Chapter 57: Wedding Celebration for Her Royal Highness, Princess Edna│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
“I’m very sorry!”
The finance minister knelt and bowed his head. He’s about to scrape his forehead on the floor if I remain silent.
My left cheek is still red and swollen.
“He must have thought I was just an ordinary peasant—Please raise your head.”
“To raise his hand against the Wizard! I’m truly sorry!
His Majesty stated that I had the authority to determine the father and son’s punishment. The person who raises his hand on me may be executed, and I have the legal authority to do so.
No, no, I’d like to refrain from taking anyone’s life.
The minister must have drained the blood from his head. He’s so pale that I’m afraid he’ll pass out.
“We will remove him from the family register and he will become a commoner. I’ll resign and accept responsibility. Please, at least spare my eldest son!”
“I sincerely hope the Finance Minister does not resign. And this has nothing to do with your eldest son.”
“Thank you for your consideration!”
“You can thank Alesia for that. Rehabum will now be demoted and sentenced to five years of forced labor in a remote location! He is barred from entering the royal capital following his forced labor. Keep him there, or he will resent Alesia. There will be no punishment for the eldest son. Work will make up for your mistake in raising the second son.”
The matter was settled with His Majesty’s words.
This is His Majesty’s office. For some reason, Her Royal Majesty has also arrived, as has the entire royal family. This must have shortened the life of the Finance Minister.
I want my face to be known as little as possible. I’m glad Rehabum revealed his true nature because he didn’t know who I really am. Now, fewer commoners will fall victim to these fools.
“Let’s get you back to the farm, Alesia.”
His Highness Mark gently took my shoulders in his hands and motioned for me to leave.
Inside the carriage.
His Highness is in such a bad mood that I believe the air has cooled in the land of eternal summer.
“Your Highness, you don’t need to worry so much, I’m all right.”
“I’m concerned, but also enraged. Alesia, your face is…”
My left cheek is red and swollen with purple bleeding spots. I knew I’d been hit hard, but I didn’t know how hard. Rehabum was used to it. He must have been physically abusive to his subordinates on a regular basis. He should now understand how difficult it is to be treated in this manner.
“Your Highness, the Farill Kingdom is not the only one that is terrifying. I believed that aristocrats like him were rotting the country from within.”
“You’re right. If I had been there, I would have slashed him in half. That dastard! I heard he hit you in the face and grabbed you by the collar. But Alesia’s strong willed.”
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing bitterly.
This is nothing compared to the torture I endured in my previous life.
“I’m fine. But, Your Highness, thank you for being mad for my sake.”
“It’s Mark.”
“Yes, you are. Thank you for getting mad for my sake.”
“Mark.”
“Mark-sama. Fufufu.”
“Sigh”
His Highness sighed again and said,
“I can’t seem to get over my rage. No, I’ll quit now. Yes, Edna’s getting married. It’s to the second prince of the kingdom of Balwala.”
“Well. Congratulations. She’ll be right at home in her bloodline, I’m sure.
“Yes, but my sister will never return to this country.”
“…I’m going to miss her.”
“Alesia-chan!” I wonder if I’ll ever see her again, laughing as her highness walks up to me. It makes me want to cry.
The carriage stops, and His Highness gets out after me.
“I would like to apologize to your parents. You were hurt because we brought you there.”
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
Everyone on the farm turned pale when they saw my face, but they quickly calmed down when they heard about Rehabum’s punishment: [reduced to commoner], [forced labor], and [banned from the royal capital].
Hakeem was a little scary when he muttered with a straight face, “If I find him around after becoming a commoner, I’ll kill him.”
“I’m sorry. My royal family is to blame.”
“Your Highness is not at fault.”
My mother chimed in.
“Your Highness bows to commoners too, doesn’t he?”
I turned around and saw Isabelle-san standing behind us. She usually doesn’t come in when there are important people around.
“Did you hit him back, Alesia?”
“If I had, I would have been even more hurt. But I did provoke him because he made fun of the peasants.”
“Alesia…”
My father was shocked. He pressed a silk cloth against my cheek.
“Don’t make any rash decisions—you’re going to cut your father’s life short.”
He gave me a pitying look.
“Oto-san, I heard that Her Highness Edna is getting married. Is it okay if I give her a roll of our silk cloth to celebrate?”
“That would be fantastic. The bride-to-be will be overjoyed to receive a wedding present that will help save many lives.”
His Highness, who had been silently listening, inquired, “Are you certain? Isn’t the healing silk cloth meant for our country’s poor?”
“If the Kingdom of Balwala and our country’s ties are strengthened through Edna’s Highness, it will be for the safety of our people.”
A plan flashed through my mind as I said this.
“Your Highness! I’d like to make a suggestion.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll carefully plan the strategy and explain it to you tomorrow after I fill the barrels with water.”
“…All right, then, let’s look ahead to tomorrow.”
Later that day, word of Rehabum’s folly and punishment reached all of the capital’s nobles, their families, and servants.
The fact that the son of a minister had been reduced to commoner status and forced to work after violently attacking a wizard without realizing he was dealing with a wizard was a heavy blow. After the death penalty, the most severe punishments for a nobleman are deprivation of status and forced labor. The fact that the minister’s son was not an exception must have come as a surprise.
The slap on the cheek was not in vain.
—Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com—
