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Still, regardless of how displeased he was with the duke, Matthias had no choice but to help restore the duke's reputation.
The roots of the Count of Wallace's family, who had served as Knight Commanders for four generations, ran too deep. Removing them entirely would take considerable time. And for now, there was no one capable of replacing Achilles as Knight Commander.
"...It would be best if I were the one to host the first hunting gathering of this year's Twelve Days of Glory."
The 12th day of the Eighth Month marks the beginning of the grouse hunting season, as decreed by imperial law. On this day, eagerly awaited by countless hunters across the Empire, the hunting grounds are known to overflow with nobles who gather to hunt together, as lively and crowded as the grand autumn hunting festival itself.
Until now, Matthias had attended gatherings hosted by the Emperor. But if he were to form a new gathering centered around young nobles and include the Averil brothers on the invitation list, people would naturally assume that the only one who had fallen out of the Imperial Family's favor was the Duke himself.
"If Your Highness plans to invite both of them, shall I prepare a longer list including other young nobles as well?"
"That would be wise. Ah, include Lord Sharon too. If the Averil family receives an invitation to the crown prince's gathering but the Sharon family does not, unnecessary rumors will surely spread."
"…Understood. I'll make sure to inform Lord Sharon personally."
Ezkhiel wanted to object, but Matthias' reasoning was sound, so he held his tongue.
Just as Matthias had said, if only the Averil brothers were invited, people might interpret it as the crown prince opposing the emperor's decision to punish the duke's house.
Even if there was a political reason behind it, Ezkhiel still felt deeply sorry for forcing his friend into such an uncomfortable position.
Sensing Ezkhiel's inner hesitation, Matthias glanced at him.
"It seems you're not entirely pleased with my decision."
"…Politically speaking, Your Highness's choice is sound. But if we consider the victim's feelings, I can't say it's entirely appropriate."
"But didn't Lord Sharon seem perfectly composed even after coming face to face with the duke? If that's the case, then meeting the duke's sons shouldn't be a problem either, should it?"
"That may be true, but still…"
When Ezkhiel couldn't bring himself to agree, Matthias clicked his tongue and continued.
"Think of it this way, this is also a good opportunity for Lord Sharon. Even if his younger sister, Lady Sharon, is invited to have tea with Her Majesty the Empress, that's merely in the present. If he's thinking about the future, he would surely want to strengthen ties with those who will someday become my wife and I."
"…That is true, but-"
"So stop burdening yourself with needless guilt or sympathy. Deliver my message properly. Lord Sharon isn't foolish enough to trade lasting benefit for a moment's discomfort."
Given the crown prince's firm command, Ezkhiel set aside his personal feelings and nodded.
With the matter settled, Matthias took a sip of the chilled tea his attendant had brought and murmured quietly.
"I've laid out the board this neatly for him, if he still can't redeem himself, then he's no different from his father. I sincerely hope he won't disappoint me."
"…If he was raised under that kind of father, it won't be easy. He may be keeping himself restrained for now due to punishment, but later, once he lets his guard down, he could easily fall back into the same behavior."
"You and your brother were raised differently from your father, the Baron, weren't you?"
"My brother and I are… very rare exceptions. Whether it's something inherited by nature or a habit shaped by what one's seen growing up, changing oneself isn't easy."
Even Ezkhiel himself, when he was young, would, without realizing it, throw things in anger just like his father, or burst into tears and blame others like his mother.
It was only after he grew older that he recognized he was acting exactly like his parents, and that realization filled him with self-loathing.
Through persistent effort, he finally learned to speak calmly even when angry, but it had taken years of trial and error to get there.
That was precisely why Ezkhiel couldn't easily trust Alexander and Achilles. Whether their warped affection for Ariette, the woman responsible for the duke's downfall, was something inherited from their father or born from the environment he created, Ezkhiel knew all too well just how difficult it was to correct such deeply ingrained tendencies.
Perhaps understanding Ezkhiel's intent, Matthias gave a small nod of agreement.
"Well, not everyone has the same willpower you do. In that case, we'll need to start looking for new talent, just in case."
"…Between background and faction, which will Your Highness prioritize?"
"This time, we'll go by background. Lower nobles, new nobles, even semi-nobles, as long as they have talent, it doesn't matter. If we tie them to influential families through marriage and provide support, we can turn them into whatever chess pieces we wish."
Ezkhiel's expression momentarily twisted at the cold calculation in Matthias's tone, but he quickly returned to his usual composed demeanor.
It was true, those who borrowed power from others were much easier to replace than those who possessed it themselves.
"I'll come up with a suitable pretext for the Knight Commander soon and prepare a list. And as for the families suitable for marriage ties, shall I look among the nobles who already support Your Highness?"
"Select mainly from among the newly risen nobles who've entered the political sphere. It's time we increase the number of new-blood nobles within the knight order to balance things out."
"Understood."
As Ezkhiel noted down the crown prince's orders, Matthias rested his chin on one hand and spoke quietly, as if something about the situation displeased him.
"It's rather inconvenient not to have anyone to handle social affairs. It would be much easier if there were an official who was both competent in administration and skillful in navigating the social circles."
"…But Your Highness dismissed every single one of those socially adept officials, didn't you? There's nothing to be done now."
Back when Matthias had just graduated, the aides who helped him with his social engagements had all been from old noble families.
However, their administrative and political skills were appallingly poor, so much so that they often caused more harm than good. Some even created unnecessary disputes and ended up being formally disciplined.
In the end, Matthias had lost his patience and dismissed them all, leaving himself without a single aide who held direct influence within high society.
"I couldn't just sit by and watch incompetence. If they were going to ignore my orders, the least they could do was perform their duties well. Even if I kept them as links to powerful families, they were far too useless to justify it."
Still, Ezkhiel wasn't exactly in a position to criticize Matthias's decision. After all, those same men had looked down on him and constantly schemed to take his position as chief aide.
Remembering that only irritated Matthias further. His grip on his glass tightened slightly as he muttered.
"Too many of those old nobles still cling to the mindset of hereditary privilege, as if noble blood and tradition alone should guarantee wealth and power. But His Majesty has already changed the era; we no longer live in a world where lineage ensures prosperity."
"The flow of the times is as Your Highness sees it. Perhaps in a few decades, even noble bloodlines and traditions won't be enough to maintain one's status without ability."
"Who knows how long that'll take, though. If His Majesty's reign continues, it might not be decades, it could take a hundred years before that world truly arrives."
At that renewed trace of bitterness toward the emperor, Ezkhiel quietly closed his eyes. It occurred to him that he couldn't even remember the last time Matthias had referred to the emperor as Father.
'Why does His Highness keep such distance from his own family?'
He had never dared to wonder about it before, but after his recent conversation with Letticia, Ezkhiel found himself observing Matthias closely, pondering the reason over and over again.
While he often quoted and expressed respect for his grandfather, the Great Emperor, Matthias spoke of his father, the current emperor, with only the formal title His Majesty and thinly veiled resentment.
The emperor, for his part, did have moments of disagreement with Matthias over policy, but he always tried to incorporate his son's opinions whenever possible.
Even when nobles dissatisfied with Matthias subtly praised Eustace instead, the emperor never once allowed anyone to openly challenge Matthias's authority.
From an outsider's perspective, it was clear that, as a father, he cared deeply for his son. So Ezkhiel simply couldn't understand what Matthias could possibly resent.
Perhaps, he once thought, it was because their political views differed. But Matthias's reactions were often far too emotional for it to be just that, to the point that Ezkhiel had briefly wondered whether the emperor had secretly mistreated him.
'If not that, then maybe… their personalities just don't match?'
Emperor Philip was gentle and disliked conflict, while Matthias was bold, unyielding, and willing to endure discord for the sake of his goals. In many ways, their temperaments were nearly opposites.
At least the emperor seemed to be trying to understand his son's nature, but Matthias, though obedient, always carried a faint look of dissatisfaction.
As Ezkhiel followed his train of thought, a faint irritation stirred within him.
If his own father had made even half the effort Emperor Philip did for his son, Ezkhiel's childhood would have been far happier. He couldn't fathom what Matthias had to complain about when he had a father who not only tried to understand him but also accepted him.
Though Ezkhiel quickly reminded himself not to judge another person's family circumstances so easily, he still couldn't shake the thought that Matthias was being ungrateful. With that, he shut his mouth and returned to focusing on his work.
***
The first test of the fruit-based perfume was finally complete.
Using seasonal fruits such as peaches and cherries, the experiment had produced such a remarkable fragrance that even the perfumers themselves were astonished.
Upon hearing their report, Letticia was delighted and gave her approval to begin full-scale blending trials.
Now that development of their key product was underway, it was time to decide on the brand's name and begin registration. Letticia had been racking her brain over what to call it when Seraphina offered a suggestion.
"How about the name Flos? In the ancient tongue, it means beauty, youth, and prime, and it's also the origin of Flor in the medieval imperial language."
"That word carries all the best meanings. How did you even find something like that?"
"You'll probably learn it in Ancient Language class. Didn't your academy offer ancient languages?"
"…My goal back then was just to avoid failing the course, so I've forgotten everything."
Seraphina looked at Letticia with an expression halfway between disbelief and helpless amusement. Still, since ancient languages didn't seem to count as essential knowledge in Letticia's mind, she mercifully refrained from scolding her about it.
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