Chapter 69
“I heard that the Marquis of Tulin’s ball held yesterday was a great success. There are rumors that it was more well attended than the Imperial Palace balls.”
DeMarcus said with a smile, but Laszlo, who was standing next to him, could easily read the note of displeasure in his voice.
“Do you think they were really keeping quiet all this time? They were probably gathering more strength than they had before.”
“This is well known, but now it seems they no longer care about hiding their intentions.”
Since the fall of the Duke of Lancaster's family, the three great families have shrunk so much that they do not even dare to breathe.
However, no one believed that they had really been quiet during the past ten months.
As DeMarcus pointed out, the fact that the Marquis of Tullin's family ball attracted a larger number of people compared to the Imperial Palace balls was clear evidence.
But Laszlo was not afraid.
“The shock of the fall of the Duke of Lancaster’s family still lingers. Those who gathered at the Marquess of Tullen’s family party were perhaps just trying to ascertain what those three families were planning.”
“But nothing prevents them from becoming part of that camp.”
“Human beings are by nature extremely cunning. They will not decide which side to take until the very last moment. In the end, they will find themselves at Your Majesty’s feet.”
Demarkus found himself more at ease because of Laszlo's calm demeanor. Laszlo, who silently vanquished his enemies and won his victories without fanfare, was the sword Demarkus trusted more than those who boasted of their triumphs with clamor.
However, DeMarcus sometimes felt sad about the distance between him and Laszlo. He felt they deserved to be closer.
“László.”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"When will you get your place back?"
“I’ve just started reorganizing the family, so I’m still busy. But I’ll try to join the high society as soon as possible.”
But DeMarcus's face still bore an expression of dissatisfaction.
“I don’t think you don’t understand what I mean. Are you going to continue pretending not to understand?”
"I don't know what you mean."
“László.”
DeMarcus sighed heavily and added in a quiet tone:
“My little brother.”
At that moment, a look of displeasure appeared on Laszlo's face.
"Why are you speaking like this again, Your Majesty?"
“Why? Did I say something wrong? Even though our mothers are different, you and I are siblings.”
“I gave up on my past when I was twelve.”
"You gave up? And who gave you permission to do that? Do you think it's easy to give up on the past?"
DeMarcus laughed sarcastically.
Laszlo looked at him and shook his head in annoyance.
'I understand the reason behind his actions, but he is really annoying.'
Unlike the three great families who consolidated their power under the previous emperor, Demarcus was busy on the battlefields and was unable to build his own base.
Despite successive victories and a smooth transition of the throne, Demarcus was always hungry for "trusted confidants".
For DeMarcus, Laszlo was the brother that fate had brought back to him.
“Right now, everyone believes you’re just an ordinary person. But if they knew we were half-brothers, they would realize how much we resemble each other.”
“But I look like my mother.”
"How ridiculous."
DeMarcus laughed sarcastically, but the truth was that Laszlo looked just like his mother.
“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been able to live in my parents’ house.”
Laszlo's mother was the youngest daughter of a wealthy baron family, and was known at the time as a prominent figure in high society.
She was not only beautiful, but she was also adept at capturing men's hearts with her charming conversation and striking coquetry.
The former emperor, who had fallen completely in love with her, made her the nominal wife of a weak and influential viscount and took her as his mistress.
He continued to love her for ten years, to the point that people wondered if she would become more influential than the Empress.
However, the emotions of those in power are always fleeting.
“I’ve become bored. It’s time to leave the palace.”
"Your Majesty! My son is your blood! Will you abandon your son?"
“I do not recognize any child other than the one born to the Empress.”
Having found a new mistress, the emperor no longer cared about the previous mistress, and even the child whom he had publicly boasted about as his “son” began to ignore him.
Finally, she was expelled from the palace and found no place to go but to return to the home of her “nominal husband,” weeping bitterly.
Normally, she would also have been rejected by her husband and taken refuge in her family home begging, but something unexpected happened.
“Welcome back. Don’t worry about anything. I will raise the child as if he were my own, so don’t be afraid.”
Her husband, who had fallen in love with her from the moment she was introduced to him for the sham marriage, waited for her for ten years until she was cast out by the emperor.
She had no other options, so she fell in love with her husband again, and that was a happy irony.
'Of course, it was difficult for me to bear seeing their romance before my eyes.'
It wasn't long before their love bore fruit, and the following year Linnea was born.
They were a modest and fairly happy family.
Because of his stepfather's great love for her, he treated Laszlo as if he were his real son, and this made him beloved by his mother as well.
Laszlo's love for Linnea played a role in that.
'If they hadn't left so early, my family would be normal.'
But normal things can break down in an instant.
“László.”
Laszlo snapped out of his reverie upon hearing DeMarcus's call.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
“Even if I’m joking sometimes, I really look forward to the day you call me big brother. That’s for real.”
“….”
Laszlo was unable to reply.
It was difficult for him even to think about regaining his “place,” as DeMarcus pointed out, since his family had been destroyed by the empire and the nobility.
The mere thought of being called “the Emperor’s brother” was enough to make him feel nauseous.
“I am sorry, Your Majesty. The position I occupy now is more than I deserve.”
This time, DeMarcus chose to remain silent.
But after a short while, in his usual cheerful tone, he pointed at Laszlo, saying:
"You are undervaluing yourself."
“I don’t think so.”
"Just wait. One day, you will reclaim your place yourself."
Although Laszlo did not reply, DeMarcus simply smiled without blaming him.
In DeMarcus's mind, the idea of "Ideal" shone like a bright eyeliner.
'If the girl who changed Laszlo in this way is capable of achieving even more, then there is no doubt she is capable of more. The only question is when I should reveal the truth about Laszlo to her.'
Even if Laszlo and Edel did not fall in love, DeMarcus was somehow certain that Edel would be able to support Laszlo.
Why?
There is no specific reason.
Just a hunch from someone who has survived a long time on the battlefields.
***
"Why do I suddenly feel an itch in my ear?"
"What?"
“Ah, nothing.”
Edel pressed her ears with the palm of her hand, then smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. This was no time to be preoccupied with scratching her ears.
She was checking on the changes in the laundry room with Selena.
"Really! I doubted more than once whether this place was the laundry room! It's absolutely amazing!"
Selena was very impressed by the cleanliness of the laundry room, which no longer had any trace of mold.
The rotten wooden chairs were discarded and replaced with new, clean ones. The basins, buckets, and ladles all shone like new.
There is no longer a need to make soap once a month, as a supplier has been contracted to provide soap powder on a regular basis.
The old windows and doorways were repaired to make ventilation easier, and new stoves were added to allow boiling water and washing clothes at the same time.
While Selena was happily fiddling with the new things, Idell spoke with a smile but in a tone that expressed her regret.
“Even with all these improvements, laundry remains hard work.”
“But with the increase in the number of people working, the workload has become much lighter than it was before. The work itself has also become much easier.”
“That’s reassuring, but…”
Selena and Lila both rejected Idell's suggestion to change their duties, preferring to stay in the laundry room.
The reason was not only that they were used to this work, but also because the improvements made working in the laundry room more comfortable.
“Please give the new maids good guidance, Selena. And you too, Lila.”
"We will do our best, housekeeper!"
"Don't make fun of me."
They parted ways laughing happily.
Idil went straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen also looked completely different from what it had been before.
“Finally, I feel relieved.”
If we compare this situation to what it was a few months ago, when you had to ignore the dirt that was everywhere, the difference was astonishing.
“Ah, you’re here, the housekeeper.”
“Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Oliver. Are the preparations for lunch going well?”
“Of course! At first, it was confusing to get used to the new places and their arrangement, but now we have adapted almost completely.”
Oliver, the new cook hired after Arturo's dismissal, was an apprentice to a renowned chef. Barbara met him by chance when he decided to go independent, and now he works here.