“In short, Luca shut himself away. That’s all there is to it.”
Count Furlanetto smiled as he sat comfortably on the long bench in the living room on the first floor of Fullranet Manor, legs crossed.
He was said to have been a strikingly handsome man in his youth, renowned all the way to the Royal Capital, but now in his late thirties, he gave off the air of a timid uncle.
Yet this uncle was one of the kingdom’s most powerful magicians.
Annamaria, sitting upright in the chair facing him, responded in a cold tone, “I don’t understand at all. Please explain it step by step.”
“How troublesome.”
“Father.”
“Alright, alright,” The count raised his hand to quell his daughter’s irritation.
“Luca is five years older than you. He was born as the eldest son of the Romano Count family. He was a carefree, very adorable boy with beautiful silver hair and purple eyes. Then, about a year and a half after you two were born—just before he turned seven—he shut himself in his room and refused to come out. Piccolo’s the way he is, right? Instead of trying to persuade or comfort Luca, he apparently told him that if he wasn’t coming out, he would treat him as if he didn’t exist from then on. But Luca never came out of his room. Piccolo ordered the knights and the household staff to treat Luca as if he never existed. Of course, the villagers knew Luca had been born, but Piccolo publicly announced to them that Luca had died.”
Since the knights and the household staff were ordered to treat Luca as non-existent, they were forbidden from speaking about him.
Rosaria was likely the same.
The villagers, too, wouldn’t dredge up talk of the lord’s eldest son who died young, feeling it was pitiable.
Annamaria must have met Luca, but she was only a year and a half old and had no memory of him.
Rosaria probably knew her brother existed, but likely had no recollection of his appearance.
“Why did he shut himself away?”
The count shrugged as if to say he didn’t know.
“I heard Rosaria said she wondered if it was her fault. That happened a year after Carlotta’s death, so Piccolo said it might have been the shock of losing his mother… But he also mentioned another possibility—Rosaria’s existence.”
“Why would Rosaria’s existence matter so much?”
“Luca’s physical abilities weren’t particularly high. Of course, compared to ordinary people, they were remarkable. But Rosaria, being a direct descendant of the Romano family, was extraordinary. I heard that when Luca saw her, barely toddling, breaking the banisters of the stairs she grabbed onto one after another with a cracking sound, he might have lost confidence.”
Crushed by grief from losing his mother, and then witnessing his baby sister already showing greater talent—it might have broken his spirit.
“I see.” Annamaria nodded deeply, then said firmly, “I understand well. Rosaria is still a fool.”
“Huh? Why?”
Galileo, who had been sitting on another chair grooming himself, looked up with wide eyes and said, “Because Luca shutting himself away had nothing to do with Rosaria, yet she worries about it. Rosaria’s high innate ability is not her fault. She has absolutely no reason to feel responsible.”
“Well, that’s true.” Count Furlanetto nodded in agreement.
“Why she’s such a fool, I don’t understand.” Sighing, she lowered her gaze to her hands folded on her lap.
“You two seem to be bickering as usual. Isn’t it about time you made up?”
“I’ll only make up with her once she stops being such a fool.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like they’ll make up anytime soon.”
The count gave up easily.
“Anyway, Annamaria, I have some big news.”
“You were just mumbling something earlier, right? What is it?”
“Jeremiah Raniero, the Duke of Karana, is moving his residence to Parsa Castle!”
Karana Province is divided into four territories: Parsa, Bieto, Celia, and Nova, each ruled by minor lords.
The Romano and Furlanetto families govern one of these, the Parsa Region.
Above these four minor lords stands the duke, the Duke of Karana, who governs the entire province.
The Dukedom of Karana is a hereditary title passed down through the royal family, and the current duke is Jeremiah Raniero, the king’s brother-in-law.
Near Parsa, the provincial capital of Karana, stands Parsa Castle, the duke’s fortress.
However, successive Dukes of Karana have resided in their manor in the Royal Capital instead.
They collected taxes and wielded administrative power but often lived their entire lives without setting foot in Karana Province.
After all, it’s a backwater.
No member of the royal family would want to live in such a rural area, even if appointed provincial duke.
As a result, Parsa Castle has long been an empty fortress.
The current Duke of Karana is no exception.
Six years have passed since he was appointed duke at age fifteen, but he has never lived here.
He maintains a residence in the Royal Capital Kino and serves as a general in the Magical Kingdom Army.
“Why would the Duke of Karana move to that empty castle? What about his general duties?”
“Apparently, he resigned for his own reasons. A sort of early retirement.”
“Isn’t that too young? He’s only twenty-one, isn’t he?”
“They say his military duties kept him so busy he never even got an engagement. The court in Kino is abuzz with rumors that the king has ordered him to marry soon and produce heirs to preserve the royal bloodline. They expect a bride search to begin.”
Count Furlanetto seemed eager to share all the information he had gathered in the Royal Capital.
But to Annamaria, it was all tiresome.
Hearing gossip from court sparrows was of no use.
If only these rumors concerned measures to prevent the prophesied Transmission Disease or plans to secure materials for producing magic medicines in quantities sufficient for all the villagers, she might listen.
‘What matters more is the fact that the Romano family had an eldest son named Luca…’
Suddenly, a voice whispered in the back of her mind.
‘This is useful news, isn’t it, Annamaria?’
Answering the intuition, Annamaria’s thoughts raced.
‘Duke of Karana… Bride search… Bride… Marriage… Royal family’s… wife… wife!’ Her eyes glittered brightly.
A member of the royal family, especially the king’s brother-in-law, must possess enormous wealth.
Just the manor he owns in the Royal Capital is worth a fortune, and he must have heaps of ancestral treasures.
‘If only—’ Her mind spun busily.
If she could become the Duchess of Karana, the money at her disposal would multiply many times over compared to a minor lord of Parsa.
She wouldn’t waste the money on frivolous entertainment or socializing.
Instead, she would devote it entirely to buying materials for magic medicine. Â
In a year or two, she could manufacture and stockpile treatment drugs for the Transmission Disease accessible to all the villagers of the Parsa Region.
‘Furthermore, if—’
If her relationship with her husband was good, she might even be able to influence the management of the domain.
Karana Province’s four regions have disparities in wealth.
Parsa, which houses the provincial capital, is relatively well-off, but Bieto is reportedly quite poor.
Celia and Nova are prosperous thanks to roads passing through them.
The duke’s directly controlled lands include magic stone mines, which generate considerable wealth.
Taxes collected by the Duke of Karana and income from his territories could be used to even out the economic disparities.
Removing these inequalities would stimulate economic activity throughout the province and foster new businesses.
If the backwater Karana Province gained a reputation as a comfortable place to live, wealthy citizens from the Royal Capital might build secondary residences there.
Karana Province is indeed scenic.
The problem is that it is too strongly associated with poverty and barrenness.
“It’s romantic, isn’t it? To quit your job and seek a bride.” Her father sighed dreamily, but Annamaria cut him off sharply.
“If that’s true, he’s a complete fool.”
“Eh? Why?”
“If you’re busy, there are countless ways to look for a bride while still working. Quitting your job to do so is just plain foolish.”
Galileo interrupted while grooming himself, “That’s the perspective of commoners or poor minor lords. Only a wealthy lucky man can afford to quit his job and focus entirely on bride hunting. And as the king’s brother-in-law, he’s definitely a rich lucky man.”
A foolish lucky man.
Not exactly an attractive description, but probably the kind of man who fits Annamaria’s ambitions.
“Father, when is the Duke of Karana scheduled to move to Parsa Castle?”
“In about half a month. And when he moves, he plans to hold a ball, inviting the minor lords from all over Karana Province.”
The count glanced up at his daughter with a slightly worried look.
“And, well, I’ve been invited too. They also said I must bring my heir. You see, the duke is young, and he wants to build friendships early with heirs his own age. Do you mind? I’m sure you do, huh? Because for you, Annamaria, the duke’s a complete fool—”
“No. I will attend.”
“Right? You don’t want to, do you? The complete fool—huh? What? Whaaat!?” The count’s eyes went wide.
“Did I hear you wrong? Did you say you’ll attend!?”
Annamaria leaned forward, “I said I will. I’ll be at the ball, definitely! I want to gain favor with the duke.”
“Oh! That’s a good attitude. I greeted the Duke of Karana in the Royal Capital. He’s very dignified and kind. You should meet him.”
At that, the count winked one eye.
“Romance might blossom, you know. Our daughter is very beautiful.”
Annamaria smiled brightly and said, “I’m looking forward to it, too.”