Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 70
“A duke.”
I rolled the fountain pen in my hand.
‘What title of duchy should I bestow upon Lecan?’
Perhaps we should even decide on the title of Archduke in advance. Once he crossed the threshold of duke, the recognized heir to the throne, it would be easy to get him a title of Archduke. I hesitated, not wanting to have to carefully choose a name that might not be used for months.
“….”
Suddenly I turned my head and looked at the window, the same one Lecan came in. I opened it.
“If you want to, you can embrace me.”
Well, when it came down to it, I wasn’t sure I could say no to Lecan. I slowly put down the fountain pen, letting the ink smear on the paper.
‘If he’s satisfied with this, I might not have any intention to harm him either.’
There was a time when I had resented Lecan—that he had known of the unjust destruction of the Grand Duchy of Rotea and had done nothing to stop it. How could he just let it go without saying a word, without even thinking to look for me or Lucian when we disappeared?
“Being under the control of the imperial power for all your life… What kind of life must that have been, Lecan?”
Now that I think about it, if Lecan had spoken out then, he would have been killed instantly. Back then, Alfred was still in good health, and seeing how he treated traitors to the empire, there was nothing that could be done once one was accused of treason.
“…What is it like to be the one everyone wants to see on the throne?”
I spoke words that wouldn’t be heard into the air.
“If you destroy an empire, so many people will die, and the new empire will have no need for its tainted waters. If you get there with all that blood on your hands, do you think the expectations and pressures will go away? There will be so much work to do that you’ll feel suffocated, that you’ll feel like you’d rather die.”
I entertained the notion that Lecan, who manipulates mana, might be hiding in the room and eavesdropping. Of course, that would be impossible…
“…Your fate is indeed pitiful.”
It didn’t matter if the words didn’t reach him. I decided to believe in a future where Lecan wouldn’t lead a rebellion. Even if I’m reading too much into the nuances of that short phrase, I’m going to hold out hope that he doesn’t like being called a traitor.
For the first time, that was the answer that came back.
Tenekvan. T E N E K V A N
I scribbled down the name that barely came to mind and pondered the newly chosen duke’s last name.
‘Your new name is Duke Tenekvan, Lecan.’
***
“We have intelligence that the Abel Empire is preparing for war.”
“They seem to think that civil war is about to break out, and they’re planning to take advantage of it.”
“The ‘reformist’ faction that has gained power is voluntarily leaking the country’s top secret information to the Abel Empire.”
“My Lord, we cannot allow this country to be taken from us. The longer we delay our decision, the more time the Abel Empire will have to prepare for war.”
Lecan rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, as if his head was throbbing. Every day, several of them came to him in droves, urging him to make a decision. Even though he had never shown any emotion to the princess, when people saw Lecan’s retinue attending the funeral, they cheered loudly.
He realized that the amount of favorable attention being showered on him was getting ridiculous. No matter how nicely he refused and dismissed them, other ‘neutral’ families would band together and ask for him.
His subordinates always said the same thing. Not just his subordinates. In this short period, more people than he had heard in his entire life were talking all at once.
“…My Lord, please lend us your ear.”
Lecan nodded as the librarian approached.
The men gathered around the table and waited patiently. In the end, Lecan couldn’t bring himself to cut off his advisor. Even though they were seemingly on the brink of war, he couldn’t bring himself to show hostility to someone loyal to him.
“The title of Duke has been confirmed, bestowed with the Duchy of Tenekvan. Tomorrow, Her Majesty the Empress will personally conduct the investiture ceremony and has requested your attendance.”
“…”
Lecan remained silent. In an instant, he thought of Leyesha. Even in this situation, he felt like a fool for hoping to encounter her as soon as he heard the word “Empress.”
‘Did you give me that name, Leyesha?’
The librarian took a step back, and Lecan blinked slowly.
“Very well, I understand, so everyone else is excused for the day, and Ark, tell them I’ll be there.”
“Yes.”
The neutral aristocrats, sensing an uncomfortable atmosphere, bowed their heads and left. He was tired, but the thought of Leyesha seemed to energize him. Even though he knew that she had truly tried to kill him, he still understood and empathized with her.
‘I will never give up on you.’
Lecan was greedy, and even if he lost both of them, he’d kill two birds with one stone.
