Chapter 160
Proofreader: somnium
“Yes. I am completely uninterested.”
Artizea responded like so to Ian’s question.
“Even if Heir Apparent succeeds in taking over Marquisate Callia, I don’t think that you will be able to claim the privileges that the current Marquisate Callia has.”
The honest answer made Ian more understandable of the situation.
“Then, are you trying to only get what you want in the process?”
Artizea smiled again.
His head didn’t look that bad. But the view is still narrow.
Ian seed to be able to include only direct gains within the scope of the event.
“I have no intention of swaying Marquisate Callia like Marquis Luden. There is no need for that.”
“Then Marquis Luden…….”
Ian shut his mouth as he was about to speak. And he was lost in thought.
It was not wise to show such a contemplative appearance. It was sothing the Marquis Callia should not have done.
Of course, from Artizea’s point of view, it didn’t matter whether he could live like the Marquis Callia in the future.
The success or failure in itself was not a serious factor for what she was trying to do using Ian.
After all, he’s among one of the most promising candidates to target Marchioness Callia. Even if he failed, there was nothing to lose.
Ian asked as if he had made up his mind right away.
“What do you want from ?”
“This question is much better.”
Artizea said.
“File an inheritance lawsuit. We’ll support you with everything you need. In the anti, we will provide all support so that you can live a noble life as well as the cost of the lawsuit. I’m talking about including a sufficient level of escort.”
Ian frowned slightly. It was because he didn’t quite understand what Artizea’s purpose was.
“I know it is no secret that my mother and maternal uncles were either killed or driven to flee far away by the present Marquis couple. Can you shake that current Marquisate?”
“You don’t think you will be successful.”
“It has been over 20 years since the youngest uncle took over the title. Even great success in an inheritance lawsuit would, at best, be limited to obtaining a portion of the fortune…….”
“For Heir Apparent, that’s a good sense.”
“Because I can’t risk my life in exchange for a fortune.”
“You can’t even get wealth without taking risks.”
Artizea said.
“And if Grand Duke Roygar does not ascend to the throne, then the fact that you have filed an inheritance lawsuit will have aning in itself.”
The courts of the Krates Empire are by no ans a strict and impartial judicial body.
Judges usually judged under the eyes of the great nobility. The stronger the power, the higher the rank, the richer the wealth was always the closer to victory.
Although it deals with the emperor’s laws now, in the early days, it was an institution that coordinated agreents between nobles.
Therefore, the judgnt is never permanent.
At Artizea’s words, Ian made a surprised face. Then his eyes soon shone.
“If Grand Duke Roygar fails to beco an emperor and falls, then Marquisate Luden and the Marquisate Callia will be purged together.”
A purge also needs a reason.
It can also be incurred by creating appropriate political reasons. But if there is a reason that already exists, the burden is reduced.
It is even better if it is corruption or evil behaviour.
It can be treated as a personal evil deed that Marquis Luden hard and expelled his enemies in order to get his hands on Marquisate Callia.
Needless to say, it was easy to implent if there were enemies who were already claiming their rights when they were determined to be purged.
This was a good cause to present to other nobles.
Nobles are sensitive to the elimination of noble families. This is because the Emperor believes that it is suppressing the nobility
However, they did not care much about the change of master, considering it as soone else’s house affairs.
Moreover, Ian was the grandson of the enemy.
He thought Artizea would be a noble on Lawrence’s side.
Having lived as a commoner in a distant country side, he had neither the information nor the analytical power to understand anything beyond that, nor the intuition to jump into the logic and reach the truth.
And if he thinks it’s Lawrence’s plan, it’s a good fit.
To put a disgrace on Marquisate Callia. It would be good if Marquisate Callia was shaken by that.
Even if it doesn’t, it’s making up an excuse to purge the area around Grand Duke Roygar in the future.
As Ian bears the risk, it was also a task that did not burden this lady and her master at all.
Ian thought that now was the ti to bet.
“It is true for Madam too, to take risks to get greater things.”
“Hoo.”
“Isn’t there any guarantee that Grand Duke Roygar will fall? Rather, if he becos emperor, I will only be in danger.”
“…… .”
“More than anything else, if I, who has been living in the East, to bet on an inheritance lawsuit, wouldn’t it be natural to think that there is a behind-the-scenes dealing?”
Artizea hid her smile.
In a nutshell, it seed to an that he should be properly placed in a faction and protected. Otherwise, he could reveal the existence of those behind him.
“Heir Apparent is like a thorn left behind by the Marquisate Callia because it was difficult to extract one by one. I won’t betray you anyway, so don’t worry too much.”
“…….”
“If Grand Duke Roygar hears about ‘behind the scenes’ from Heir Apparent, will he acknowledge your work and give you a reward?”
“But Madam.”
Ian tensed up and called her nervously. He was nervous at the thought he wouldn’t even get what she had promised at first.
Artizea knew his anxiety as if looking into the palm of his hand.
It wasn’t bad
His greed is great, but he has no gambler temperant. He seems to have a good brain, but that doesn’t an he’s much smarter than usual.
Like Skyla, he was not thoroughly educated from an early age and trained as a high-ranking noble.
In other words, he would be just a petty criminal.
As long as she doesn’t strangely twist his ego while making him the Marquis, he’ll be easy to handle.
‘On the looks, it’s not bad compared to the rough life.’
Artizea thought for a mont. A new idea ca to mind.
What could be the reason Marquisate Rosan couldn’t do what Marquisate Luden did?
Of course, the form would be quite different from what Ian thought.
Just as when Marquisate Luden was involved in the succession of the title, it was Marchioness Callia that was the subject of the master-servant contract, not the Marquis.
Anyway, that was for later. For now, it was just a passing idea.
Artizea answered Ian with a darkened face.
“I don’t like those who don’t have any power and try to secure sothing with an uncertain price in the future.”
“Madam ….”
“But from my point of view, it is very embarrassing not to be able to do what I have been commanded to do. So, I’ll pretend I haven’t heard of it.”
Ian let out a sigh of relief as well.
“Thank you, madam.”
“Then, will Heir Apparent accept my offer?”
“I’ll, I’ll think about it. I am nothing to your master, but to my life is precious.”
“Yes. Just think it through.”
Artizea didn’t say any more.
Ian could not hide his nervousness and stood up. He realized that there was no possibility that good conditions would be offered just because he held on longer.
The n ca in and took Ian, who was blindfolded again, out.
Artizea also ordered his eyes that had been watching secretly to be closed.
Eventually, at the point when he got the offer and decided to co this way, Ian had to know that he couldn’t go back the way he was.
Freil asked.
“Have you decided?”
“Decided?”
“Yes. I was wondering if you had chosen Mr. Ian as the Marquis of Callia. Lady Skyla has already co to see you three tis, but you turned her down, right?”
“It might look like that. It would be better if even Skyla thought that way.”
“Lady Skyla has not yet decided to pledge her allegiance to Your Grace. If she doesn’t think Your Grace’s trust can be trusted, she’ll go all the way to Grand Duke Roygar.”
And, in Freil’s judgnt, the only thing Ian had better than Skyla was that his purpose was well-rounded.
It could have been important. So they can feel at ease.
It was understandable if it was in the sense of reducing the variables rather than trying to bring Marquisate Callia into power.
Artizea smiled brightly.
“Skyla’s position is a bit vague. In any case, just because she remains fully loyal to Grand Duke Roygar, following Marchioness Callia as she is now, there is no guarantee that she will be able to fully exercise her rights as Marchioness Callia in the future.”
“But at least the inheritance itself will be stable. Now, she will inherit the property and interests as it is, and she will beco the Marquis of Calia herself. Wouldn’t the political position be more stable than that of the current Marchioness?”
Freil objected.
“If His Majesty makes it difficult to inherit the title, there is a risk that she will turn into an enemy.”
Artizea continued.
“She’s been here three tis already, haven’t she? it’s okay.”
“Your Grace.”
“I’m sure she knows who is in a bad position. She’ll be making her fourth visit soon.”
As if she had already made an appointnt with Skyla, Artizea said calmly.
“As long as there are only a few things that can be achieved by attaching to Grand Duke Roygar, Skyla has no choice but to consider many things.”
“Lady Skyla has an active personality.”
“Yes. And as I said before, Sir Freil, it is the heart above all else that moves people.”
No matter how rational a person may appear, their judgnt is ultimately influenced by their emotions.
The decision was more so than the judgnt.
A lot of people act because they want to do it, and they decide because they can’t help it.
Skyla is resentful at the Marquisate Luden’s behaviour toward Marchioness Callia.
And there is a resentnt towards the Marchioness Callia herself for accepting it obediently.
It would twist Skyla’s judgnt. Especially since she respects and loves her mother.
And just as Artizea said, Skyla visited the next afternoon.
＊＊＊
Until her third visit, Skyla felt relaxed despite being rejected. It was only natural that Artizea, who had suffered from great troubles with her pregnancy, could not easily et people.
But on her fourth visit, she didn’t have that much leeway. She failed to follow the rule of sneaking in through Alice’s back door.
The information network of Marchioness Callia had already caught on that Ian had entered the capital.
Marchioness Callia was not so concerned when news ca that Ian had disappeared from where he was living.
But the matter was different if he had co to the capital.
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