MANIE Chapter 1

In the office located in the Baldin royal castle, two young men were currently exchanging their opinions while on their way to meet the bride from Lidea. One was the chief of this office who was carrying almost all the official duties for the past 2 years, the Prince of Baldin country, Keithfalt. The other one was his close aide Lionel.

 

“Your Highness, it is still not too late, someone like Lidea’s Princess shouldn’t be admitted in this castle!”

“I know. I also think that there is an ulterior motive behind this marriage. Although it was for his status, the high prided King of Lidea gave his daughter so easily. To this country he terribly resents. ——— Has he sent an ugly woman to act as a tool for political maneuver, or a high-class prostitute to try to make me capitulate?”

“That! Such a woman, she is indeed not suitable to be the wife of your Highness! To begin with, a woman of Lidea… Isn’t there a way to somehow cancel it?!”

“It is his Majesty’s decision. I cannot go against it now. There is no proof, but it seems Bellard-sama advised his Majesty about this matter. Money is probably moving from Lidea to the Marquis house Conderna.”

 

Bellard was the second wife of Baldin’s King, the father of Keithfalt, and Keithfalt’s step-mother. She gained the King’s favor with her charming beauty like a fragrant rose. She was the only daughter of Marquis Conderna who was rumored to be a money grubber. In addition of being the head of Treasury, the Marquis Conderna, who had a daughter capable of manipulating the King in the shadows, possessed a large influence in Baldin. Perhaps, it was his intention to obtain the gratitude of Lidea’s King by giving him the position of feudal lord to be involved in Lidea’s concession of iron ore mines at the occasion of its annexation. In this age of ruling, the priority was given to military strength rather than domestic affairs, so it was not unusual, by taking a hostage, to entrust domestic affairs regarding the subordinate territory to its former King as it was. There would be less opposition from the population, and the metal would be exploited efficiently without spending labor costs.

 

“Anyway, since the Marquis Conderna is involved too, this marriage is inevitable. As for my partner, there is no choice but to meet her to judge whether she is a sacrificial pawn or a spy. As you know, there is no information at all regarding the third Princess of Lidea. Is she illegitimate?”

“Yes, I heard her mother was a dancer, but she obtained the favor of the King with her beauty.”

“Ha, it seems similar stories are going on everywhere.”

 

Keithfalt had a cynical smile on his reputed to be icy good-looking face. The image of his father not showing interest in him, inquiring about the complexion of the favored Queen came to his mind. A woman armed with good looks is a parasite that grows fat eating from the powerful and degrades the country. That, it was a lesson he learned from his father as a bad exemple.