*** *** *** *** ***
Thus, Countess Karen Prime von Montreal stood blankly in the glass garden of the royal palace, letting the wind brush past her.
By the time her cheeks grew cold, her aide, Marianne, entered the garden, carrying a book as large as her own body.
“Countess, here is the registry you requested.”
“Ah, thank you.”
What Marianne handed over was none other than the noble registry of Leahian. It had taken some time to locate because Karen had specifically requested the edition from ten years ago.
The Palladio Lens, the Royal Library, was built with the utmost priority on preserving its collection, so even books from ten years ago were clean and unblemished.
“Well then, I’ll be leaving for the day.”
“Pardon? You’re not returning to the office today?”
“I have urgent business.”
“What?”
Marianne couldn’t hide her shock at the words of Countess Montreal, who was well-known for her workaholism. Karen delivered yet another bombshell to the stunned Marianne.
“I plan to take my accumulated leave. I haven’t decided on the exact dates, but if I don’t show up tomorrow, just assume that’s the case.”
“L-Leave? Countess, you’re aware you have leave? I thought you didn’t even know it existed…”
“……”
‘I wasn’t that much of a workaholic.’
That thought crossed her mind, but Karen refrained from turning it into a sharp retort, likely because her mind was in turmoil.
Without leaving any further instructions for Marianne, Karen turned away, holding the noble registry.
‘Even if Her Majesty entrusted this to me, I need justification.’
If she brought in a nobody and called him king, there would undoubtedly be backlash, even if it was by the Queen’s decree.
The bloodline had to be impeccable.
‘But they can’t be too young either.’
The time given by the Queen, five years.
The new king had to ascend the throne within five years, so someone too young would be problematic. Conversely, someone too old might lack the flexibility of thought and be slow to learn.
Thus, Karen had set the cutoff at ten years.
At least ten years old.
That’s why she had specifically requested the noble registry from ten years ago.
Technically, the registry was not allowed to be taken out of the Palladio Lens, so just holding it in her hands was an abuse of authority.
But so what? Even at this moment, the five-year deadline given by the Queen was ticking away, and Karen was in a hurry.
She quickly boarded her carriage and returned home.
The butler, surprised to see his mistress return at an unusual hour, couldn’t hide his astonishment as he greeted her.
“You’ve returned early.”
“I have urgent business. Also, I won’t be going to work starting tomorrow. So there’s no need to fuss in the morning.”
“What?”
The butler couldn’t hide his surprise at his mistress’s words, but Karen didn’t bother to explain further and strode up to her study.
The book was so thick that she knew it would take considerable time to sift through it and identify nobles with suitable bloodlines.
The task ahead was to meet each of those selected individuals and assess their potential—a long and arduous process.
Frankly, even after meeting all of them, there might not be a single candidate who met her expectations.
‘I need to steel myself.’
Karen knew that even if a suitable king wasn’t ready, Queen Soneti would leave the palace on the fifth anniversary, as sharp as a blade.
There was no time to complain about how hard or difficult it was. Karen steadied her nerves, suppressing her anxiety, and opened the book.
The first name that caught her eye on the very first page was this.
Ludwig Alfonso de Rodriguez, Grand Duke
‘The half-brother of the late king.’
Karen recalled the man she had never met, Queen Soneti’s father. The first transcendent who preceded her.
The young king, Velderuk I, who ascended the throne at the age of seventeen and was once called the ‘Boy King.’
Because Velderuk I was illegitimate, there had been persistent calls over the years for the legitimate heir, Grand Duke Ludwig, to take the throne. However, as if to reject such notions, Grand Duke Ludwig had voluntarily requested the most remote territory, where he withdrew and distanced himself from politics.
‘But he had a son?’
There was no information about his wife, only a brief mention of his son’s name, so it was unclear how the child came to be.
Still, with Queen Soneti having no siblings or descendants, the closest bloodline to the throne was that of the Grand Duke.
Erich Fromm de Rodriguez
‘I’ll need to remember this.’
With swift hands, Karen jotted down his name on a separate piece of paper.
*** *** *** *** ***
Despite being the first name she wrote down, Karen didn’t meet Duke Erich Fromm de Rodriguez until two months later.
From the noble registry, Karen had shortlisted about 100 individuals.
Most of them lived in the capital, a few in the suburbs, and only Rodriguez, the Duke’s son, lived in the complete outskirts.
‘I need to meet them all. This is about ascending to the throne—it can’t be done carelessly.’
If bloodline were the only concern, she would have gone to Duke Rodriguez first, but the Queen had specifically advised.
“The next king must be greedy, cunning, and clever. Someone who, having possessed little, will desperately clutch onto anything that comes into their hands.”
‘The Queen’s words are nothing short of prophecy.’
Though her tone had been remarkably plain, the future she described was terrifying.
To endure such harsh times and sustain the nation, the king’s personal qualities were crucial.
That’s why Karen chose to meet all hundred candidates, despite the difficulty.
As a lion can be known by its claws, there was no need for deep conversation. She mainly observed them auditing classes at the academy or gathered evaluations from professors.
‘Not this one, not that one either…’
After countless X marks drawn, having met 99 people, the last remaining candidate was Duke Rodriguez.
After a full fortnight’s carriage ride from the capital, she finally arrived at Wellington, the territory granted to Grand Duke Ludwig.
‘So I’ve come all the way here.’
Wellington was a coastal city at the Western edge of Leahian.
With an average temperature of 15 degrees, neither too hot nor cold, it was a maritime transportation hub with diverse cuisine and distinctive clothing styles. It seemed like a pleasant city to live in.
‘This would be good for establishing autonomy between the capital and the Merni Duchy.’1
Karen turned away from watching the massive sailing ships coming and going.
The sea held no novelty for her, having seen it when departing Adelbar for Leahian. She clenched her fist.
‘I hope he’s the talent I’ve been looking for…’
If not, the candidate list would have to start again from zero.
But since rushing wouldn’t solve anything, Karen steeled herself not to let anxiety drive her decision-making.
However, there was a strange atmosphere in Wellington.
“Excuse me, I’m trying to get to the Duke’s residence.”
“Oh mercy, I don’t know anything about that!”
“Heavens! Get away from here!”
While the city was vibrant and beautiful, people would panic when asked about the way to the Duke’s residence. When she tried to hire a carriage, the driver would chase her away.
“Are you trying to get us all killed! Get lost!”
“Huh? Why?”
Judging by Wellington’s prosperity, there seemed to be no issues with the Duke’s governance.
Yet she couldn’t understand why people were so averse to anything related to him.
‘I should observe the atmosphere a bit more.’
Perhaps this might reveal qualities unsuitable for a king.
Karen, who had originally planned to meet the Duke’s son briefly before returning to the capital, decided to find lodging in Wellington city.
Finding accommodation wasn’t difficult, as the city saw frequent foreign visitors.
However, she did receive some unexpected attention. While Wellington had many foreign visitors, it was rare to have visitors from other parts of Leahian.
The warm-hearted innkeeper couple piled food high on her plate as they asked.
“You’re from the capital? We could tell right away from your accent that you’re a city girl.”
“Hahaha.”
“We hear skinny girls are all the rage in the capital these days? Here in Wellington, a woman sturdy enough to bear five children is considered the prime catch. Eat up plenty. If you need more, just ask!”
“Thank you.”
Karen awkwardly accepted the mountain of food. Among them was something dark red that looked like jelly.
When she tilted her head after taking a bite and finding it tasteless, the innkeeper explained with a smile.
“That’s Black pudding! Made from congealed pig’s blood!”
“Oh!”
Unable to spit it out or swallow it, Karen’s face quickly fell.
A picky capital girl quickly won the innkeepers’ hearts.
To them, the capital was a mysterious place, so it was natural to take a liking to a young lady who satisfied their curiosity.
“But why did you come all the way out to this corner?”
“My mother was from Wellington.”
“Ah, I see.”
For a Leahian, Karen had fairly pale skin, many freckles, and rare red hair.
Meanwhile, red hair wasn’t uncommon among the mixed-race people living in Wellington.
The couple naturally believed Karen’s lie. To dig up information about the Duke, Karen added another lie.
“I used to work as a private tutor in the capital. I heard the Duke’s children are still young, so I thought I might look for tutoring work here…”
Well, it’s not a complete lie since I did teach, even if it was just special lectures at the Royal Academy.
Of course, only two people had sat through her lectures to the end. And even then, one of them hadn’t understood anything.
When Karen mentioned her plan, the innkeeper couple recoiled in horror.
“Absolutely not! Wake up from that dream!”
“A young lady shouldn’t even joke about such things!”
“But… why are you reacting like this?”
It was incomprehensible that even this kind-hearted couple would react so strongly.
Meeting Karen’s frowning blue eyes that stared intently at them, the innkeeper couple briefly exchanged glances.
Their hesitation didn’t last long. In fact, they had been itching to talk about it.
“Truth is, while the Grand Duke was a bit stern, he was a good person. He lowered taxes and implemented many policies for the people’s benefit. He was quite capable too.”
“That was before that monster was born!”
Monster.
Karen’s blue eyes sharpened at the word that slipped from the couple’s lips.
‘They must mean Duke Erich.’
Even for someone who didn’t interact with the town, it was extremely rare for a Duke’s son to be called a monster.
‘What secret could there be?’
By this point, her curiosity was piqued. Karen kept quiet and listened to the town rumors the couple shared.
‘The Duke’s wife had pale white skin and otherworldly beauty. She must have been a vampire since she only appeared after sunset.’
‘Five village maidens were sacrificed the day the Duke’s son was born. They must have summoned a demon.’
‘Many people have seen a giant goat at the Duke’s residence.’
‘No one has ever had an audience with the Duke, and those who went for audiences only saw the shadow of a demon.’
“So you’re saying the Duke’s son is a demon, and this demon ate the Duke?”
“Who knows? Maybe the Grand Duke himself was already a demon? Honestly, silver hair isn’t common, is it? It’s not exactly a normal color.”
So Grand Duke Ludwig had silver hair. Karen calmly stored away the information she could glean from their words.
While silver or light golden hair was fairly common in Leahian’s capital, it was rare in Wellington, so it might well appear as a symbol of ghosts or demons.
‘Most focus is on the demonic aspects, but there seem to be no issues with the Duke’s influence or governance itself.’
There wasn’t a single complaint about the Duke’s policies.
The city was prosperous, and the people were generous. It seemed rather strange that in such a livable city, only the ruler’s reputation was terribly poor.
‘I need to investigate this thoroughly.’
Since Queen Soneti was a great beauty, it was unlikely that her father, Velderuk I, or her uncle, Grand Duke Ludwig, would be ugly.
She was curious about how the son of a handsome Duke with high position and positive influence came to be branded as a demon.
Karen spent four days collecting the city’s rumors.
Even those who were initially wary of this capital lady freely shared information with Karen.
Wellington always had a shortage of young women. The city would warmly welcome anyone who showed interest in settling there.
It was on the fifth day that Karen finally learned the location of the Duke’s residence. For someone of her impatient nature, this showed remarkable restraint.
Seeing no need to waste more time, she immediately borrowed a horse and headed for the Duke’s residence.
- Merni was supposed to be Money (머니) but I thought it would be weird to have it say Money Duchy so I changed it to Merni instead. ↩︎
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