Chapter 27

About three months had passed since the Founding Festival… It was a day in August.

I departed Budoubel Castle with my father and entered Turunia Castle.

By then, knights from all across the duchy had already gathered there.

“It’s in your hands now, Roselia. …Not that I have any doubts when it comes to you.”

He told me that the day after our arrival, in the office.

In the war against the Duchy of Cartaria, my father would be leading the army.

And as the co-ruler, I would remain behind to guard Turunia Castle.

That’s how our duties were divided.

Since I’ve always taken care of the country in his absence, there was no anxiety on my part.

“I’m more worried about Blanche than about you… Be sure to keep an eye on her.”

Having just made her social debut, Blanche was tasked with holding down the fort at Budoubel Castle.

It was her first official duty.

Though to be fair, all she really needed to do was stay at Budoubel Castle.

“Yes. I plan to send her letters regularly.”

“Good. …Also, if possible, look out for Anthea.”

“…Alright.”

Seeing my father’s awkward expression, I gave a noncommittal nod.

Apparently, things had been tense between him and my stepmother for a few years now.

The real turning point was likely when I was summoned back from the Grand Duchy of Plumera, though it seems their relationship had already started to sour before that.

I heard this secondhand, but apparently the birth of their third daughter, Rouge, had been extremely difficult—and since then, she’s been unable to bear children, or something along those lines.

In fact, she hasn’t been pregnant, nor has there been any sign she and Father are trying to have more children.

She’s still only in her early thirties.

Still young enough to bear a child—a male heir, at that.

From the standpoint of national stability, a son would certainly be ideal. It feels far too early to give up on that.

I suspect there’s a deeper reason behind it.

Though I have no intention of digging into it.

“Also, be wary of Count Couranbell. …You never know what he might try.”

“Yes. I’m well aware.”

During the previous Founding Festival, it had come to light that Count Couranbell had made contact with the Imperial Family.

And even before that, we had already confirmed that someone likely affiliated with the Empire had been coming and going from Couranbell Castle.

So if we knew all that, why didn’t we do anything about it? Well… simply put, he hasn’t done anything wrong.

The House of Budoudarl may be at odds with the Imperial Family, but we’re not at war.

And besides, the Couranbell family is separate from the Budoudarl family—there’s no obligation for Count Couranbell to share our hostilities.

After all, even the so-called “Late Knight” and “Backache Knight,” who serve under Count Couranbell, have entered into a lord-vassal contract with me, and no one raised any objections.

So it wouldn’t make sense to take issue with Count Couranbell associating with the Imperial Family.

Of course, our impression of him couldn’t be worse.

“If it comes down to it, don’t hesitate to rely on Grand Duke Plumera.”

“Yes. I intend to take full advantage of that.”

Even if Count Couranbell somehow pulled off a miracle, he’d have no chance of defeating me.

Because my grandfather stands behind me.

The true benefit of forming alliances with other houses lies less in diplomacy, and more in internal security—in other words, countering rebellion.

Of course, calling for aid would normally put one in a weaker diplomatic position, but as my grandfather’s heir, I can ignore that drawback entirely.

“I’ve assigned Knight Sunbrag to serve as your aide. If you need to make a judgment call, be sure to consult him.”

“Of course.”

“And also… no, never mind. That’s all from me.”

“Are you sure?”

Don’t start to say something ominous right before heading off to war—it feels like a death flag.

“You’re not a child anymore, so there’s no point in telling you to go to bed early.”

“Ah, I see. …Then I have just one thing to say as well.”

“Go ahead.”

“May fortune be with you.”

Then, after a brief hesitation, I chose to be honest.

“More than victory, what I truly wish for… is for you to return safely. Just… as your daughter.”

My father gave me a small smile at those words.

“Don’t worry. I won’t die until I’ve seen my grandchild’s face.”

…Please don’t say things that sound like a death flag.

---

October.

As autumn deepened, I was once again receiving instruction in the art of war from Knight Sunbrag.

“If Your Highness were in command, how would you respond to this situation?”

“…Given the difference in forces, our chances of victory would be high. The enemy, recognizing their disadvantage, is retreating into the mountains, but we can catch up to them. We should press for a decisive battle on the plains.”

“I see… Just as you say, Your Highness.”

Oh, did I get it right this time?

I felt a small spark of joy—until I noticed that Knight Sunbrag was giving me a rather mischievous smile.

“The Duke at the time thought the same thing.”

“…”

Incidentally, in this particular war, our Budoudarl Ducal House lost.

Meaning… my answer was wrong.

“What was the reason for the defeat?”

“Please look closely at the terrain. Do you see the river nearby? This land may look like a flat plain on a sunny day, but when it rains, it quickly turns to mud and becomes a swamp.”

“So it rained? You didn’t say that, did you?”

“It didn’t rain. The enemy destroyed the levee. As a result, the river overflowed and turned the field into a bog.”

“…”

Sure enough, on the map, there was a small note: “levee.”

Given the elevation differences, I suppose it was possible to predict that breaking the levee would flood the area… Except there’s no way I could’ve guessed that!

“…Wouldn’t the enemy suffer from the same conditions?”

“Please take a closer look here. There’s a small hill in the plains, see? The enemy had set up their formation there, so the damage they suffered was minimal.”

“…”

“That was a rather tricky question, I admit.”

Apparently noticing that I was sulking, Knight Sunbrag let out a wry chuckle.

“What I want you to learn, Your Highness, is that even if all the information is laid out in front of you, if you’re not careful, you may still overlook something important.”

So it’s about knowing how to filter and prioritize information.

Still, I honestly can’t tell what’s important and what isn’t yet.

I suppose that’s something only experience can teach.

Of course, I’m sure there are people who can do it by sheer instinct.

“In this case, we had all the information in front of us—but that rarely happens in real war. You may not even have a proper map of enemy territory. Naturally, scouts are deployed, but… even getting half the picture is considered good.”

“The so-called ‘fog of war,’ right?”

“What a poetic expression.”

It seemed the term “fog of war” didn’t exist in this world.

Come to think of it, where had I read that…? Clausewitz’s On War, maybe?

Hmmm. Maybe I should’ve studied that more seriously?

Then again, with just a half-baked understanding, it probably wouldn’t have made much difference anyway.

“If I may borrow Your Highness’s expression… the fog isn’t limited to terrain. Weather, troop numbers—these are also extremely hard to pin down, especially before battle even begins.”

There’s a saying: If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles.

It’s a line from Sun Tzu, basically meaning you can win if you understand both your enemy and your own side—but in this world, that’s pretty much impossible.

Forget understanding the enemy—just knowing your own side is hard enough.

And why’s that? Because wars in this world function like offline meetups.

If you want to gather ten thousand troops, you have to tell a hundred knights: “We’re going to war—bring a hundred soldiers each.”

Whether those knights actually show up on the day… only they know.

Of course, you make arrangements beforehand, but you’ll still get people who say, “I’ll come if I can,” or even cancel last-minute.

And you can never be sure if those knights will really bring a hundred men.

They might say they will, but only show up with ninety.

Actually, knights tend to exaggerate their troop numbers, so we have to factor that in when calculating our forces.

So it’s entirely possible to end up with fewer troops than expected.

On rare occasions, the opposite happens: more troops than anticipated show up.

Like when a child invites a friend over and that friend brings along someone else you didn’t even invite. That kind of thing.

And that, in turn, messes up your supply logistics.

All this to say, understanding your own strength before the war even begins is practically impossible.

Understanding your enemy? That’s a pipe dream.

Still, if you give up there, the war’s already lost. So you do everything you can to try to understand.

“This battle too… in the end, it was intelligence that determined the outcome.”

“You mean the situation inside the Duchy of Cartaria? Yes, I recall that after gathering intelligence from multiple sources, we judged it to be highly reliable.”

The Duke of Cartaria didn’t attend the social gathering—technically, it’s more accurate to say he couldn’t attend.

If he left his domain recklessly, by the time he returned, someone else might’ve taken his seat as Duke. That’s the kind of political pressure he was under—completely stuck.

He was chosen as the current Duke of Cartaria because of his noble lineage, advanced age, and affable nature.

That works in peacetime. But in a crisis, he’s not the leader you want.

It seems he waffled indecisively until time ran out.

At least, that’s what the royal house leaked to us.

I’d heard similar things from various sources—like that countess, for example, the one I exchanged intense verbal blows with during the hunting tournament. She told me something quite similar.

When all the western nobles of the kingdom are saying, in unison, “The Duchy of Cartaria is a total mess,” then it’s probably safe to assume… it really is a mess.

For a moment, I wondered if it might be some kind of strategy to lower our guard—but if you’re being underestimated to the point where someone’s willing to start a war with you, that kind of defeats the purpose.

Once a war begins, you're already at a loss. That’s just how it is.

They say a wise hawk hides its talons, but that only works because it is a hawk.

Whether its claws are out or not, no bird in the sky is dumb enough to pick a fight with a hawk.

The phrase “a capable hawk hides its claws” holds true because everyone already knows the hawk is strong and dangerous. But if you hide your claws and end up being mocked or underestimated—that’s just plain stupid.

A weak dog that doesn’t bark is nothing more than a dumb, weak dog.

“Where do you think Father is by now?”

“He should be nearing the Duchy of Cartaria, I believe. He may have already begun the siege.”

My father hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic about this war to begin with.

He said he’d consider his duty fulfilled once he captured a castle or two, and would then return home.

It’s unlikely he’ll make it back within the year… but by the year after next, I imagine he will.

And after that comes my marriage…

“…Sigh.”

“Your Highness?”

“…It’s nothing.”

A wave of melancholy washed over me.

It’s not like I think Prince Bartona is a bad person or anything, but…

---

"That concludes today's lecture. Well done, Princess."

"Thank you, Sir Sunbrag."

After expressing my thanks to Knight Sunbrag, I stood up. Then, after a brief moment of thought, I asked him,

"I'm planning to play some games afterward with Rouge, Delawear, and Sir Styne. Would you care to join us?"

"Would it be appropriate for me to participate?"

"The head maid will be joining us as well. Besides, Sir Styne is your dear nephew, isn't he? I believe that qualifies you."

Knight Sunbrag fell silent, seemingly considering my words. Then he gave a small nod.

"If there's still a seat available in an hour, I shall join you."

"Then we'll be waiting."

I said my farewell to Knight Sunbrag and left the room. Together with Delawear, I headed toward the room where Rouge—my half-sister—was waiting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Big Sister!!"

As soon as I entered the room, a girl with blonde hair and red eyes jumped up from her chair. In a flurry of motion, she ran over to me.

"Are your lessons all done now?"

This energetic little girl begging to play was none other than Rouge—my father's third legitimate child. She's six years old, seven years younger than me. A bit spoiled, perhaps, but cheerful and full of life.

"Yes, they're finished. ...It seems I kept you waiting, didn’t I?"

I glanced at the table placed in the center of the room. Toys and games were spread out across it. Standing nearby were the head maid and a young man with dusky skin—it seemed they'd been keeping Rouge company.

"We shouldn't keep her waiting any longer, then. Shall we begin?"

I took a seat beside Rouge, and Delawear sat next to me.

"Shall we start with... old maid?"

"Yeah!"

With Rouge’s enthusiastic consent, the dusky-skinned young man gathered the scattered cards from the table.

"Then, if I may be so bold, allow me to shuffle."

He spoke with practiced ease as he began expertly shuffling the deck. He was Sir Styne—the captain of my personal guard, tasked with protecting me. He also happened to be Knight Sunbrag’s nephew. His magical capacity is just a little greater than Delawear’s.

"Ugh..."

Rouge let out a soft groan as she looked at her hand. She must've drawn the joker. ...Saying it aloud like that—so childish.

Sir Styne and I exchanged glances and gave a small laugh. Delawear and the head maid, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed. Like mother, like son. Their poker faces were eerily alike.

Now then, let’s see what cards I have...

"Heh..."

By some twist of fate, I had the Queen of Hearts (Twelve) in my hand. It bore the image of a woman with a pine-cone staff and a rose-shaped hair ornament—in other words, me.

I'm the one who introduced playing cards to this world. I designed them myself, so I figured it wouldn’t be too arrogant to make one of the court cards resemble me.

Incidentally, all the Kings (Thirteen) depict my ancestors, while the other Queens (Twelve) and Jacks (Eleven) are modeled after people connected to myself and the House of Duke Budoudarl.

The result? An incredibly politically charged propaganda deck.

Even so, these cards have become somewhat fashionable at court. This world has very little in the way of entertainment to begin with. In such an environment, a compact, versatile game like this was bound to gain popularity.

Moreover, the official decks are handmade by top-tier artisans, giving them decent value as gifts.

Owning an official deck of playing cards implies a close connection with the House of Duke Budoudarl. Among the knights, pulling out one of these propaganda cards with a “Let’s duel” has become something of a status symbol, even seen as an emblem of the Roselia faction.

Needless to say, as implied by my emphasis on "official," counterfeit versions are already circulating.

These imitations seem especially common among wealthy commoners who can't get their hands on the genuine article.

This world has no concept of copyright, so there’s no way to regulate anything.

That said, as long as they copy the designs beautifully, I have no objections. After all, I didn’t create these cards for profit—they were always meant to be a political tool.

"Shall we begin, then?"

With preparations complete, we began drawing cards in a clockwise rotation. The rules for Old Maid don’t differ much from the version played in Japan.

"Oh, I’ve got a pair."

Sir Styne discarded the King of Spades and the King of Hearts. The former depicted a man draped in lion’s fur, while the latter showed a figure holding a sword adorned with what resembled dragon wings.

"Come to think of it... this deck was apparently well received at the recent social gathering. I heard members of the royal family even purchased a few."

As he looked at the illustrations on the cards he discarded, Sir Styne brought up the topic.

Originally, the playing cards were only known among the House of Duke Budoudarl and its factional nobles. But that recent event had introduced them to aristocrats from across the kingdom.

In particular, it seems the royal family—Prince Karvenil and Prince Bartona—took quite a liking to them.

"Strictly off the record, but the royal household reached out in advance. They wanted to take some sets home as souvenirs."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"They said it resonated with them that Emperor Kartema and King Yugape were presented side by side as equal monarchs."

"So everything went just as Her Highness planned?"

"It was purely a coincidence, I assure you."

I had thought the royal family received the cards well, but I hadn’t imagined they would be that taken with them.

But thinking it over calmly... the royal family’s lineage isn’t particularly prestigious. Perhaps the fact that a venerable noble house like the Budoudarl family would issue cards that placed their own founding figures alongside the likes of Emperor Kartema—one of history’s great men—was something that felt validating to them.

At any rate, whether I intended it or not, the royal family had now become enthusiastic carriers of my propaganda.

As we chatted, the head maid went out first, followed by Delawear.

These two... with their perpetually unreadable expressions, they’re absurdly strong at games like this.

With daughters of the main house like me and Rouge playing, they could at least show a little restraint, couldn’t they?

"Alright, Rouge. I'm drawing now."

"Ugh... ahh..."

Each time I reached toward her cards, Rouge’s expression visibly shifted. …Maybe I’ll let her win—just this once.

I drew the card she clearly wanted me to: the Joker.

"I did it! I won!!"

"My, my..."

As Rouge celebrated gleefully, Sir Styne and I exchanged looks again.

I carefully shuffled the two remaining cards in my hand and placed them face down on the table.

"Now then, Sir Styne. Which one do you think it is?"

"...I’ll choose the one on the right."

I handed him the card on the right.

"Ah..."

With a conflicted expression, Sir Styne placed down the matched pair he had drawn.

And I revealed my final card—the Joker.

In other words, I lost.

"I suppose that makes me the loser."

"……"

Despite his win, Sir Styne didn’t look the least bit pleased. He had probably wanted to let me win.

I’m long past the age where something like that would make me happy… but perhaps, to him, both Rouge and I are still just little sisters.

"Well then, I’ll shuffle for the next round."

I gathered the cards and began to shuffle them. As I did, a knock came at the door.

"Yes?"

"Sir Sunbrag is requesting permission to enter."

"Let him in."

It had only been thirty minutes... Had he already finished his duties?

As I wondered, Knight Sunbrag stepped into the room.

The look on his face made my stomach tighten.

"Princess, I have a report."

"I understand."

I rose to my feet and left the room. Then I entered the soundproofed office and turned to face Knight Sunbrag.

"I'm listening."

"The accuracy of the information has not yet been confirmed. However, I judged it necessary to inform you without delay."

Ah... This was going to be bad news.

I nodded, steeling myself.

"Let’s start with the conclusion."

"The subjugation force has been defeated by the army of Duke Kartaria. Your husband’s status is currently unknown."

Even though I thought I was prepared, a wave of dizziness hit me.

This is why I hate war.