Kapitel 206: [Chapter 205] The Return of Nellucian
As promising young individuals in society suddenly disappeared from sight, the nobles of the Pelena court experienced a period of confusion.
First and foremost, Nellucian and Valentin, the siblings from the Elendria Ducal House, who were highly regarded and outstanding young individuals, revealed their father, the Duke's grudge. With the family scattered, the Elendria family would find it challenging to maintain their former stiffness.
Idalia, from the Kendall Viscount's family, went to study abroad under the Pope's decree and returned as a murder victim. Despite the persuasion from those around him, the Viscount insisted that his daughter was still alive and kept her body at home.
Megara, from the Ricciandros Viscount's family, had gathered expectations of making a mark in society upon graduation, but it was revealed that she was actually a commoner-born illegitimate child, leading to her disgrace.
Additionally, Natasha from the Grunehalts Duke's family, after causing a scene at the Prince's gathering and abruptly leaving the court upon news of her marriage to a distant relative, likely due to the strained relationship between Megara and Prince Abelus, people quietly speculated.
The unexpected figure who filled the void in society was the Maindland Grand Duchess, who had caused a stir in the noble circles with news of her jewel inheritance from an external lineage. Initially not having a favorable image in society, she unexpectedly rose to a higher status than most in the social circles due to her sudden marriage to the Grand Duke.
Surprisingly, it soon became evident that she had the talent to rule.
Shortly after her marriage to the Grand Duke, the Maindland Grand Duchess, Neris, who had initially kept a low profile despite receiving numerous invitations, suddenly began inviting prominent figures in society. She even extended invitations to lesser-known individuals and eventually to completely unknown figures.
The previous non-social appearance of the Grand Duchess and her husband seemed like a facade. Various people mingled at the Grand Duke's residence. Once people had the chance to meet the Grand Duchess, they eagerly hoped to be invited to her gatherings again.
There were two main reasons.
First, the treatment at the Grand Duke's residence was beyond lavish.
Luxurious menus that delicately catered to guests' preferences while showcasing the grandeur of the Grand Duke's household, elegant and cozy mansions. What would have been a grand party held elsewhere once in a while was a daily occurrence at the Grand Duke's residence.
Second, the people introduced at the Grand Duke's residence were undeniably useful.
Initially, even poor and low-status youths who were invited for unknown reasons later miraculously found success and proved to be talents leading their fields. After several such instances, people began to think that the Grand Duchess actively took care of her people.
As a result, the void left by the decline of four major noble families was entirely filled by the Maindland Grand Duchy.
And soon, as spring blossomed and pink flower buds began to color the entire court.
Nellucian Elendria returned to the court.
The Elendria Duke thought his son would stay in the family home, but Nellucian refused and instead went to a small mansion on the outskirts of the court. Instead, he arranged his sister's room.
While listening to Talfrin's report during breakfast, Neris nodded without changing her expression. Sitting closely beside her, Cladwin, who was listening to his wife's mealtime conversation, made a joke.
"Quite the good brother."
Talfrin chuckled with a hint of malice, and Dora nodded.
"Nellucian will prioritize securing Valentin, knowing well what Kamil desires."
There was no one who understood Kamil's mindset better than Neris. She could almost see through Kamil's elaborate plans.
Leaving the framework of the Ducal House intact but causing significant damage required the current Duke to step down forcibly and Nellucian to be installed in his place. With no unmarried noblewomen left besides Valentin for the new Princess candidate.
Maindland had already experienced the chaos that ensued when a long-standing head suddenly stepped down and a young new head took their place. Moreover, the fact that the daughter of the former head and the only sibling of the new head became the Empress was a risky element, which, under normal circumstances, would be an honor but posed a significant risk at present.
In a situation where the main family barely held on without collapsing, if one married daughter succeeded, the vassal lords and retainers would overly rely on her. If not careful, the family's influence could entirely shift to the in-laws, as seen in history.
So, the implication was that if Nellucian wasn't the one to take the position of the new Duke, that would have been the case.
'Kamil tends to think that everyone else is a fool except himself.'
In fact, if one were to name the most politically suitable person in the court, without hesitation, Kamil's name would come up after Neris. Unlike the simple Abelus or the comfortable Ijett, he was someone who could shake numerous nobles.
However, Kamil's tendency to always emerge victorious would now be his downfall. Taking advantage of her complacency, Nellucian had already built her own kingdom once, hadn't she? Even though both were unaware of this fact in their current lives.
"Prepare to spread rumors that there are doubts about the succession to the title. Pay attention to ensure there are no issues with the Duke's safety."
'The Elendria family should not unite under Nellucian.'
It was meaningful for individuals with differing opinions within the family to continue to clash, having been torn apart. For this purpose, Neris intended to deliberately make it appear as if the Duke had been 'awkwardly' stripped of his title.
Talfrin spoke with rare courtesy and seriousness.
"Yes, Your Highness. We are ensuring that unfamiliar individuals, as well as those within the family, do not approach the Duke's side without caution."
"Within the family? Well, the Silver Moon people might have infiltrated by now."
The 'clean' servants of the Elendria family had mostly left. Given that Neris had set it up that way, there was a good chance that Kamil's followers had hidden themselves next to the Duke in the midst of chaos.
Neris understood. But as she fed her husband a grape, Cladwin spoke differently.
"The Duke doesn't seem to value his life much, keeping only those who have been with him for a long time by his side. There's less need to be wary of the Silver Moon people."
"Is that so?"
The grapes, hard to come by this season, had a rich and sweet taste. Neris blinked and looked up at her husband.
Her expression seemed to say, 'The grapes are delicious.' Cladwin chuckled and spoke.
"The Duke should be most cautious of his own son."
"Would Nellucian be so eager to become the Duke, even willing to kill his own father? After all, it will all be his eventually. If he makes a mistake now, the weaknesses of the court will be exposed. Even if he wants to become the Duke right away, it's better to keep the current Duke behind to preserve the family's power."
Nellucian was very shrewd when it came to the succession of a prominent noble family. Neris knew best how he would use someone until they were no longer useful.
However, Cladwin remained with a smiling face. He kissed Neris on the forehead, poured water into her empty glass, and explained his opinion.
"Nellucian's goal may not be just to become the Duke. Of course, that may be part of the goal."
"What other purpose could there be? A greater ambition?"
"Indeed, a greater ambition. You can't compare yourself to becoming a Duke. He would want to eliminate anyone who could hinder his goals."
It was a whimsical thought. Neris smiled and nodded.
"Nellucian cherishes his family and doesn't care about anyone else. It seemed like he couldn't handle it when things didn't go his way, but... by now, he must have realized that I'm not someone he can mess with. However, I know. If you're worried that Nellucian might suddenly turn around and kill his father, it's best to be prepared just in case."
Cladwin looked at his wife for a moment before simply smiling.
The unpleasant gaze of Nellucian Elendria towards his wife had been going on for quite some time. He probably thought rationally about her worth as a tool for his own use.
If that bastard really wanted to use Neris, he would have adopted her as soon as he heard that her mother had died. And he would have investigated her background long ago. Her value was never low, even before the jewel inheritance blossomed.
That child was cowardly from start to finish. He would spout nonsense about being her brother or something with a burning desire in his eyes. Even if he had knelt before her, begging for love, it would have been insufficient.
So, she still didn't understand his emotions. It was a misfortune befitting a coward.
'Like an animal marking its territory, trying to put everyone from her family into my fence, trying to grasp at straws in an obvious situation of betrayal.'
Perhaps Nellucian also knew that she wasn't interested in him. So, he resorted to physical means to confine her as soon as an opportunity arose, a failed attempt.
"Yes. It's best to be cautious. Just think like that. If you happen to run into each other, pretend you don't know and quickly leave. Until we get home."
'Our home.' She liked the sound of that. Neris sipped the water her husband gave her and nodded gracefully.
"Yes. Oh, but there's one thing we need to make sure of before we go."
"What's that?"
"Megara is holding hands with Nellucian. Megara is probably feeling quite confident by now. She must have convinced herself that she is practically the Princess since she managed to secure an official position, even though she doesn't have a legitimate relationship with Abelus. However, the social circle seems to be completely ignoring her.
While preparing to return to Maindland, there was a reason why Neris suddenly opened up the mansion.
The first reason was to make it easier for the Morier upper echelon to feel comfortable.
Despite their rapid growth, the Morier upper echelon was still a rising power. If Kamil were to find out about Neris and Joan's relationship and try to pressure the Morier upper echelon, he would likely try to use the existing traditional upper echelons, and at that time, people who would support Joan besides the McKinnon family would be needed.
Therefore, Neris frequently invited young promising individuals of commoner origin to the mansion. Joan and Aaron were indeed competent, leaving a strong impression on various nobles and colleagues from other industries of commoner origin at these gatherings.
The second reason was to prevent Megara from stealing the spotlight in the social circle.
According to rumors, Abelus was deeply infatuated with Megara. He treated her even more courteously than when she was the Viscountess.
Megara was the kind of person who could captivate anyone she wanted. Even if her mother's status was revealed, the fact that Abelus, the next Emperor of the Empire, favored her and had no other women at the moment would have quickly revamped her image. At least she would have secured a significant position in the court.
However, Neris had taken all the attention that Megara desired.
With such delicate handling, Megara must have been anxious. In reality, what mattered most to her was firmly holding Abelus's affection, and she was doing well in that regard.
'It must be difficult to endure.'
Her pride was not ordinary. She had a history of relentlessly tormenting someone with the same purple eyes until their death just because they shared the same eye color.
"He'll be looking for a way out. The situation where he gained an official position before obtaining the Princess title would not be well-received in the palace, so his position within the palace might suffer. He must know that to carve out his place, he needs to remove one of the fixed stones he rolled into. And that fixed stone would be Kamil."
"Yes. The sister who shakes her man in front of Megara won't be pleased. And for that, she needs allies. And right now, the easiest person for Megara to attract."
"The Elendria family, who doesn't want to send hostages. Understood."
Cladwin smiled and kissed Neris's hand.
"I find everything you do amusing. I look forward to it so much that I wish to just watch you do it for a lifetime."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein