To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Emmett opened the sealed envelope with a paper knife. He recalled the letter he had sent last time.

[I made good use of the information you provided last time.

However, I’m still hesitant to join hands with Count Hamelsvoort. Although they’ve fallen out of His Majesty the Emperor’s favor, we don’t know when they might betray us.

Is there any way to prepare for such betrayal?]

Decoding his letter, this was roughly the content. And decoding the reply sent by Marquis Arendt, it was as follows:

[My, you have a lot to hide.

Unfortunately, the Hamelsvoort couple has no weaknesses. Despite their looks, they’re really devout people, so it seems they don’t often commit blatantly bad deeds. Still, I’ll look into it more.

By the way, I’m curious on what grounds you trust me.]

Seeing those words, Emmett smirked and began writing a letter. There was a separate reason why he trusted Marquis Arendt and was preparing for rebellion with her. It was…

[I know about your younger sibling.

You seem to care for your sibling.]

Marquis Arendt had a younger sibling with a mental illness. While the Holy Church considered patients as beings who should be properly cared for and helped, their treatment of those with mental illnesses was different. The Holy Church wanted to expel them, saying they were possessed by demons. Other countries criticized this custom of the Holy Hilysid Empire as barbaric and backward, but this practice had not yet disappeared.

After that, the exchange of letters between Emmett and Marquis Arendt continued.

[Alright, let’s stop there. Your ability to gather information isn’t bad either.]

[Well, I was just trying to confirm. How sincere you are about this matter. If something goes wrong, my head could roll too.]

[No one will die.]

[By the way, what’s your reason for helping me?]

[It’s simple.

Although I’m said to be uninterested in how the world works, I don’t want to just watch the country fall apart.

The Arendt Marquis family has traditionally served as the brain of the monarch. However, our family wants a wise Emperor who makes it worthwhile to offer counsel.]

Letters with roughly such content went back and forth. Through exchanging letters with Marquis Arendt, Emmett learned a lot of information and gradually began to understand how to recruit nobles in the capital.

* * *

A banquet held at the imperial palace to commemorate the feast day of a Saintess of the Holy Church. Beautiful melodies adorned the autumn night, but the atmosphere in the banquet hall was like walking on thin ice. Because the recent news of Walter being imprisoned in the imperial palace had spread, everyone was afraid, thinking that a war might break out between the temple and the imperial family.

“By the way, it’s the first time I’ve seen Young Lord Hamelsvoort at a banquet. To come out after experiencing such a thing, his mental strength is amazing.”

“Maybe he’s trying to show the Emperor even more? That Hamelsvoort is still going strong…”

“Shh! I didn’t know he was this handsome…”

“Hoho, that’s true.”

“He studied in the Merna Empire, right? He’s my idol.”

Despite the recent issues with the imperial family, Walter was receiving all the attention from young noble lords and ladies. Everyone looked like they would have rushed to talk to him if it weren’t for the incident with the imperial family. Well, it was natural for Walter, the future head of one of the Five Noble Families, who was knowledgeable and had a beautiful face, to attract people’s attention.

Meanwhile, there was one more person attracting people’s attention. The head of the Schmidt Marquis family, with graying hair, was walking into the banquet hall leaning on a cane.

Although most of the nobles in the banquet hall didn’t even know the face of Marquis Schmidt, when someone said ‘Marquis Schmidt,’ they began to stir. The Schmidt Marquis family rarely came up to the capital, so his arrival undoubtedly meant that something important had happened.

On the other hand, the one who tensed up the most at Marquis Schmidt’s appearance was Emmett.

‘Why is he…’

The Marquis was like a bat. Previously, he seemed to follow the Gracia family more than anyone else, but when the Steinberg family became the imperial family, he clung to the Emperor, flattering him and gaining power. When Emmett was most loyal to the Emperor, he saw Marquis Schmidt sending numerous bribes to the Emperor. The Marquis’s sudden arrival in the capital was undoubtedly due to the Emperor’s orders.

“Duke Lartman.”

He approached Emmett and greeted him with a grinning face.

“It’s been a long time. The first and last time I saw you was when you, as a young man, had just received your title, but now you’ve grown so much.”

“…Yes, it’s been a long time, Marquis.”

“I heard a lot has happened in the meantime. You even got married.”

At those words, Emmett’s expression turned fierce, and Marquis Schmidt laughed as if to soothe him.

“There’s no need to be so tense. Nothing will happen just because I’ve come up to the capital.”

“…What business do you have in the capital?”

“His Majesty the Emperor gave me an order.”

At the words that finally came out of Marquis Schmidt’s mouth, Emmett couldn’t help but stiffen his body in tension.

“He said that the dog he raised has started thinking differently, so I should keep a close eye on it.”

“…”

“Of course, I believe nothing like that will happen.”

Marquis Schmidt extended his hand as if offering a handshake, and Emmett gripped it tightly. Marquis Schmidt frowned at the strong grip he felt.

“I don’t want the Five Noble Families to fight like this. We’ve been in a symbiotic relationship from the past.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes, so I hope Duke Lartman will also refrain from any rash thoughts and stay quiet as before.”

Emmett’s eyes met Walter’s among those watching them. Walter also seemed wary of Marquis Schmidt, his expression hardened. His usual gentle face couldn’t be found.

‘Marquis Schmidt…’

The Emperor had given him a warning. That he now intended to abandon Lartman and keep Schmidt by his side.

But because of this, Emmett had no intention of staying still. Because punishment always followed the Emperor’s warnings.

To escape from the Emperor’s hands, there was only one way.

He had to set up another Emperor and attack him.

* * *

When the servant sent from the imperial palace visited the Hamelsvoort mansion again, the Hamelsvoort knights looked as if they were about to start a war. Even the servants glared at the messenger as if ready to grab kitchen knives if anything went wrong, but the messenger calmly said to the Hamelsvoort couple staring at him:

“An imperial edict from His Majesty for Miss Hildegard Hamelsvoort.”

“What? Hildegard?”

“Me?”

As Hildegard emerged from behind the Hamelsvoort couple in confusion, the messenger placed a piece of paper in her hand. Hildegard’s face fell in dismay as she confirmed its contents. She read the paper’s contents over and over again, but nothing changed.

[As it has been revealed that Hildegard Hamelsvoort, who has been calling herself a ‘Saintess’ all this time, has deceived everyone, Hildegard Hamelsvoort is to appear at the imperial palace for investigation.

—August Steinberg]

“What nonsense is this!”

Countess Hamelsvoort, unable to contain herself any longer, screamed and rushed at the messenger.

“You touched our Walter just recently! Why are you so desperate to destroy our family!”

“Dear, calm down.”

The Count stepped forward in place of Lady Hamelsvoort, who was panting with anger.

“What exactly has Hildegard done wrong? What deception are you talking about?”

The Emperor’s messenger continued without any change in expression.

“Hildegard Hamelsvoort had a past of committing improper acts that made her unfit to be a Saintess, yet she hid that fact. Therefore, His Majesty has decided to hold a hearing for Hildegard Hamelsvoort.”

As the messenger recited even the date, the Count’s eyes became empty. There was nothing to be solved by fighting the messenger here out of frustration. In the end, they were destined to fight the Emperor. Seeing how he touched Walter and Hildegard in turn, it was clear that the Emperor was going to cling to Hamelsvoort.

The Count turned to look at Hildegard with a dispirited face.

“Hilda, how…”

“…I don’t know either.”

Hildegard had felt like she was dreaming since earlier. The Emperor had now targeted her. Once the imperial family had decided, there was no guarantee of safety even for a Saintess. It felt so unreal that she wasn’t even scared or worried.

“D-Don’t worry, Hildegard. The temple won’t let this slide. I’ll contact the temple.”

Count Hamelsvoort was right. The temple would never allow a Saintess to be stripped of her position. But…

“Hildegard, you didn’t do anything improper before coming here, right?”

At those words, Hildegard raised her head with a blank face.

“Count, I lived in the slums for sixteen years.”

“…”

“How could someone who lived that long in the slums only behave nobly?”