate matter surrounding the debutante. When Baron Ariel refused him entry to the estate and barred the gates entirely, Philip took offense, and thus—”
The Emperor’s tone turned glacial.
“I am aware that Viscount House’s position is not secure at present. Conduct yourself wisely. I do not know what faith you placed in the Empress to proceed as you have, but if matters have gone awry, you must manage the situation properly. Do not vent your frustrations on the wrong target.”
The Emperor’s gaze grew penetrating as he continued.
“According to Prince Robert, all of this arose because of him. He has taken it upon himself to take responsibility and protect Ariel. If you lay a hand on Ariel henceforth, you will have to answer to Prince Robert as well. And should that happen, I shall have no choice but to examine the matter thoroughly. I do not believe Viscount House truly wishes for such an outcome. I myself have no desire to see Prince Robert and Viscount House come to blows. I trust you understand my meaning. Conduct yourself as you have in the past—with prudence.”
In response to the Emperor’s warning, the Duke of Viscount House spoke.
“I shall be more circumspect going forward, Your Majesty. It is due to Cressida’s pressure that Prince Robert and Philip have been driven to the point of severing relations—”
The Emperor cut him off.
“Viscount House is one of the pillars that sustains the Empire. Do not disappoint me further. And cease tormenting Ariel. I ask this of you. As you well know, Ariel is poor. He guards the Border Region on meager resources alone. Surely you are aware of the service he renders to the Empire.”
The Emperor’s voice dropped, laden with warning.
“Should Baron Ariel speak of relinquishing his territory again, your son will assume responsibility for him. And the expenses shall fall to Viscount House as well. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The meeting between the Emperor and the Duke of Viscount House was nothing but admonishment and excuses. The Emperor turned his back on the Duke before he had even left the study.
The Emperor’s manner toward the Duke of Viscount House was uniformly cold throughout. The Duke took a deep breath, struggling to compose himself.

***

Upon arriving at his residence, the Duke of Viscount House sought out the Duchess at once. He recounted to her every word of the Emperor’s warning and every detail of their conversation.
After hearing his account, the Duchess soothed his shoulder and spoke.
“The Emperor must surely disapprove of what Cressida has done. It seems he is disappointed in Viscount House for allowing itself to be swayed by her. As for the matter with Ariel… let us think on it in time. Prince Robert has taken Ariel’s side, but surely his goodwill will not last indefinitely. He may be a neighbor now, but once his territory is stable, he will return to the Capital. The opportunity to correct Ariel’s insolence will come soon enough.”
“If Duke Garris were to learn of this business with Ariel, I can scarcely imagine how pleased he would be. The thought alone makes my blood boil.”
The Duchess gently grasped his hand and spoke.
“As I have said before, Parma has been far too quiet of late. That temperament of his will soon erupt. Duke Garris’s weakness is Parma. The very fact that the Empress keeps Prince Frederick away from the Capital shows that she fears a clash between Parma and the Prince. If we can only arrange for Prince Frederick to see Parma often, we are not entirely without recourse. The opportunity will come soon, my dear Duke.”
“The Emperor seems to be growing concerned about Prince Frederick spending so much time in Cressida’s arms. It’s too late now. If the Emperor had any sense, he wouldn’t have let the Empress and Cressida run unchecked. Had he moved sooner, Cressida wouldn’t have become so insufferably arrogant.”
“Quite so. The Emperor will do whatever he can to diminish Cressida’s influence over Prince Frederick. If Isabella succeeds in winning Prince Frederick’s heart, the first thing we must do is separate the Prince from Cressida’s grasp.”
“When does Mother arrive?”
“She should be here next week.”
“I hope Isabella acquits herself well. She’ll need to do better than Philip did.”
“We can’t fault Philip for this matter. None of us foresaw that Baron Ariel would act so boldly.”
The Duke spoke as if nursing a headache.
“These nobodies picking fights with Viscount House—it’s all because of Cressida and her lot. If Garris thinks ahead, he’d want them gone too. And the Emperor wants them gone as well. They have many enemies. They won’t last long.”
“Cressida’s ambitions are excessive. The Emperor or Garris might move first. Perhaps we should wait before directly confronting Cressida.”
The Duke agreed.
The Emperor’s coldness, the budgeted resources soon to be poured into Ariel, and their ripple effects left the Duke aching in every part of his being. The Duchess sat beside him, soothing him, her voice gentle with reassurance that all would be well.
Under the Duchess’s comfort, the Duke’s chest, which had been ready to burst with anxiety and fury, gradually grew calm.

***

Baron Ariel announced to everyone that he had sent the Emperor a document offering to relinquish his territory. Since then, the entire household had been anxiously waiting for Administrator John to return.
Sophia was not anxious about whether the resignation letter would be accepted. Rather, she was thinking about what came after. Even if this matter passed quietly, Viscount House would only be waiting for an opportunity to settle the score.
‘The one directly involved in this is Philip. Philip is the future Duke of Viscount House. He’s far too arrogant a man to let Ariel go unpunished.’
To prepare for that, she desperately needed Prince Robert’s help. The Prince had to extract something from the Emperor. Sophia could only hope that Prince Robert understood that helping Ariel was helping himself.
Administrator John returned to Ariel after ten days. His expression and Jack’s were bright as they entered the territory.
In Baron Ariel’s office were Sophia, Alex, and Ellie as well. The Baron had gathered everyone so they could all hear the matter together, given its importance.
When Sophia heard from Administrator John that Prince Robert and Umbreel had accompanied them on the return journey, she guessed that things had gone according to plan.
Baron Ariel asked Sophia a question.
“You got word to Prince Robert immediately after Philip left, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Why else would Philip have come to Ariel? To approach Prince Robert through me and win his favor. Since Isabella’s affair with Prince Frederick fell through, he wanted to repair his relationship with Prince Robert. Viscount House needed that connection again, if only to threaten Cressida.”
John spoke with emotion evident in his voice.
“The Emperor has rejected your resignation, my lord, and sent word that good news will soon come to Umbreel and Ariel, who bear responsibility for the Northern Border Region. Prince Robert also told us that the Emperor has realized he has neglected the territories that manage the Border Region. I suspect funding will be forthcoming soon.”
Sophia spoke.
“Thank heavens. Prince Robert can’t remain in Umbreel forever. We need to benefit as quickly as possible and build our strength. There may not be another chance like this.”
The Baron nodded in agreement. Alex spoke with a worried expression.
“Won’t Viscount House try to settle this debt once Prince Robert returns to the Capital?”
“They will.”
The Baron’s answer cast a pall over the room. There was no helping it. Sophia felt guilty and responsible for all of this. Unable to remain silent, she spoke first.
“Shouldn’t we try to restore our relationship with Viscount House? We could even sound out Prince Robert about whether reconciliation is possible. If we take the initiative and show them goodwill, might they not soften? Prince Robert won’t shun Viscount House forever either.”
Baron Ariel let out a hollow laugh and spoke.
“If Viscount House restores their relationship with Prince Robert, they’ll only become more determined to eliminate us. They will never forget such a grudge. They are people who, rather than show gratitude for our help, seek to erase any future threat we might pose.”
Alex and John nodded in agreement. Sophia spoke like a sigh.
“This whole situation has gotten bigger because of me.”
Baron Ariel spoke.
“It’s not because of you. It’s because of Viscount House. They used you and never apologized. They tried to buy you off with money. If I hadn’t stopped them, they would have used you again. If you insist on blaming yourself, blame me instead. It’s the truth. As your father, I failed to give you even a modest debutante. That’s what led to this mess.”
Alex spoke with tears welling in his eyes.
“That’s right. It’s our fault. And yet Sophia bears the worst hurt and blames herself for it.”
Sophia barely held back her tears as she spoke.
“Then why does it all turn out this way?”
The Baron spoke with a dark expression.
“Even if you had refused, I should have given you a debutante with my own hands, however modest. I wronged you by using the territory’s affairs as an excuse. Whatever Viscount House’s aim was with your debutante, you were hurt most of all. And if you feel guilty on top of that, you’re making a poor father of me.”
Sophia looked at the Baron and spoke.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”
It truly wasn’t her intention. It seemed she had drawn Ariel into Viscount House and Prince Robert’s affairs through her own selfishness. Seeing Sophia’s darkened face, Baron Ariel spoke with anger in his voice.
“This is all Viscount House’s doing!”

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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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