Chapter 27 - Reunion
"...So, you found out. I was planning to tell you myself and surprise you."
"Liar. If that were true, you would have come to the ceremony. I would have fainted from the shock."
Hearing Claude’s disingenuous words, Opal raised her fist again. This time, however, he easily caught it in his palm.
"You're as dangerous as ever."
"That's because I'm angry."
"I didn't want to make you worry."
"And I'm telling you that I did worry!"
With her right hand still caught, Opal tried to hit him with her left. But he caught that one, too. Frustrated, Opal glared at him. Claude gave a troubled smile, released her hands, and touched her flushed cheek.
"And I didn't want to make you cry."
As he spoke, Claude wiped away the tears streaming down Opal's face. Still, she kept glaring at him.
"Of course I'm going to worry and cry! When someone you care about does something as stupid as going to a country in the middle of a civil war, anyone would!"
"It hadn't turned into a war yet when I went."
"Don't give me excuses! But... I'm so glad you're safe..."
Opal roughly wiped her tears away, took a deep breath, and stepped back from Claude. Then, she looked him over carefully, from top to bottom.
"You weren't injured, were you?"
"...No, I'm fine. I wasn't on the battlefield."
"I see... Well, that's good. I mean, war itself isn't good, but."
After a visual check and hearing his reply, Opal let out a sigh of relief. But the words she muttered immediately after with a frown were so typically Opal that Claude grinned. Of course, it was no laughing matter. He had denied it to Opal, but he had actually been caught up in several skirmishes. Still, he had made it back safely, so there was no need to tell her and make her worry.
Even though he knew it was hopeless, Claude had been in love with Opal for as long as he could remember. After she married, he had become reckless for a time. So he took the money he had worked so hard to make and headed for the politically unstable Taisey Kingdom. It wasn't as if he had no objective at all.
"You know my mother is from Taisey Kingdom, right, Opal?"
"Yes. She and your father, the Baron, met while he was studying abroad, and they fell deeply in love. She came to this country against her family's wishes, didn't she?"
"To be precise, she was disowned. No matter how many letters she sent, she never once received a reply. So after I graduated from university with nothing in particular to do, I went to check on things."
"But to go without saying anything..."
"I intended to come back right away. I had no plans to reveal who I was. I just wanted to go to the Rousel Count's estate in the capital, hear some rumors about how my mother's family was doing, and come home."
"So your mother was from the Count Rousel family."
"Yeah, she was the youngest daughter of a stubborn old man."
Opal finally understood the connection between Claude and the Count Rousel family, now a Marquisate. But she still had so many questions. Still, they couldn't just stand here forever.
"Hey, Claude. How about some tea at the estate? Marcia would probably cry with joy."
"...That's a kind offer, but before that, shall we go to that place?"
"You mean the big rock?"
"Yeah."
"But..."
The place Claude was suggesting was an area at the foot of a mountain with several large boulders, and it required a bit of a walk. When they were children, they had used it as a secret base and played there often.
"But what? Are you worried about being alone with me?"
"That's not it. It's just that I don't think I have the confidence to climb that big rock anymore."
Claude teased Opal for her hesitation. It was true that even though Opal had been married, being alone with a man could be problematic. But that was water under the bridge, and besides, there was no one around here who would spread such rumors. The real problem was her own stamina. When Opal answered honestly, Claude burst out laughing.
"Getting scared? That's not like you, Opal."
"But it was hard enough just climbing this tree! You saw me coming down, didn't you? I'm so disappointed in myself!"
"So, should we forget it?"
"Let's go."
Delighted by their familiar back-and-forth, Opal accepted Claude’s challenge and started walking. Claude laughed and walked beside her. It was then that Opal remembered they had gotten completely sidetracked.
"So, was your mother's family well?"
"No... Unfortunately, except for my grandfather, most of them had died in the epidemic that also caused the succession crisis."
"Oh... How tragic..."
"Yeah, it is. But maybe it's because I had never met them. It might sound cold, but I can only think of it as tragic."
"Claude..."
But he was still suffering deeply. Sensing this, Opal instinctively squeezed Claude’s hand. He squeezed back tightly. Opal was not the only one who had suffered for nearly eight years.
"In the end, even though I hadn't intended to meet him, when I heard my grandfather was alone in the mansion, I couldn't help but go see him. Honestly, I thought I'd be turned away at the gate, but apparently my face has strong Rousel family features. The butler let me in, surprised, and even got me an audience with the old bastard."
"The old bastard?"
"He was an old bastard. The moment we met, he ordered me to go to the royal castle. He told me to go and swear the Rousel family’s loyalty to the King’s younger brother."
"...How forceful."
"He's arrogant."
"But you did it, didn't you? You always complained about my whims, but you always listened to them. You're really too kind, aren't you?"
"That's not it."
Claude replied to Opal's words with a wry smile. Opal's ‘whims’ were utterly adorable, and Claude had loved granting them. The way her face would light up with a happy "thank you" whenever her wish was granted, how could he ever forget how cute she was.
Still holding Opal's hand, Claude let out a deep breath. He had followed his overbearing grandfather's order because it simply hadn't mattered to him. Just as the epidemic had subsided, the Taisey Kingdom was being torn apart by a succession crisis. Claude had been in danger many times since arriving in the kingdom, but the royal castle was an even more dangerous place. However, under the Count's name, he was fortunate enough to be granted an audience with the King’s younger brother and successfully delivered the letter affirming his grandfather's loyalty.
(That was nothing short of a miracle...)
Through a series of coincidences, Claude got the chance to speak directly with the King's younger brother, the current king, and was so impressed by his character that he began working to defeat the anti-royal faction, independent of his grandfather’s will. He used his own funds and the Count's assets for financial support, leveraged his university connections for supplies, and even received considerable help from Opal's father, Count Holloway.
"Claude, are you all right?"
Opal asked, worried about Claude who had fallen completely silent. Claude hurriedly put on his usual smile.
"Of course I am. I was just thinking about that old bastard. In the end, my grandfather died right after seeing the King's brother, His Majesty, ascend the throne, but he left behind a troublesome will."
"...Is that why you inherited the Rousel title?"
"Yeah. But it makes no sense, right? There are other grandchildren through his daughters. And if anyone was going to inherit, it should have been my older brother, right? But even His Majesty approved it, so I had nowhere to run."
In reality, the backlash from other members of the Rousel family had been fierce. During the civil war, they had loudly complained about providing funds to the King's brother, saying that the family head, Count Rousel, was senile. It was the new King who silenced them. The King first confiscated the entire Rousel title and fortune, on the grounds that there was no direct male heir. Then, in recognition of Claude's service, he announced he would bestow upon him a new title of Marquis, the confiscated fortune, and new lands, territories taken from the nobles who had lost the civil war. This shut the Rousel relatives up.
They realized that if things continued as they were, they might be seen as traitors like the defeated nobles. They judged it would be more honorable for Claude to inherit the title, allowing the Rousel family to claim they had contributed to the new King's ascension. And so, they reluctantly agreed. Claude deftly handled his new relatives while pouring his energy into rebuilding the exhausted Taisey Kingdom.
Of course, not everything went smoothly. His life was often targeted by the remaining anti-royalist faction, and he sometimes had to go into regions where the populace was on the brink of rioting from starvation. For Claude, the first three years in Taisey Kingdom were a constant dance with danger. He told himself he was cutting off contact so as not to worry Opal and his family, but in truth, it was to prevent himself from weakening. Even in that desperate situation, Count Holloway not only continued to provide aid but also introduced him to many investors.
Although the Count's letters never mentioned Opal, Claude was of course aware that Duke McLeod, Opal's husband, was among the investors. He tried not to think about it. Still, it was true that he felt a mix of loneliness and happiness, thinking that if her father had introduced him, the Duke must be getting along well with Opal.
After that, Claude worked relentlessly, driven to rebuild the country for its people and to provide returns to his investors. Eventually, when things had settled down across the kingdom and everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief, Duke McLeod came to visit Claude, carrying a letter of introduction from Count Holloway. After reading the contents of that letter, Claude had to desperately restrain himself from punching the man, Duke McLeod, standing before him.