CH 2

C2: Ceremony and Current Status

Right now, I’m riding in a carriage on a road that I’m not even sure if I can call a well-trodden path to the investiture ceremony in the royal capital. The carriage bounces up and down every time the wheels pass over the bumpy road, and the hard wooden chair does some serious damage to my ass.

Our territory is far from the capital, and it is very difficult to get there.

Incidentally, our territory is bordered by the mountainous region of the Marquis of Alcala in the north, the Frontier Count of Piazon in the eastern highlands, and the territory of the Duke of Orrard in the west, and is used as a transit point, so the transportation industry and roads have been developed.

Therefore, I was fed up with the inconvenience of traveling outside the territory for the first time, as I had only ever traveled within the territory where the roads were well maintained.

“Hey, Yulis……it’s been 10 days since we left the territory. When are we going to arrive? Besides, isn’t there a limit to how long we can leave the affairs of the territory? Let’s go home. Leave the decoration ceremony to my brothers in the capital okay?”

I said to Yulis, who was sitting next to me on a fluffy cushion, wondering where she got it from, with a ray of hope.

“Master Chris. Don’t worry. I’ve taught my subordinates how to take over some of the chores. Besides, the long journey isn’t so bad after a good night’s sleep, is it?”

“You can sleep in this environment as long as you have those fluffy cushions, but I can’t sleep without them! The vibrations are terrible, the floor is hard, and I’m so tired! Where did you get those fluffy cushions? It’s not something a maid can get her hands on!”

“Master Chris, are you forgetting who controls the finances of the estate?”

“Are you embezzling?”

“I’m just kidding. I would never embezzle anything.”

You’re definitely not kidding!

“Well, since we’ve passed through the Duke of Orrard domain, we’re already under the direct control of the royal family, so perhaps we’ll arrive today or tomorrow?”

It seemed that this hellish journey was finally coming to an end. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, Master Chris. I will now instruct you on the etiquette of the investiture ceremony.”

“Huh?”

“Ha-ha-ha! I’ve already learned so much about etiquette, I don’t need to do it anymore.”

“You don’t have to do it anymore.” She said with a laugh and a look that could have killed a man. After that, I couldn’t sleep until we reached the capital.

☆☆☆☆

“I hereby name Chris Dreschord the 15th Viscount Dreschord! I expect you to remain loyal to the royal family!”

“Haha, thank goodness!”

And so the investiture ceremony ended in a daze. I had an audience with the king for about three minutes, and he just said a few words and sent me on my way.

I wondered if it was okay to be so careless. The only people in the audience room were the king and his bodyguards.

On the way back, I completely left the royal castle and went through the drawbridge, where Yulis was waiting for me. It was only because it was considered difficult for her, who was formally a maid, to enter the royal castle, that I had her wait for me outside the castle.

After meeting up with Yulis, I walked away from the castle, and when I was some distance away, I asked her so that no one would hear me.

“Yulis, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“It was kind of shabby for an investiture ceremony, do you think we’re being chastised?”

“There are two reasons for that, the first is that the Viscounts of Dreschord are being disrespected and the second is that the royal family is being disrespected.”

Yulis replied nonchalantly with an expressionless face that never wavered.

“No, I’ve been noticing that our family is being disrespected, but the royal family is being disrespected too?”

“I was surprised that Chris-sama was aware that the other houses were disrespecting us.”

“Well, yeah. The maids are even treating the head of the family like crap.”

“Some maids in this world are a bit naughty.”

“There are some really evil maids out there, like the devil himself.”

“…….”

“The current royal family has no power. Right now, they’re in turmoil as the Prime Minister and other civil servants and members of the royal family are involved in a power struggle within the royal palace. This is why most of the lords do not want to get close to the royal family for a mere investiture ceremony of a viscount, and the royal family does not have the money to spend on the investiture ceremony.”

The royal family has no power whatsoever! We’re on the verge of a war! There’s no power to control the lords!

As I continued to hear about the royal family, it seemed certain that within ten years, the royal family would be destroyed and we would enter a period of war. At this rate, a house surrounded by great nobles would be easy prey!

“Yulis…is it possible that our house is in danger?”

I asked fearfully.

“I’ll serve Chris-sama until the last minute.”

Yulis said with a gentle face I had never seen before.