Chapter 263: The Daughter of the Navy Barony 3

Under mild, pleasant skies, the crown prince's retinue departed the Navy Monastery and arrived at Baron Navy's manor. Though far more grandly constructed than the humble dwellings of the common villagers, it naturally paled in quality compared to estates like the Clark or Ealdred ducal residences. As the daughter of a baron, Emilia had naturally never set foot inside a ducal manor, but she had recently witnessed the solemn majesty of the royal palace firsthand.

"Um, please forgive our modest accommodations... It really is nothing grand..." Emilia stammered with an apologetic duck of her head.

"Not at all. If anything, we should apologize for intruding on you so unannounced," Riley replied gently.

Riley's gentle reassurance brought a relieved smile to Emilia's lips, her initial stiffness visibly easing.

It seemed the baron had yet to return, for there was no sign of presence within the estate. The parlor facing the shade felt slightly chilly, prompting Emilia to hurriedly instruct a maid to kindle the hearth.

Riley and Clyde cast curious glances around the room, taking care not to appear discourteous. Perhaps owing to the baron's lack of interest in flashy ostentation, the parlor was tastefully arranged with only a handful of modest, unpretentious furnishings. The sofa they were offered was comparable in quality to the one at the Navy Monastery, yet it was clearly well maintained and cared for. Liliana had actually visited the manor once before, though not even Emilia was aware of that fact.

Liliana surveyed the room with feigned hesitation, masking her genuine interest. When she had visited previously, her attention had been entirely focused on the exchange between Baron Navy and Angus Calvert, making this her first real chance to properly observe the parlor's finer appointments.

"Tell me, Annie moved here from the town of Senf, didn't she? Would you mind bringing her here?" Emilia asked.

"You mean Annie, my Lady?" the maid inquired.

After having the maid serve tea, Emilia beckoned the young woman closer and whispered instructions to summon someone. The maid blinked in surprise, but Emilia merely offered a calm, reassuring nod. Unable to hide her astonishment, the maid left the room with wide eyes and an open mouth. Her comical expression brought a sense of lighthearted ease to the room.

"—Quite a charming person," Clyde murmured after a pause.

It was Clyde who spoke up a moment after the maid who had served the tea and pastries slipped out of the parlor. Blushing self-consciously, Emilia gave a sheepish shrug.

"I-I am so sorry! As you can see, our barony isn't grand by any means... It really hasn't changed much since the days when it was just a tiny village," Emilia explained flusteredly.

"If I recall correctly, before becoming a barony, this territory was part of the Calvert Margraviate, and your father served as its overseer?" Clyde asked.

"Yes, that's right," she confirmed.

Emilia nodded clearly in response to Clyde's words.

Everyone present was well aware that Emilia's father, Baron Navy, had originally been an overseer of peasant birth. His diligent work ethic had caught the eye of Margrave Calvert, and upon taking a wife distantly related by blood to the margrave, he was subsequently elevated to the rank of baron.

"My father never desired a peerage, but... he was told that having a title would be far better for my mother if they were to marry, so he accepted the barony," Emilia shared.

Both Riley and Clyde widened their eyes in mild surprise. For the others gathered here, this was completely new information. Liliana, however, was already well aware of it.

Emilia's parents had married for love. Her mother, a distant relative of Margrave Calvert, had fallen in love at first sight with her father when he was an overseer. However, her mother had always been frail of health. Even as an overseer, he was still ultimately a peasant. Had she been widowed early, it was easy to foresee that she would not have survived long without support. For that reason, Margrave Calvert had persuaded Emilia's father, convincing him to accept the peerage as a prerequisite for marrying her.

If her husband possessed a peerage and a domain, she would be entitled to inherit one-third of his estate as a widow.

Though her mother had ultimately passed away while Emilia was still young, her father had attained his present station entirely for the sake of his wife.

As Emilia haltingly recounted how her parents met in response to their inquiries, she showed a shyness befitting her age. Given her naturally charming features, the way she blushed—eyes sparkling all the while—was undeniably endearing. Liliana casually shifted her gaze toward Clyde and Riley. While Riley maintained his usual placid smile, making his inner thoughts difficult to discern, the air surrounding Clyde seemed noticeably gentler.

(I suppose nothing less was to be expected of a capture target and the heroine.)

Glancing over, Liliana noticed that the royal knights, Austin included, were looking on with warm, affectionate expressions.

A genuine, straightforward personality was almost universally adored—a virtue Liliana privately acknowledged she herself lacked, feeling a faint chill of detachment.

"Excuse me, My Lady," a voice called out.

Before long, the maid whom Emilia had sent to fetch the woman named Annie returned. When the maid requested permission to enter, Emilia glanced at Riley for confirmation before answering at once.

"Come in," Emilia bade.

"Yes, My Lady," the maid replied.

Entering the room with palpable nervousness were the young maid and a youthful-looking woman. Yet judging by the woman's attire and hairstyle, she had clearly reached a mature age.

Annie tilted her head in bewilderment as she took in the gathered company. Being a commoner, she had no way of recognizing the face of her kingdom's crown prince. Having never sat in the company of nobility before, she was completely incapable of discerning from the atmosphere alone that the guests before her were individuals of exalted noble rank.

"Annie, could you come over here? There's something I would like to ask you," Emilia called gently.

Emilia was unable to conceal her own tension as well.

While the primary purpose of Riley and his retinue's visit to the Navy Barony was an inspection tour, another reason was a request from Clyde. Specifically, it was to meet with this woman named Annie. Having no reason to refuse, Emilia had gladly consented. However, Emilia herself was entirely unaccustomed to interacting with high-ranking nobles. The sole exception was Margrave Calvert, but having first known Beverly not as a margrave but simply as her late mother's close friend, there had never been any cause for nervousness.

"Milady? Of course, I'd be happy to answer if I can... What might it be?" Annie asked hesitantly.

"Emilia, wouldn't it be better to introduce them first?" Angus suggested.

The one who spoke up was Angus, who had thus far remained an onlooker to let Emilia take the lead. Annie seemed to recognize Angus, her face brightening as she offered a polite bow. Angus returned the gesture with a kind nod.

Emilia, on the other hand, blurted out in a panic, "Oh, of course!" In her nervous state, various courtesies had evidently slipped her mind. Realizing that such an outburst was unbecoming of a young lady in the presence of high nobility, she promptly covered her mouth with both hands. Blushing furiously, she bowed her head toward Riley and the others.

"P-Please forgive me..." she stammered.

"Think nothing of it. I would hardly take offense over something like that," Riley said reassuringly.

Hearing Riley's comforting words, Emilia accepted them at face value, visibly relaxing. As her expression softened, an innocent, youthful charm emerged—a charm all the more endearing because she remained utterly oblivious to it.

"Thank you very much," she said.

Her sincere gratitude, unvarnished by grandiose formalities, undeniably captured the hearts of everyone in the room. Only Liliana looked on with cool, detached composure.

Amid the mild atmosphere, Emilia cleared her throat and put on a serious demeanor.

"This is Annie, who moved here from the town of Senf. Annie, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, his fiancée Lady Liliana, and His Grace Duke Clark. You already know Lord Angus, of course," Emilia introduced.

The moment Emilia finished the introductions, all color drained from Annie's face. Turning stark white, she looked ready to collapse on the spot. In fact, she swayed visibly, but Angus, having anticipated this, sprang up instantly to steady her. Even so, Annie remained utterly stupefied, completely beside herself with shock. Seeing that she could no longer support her own weight, Angus gently guided her to sit beside Emilia.

That done, Angus directed an exasperated look at the youthful crown prince and duke.

"—This is why I told you it would have been better to leave this to me instead of handling it yourselves," Angus sighed.

"Come now, I doubt a commoner sees much difference between a margrave's heir and a duke," Riley countered.

Angus wore an expression that practically screamed I told you so, prompting Riley to interject. To be sure, whether one was a margrave or a duke, to a commoner they were all simply "exalted lords." In that respect, Riley's point was reasonable enough, but Angus merely shook his head with an exasperated look.

"I may be a margrave's heir, but I'm a familiar face to them. I've visited this domain countless times. To the people here, I'm simply the 'young master,'" Angus explained.

Just as Emilia was their "young lady," Angus was the "young master of the Calvert Margraviate." While the people recognized he was of an incomparably higher station than themselves, there was still a sense of familiarity.

Riley, Clyde, and Liliana, however, were an entirely different matter. With no familiarity whatsoever, they belonged to a realm entirely divorced from the commoners' daily lives. It was only natural for someone like Annie to fear she might be executed on the spot for the slightest discourtesy.

"—I see. Perhaps I ought to make more of an effort to publicize myself as an approachable crown prince," Riley mused aloud.

"Your Highness, pandering excessively to the populace will bring ruin upon the kingdom," Clyde warned.

It was Clyde who responded to Riley's soliloquy.

While it was certainly possible for a crown prince to be beloved by the common people, one misstep could easily invite the scorn of the nobility. Should that happen, the foundation of his standing as heir to the throne could be severely undermined. Concerned by that danger, Clyde offered his candid counsel as a trusted aide, but Riley merely offered a smile and shook his head lightly.

"I have a fair idea of what you're thinking, but what I mean is that we must govern from the perspective of the people, creating an environment where they feel they can live in peace under their crown prince," Riley explained.

"Indeed. If that is your intention, it is an endeavor we ought to undertake without delay," Clyde agreed with a nod.

In truth, the legislative proposals Riley had submitted to the Advisory Council thus far had almost all been designed for the benefit of the common people. While not all had passed, a substantial number had been adopted into law. The high nobility was well aware of these achievements, yet word had never spread among the general populace. There had been attempts to publicize them, but perhaps because those involved were youths like Clyde and Austin, things had not gone as planned. Even so, the one fact they had managed to uncover was that their efforts were likely being obstructed by nobles of the Grand Duke's Faction.

Clyde was naturally privy to those investigative findings, allowing him to perceive the unspoken meaning behind Riley's words. Liliana was no exception, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

As the hushed conversation continued, Annie finally began to regain her composure after a short while. Though her complexion remained pale, her senses had clearly returned.

"Ah, u-um... I am so terribly sorry!" she apologized with a deep bow.

It was Clyde who answered Annie as she bowed deeply. Forming a gentle smile—though not quite as warm as Riley's—he addressed her in a slightly formal tone.

"We must apologize for startling you. It is nothing to be alarmed about. I believe you are acquainted with a man named Eckhart," Clyde stated.

Eckhart—the instant Clyde uttered that name, Annie's round eyes flew wide open, as though they might spill right out of their sockets.

—-

Toc