~Chapter 09~
“Even if you had won the duel, you wouldn’t have gained anything.”
I hesitated, worried that it might sound confrontational if spoken so bluntly—but Louis didn’t take it that way.
“You can’t just let that idiot run wild. At the very least, he needs to pay the price.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
Diego had been reckless enough to actually try to harm me, and if something like that were ever to happen again, he needed to face a proper consequence.
“Unfortunately, you failed, and didn’t get what you wanted either.”
“What I wanted?”
Louis’s leisurely tone made me blink. Apparently, he had already figured everything out and was playing along with it.
“You did, didn’t you? You wanted to provoke Marquis Rizen.”
I froze slightly. Was he reading my intentions that easily?
“Correct. There was something I wanted to gain.”
Though there was one detail Louis had misunderstood.
“Fortunately, I managed to get it safely.”
“…You got it?”
Louis lifted his head, and his crimson eyes, so close now, were full of curiosity.
“It’s here.”
I told the coachman to stop the carriage, and together we dismounted.
A rider arrived, galloping up to deliver a letter to Louis.
“They asked for an immediate response.”
“……”
Louis glanced at me briefly, then returned his gaze to the letter.
“Tell them I accept the proposal.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the rider rode off, barely out of sight, Louis turned to me.
“Leonia, what exactly did you do?”
A playful smile curved his lips.
“What did you do that Marquis Rizen would send a letter challenging me to a duel?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just… ruffled his temper a bit.”
I said it as casually as I could.
Before Diego’s punishment, the Emperor had excused the Branto Marquis and Louis briefly.
That left only Diego and me in the lounge.
Diego, desperate to speak with me, practically radiated impatience—but I chose to start the conversation.
“Your Grace seems to be showered with the Emperor’s favor. I’m genuinely envious.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You didn’t even lift a finger and yet escaped the duel.”
I took a sip of tea from the table, tilting my head slightly.
“Am I wrong?”
Diego’s glare sharpened at my tone, a hint of annoyance flashing in his expression.
“I suppose it must feel good to be treated kindly because of the late Prince Lionel, who passed away so young.”
“……”
“Even if you can’t perform your duties, the Emperor won’t abandon you.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Diego slammed his fist on the table, spilling the tea across his sleeve.
“Don’t act arrogantly just because I’m fond of you. I won’t tolerate it if you go on like this.”
Diego had always held a sense of inferiority toward Prince Lionel, and even after his death, that feeling remained.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking saying all that, but the fact is—he’s dead, and the only one here is me.”
“……”
“Someone who got caught in an accident like that means nothing to me.”
Despite his earlier outburst, Diego’s composure returned faster than expected.
“I suppose I spoke too subtly. I didn’t think you’d fail to understand even this.”
I regretted the misunderstanding briefly, but I continued with calm clarity.
“Considering you broke off your long-standing engagement and chose Lord Louis instead, doesn’t that answer your question?”
“That’s just proof that you have no eye for men. How dare you choose someone like him over me.”
“It’s far better than marrying a man who can do nothing without leaning on someone else.”
I added my reasoning plainly, without sugarcoating it.
“I want a partner to walk alongside me, not a pet to coddle.”
Diego’s eyes flickered at the sharp truth. Surely, he had never faced such a direct critique before.
“What kind of man runs from a duel and needs his father’s power to cover him?”
“……”
“It’s like advertising that you’re useless on your own. Just saying it is humiliating.”
And indeed, there were many like that. Many sent a substitute or relied on someone’s influence instead of facing duels themselves.
“Prince Lionel would never have done such a thing,” I added.
At least he would have fought on his own, being a skilled knight.
Diego’s expression twisted as he realized the point.
“Lord Louis doesn’t go back on his word publicly.”
The Emperor would return soon, so it was time to drive the point home.
“Remember? You said I could use a wooden sword while Marquis Rizen could use a real one.”
I let him believe there was a chance he could win.
“As you know, Lord Louis only commands and strategizes; he’s never fought personally.”
It was well known, after all, since the Emperor had credited all of Louis’s achievements to his knights.
“So, with such a difference in swords, the outcome is uncertain… and yet, you still refused the duel.”
“That’s…”
“Truly disappointing.”
I stood, signaling that the conversation was over.
Diego, unable to respond, lightly tapped the table—a gesture he always made when thinking through an important decision.
In the duel itself, the result was obvious: Louis won effortlessly.
Even though Louis wielded a wooden sword and Diego a real one, Diego couldn’t land a single blow.
“Pathetic.”
“…I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him!”
Diego ground his teeth, but it was nothing more than a defeated man’s flailing.
“Are you unharmed, Lord Louis?”
I approached him, making a show of concern.
“Any injuries?”
“None.”
I straightened his disheveled uniform, casting a glance at Diego.
‘He’s been beaten to the point he can’t lift a finger.’
At least he would limp for a week. There were no permanent injuries, and since it was his own doing, the Emperor couldn’t complain.
No wonder the Emperor hadn’t even bothered to watch the duel.
‘After all that effort from the Branto Marquis to manage this, the Emperor must be furious.’
The Branto Marquis would also be frustrated, having humbled himself for nothing.
‘I’ve gotten everything I wanted.’
It was time to move on to the next stage.
“…Leonia Bellashy, are you sure you won’t regret this?”
Diego’s hoarse, fractured voice rang out.
“You’re really going to marry that madman?”
I started to turn, wondering what else he might say—but Louis stopped me.
“Not the time to make such a pitiful spectacle.”
He wrapped an arm around me, blocking my turn, and spoke in a calm, chiding tone.
“From my view, Marquis, you need to understand your position. Right, Leonia?”
I froze. There was no need to further humiliate Diego.
We had already gained what we wanted, and Louis toyed with him until he was sufficiently vexed.
‘No need to provoke him unnecessarily.’
Diego might create more trouble if left unchecked.
“You’d better answer, Reni.”
Louis used the familiar nickname I had only ever allowed him to use. Alice had mentioned it once carelessly before, and now it made the timing even more awkward.
From Diego’s perspective, it would seem I reserved that nickname for Louis alone.
As expected, Diego’s expression stiffened.
‘What a ridiculous man.’
He hadn’t asked permission for a nickname, yet acted betrayed.
“…So that’s your choice, huh?”
Diego muttered to himself, pounding the floor with his fist like a madman.
“Fine, then marry him! Let’s see how far you can go with this!”
“I’ve had enough of your antics.”
Louis summoned his knights to escort Diego away.
By imperial decree, Diego was confined to his residence for ten days.
“Mark my words—I’ll ruin everything for you! Just you wait!”
Watching him struggle as he was dragged away, I sighed. I had a feeling he’d be even more troublesome than in the original story.
The carriage ride to the Duke’s residence was heavy with a peculiar tension.
More precisely, Louis remained composed, and I alone felt on edge.
‘The one who caused all this is completely calm, yet I’m the only one worrying.’
Today marked my first day entering the Duke’s household. Normally, I would have rested to conserve energy, but that could wait.
‘Diego will probably try something as soon as his confinement ends. I need a plan.’
“Why such a serious look?”
Louis closed the documents he had been reviewing and asked.
“I got everything I wanted, didn’t I?”
I shook my head.
“No, I already got everything I wanted. The duel, the confinement—everything went as planned.”
“Leonia.”
Louis pushed aside the documents resting on his lap and looked at me.
“That last comment sounded like you didn’t want Marquis Rizen to receive a harsher punishment.”
He smiled, as if prompting me to explain.
As always, his intuition was incredibly sharp.
