The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 109

After the funeral of Rodney Antet Clarke, Liliana employed teleportation magic numerous times to search the various Clarke family estates. However, she found no significant leads regarding her grandfather’s death, and the days passed without any progress. Eventually, the time came for Prince Roland and his entourage from the neighboring country to embark on their visit, and Liliana, accompanied by Marianne, Gild, and Olga, headed towards the capital.

The capital was more bustling than usual. It wasn't only the nobles attending the ceremony to welcome Prince Roland and Princess Edith from the Yunatian Empire. Merchants from the provinces who hoped to profit from the event, travelers who had come from afar just to catch a glimpse, and mercenaries seeking work had all gathered, making even the usually quiet areas crowded.

"It's amazing how many people there are. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a crowd in the capital before," Marianne exclaimed in amazement from inside the carriage. Liliana nodded in agreement.

The delegation from the Yunatian Empire visiting the Slibegrad Kingdom was exceptionally large. While Prince Roland was the central figure, Princess Edith's personal guards and attendants were also numerous. Although the Slibegrad Kingdom had offered to provide support staff, it was decided that everything would be brought from the Yunatian Empire, considering Princess Edith's preferences. On the other hand, Prince Roland appeared less concerned about such details, and his entourage was minimal.

The news of Princess Edith's participation had come very recently, causing all related parties to work tirelessly day and night to make arrangements. Riley and Clyde did not seem excessively busy, but their fatigue was apparent. Although Liliana was not directly involved, she could easily see the enormity of the task from the sidelines.

"Young lady, since you have some free time after arriving today, what would you like to do? It seems there are even shops open that are usually closed. Would you like to go shopping?"

Liliana tilted her head slightly in response to Marianne’s question. She had no strong desire for clothing or jewelry. While she might be interested in foreign books if available, she wasn’t inclined to search for rare finds in a crowded place.

Instead, she felt a strong urge to once again inspect the capital's residence where she would be staying after a long absence. Her father, Duke Clarke, was occupied with his duties and the additional work related to Prince Roland's visit, so he rarely returned to the Duke’s residence. It might be possible to investigate the residence while he was away.

No, that’s fine.

Liliana shook her head and wrote on a piece of paper, <You may go shopping if you wish> Marianne nodded, but it seemed she had no intention of leaving Liliana behind.

*****

The day after arriving in the capital, Liliana went to the royal palace. A ceremony to celebrate the arrival of Prince Roland and Princess Edith was scheduled, where nobles from various regions would gather. Due to the number of guests, only the heads of noble houses and their spouses were invited, but Liliana had been requested by Riley to attend as one of the candidates for the crown prince's fiancée.

(In a game scenario, Liliana would already be Riley's fiancée, making her attendance at the ceremony quite normal. However, Liliana was still just one of the candidates. Moreover, being unable to speak meant she couldn’t converse with Prince Roland and Princess Edith. It was hard to argue that she was an appropriate choice for hosting duties. Furthermore, it seemed that other candidates were not invited. When Liliana learned this, she initially refused, stating that favoring one candidate over the others was inappropriate. However, Riley remained adamant, his smile unwavering as he insisted.)

"Even so, I want you to be there. You're attending the ceremony as a member of the Clarke family, so it's not that different."

(Although Liliana felt this reasoning wasn't entirely accurate, she ultimately succumbed to it. Recently, she had noticed Riley’s increasing insistence, and it didn’t seem to be her imagination.)

“If I can just endure for another six months or so, I’ll be removed from the list of candidates. For now, I should aim to maintain decorum at the ceremony and leave the impression that I won’t be able to fulfill the role of a suitable crown princess in diplomatic matters,” Liliana mused, re-experiencing the bitter feeling she had often felt.

(There was a secret agreement between the king and Duke Clarke that Liliana would be removed from the list of candidates if she did not speak by the age of ten. However, if Liliana attended the ceremony as the only candidate for the crown prince while the Yunatian Empire’s prince was visiting, it might undermine the agreement's execution. Once the external pressure was applied, escaping from it would be difficult. Therefore, Liliana thought of using this situation to her advantage. It was out of the question to act in a manner that would be deemed disrespectful to the Yunatian Empire, but aiming for a barely acceptable performance could instill some uncertainty among domestic nobles. It was a dangerous gamble, but it was the only option she saw.)

(I wonder if Father opposed this) she thought, or perhaps he didn’t know. She couldn’t imagine her father, who was usually aware of the crown prince’s activities, missing this due to his busyness.

Upon arriving at the royal palace, one of the crown prince’s guards came to escort Liliana. It seemed she was to head directly to Riley. Liliana followed the guard quietly. They arrived at Riley’s office, where, after the guard announced them and received permission, Liliana entered to find Riley, Austin, and Clyde present. The room had a soundproof barrier, indicating they had been discussing something confidential.

"Hello. You’ve arrived, Liliana," Riley greeted her with a smile. Liliana curtsied as a lady would and, when prompted, took a seat on the sofa, puzzled by Austin’s presence. He had recently been assigned to the Royal Knights’ Second Squad. Initially, this squad was not planned to be involved in the escort duties, but with Princess Edith’s arrival, they were suddenly included. Therefore, Austin should not have had time to be in Riley’s office.

(Noticing Liliana’s gaze, Austin grinned and explained,) "My main job is to escort during inspections, so I still have some free time now."

Liliana nodded in understanding. Prince Roland and Princess Edith were scheduled to participate in the welcoming ceremony, followed by a fair for local specialties, a martial arts tournament, and a conferment of titles. Afterward, Princess Edith would return home, and Prince Roland would visit various places in the Slibegrad Kingdom. Austin’s main duty was to accompany Prince Roland during the inspections, with the capital’s escort duties being a secondary responsibility.

"Additionally, the entire Second Squad is set to participate in the martial arts tournament’s magic swordsmanship category, so they won’t be able to handle the escort duties during the tournament," Clyde added as a supplement.

<The martial arts tournament is said to have quite a number of participants. It seems it will be quite lively> 

Liliana wrote on a piece of paper. When alone with Riley, they used a bracelet to communicate, but with others present, she had developed the habit of writing her words down. Although she preferred to remain silent to avoid confirming her unsuitability as a fiancée candidate, increasing conversation frequency made it difficult to stick to that decision.

Riley read the written words quickly and smiled. "Yes, that’s correct. Although it was unexpected that we had to hold preliminary rounds because of that.”

When the outline of the martial arts tournament was announced, not only the members of the knights' orders but also the nobles who governed territories—particularly those struggling with financial management—expressed their joy at the announcement of the prizes. They took the news back to their territories, and the topic spread to the knights in each region and even to mercenaries. As a result, the number of applicants for the tournament greatly exceeded initial expectations, necessitating the hurried organization of preliminary rounds.

While the knights belonging to the territorial orders were managed through regional selection processes, mercenaries and other hopeful participants required preliminary rounds to be held in the capital. Liliana had heard that Riley was in charge of these arrangements.

Previously, Riley had struggled to be entrusted with important tasks and had even been frustrated by his lack of access to information. However, recently, he seemed to be taking a leading role in several administrative matters, with the conferment of titles being a prime example. Riley appeared to feel a sense of gratitude towards Liliana for suggesting the “patent” system, which had become a catalyst for gaining recognition from influential nobles. For Liliana, however, it was nothing more than an unwelcome complication. While she was willing to contribute knowledge and wisdom if it benefited the people, she had no desire to become Riley’s official fiancée. The position of the crown prince's fiancée was synonymous with the first step towards her own ruin.

<So, Riley-sama, may I ask why you have summoned me to your office today?> Liliana asked, regaining her composure.

Originally, Liliana was expected to meet Riley at the ceremony. Considering the busy preparations before the event, she had not anticipated being summoned to the office in advance.

Upon hearing Liliana’s question, the three men in the room, excluding Liliana, displayed entirely different reactions. Riley deepened his smile, Austin’s lips curled into an amused grin, and Clyde wore an expression that was both bitter and somewhat resigned. It was Riley who answered Liliana’s query.

“Of course. With Prince Roland visiting at this timing, I want to lay out some policies. I wanted to convey that to you, which is why I had you come here.”

Policies? Liliana tilted her head, wondering what kind of policies they could be. Riley met her gaze directly and, with a smile, said, “First, let me discuss some prerequisites.”

“Firstly, regarding the recent power dynamics within the palace. The power of the three great duke houses is strong. It’s essentially a rivalry between the Ealdred and Clarke dukedoms. The Rocald dukedom doesn’t come into play on the public stage, so it can be excluded from consideration. When Baron Kennys emerged, it briefly seemed like there might be three major factions, but since the baron’s son took over, we’ve returned to the two major powers.”

Liliana nodded. If Baron Kennys had not fallen victim to the assassin—Obsidian’s poison—the three major factions might still be in play. Although no one was aware, Liliana had already understood the content of Riley’s statement. She had not released Curse magic mice to Obsidian for nothing. However, she felt no need to interrupt and silently encouraged him to continue.

“Then there’s Austin. He’s now part of the Second Squad, but many people know he had expressed a desire to be one of my personal guards for a long time. That’s partly why most nobles believe the Earldred dukedom is backing the crown prince.”

Interpreting the words with a critical eye, it could be taken to mean that the Ealdred dukedom itself did not support Riley. However, the truth was different. The dukedom, along with Baron Kennys, had already clearly indicated its stance that Riley should be the next king.

“And then there’s Clyde. It is widely known that I have been close friends with Clyde. The difference from Austin is the attitude of the Clarke dukedom. Most nobles are not sure whether the Clarke dukedom itself supports me. Some even doubt it.”

The reason for this was clear. Rumors were circulating that Duke Clarke was trying to remove his daughter Liliana from the list of candidates for the crown prince's fiancée. Although the duke himself had not explicitly confirmed the existence of the secret agreement, he had not actively worked to secure his daughter’s position as the crown prince’s consort.

In the past year, there had been increasing voices calling for a decision to be made among the candidates for the crown prince’s fiancée. With the king’s condition fluctuating, the country could descend into chaos if the crown prince’s consort was not decided soon. Liliana and Miss Malvina Tanner, the daughter of the Marquis of Tanner, were considered the leading candidates. While Liliana was overwhelmingly suited in terms of qualities and abilities, the flaw of her inability to speak was well known. Concerns about her social and diplomatic skills had led to many supporting the Marquis Tanner’s daughter as the next option. Among those advocating for Miss Tanner as the crown prince’s consort were nobles who found Duke Clarke bothersome. To them, the Tanner family posed no threat to their power. After all, while the next heir was a promising young man, the current head of the Tanner family showed no interest in power. There were also some nobles who argued that a foreign princess should be chosen as the crown prince’s consort.

“But that would be problematic. If I am removed from being the next king, the throne would pass to my uncle, Duke Franklin Slibegrad. Frankly, that would not be beneficial for the country.”

It was an unspoken and widely recognized fact that Duke Franklin lacked the qualities necessary to be a king. Liliana knew this from the information she had. Though he was a duke, actual governance was handled by an elderly steward who had served for a long time. Someone who could not even properly manage his own territory could not possibly govern the country. It was clear that the nation would deteriorate rapidly.

“That’s why I need a reliable backing.”

Riley said that merely having the support of the Ealdred dukedom was insufficient. It was an open secret that the Ealdred and Clarke dukedoms were in conflict. Riley smiled as he stated that no one who could not settle the antagonism—particularly Duke Clarke’s hostility towards Duke Ealdred—would be able to become king.

Liliana barely managed to suppress a grimace that threatened to appear at her lips. She began to sense what Riley was implying, though she was reluctant to accept it. Ideally, she wanted to leave the room immediately and return to her estate near the capital. However, she was already standing before Riley.

“The support of the Tanner marquis family is not enough. The marquis is—unlike his son—a mild-mannered individual. If there is a change of generations, it is clear he will be involved in politics in a bothersome manner. What I need is the backing of the three great dukedoms. At the very least, I want to make it appear that way to the majority of the nobility.”

However, Riley could not gain the support of all three great dukedoms. He could not make contact with the Rocald dukedom, known as the shield of the kingdom. Therefore, he needed evidence of support from the remaining two dukedoms. Even if Duke Clarke did not actually recognize Riley as the next king, it would be sufficient if he could make the surrounding nobility believe otherwise.

“Moreover, after talking to many young ladies, I found that, with one exception, no one clearly expressed their opinions or engaged in constructive political discussions. There are many other considerations beyond just gaining support.”

Though it had not been explicitly stated, Liliana was certain that her premonitions were correct. It was the worst possible outcome for her, yet Riley maintained his cheerful demeanor. Perhaps Riley was aware that Liliana did not want to become the crown prince’s consort. If he did not, there would be no reason to state this just before the ceremony—at a time when Liliana could not escape.

“I want you to become my fiancée.”

In less than six months, Liliana would celebrate her tenth birthday. If nothing changed, she would be removed from the list of candidates due to the secret agreement.

Thus, Riley had come up with the idea of establishing a fait accompli before that could happen. If the public believed Liliana to be his official fiancée, it would be difficult to remove her from the list of candidates, even with a secret agreement in place. The upcoming ceremony would be attended not only by the nobility of the Slibegrad Kingdom but also by a prince from a neighboring country. In front of them, Riley would treat Liliana as his formal fiancée. Even if she were only a candidate in name, if Riley could make it seem as though she were effectively his fiancée, it would be easier to convince the nobles and secure the king’s endorsement. The king was particularly supportive of the engagement between Liliana and Riley.

—The inventor of the patent system was Liliana, and the first recipient was someone from the Clarke dukedom.

This was merely a pretext to persuade Liliana to attend the ceremony. Initially, Liliana had been doubtful, but upon hearing that Clyde would also be attending, she did not deepen her suspicions. Even if asked to participate in the ceremony, she did not increase her vigilance upon learning that Clyde would be there.

(I underestimated the situation too much.)

Liliana inwardly chided herself. Unable to say anything, she was frozen in place. Riley, not diverting his gaze from her, pressed on with his cheerful expression.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on, my fiancée.”

With a calm yet decisive tone, Liliana could only manage a strained smile.

—-

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