North x Northwest

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Side Story 4 – Liloa’s Chapter 2: Mortu’s Castle

Of course, regardless of Joseph’s plans, Liloa was excited to be able to leave the exhausting Obernyu and head to Sesbron, a cultural centre where nobles from all around the world gather together. Henrietta, her mother, also loved Sesbron and always spoke about how much she missed it.

From then on, Liloa sat by the window every day and imagined the city of Sesbron. All while the moon waxed and waned…

***

There was an obvious reason why the people of the empire unanimously praised Sesbron. Even Liloa herself was astounded by the capital’s palace, so much so that her jaw dropped. Large and small banquets were held every day, and operas and plays for the emperor were immensely popular. The people were excited and sensitive about the latest trends and exotic styles as if they were competing for extravagance.

The newcomer Liloa heard Sesbron courtiers’ endless praise every day.

“…You are beautiful, Miss…”

“…You definitely stand out at today’s banquet…”

“…Even the goddess of beauty will cry with envy when she sees you…”

Whenever she stood still in the banquet hall, people would come up, observe her, and praise her. Liloa, however, merely perceived them as a bunch of Josephs. Because anyone who came to see her, would first and foremost, check whether she was a worthy bride.

Liloa gradually realised that Sesbron was no different from Obernyu. No one truly cared about her, no one cared what she was thinking or how she was living. All these people were only obsessed with whether she was beautiful, whether she would be obedient to her husband, and whether she would be good at bearing children.

Joseph constantly emphasised in his letters the need to win the emperor’s favour, and only after Liloa started visiting Annette’s salon did she learn why her father mentioned the emperor and never the prince himself.

The emperor was still furious about the early death of his sister, Henrietta, and he blamed the harsh treatment of the Obernyu court. Such thoughts weren’t false, so Liloa felt a faint bond with the emperor.

Despite the fact that the emperor openly showed his hostility, Joseph I held his head high. Causing the people gathered at salons to chatter quietly.

“…I wonder if this will lead to the fall of the historic principality. As “Obernyu” is a royal family with a history dating back to the place’s name, changing their surname means its extinction…”

“Don’t pay attention to all the gossip.”

“..?”

Annette, lying down on a couch, picked up a green grape and ate it. She was Philip II’s only mistress, wearing a white wig with her hair billowing out with an extravagant fondant on top of it.

Liloa was sitting on the chair next to her.

“No matter how hostile His Majesty may appear to be, he cannot and will not attack Obernyu. The White Confederation is raging in Pontenbach and he cannot afford to have two battlegrounds. Besides, if we lose the battle with Obernyu, what will happen to the supply of officers and horses? It will result in us being unable to train the Karabinae unit, and we cannot let that happen. That is what is making him so angry…”

“..!”

Liloa’s shoulders shook upon hearing “Karabinae”. Annette placed her hand on the back of Liloa’s hand, perhaps mistaking it for fear.

“It is okay. His Majesty cares about you. He appreciates that you grew up as a well-behaved child and he even told me to treat you well.”

“…”

Liloa thought of herself as gloomy and broken rather than well-mannered. Lately, she’d been seeing the dark undertaker or hallucinated so much that she doubted whether she was even sane. Even yesterday, she saw Mortu’s shadow in the middle of the ballroom.

Liloa couldn’t bear her suddenly chilling chest, so she quickly grabbed one of the fruits and ate it. Not at all comprehending what it tasted like.contemporary romance

“Henrietta was a bright and lovely child who made those surrounding her smile. When Henrietta danced, everyone at court would be mesmerised as if they were seeing a fairy. I guess His Majesty secretly hoped that you would be similar to Henrietta, as that is not the case, he must be feeling a little sorry as well. But do not worry dear, if it becomes known that you are treated well in a palace that has so many eyes on you, even the arrogant Joseph will crawl up soon, so there is no reason to escalate the situation. In addition, Obernyu is a powerful enough principality even to this day. Nothing can be won with an all-out battle. So, do not worry.”

Although Annette was the emperor’s mistress, she was a skilful politician who reigned as a powerful figure in the court for many years. Even Philip II didn’t hesitate to ask her for advice. And it wasn’t because his relationship with the empress was bad, but because the empress chose to live in a separate palace and only showed her face during ceremonies or important banquets. When Liloa visited, she only outwardly welcomed her without displaying any real interest in the child.

It was even said that the empress herself had introduced Annette directly to the emperor, as she was not feeling well and tired of world affairs, and Annette was clever enough to assist the emperor in her stead.

This was also part of the adult world that Liloa didn’t understand yet.

Annette held out a grape to Liloa. When she tried to take it, Annette shook her head. In her confusion, Liloa hesitated, but eventually, she opened her mouth as the other person had hoped. After Annette pushed the grape between the child’s lips, she ate some herself while wrinkling her nose, causing the mole on the bridge of her nose to shake as if it might fall off.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes.”

Looking around, Liloa saw the rest of the ladies gathered in the salon looking at her with envy. It seemed like she was the only one who was embarrassed. Everyone laughed when Annette jested that Liloa’s awkwardness was so cute. It was as if she had become a character in a play. Now, Liloa understood how Henrietta, who grew up in such a lively atmosphere, couldn’t endure the Obernyu court.

Annette, still smiling with a fan covering her face, leaned towards Liloa.

“Oh, the most diligent man in the Empire is coming in.”

The third prince Robero and the Duke of Mireille.

Liloa couldn’t tell which of the two Annette referred to as the “most diligent”. But Annette quickly elaborated, as if she had read Liloa’s thoughts.

“René Mireille is truly an interesting person. During the reign of his father, an epidemic broke out on their estate that almost caused their bankruptcy. It was even said that the IOUs* handed to his father, when compiled altogether, could make up a book the size of the Great Law. So, can you imagine how much money had been borrowed? Anyway, the former Duke had to sell everything, including villas and farms, just to pay off the majority of those debts. Still, he must not have had enough money as later on, in a way of grasping straws, he even invested in a trading company. He ended up losing everything. But, do you know what makes this more interesting?”

“..?”

Mireille was a prestigious family that even Liloa was familiar with.

‘I have heard that it isn’t that rare for noble families to fall, but to think that even an old, established family like the Mireille’s was on the verge of extinction due to debt… And even now, the rumours going around the capital about them are no small feat…’

“There is no debt left at all now.”

“How come?”

“Look at your cute face. Yes, I know what you are curious about, and I will give you the answer. The current Duke, René Mireille, personally took over the management of the ruined business. Sesbron was turned upside down when the news came out, no one could believe that the head of a prestigious ducal family would position himself as a sleazy merchant. But I was different. I was so amused that I even bought some of the Garni top bonds*. Why you may ask? Well, the current Duke has an unusual resourcefulness to him…”

“Annette…”

Annette lifted the fan that covered her mouth.

The attention subtly focused on the unmarried prince and duke. Annette, still stretched out on the couch, lazily held out her hand holding her fan.

“Robero.”

While the two men took turns and kissed the back of Annette’s hand, Liloa was rather amazed by Sesbron’s tendency to allow such a close relationship between the empress’s children and the mistress. Nonetheless, she held her breath because she didn’t know what political intentions there might be.

Robero looked at Liloa and patted Mireille on the shoulder.

“Liloa. This is the Duke of Mireille.”

Mireille’s impression was extraordinary. His hair was so light that it almost looked white.

‘I’ve heard that people in the central and southern regions sometimes can have hair that colour, but this is the first time seeing it in person.’

It was said that the more the colour faded from blond, the more unique it was. That was also the reason why flour-sprinkled white wigs came into fashion or why someone like Mireille, who has natural white hair, was so popular at the royal court.

“Hello, Miss.”

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Footnote:

IOU: An IOU, a phonetic acronym of the words “I owe you”, is a document that acknowledges the existence of a debt. An IOU is often viewed as an informal written agreement rather than a legally binding commitment. Dating as far back as the 18th century, at least, IOUs are still very much in use.

Bond: Bonds are issued by governments and corporations when they want to raise money. By buying a bond, you’re giving the issuer a loan, and they agree to pay you back the face value of the loan on a specific date, and to pay you periodic interest payments along the way, usually twice a year… Bonds will typically pay a regular income to the investor through interest payments while shares usually offer more capital growth with the possibility of income from dividends. Bonds are usually less risky than shares.

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