262 – An Too Obvious Event (6)
After a few days had passed and I had gathered myself, I had an audience with the princess alone.
“Your Highness Maria, thank you for allowing me to have an audience with you.”
“There is no need to be thankful like this when there is a grace that saved my life.”
As if to show me that those words were not empty words, the princess came towards me and personally helped me up.
From Maria’s touch, I could feel her love and cherished feelings for me.
“I also get lonely sometimes, so please come visit me often like this even if you don’t have official duties. “When I talk to the Lord, my lonely mind is relieved a lot.”
“It is truly an honor for you to say that.”
When I tried to just say a formal greeting and move on, Maria puffed out her cheeks slightly and spoke for emphasis.
“When other nobles talk to me, they always have their own interests in mind, so even when we talk, their hearts are empty. However, the Lord does not ask me for things like territory or interest, but rather responds to conversation, so that alone makes me feel at ease. Please come visit me often.”
I wonder if it is very embarrassing to show favor so directly to me, a mere subject, and even a person of the opposite s*x.
The princess’s face had suddenly turned red like the sunset.
I think Maria also felt very awkward in this atmosphere when she thought about it.
He cleared his throat on purpose and changed the topic.
“Hmm, first of all, the interrogation of the criminal has been completed. “As you found out, the 3rd prince was the culprit.”
“As expected.”
“And I didn’t hear the reason why they tried to assassinate me, but it would be obvious. After assassinating me and destroying the internal order of this faction, the Third Prince probably planned to bring an army and take over our territory.”
The reason is so obvious that I don’t even feel any emotion.
Of course, if the assassination had been successful, the First Princess faction would have already begun to disintegrate, and the nobles would have been holding each other by the collar and fighting over who was the leader…
It’s already been done and I’ve heard this story dozens of times, so I’m really sick of it now.
‘It’s a doable idea because we successfully prevented the assassination, but…’
“So what do you plan to do now? Are you planning on sending an assassin in the same way?”
Maria listened to me and sipped her black tea.
“Just because the other party sent an assassin, it would be foolish to send the same one. Well, as long as there is a guarantee that it will succeed, I will send it at any time and as many times as I want. That idiot brother is also a very intelligent person when he does bad things. I’m sure he knows that if sending an assassin fails, I’ll send an assassin after him, so he’s on guard. “It would be a waste of money.”
It is a very dangerous mission to risk your own life to kill a high-ranking enemy soldier.
Even if the assassination is successful, the person will die in the process of escaping, and if the assassination fails and is captured, the person will undergo torture so horrible that it is unspeakable.
And when you die, you die while suffering unimaginable pain…
You have to pay a huge amount of money in exchange for eliminating many risks, but if the probability of failure is over 99%, there is no reason to send an assassin.
“The nobles, including the Marquis of Schweig, are saying that we should use this opportunity to subdue that idiot. What do you think?”
I have never seen the Third Prince in person, but if he wasn’t a Pappenheim-level idiot, he would have made thorough preparations from the moment he sent the assassin.
Presumably, if her assassination fails, Maria will lead her army to attack her.
Preparing for the coming war by placing soldiers throughout the fortress and stockpiling as much food and weapons as possible.
If you do that, if you succeed in assassinating them, you will be able to devour the territory under Maria in an instant, and even if you fail, you will be able to fight back.
‘The basis of war is to stab those who are unprepared.’
And the worst thing to do in war is to fight head-on with someone who has prepared thoroughly.
“Before that, what do you think, Her Highness Maria?”
“Of course I want to kill that bastard, the Third Prince. A person from the royal family would cowardly hire an assassin to kill me. “Didn’t you almost lose your life because of that evil man?”
It is completely understandable that Maria is angry.
She is not some kind of Virgin Mary, and if she does not turn her eyes to the person who tried to harm her, it is rather strange for her.
“But my opinion is different. “Your Highness Maria, now is not the time to attack that coward, the Third Prince.”
The princess’s face, which always smiled when she was looking at me, momentarily distorted.
This won’t be enough to lose their favor towards me, but if I can’t persuade them properly, a lot of the favor I gained by risking my life will disappear.
“Your Highness, the Third Prince is a cowardly and cunning piece of trash. They even sent an assassin to kill you. Perhaps, when they hear this news, even pagans from other continents will hold out their tongues in amazement at his evil deeds.”
When presenting an opposing opinion to someone, it is important to first empathize with that person’s feelings.
Especially if the other person is a woman, he has to hit back even more.
This is the lesson I learned while continuing my married life with these three people: Karin, Hilde, and Lucia.
“Prime Brother had the worst personality ever since he was young. “When he was young, he said he would pick on servants with ugly faces, and he even deliberately tore his robes and framed them.”
“The more a person is like that, the more he will assume that he will succeed or fail and prepare thoroughly. He must have gathered a large number of soldiers and prepared a thorough defense posture.”
The dirtier he is and the more cunning he is, the more he tends to make every effort to commit the perfect crime.
Since they were young, they have learned through experience that no matter what pranks they play, they must be done carefully to avoid being caught.
He must have planned it very thoroughly from the moment he sent the assassin.
Maria responded favorably after hearing what I said.
“That makes sense. Although I took the gamble of assassination, I am not a person who would not think about the repercussions. “Then you’re not trying to tell me to just stay like this, are you?”
At those words, I smiled mischievously and shrugged my shoulders.
“Now, when Your Highness leads a large army to attack Prince Prime, you are doing what he wants. So, to put it a little strongly, he is playing to his numbers.”
“……I don’t like that.”
“So, you should not rush to hit the prime that is waiting after all preparations have been made. “Rather, let’s gather an army and go to subdue Otto while pretending to attack the third prince.”
By now, it would have been reported to Otto that Maria was almost assassinated.
She’s probably sad that Maria didn’t die, but…
I’m sure you’re thinking this.
‘Huh? The Third Prince tried to assassinate Maria? Since she couldn’t be killed, Maria, overcome by her evil, will attack the third prince. Since those two will fight so excitedly… I’ll wait until they’re both tired and then lead the army to pick them up and eat them.’
Like a thief, he will try to eat the pheasant and its eggs.
If you are hit hard on the back of the head when you are just sitting back with such easy thoughts, it will be very difficult for you to respond properly.
Maria thought for a moment and then nodded her head.
“Both Otto and Prime are traitors who must be subdued for the sake of peace in the Rhine-Palatinate Empire. So, I think it would be better to do as the Lord says. “If you do that, you will be able to take advantage of Prime’s target.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Okay. I’d better do that. “I will hold another meeting in the future and try to persuade the nobles.”
“Thank you.”
As the story came to a close, Maria hesitated and asked.
“But how was the stew? Did he eat enough?”
Although hers were a bit salty, they were still quite tasty.
Moreover, when you cook a dish like this, you eat it not for the taste, but for the sincerity of the person who made it.
I don’t know what kind of relationship the princess will have with me in the future.
‘You have to say that the first dish a woman made was delicious, even if it was a pile of ashes.’
“Yes, it was very delicious. “I especially liked how they seasoned the salt heavily.”
A bright smile was drawn on Maria’s face.
“When making stew, Sir is a swordsman who moves his body a lot, unlike other nobles. I made it that way because I thought he might have a tendency to eat salty food like other mercenaries. “Thank you for liking me.”
Hearing these words made me want to give more lip service.
“It was truly a taste that I wanted to eat every day. “I don’t know who will become Her Highness’s wife, but I’m sure the person who receives this kind of hearty cuisine will be happy.”
“I see.”
“Yes, he must be a truly happy person.”
Maria blushed and tugged at the hem of her dress.
“Actually, cooking is my hobby. “If I have another chance next time, I will treat you to something more authentic instead of stew.”
When I heard her say that, I felt the scale of my heart naturally tilt.
What choices do I have to make to survive, and which choices will make me happier?
“It is an honor. “Then I will leave.”
And a few days later, I headed to where Prince Otto was.
With my heart tilted.
Love and War