The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 105

I had always wondered.

What kind of mindset do high-ranking people like the King have?

What more could someone who has money, status, fame, and power want, and how do they live each day?

I had paid attention to it.

“Help my daughter Rebecca live the life she wants. Cough! Cough!”

The King’s wish was so simple.

The wish of all fathers in the world.

I want my child to live achieving their own dreams.

Even in this moment, spitting blood and facing death, the wish is exceedingly modest.

But what to do.

If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t matter, but it’s the King.

Moreover, his daughter Rebecca is a princess.

Fulfilling such an ordinary wish was like reaching for the stars.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, it is beyond my capabilities.”

“I know very well that I am being unreasonable. But please consider it this way. How desperate must I be to ask you for such a favor?”

“I have my father and Karina of the Crimson Flame. Our kingdom has two Seven Stars [powerful individuals]. Why not ask them for help?”

“Aren’t you the one receiving support from those two Seven Stars? I know very well that asking you is the same as asking them.”

I underestimated the royal family’s intelligence network.

Even as he lay dying in bed, the King was listening intently to the events happening in every corner of the country.

Right now, I have a sword-shaped brooch surrounded by flames pinned to my chest.

It’s Karina’s symbol of making me her protégé.

In the case of Lord Lloyd, he’s my father, so there’s no need to say more.

I even have a brooch with a sword and gun crossed over a shield, which means I also have the support of Tom the Pilgrim.

In short, three of the seven Seven Stars on the continent support me.

There was no need to say all of this, so I remained silent for now.

“This is not an order as King. After all, I have neither the power nor the justification to force you. I just want you to know that this is the last wish of a dying old man.”

You keep trying to soften me with your sympathy tactics.

Honestly, I’m not someone with a heart of steel, and I couldn’t feel good about an old man coughing up blood and worrying about his daughter with tears in his eyes.

“I have never met Princess Rebecca, but isn’t it possible that she might like Prince Charlie Hilton?”

“I am ashamed to say that I don’t know my daughter well. Ever since she reached puberty, she has always locked herself in her room and stayed out of sight. Do you think a member of the Hilton family, who only covets the position of her husband, will treat Rebecca well?”

“I am in the same position. I could easily take advantage of the Princess. I don’t know why you trust me so much.”

“Because your father is Lord Gordon Lloyd. I know very well what kind of person Gordon is.”

The King continued.

“I also know very well what kind of temperament Count Hilton has. It may be the prejudice of a dying old man, but if Prince Charlie becomes Rebecca’s husband, my daughter will not die of natural causes.”

I agreed with the King’s opinion.

I have never actually met Count Hilton, but I have gathered data about him.

From the territory war to the elf war, he was a gloomy schemer who liked to plot behind the scenes.

The Countess was also difficult to deal with.

The woman I saw in Liang seemed accustomed to slave trading and had extreme mood swings.

Just being around her would make you tired.

She was quite something, getting so upset over a little pride hurt at the Half Moon Market.

Besides, what about Charlie, whom I met at the bakery today?

The servants were taking it for granted that they should kneel and make a stepping stone, and the escort knight cut in line to order salt bread.

With the whole family like that, it was natural for the King to worry about Princess Rebecca’s fate.

“As a bright person, you know what kind of request this is. For my daughter’s happiness, I won’t care about the means or methods.”

It sounds like he’s saying to kidnap her and let her live independently if necessary.

The more I hear, the more burdened I feel.

So I gave the best answer I could.

“I can’t give you a definite answer, but I will pay attention to her as much as I can.”

It was a somewhat presumptuous answer, but it was understandable.

King Alfonso seemed to understand.

Just then, a cold wind blew in from the window.

“Cough! Cough!”

His cough grew worse.

Count Hornet opened the door and entered.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Rather, see Lord Lloyd off.”

“As you command.”

On the way out of the palace.

Count Hornet urged me again.

“About the King’s illness today…”

“I know. I didn’t see anything.”

“It’s easy to talk to someone who’s quick-witted. Take care.”

The carriage wheels rolled.

As I looked at the scenery passing by outside the window, the conversation I had with Sion earlier came to mind.

‘Should I really commit an assassination?’

It was a night of deep contemplation.

* * *

In the Elden Kingdom, the age of seventeen is considered adulthood.

Therefore, this birthday party for the Princess had a special meaning, and the entire Fontano [capital city] was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Of course, the festival was for the commoners who didn’t know how the country was run.

In the meantime, the nobles had been fiercely fighting behind the scenes almost every day.

It had already been ten days since I arrived in the capital.

I had met the remaining three anti-imperial faction candidates for the Princess’s husband, whom I had previously refused Andre’s invitation to meet.

To put it bluntly, they were all worthless.

I also tried to win over pro-imperial faction figures.

I conducted interviews mainly with nobles who had been neutral until recently, but they all shook their heads, expressing their reluctance.

They had already completely sided with the Hilton family.

In the midst of all this, the birthday arrived.

The sun hadn’t even set yet, but fireworks were being set off in the square, and minstrels were singing, making a fuss.

Every pub was crowded, and the streets were full of young men and women dancing arm in arm.

Perhaps it was because it was the capital, but the energy of the people was vastly different from that of the Lloyd County.

“Young Master, please prepare yourself.”

Sion, dressed as a maid, entered my room.

In her hands, she held various formal suits to wear to the party.

“I can’t wear all those clothes to go.”

“After trying on several outfits, we will choose the one that suits you best.”

“Do as you please.”

I decided to leave my coordination entirely to Sion.

The first outfit I put on was a tailcoat with fluttering lace at the cuffs.

It was an outfit that would only be worn for cosplay on Earth, but it was a costume that male nobles often wore in the Arnia Continent.

“How is it?”

I put on all the clothes and spun around once.

I showed it to Sion, but she didn’t respond for a moment.

She stared blankly at me as if she was daydreaming.

When I waved my hand in front of her face to tell her to come to her senses, she was startled and her focus returned.

“I’m sorry. It suits you well.”

“I’ll try on something else.”

I tried on the same clothes in different colors, and I also tried on daring clothes that showed off my upper body muscles slightly.

After an hour of work, there was only one outfit that I liked.

A simple black suit.

“There’s no outfit like this after all.”

Sion was looking at me with dazed eyes.

Why is she acting like that since earlier?

Her face, of course, and even her neck and earlobes were red, so I was worried that she might have a fever.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“Ah, no.”

“You were supposed to give me your opinion.”

“Actually… Young Master, all the clothes suit you well. Honestly, I can’t choose.”

“Then I’ll just wear this outfit.”

I don’t know why we had a fashion show in the corner of the room if this was going to happen.

Anyway, I put on a neat suit, finished my hair perfectly, and left the room.

Andre, who had specially provided the house, was waiting at the entrance, and when he saw me walking in, his whole body stiffened as if he had been nailed down.

“Uh… Lord?”

“What.”

“I’m confused right now.”

“About what.”

“I’m the one who’s applying to be the Princess’s husband, but somehow you look more like a candidate for the Princess’s husband.”

“That’s a funny joke.”

I gave him a smile and got into the carriage.

Campbell, who had been seated in advance.

Today, he came along as my bodyguard.

He won’t be able to enter the banquet hall, but he will be sitting outside with the other knights.

“I heard there’s a lot of food coming out.”

“Eat a lot. Today is a festival.”

“As expected, if you follow the Deputy Commander, food will appear on its own, right?”

Campbell was excited about the thought of eating.

Only Andre looked at me with a worried expression.

“After the Princess’s birthday party today, her husband will be chosen. How do you plan to stop Prince Charlie Hilton’s dominance?”

“Who knows.”

A vague answer.

The carriage moved towards the banquet hall.

The appearance of the palace could be seen in the distance.

“Stop the carriage here.”

“Yes?”

Andre asked back in surprise.

“We still have a little further to go to reach our destination.”

“I know. Stop it.”

“We left late, so we’re already short on time, and if we dawdle here any longer, we’ll be late. The doors of the banquet hall will not open for latecomers.”

“I’m going to be late on purpose.”

Andre’s mouth dropped open at the answer, which was the opposite of common sense.

I smiled at him and said.

“The main character always appears last.”

* * *

Fontano Royal Castle.

Princess Rebecca’s birthday party venue.

The nobles were gathered in groups of three or five.

On the surface, it was a friendly atmosphere.

However, it could be confirmed that excessive popularity was focused on a specific person.

“Lord Charlie, you look even more radiant today.”

“As expected, you are one in a million. I feel sorry for the other candidates for the Princess’s husband.”

“Oh, I have seen you before, Prince, but there has never been a case where you shine like today.”

Not only the old veteran nobles came to flatter Charlie, trying to look good to him.

Even the same candidates for the Princess’s husband were struggling to make an impression on Charlie, the leader of the pro-imperial faction.

“Lord, the third son of the Evre family in the South…”

“I am the youngest of the Holdings family in the West…”

“It is an honor to meet you. The Harun family in the North…”

Everyone flocked to him and surrounded him.

Charlie Hilton’s conceited nose was, of course, raised.

In the meantime, he scanned the banquet hall with his eyes and grasped the movements of the anti-imperial faction nobles.

‘They didn’t even attend.’

Charlie’s lips twisted when he didn’t see Henon.

He had been aware in advance that Henon had been trying to reverse public opinion by contacting anti-imperial faction nobles and trying to win over pro-imperial faction nobles.

He had also obtained information that the attempt had ended in a futile failure.

‘You can’t stop the approaching waves with your hands. Our pro-imperial faction is already the power in the kingdom. No, we will become the power in the empire beyond the kingdom.’

The few anti-imperial faction nobles who were occasionally seen were huddled in the corner with their heads drooping like defeated dogs, sipping wine.

They couldn’t even unite among themselves, and even then, when they met his eyes, they flinched, afraid of being targeted, which was quite a sight to see.

The game was over.

Now is the time to enjoy the sweet fruit.

The inner door of the banquet hall opened, and a servant shouted in a loud voice.

“The great and wise, the rightful ruler of the Great Elden Kingdom! His Majesty Alfonso de Arianne Elden the 41st!!”

Bbambabba Bbam!!

Along with the trumpet sound played by the musician, the old king appeared, leaning on a cane.

The nobles, who had been chatting and laughing, all maintained silence at once and stood up to pay their respects to the king.

The king, who had swept the banquet hall once with his cloudy eyes, confirmed Henon’s absence and sighed slightly.

“Noble lords who support Elden… Today is Rebecca’s birthday, whom I love, and it is also the coming-of-age ceremony of Rebecca, who inherited the noble blood of Elden. I express my gratitude to everyone who attended. Eat and drink to your heart’s content.”

Because there were many people in front of him, the king tried to pretend to be as healthy as possible, but those with good eyes felt a slight tremor in his aging body even in the midst of this.

The king’s health condition is top secret, but major nobles, including Charlie Hilton, sensed that Alfonso’s life was coming to an end.

“Waaaaaa!!!! Long live His Majesty the King!! Long live the Elden Kingdom!!!”

Anyway, the nobles praised the king and showed their loyalty to the kingdom. It is unknown how long that loyalty will last.

“Next, there will be an entrance of the beautiful flower of the Elden Kingdom! Princess Rebecca!”

This time, unlike before, everyone held their breath and waited for the princess to appear.

In the meantime, Princess Rebecca was a woman of many rumors who had never appeared in public.

Only a few nobles who had seen her face from afar said that Princess Rebecca was an amazing beauty, which amplified curiosity.

Charlie also had never actually met her, so he showed a curious look.

And Princess Rebecca came out.

Black and red dress.

Shiny, night-sky-like hair.

Bright red ruby ​​jewel-like eyes.

Even her snow-white skin, as if she had never seen sunlight in her life.

She was a fatally seductive woman.

“Oh my!”

“It’s not the beauty of the earth.”

“I can’t believe she’s the same human being.”

“If that’s the case, I should have been more greedy for the position of the Princess’s husband.”

Some nobles were speechless at Princess Rebecca’s beauty, which exceeded expectations, and the young nobles couldn’t take their eyes off her.

So much so that even the young ladies of the same gender were speechless at Rebecca’s appearance.

Despite the gazes pouring in from all directions, the princess sat quietly next to the king with a blank face.

‘This is an unexpected harvest?’

On the other hand, Charlie Hilton’s mouth was torn to his ears.

To be honest, he didn’t care about the princess’s beauty.

Rebecca was only a stepping stone to gain public support when she was absorbed into the Empire after the king’s death.

But the fact that she was such a beauty was like receiving a bonus.

“Let’s start the banquet!!”

Eat, drink, enjoy, and chat.

The nobles moved non-stop.

Even so, everyone glanced at the aloof and beautiful Princess Rebecca, who was sitting still in the upper seat.

Charlie Hilton was the same.

Lord Henon Lloyd did not show up until the end.

To this extent, it can be said that the anti-imperial faction has virtually given up on the royal family and washed their hands.

Perhaps that’s why the courtship of other nobles towards Charlie became even stronger.

“Lord Lloyd is not to be seen.”

“Lord? I heard he was a lowly illegitimate child.”

“Huh… the kingdom’s discipline has been broken for a long time. How can a guy who doesn’t even know who his mother is receive a noble title?”

“We need to establish a new system. Isn’t that why Prince Charlie is here?”

Some pro-imperial faction nobles, who judged that the game had completely tilted, openly slandered Lord Lloyd, the leader of the anti-imperial faction.

“Haha, everyone, please be careful. Henon, that friend, worked hard to get to that position, didn’t he?”

“You are so generous to even illegitimate children, Lord.”

“Since Lord Hilton is so generous, we don’t have to worry about the future of the kingdom. Hehehehe!!”

Playing the drum and playing the janggu [Korean drum].

While the nobles were putting on a show.

The king picked up a fork and lightly tapped the glass.

Dangling!

A quiet atmosphere returned.

The king announces the announcement in a phlegm-filled voice.

“As everyone knows, today is Rebecca’s birthday, but it is also a place to decide on her husband. So, those who wish to become her husband should come out one by one and put their names on the list written by Count Hornet.”

It is finally a full-fledged candidate registration ceremony.

As promised in advance, the pro-imperial faction candidates lined up and told Count Hornet their names.

“Dodo Ebnel. I want to have the honor of standing next to Princess Rebecca.”

“Lutio Holdings. I want to be with Princess Rebecca for the rest of my life.”

“Hobo Harun. I am registering my name as a candidate.”

Everyone rushed to complete the candidate registration, and the minority candidates of the anti-imperial faction also hesitated and came out, timidly putting their names on the list.

About twenty people finished the registration process.

Finally, Charlie, who came forward leisurely, greeted Count Hornet and finished registering as a candidate.

“Charlie Hilton. I want to take responsibility for the future of the Elden Kingdom with the Princess.”

Hornet’s eyes looking at Charlie were not kind.

But there is no way for him either.

Charlie Hilton has already emerged as the trend.

Charlie, who snorted, turned around and returned to his seat.

“Is there anyone else who wants to become the Princess’s husband?”

Count Hornet shouted loudly.

But there was no answer coming back.

Everyone just looked around.

“I ask again! Is there really no one!”

It’s like an atmosphere that hopes there is.

As expected, there is no echo returning.

Hornet finally ends with a weak voice.

“I will end the candidate registration ceremony with Charlie Hilton as the ideal…”

It was then.

A noisy noise was heard from outside.

“Oh! You can’t do this…”

“The banquet has already begun!!”

“Stop him. Stop him!”

Thump, thump.

The sound of falling and falling on the floor.

Hornet frowned at the sudden situation and asked one of the knights guarding the banquet hall.

“What is this commotion?”

“I’ll go check it out.”

The knight, who bowed sharply, was heading towards the door, when,

Kwaaaang!!!

The front door leading to the outside of the banquet hall opened wide to the left and right.

A man standing in the center walks step by step.

A tall height and a muscular body that cannot be hidden even with clothes.

Black hair neatly combed back and mysterious green eyes that constantly scatter a dazzling aura.

A luxurious black suit that matches the flawless, elastic skin and appearance.

A peerless handsome man with an unusual aura lightly passes everyone’s gaze and approaches Count Hornet.

“You are…”

Surprised, Count Hornet opened his mouth.

The man calmly says to such a Count.

“Lord Henon Lloyd. I will become Princess Rebecca’s husband.”