Chapter 74 - Episode 17: Scandals are Something One Creates
Good day! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
I have now! Decided! To burn down House Hornbone!
I've decided. I'll burn it. Once I decided, I felt somehow refreshed.
When I burned down the mansion I first stole from in Elsemarin, I learned that burning down the mansion of a hateful noble is such a fun thing. As I thought, one should actively do fun things. After all, we are humans.
Yes. We are humans. It is natural for us, who find familiarity and peace in fire, to burn houses.
Besides, they say the beginning of human civilization was fire. Isn't it a very natural form to return the mansion of a rotten noble, which is the result of a rotted civilization, to dust with fire?
...In short, it should be burned! That is it!
The house of that hateful bastard! Should be burned! That is it!
"No, I said it, but there should be various other things first. First, frame them for the suspicion of kidnapping the princess or lèse-majesté..."
"No! I shall burn it! Burning it can be after everything is finished!"
"It'll be suspicious if it burns."
"I! Have a bit of a fixation when it comes to burning the mansions of nobles! I shall burn it! No matter what you say, I shall burn it! I will definitely burn it!"
"...It's been a little while since I've seen the lady shining this much."
How rude! I am always shining like the sun!
I wasn't drunk to begin with, but I am so excited the intoxication is blown away! I wasn't drunk to begin with! I can't get drunk!
"...Well, whatever. Yeah. I'm glad the lady seems to be having fun."
"Yes. I am looking forward to it very much! So you too, please enjoy yourself to your heart's content!"
Hearing Giovan reply "Yes, yes" as if he'd given up yet seemed happy, my feelings also flared up intensely!
"...Oh, when did the second bottle become empty?"
"Oh, pardon me. I drank most of it."
Because it was delicious wine, I just... The appetizers were also delicious, so I just, just... Because I was burning with the will to burn the mansion, I just, just, just!
"I haven't had enough to drink yet..."
"I'm already slightly tipsy, though..."
I don't get drunk no matter how much I drink. My alcohol capacity is until I don't want to drink anymore!
"There are still appetizers, and since we're here, I'll go get one more bottle."
"Eeeh... no, then I'll go. Lady, you stay in your room."
"Really? But you are drunk, aren't you?"
I wonder if it's a good idea to let a drunkard out into the hallway...
...Just then.
"Violia. Are you awake?"
Along with Onii-sama's voice, there was a knock on the door!
"...I thought I'd bring some wine, but... what on earth... is this situation?"
In Onii-sama's hand is a basket with wine and appetizers! It's the best! As expected of Onii-sama!
Oh, it's strange that Giovan is here, isn't it? Onii-sama's face says as much.
"Oh, misunderstanding. That's a misunderstanding, big brother... no, I was just drinking and complaining a bit."
"...Was I in the way?"
"No? Not at all! And you came at just the right time! I hadn't had enough to drink!"
So Onii-sama joined in and the drinking party resumed! Giovan left hurriedly in the middle, but after that, I was able to talk with Onii-sama, and my stomach and heart were full; I was very satisfied!
I got into bed after morning came, slept in until past noon, and woke up feeling happy.
The sea overflowing with the light of past noon is beautiful today too. If I go out on deck, a comfortable sea breeze will surely be blowing. ...But.
"I am bored..."
It is a foolish move to leave the room! And if I don't leave the room, I'm bored, so I'll go back to sleep! Good night!
So when I woke up, it was already night.
Even though I was just sleeping, I've become hungry. It's the mystery of the human body.
I wondered if I should go eat something, and then... on a note that seemed to have been slid under the door, in Onii-sama's handwriting, it said, 'I've prepared a meal outside the door. Eat if you feel like it.'
Immediately, while being wary of any presence outside the door, I opened the door, quickly took the basket that was placed there, and closed the door at once.
...Inside the basket were sandwiches, roast chicken, vegetable pickles, and mushroom marinade. A bottle of drink was also with them. It seems to be citrus juice. I shall have it at once!
While eating and looking out the window, the lights of land became visible. It's a little longer until docking.
Once we reach land, I must immediately start spreading bad rumors about Hornbone and move on other things. Let's go at it with spirit.
From the ship that docked at the outskirts of Marylance, the nobles are disembarking. And one after another, they disperse, heading toward the town of Marylance or getting into carriages that were waiting on the shore.
Among them, of course, is the sight of House Hornbone's carriage driving away. Inside the carriage must be the slaves he bought... that is, Fawn, Princess Scola, and the noble beauties the head excitedly bought before them.
...They will probably head back to the mansion in the Royal Capital just like that.
And they should encounter a checkpoint at their destination.
After all, my tip-off should have already reached the Royal Castle. The carriage with House Hornbone's insignia should not be overlooked!
And we disembarked after there were finally no more people around the ship.
There, Doran and Keeb came to meet us.
"Seems like it went well."
"Yes. Did the letter reach there?"
"Yeah. I caught the bird as it flew in from the sea and took the procedure to formally submit it to the Royal Castle. The accusation should have reached the Royal Capital by now."
...Surely, you didn't just catch the bird while it was flying...? N-No, Doran might actually do that...
"Which means that's one move for now. Don't know how the opponent will act, but well, there's a high possibility of landing a blow."
"At the very least, if it's known that Fawn Tart Hornbone, who was supposed to be a tragic victim of the 'Ballroom Bombing Incident,' is alive, they can no longer remain tragic victims."
That is how it is. The explosion and fire in the dance hall was quite interesting, but it resulted in sympathy votes gathering for the nobles who were caught in it and died. ...Even if they did somewhat wicked things while alive, everyone is treated as a good person once they die. Disagreeable.
"But is that all? Then won't the Royal Family and House Hornbone just conspire to cover it up and handle Fawn and Princess Scola internally?"
"Oh, Keeb. Naturally, that will not happen. They are scheduled to have a massive debt, you see."
Since he wasn't on the ship, Keeb doesn't know about the debt of the head of House Hornbone. So he doesn't know that we can land another blow on Hornbone's face there.
...But well, even if I explain that, it is 'just that.'
There is also the possibility that House Hornbone and the Royal Family will play the tragic victim and make a fuss about the 'debt' and the 'slave incident.'
As for the Royal Family's face, they wouldn't want to do that, but even so, if they attack with the approach of 'a tragic princess who was illegally made into a slave despite having done nothing wrong,' they can maintain their appearance and divert the spearhead to some 'culprit' lurking somewhere.
In that case, the target to divert the anger to would be... me, Violia Nico Fortesia, I wonder...?
Surely they wouldn't think they can use me conveniently now, and I'm supposed to be overseas...
...Ah!? That's it!? I'm supposed to be overseas!?
Which means, they might make a storyline like 'She kidnapped the princess to a foreign country where slave systems are lax, made the princess a slave there, then re-imported and sold her'!?
Actually, there aren't many other countries with such lax slave systems, so I gave up on that plan and invited a Slave Registration Office to Elsemarin, invited Saki-sama, and finally managed to knock those hateful people down to slave status... but for framing someone, anything goes, doesn't it!?
I hate it! I absolutely refuse to have such a false accusation pinned on me again!
I am indeed the culprit!? But I don't want to be framed through a process like 'trying to pin the crime on someone at random and it turned out to be true'!
"This won't do! No matter what, I must interfere so that House Hornbone and the Royal Family are not made into tragic victims!"
"That's why I was talking about that?"
That is true! Keeb is clever! He is cute and clever! Yes, I'll let him wear a cute dress when we get back!
"Even if we burn the mansion, we must do it after firmly disgracing the name of Hornbone..."
"...You're burning it?"
Come to think of it, I hadn't said it. Well, I'll burn it. Even if I'm stopped, I'll burn it.
...Doran looked at Giovan with a slightly complicated face. Come to think of it, Doran knew Giovan's circumstances.
But Giovan just shrugged and gave a grin in return. After all, burning the Hornbone mansion is also his will. ...Doran seemed relieved to see that. What a beautiful friendship (T/N: 'Kusare-en', a deep but troublesome bond).
"Sister! If you are to burn the mansion, I shall lend you my strength! I shall arrange for gunpowder and oil!"
"Thank you, Onii-sama! You are wonderful!"
"Fuhahaha! If my cute sister wants to burn the mansion of a hateful opponent, it is the duty of a brother to cooperate!"
And Onii-sama is wonderful as always! With this, there is no worry about burning the Hornbone mansion!
...There is! There is worry!
So! Before burning it! We must disgrace the name of Hornbone!
After all, it wouldn't be interesting if the burning of House Hornbone was also dismissed as 'a tragedy involving one of the prestigious families and the Royal Family'!
I won't let them spin a beautiful story. For those classless people, a story of vulgar karmic retribution is what's appropriate!
...Above all, that Fawn Tart Hornbone! That smug bastard is what I don't like!
What is with him! Womanizing is fine, but for a noble brat to be like that despite being engaged is a bit much! Even though he's engaged to the Royal Family, to cheat of his own will without even being caught in a conspiracy—is there such a fool!?
As for me! As for me, despite my efforts to maintain my engagement with Dactor-sama! I was caught in the conspiracy of the dregs of the Royal Family and prestigious families, my mansion was burned, I fell, and I'm in this state!? I won't accept this!
Besides, if you're going to do it, it's better to be thorough!
If you're a womanizer, I'd like to see you have the spirit to seduce every single woman! Yes, that's right! If you're going to be kind because they're women, you should have reached out to me when I was being framed for the attempted assassination of the Prince and denounced in the Throne Room! A half-baked womanizer ruins himself! No! He should be ruined!
...That's right. He should be ruined, shouldn't he?
Through female relationships, he should be ruined. ...Right?
"The opposite of a beautiful tragedy is a scandalous affair (T/N: 'Harenchi na shuubun')."
"Ah, yeah. Certainly for House Hornbone. They're not lacking in topics for that."
Yes. House Hornbone, both Fawn and the head, are great lovers of women. Naturally, there should be scandals there!
"I shall use that to disgrace the name of House Hornbone."
Fawn, who does nothing but cheat despite his engagement to the princess, and the Hornbone head, who cheats incessantly despite having a legal wife and children and buys up beautiful girl slaves—they should fully bear that infamy!
"So, from now on, are we going to walk around picking up House Hornbone's scandals and spreading them?"
"No. That is too stingy. If we're going to do it, we'll do it with a bang."
Searching for scandals is troublesome. It doesn't suit my nature.
Besides, for a noble of House Hornbone's standing, they would have suppressed or skillfully seasoned and settled such things. It's a waste of time just to search.
...Therefore, I shall treat them to an exquisite scandal involving women that House Hornbone hasn't suppressed at all!
"I shall have young ladies we've prepared here attack House Hornbone!"
Scandals! From now on! Are something we shall create!