Claude looked at Adi. His face expressed extreme amazement. How did she manage to deceive everyone so skillfully? On the other hand, the fact that she began to look like a woman just by growing her hair a little was also amazing. Although no, not quite like that. In fact, she hadn't changed much since their last meeting.
And yet...
She really is a woman. A real woman. The knight's uniform remained almost unchanged: there was no accentuated waistline or obvious chest contours.
But why was the feminine nature felt so clearly in her? It wasn't the length of the hair that was the issue, but something else. What exactly, he could not understand.
- And Count Grimaldi?
Yuls asked. Claude's gaze, previously fixed on Adi, finally moved.
- Not arrived yet.
— I asked when he would arrive.
- Ah, it will take at least another week. He's probably already left, but still.
Unlike the South, where the route runs through the plains, when traveling from the North to Ionadus you must cross a mountain range. Since even an early departure did not guarantee the absence of delays, northern nobles usually set out in advance, taking this into account.
“On the contrary, I’m surprised that you arrived so early.”
However, this time Woodpecker was faster. The fact that they arrived at the height of summer, when they were usually busy running the estate, must have meant something. Claude looked at the situation from different angles, but never came to a conclusion. He had no one to give advice. Whatever one may say, there were not enough of our own devoted people. And it is necessary that the only ally be the degenerate of the Northern Serpent.
“You don’t love Jonad.” Even during the social season I stayed here at a minimum, what kind of whim is this?
In any case, it was necessary to acquire supporters. If possible, someone influential. Those who will force Grimaldi to reckon with himself. The Marchioness of Conolly doesn't count. You need to win over someone from the count or ducal families, but they have almost no equal.
- I don’t know myself.
Yules replied:
“I just felt it was necessary.”
“It’s necessary,” that means. Most likely, it's on that side.
Claude's gaze turned back to Adi.
Spencer Grimaldi must have truly believed that body was his daughter's. At first. Claude's thoughts were momentarily confused by the realization that Adi Grimaldi was not a man, but upon reflection later, he realized that Jules probably knew about this in advance, which is why he prepared such a body.
- Stop staring. She's mine.
Jules said this and Claude looked at him again.
What is Julius Woodpecker's goal? Whatever it is, as long as it doesn't harm him, it doesn't matter. Yes, that's enough. If he acts for his ascension to the throne, Claude won't care what Jules does. At least for a while.
- However, you would hardly bother with a man.
- You can’t know that.
At that time, he didn't really care. Of course, if it had been a man, he probably would have just used it and thrown it away, but it ended up being a woman, and the situation worked out in Yuls' favor.
- How long have you known about this?
- For a while.
Did she really tell him herself? She didn't look like that. Was he exposed? It was quite possible. The more Claude thought about it, the more dizzy he became. Eventually he stopped thinking and leaned back in a relaxed manner.
— The Count's reaction will be funny when he finds out.
As soon as he giggled while saying this, Adi’s gaze turned to Claude. Juls glanced at Adi, and then looked intently at Claude.
- Suddenly. I thought you were in cahoots with the Count.
-...Rather, it ended up in his hands. Apparently, you can't force others to do something they don't want to do.
“Did you just realize this now?”
Just now. And that's why Claude was sorry. Suppressing and coercing others will only cause protest. But if you make them obey themselves, everything will become much easier. Count Grimaldi, one way or another, taught Claude a lesson.
- I need help, Juls.
It was necessary to somehow get rid of the Count. At least make sure he couldn't come to Jonad. However, the Count will arrive here. Moreover, at the personal invitation of Claude.
- We are cousins.
- What kind of help exactly?
Jules asked in response. Claude nodded towards Adi. That meant he couldn't talk while she was here. Juls called: “Adi.”
- Adi.
- Yes, Your Grace.
- Come in in five minutes.
- Ten.
Claude said.
- Come back in ten minutes.
Adi looked at him, replied, “Okay,” and went outside.
Adrina left, but Claude never said a word. Perhaps he was worried about her standing outside? However, the walls of the royal palace are strong. As soon as one door is closed, the conversation inside becomes inaudible.
“You’re not going to be silent for ten minutes, are you?”
As soon as Jules spoke, Claude quickly replied:
- We need to get rid of the influence of Count Grimaldi.
“...You made such a choice without knowing what kind of person he is?”
- I guessed. But the problem is that it exceeded all my expectations.
As expected, the king's actions were suspicious. The Count was too valuable a card to simply throw away because he did not take sides or opposed Thuringian aid. But, as it turned out, this card was a joker. And ironically, it was he himself who once pulled it out.
“I couldn’t even imagine that he would put his dead son in a grave and raise his daughter like a son.” Although I asked you to give it to me.
The Count refused, saying that she was dead, and now they met. Jules frowned at Claude's words. He knew that he asked to give Adi to him, but these are things of a long time ago. Now Adi has nothing in common with Claude. Adrina was now his knight.
- I won’t give it up.
Hearing Jules' words, Claude looked at him silently. He didn't mean to ask her now. To be honest, Claude was fed up with the Grimaldi family. He just didn't want to deal with them. Not with the Count or with anyone else.
- But is it really possible to keep her with you like this? What if the Count finds out?
“The one I brought with me is not Adrina Grimaldi, but Adrina Dean.”
-...Did you give her the last name Bertha?
“Bert himself offered to give it away.” And Adi agreed.
- Oh-ho, the count will be simply furious.
The Count, although he pretended to be outwardly generous, in fact rejected everyone who did not meet his standards. Of course, Bert was an outstanding craftsman and one of the most famous knights of his time, so his skills fully met the requirements of the count, but the problem was that he was a commoner.
Even if a person has received a title, there is a gap between the one who comes from the common people, the representative of the gentry and the hereditary aristocrat. Many nobles despised Bert for this very reason. And Spencer Grimaldi was no exception.
It couldn’t be otherwise, because Spencer Grimaldi, who never missed an opportunity to make acquaintance with talented knights, had absolutely no points of contact with Bert.
- Don’t waste your time and say what you wanted already. You didn't just throw everyone out the door, did you?
- In any case, Adi Grimaldi remains a man of the Grimaldi family. We cannot know what information may be shared with the family.
- This is wrong.
“You can’t know this offhand.”
Blood kinship and belonging to a house are bonds that are not easily broken. Even if she now goes by the surname Dean, it is unknown when she might return to Grimaldi. Moreover, their blood flows in it. This thought alone was enough for Adi’s confidence to rapidly shake.
— Ruigi was killed by Count Grimaldi. And he even prepared the body of Adi Grimaldi. He planned everything in advance. The Marchioness of Conolly met him without even knowing it.
- Looks like they've met?
“All this happened to Ruiji when they were together.
And besides, he framed his own child, accusing him of a crime, and even put up a reward for his severed head. It is unclear why he went so far. In the end, the count lost his child. He cannot even imagine that she is in such an unexpected place.
“In the end, didn’t it benefit you?” Whatever one may say, there’s one less opponent,” Yuls said.
“He’ll kill me too if I stop pleasing him.”
“There is no one else who can claim this place except you.” Sasha is too young, Ruiji is dead. There are still three or four people left, but among them there are no those whom the count could reach. They are neither close to the court nor come from a background.
- He could choose you.
“Because of my mother, this is impossible.” The Count can close his eyes to many things, but in matters of blood purity he is extremely picky.
-......
Claude said nothing to this. There was no doubt about it.
“Be that as it may, Count Grimaldi killed everyone.”
Jules looked at Claude. Did he really just now realize this? The fact that the Count does things like this. At the same time, the same Count was extremely lenient towards Claude. Even more than to your own children.
How is this possible? Maybe he became more attached to him than to his offspring? Because you saw him from an early age? Such a possibility existed, but Jules did not know whether there was at least something human left in the Count.
“The Count killed your parents too.”
One thing was certain: Claude desperately wanted to break free from the Count's control. And he was not a child trying to escape his parents' care.
- Only my father. My mother is not.
Jules remained silent. She chose her path herself. And it was not Grimaldi who pushed her to this choice. And the Royal Family. For Jules, this situation did not seem so serious. Whether Claude would make it or not was not something he needed to worry about.
— Jules.
But Claude was desperate.
- Help me.
The king only laughed at Claude's choice. Claude realized too late that he had made a mistake. It was difficult to fix it now. Unless the Count himself decides to defect to someone else. But if this happens...
-You are the only one I can trust.
Will he be able to survive? And the Count? This man ruthlessly and secretly dealt with the former princes.
- Right?
Claude reaches out and grabs Jules.
I don't want to die.