Chapter 108
Marquis Seeze’s mansion, which was located in Nabana, was as luxurious as the royal castle itself. He served the Acreian noble family since the time of Lucius the First’s grandfather, and it was clear that the family was compensated handsomely. Lucius the First’s grandfather died early, leaving two sons behind. Ever since, Marquis Seeze became the real power and authority of Acreia. He arranged marriages of his children to powerful families and slowly but surely further strengthened his power.
After returning home, Sir Bentier had no time to rest. As the deputy commander of the army, he still had so much to do even after the war.
His home hasn’t changed at all in his absence during the last 10 years. It was just as luxurious, and his father and uncles still treated him like a stranger. His wife still acted the same way; polite and indifferent. His son, who was a baby when he left, was not a young boy.
Sir Bentier patted his head and nodded to his wife, that was the end of their greeting.
Nothing had changed, and the one who changed the least was Marquis Seeze, who still didn’t know that his grandson had changed his mind about the emperor.
The old man didn’t show how he truly felt to his grandson. Marquis Seeze still didn’t trust his grandson completely, and perhaps it was because Marquis himself was always ready to betray anyone if necessary.
All his life, Sir Bentier behaved accordingly to please his grandfather.
He stood outside Marquis Seeze’s room and waited quietly, Marquis was with the other elders in a meeting. When Tory came by with a tray of tea, she spotted Sir Bentier and bowed respectfully.
It was obvious that the elders were talking about something secretive. When Tory walked inside and informed Marquis that Sir Bentier had been there waiting for a long time, the other elders left quickly.
Sir Bentier greeted them and walked into the library, which was spotless and well organized. He found Marquis Seeze was sitting in his chair.
“You must be very tired, so you should be resting now. I am sleepy too.”
“Sorry to visit you so late, Grandfather. I was working and I forgot the time.”
“I’m proud of your hard work.”
“You have honored me with this position, so it is my duty to do my best and Grandfather, I would like to talk about what would happen after the things had settled down.”
Sir Bentier did do exactly what his grandfather wanted him to do and now that the war was over, it didn’t make sense for Sir Bentier to continue to hold the title of the deputy commander.
Marquis Seeze answered, “Make sure to hold onto the military authority. It will come handy at some point. There is a rumor that Rabi Bika will be leaving the north, his position should be your next goal.”
Sir Bentier was aware of this rumor, but he put on a mildly surprised expression. Sir Bentier was a very thoughtful and careful man. He always acted ignorantly so the others would underestimate him or make false assumptions.
Sir Bentier didn’t ask his grandfather about the private military forces he and the other elders must be working on. Instead, Sir Bentier said to Marquis Seeze, “Grandfather, his highness is a great emperor. He is wise and ambitious. He had turned Acreia into not just a simple kingdom, but the center of the entire continent. With his highness, Acreia will become stronger and more prosperous than ever.
“I know.”
Marquis Seeze never imagined that Lucius the First would really unite the continent. This was bad news because what he wanted was a stupid and naïve emperor. He wanted Lucius the First to fail.
But the emperor returned a victor, and the marquis realized that he now had no choice but to acknowledge Lucius the First as the true and capable ruler of Acreia. This meant that Marquis Seeze had to treat the emperor differently.
Acreia was no longer a single kingdom. It owned the entire continent and therefore, the Acreian nobles were going to gain the greatest wealth and power they could ever imagine.
At this point, Marquis Seeze had no plans to go against Lucius the First.
“I won’t be antagonizing his highness, don’t worry.”
Up till the former emperor’s generation, the Acreian nobles and elders were more powerful than the emperor himself but now with Lucius the First, things were rapidly changing. The current emperor was quickly gaining more and more power.
To maintain a fine balance, the elders needed to be smart. Keeping their private armies was one way to secure their authority over the government. It was insurance for them.
The emperor didn’t think too much of it. He didn’t think this would give the nobles enough power to become problematic in the future, but Marquis Seeze didn’t care. He wasn’t going to let go of his personal army no matter what the emperor says.
And so far, Lucius the First hasn’t mentioned anything. What was he waiting for?
Marquis Seeze said to his grandson, “We will see what his highness does. For now, don’t worry too much about things. You should go rest now.”
Marquis Seeze laughed quietly.
***
Lady Bika banned the men from entering the lady’s quarters, but the knights were still allowed to enter the main house whenever they wanted. Of course, they rarely did out of respect. The knights only entered the main house when they needed something.
Of all the men, Sirs Howe and Donau were the ones who frequented the house the most. It made sense because Sir Howe used to be Sir Rabi’s man while Sir Donau’s direct supervisor was Poliana, who was a guest staying inside the main house.
Sir Rabi made a point of inviting these two young men whenever he returned home from work. He also invited the other knights from time to time for drinks and chats so that he would not look suspicious.
It has been a few years since Poliana heard the conversation between Sir Baufallo and Sir Rabi about their children’s marriages. And finally, Sir Baufallo told his oldest son about his plan. Sir Howe seemed very nervous about the prospect of his potential marriage at the time.
Today, Sir Rabi invited the two brothers again. This time, it was for dinner, and to make things less awkward, he invited Poliana as well. When she appeared in a woman’s robe, Sir Howe teased her, “Shall we dance?”
“I see that you are doing well now that you are free from Sir Ainno.”
“Absolutely, I love it!”
Only
Unlike Sir Howe, Sir Donau was more genuine, “Sis, it’s true that you look really good. That outfit definitely suits you much better than the one you wore that other time.”
This was true. At the Bikpa banquet, Poliana was forced to wear gaudy dress, makeup, and jewels. Now in a simple gown, she looked much better and more natural.
The rode Lady Bika offered was feminine, but still very comfortable and unlike the other noblewomen, Lady Bika didn’t insist on her wearing a wig or makeup. Before this dinner, Poliana was worried that she was underdressed.
‘Maybe I should be more dressed up?’
It was a formal dinner with the master and the lady of the house after all. But when Poliana asked, Lady Bika replied that it was going to be a comfortable informal dinner and that Poliana was dressed accordingly. In fact, Sirs Howe and Donau were also in their work clothes.
Every time Lady Bika took care of her, Poliana was once again reminded of her need for a wife.
“Thank you, Sir Donau. Now, how is everyone else in the castle? How are our fellow guards?”
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