The moment the Old Prime Minister declared the Royal Selection closed, a different sort of chaos consumed the Great Hall.
A swarm of courtiers descended upon Alecia, the newly chosen monarch. It wasn't just her loyal supporters; the crowd was bolstered by neutral lords and even those who had stood by Regnard until moments ago. Congratulations, pledges of fealty, and frantic excuses for their previous allegiances filled the air as the circle around her grew larger by the second.
The official Coronation Ceremony was scheduled for seven days from now. Until then, Alecia would be buried in work—handing over government affairs, notifying every corner of the kingdom of the results, finalizing guest lists, and organizing security. Watching her workload multiply the very second she secured her victory, I quietly turned toward the exit.
"Alright, let’s go, Clarice. If we move now, we can slip out before anyone catches us."
"Wait...! Aren't you going to say something to Alecia? You’re essentially the hero of the hour."
"That’s exactly why I’m leaving! If I get close to her now, she won’t stop at a thank you... I have a feeling she’ll immediately dump some new request on me. Besides, she still doesn't know I was the one who spoke to the Duke."
"Are you sure about that? I think everyone has your face memorized by now..."
"In that case, I’m running before things get any worse. Our contract was only until the Royal Selection ended. The rest is royal business."
I didn't want praise or a promotion. All I wanted was wine, meat, and a bed where no one would bother me.
After leaving the royal palace, we headed straight for our rented lodgings.
"Aren't we staying to celebrate tonight?"
"Are you an idiot? We were just being glared at by a prince who lost his claim to the throne. I don't value my life so little that I’d spend the night dead drunk in a capital inn. Pack your bags; we’re returning to the domain immediately."
We checked out of the inn and pushed through the journey, stopping the carriage only once to rest. By the evening of the following day, we were back in the Razgrim domain.
◇
Mylene and Serena were waiting for us in front of the manor.
Since we had returned earlier than expected, Mylene immediately began inspecting my clothes for blood or tears, while Serena’s eyes scanned the road behind the carriage for any sign of pursuers.
"Welcome home, My Lord... How did the Royal Selection fare?"
"You can tell just by looking, can't you? I came home in a carriage, not in chains."
"...Then, Alecia is to be the next monarch?"
"Yeah. She won by a single vote."
I saw the tension drain from their shoulders. As the manor doors closed behind us, the reality that I was finally back in my own territory truly set in, and a sensation welled up from deep in my gut.
"Heh... heh..."
Mylene peered at my face with concern, and Serena’s hand drifted back toward her dagger.
"M-My Lord...?"
"Heh... Hahaha! We won! We actually won! Regnard didn't get his way, and my head and domain are both safe!"
Once I started laughing, I couldn't stop. If just one more person had stayed in their seat, I would have lost everything. But at the very last second, the tables turned, and I made it back alive.
"What is this...? I can't stop. I'm so relieved I feel like I'm losing my mind!"
Mylene and Serena exchanged a look. They clearly had no idea how to handle their master in such high spirits.
"My Lord... perhaps we should call for a doctor, just in case?"
"I don't need a doctor! I’m just in a good mood!"
"It is only that I have never seen you laugh so boisterously before, My Lord..."
"I’m allowed to be happy when I win! You two are being incredibly rude."
"As long as you are unharmed, that is all that matters. However... are you quite certain there is nothing wrong?"
Serena asked with such a straight face that it only made me laugh harder.
"I'm fine! Tonight, bring out every scrap of meat and every bottle of wine we have! Don't worry about the cost. We’re eating until we’re stuffed and drinking until we can't stand!"
Mylene offered a confused but warm smile and headed for the kitchen. Serena, meanwhile, solemnly declared that for tonight, she would personally guard the wine bottles.
Clarice let out an exasperated sigh.
"In the royal palace, you acted like you knew it was going to happen all along..."
"I couldn't let Regnard see how desperate I was. But here, I’m surrounded by allies. Let me laugh as much as I want for one night."
That night, the dining hall was filled with the aroma of roasted and stewed meats, fresh white bread, and fine wine. Every time I drained my cup, another fit of laughter took me, leaving Mylene and Serena to exchange several more looks as they wondered if I had truly snapped.
Once I was full and the wine had begun to take hold, I raised my glass.
"I’ve decided! From today until the Coronation Ceremony, I am absolutely not working! Do not wake me up in the morning. Do not bring me any documents that aren't life-or-death. And most importantly, do not let the wine and meat run out!"
"For the entire seven days, My Lord?"
"I hired you both so the domain would run even when I’m not working! This is your chance to show me your results, Mylene."
"I did not realize I was hired for the purpose of enabling such decadence..."
◇
It was long after the ceremony had concluded that Alecia finally managed to see off the last of the nobility.
She turned toward Galvas Eldran and Lydia and bowed deeply.
"Duke Eldran, thank you for your support today... Had you not stood, the other lords of the West likely would not have moved."
"Save your thanks. The coronation has yet to occur, and you have yet to accomplish a single thing as Queen."
The letter he had sent previously had explicitly stated his intention to remain neutral.
"...Duke, might I ask what finally swayed you?"
"Half of it was what I saw in you today. The other half... was that Razgrim youngster."
Vain had visited the Duke’s villa two days prior, brazenly telling the man to stop hiding behind neutrality and choose a monarch with his own eyes.
"Vain went to see you...?"
"He called me a stubborn old man, among other things. I haven't forgotten that."
"I... I am deeply sorry for his behavior."
"Why are you apologizing? If you take the burden of that youngster's insolence upon yourself, your back will break before you’re even crowned."
Lydia picked up where her father left off.
"My father did not make his decision based solely on the Count's words. He sent me and a hundred soldiers to his domain to verify his governance and his character. Despite the rumors in the capital, his people do not follow him out of fear. He did not fawn over our soldiers, nor did he mistreat them."
Lydia’s brow furrowed slightly.
"To be clear, I personally despise Count Razgrim. I have not forgiven his lack of manners toward my father. However, I have no intention of denying his effectiveness as a lord simply because I dislike him."
"You don't need to be so defensive, Lydia. I understand."
Alecia gave a small laugh, though her heart felt restless.
Vain hadn't said a word about it.
When she had urged him to flee once their contract was fulfilled, he had grown angry and insisted on staying. On top of that, without telling her a thing, he had gone to confront the most influential and difficult man in the kingdom.
It wasn't to put her in his debt, nor was it to seek praise. Because he had chosen Alecia himself, he had acted to ensure that his choice was realized.
A strange warmth flickered in her chest. It was different from the thrill of victory or the gratitude she felt for her other supporters. Thinking of Vain brought her a sense of peace, yet at the same time, it made her pulse quicken. She wanted to see him again—to hear from his own mouth what he had been thinking.
"What exactly did Vain say to you about me, Duke?"
"That youngster said there were many things you lacked. But he also said you were capable of admitting your faults and borrowing the strength of others. That was what made me decide to look at you properly."
Galvas lowered his voice.
"However, the reason I finally cast my vote was because of how you carried yourself after Marquis Dalgren turned his back on you. Had you lashed out in anger, I would have remained in my seat."
"...So you saw me for who I am and made your choice."
"Indeed. A monarch’s trial does not end with their selection. Remember that you will be watched from this day forward."
Alecia bowed her head, then unconsciously scanned the Great Hall. The silver-haired man she was looking for was nowhere to be found.
"Where is Count Razgrim?"
"I am told he left the palace immediately after the announcement, packed his things at his inn, and departed for his domain," Lydia replied.
"...He’s gone already?"
She had only intended to thank him, but knowing he was out of reach made him feel terribly distant. It was frustrating that he had left without a word, but more than that, it felt lonely.
"Just when I wanted to see him, that man..."
Alecia caught herself as the words left her lips.
I want to see him... She wasn't entirely sure why that had come out so naturally.
Galvas raised an amused eyebrow but chose to remain silent.
"He just finished a massive undertaking. Let the man rest for a few days... though if he’s left to his own devices, he’ll likely stay in bed until the coronation."
"Duke, you seem to have taken quite a liking to Vain, haven't you?"
"...Now you’re saying it too? The boy simply has mountains of things I still need to teach him."
Beside him, Lydia let out a quiet sigh.
◇
The following morning, as I was enjoying a late breakfast in the dining hall, a sealed letter arrived from the domain office.
I broke the seal while stuffing meat into my bread, scanned the first few lines, and then handed it off to Clarice.
"Nothing urgent. The rest can wait until my vacation is over."
"You only read the first three lines..."
"I have them write so I can tell if it’s an emergency in the first three lines. Don’t worry. Since there’s no trouble in the domain, there’s no reason to read the rest right now."
Clarice didn't bother reading the rest either, setting the letter on the edge of the table.
"...I’m taking a break this time, too. I ran all over the capital with you; I think I’ve earned it."
"Now that’s the right attitude. You’re finally starting to act like my aide."
"If I acted like you all the time, the domain would come to a standstill."
After finishing my meal, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed. In the distant capital, Alecia was probably buried in preparations for the Coronation Ceremony.
"Being a monarch sounds like a nightmare... I’m truly glad I’m just a Count."
Any higher rank would only bring more work and more stifling social obligations. I wouldn't take a promotion even if it were offered on a silver platter.
At least until the coronation, this quiet life would continue. Believing that, I closed my eyes and, for the first time in a long while, felt no anxiety at all.