Chapter 167 - Chapter 29 (Postlude: In a Certain Basement)
Dactor Fila Orchesta was reflecting on his life in the basement.
Born as the Seventh Prince, a 'non-important' position within the royal family, Dactor's life changed significantly at the age of sixteen.
That was his engagement to Violia Nico Fortesia.
...Even for a Seventh Prince, it was normally unthinkable for a member of the royal family to be engaged to the daughter of a noble who had no history and possessed nothing but money.
Even for Violia Nico Fortesia, she was not even a noble by birth; she was, so to speak, a lowly girl who had merely obtained noble status in her childhood.
She is a partner unworthy of me. Dactor had thought so even before the engagement was decided.
And when the engagement was finalized, his father, the King, had apologized to him.
'In order to rebuild the royal family's finances, please marry the Fortesia girl,' he had said.
...Though they were the lowly House Fortesia, they had money. It was even thought that they might possess more gold than some of the long-standing prestigious families in the Royal Capital. Furthermore, it was clear even to Dactor's eyes that Fortesia would continue to grow. The House of Fortesia was more like that of a shrewd merchant than a noble.
Then, after the engagement was decided, when he met Violia Nico Fortesia for the first time. Seeing Violia Nico Fortesia greet him with, "Greetings, Dactor Fila Orchesta-sama"... his mind changed slightly.
Originally, as one of the lower children in the royal family, not much expectation had been placed on him. As a result, being made to marry the daughter of a lowly house was unbearable for Dactor... but even so, Violia appeared somewhat better than expected.
She behaved so elegantly that she did not pale in comparison to daughters of nobles born into their status.
She was so beautiful that she did not pale in comparison to the princesses who were Dactor's sisters.
She loved Dactor devotedly and strove to earn his love.
...Faced with a devoted girl who earnestly cared for him, loved him, and tried to win his affection, Dactor's feelings began to shift.
If it were Violia Nico Fortesia, well, he would not be unwilling to marry her, he thought.
However, Dactor's life was once again to change significantly.
It was when Dactor was eighteen. That is to say, early last spring... he was told this by the King:
'We have decided to dismantle House Fortesia.'
The deterioration of the royal family's finances had progressed faster than anticipated at the time of Dactor's engagement. Therefore, the royal family desired a silver bullet for financial stability... money that could be obtained quickly.
The target they set their sights on was House Fortesia. House Fortesia, which did not have strong ties with other nobles in the kingdom and yet possessed only money, was in the perfect position to be dismantled and have its assets confiscated under some suitable pretext.
...This perplexed Dactor. After all, it was a matter of letting go of the girl he had planned to love and be loved by.
In the two years and some months since the engagement, many memories had been made between Dactor and Violia. Even when they could not meet, Violia fervently wrote letters to him, and during her academy vacations, they held tea parties in the castle courtyard. When they went to a summer resort together last year, she had shown a frolicsome side, though it never became unrefined.
...In the first place, Dactor had already seen Violia's efforts to love and be loved, and he had made up his mind to accept it. Even if it was an unwanted engagement, if that was the only way, he would have to accept it; he had been making the effort to resign himself to it.
But.
To the perplexed Dactor, the King said:
'In place of Violia Nico Fortesia, I shall give you a daughter from a proper family.'
Dactor changed his mind. If a daughter from a family suitable for him was to be his new fiancée, he did not mind if his previous efforts went to waste.
Violia Nico Fortesia was a person in whom no flaws could be found other than her lineage... but if the King had decided to crush her, it could not be helped.
And so, by playing a part in the subsequent farce, Dactor pronounced the annulment of the engagement to Violia Nico Fortesia... and he was supposed to have become a free man.
Yes. He 'was supposed to.'
The search for Dactor's new fiancée was conducted slowly.
Publicly, he was a heartbroken prince who had been betrayed and nearly killed by his former fiancée. It would be somewhat bad for his reputation to decide on the next fiancée too quickly.
However, it would be fine to at least scout for candidates, so Dactor had been investigating the daughters of marriageable age from prestigious families.
The Fruitier daughter had a quite lovely face, giving an impression that made one want to protect her.
The Hornbone daughter was slightly older than Dactor, but her resulting sensuality and maternal nature were attractive.
Many in House Clarino were already engaged to his older brothers, but if he lowered the rank to the branch families, there were indeed many daughters suitable for him.
...But.
Before Dactor could make a formal proposal, they vanished, fleetingly destroyed.
When he heard that House Fruitier had fallen, Dactor received a strong shock.
It was an incredibly shocking story, especially since it was right when he had been planning a tea party with the Fruitier daughter.
At that moment, the thought of Violia Nico Fortesia flickered through Dactor's mind.
When Dactor had pronounced the annulment, she had said, 'The royal family shall walk the path to ruin.'
Furthermore... 'Regret it from the bottom of hell.'
He thought it couldn't be, but he lacked the energy to laugh it off.
...The fall of House Fruitier felt like the curse of Fortesia.
Afterward, the houses of the daughters Dactor set his sights on continued to fall.
With the massacre of the nobles in Elsemarin, about one-third of the daughters Dactor had been eyeing disappeared. Not stopping there, wineries managed by nobles in various places were ruined by slime infestations, or daughters who had come to balls hosted by the royal family were kidnapped and sold into slavery; it was a string of too-perfect bad luck.
...And so, the royal family itself also began to lose its rhythm.
The royal family, whose finances were already precarious, gradually saw even its authority become endangered.
The Cathedral did not sway toward the royal family, and there were few means to reclaim the royal family's prestige... as the hearts of the people drifted away, the figure of Violia Nico Fortesia flickered in the shadows.
Why was she doing such things?
Dactor was merely perplexed, being shown the consecutive results of Violia's incomprehensible actions.
Eventually, the royal family fell into a terrible state.
A hideous thing called the Revolutionary Army was formed, and then...
...Dactor was finally betrayed by everyone in the royal family.
Dactor learned for the first time that such a thing as poison that dissolves into the air existed. And he learned its terror firsthand.
While still in his seat at the dining table, his body became unable to move.
His tongue became tangled and shriveled, that feeling of obstruction as if it were about to block his throat at any moment. His blood vessels swelled, his blood flowed strangely, his heart beat in a sickening way...
...Finally, he prepared for death.
What Dactor learned then was the despair that he was an utterly trivial existence to the royal family.
Made to engage with the daughter of a random house, then made to pronounce the annulment to that daughter, without a next fiancée being found, used conveniently thereafter... and then, betrayed by his own kin, he was to be killed like this.
Dactor despaired.
And he prepared for death.
...And Dactor did not die.
That was because Violia Nico Fortesia saved him.
Violia, who had gallantly leaped into the room filled with deadly poison, took Dactor and fled outside.
Even Dactor's own personal guards had abandoned him. She alone had reached out a saving hand to Dactor.
At that fact... Dactor was struck with realization.
An existence that acknowledged him still remained in this world.
Even for him, for whom nothing went well, who was betrayed by his kin, and who finally had no choice but to die, a light of hope still remained.
Drawn to that light of hope, Dactor left the royal family behind.
Since he was betrayed, it should be fine to betray them back. A royal family that had done such cruel things to him might as well perish.
Finally having lost all affection, Dactor slipped out of the castle that night... and then, went into hiding.
That was to wait for the ruin of the royal family.
And... to wait for her, who would become the new master of the kingdom.
...And so the House of Orchesta perished, and a new kingdom began.
Violia, as Queen, came to lead the new country. She became the person with the most power in this land. Yes. Finally, she had obtained a status worthy of Dactor.
...However, even though he had reunited with Violia, her attitude was cold. And Violia had told Dactor to 'die.'
In the end, things did not go as Dactor wished. Violia rejected Dactor.
But, this time, Dactor should love Violia. The fact that she, who had been his fiancée, had thus become the King of a new country was already destiny. His remaining hope lay only there.
Telling himself so, Dactor...
...Losing his patience with Violia, who would not become his, he shot her.
As a result, Dactor was now in the dungeon.
And Dactor regretted that he had ruined his own hope with his own hands.
Should he have clung to hope until the end? Should he not have fired the gun there? But, if only it weren't for Violia's stubborn attitude, things wouldn't have...
And as Dactor fell into a cycle of repetitive thoughts, footsteps approached.
Those footsteps grew louder and louder, gradually... and finally, they stopped in front of Dactor's cell.
And, seeing the person who appeared there... Dactor's eyes widened.
"Greetings, Dactor-sama."
There stood Violia Nico Fortesia, smiling elegantly and beautifully.
"...Violia... you... were alive..."
"Oh my. Would it have been better if I were dead?"
"Not at all! Ah, I am truly glad..."
Faced with Violia, who laughed jokingly, Dactor rejoiced from the bottom of his heart. Good. Dactor's hope had not yet vanished.
Living harmoniously with the Queen from now on would not be bad. Rather, his status would be higher than it was before. He could not hope for more.
Dactor made a firm resolution before Violia, who stood in front of the cell.
This time, he would not let go of this hand. He would surely make Violia his own.
"Violia, I am sorry. Truly, what have I done..."
"Oh my, you must have been distraught. I do not mind it particularly. As you can see, I have fully recovered."
When he apologized to Violia, it was accepted quite easily. At that, Dactor's joy grew.
"Besides, Dactor-sama. You love me, do you not?"
Furthermore, seeing Violia smile as she said that, Dactor finally rejoiced deeply.
He did not know the reason, and Dactor could no longer think about such things.
But, somehow, things were going well. He felt that way. And the elated mood emboldened Dactor.
"Now, Dactor-sama. Won't you come this way? I have prepared a meal for you."
And so, Dactor, without suspecting anything in particular... rejoiced that Violia had clicked open the lock of the cell, and reached out to take the hand she offered.
The place Violia guided him to was a beautifully decorated room.
The vivid yellow-green wallpaper had an elegant vine pattern. The floor did not seem to be marble, but it was made of stone painted white and was quite stylish. The chandelier was very similar to the one decorated in the royal castle and was of a grand construction. The tapestries draped around the walls were also vividly green and deep reddish-purple. The arranged flowers smelled sweet, and the table prepared was lined with finely crafted cutlery.
And Violia, smiling within the perfectly arranged room, was also perfectly arranged.
Wearing a luxurious dress that used many layers of fabric dyed in various shades of red, and adorned with ornaments decorated with several kinds of unusual gemstones.
...The things Violia was wearing would have looked gaudy on their own. However, by being worn by Violia and all brought together, they settled in perfectly, sublimating Violia herself into a single work of art.
"Now, Dactor-sama. Please, this way."
From Violia, who invited Dactor, came a certain sweet fragrance. It was a scent Dactor did not know, but it was not unpleasant. He wondered what kind of flower perfume this was. Or perhaps, was it the scent of something other than a flower? Dactor sat at the table as he was invited, with such thoughts in his dazed head.
As Dactor and Violia took their seats, food was brought in from the other side of the room.
"Oh, thank you for your hard work."
Violia dismissed them with a smile... but surprisingly, the ones carrying the food were golems.
Does she intentionally not use humans? Dactor wondered a little, but he could not let his thoughts wander to what might be lurking behind that wonder.
Eventually, the golems finished carrying the appetizers and wine to the table.
"Well then, let us have a toast."
Violia smiled and lightly raised her wine glass.
Dactor followed suit, likewise raising his glass, and then drank the wine filled within.
...It was a mysterious flavor.
Within the flavor of high-quality wine, there was a mysterious sweetness.
The mysterious sweetness that lingered slightly on the tongue became only a faint sense of incongruity within Dactor. Encouraged by Violia, who was smiling in front of him, he immediately set to work on the appetizer.
The appetizer was oysters. Oysters elegantly steamed and topped with a cream sauce containing a rich umami.
When he brought it to his mouth, the rich umami of the oysters spread. For Dactor, who had not eaten anything decent since fleeing the royal castle and had only been given meager meals while imprisoned in the dungeon, it was a flavor that evoked strong joy.
...But.
He felt something faintly catching.
Something that was neither astringency nor acridity, like a numbness. A scent like the smell of metal.
...Those were very slight things. They were the kind of things one could just laugh off. However, Dactor felt a slight hitch there.
"How is it? ...It is something I prepared myself. I hope it is to your taste."
But the faint incongruity Dactor felt was dissipated by Violia saying that bashfully.
One should not find fault with something prepared by the hand of the woman one loves. In the first place, Violia was raised as a noble, albeit a nouveau riche one. And now she was the Queen. There was no reason for such a person to be accustomed to cooking. He should let the incongruity pass without showing he had noticed.
"Yes. It is very delicious."
"Is that so? Then I am glad."
Violia smiled elegantly. Dactor even felt a sense of satisfaction seeing that smile.
He was even under the illusion that he might be the happiest person in the world right now.
Next to be brought was soup.
The soup was thick and red. Within it, softly simmered meat and root vegetables could be seen.
Dactor scooped them with a spoon and ate them.
...He felt something like the smell of iron, but he soon forgot that too.
The strongly applied spices brought surprise to Dactor before the incongruity.
"Oh my, was it not to your taste? I heard it is a dish from a foreign land. One with many herbs and spices like this... I quite like it, though."
Seeing Violia make a slightly disappointed face, Dactor hurriedly brought another spoonful of soup to his mouth. When he swallowed the strongly stimulating liquid, his numbed tongue let it pass without feeling any particular incongruity.
"It is an unfamiliar taste, but I like it too. This is quite interesting."
"Oh, I am happy. It was worth making it if you say so."
While watching Violia smile cheerfully again, Dactor poured the soup into his stomach.
...And the meat dish brought next was a luxurious slice of red meat grilled to perfection.
Taking a bite, he could tell it was top-quality dragon meat. The umami that overflowed the more he chewed. A heavy flavor. Sweet down to every drop of fat, it was a masterpiece suitable for a perfect dinner party.
...But.
"Oh my, Dactor-sama. What is the matter? You do not seem to be feeling well."
"That's not true. I'm fine."
While saying he was fine, Dactor was feeling an abnormality in his body.
A slight trembling. He noticed his fingertips were cold, yet his body was strangely hot. A cold sweat broke out. And his stomach felt as if it were faintly convulsing...
"Is that so? Then perhaps it was my misunderstanding. ...I thought that perhaps, Dactor-sama, you were eating reluctantly..."
"Reluctantly? Not at all! There's no way I could feel unwell while having a meal with you."
However, Dactor believed those were due to his previous harsh life and the snapping of the thread of tension.
...Now that he had grasped hope, Dactor could not bring himself to doubt that hope.
And the meal proceeded, and the final dish was brought.
The final dish was a lovely dessert. Unfamiliar berries were elegantly decorated atop a shining white mousse. And around the mousse cake, a deep reddish-purple sauce, likely made from the decorative berries, was poured.
Faced with a plate as beautiful as a work of art, Dactor took a spoon in hand and brought it close to the plate to take a scoop of mousse...
There, seeing the silver spoon turn a dark, muddy color, he froze.
"Oh my, what is the matter? Dactor-sama."
Seeing Dactor like that, Violia smiled.
"Please, do eat. Just like the previous dishes."