Mess 140
by Cristae140.
“Seraphie.”
Orchis took Seraphie’s excited hand and met her eyes.
“You are now the most powerful noble in the Empire.”
To have risen to the rank of high nobility in less than a year—this was an achievement that would be remembered in the history of the Ortus Empire.
But despite such dazzling success, Seraphie had one persistent problem.
And this, perhaps, was the perfect opportunity.
“So what should I show them?”
“Terror and threats?”
Pura answered in her stead.
Seraphie’s eyes widened as if something dawned on her.
“Finally, a legitimate lord in the waters before the Kia estate…!”
“…That’s what we call ‘dignity,’ to put it nicely.”
Orchis quickly corrected her.
“I was going to say that too.”
“……”
“Truly.”
Seraphie made a conscious effort to disregard Orchis’s unwavering stare.
At any rate, she understood well enough what Orchis meant.
Hitherto, all of Seraphie’s actions had appeared gentle and virtuous. The rapid, radical growth was simply a result—Validus had earned significant favor among the commoners.
At the same time, she seemed easy to approach—perhaps even easy to take lightly.
She was the youngest among the ennobled, with gentle looks, and so on.
It was good for a noble to make a favorable impression on the common people, but never good to be underestimated.
“…That’s true.”
Seraphie’s answer was laden with weariness. She cradled her head, which was beginning to ache.
There was a mountain of tasks to be done, on top of having to deal with provocations as they came.
‘Feels like I’m back to square one.’
She recalled the very first goal she set for herself after she was forced to inherit her title: wealth and honor.
‘I’ve only achieved half.’
She had acquired so much money that she was now among the most affluent nobles in the empire; but the honor was only half-formed.
‘I’ve lacked dignity.’
Orchis identified the solution, but it was Pura’s suggestion she would have to use as the means.
‘Terror and threats…’
She detested politics ruled by fear, but if she didn’t want to be underestimated, she’d have to project a certain amount of intimidation.
“…Marine!”
Seraphie called for Marine, who stood outside.
“Go fetch Lu at once.”
The ‘Iris Incident.’
It was the collective name for the tragic events that had plagued the Iris estate over the past twenty years.
At the same time, it signified the downfall of the Iris family, who had been a prominent noble household for centuries.
That once honorable name had come to stand for heinous crimes.
The Emperor offered heartfelt condolences and restitution to the victims of the incident. He then announced the consequences for the Iris Incident.
The criminal, Marquis Iris, was killed on site. His body would go unburied, discarded in an empty field.
The location was kept secret, but rumor had it that the corpse was so grotesquely mutilated that this was done to prevent its being seen.
The Iris family was stripped of its title and estate, and fined an astronomical sum.
Thanks to the long-standing merits of their ancestors, who had defended the border for many years, this was the extent of their punishment.
With justice served, only recognition remained.
The Emperor set a date for the investiture ceremony.
“…To Count Validus, who has rendered outstanding service in resolving this incident, I hereby grant the Iris estate.”
A vast banquet hall.
With countless nobles in attendance, the Emperor read the certificate of nobility to be bestowed upon the Validus family.
Seraphie, clad in a splendid dress uniform reminiscent of a knight, knelt on one knee before the Emperor.
Her untidy bobbed hair was neatly tied up, and her jacket adorned with brightly colored insignia.
The chamberlain handed the Emperor a ceremonial sword laid atop a golden, plush cushion.
“To a loyal and honorable subject.”
The Emperor gently placed the blade on Seraphie’s right shoulder.
Then again on the left.
“I grant you the right to govern multiple estates, as well as the authority to appoint or strip your vassals of titles.”
Finally, he touched the sword to the crown of her head.
“And with this honor comes great responsibility; let Validus never forget that.”
“I so swear under Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Seraphie grasped the hem of the red cloak the Emperor draped over her, and raised it to her lips.
“As Your Majesty’s loyal subject, Validus will always fulfill all duties entrusted to her.”
Her unwavering voice resounded with allegiance.
Satisfied, the Emperor withdrew his sword.
“Rise.”
Seraphie slowly stood.
The Emperor embraced his new loyal subject with both arms. She stared wide-eyed, only moving closer thanks to the chamberlain’s discreet nudge.
“Waaaah!”
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
A thunderous cheer and applause erupted from behind.
“…How are things proceeding?”
The Emperor, drawing back a little, asked with a gentle smile.
From afar, it would look to the nobles as though the wise sovereign was embracing his devoted vassal.
“I will report in person soon.”
“Then I shall send for you later.”
The Emperor extended his hand, which Seraphie took.
“By the way, a bastard, you say….”
The Emperor said as they finished shaking hands.
“I was caught completely off guard, Count.”
“Thank you for your praise.”
The Emperor gave a wry chuckle.
He looked forward to how this cheeky subject would retaliate.
Returning to his seat, the Emperor approached the Crown Prince.
The man, who for whatever reason hadn’t attended the forced inheritance hearing, was now glaring daggers at Seraphie.
“Crown Prince.”
At the greeting, the Crown Prince turned, half a beat slow.
“You’ve worked hard as well.”
“It was nothing.”
“As you said, there was trouble in Iris.”
The Emperor smiled thinly.
“Well done.”
“……”
The Crown Prince could not even bring himself to accept the compliment, simply nodding his head in silence.
The investiture was over.
“So Validus has come this far….”
“I hear she has taken the Iris family as her vassals.”
The nobles gossiped about recent events as they departed.
“Come to think of it, my daughter once met Count Validus at a tea party.”
“But they say a bastard child appeared this time?”
“Well, that’s the late count’s shame, not hers….”
“And I believe Count Loria is due to return soon….”
Soon, the banquet hall was empty but for Seraphie, Luni, and Pura.
The three sat in a circle beneath the largest window in the hall.
There was a prepared waiting room, but Seraphie, too lazy to move, had decided they would remain sprawled in this vast space.
“Wow, quite the long title,”
Pura giggled, looking over the new certificate of title Seraphie had received.
“The Owner of the Validus County, granted by the Great Emperor of the Holy Ortus Empire under divine grace, and Lord of Kia Barony…”
The more Pura read off the lofty titles, the more Seraphie’s face went blank with exhaustion.
The endless list was filled with grand modifiers such as “sacred” and “noble.”
No matter how many times she heard it, it never felt familiar.
“Does this mean I can receive a title now too?”
By contrast, Luni wiggled with excitement at the pointlessly long list of titles.
“According to this certificate, you’ve been vested with the royal prerogative to bestow titles on your vassals.”
“And you didn’t want to be a family head before?”
“Back then, I could barely manage my own shop.”
Luni stuck her tongue out sheepishly.
“But working with Sera, I’ve gotten a bit ambitious.”
“Then how about the County of Mars…?”
“No thanks. That’s way too dirty.”
Whenever Seraphie saw Luni reject the idea with such vehemence, all she could do was admire her.
Indeed, together they truly were called the twin daredevils.
“Sera.”
At that moment, Orchis appeared.
“Kis? You haven’t gone back yet?”
“I just met with my father and His Majesty.”
“Duke Pelikia, what about our little one?”
“…Kall is with the Emperor right now.”
With some effort, Orchis conveyed the Emperor’s summons to Seraphie.
“He called for you both as well, so you may come together.”
At that, Luni and Pura rose quietly.
“You’re here.”
When they entered the office, the Emperor received his vassal, sitting in the place of honor on a guest sofa, one leg crossed.
Duke Pelikia and Kall were also present.
Before speaking, the Emperor scanned the assembled company; his expression changed slightly depending on whom he looked at.
He seemed reluctant with Duke Pelikia, smiled fondly at Orchis and Luni, appeared mildly surprised at Pura.
And when he looked at Seraphie, his expression was enigmatic.
“…?”
Seraphie hadn’t deciphered what that meant before:
“It’s time to catch the colt.”
The air shifted at once with the Emperor’s words.
“…Hey.”
Amidst it, Pura asked Seraphie,
“So, what, are we all here to butcher a horse for meat or something?”
“Pffft!”
The unexpected question made Seraphie burst out laughing. Nearby, Luni and Kall, who caught on unintentionally, stiffened and doubled over.
“……”
Orchis only pressed her lips together, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“Hahaha!”
Duke Pelikia roared with laughter.
“We may not be eating meat, but we will be catching the horse, indeed.”
“A metaphor, I see.”
Unamused, Pura pouted.
“Count, you are certainly blessed with good people.”
“My apologies…”
“It is no apology, but you must admit, it is a tempting prospect for you too.”
The Emperor smiled at Pura.
“We are about to take down the Crown Prince’s confidants, one by one.”
All trace of levity vanished from Pura; a chilling edge entered her eyes.
“Count Validus.”
The Emperor asked,
“Who will you strike first?”
Seraphie gave the answer she had pondered over the past several days.
“…Katio provoked me, using the temple as a shield.”
The day before the investiture, the temple had pressured her for a paternity test. Yet at the same time, they withheld any details about the bastard child.
She worried for the half-sibling whose face she’d never even seen.
What if they were just being used?
Or—what if the one pretending to be her sibling was a fake planted by the temple?
Either way, Katio and the temple seemed intent on using the bastard’s existence to stain Validus’s name.
“I will answer provocation with equal force….”
But her first prey was not Katio.
He had ties in too many strange places. To deal with them, there were still preparations to make.
The Poor Relief Act, the counterfeit gold bars, the explosives found hidden in those warehouses, their origins and purpose.
And the currency reform.
Thus, Seraphie’s first chosen target was—
“Vaglosa.”
That family, who had proven themselves unworthy as human beings with their appalling stalking.
“The Vaglosa family will be our first quarry.”
[End of Part 1: What Happens When You Tamper with the Original]