Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 110

110. Childhood Friend – The Non-believer

The Marquis asked excitedly, "What ingenious plan do you have?"

"It's difficult to explain right now, but I will inform you later. It won't be disappointing."

"Understood. You can have an audience with the king as early as tomorrow. I will make the arrangements."

Harvey, the Marquis of Guidan, smiled brightly, showing his firm trust in Rev. Rev returned a bright smile and concluded their conversation.

The Marquis then called the butler and instructed, "Prepare the best room for our guest... No, the third room on the east side."

He didn't use any honorifics, as Rev had asked to be treated merely as a visitor for the time being.

"Please follow me," said the surprised butler, guiding Rev, who followed in deep thought.

'Let's gather the noble forces after adopting Lena as a princess.'

In the Conrad Kingdom, the king who needed to be enchanted was bedridden, and Eric, a disciple of Oriax, was a prince, so it was out of the question. The Frederic Royal Family of the Holy Kingdom was tightly bound by the laws of the Cross Church, so even if he enchanted the king, they would need the church's permission. The procedures would be cumbersome, and using the power of Ashin right in front of the Cross Church was risky.

The remaining kingdom nearby was the Bellita Kingdom, but no kingdom was as sensitive to legitimacy as Bellita. It claimed to inherit the history of the Arcaea Empire, having taken over Orville, the capital of the empire.

If Lena, a commoner and a foreigner, were made a princess, the nobles and even the citizens of Orville would oppose it.

Excluding these three kingdoms left the northern Kingdoms of Astin & Aster and Aisel, known as the Magic Kingdom, but they were too far and culturally different from the south.

Thus, the Orun Kingdom, where Lena was born, was the best choice to make her a princess.

'It's unusual to establish a commoner as a princess, but making her a foreigner would be problematic even for an enchanted king.'

Of course, even in the Orun Kingdom, there would be opposition to making Lena, a commoner, a princess... but Rev thought of a good plan during his conversation with the Marquis of Guidan.

According to him, there were still many families that hadn't sided with the princes. They were mostly ‘normal’ nobles without daughters to be harassed or those who refused to flatter the princes. Among them were large families like the Guidan and Drazhin families.

If he could provide a focal point for these families to rally around, they would protect Lena for their survival, and Lena would have strong support as a princess. This seemed the best strategy to Rev.

Besides this, there was another method. It was quite simple to make Lena a princess...

He could ask the Marquis of Guidan to adopt Lena as his daughter and marry her to one of the princes instead of Harie.

But that option wasn't even worth considering. Because...

As Rev continued his thoughts, the butler ahead opened a door decorated with jade.

"Here it is. We will ensure you are comfortable. Please call if you need anything. We will also assign a dedicated maid to you."

Rev stepped into the room and admired it with satisfaction. The room the Marquis had given him had good lighting and thick carpets covering every corner.

This was the second time 'Leo' had stayed in a noble's mansion.

The atmosphere here was very different from the last place he had stayed.

The Marquis of Tatian's house had an overall robust and chilly atmosphere.

In contrast, the Marquis of Guidan's house was full of small decorations, and the warm-colored curtains and green walls created a peaceful ambiance.

Moreover, the cheerful servants who chatted brightly added to the tranquility, unlike the stiff-faced servants at the Marquis of Tatian's house who moved silently.

Rev dismissed the butler, roughly stuffed his belongings into the dresser, and called a smiling maid for water, which he drank in large gulps.

By the time he finished his long conversation with Harvey, the Marquis of Guidan, the sunset was casting its glow outside the window.

Rev wiped the water from his mouth with the back of his hand and thought about what lay ahead.

It was an extension of the thoughts he had been having earlier.

‘I can't marry Lena off to those scoundrels. It's better for her to be adopted as a princess. As for the princes, I'll take care of them myself... Yes. I have a debt to settle with those bastards.’

The scumbags who used Lena as a pawn in their dirty politics! He hadn't had the power to even think of revenge until now, but it was different this time. He would never, ever forgive them.

Lying on the soft bed, he vowed revenge to the ceiling. His red eyes, burning with determination, and the sunset outside turned the greenish, spacious room entirely red.

The sunset reflected on the fluttering curtains seemed to sketch a trumpet pattern by chance.

The next day, the Marquis of Guidan sent a messenger to request an audience with the king and headed to the Nevis church to inform his daughter to return.

This was something he could have done by sending someone to deliver the message, but he decided to go in person. It would be easier to communicate with his daughter while talking near the priest in charge of communications.

However, the Marquis’s face was twisted with emotion as he walked into the churChapter His expression, looking like he might cry while clenching his teeth, also seemed to show anger.

He strode with large steps, and those who recognized the Marquis in the church discreetly avoided him.

Meanwhile, Rev stayed at the mansion with nothing to do and suddenly realized that the room assigned to him wasn't just a guest room.

There were traces of life everywhere. Books were scattered around the room, and a well-worn Nenato (a waist-high, cylindrical percussion instrument resembling a djembe) was carefully placed in a corner.

Judging by the slightly small size of the instrument and the roughly handled books, the room's previous occupant must have been a young boy.

When he asked the maid, she said this room had belonged to Harvey Guidan's son, 'Havny Guidan.' Harie Guidan’s younger brother and the heir to the Guidan family had died five years ago.

The Marquis had given his son's room to Rev, who was of a similar age had his son lived.

"By the way, where is the Marquis's wife? I haven't had the chance to greet her yet."

When he asked, the maid's expression stiffened a bit. The exaggerated smile she usually wore disappeared.

"...The lady is at the mansion in the Guidan estate. It would be difficult to greet her... I'm afraid."

It was a peculiar addition.

Her tone implied that even if the Marquis's wife were here, Rev wouldn't have been able to greet her.

Rev, sensitive to every word thanks to his [Noble Society] information, asked,

"Why is that?"

The maid hesitated. It wasn't that she couldn't speak but seemed uncomfortable about it, so Rev enchanted her.

Only then did the maid speak.

"It's because of what happened five years ago. It was a sunny day when the young master was riding a white pony..."

+ + +

"Giddy up!"

A boy with eyes unusually mature for his age spurred his pony. But in reality, his brave shout did not involve kicking the horse's belly or pulling the reins, so the little pony trotted leisurely.

Havny Guidan remembered his father's instructions not to pull the reins recklessly.

"Son, the reason a horse, stronger than a person, obediently turns its head when the reins are pulled is somewhat cruel."

"What is it?"

The boy, excited by the sight of a handsome pony, asked with sparkling eyes. He was eager to ride the horse around the mansion's yard.

"Pain."

But his father dampened his son's excitement with a dreadful story.

“The bit in a horse’s mouth presses down harshly on its tongue and gums. The pressure is so intense that it can turn the tongue blue. When you pull the reins, it moves and causes the horse significant pain. That’s why horses turn their heads quickly when they feel the reins being pulled.”

The boy’s face, which had been bright as he petted the white pony, turned pale. The pony had a bit in its mouth, and his left hand held the reins.

“So remember, always apply consistent pressure to the reins, and when you need to pull, do it gently and subtly to minimize the horse’s pain.”

“My dear,” the Marquis’s wife interrupted, giving her husband a reproachful look. She kindly took her son’s tense left hand and said, “Your father is right, but don’t take it too deeply to heart. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you’ll appreciate it once you start riding.”

Encouraged by his mother’s comforting words, the boy carefully mounted the pony.

Fortunately, the pony walked on as if nothing had happened, and Havny Guidan exclaimed in admiration.

The elevated view was refreshing.

He looked down at his tall father’s crown, and the second-floor railing of the mansion seemed within reach.

The pony’s steps felt like his own, and the expansive yard beyond the pony’s head seemed small. This must be the world seen by the pony.

Any fear of falling he had while mounting vanished.

He no longer thought about recklessly wielding the reins and driving the pony vigorously.

Except for a single “Giddy up!” he let the pony walk on its own.

‘We have such a curious relationship...’

Havny Guidan felt the reins in his hand were paradoxical.

A tool for causing pain.

But it connected him with the pony. Without it, he wouldn’t have mounted the pony or bonded with it.

Havny finally understood his parents' words.

“Thank you... for letting me ride you.”

He whispered softly, appreciating the pony that endured pain to bond with him. He gently pulled the reins, and the pony turned back to where they started.

His father, mother, and sister sat around a small table in the yard, watching Havny ride.

“Oh my, you’re doing well. It’s hard to believe it’s your first time, my son,” praised the Marquis’s wife. Harvey Guidan, the Marquis, looked at him proudly and gave advice.

“Son, that pony is still young. Riding it for too long will tire it, so you should stop now.”

Following his father’s advice, Havny dismounted carefully and smiled brightly.

“Father, thank you so muChapter I love it. I’ll be with this pony forever!”

“Ha ha, you’re quite the boy...”

Havny enthusiastically shared his first riding experience with his sister, Harie, who hadn’t yet ridden, but a maid interrupted him.

“Just a moment, young master. You need to wipe off your sweat.”

She handed him a wet towel and a dry towel.

The boy quickly wiped his face with the dry towel and used the wet towel to wipe the pony’s neck, asking,

“When will it be fully grown?”

The pony, trained to wear a bit but still not fully grown, was a special pony for the Marquis’s young son.

The Marquis told him it would take another two years for the pony to be fully grown to carry a rider for long periods, and Havny caressed its mane in disappointment.

Riding it for just a short time was the limit... how disappointing.

“How about giving it a blessing? The boy seems so disappointed...” suggested the Marquis’s wife.

Priests could bestow blessings on animals too. However, the effects on animals were unpredictable compared to humans.

Blessings gave humans uniform protection against evil and diseases, but with animals, the effects varied.

Some horses became stronger, some grew faster or gained more endurance, and some showed no effect, making it a gamble for horse traders.

But for a high noble like the Marquis of Guidan, it was no gamble at all.

“Hmm... that’s a good idea. There’s no guarantee it will grow faster, but there’s no harm in trying. Shall we go to the church now and get a blessing?”

“Wow! Really?!”

Havny Guidan jumped for joy, holding his sister’s hand and shaking it excitedly.

Harie Guidan, looking a bit overwhelmed, said,

“Oh, go ahead. I’ll head inside. I’m tired from being in the sun too long.”

The young lady politely excused herself and went inside with a maid. The maid glanced back to see the Marquis, his wife, and Havny Guidan leading the pony out of the mansion.

+ + +

“But then there was an accident. A really unbelievable accident.”

The maid, sitting across from Rev on the terrace overlooking the yard, sighed and continued.

From here, she was recounting a story she had heard from others.

The Marquis asked the Nevis church to bless his son’s pony, and the church, receiving a large donation, did so without hesitation.

Perhaps moved by Havny’s pure joy, the priest gave a stronger blessing than usual, which became a problem.

Startled by the bright light enveloping its body, the young pony kicked the boy standing behind it, filled with excitement.

Tragically, Havny Guidan died on the spot.

“The Marquis was devastated...”

The maid vividly remembered the Marquis screaming upon his return. He cursed and blasphemed against the holy deity and destroyed everything related to the church in the mansion. Consumed by madness and anger, he locked himself in his room.

The room was filled with the sounds of weeping and occasional unmentionable curses and destruction.

The maid struggled to bring meals to the Marquis, who refused to eat or bathe, requiring the help of knights to subdue him.

If the Marquis had been a terrible master, neither the maid nor the knights would have gone through such trouble.

But Harvey Guidan, the Marquis, was always a kind master, and the deceased Havny Guidan was a charming boy who sincerely apologized even when scolded by the maid.

Everyone in the mansion deeply sympathized with the Marquis and did their best for him.

Perhaps because of their efforts, the Marquis finally managed to bury his son in his heart and emerged from his room, looking haggard.

But by then, the Guidan Marquisate was already politically cornered.

Rumors spread that the Marquis had gone mad, blasphemed the holy deity, and his only heir was struck down by divine punishment. These malicious rumors severely tarnished the Guidan family’s reputation.

If the Marquis had taken any longer to recover, he might have lost his position as border lord. Without the secret support of his close friend, Marquis Evni Drazhin, he surely would have lost it.

Harvey Guidan, the Marquis, started working tirelessly to preserve his family, but his wife never recovered.

After months of fainting and waking, she closed off her heart. She stopped speaking and stared blankly, ignoring anyone who approached.

Only her husband and daughter could elicit a reaction from her, but seeing them made her cry and faint. Thus, she was sent to the Guidan estate's mansion under the pretext of convalescence.

“...She stays locked in her room there. It's heartbreaking to see such a once-happy family fall apart like this...”

The maid finished her story with a sigh, unable to hide her pity.

Rev understood why Harvey Guidan became a non-believer.

And why everyone in the mansion tried so hard to keep a bright face... they were caring for their once kind, now broken master.

“Oh! I’m sorry, but I must go. The master has returned.”

The maid, looking down from the terrace, stood up abruptly. Rev turned his head to see the Marquis’s carriage arriving at the front gate.

The Marquis, recognizing Rev on the terrace, spoke up loudly.

“The date for your audience with the king has been set. Let us go to the royal palace together the day after tomorrow.”

The weary eyes of the non-believer, looking up from where his son had first ridden a horse, were filled with deep fatigue.