A Righteous Female Knight Never Compromises!-Chapter 20 : Chancellor Theodore and his little brother
{CHAPTER 20} Chancellor Theodore and his little brother
"This... that... Atala, it's not what you think..."
Unexpectedly, Atala appeared in what was supposed to be a private dining space (actually a public area), instantly pulling Helga out of her heated state. Helga was now flustered, stumbling over her words.
"...Anna and Helga, being lovey-dovey here?"
But Atala saw it clearly.
"Helga forced it!"
Anna immediately spoke up, fearing Atala would misunderstand, and quickly distanced herself from Helga.
"You... I..."
Helga was at a loss for words, knowing she had indeed lost control earlier. There was nothing she could say now.
"Forcing someone, Helga, that's not good," Atala's eyes showed a hint of disdain.
"Save me! Apologize! Three times, three times!" Anna, who had just been the victim, was now acting quite arrogantly.
"I know I was wrong! Sumimasen! Hontōni sumimasen!"
Helga immediately blurted out a phrase in Far Eastern language and even performed a "dogeza" bow, a Far Eastern gesture of deep apology.
Seeing Helga prostrate herself before her, Anna's playful side emerged.
"Then lick my foot... wait! Helga, what are you doing?!"
Before Anna could finish, Helga lunged from the ground to Anna's feet, kicked off her shoes, and was about to start licking...
"Wait, stop!!"
The tables had turned (sadly).
...
"Seems like you've had enough fun?"
Atala, who had been munching on desserts like a hamster, watched as the two finally stopped their antics and sighed.
"...Who knew Helga could be so perverted now!"
Blushing furiously, Anna put her shoes back on and glared at Helga.
"Don't even think about it tonight!"
"Whatever, I've already had my fun," Helga said with a "thanks for the meal" expression, which only made Anna more embarrassed and angry.
"Does Louise know you two play like this?"
"..."
Atala's words instantly killed the mood.
"The desserts are really good!"
Anna awkwardly tried to change the subject.
"Ah... right... right!" Helga also wanted to shift the topic and luckily found a suitable one.
"Anna, that Theodore, it seems he's become the Chancellor."
"...Huh?"
Anna was momentarily stunned, her attention now fully on Helga's topic.
"Chancellor... what kind of position is that?" Atala, unfamiliar with the kingdom's official titles, was curious seeing Anna's surprise.
"In charge of court affairs, assisting the monarch... that's the nominal duty of the Chancellor," Anna explained. "But it was only an emergency position established after the Carrick Empire collapsed, when the kingdom needed someone to oversee the unstable political situation and assist the monarch."
"The most famous and mysterious Chancellor in the kingdom's history, Lennar, was someone who could oversee everything and assist the monarch."
"But later, the meaning of the Chancellor's position changed..."
"...?"
"Because the Chancellor had the power to dismiss officials at will, after the first Chancellor, Lennar, disappeared, the position remained vacant for three to four hundred years. It wasn't until 'the Fool' Charles took the throne and appointed a favorite as Chancellor. That favorite was no good and nearly caused a civil war. In the end, the local nobles rebelled, Charles was overthrown, and the favorite was beheaded."
"Later, several Chancellors emerged, all of whom held real power in the kingdom, even reducing the king to a puppet. They were essentially uncrowned kings..."
"...So, does that mean Theodore is now the most powerful person in the kingdom?" Atala, who had met Theodore before but didn't know much about him, was shocked.
"And Theodore is the leader of the Pure Blood faction..." Anna was even more worried now. "If he really uses all his power to assassinate me, I'm done for..."
"Don't worry, even if Theodore has become Chancellor, with the backing of our Bartham and Latimir families, you'll be fine," Helga said. "If he dares to openly attack you, we'll just declare independence in Lunareth County! March on the capital, seize the throne..."
"Don't talk nonsense," Anna retorted. "Besides, there's no need to go that far for me..."
"Who says there's no need? Ask Louise when she arrives, see if she's willing to raise an army for you?"
"You make it sound like I'm some kind of femme fatale..."
"Toppling Theodore now isn't something we and Latimir can do alone," Helga's father, who had appeared in the dining room unnoticed, interjected.
"Even if we rebel, we can only get three of the royal guard regiments to defect. But the kingdom has eight royal guard regiments, over a dozen knight orders, and a large number of conscripted peasant soldiers... we're outnumbered and outmatched."
Darlak sighed deeply:
"Even though the Lunareth people still carry the blood of the Lunarian and are as fierce as ever, it's not like eight hundred years ago. Even if we rebel and declare independence, we can't march to the capital like our ancestors did, forcing the king to sign a treaty and grant us fiefs."
"..."
"To topple Theodore, we can only gather evidence and impeach him. Although the Pure Blood faction is powerful, the Celestials can still intervene. If we can prove Theodore is endangering the kingdom's stability and get the Celestials involved, along with the nobles who oppose the Pure Blood faction, there might still be a chance."
"Toppling Theodore..."
If Theodore isn't toppled, Anna might be assassinated one day. Saving the kingdom is just a bonus; saving herself is the real goal.
"...Speaking of which," Anna suddenly remembered something, "on my way to the capital, I was intercepted by bandits sent by someone. They tried to kill me, though I think the bandit leader had other intentions."
"What!? Why didn't you tell me?" Helga was stunned.
"I didn't think it was a big deal, so I didn't mention it," Anna thought for a moment. "After I defeated the bandit leader, she told me who hired her to kill me... but I can't quite remember the name. It was... what was it?"
"Was it John? Or something..."
"...Duke Baggs, John Burrito?"
"Yes, that's the name!" Anna raised an eyebrow. "So it really was a duke?"
Chapter 20 : Chancellor Theodore and his little brother
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