Volume 2 Chapter 9 The Kingdom Government - The Miscalculation Of The Marquis Weissman Family
That day, Dill Weissman, the head of the Marquis Weissman family, was in a terrible mood. The reason was, of course...
"Those country mice!"
...a letter from the Count Hartfield family that canceled the ongoing engagement. Prime Minister Dill, unable to hide his irritation, threw the letter with all his might.
But it was just a letter.
Instead of flying away with force, it fluttered and drifted, further aggravating Dill's feelings. It was as if the letter was mocking him for his shoulder, which he had just hurt because it was too light.
Holding his shoulder, Dill stomped on the letter that had fallen to the floor and shouted at the waiting servant, "Call Dario!"
The servant hurriedly left the room, and Dill roughly brushed his messy hair back. Trying to calm himself, Dill sat in his office chair, but his irritation didn't fade, and he kept tapping his fingers on the desk.
Tap, tap, tap... As the sound of his tapping grew louder,
"Father, did you call for me?"
Dario's voice came from beyond the door.
"Come in."
At Dill's short shout, the door opened hesitantly, revealing Dario with a tense expression. Dario probably didn't know about the letter from the Hartfield family yet.
As Dario entered the room cautiously, Dill opened his mouth with bloodshot eyes.
"Dario. I heard you were getting along well with Miss Cecilia?"
Faced with Dill's frown, Dario nodded without hesitation, "Yes."
"Then what is this letter?"
Startled by Dill's angry voice, Dario picked up the crumpled letter from the floor.
"It says here that the country mouse from Hartfield is canceling the engagement because of your bad behavior."
Dario could only nod in response to Dill's trembling voice filled with anger.
"I know you are close with Saint. But I told you, if you want to play with fire, you need to properly train your girl."
It was a strange point of anger, but Dill himself had a mistress living in another house besides his legal wife. Like father, like son.
"If you don't teach her her place, this is what happens."
Dill snorted and glared at Dario.
"You understand what I mean, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then go. Make that country girl understand her position."
As Dario bowed and left the room, Dill snorted once more.
"Honestly... old families are just full of pride, and it's a hassle."
Dill muttered bitterly and called out to the ceiling, "Is anyone there?" Then, without a sound, a panel was removed, and a shadow dressed in all black descended.
"Go investigate the Hartfield family."
"...Is that really okay? Isn't unnecessary probing into the territory nobles prohibited by the pact?"
"I don't care. There are suspicions of meat being smuggled abroad. If that weren't the case, I can't believe they would refuse the compensation."
With a snort, Dill heard the black shadow say, "If that's the case," and then it vanished.
What Dill sent out was the dark part of the kingdom that controlled its shadows. This was the part of the kingdom that dealt with espionage and assassination, eliminating those who went against the central authority. However, even this dark part couldn't easily enter the territory of the nobles.
Due to an old pact, the territory nobles were granted a certain degree of autonomy.
Still, exceptions could be made if there was confirmed intent of rebellion against the kingdom.
For example, in Cecilia's family, exporting meat produced for the kingdom to foreign countries without permission could be seen, albeit weakly, as a suspicion of rebellion. That said, normally there would be necessary procedures before sending in the dark part...
Dill, who was certain of the smuggling, thought it was fine since they could catch them in the act. Little did he know that this was not the case.
Dill's arrogance in fixating on the Hartfield family stemmed from the weight of history. While other territory nobles could be considered prestigious, they were somewhat inferior in terms of history compared to the Hartfield family, which had existed since the founding of the kingdom.
His stubbornness to prefer the Hartfield family.
His arrogance in believing he had the power to make it happen.
Unaware that this stubbornness and arrogance would lead to his own downfall, Dill finally took the last step.
"I must make them understand that opposing us is foolish."
Dill picked up a pen and began writing a letter to the Hartfield family. The content was, of course, a bold statement that if they were to break off the engagement, the compensation would be cut off. Additionally, he hinted that if they changed their minds now, he would let various things slide.
Dill had sent the dark part to investigate, but he was confident it was just meat smuggling. So he believed this final sentence would be a decisive threat to them.
This was because there was almost no history of territory nobles forming alliances without marriage. He never imagined that Braubelg was behind Hartfield. Let alone thinking of making profits from cosmetics instead of meat.
His preconceived notion that things had always been this way led him to believe it would be the same this time.
His arrogance in thinking they were in a superior position at this point.
Thus, this letter was meant to be a final ultimatum from the Marquis Weissman family to the Hartfield family. He didn't even realize how foolish that act was.
Dill was still unaware that his arrogant threats no longer held any pressure over the Hartfield family.
Randy's proposal for a joint production of beauty serum among the 3 families had received maximum support from the Marquis family. An investment amounting to a sum far beyond any compensation from the kingdom had already been decided and was flowing in.
With just one word from Marchioness Flora, the brilliant Cedric, praised by Marquis Lucian, is now involved.
This shows that Lucian, a long-time leader in business, has approved the venture, ensuring it will be profitable. The threat of compensation no longer matters. In fact, they even sent the dark side to accuse them of made-up crimes.
The timing of the threat, how it was delivered, and who it was aimed at have all made the outcome clear.
Dill's only option was to scold his son and, on behalf of the family, apologize to the Hartfield family for his son's actions to preserve the relationship.
But he made the wrong choice.
If Dill had apologized at this point, things might have turned out differently. But instead, his arrogance led him to disrespect the Hartfield family. This decision caused Cecilia's family, the Hartfields, to fully oppose the royal family and the central government.
Two prestigious families opposing the central government... In the official history, these two families, which had never joined forces, met through Randy, an anomaly.
Not only in business, but also in sharing their dissatisfaction with the government.
It will be too late for Dill to realize his mistake.
* * *
The day after Dill told him to pull himself together, Dario called Cecilia.
"Sir Dario, I'm no longer your fiancée, so please don't call me so casually."
Dario glared at Cecilia, who was frowning. Dario, who had previously shown some restraint towards Cecilia, had been told by his father, Dill, to "teach her a lesson." Those words spurred Dario's arrogance.
"I don't recall agreeing to that."
Cecilia sighed in exasperation, thinking it was like a child's tantrum. There was no way the arrangement between the families could be overturned based on the individuals' consent or lack thereof.
(What a pity. That was his true nature.)
Cecilia looked at Dario in silence, with a look of disappointment.
Dario Weissman had been a child prodigy since he was young.
In both the official history and this world line, Dario, the legitimate son of his father and stepmother, had grown up with great expectations.
Pampered by his father and mother, he got everything he wanted.
Dario admired his father. Seeing him always confident and giving orders to others, Dario never doubted that he would become the same. The result was Dario Weissman, a monster with an inflated sense of pride.
With his pride too high, he looked down on others and couldn't fit in with his surroundings. That was Dario Weissman before he met Catherine.
In the official history, Catherine gradually softens Dario's pride.
This is most noticeable in the reverse harem common route, where Catherine notices Dario’s troubled relationships with his fiancée candidates and his lack of progress. She begins to intervene.
Dario, trying to change bit by bit to win over his fiancées, receives Catherine’s help in this process.
Through her love, Dario grows from a proud, stubborn young man into a more thoughtful and humble one.
However, right now, his inflated pride has become twisted, controlling him to the point where he can't manage it.
Maybe it's the effect of the monster named Catherine and the other guys flocking around her. In a proper story, they should be friends who challenge each other, but the exact reason is unclear.
Anyway, Dario Weissman, born from this situation, is definitely not the same person as in the original story. In fact, his twisted nature is growing day by day.
Right now, in front of Cecilia, there is no trace of the Dario who once thought, "If we're engaged, I should support her a little."
"You'll see at tomorrow's party. You'll understand how much of a suitable man I am for you."
Dario, trying to act tough, crosses his arms and glares at Cecilia. In front of him, Cecilia lets out a big sigh again.
"I'm sorry, but I will be spending the holiday afternoon with friends."
With that, Cecilia gives a graceful curtsy to Dario and turns her back.
"Wait."
Dario calls out to Cecilia's back as she starts to walk away. Cecilia, unable to ignore him, turns back with a sigh and asks, "What is it?"
"I'm inviting you, you know? I'm saying I'll be your partner."
Cecilia can't help but laugh at his arrogant statement.
"I'm sorry, but I don't find you attractive at all."
Dario, for the first time, shows a displeased expression at Cecilia's mocking smile.
"You'll regret this."
Dario's voice is threatening, but Cecilia doesn't even flinch. His irritation grows as he glares at her.
"Eventually, your family will have to submit to mine. When that time comes, you'll regret your attitude today."
"I hope that day comes."
With a slight smile, Cecilia turns her back on Dario and starts to walk away. She stops midway, realizing something, and turns back to Dario.
"Oh, by the way──if it's a party, why not bring your favorite Miss Evans? I think you two would look good together."
With that, Cecilia leaves Dario behind, having nothing more to say.
"...I was planning to do that from the start, even without being told."
Whether he's just pretending to be strong or really foolish, Dario clenches his fist and continues to glare in the direction Cecilia went.
By the way, that afternoon, Catherine, who was invited to the party by Dario, thought...
(Huh? Things are going according to the event, but...)
...even though it was different from the original flow, she was happily surprised that Dario's event with Cecilia had started.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)