I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 29
A single strand of soft silver hair fell across a flawlessly clean forehead. Duke Claude Rowen frowned, lifting a hand from the jet-black marble round table to brush the hair back. His impeccable posture was a perfect reflection of his nature, one that never strayed from principle.
Just then, Duchess Minaz Avrot entered, her bright voice ringing out.
“Hello, Claude, you’re early.”
Claude only greeted Duke Arthur Bormia, who had arrived with her, and didn’t spare Minaz a glance.
“What have you been doing, not even bothering to hang out with us all this time?”
“I was busy.”
Minaz pouted at Claude’s stiff reply.
“What were you so busy with?”
Ignoring his cold shoulder, Minaz took a seat next to Claude, her lips curving into a smile.
“Certainly not dance practice, I imagine.”
Claude, who had performed a dance on the first day of the banquet that involved his arms and legs flailing out of sync in front of the Princess, blushed slightly.
Cute boy. He tries to act aloof, but you can see right through him.
Minaz had vivid memories of carrying Claude on her back as a child, so even now, as a grown man, he still felt like that same sensitive boy.
“Is it just us? Where are the others?”
“Just us.”
Duke Bormia added.
“I saw Duke Calabria on the way here. He was grabbing Count Zepplin and giving him a hard time.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m not sure, but…”
“Is it a surprise that he’s harassing people for no reason? It’s not a new thing.”
Claude cut in, joining the gossip about the Duke of Calabria.
“And Lian? Was he with him?”
“Yes. He looked lost in thought, but he was still as handsome as ever.”
“Ah. I have to make sure to see that handsome face while I’m in the capital.”
Claude nodded in agreement with Minaz’s words.
He’s usually so cold, so why does he go weak in the knees for Lian?
Duke Bormia chuckled.
“It makes sense why Her Highness the Princess is so fond of him. When you look at that dignified face, you can hardly believe the recent rumors.”
“They’re just baseless rumors the woman spread to raise her own standing. The Count of Calabria is a man who knows where to draw the line.”
Minaz let out a hollow laugh at Claude’s unyielding words.
“Since when was free love considered crossing a line?”
“It’s not usually, but it is for a man who has lived his entire life as the future son-in-law of the Empire.”
Claude replied bluntly, cutting her off.
“Can we at least stop this tedious gossip about the rumors? It’s all in the past.”
“It might not be over. If there’s a possibility, we might as well hold on to hope.”
“Hope?”
At Claude’s question, Minaz tilted her chin provocatively.
“Honestly, a broken engagement with the Princess wouldn’t be a bad thing for us.”
The other two dukes’ faces instantly went pale. Seeing them frantically looking around, Minaz burst into laughter.
“There’s no one here. Why are you so nervous? Loosen up.”
“Do you really think, right now, that this is the appropriate place for this conversation?”
“So we should have a secret meeting to discuss something everyone already knows?”
Claude looked flabbergasted, but Minaz continued without hesitation.
“This is safer, if anything. We don’t want to get on their nerves by gathering on our own.”
“You think someone is trying to keep us in check?”
“Well, they probably aren’t. We’re the ones who have to be careful. A combination of the continent’s greatest wealth and strongest sword? It’s cheating. There’s no way we can fight that.”
Minaz glared at the two who were silent as if they’d swallowed glue.
“You mustn’t say things like that. If you don’t stop right now…”
“Our ancestors probably stayed just as quiet as you, Claude. It’s because of that foolish silence that we were pushed back.”
Claude’s mouth was sealed shut, as if he’d been struck speechless.
The Floyd Duchy of the North, which held the Empire’s wealth.
The Calabria Duchy of the Center, which guarded the Imperial Family as the Empire’s sword.
The Bormia Duchy of the South, which governed the vast Empire with its administration.
The Rowen Duchy of the East, which governed the Empire’s foundation, heart, and law.
And Minaz was the head of the Avrot Duchy, which handled foreign affairs as a guardian, ensuring no nation would dare challenge the Empire.
The five duchies, each holding a share of power, had maintained a balance by remaining faithful to their respective roles. Minaz couldn’t stand the thought that they had become so complacent that the balance had now crumbled. If she had been the head of her house back then, she would have stopped the union of the Calabria and Floyd duchies at any cost.
But by the time she had become an adult and learned to reason, the very existence of Lian had already been born. Even if the remaining duchies were to band together now, they couldn’t stand against the combination of wealth and military power.
“No matter how much you praise the Count of Calabria, if he unites with the Imperial Family, we’ll become nothing but scarecrows. We’ll have less power than that Phaedra you call ‘the fake duke.'”
After a moment of silence, Claude spoke again.
“So what? Is this conversation anything more than just complaining?”
“We might be able to do something. Just because our parents missed their chance doesn’t mean we have to.”
“We exist to serve the Imperial Family. We can’t do anything. We shouldn’t, either.”
“Why not? We’re vassals who have gathered under the Emperor’s sword, not his accessories.”
Claude couldn’t deny Minaz’s words. It was, after all, the founding principle of the Empire. By law, a vassal was free to choose their own liege.
“So you’re saying you’re going to defy His Majesty the Emperor?”
“It’s not that grand. If Lian and the Princess feel the same way, there’s no stopping them. But now that the man has wavered, there’s a reason for him not to marry the Princess.”
Even if the dukes couldn’t openly oppose the marriage, they could still give weight to the opinion of Lian, the very person who would hold immense power.
However, Claude gave a cold smile.
“The Count of Calabria’s will probably doesn’t matter much. He can’t act on his own thoughts, anyway.”
Minaz’s relaxed expression faltered.
“It’s true that I like him. That’s why I only want to say, for the sake of his honor, that his life is his own choice.”
Claude’s voice was elevated, uncharacteristically so for the usually composed man.
“Do you believe the rumor about ‘The Oath’?” Minaz asked in a hushed voice. Claude sighed in response.
“His Majesty the Emperor wouldn’t have pushed for such an important matter, trusting only in the Duke of Calabria, without any fail-safes.”
“If an oath was made, then by whom? The Duke himself? Or…”
Did he make Lian a puppet? Minaz wondered to herself in a low voice, swallowing the rest of the thought.
“But surely he wouldn’t do that to his own son’s life…”
“A man who gambled his own life for the sake of honor—do you think he would hesitate to sell his son’s life?”
The normally stiff Claude was now noticeably agitated.
“He probably doesn’t even realize he’s sold it.”
Even Arthur, who had been silent, added his own words, but Minaz still didn’t want to believe it.
“But if the Count of Calabria is bound by an oath, he wouldn’t have run away with a widow for love.”
“What if the Count of Calabria doesn’t know about the oath?”
“How could he not know?”
“If it was done when he was a child, he wouldn’t remember.”
This time, Minaz was completely struck speechless.
“There are some promises that can’t be broken. This matter is already out of our hands.”
Claude’s tone was one of complete certainty.
After his words, a cold silence fell between the three, as if water had been poured over them.
Duke Arthur Bormia, as if trying to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere, walked over to the window and drew back the curtains. Soon, he let out a surprised gasp.
“No, that’s…!”
“Who’s here?”
“The Duchess of Floyd.”
Even the usually indifferent Claude wore a surprised expression. The two immediately went to the window to confirm. It was true; the Duchess of Floyd was entering Eogainos.
“For even her to come, it seems the Emperor is truly serious about this.”
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