Chapter 77

Princess Leticia quietly stood up and turned her back to me while walking towards the window .

She contemplated her future, casting her gaze out the window and taking in the vast, expansive scenery .

“… Do you remember when we first met, Ludy?” [Leticia]

“Of course . When I first met you, I had been brought to the castle by Alfred and you were hiding behind him the entire time, trying to conceal your face because you were too shy . ” [Ludy]

“… Ah, such an embarrassing thing to do . ” [Leticia]

Letty agreed somewhat bashfully, and I smiled while recalling these nostalgic memories .

“It was quite fun . I was very happy at the time . You often played in the garden behind the castle, right? When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to step foot outside of the castle . The castle was already heavy with tension, and I could never visit the Royal Palace either . You enjoy keeping my Elder Brother company, am I right? … Grandmother, Elder Brother, and you are the world to me . ” [Leticia]

“… Letty…” [Ludy]

“Ludy, please don’t make that face . I’m very happy, you know . Certainly, I don’t know what it’s like to mingle within a group or what kind of environment a school may have, and I don’t know about the matters people of the same generation talk about … but I can understand what lies beyond all that superficiality . ” [Leticia]

Ever since she was young, she could never partake in life outside of her cage… Indeed, she lives in a situation wherein her life is similar to that of a caged bird . Her caged life helped her understand the current political battlefield and the feud with Elliya for the throne .

“Somehow, my grandmother doesn’t understand my desire to visit the outside world . Thankfully, Elder Brother doesn’t see me as a pawn to be used in a limited life . ” [Leticia]

Speaking of how she’s been trapped, without a doubt, Leticia could have been forced to marry a lord for the sake of pulling his house to Alfred’s side .

“Additionally, it is impossible for Elder Brother to marry anyone under these circumstances . ” [Leticia]

“Well, about the marriage of “that Onii-Sama” and the low-born woman, it may spell trouble for them if a child is born with a weakened bloodline . ” [Leticia]

It is as Leticia says . For that very reason, Alfred is suppressing Edward’s influence .

“What if the Baron’s daughter bears children by the time Prince Alfred removes Prince Edward from the Royal Family?”

The Royal Family had few direct descendants . They were Prince Alfred, Prince Edward, and Princess Leticia .

Currently, Prince Alfred and Prince Edward were vying for the throne . To ensure Prince Edward was crowned king, his faction dragged many nobles into the dispute . Should Edward’s faction lose, at best, they would be imprisoned for life, and at worst, they would be sentenced to death .

Hypothetically speaking…and by no means do I envision this ever occurring…should Prince Alfred lose, there was a nine in ten chance that the cold face of death would greet him . It was very unlikely that Elliya would stop at punishment as light as imprisonment . Therefore, Prince Alfred was also fighting an uphill battle…

Back to the topic at hand .

The winner will remain in power, whereas the loser will be expelled from the Royal Family . Hypothetically speaking, if Princess Letty were married and with a child before Prince Alfred claims the throne, then only Prince Alfred and her child would be in line for the throne .

In this situation, the one married to Princess Letty would certainly think this:

If “something” were to happen to Prince Alfred, my house would give rise to the new Royal Family .

… In other words, that would spark a civil war .

Yes, they want to stop the Queen Dowager [1] from supporting Prince Alfred at all costs .

“Didn’t Elder Brother discourage me from entering any political marriages that could have benefited his faction to keep me out of Elliya’s sights? He made everyone believe I had a weak constitution in order to keep me out of the limelight… Really, Brother has done nothing but protect me, hasn’t he?” [Leticia]

“ … It is proof of how much he dotes upon you, Princess Letty . ” [Ludy]

“ … Fufufu . You’re right … In that case, I wonder if my marriage could decide Elder Brother’s victory? Aah … if Alfred were to be defeated, that damn Brother could marry me into a foreign country for personal gain . ” [Leticia]

… Hearing Princess Letty utter the word “marriage” pained my heart a little .

But it was only for a moment; perhaps it was just a fleeting emotion… and so I refocused on my conversation with Princess Letty .

“ … The possibility makes me anxious, and I’ve grown quite lonely without you and Elder Brother in the castle . As I thought, the past was the most enjoyable time . ” [Leticia]

Princess Letty showed a melancholic smile after she said that . Drawn in by that smile, my face became serious as I felt a renewed dedication to the lonely siblings .

“… Ludy, we must win . For Brother, for the Daughter of Duke Armelia, and for my own sake . ” [Leticia]

“That’s right . ” [Ludy]

“For the moment, we need a countermeasure to address the Armelia Fief’s trade disturbance . Since it concerns Elder Brother, have you done anything about it yet?” [Leticia]

“Eeh, well……” [Ludy]

“I will do my part to help in any way that I can . ” [Leticia]

Princess Letty ended the conversation with a smile .