Idle Talk: Scheming Women
Upon hearing about Prince Milimos, my husband, Lord Sperbeyard, being Princess Solerina's younger brother, proved to be as intelligent and compassionate as expected.
As Prince Milimos left the room, I took Jiverde's arm, who seemed stunned by the news, and led her to a nearby vacant room.
The moment we were alone, Jiverde clung to my arm.
"Lady Atensa, I don't want this. To be used as a hostage under that prince!"
From Jiverde's tearful plea, it was clear she recognized me as a true sister, despite no blood relation. Wanting to reassure her, I embraced and comforted her as if she were my real sister.
However, I could never grant her wish.
"I understand your feelings, Jiverde, but be strong. The fate of House Ambitose rests on your shoulders. Careless words like these, spoken in front of Prince Milimos, could cost us his mercy. Our lives would be at stake."
"But, being a hostage... The future is terrifying, and I might not sleep at night."
"You don't need to worry, Jiverde. As suggested by Lord Vazotes, I will accompany you as an attendant."
While soothing Jiverde, I discreetly scanned our surroundings. Deciding that no one was eavesdropping, I whispered softly.
"Listen carefully, Jiverde. You being a hostage is a strategic move. Lord Vazotes has high hopes for you. Live near Prince Milimos, capture his heart, and secure your position as his wife."
"Me, as Prince Milimos's wife?"
"Yes. If you become Prince Milimos's wife, House Ambitose will become related to the Nonette royal family. We will have a chance to regain our royal status. But that's not all. If you and Prince Milimos have children or grandchildren who rule these lands, it will effectively restore House Ambitose's power."
I waited for understanding to dawn on Jiverde's face before continuing.
"Jiverde, for the sake of House Ambitose, are you willing to prepare yourself to become Prince Milimos's wife?"
"Yes, Lady Atensa. If offering myself can help House Ambitose regain its rule over this land, I will gladly do it."
Entering this room, Jiverde seemed resolute compared to before. I smiled and nodded, feeling relieved internally.
What I just explained aligns with Lord Vazotes' strategy. However, Prince Milimos won't be an easy opponent. He confronted and defeated Lord Sperbeyard after he went berserk and killed his son. Prince Milimos knew Lord Sperbeyard wouldn't surrender while his son was alive, so he came to the capital and swiftly seized control of the royal castle.
With such cunning and courage, he's likely to see through our plans and use them against us. If Jiverde merely resists, he might spare us, but if she tries to escape her hostage status, Prince Milimos could see it as an opportunity to extinguish House Ambitose.
To prevent such a future, giving Jiverde a fake mission is the best course of action. It should be a mission that benefits House Ambitose when the deception eventually turns into reality.
Seeing a hint of doubt returning to Jiverde's expression, I asked, "Do you still have questions?"
"Well, yes. I understand that I'm aiming for the position of Prince Milimos's wife. But wouldn't two people be more certain than one?"
The second person she referred to could only be me, accompanying her as a hostage.
"Jiverde, I am a widow and considerably older. There's no way Prince Milimos would be interested in me."
"Is that so? I thought Prince Milimos looked at you with kinder eyes than he did at us."
"That's probably because I resemble Princess Solerina, his sister. There's no other explanation."
"Are you sure? Maybe he was drawn to you precisely because you resemble someone else, like in a play."
"Plays and reality are different things..."
While I offered this criticism, I began to wonder if denying it too vehemently might not be the right approach. Perhaps Jiverde's suggestion stemmed from an underlying sense of insecurity.
"――But that's true. You won't know the truth unless you try everything."
"Then let's do it!"
"Exactly. Let's charm Prince Milimos together."
"Yes! He should be no match, even for Prince Atentza, who, despite refusing his betrothed stubbornly, won him over and got married. Milimos Prince should be a piece of cake."
While Jiveld and I felt the weight lifted from our shoulders, I couldn't help but feel burdened by unnecessary worries.
However, this is all for the sake of the Ambitos family. As a wife who has become useless after losing her husband, if it means ensuring the well-being of the family she married into, it's a small price to pay.
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The carriage smoothly glided along the cobblestone road in the Roccha region. The smooth ride was not just thanks to the cobblestones but also due to the well-structured carriage made by my brother, Milimos' blacksmith. Despite being on a journey, my body felt surprisingly at ease.
I appreciated my somewhat eccentric but competent brother for arranging such a comfortable journey. Sitting face to face inside the carriage, Hones timidly spoke up.
"Lady Solerina, the carriage seems to be swaying. Are you feeling okay?"
"A little sway like this is perfectly fine. I rode on the back of Camuohoho, who was galloping until we entered the Roccha region."
"Camuohoho, that's a big bird, right? You rode on such a creature!? And you even made it run without any problems!?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at Hones' astonished expression.
"At a time when the child in my belly is stable, there's no need to worry about a little exercise. Besides, it's my child with my beloved husband. A child who would falter from being rocked by a riding bird like that would be quite feeble, don't you think?"
"Haha... Lady Solerina, you're as brave as ever."
I pursed my lips at Hones' somewhat forced laughter, feeling a bit reluctant.
"There was a reason I had Camuohoho race, you know."
"Is there a reason?"
"Of course. It's all because of the Ambitos Kingdom. The first prince of that kingdom has a grudge against me and tries to capture me every chance he gets. He even sent a letter directly to my husband, saying, 'Hand her over.'"
"...Lady Solerina, what did you do to that prince?"
"I rejected his proposal, edited his so-called love poems, and criticized his character a bit."
"Isn't it natural for him to hold a grudge in that case?"
"I had absolutely no interest in that prince to begin with, so it couldn't be helped, don't you think?"
As I explained with a smile, Hones responded with a wry smile.
"That may be true... But is Prince Milimos going to be alright?"
Hones changed the subject, thinking he might not agree with my opinion, and I pondered about Milimos heading for negotiations before the war. At the same time, the face of the first prince of the Ambitos Kingdom came to mind.
"It's likely that negotiations will turn into a war."
"Why do you think that?"
"I told you earlier, didn't I? That prince from the Ambitos Kingdom has his sights set on me. He might take advantage of this opportunity and include it in the negotiation terms. But Milimos will never use me as a bargaining chip. With both sides unable to agree, the negotiations will collapse."
As I spoke with my predictions, Hones gave me a skeptical look. As Milimos' secretary, he had an admirable level of composure.
"Just hearing this part, Lady Solerina, you sound like a femme fatale pushing two nations into war."
"Well, ultimately, three nations will go to war."
"Huh? Where's the third nation?"
"It's already decided. It's the Spozart Kingdom, where I married into. The Nonette Kingdom and the Spozart Kingdom became sister nations when I got married. By raising the banner of supporting a sister nation, we can march on the Ambitos Kingdom. My husband isn't that foolish as to miss this opportunity."
"As one of Nonette's soldiers, I appreciate the reinforcement, but why would the Spozart Kingdom attack the Ambitos Kingdom?"
"Because the Ambitos Kingdom has a river flowing through it, making it the most fertile land among the desert nations. Spozart Kingdom wants that land in return for their support."
"Prince Milimos doesn't seem to have territorial ambitions, so if he learns that he can get valuable reinforcements for the war, he'll likely agree to the land transfer easily."
While nodding at Hones' assessment of Milimos' character, I couldn't fully agree.
"Milimos is not the kind of person who would just go along with our predictions."
"That's true. He tends to act unexpectedly."
As Hones and I exchanged wry smiles, the coachman called out to us.
"From here, we'll be entering a tunnel through the mountains with a prepared mine. It's dark inside, so please light the oil lamp inside the carriage."
"Understood. Thank you."
While Hones replied, he rose from his seat and lit the lamp with a magic fire that appeared at his fingertips.
"Oh, you can use magic?"
"Prince Milimos finds magic quite useful, so I decided to give it a try."
"Working diligently not only in your duties but also in other matters is commendable. Maybe I'll try learning magic during my free time after childbirth."
As I made such a response, the carriage entered the opening in the mountains, connecting the Roccha region and the mainland of Nonette.
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