CH 49.2

The moment Leo opened the door of the reception room, he froze in shock.

The only reason he even accepted going to the mansion so many times recently, was because he wanted to avoid Albert. However, the same person that he wanted to avoid at all costs, was now standing right in front of him, with a genuinely happy smile plastered all over his face.

(Why is this happening to me!? What did I do to deserve this!? If this is a nightmare, please, let me wake up!)

To tell the truth, Albert had barely spent any time together with Leonora ever since the Spirit Festival, that’s why he couldn’t help but let out a bright smile as soon as he saw her… but from Leo’s perspective, that smile was actually really scary. That smile was so scary, in fact, that he could barely even look at the prince. So, for the sake of his own sanity, he decided to not make any eye contact with Albert for the time being.

However, to the other three people present in the room, Leo only looked like a maiden so in love with her partner, that she could barely even look at him in the eyes without blushing.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you know why I’m here, so I’ll go directly to the point… would you like be the representative of our country, Leonora?” (Albert)

“Huh…? You want, me to be, a representative…?”

Honestly, Leo had no idea what Albert was talking about, so he didn’t know what to say after receiving that sudden offer. Thankfully though, Emilia quickly noticed the confused look on her granddaughter’s face, so she decided to explain to her what it meant to be a representative.

“Do you know what it means to be a representative, deary?”

“I don’t, know… . ”

Leo shook his head to the sides.

To him, the contract festival was just some big event that Eland liked to hold every couple of years, that’s why he didn’t know much about the festival. However, what he knew, was that a lot of rich people liked to attend the contract festival, and that was more than enough for him.

“Then, do you know about the contract festival?”

“Yes… I know, about the, contract festival… . ”

“I see, then that will make things easier. To put it simply, an important ritual is always conducted at the end of the contract festival, so many countries send their representatives, or how the people there like to call it, the shrine maidens of longevity * , to Eland to receive the blessings of the spirits. And you were chosen to be the Weiz Empire’s representative.” ( *Tl/n: That part is said in Elandic.)

“I was chosen, to be the, shrine maiden, of longevity…?”

“Yes, and that is one of the greatest honors a woman can receive, since only the most virtuous of them all can represent their country during the ritual.”

“I see… . ”

After hearing Emilia’s full explanation, the first thing that came to Leo’s mind was to refuse Albert’s offer, since he didn’t want to receive some sketchy blessing that he had never even heard about. But, before he could put his thoughts into words, the prince leaned forward, and said–

“–Plus, since you’re going there as the representative of our country, the royal family will take care of every single one of your expenses, including transportation, food and accommodation. You won’t have to worry about anything in regards to money.”

“!!!!!!”

As soon as Leo heard that, his conviction to reject Albert’s offer started to waver. He was going to get a free travel to Eland with everything included, so he felt like it would be a waste to not accept that offer… but the prince wasn’t over yet.

“However, since you’re going there as the representative of our country, you’ll have to go through a very difficult trial. Many noble ladies have given up the position of shrine maiden of longevity due to that.”

“I’ll have, to go through, a difficult trial…?”

“Unfortunately, yes, every single representative has to go through that trial. You’ll have to walk, talk and eat like one of them throughout your entire stay in Eland.”

(Wait, what!? Really!?)

What was supposed to be a dreadful trial to a normal noble lady, actually became one more reason for Leo to accept the prince’s offer, after all, not only would he be temporarily free from the polite speech spell that Leena placed on him, but he would also be able to go sightseeing all over the Elandian capital and eat their local food for free during his stay there. However, just when Leo thought that this offer couldn’t get any better than this, Albert looked directly into his eyes, and said–

“–And to make things even more complicated, during your stay there, none of your escorts will be able to accompany you anywhere. Me, Kai, and even your knights, will have to stay away from you throughout the whole festival.” ( Tl/n: About this part, I didn’t understand if they just couldn’t accompany Leo, or if they couldn’t go with him to Eland, so I used the first option. If I’m wrong, then I’ll come back to fix this.)

“!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

(Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!)

When he heard that, Leo almost did a guts pose in front of everyone. He was so happy right now, that he couldn’t help but tremble with excitement at the thought of being able to spend his time in Eland without anyone to tell him what to do. And what’s more, his best friend was going there as well. This wad the best thing that Leo could’ve asked for. He could almost hear the Golden Spirit of Coins telling him to use this golden opportunity to enjoy his short vacation to the fullest.

Well, Leo probably wouldn’t have any time to do what he loved most during the contract festival, which was making money, due to the fact that he was going to Eland to represent the Empire… but going there just to enjoy a relaxing gourmet trip wasn’t really that bad of an idea to him anyway, so he decided to not think about any of that depressing stuff for now.

Besides, if nothing unexpected happened during his trip to Eland, Leo would probably be able to use his free time to meet-up with Leena there and safely exchange bodies with her, after all, there wouldn’t be anyone to stop them from doing that, since none of his escorts were allowed to accompany him during his stay there.

Not to mention that even if the worst happened, and Albert tried to use the imperial army to track Leo down after he escaped, he would still be able to hide from the prince, since no one in Eland knew his face. And with Bruno and Leena’s help, Leo would even be able to open a small business there to keep himself afloat until the dust settled.

“Well, I know that having no escorts with you may seem a bit scary at first, but-”

“No, I will, do it!” – Said Leo, as he cut Albert off mid sentence.

Unlike his previous attempts, Leo was sure that his escape plan would work this time, so he quickly agreed to become the Weiz Empire’s representative.

However, Klaus, who always placed his granddaughter’s safety above anything else, was still feeling a bit anxious about this festival, so he tried to change her mind with a reasonable argument–

“Hmm, sweetie? Shouldn’t we consider this a bit more? I mean, you’re technically going to a foreign country, so I think it’s a bit dangerous to let you stay in Eland without any of your escorts… . ”

–But that was to no avail, since Leo’s mind was already set on going to Eland.

“No, there are, some things, even more, important than, one’s safety! So, I will, do it!”

Leo was obviously talking about escaping from Albert, but to the three, his words were like a motivational speech that incited courage. His unshakeable resolve even stunned them for a short while, since they had never seen Leonora looking so determined and dignified before.

“Was that, all you wanted, to ask me, Albert-sama?”

After hearing that question, Albert broke off of his trance and promptly answered Leo.

“Y-yes…! I-I mean, no! Since you were suddenly chosen as our representative, you probably won’t know what to do once you’re in Eland, so I want you to talk with Natalia as soon as you can. She’ll teach you everything you need to know about being a shrine maiden of longevity.”

“Okay… I’ll go, see her, as soon, as possible.”

Although Leo seemed calm on the surface, he was actually really excited about his trip to Eland. He almost couldn’t hold himself back from screaming in joy. That’s how happy he was right now.

(Hahaha! The Golden Spirit of Coins hasn’t abandoned me yet! I’ll finally be able to escape from this evil prince! And what’s more, he was the one who gave me this opportunity, so he can’t complain about me using it to my advantage! Thank you, Albert!)

The last thing that Leo wanted was to marry another man, so he didn’t even stop to think about what he would do if his escape plan failed, after all, he wanted to get away from all this as soon as possible… but, before he could put his plan into motion, Leo had to make sure of something first.

“Hmm, do you really, want me to, go to Eland, Albert-sama?”

“Huh…? Uh, y-yes…?”

Albert was caught a bit off guard by that sudden question, so he quickly answered his beloved with the first thing that came to his mind… however, that only made Leo even happier than he already was.

“Is that, so…? Then I’ll do, what you want, Albert-sama… I’ll go, to Eland.” – Said Leo, as he stared at the prince’s azure eyes with a genuinely happy smile.

(Fufufu, if that’s what you really want, then I’ll go to Eland! Just don’t regret your decision later, prince!)

After saying that, Leo then excused himself and headed straight towards his room, where he prepared for the day he would execute his escape plan.

The first thing the marquis couple did after they saw Albert off, was to let out a long and tired sigh.

“I wanted to see that famous play with Leonora today… but because of that damned prince, today’s entire schedule went haywire… . ”

“Me too… but if you stop to think about it, his visit wasn’t all that bad. I mean, Leonora will receive an entire month off of the academy when she returns, so we’ll be able to spend a lot of time with her either way.” – Said Klaus, as he took a sip of his tea.

However, the anxious look that he had on his face still hadn’t faded away, so Emilia decided to ask Klaus what was making him so worried.

“What is it, dear? Are you worried about something?”

“Not really… I’m just happy that our granddaughter will finally receive the recognition that she deserves.”

“Don’t lie to me, dear. I know you’re happy that our cute Leonora was chosen to be the representative of the Weiz Empire, but there’s more to it than just that. Not to mention that you wouldn’t have that anxious look on your face if that wasn’t the case.” – Said Emilia, as she took a sip of her tea as well.

“I can’t hide anything from you, huh…? Well, to tell the truth, I’m still a bit skeptical about all this. I know that being chosen to represent your country during the contract festival is a great honor and all that… but I don’t want to send Leonora to that place. I have this weird feeling that there’s something wrong about this festival… I just don’t know what… . ”

Klaus’ sharp intuition helped him earn all his titles and victories in the battlefield… but, nowadays, he was just a shadow of his former self. Still, for some reason, he couldn’t just disregard his anxiety this time, specially since he hadn’t felt something like this in such a long time. However, although Klaus didn’t know why he was feeling like this, Emilia, his wife, knew exactly what was going on.

“I feel the same way, dear. Whenever I think of sending Leonora going to that place, I get really anxious. It’s like something will happen to her if I’m not by her side all the time… but at the end of the day she chose to do this out of her own volition. She wants to be recognized by her beloved prince and stand by his side as an equal. Leonora even said that she was going to Eland because His Highness wanted her to go, didn’t she? So how can we stop her from following her own heart? We may know what’s best for Leonora, but we can’t just keep her chained to us for the rest of her life… we have to let her fly… that’s our job as her grandparents.”

“So that’s why I was feeling anxious… I didn’t notice anything… . ” – Said Klaus, in a low tone, as he stared at the ground with a depressed look on his face.

“Well, I also felt like Leonora was being stolen away from us, so you’re not alone in this… the problem is her reaction when she learned that she was chosen to be the Empire’s representative. I think Leonora was a bit too happy and relieved when she heard that.”

“She was happy and relieved…? Why would she need to feel relieved…?”

Right after Klaus asked that question, Kai, his granddaughter’s servant, entered the reception room.

“Please, excuse my rudeness, Milord and Milady Harkenberg, but I really need to speak with the two of you.”

It was unusual for Kai, of all people, to act like this, so Emilia was a bit surprised at first. However, once she noticed the distressed look on the young butler’s face, she quickly prompted him to speak.

“Here… I want you two to look at this… . ” – Said Kai, as he handed Emilia a small patch of burned paper.

“This is…!?”

Although the text on that small piece of paper was almost illegible, Emilia could still understand what was written on it… however, it wasn’t something pleasant.

—The new Crown Princess used to be a Commoner .

After reading what was written on the paper, the marchioness let out a frown. But she wasn’t the only one who had that reaction. Everyone, including Kai and his parents, who were standing behind the marquis couple, also had that same look on their faces.

“A close acquaintance told me about some strange rumors concerning Leonora-sama circling all around the capital, so I waited until I found enough information on that to report my findings to you two… and this is the result. Apparently, a newspaper company distributed that to the masses some days ago.”

“”They did what…!?””

The marquis couple was seething with anger. It was like that newspaper company was trying to pick a fight with the two of them, after all, not only knew about their granddaughter’s secret, but they also divulged that information to everyone in the capital.

“My acquaintance also told me that an orphan named Leo is doing his best to shut the people who are saying bad things about Leonora-sama… however, it seems like he wasn’t that successful. Well, the number of people saying bad things about her is rather small in comparison to her supporters, but I still think that that’s a bit concerning.”

Compared to the amount of supporters that Leonora had, the number of people opposing her was indeed really small, but they couldn’t be taken lightly either. The elitist side of the Empire was vicious, and they would do anything in their power to separate the newly formed royal couple.

“I thought it would be a good idea to hide this matter from Leonora-sama, since it would only make her needlessly worried… but when I went to her room earlier, she threw this newspaper into the fireplace to hide the fact that she already knew about this. Also, from what I could gather of the burned letter that came with that newspaper, the children of the orphanage that Leonora-sama is sponsoring were the ones who informed her of this rumor.”

“So she already knows about this rumor, huh…?”

“Yes… unfortunately… . ”

Even though it wasn’t his fault, Kai still felt a bit guilty for letting that happen. The young butler couldn’t even imagine how much pain his master must’ve felt while reading that newspaper, so he decided to apologize to her grandparents for allowing such a thing to slip past him.

“I’m sorry for allowing Leonora-sama to be exposed to so much malice… knowing her, she’s probably thinking that she isn’t good enough to marry His Highness, so I’ll accept any kind of punishment for my mistake… this is all my fault.”

“No, this isn’t your fault, Kai… this is all those greedy bastards’ fault!”

Emilia was furious. Her granddaughter had done nothing but show compassion to everyone around her… but even so, the newspaper company didn’t think twice before publishing that slanderous article. So Emilia decided to respond to them in kind. If they wanted to pick a fight with the Harkenbergs, then they finally did it. The marchioness wouldn’t show any compassion to those who dared hurt her beloved granddaughter.

However, Emilia wasn’t the only one feeling that way, Klaus, her husband, was also furious.

“Fabian, I want you to send a notice to the whole Dragon Knights Order. Tell them to gather everyone responsible for this and peel their skin off in public. I want everyone to see what happens to those who hurt my granddaughter.”

Normally, Klaus would just deliver a minor punishment to the newspaper company, since they didn’t really commit a grave offence… but if it was for the sake of his granddaughter’s peace of mind, he didn’t mind donning the mantle of Ruthless General again. But, before Fabian could carry out Klaus’ order, Kai stepped forward, and said–

“–Please, wait a moment! I don’t think Leonora-sama would be pleased if you did that, Milord!”

“She wouldn’t be pleased…? What do you mean…?”

“It may look like Leonora-sama is afraid of facing her enemies head on, but that is wrong… she’d never let someone else take care of her own matters… and I learned that firsthand just the other day. The area around the orphanage that Leonora-sama is sponsoring tends to get a bit too dangerous at night, so I forcibly dragged her out of there, and then we headed back to the mansion…  but she wasn’t pleased by that at all… Leonora-sama didn’t speak with me for three whole days after I did that.”

“Mu… . ”

“Oh dear… . ”

What the marquis couple feared the most wasn’t losing their prestige, or their titles… it was losing their beloved granddaughter’s love.

Just imagining her saying “I hate grandpa and grandma,” was enought to make them feel empty inside.

“Besides, I don’t think we have to worry about that newspaper company. Leonora-sama probably wants to get back at them by proving their words wrong. That’s why she agreed to become the representative of the Empire, right?”

After Kai said that, Klaus finally realized what his granddaughter was trying to do.

“I see… so she agreed to become the representative of our country because that was the fastest way to get everyone’s approval. That title alone is good enough to make her someone suitable for the royal family. Not even those elitist nobles would be able to oppose her relationship with His Highness after that.”

Klaus still didn’t want to send Leonora to Eland, but if that was her wish, then, as her grandfather, there was only one thing for him to do right now… and that was to support her decision.

“I was wrong to assume that it would be better for her to stay here with us. If going to Eland is what Leonora wants, then I will support her to the best of my abilities!”

“\\\D-dear…?\\\”

Emilia felt a shiver run down her spine the moment she heard her husband’s powerful statement.

The air around Klaus had changed.

He wasn’t just a normal marquis anymore.

He had donned the mantle.

He was now the the demon of the battlefield… the Ruthless General.

“I don’t care about how much gold you’ll spend, Fabian! I want all the best teachers of the Empire here by tomorrow! We’ll turn Leonora into the best shrine maiden of longevity this world has ever seen!”

“\\\Dear, you…\\\”

“Everyone in Eland will tremble at the sight of her majestic appearance! They will be awed by her grace! She will become the one and only true saint!”

“\\\\\\\\\\\\”

It was at this moment that Leena’s worst fears came to fruition… that rumor indeed made Leo’s life become even harder than it already was.