LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 39
Chapter 39
Alshade side(4)
“…With this, okay.”
After closing the door, I muttered to myself.
Considering what happened with Orto, Rios should be trying to persuade Vivian to regain my trust.
Whether that attempt succeeds or fails, it’s not detrimental for me, so it doesn’t really matter…
(…Well, I have plans, so I’ll think about it as I walk.)
“Good job on the guard duty. Keep up the good work.”
“Yes!”
I gave a brief acknowledgment to the guard standing in front of the room before heading towards my first destination: my father’s office.
Now, about Rios persuading Vivian… If it fails, there’s no downside for me, and if it succeeds, there’s an advantage.
Most likely, Rios wants to use Ort and Vivian as my inhibitors, but I can’t help but say it’s a poor strategy.
Of course, they would try to stop me if I took extreme actions. However, they won’t stop me from bridging the gap between Rios and me.
Because, in the process of regaining trust from me through Rios, they will naturally feel gratitude and affection toward him.
And they know that I hold affection for Rios.
While Rios seems to have some reservations due to our difference in social status, he’s not exactly opposed to it either, and there are several ways to address that.
So, without any strong reasons to oppose it, Orto and Vivian, who have no particular objections, will unexpectedly support my romantic endeavors against Rios’ intentions.
“A commoner boy who saved a noblewoman from the clutches of evil becomes her knight and, in the end, they marry… Yeah, it’s the classic rise to power, isn’t it?”
In the midst of daydreaming about the near future, a middle-aged man walked towards me from the front.
“Good morning, Lady Alshade.”
“Yeah, Jenilov, good morning.”
Stepping aside in the hallway, Jenilov, who supervised the guards, greeted me with a morning salutation. He was the person I planned to talk to in my office.
“Did something good happen?”
“Can you tell?”
“Yes, you seemed to be in high spirits as you walked down the hallway.”
In response to my question, Jenilov smiled and answered with an expression that seemed to imply he saw something heartwarming.
I knew I was in a good mood myself, but it seems like it was evident enough on my face for others to notice… Maybe I should reflect on that a bit.
“Was I really displaying my emotions that obviously? I might need to work on that.”
“Oh no, I understand that it’s part of your practice for the future. However, always being on guard can be tiring. We’re within the estate after all, so it’s okay to relax a bit. Besides, after what happened the other day, I’m really glad to see such an expression on Lord Alshade’s face.”
“These things are important to practice regularly. But, I’ll take your words to heart and try to relax occasionally.”
“Lord Alshade, you’re as diligent as ever. It’s truly reassuring to have a lord like you.”
“Someone like me is still quite immature. Oh, that’s right. I was planning to hear various reports from you in the office, wasn’t I? Let’s head there right away.”
“I must apologize for my oversight, Lord Alshade. I got carried away wanting to come and greet you.”
“It’s fine. I guess it’s my fault for walking so cheerfully that you forgot. “
As I squinted my eyes, Jenilov seemed to understand what I was implying and appeared slightly flustered.
“Lord Alshade, I…”
“Hahaha, it was just a little joke. You did tell me to relax my shoulders, didn’t you?”
“I may have uttered some unnecessary words.”
“Loose lips sink ships, as they say. It’s better to be cautious about what you say. Anyway, shall we go?”
Walking down the corridor with Jenilov slightly slouching behind me, I pondered my thoughts.
(“Now, how much trust can I place in Jenilov?”)
Feeling his presence as he followed a step behind me, I contemplated.
Jenilov is in charge of the remaining guards, and he comes from a long line of loyal vassals who have supported the Baltsfeld family for generations.
During the recent turmoil, he was held temporarily in one of the vacant rooms, taking the blame for my disappearance and letting the true instigator, Hyann, escape responsibility.
Once he was freed, Jenilov took command of the others who had been confined and worked to eliminate and apprehend those who were aligned with Hyann within the estate.
Although I had entrusted Orto with surveillance after I slept, there were no reports of any covert activities.
Based on the information available, one would generally find it reasonable to trust Jenilov.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to trust him.
(“…I’ve become quite sceptical by nature.”)
“By the way, what exactly happened in the end for milady to be so cheerful?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you, did I? Rios, my knight, regained his senses.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news! Would it be appropriate for me to pay my respects at a suitable time?”
“Yeah, just let me know beforehand. Also—”
Is it safe just because they’ve served the family for generations? Well, if you delve into history, stories of such individuals betraying do come up.
There are plenty of reasons for people to betray beyond hostages – money, honor, women. You could find countless reasons if you tried.
Additionally, Jenilov isn’t a knight of my father.
He was a knight of my late grandfather.
In other words, even if he were to betray, there would be no one capable of sensing it.
How can we be sure that what Jenilov is saying isn’t part of an enemy’s contingency plan for a potential ambush?
“(Wait, why did Father entrust Jenilov with this role instead of keeping at least one knight from the Bartzfeldt family? Maybe because his son is serving as a knight in the military?)”
Normally, it’s common to leave at least one knight as an acting lord when the lord is away if the heir isn’t capable of governing yet.
So, why has Jenilov been chosen to act as the regent?It seems a bit unusual to entrust this task to Jenilov, who isn’t a knight.
And, just because his son is serving as a knight doesn’t guarantee he wouldn’t betray. That’s a bit too optimistic for Father.
As I pondered these thoughts, we arrived near the study.
“Please, after you.”
“Thank you.”
I walked into the study through the door held open by the guard, and there, on my father’s desk, was a sizable stack of documents.
I took a seat on one of the sofas placed across from the desk.
From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem like I’m alone with Jenilov, but Alt is hiding in this room beforehand.
I’ve got contingency plans in place for any unforeseen situations.
“Jenilov, please have a seat too. Hey, weren’t you allowed to use my father’s desk? Isn’t it a bit uncomfortable to work here?”
“No, I could never bring myself to use it…”
“You’re quite stubborn. Well, it’s not like I have a say in it. Anyway, before we jump into the main topic, there’s something I want to ask.”
“What would you like to ask, milady?”
“When a lord leaves their territory and the heir isn’t ready to manage affairs, it’s common to leave at least one knight as a regent. So, why is Jenilov the one acting as regent?”
If Father had any intentions, Jenilov, who is acting as a regent, shouldn’t be unaware of them.
“I see, regarding that matter…”
Jenilov’s expression twisted as if he had bitten a bitter bug. There seems to be something quite difficult for him to say.
“I know it might be impolite to say such things to you, Lord Alshade, but I implore you to keep this confidential.”
“Understood.”
“…The suggestion was put forth by Hyann because there were individuals who seemed to be making suspicious movements against Lord Normand.”
“Ah, I see.”
When put this way, it did make sense.
Not having any knights in place would be advantageous for Hyann if he were to attempt a rebellion.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he were involved in some way.
And I can understand why Jenilov emphasizes the need for confidentiality.
If such a story were to spread, Father could be easily deceived by enemies and end up exposing vulnerabilities like a fool.
If that happens, not only would he be ridiculed by other nobles, but even among our vassals, there would be those who feel uneasy
“(…There’s no need to dwell on this further. I’ve learned what I wanted to know. Let’s get to the main topic.)”
“Indeed, it’s necessary to keep this matter confidential. I’m counting on you too.”
“Of course, I won’t utter a word even if my mouth were to be sealed.”
“That’s reassuring. Now, let’s get to the main point. First, is there any new information from the captives?”
“Regarding that…”
I momentarily set aside my thoughts and listened to Jenilov’s report.
—
If you like this novel, Please leave ratings and review in NovelUpdates.>>HERE
If you’d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 5 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi: