The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 110

Chapter 14. Selection: The Released Scoundrel

A private meeting with Princess Rebecca.

Finally, the moment has arrived.

I knew she would call me.

Just look at her expression.

It’s written all over her face that she’s full of questions.

“Did you say you are Baron Henon Lloyd?”

“That’s right. But shouldn’t you offer a guest a cup of tea when inviting them at this late hour?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I’ll get you some tea.”

Her flustered reaction to my casual remark shows that while she’s smart and quick-witted, she needs to develop her social skills.

It must be because she’s been cooped up in her room for so long.

She’ll gradually improve as she meets people regularly.

With steaming tea in front of us, Princess Rebecca and I sat facing each other.

The princess got straight to the point as soon as she sat down.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“······”

When I countered her question, the princess was left speechless.

She’s probably embarrassed to admit that she’s been secretly accumulating knowledge.

Besides, she probably isn’t sure if I really know something.

“That’s···”

I spoke for the hesitant princess.

“Are you referring to the fact that you possess knowledge comparable to a sage and could govern the country right away?”

“Yes! That’s exactly it!”

“It’s a secret.”

I couldn’t reveal my Druid skills, so I simply skirted around the issue by calling it a secret.

The princess, with her hands on her hips, puffs up her cheeks.

“You’re such a tease. You’re a man of many secrets.”

“Originally, not only women but also men have many secrets. There’s no need to distinguish between the sexes. Just like it doesn’t matter what gender the ruler is.”

Gender is irrelevant when it comes to being a ruler.

Rebecca’s ruby eyes wavered at my subtly 던진 [thrown] opinion.

It was a rather direct remark.

The princess paused for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I had a feeling that Baron Lloyd would be like that, but you are different from other nobles.”

“In what way?”

“Haven’t you noticed? I’ve lived in the palace my whole life and pride myself on having met more people than girls my age. But you are the first person to say that it’s okay for women to be involved in politics.”

She adds.

“You seem like you’ve come from another world. A unique world where women also participate in politics.”

How did she know?

As expected of Princess Rebecca.

Her insight is remarkable, befitting a future sage.

“As you know, I started as an illegitimate child and rose to the position of the head of a branch family. If I had been bound by gender and status, I would have been blocked by a wall and disappeared long ago.”

She listens intently to my words.

She seems to be feeling a lot.

“Limitations clearly exist. The line is different for each person. I won’t make unrealistic statements like ‘You can overcome it if you work hard.’ Rather, it’s important to figure out whether the hardships and adversities I’m facing right now are real limitations or just temporary obstacles.”

Princess Rebecca counters my advice.

“Then let me ask you something. In your opinion, is my current environment an insurmountable wall no matter how hard I try? Or am I just thinking negatively when I could be leaping forward?”

A question filled with pure curiosity.

I gave her a smile.

“If I thought it was impossible, I wouldn’t be here. I accepted the princess’s invitation because I judged that there was a chance of success.”

The princess, having heard my bold answer,

Her gaze towards me deepened.

“You are truly mysterious.”

“I hear that often.”

“You probably know better than anyone else what the situation is.”

“Of course. The pro-imperial nobles have taken over the royal family and the entire capital. Even Duke Arnold has defected, hasn’t he?”

“That’s right. It’s not something I can do alone. Even if you join me, it’s the same. Defeat is a foregone conclusion. But······”

Princess Rebecca trails off.

“Why do I believe your absurd boasts? Even though the situation is desperate.”

After hearing those words, I was convinced that Princess Rebecca was destined to be a ruler.

“Princess, do you know what the most important virtue for a ruler is?”

“Hmm. They should demand a lot.”

“One must master numerous disciplines such as political science, administration, sociology, and anthropology to be considered a proper ruler. But there is something even more important than that.”

“What is it?”

“It’s intuition.”

A ruler often has to make critical decisions in pitch-black darkness where they can’t see an inch ahead.

Moreover, countless lives hang on each and every decision they make.

Princess Rebecca has the intuition to instinctively find the right direction even with insufficient data.

It was the same at the banquet earlier.

Young Master Charlie Hilton presented Princess Rebecca with a rose to properly appeal to her, albeit somewhat abruptly.

A normal woman would have reluctantly accepted the flower due to the atmosphere and encouragement from those around her.

But Princess Rebecca didn’t.

She seemed to take the flower in her hand, but then stopped as if she had realized something.

I had a rough idea from there, but it became clearer after having this conversation.

This woman has a ‘sense’ for things.

A preternatural intuition for finding the right answer.

This is why you can’t ignore the bloodline of royalty.

“From now on, I’m going to tell you an interesting story. You can believe it or not.”

“But I must believe it if I want to protect the royal family and become a ruler, right?”

“You have a good sense as expected.”

The full details of the plan I told Princess Rebecca were as follows:

1. Inform Rebecca that she is a vampire.

2. Awaken her as a vampire.

3. Use the fact that infected vampires are absolutely loyal to their host vampire to infect her political enemies.

Rebecca was shocked and widened her eyes as she listened to my story.

“Is that possible? It’s such a different approach that I can’t believe it even after hearing it. In the first place, I don’t even know if I’m the vampire you’re talking about.”

“It’s not like you have anything to lose anyway. Or would you rather marry Baron Charlie Hilton and let your excellent talents rot forever?”

The princess shook her head vehemently.

“I’ll struggle as much as I can.”

“That’s a good attitude. Then let’s move.”

* * *

The six-horse carriage specially prepared by the royal family quietly glides along the main road.

It was quiet around because it was late at night.

Occasionally, snoring and snorting sounds created a comfortable lullaby.

The carriage stopped at Andre’s mansion.

The door opened and I got off.

Surprisingly, Princess Rebecca, dressed in a black dress, got off next.

Count Hornet, still in the carriage, said to Rebecca.

“Princess, I can’t give you much time. Someone might make a big deal out of it if they see you now.”

“Thank you, Uncle. I won’t forget this favor.”

Rebecca lightly kissed Hornet on the crown of his head.

Hornet’s worried face relaxed a little.

Instead, he gave me a scary look.

“Take good care of the princess. If you touch even a hair on her head···”

“I understand.”

This feels like taking my girlfriend away in front of her future father-in-law.

Maybe it’s just my imagination.

Anyway, I returned to the mansion with Rebecca.

Andre, who opened the door and saw a beautiful woman standing next to me, tilted his head.

“Who is this lady? She seems like a noble young lady.”

“Take a good look. You know her well too.”

“Well? I don’t come to Fontano often. A young lady I would know… Gaaah! Princess!!!”

The shocked Andre automatically prostrated himself.

“No! Princess! How could such a humble person be in such a precious place.”

“That’s not it.”

“I’m sorry! How could such a precious person come to such a humble place?”

“Hehe···I thought you seemed like a fun person at the banquet, and my guess was right. Nice to meet you. I’m Rebecca.”

“Hwaaa!! It’s an honor!!”

Why is he crying?

Well, to someone who has lived in the kingdom their whole life, the country’s princess is like a top celebrity.

Anyway, I calmed Andre down and went out to the backyard.

I asked him to prevent anyone from approaching, and the kind Andre even locked the door tightly.

So, the people in the backyard now were me, Andre, Rebecca, Zion, and Campbell.

Rebecca, Zion, and Campbell were meeting for the first time, so they exchanged greetings.

“Princess? You’re a great beauty. I’m Campbell, a mercenary from the north who just swings a sword.”

As expected of Campbell.

He greets her casually without bending even in front of the princess.

This guy only slightly changes his tone to commoners, the poor, nobles, or royalty, but his attitude is always the same.

That’s Campbell’s charm.

“I’m Zion. I’ve been serving Young Master since I was young, and I’m still serving him in his innermost circle.”

What’s surprising is Zion’s attitude.

His expressionless face was quite stiff.

He was polite, but only to that extent.

Is it because he’s an assassin?

“Baron Lloyd is so special that his companions are all extraordinary people. Nice to meet you. I’m Rebecca.”

On the other hand, Rebecca greeted them kindly and smoothly diffused the atmosphere.

Should I say she’s befitting of a princess?

Even though she’s been a shut-in for a long time, I don’t have to worry about her dealing with people at this level.

Now that everyone has gathered, it’s time to get to the main point.

Before that, I have to get a secret oath.

Zion and Campbell are trustworthy, so I’ll skip them.

Princess Rebecca is also involved, so I’ll skip her too.

That leaves Andre.

“Andre, everything that happens in this place from now on must be taken to the grave. Can you do that?”

Andre is basically from a noble family and even applied to be a candidate for the princess’s husband, so he’s not completely clueless.

The princess secretly came to his mansion, so he must feel something.

“Of course.”

“Are you really sure? Last time I saw you in the carriage, you were spilling all sorts of secrets to me.”

“That’s because you saved my life, Baron. I wanted to be of some help. I’m usually tight-lipped!”

“Hmm···”

As I stroked my chin and looked down at him with a suspicious look, Andre stomped his feet.

“Should I take off my pants here? What can I do to make you believe me?”

“It’s okay. What would I do with that hideous thing? Anyway, if you leak the secret, I’ll just wipe out the DuPont barony.”

“Don’t say scary things even as a joke.”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

I was serious.

With my current power, it’s not a big deal to wipe out a small to medium-sized barony from the map.

Andre, noticing my serious attitude, swallowed hard and nodded.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Good. Then let’s begin.”

I revealed to the group that Princess Rebecca was a vampire.

Zion and Campbell had searched the royal library for information about vampires until they were sick of it, so they immediately understood and explained it to Andre.

The princess also knew what a vampire was because she had read so many books.

However, everyone had a doubtful expression about Princess Rebecca being a vampire.

“It’s hard to believe. Is the princess really that mutant species?”

“She is. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m also curious. What aspects of me make you so sure that I’m a vampire?”

“Haven’t you hated sunlight since you were young? You always enjoyed night walks.”

“That’s true, but···other young ladies are the same. They hate sunlight because it tans their skin.”

I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t obtained the information in advance before coming to the Arnia continent.

As such, it was not easy to explain.

Seeing is believing, so I decided to show her what it was like for her to awaken as a vampire.

“Princess, have you ever seen the blood of a human other than yourself while living?”

The princess, putting her finger to her chin and thinking carefully, shook her head.

“I don’t think so.”

“Amazing. You’ve never seen blood in your life. Is that what it’s like to be royalty?”

The awakening of a vampire begins when a vampire feels tempted by the blood of a human.

Records found in the library also showed that women were overwhelmingly more likely to survive as vampires than men, and people of higher status were more likely to survive than those of lower status.

This was because men had more opportunities to see injured people from a young age while doing outdoor activities, and the lower the status, the more likely they were to see blood while doing hard work.

In the process of awakening, a state of frenzy in which one loses their ego comes, so most vampires could not even awaken and were treated as crazy lunatics and died.

In this respect, Princess Rebecca was quite lucky.

A maid next to her took care of all the trivial things necessary for her life.

Even since puberty, she had been cooped up in her room, so it was not an environment where she could see the blood of others even if she wanted to.

So, even at the rather late age of 17, she had not awakened as a vampire and had been hiding her identity well.

Princess Rebecca, who listened carefully to this, said gravely.

“In short, if someone here sheds blood and I feel tempted by it, it will be proven that I am a vampire.”

“That’s right. Today, we plan to awaken the princess as a vampire.”

“What if I lose my mind and attack someone? That’s a little scary. I’m also worried that you might get hurt.”

Zion and Campbell, hearing Princess Rebecca’s words, smiled slightly as if she were cute.

“You don’t have to worry. The people here are not people who will get hurt if someone attacks them.”

“Hey? I can get hurt?”

“I’ll protect Young Master DuPont.”

It was finally time to start the experiment.

I was chosen to shed blood.

The reason was simple.

Because I’m the strongest.

Above all, I believed that I wouldn’t turn into a vampire because I was already a druid, since infection begins the moment a vampire sucks blood.

“Then let’s do it.”

I drew the Demonic Sword and slashed my forearm.

Red blood quickly covered one side of my arm and dripped to the ground.

Zion shouted in surprise.

“Young Master! You cut too deep.”

“It’s okay. It’s me.”

[Passive skill activated]

[Tenacious vitality is activated.]

[Health recovery is increased.]

I have something to believe in.

What’s important now is not me.

Princess Rebecca’s reaction.

I watched her carefully.

“I’ve never seen someone else’s blood this close before. It’s very vivid and amazing.”

There was nothing particularly unusual.

Did I guess wrong?

Everyone was wondering when.

Rebecca’s monologue continued.

“But what should I say···it seems a little fragrant···it looks delicious···slurp···”

It’s not a mistake.

Princess Rebecca was smacking her lips while looking at my bleeding forearm.

The red aura in her beautiful ruby eyes deepened, and the energy she exuded was completely different.

“Whew! The vice-captain was right?”

Campbell whistled and drew his bastard sword, and

“Young Master DuPont, stay close behind me.”

Zion also held two daggers in reverse grip and blocked Andre’s side.

Andre also trembled but fixed his gaze on Princess Rebecca.

“Baron Lloyd, you have clean blood. The refreshing scent makes me feel good···hohoho···”

“Come and take it if you want.”

“No. I’m not a monster that eats blood.”

Does she still have reason left?

If so, there’s no choice.

I have no choice but to forcibly awaken her.

I swung my forearm and splattered blood.

Splash!!!

Red blood splattered everywhere.

Some of it splattered on Princess Rebecca’s face.

The sight of bright red blood on her white skin created a ghastly spectacle.

“Hiccup!”

Princess Rebecca, who had been enduring with superhuman patience, was surprised and hiccuped as soon as the blood splattered next to her.

Reflexively, she stuck out her tongue and tasted my blood.

The moment the blood seeped into her tongue, a red light burst out and spread in all directions.

“Hehehehehehe!!!!”

The princess let out a chilling laugh.

Her facial contours were distorted.

She was quite different from the kind and benevolent her.

Rebecca, who was tearing at her hair, muttered in a trembling voice.

“I tried my best···this is your fault, Baron.”

“I know. I wanted you to show this side of you. That’s your true self. Face your essence.”

“I can’t take it anymore.”

“Come as much as you want. I’m ready.”

The last rein was released.

Princess Rebecca roars.

“Kyaaaaaaaaak!!!”

Her figure blurs.

The Alpha Vampire rushes towards me.

It was truly tremendous speed.