Chapter 56

“The second son of the Count of Bran is a senior knight of the Red Order. Their family is one of the traditional noble houses. The fact that even I know that tells you everything.”

Even Latine, who usually had no interest in politics, spoke with a scowl.

There was only one conclusion.

The power struggle between the Azure and Red Orders was now spilling over into the affairs of their respective noble families.

If you trace it further, it is connected to the ongoing conflict between the noble faction and the Emperor’s faction.

The message behind all of this was clear:

“If you don’t want things like this happening, then leave the Azure Order.”

Rodella’s eyes narrowed as she took it all in.

“How childish.”

Exactly the kind of petty trick the Red Order would pull.

While Aivert summed it up cleanly, Latine was far from calm.

“Does His Majesty think we’re competing to do such things?!”

If the Commander of the Red Order had been standing in front of him, Latine looked ready to smash his skull in.

“That bastard Edric—!”

“Should I go make a scene?”  Aivert asked quietly.

“…Huh?”

Rodella shuddered at the thought of a walking natural disaster like Aivert intentionally causing trouble.

But Latine looked… tempted.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—wasn’t that how it went?

The Red Order had gone after someone from an Azure knight household. Who could blame them if someone from their knightly household happened to suffer a little “misfortune”?

Even aside from that, Aivert Royden was still the head of House Royden.

He simply didn’t flaunt his power—but that didn’t mean he lacked methods.

“Wait. Hold on.”  Rodella stopped him.

All eyes—Aivert’s, Latine’s, even Gareth’s—turned to her.

“Sure, paying them back in kind would be faster. But that’ll just lead to a war of attrition.”

Before they responded in kind, there was something else that needed to be done.

“First…”

Rodella looked at Aivert.

Since this was now a matter between noble houses, some outside help was necessary.

Royden seemed more focused on internal affairs than external ones.

Would he really step in for something like this?

Even though he was the head of his house, he might act differently if it concerned another house’s matter.

More than anything, the Aivert she knew wasn’t the type to flaunt his influence beyond necessity.

As she hesitated, Aivert spoke.

As if he already knew what she was going to say. His eyes locked with hers.

“Gareth.”  His voice was low and calm. Very different from earlier.

“Yes, sir.”

Maybe it was because she’d never heard his voice like that before, but Rodella flinched—even though he wasn’t speaking to her.

Yet both Latine and Gareth seemed completely used to this side of him.

Of course—they would be. This was how Aivert always was as Vice Commander.

It was a familiar conclusion, yet it felt new all over again.

While Rodella processed this, Aivert continued.

“I’ll contact Royden. Would it be alright if we sheltered your family there for a while? And I’d like to inspect the ruined shop personally.”

“Y-Yes, Sir?”

If he really would do that—there was nothing more he could ask for.

Gareth hesitated, but Aivert’s piercing blue gaze fell on him.

“I’m curious to see if they are brave enough to try and touch Royden too.”

If they did, he looked ready to go to war.

Rodella involuntarily fell silent at that icy gaze.

She’d thought he would lash out in anger—but instead, he’d grown colder, calmer.

It was a side of him she’d never seen before.

She couldn’t look away.

“I don’t tolerate anyone messing with what’s mine.”  His voice was cold.

Yet, despite the iciness, there was warmth beneath it—something strangely comforting.

***

Though the Azure Order’s atmosphere had briefly been shaken, a renewed energy soon filled the knights’ faces.

“From House Royden?”

“For real?”

Aivert had invited not only the people of House Ortin, but the families of all knights affiliated with the Azure Order to Royden.

“Let’s call it a unity retreat for the Azure Order.”

Royden even handled the costs of travel, which must have been enormous. But to House Royden, it seemed like nothing.

Though officially it was for camaraderie, the real reason was, of course, security.

“Even my parents?”

Aivert had invited the Count and Countess of Syveric as well.

To follow-up on Rodella’s question, he answered with a matter-of-fact look: “I’m doing this to protect you.”

Since the Red Order’s ultimate goal was to prevent Rodella from becoming Chancellor, what he said was technically true.

But the words lingered in her ears.

Had Count Bran not sent such an absurd letter, she might have kept replaying his words even longer.

“A letter from Count Bran has arrived.”

While the families of the Azure knights moved around the empire under the guise of attending a social gathering…

Gareth—whose face had been looking much better lately—now stood in front of the file room looking pale again.

“A letter?”

Inside the document room were Latine, Aivert, and Rodella.

Rodella and Aivert unfolded the letter side-by-side, only to be met with utter nonsense.

[This incident was truly an unfortunate accident. While searching for a monster that had slipped into the city, we mistakenly destroyed House Ortin’s shop. How regrettable, indeed!]

“…What?”

Latine, who had gestured for them to take their time reading it, stormed over at their reactions.

Then clutched the back of his neck.

‘What? An accident?’

They hadn’t deliberately destroyed the building after confirming it belonged to a Azure Order knight’s family?

Yetall the other buildings around it were left untouched?

“They actually expect us to believe this load of crap?”

Latine was furious.

[In any case, how unfortunate. Let us arrange a more convenient time to discuss the matter in detail…]

“The Count’s estate sounds like a great place for that meeting.”

Aivert said, looking at the letter.

He looked ready to go raze the place then and there, and Rodella subtly grabbed his arm.

Though her mind was boiling over too—her grip was definitely a bit strong.

As Aivert forgot whatever thought he had and simply focused on the heat of her touch, Rodella let out a long breath.

“Wait. First we need to talk about compensation. Here, this part.”

Rodella’s eyes froze on the letter.

“They’ll pay it back but… what?”

[Compensation terms: to be repaid over 20 years]

That sentence made her blood run cold.

Latine, who had already finished reading the letter, was about ready to explode.

“Commander, please calm down!”

“Calm down?! Listen here—even monsters know better than to mess with a knight’s family! Even they don’t cross that line! But those bastards?!”

Bizarrely, it was Gareth trying to calm Latine down.

Rodella didn’t even think to join them—her eyes stayed on the letter.

The final line of the message pounded into her head like a nail.

[For reference, this matter has been reviewed according to imperial law.]

“So they’re saying there’s no legal problem—so they’ll pay slowly?”

During those 20 years, House Ortin—whose business had been destroyed—was just supposed to starve?

A smile spread across Rodella’s face.

“Oh, they want to play, huh?”

Aivert nearly lost it again, but managed to hold himself back—because the look on her face was murderous.

‘When have I seen that look before?

“…”

Aivert thought hard and came to a conclusion.

‘I’ve never seen that look—because she’s never been this defiant with me.’

…That must be it.

She’s beautiful when she’s angry—but I’d hate being the one who makes her that way.

To him, that smile was terrifying in its own right.