TYND 15

Chapter 15

A chill formed in those eyes glaring at me as if I were being impudent.

It seemed Kill wasn’t the only one offended by her blunt words— the lords also turned increasingly cold gazes toward Lucy.

Lucy clasped her hands politely and stood before the table.

“But I can also understand your positions, my lords. Without a legitimate successor, you must be troubled over whom to raise as the new king.”

Kill looked at her with narrowed eyes and swallowed a laugh.

If the next words she spoke were a declaration that she would become king, it would not be him but the other lords who would step forward to condemn her.

Even with the Grand General’s protection, a half-blooded royal like her saying she wanted the throne was utterly absurd.

But the words that followed were nothing like what he expected.

“Considering status and contributions to the kingdom, in my opinion, the person most suited for the throne here is Duke Kill.”

The atmosphere froze at the statement that didn’t suit the moment. Walter, who had been silently observing, stepped forward with a stiff face.

“Your Highness. That is not an appropriate thing to say. I believe you—”

“But there will be those who doubt Duke Kill’s suitability. Including our Grand General, and some of the lords gathered here… and above all, the citizens will think so.”

Lucy kept her gaze fixed on Kill as she clasped Walter’s hand tightly to reassure him.

Though Walter wanted to handle the situation himself, things were flowing strangely, and it must have left him unsettled. He looked between their joined hands and Kill with sharp eyes, then exhaled once, signaling his patience.

“And why do you think the people would reject me?”

Kill asked calmly, arms crossed.

Not only was the informal tone disrespectful, his eyes held a probing sharpness. Lucy didn’t show discomfort. Instead, she kept a gentle expression as she explained.

“Oh, they wouldn’t reject you personally. Even people unfamiliar with politics know the Kill family is a prestigious house. But the timing is bad. With war possibly breaking out between the neighboring countries, if the leadership of our nation changes, various conspiracy theories will spread among the people.”

“Rumors among commoners fade within three months.”

“I suppose you aren’t aware of the rumors involving Dopheine, Your Grace.”

“Dopheine?”

Kill frowned slightly, baffled. He couldn’t understand what foreign rumors had to do with the current discussion.

Lucy looked at Walter, then swept her gaze across the room.

Perhaps they had been too focused on domestic affairs—none of the nobles seemed aware of the rumors.

“The conflict between Dopheine and Antevasila worsened because Dopheine provoked Antevasila over a supposed territorial violation. Everyone knows that. But as you also know, Dopheine is the weakest of the three nations.”

Why would the weakest nation pick a fight with the strongest?

The accepted explanation was simply that resentment had piled up over many years. Originally one nation split east and west, Dopheine and Antevasila had long kept each other in check.

It was only a matter of time before things exploded.

Thus, everyone naturally assumed Antevasila would win.

But would they?

“I spent the last two years in Pumnos watching how the world moves. And during that time, I noticed quite an interesting trend.”

“Pumnos… so you were hiding in Rafi’s city all this time?”

Duke Wheaton, who had been silently watching, rubbed his cheek and cut in. His mind flashed back to the late king raging when his mistress vanished.

So that’s where she had run off to—Pumnos. He looked at Lucy with disbelief before asking,

“So what did you discover in Pumnos?”

“I learned that the Empire has been drafting large numbers of lycans as forced labor slaves. ‘Drafting’ is only a word— they are being dragged against their will. The Empire has always oppressed non-humans, but recently the cruelty has become far worse.”

Lycans conscripted as porters and ship slaves received no wages, barely ate, and died one after another under endless labor.

The increase in lycan refugees, and why border-dwelling lycans came all the way to Pumnos begging Lucy for asylum, all stemmed from this.

The reason the Empire gathered them was—

“Those lycan slaves were being funneled into Dopheine.”

Wheaton, who had been staring at Lucy with cold eyes, parted his lips in shock.

“Are you saying… that the Empire is behind the war between the two nations?”

Lucy quietly nodded.

The lords listening shook their heads in despair. Unlike their dark expressions, Walter only tightened the hand Lucy held, his face unreadable.

When the gloomy mood had eased slightly, Lucy steadied her breath and continued.

“We don’t know why the Empire is meddling in this chaos. But the war will happen, and rumors that Dopheine has allied with the Empire will spread quickly.”

“So. What does that have to do with Duke Kill being unfit to ascend the throne?”

“I said, ‘the timing is bad.’ Normally it might be fine, but if rumors spread that the Empire is behind this war, then Duke Kill—”

“Portmire Strait.”

Marquis Rutherford, who had been silent until now, looked at Lucy with widened eyes as he muttered.

“The strait within Kill territory… You have a maritime passage treaty with the Empire, don’t you? It’s where Imperial ships freely pass. Through that treaty, Your Grace maintains amicable ties with the Empire.”

The free port, Portmire— the lifeline of Kill’s wealth.

The strait connected to Portmire was narrow, directly touching major trade routes, always packed with cargo vessels. It was a strategic chokepoint.

Naturally, the Kingdom had signed passage agreements with the Empire.

No one would abandon profitable trade with the Empire, and Kill’s immense wealth was built from it. Wealth brings favor, and Kill openly aligned himself with the pro-Empire faction.

If such a man were to found a new royal dynasty— and word spread that the Empire was behind a foreign war—

“You’re saying… I could be seen as the Empire’s puppet.”

Kill said, lips trembling as he understood her meaning. In his wavering elderly eyes reflected the calm young woman looking back at him.

“If you ascend the throne, it won’t be long before people whisper that the new king of Parnassus is the Empire’s stooge. And the royal family’s prestige will plummet.”

“…Absurd. Pure conspiracy.”

“It is unfair, I agree. But the people will worry their king is merely the Empire’s puppet. Some will believe we will soon become an Imperial colony. Public sentiment will fall into chaos.”

Her speculation wasn’t exaggeration.

In her first life, the Crown Prince had invaded Parnassus through the Portmire Strait with the marines.

The wealthiest private-army territory fell instantly, and the others fared no better. The Imperial forces surged straight into the capital, and even with Walter desperately defending it, Parnassus soon fell into the Crown Prince’s hands.

They became a colony.

“Your theory is only conjecture. And if that is the problem— then we simply break our treaty with the Empire.”

“You’re right. It is only conjecture. But Duke Kill, do you have the courage to break a treaty with a nation that has done nothing wrong? The Empire has not harmed Parnassus at all.”

Breaking a promise unprovoked was something even a child would be scolded for.

And when that promise was between a duchy and an entire nation, one could not even mention annulment unless there was an extraordinary reason.

If it were another lord, perhaps it could be done. But Kill—bound by agreements with the Empire—could not easily sanction them.

Even as lord of his duchy, cutting ties with them was no simple matter.