Chapter 608
“Miss Kayla. You said you have something to say. What is it?”
A man flicked ash from his cigarette into an empty wine glass and asked.
Though he addressed her respectfully as “Miss,” it was merely a formality. She wasn’t Lady Danit, who had directly handled the arms trade, and when war broke out, Holinga had quickly tried to wind down its business, hadn’t it? Since they were the Bariel dukedom’s shield against the emperor, it was only natural that their attitude would reveal cracks like this.
Kayla seemed well aware of this, nodding deliberately as if to show off.
“Before I begin, may I ask something? Is it true that you royalists want to unify the chaotic Burgos and continue the legacy of the Rankvis royal family?”
Wasn’t that obvious? The survival of the Rankvis line was the very cause and purpose that united them. The officials exchanged glances, puzzled.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Please answer. Do you want the royal family to continue?”
“There’s no need to say more. That’s obvious.”
“Then I’ll ask again. Is there anyone willing to go to Bariel in place of King Damon?”
What was that supposed to mean? Taken aback by the unexpected question, no one dared respond.
Kayla slowly walked among them and picked up a teacup from the back.
“I thought I had mastered Burgos’ language perfectly, but perhaps I was arrogant. Let me put it another way: Is there anyone willing to go to Bariel in exchange for King Damon’s return to Burgos? Think of it as a substitution.”
“Miss Kayla, do you realize what you’re saying?”
“Of course. These are my own words. How could I not know? Rather, it seems you all refuse to understand.”
Kayla smiled faintly and sipped her tea.
“As you know, I am the daughter of the Holing dukedom. Holinga is currently the most powerful family in Bariel, I can say that with certainty. And on the other hand, I also carry Rankvis blood. Isn’t that why you made a deal with my mother?”
“That may be so—”
“Then you must understand how His Majesty the Emperor values me.”
They had heard rumors that Holinga was aiming for the Empress’s seat in Bariel, but whether it was true or not was unclear. It was just hearsay.
“What exactly are you getting at?”
“You want Burgos to be granted autonomy, don’t you? My mother and I will propose this to His Majesty, staking Holinga’s honor on it. But before that, the royalists must show sincere goodwill. Since King Damon, the legitimate heir of the Rankvis line, is still alive, it’s only right that he returns to Burgos. I’m asking if anyone is willing to sacrifice themselves in his place.”
A sharp silence fell. Eyes darted suspiciously, and no one dared speak.
King Damon’s return would strengthen unity, but if it required someone’s sacrifice, that changed everything. They had endured the civil war so far, but to have no role in the new Burgos?
“Ahem.”
They recalled Lady Danit and Chandet, who had left together, and realized something was wrong. If he were here now, the mood would have naturally shifted toward recommending Chandet…
“How about Chandet?”
Someone, brazenly, spoke up. It was a thinly veiled attempt to push him out. They wanted to send the youngest and least influential member to Bariel to weather the crisis—a cowardly move.
Kayla raised her hand firmly to refuse.
“Chandet’s opinion hasn’t even been considered, and he’s insufficient to show goodwill to His Majesty the Emperor.”
So that was why Lady Danit took Chandet with her. Had he stayed, he might have volunteered under pressure.
Some officials caught on and stiffened. The trap set by Lady Danit and Kayla was becoming clear.
“Of course, this is only a proposal. If you have no intention of accepting it, just pretend you never heard it.”
Kayla added lightly, as if to brush it off, but her words carried more weight than ever.
If those gathered for the survival of the Rankvis line wouldn’t step forward for their king, the very cause of the royalists would vanish, and their support base in Burgos would crumble. If that happened, wouldn’t Bariel have no reason to keep an eye on the royalists?
“If no one steps up, we all die.”
It was a vague, unspoken threat.
But coming from a duchess of the empire, a collateral branch of the Rankvis family, and a likely future empress, the proposal cut sharply, right under the royalists’ noses.
“Can we just… get rid of her?”
“Lady Danit went to meet with the Emperor’s side. They must have already discussed plans. If anything happens to Miss Kayla, they’ll tell the Emperor we rejected the proposal.”
If only Lady Danit had stayed and said these things herself, they might have accepted the loss and dealt with it. After all, she had left Bariel under a false identity. Even if something happened, Holinga couldn’t officially raise the issue.
The officials raised their glasses to calm their burning tempers.
“Well then… Lord Taylor, what do you think? Are you willing?”
“Willing to what? Go to Bariel?”
“Don’t raise your voice. You’ve suffered the most damage to your lands, so we thought it might be better for you to go and settle things in Bariel.”
“No, please don’t say that. Because of the damage, we need to care for it more. On the contrary, it’s better for those with more resources to go.”
“Now, now, everyone calm down.”
“Sorry to say, but shouldn’t those who lose the most troops be the ones to step up?”
“Why are you looking at me? How much funding have I provided instead of troops?”
“Watch your sources. That money came from the treasury. If you respect the Rankvis family even a little, you shouldn’t do that.”
“Hey! You—”
“Enough, enough!”
Bang!
As tensions flared, an elderly man slammed the table and shouted. He was a senior official, a key figure among them. He looked at Kayla and quietly requested:
“We need to discuss something among ourselves. Miss, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?”
“Of course. Please, talk.”
Kayla nodded as if she had been waiting for this and stood. The officials watched her retreating back intently.
Once the door closed, the tense atmosphere snapped like a wire. The officials sighed in frustration and exchanged wary glances. Kayla felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Haah.
Leaning against the wall, she steadied her breathing. Leading such matters alone in a foreign land at war—not Bariel, but Burgos—was suffocating.
But it wasn’t over yet. She quickly pulled herself together, ran to her room, and strapped a dagger to her thigh.
Clench.
Judging by the earlier mood, the royalists were sure to fracture. For now, her status would protect her, but blind faith was dangerous. She didn’t know when she might be cornered or when they might turn on her. Until her mother returned, she had to protect herself.
Kayla changed out of her dress into training clothes and looked out the window. The road her mother had taken stretched endlessly.
Tap, tap!
Whirr!
Danit’s eyes held a smile, but there was an undercurrent of worry. She trusted her daughter but couldn’t shake the anxiety of leaving her alone.
Chandet chewed on his cigarette nervously and finally asked.
“Madam, what was it you wanted to say earlier?”
Danit’s gaze returned to the front. Then, as if remembering her purpose, she smiled more brightly and fanned herself.
With part of her face hidden, Chandet focused on her eyes.
“Lord Chandet, I’ll be frank. Kayla, my daughter, is the daughter of the Holing dukedom and carries Rankvis blood. I’m confident that she and I will be great assets in helping His Majesty the Emperor rebuild Burgos.”
“Yes, of course. That’s why the royalists asked Lady Danit to come here and meet His Majesty.”
“Oh? It seems you don’t quite understand. Do you know what it means to rebuild Burgos?”
Chandet hesitated. He sensed that Danit’s words were more serious than they appeared.
“I mean that it would be welcomed even in Bariel for my daughter and me to continue the Rankvis line.”
“Madam, what are you saying…?”
“But the officials left in Calamat are stuck in past glories. They pretend to be devoted to Rankvis, but in the end, they’re just scrambling for their own gain. But Lord Chandet, you’re different. You truly have given yourself to the country, haven’t you?”
No, both Danit and Chandet knew the truth. The difference between the older officials and Chandet was only the weight of years lived. In other words, Chandet lacked experience.
Still, he played along.
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“If only there were more like Lord Chandet, the country wouldn’t be in this state.”
Danit shook her head with a sigh.
Shandet’s head was spinning, but judging from the tone of the lady’s words, the situation didn’t seem as dire as he had feared.
“So, when you meet His Majesty, I intend to introduce you as a representative of the royalist faction. How do you feel about that? Do you think you can handle it?”
She was asking whether Shandet would join Danit and Kyla as they, backed by Bariel, sought to establish a new royal line.
Shandet took a deep drag from his cigarette and weighed his position. As she said, the royalist faction was stagnant. The old guard, those who had held sway under the previous dynasty, still tightly controlled the reins, leaving newcomers like himself with few chances to prove their worth.
More than that, as Lady Danit pointed out, Bariel had plenty of reason to support the two women.
“A duke possessed and a branch of the Rankvis family. There’s hardly a better fit than this.”
An opportunity? Damn those old fools. Shandet swallowed a bitter laugh and answered solemnly.
“Madam, whatever it takes, for the sake of preserving the Rankvis name, I will stake everything and see it through.”
“Such ambition! A wise decision.”
“Could be worse,” Danit said, folding her fan and offering a brief applause for his resolve. Just as she had suspected, choosing Shandet—the youngest, most inexperienced, and most hot-blooded of the royalists—had its purpose. Should she be grateful that he was playing right into their hands?
‘It wouldn’t have mattered if he’d refused.’
If he had, they could have simply claimed they brought hostages from Bariel and moved on. Shandet would never know that, just now, he had saved his own life.
Danit gently drew back the curtain and murmured,
“The carriage is moving swiftly. We’ll arrive sooner than expected. Get plenty of rest, Sir Shandet. When you meet Bariel, the whole world will seem radiant. You won’t even have time to close your eyes.”