Capítulo 246: [Chapter 246] Luck of Alekto
Alekto Islani had never considered herself lucky.
Her misfortunes began when she was born between her striking older and younger sisters. The next misfortune was when she realized she was the kind of person who couldn't naturally attract the favor of others, and another misfortune was when she was forced to enroll in the Noble Academy. Her misfortunes increased when she got into a fight with Rianon Berta, and her father, that stupid woman's father, inherited the earldom.
And the worst was when she got entangled with Megara Rikeandros, or just 'Megara'.
'But.'
It seemed that no one was destined to be unlucky forever. Alekto felt relieved these days. Because it had been revealed that Megara, who had been dragging her around and treating her like a maid, was actually of humble birth.
She had deliberately humiliated that girl, who was favored by the Crown Prince, in front of their classmates, just to fully savor the joy. She had been criticized by her family afterwards for "what if you displease the Crown Prince?", but she trusted her own sharp analytical skills. The Crown Prince wouldn't want to unnecessarily antagonize many noble families at this time.
'It was the right choice to get the others involved.'
She had deliberately humiliated Megara in that salon to give the other girls a reason to join in. Alekto knew very well that the resentment towards Megara was like a leather ball, inflated to the point of bursting.
'It was crazy for them to like her in the first place.'
Kind Megara, amazing Megara… Honestly, what did they get out of it? Why were they all chasing after that two-faced girl? She almost died from the anger. Compared to Megara, Alekto was honestly kind—she believed that.
Megara was clearly being punished for her wicked ways. But it wasn't enough. She was still hanging on in the noble society with that pretty face. Apparently, she had messed with Natasha Grunehalz and dragged her whole family into the abyss, but she had cleverly grabbed a lifeline before she was completely ruined.
And what was it, she had saved the Crown Prince from an assassination attempt? By throwing herself in front of him? Alekto had been suspicious from the moment she heard the story. Was that girl really the kind of person who would risk her life for someone else?
She didn't say it out loud in front of others, but she 'suspected' it. So, Alekto was investigating the circumstances of that time in her own way. Cautiously, but persistently.
The secrets she, a simple noble lady, could uncover were nothing special. But what if the luckiest moment of her life was right in front of her?
However, when she realized that Megara was trying to use her like a puppet, her caution turned into anxiety.
"Oh my, Lady Alekto? Congratulations. It seems you've made up with Megara."
Valentine Ellandria's sarcastic tone poured fuel on her anxiety. Alekto gritted her teeth.
Today's gathering was a musical performance held at the mansion of Lady Mariah. It was a place where musicians known for their talent, even if their status was relatively low, showcased their skills. This kind of gathering by Lady Mariah, who usually didn't go out much, had only started recently, but it was already one of the most prestigious events in the Imperial City.
Naturally, the current Academy graduates all wanted to be part of Lady Mariah's gatherings. Salons, musical performances, balls… just being allowed to enter this house made them feel like their status had risen. Lady Mariah was truly picky about who she allowed to attend her gatherings.
It was a place where even Megara, who could now go anywhere in the Imperial Palace, was rejected.
She should have been happy to be attending such a place, but Alekto couldn't get rid of her anger towards Megara. Especially when people said things that belittled her, like now.
'Damn it.'
To be a Crown Princess candidate, it was a sweet, sweet sound. When Alekto first heard about it from her father, she was momentarily lost in a beautiful dream. And when she realized that she would never be able to ascend to that position in a normal way and enjoy the pleasure of punishing her classmates who had ignored her before, her long-held hatred burned even hotter.
She was different. From Natasha. From Megara. And from Valentine Ellandria, who was standing in front of her.
After the Ellandria family was half-destroyed, Valentine became noticeably quieter. His boisterous behavior, which had spread throughout his year and even to other years, disappeared as if by magic, and he attended school like a dead man. But he wasn't truly dead.
'The only unmarried noble lady who is alive and well.'
She couldn't clash head-on with Valentine, who would go to a great position no matter who he married. Alekto just twitched her eyebrows. Valentine, who had been staring at Alekto for a moment, turned and went on his way. His face, which had once been as youthful and pretty as a baby in a painting, now looked pale and tired.
'No wonder. His father died suddenly, and he was forced to live with his brother in a tiny house as soon as the holidays started. They say there's no money left in that house.'
Alekto knew that Valentine was provoking her out of jealousy. He must have thought that if Natasha and Megara couldn't take that position, he would be next. He didn't have the brains to see the danger of becoming a puppet or the power struggles between families.
…Wait.
Alekto thought for a moment and followed Valentine.
"Wait, wait, Valentine."
"What?"
Valentine, who was heading out to the terrace, turned around and asked sharply. Alekto grinned.
Few people knew Megara as well as Alekto did. She had followed her for years and had become a tool for Megara's schemes.
Her cautiousness, never getting her hands dirty and always passing the blame onto others.
Her ruthlessness, pretending to be friendly and then abandoning people when she was done with them.
She had taken on a huge amount of the Crown Prince's gambling debts from the Rikeandros family. That was what was commonly known about the recent incident of the Crown Prince's personal property being seized, which had caused a stir in the Imperial City, but Alekto, being the daughter of a high-ranking noble, had heard other rumors as well. She didn't know how much truth there was to the rumor that the Duke of Ellandria had tricked the Crown Prince into getting involved in a rigged gambling game.
'It might be a leap. But Megara wouldn't just take on the debt without believing she could get something in return, given her nature of never wanting to lose even a speck of dust.'
If so, who was Megara relying on at that time? If it was the person Alekto thought it was…
Could this stupid girl, who was forced to live in the house her brother took her to, be the one to prove it?
"Let's talk for a bit. Catch up, and maybe trash-talk some people we dislike."
****
"Talprin says he'll stay near the Imperial City with Dee for a while longer."
Neris said, her expression strange, after reading the report. Dora asked worriedly,
"I guess the security near the Imperial City is tighter than expected? Talprin must have decided it's too difficult to escape with Miss McKinnon. Will it be alright?"
"Judging by the tone of the report, it doesn't seem like an urgent situation. He must be aiming for perfection."
Neris knew Talprin's meticulous nature well. He wouldn't make this decision without a reason. If he couldn't handle it alone, he would have requested more manpower, so he would probably manage it.
It was a little concerning that Diane, a noble lady, was staying alone with a man. But neither of them were the type to be easily swayed into doing something they didn't want to do, and in noble society, a 'noble' staying with a 'commoner' wasn't generally perceived as 'two people alone'. It was perceived as 'the noble alone'.
If there was someone who was very good at picking fights, there might be problems later. But since it happened while Talprin was carrying out Neris's secret mission, it would be enough to just have a few people keep their mouths shut.
"It's just a shame. I've already decorated a bedroom for Dee. Our Dee has hardly ever poured herself a glass of water, how much hardship will she have to endure."
Dora smiled at Neris's genuinely concerned face. The honest affection was clearly visible on the usually serene lady's face.
"It's not like he won't come back at all, so you'll see him soon, won't you?"
"It'll be a while before I see him if Talprin is protecting Dee. He has a lot to do. Even at this moment, he'll be incredibly busy delivering the information I told him to spread to the right people at the right time."
Neris's body was in Maindelant, but she was actively participating in the power struggles of the people in the Imperial City more than ever. If she caused trouble for one noble in the Imperial City, it would reduce the number of enemies who would appear in front of Cledwyn on his way south by hundreds, even thousands.
She smiled faintly.
"It's best to win without fighting."
Abelus's hostage summons had definitely been effective, and it seemed that the nobles who had been dragging their feet before had finally provided a considerable number of additional troops. Of course, it would also cause resentment, but there was nothing those whose children were held hostage could do.
'They'll think the war will end soon, so they'll just be annoyed. They won't be relaxed, since the nobles who graduated from the Academy haven't been ordered to go to the front lines yet.'
The order to seal off Caten starting next semester was the same. Parents with children who were students would probably be waiting for the Grand Duke of Maindelant to surrender quickly. That way, their children would be free before the cost to their families became even greater. But would things really go that smoothly?
'There will be no surrender. We started this prepared for a long war, and we have no reason to lose.'
If a battle that everyone thought they would win quickly turned out to be long, the morale of any army would drop. Unless they had started knowing it would be a long war from the beginning.
Neris, who had read history books without discrimination, knew how past emperors had appeased armies whose morale had dropped. They rewarded those who had made contributions, spread propaganda… and ultimately, they sent out famous nobles to war on a grand scale.
The parents of the students who graduated this year, as well as the parents of those who haven't graduated yet, will regret not protesting strongly to Abelus now.
Parents who send their children to war are bound to feel a stronger hatred for the enemy than ever before. But what if those children are completely absorbed by the enemy?
Will they be able to keep the fire of hatred burning then?
"So, will the McKinnon Trading Company join us now? Since Miss McKinnon, who could have been our biggest weakness, is under our protection, and you claim that you lost your daughter due to the Imperial Family's negligence, wouldn't that be an excuse for you to withdraw from this war?"
"That's not enough. There are still too many eyes watching. The Imperial Family still wants the McKinnon family's money, and they know the relationship between the Morie Trading Company and the McKinnon Trading Company, so the McKinnon family needs to act as if they are clearly on the Imperial Family's side. If things go wrong, the Imperial Family could force the McKinnon family to say that they broke Diane's enlistment date illegally and took her away."
Since they think the McKinnon family only has 'money', they won't consider whether it will upset the other party. They'll be even more reassured since Joyce has even gone so far as to put herself in the hands of the Imperial Family.
But the Empress, who has grown up with ease all her life, doesn't know much about commerce. She doesn't know what the son of the Earl of McKinnon, a genius at making money, can do behind the backs of the nobles who ignore him and his family. She'll probably just lose her motivation because the new Crown Princess candidate she was trying to bring in herself has slipped through her fingers.
But there was something Neris had to do before that. One of the things Talprin would do for her.
"It's time to tell the person who would want to know most about what Megara did to our dear Eldest Princess."
There are many people who dislike Megara, but the most useful pawns are gathered in the Imperial City right now. Valentine's head is practically empty, but things are different if he's with someone smart who can use his freedom most effectively.
A person who would act selfishly, even knowing that revealing the secret would harm the Ellandria family, without telling Valentine.
When else would the witty Alekto Islani reveal her intelligence if not now?
If not now, when things are coming to an end.
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