Volume 2 Chapter 22 Entrusted Feelings
The First Prince, Crocus.
The person who caused this inheritance war to happen.
From what I hear, he was unhappy with the changes to the inheritance system due to the shifting times and raised objections.
He believes that since it used to be a male-only succession, he should have been the one to inherit the throne.
To convince him, there was supposed to be a merit-based inheritance war to re-establish the order of succession.
Did he agree to the inheritance war to prevent Crocus from becoming king?.
"Well, if you put it that way, it sounds like you're saying 'Sir Crocus isn't fit to be king'..."
I asked hesitantly, and Lady Clematis responded with a complicated expression.
"I don't want to sound too biased, but at least among my brothers, I think Crocus is the least fit to be king."
"W-why do you think that...?"
Lady Clematis, who is kind and cares for her younger sister, is saying something like this?
What kind of man is Crocus Amicus?
"He's been quite cunning since back in the day, and even now, I can't figure out what he's thinking at all. To be dissatisfied with the current royal succession system and directly challenge the king is not something an ordinary person would do."
"Well, that's true..."
When I heard that story, I thought it was way too selfish.
To think that he should be the next king just because it used to be that way! That's an outrageous opinion.
As I suspected, Crocus seems to have some personality issues, and hearing it again from Lady Clematis made me realize it.
"If Lady Clematis's time is up, the second in line, Sir Crocus, will become the next king. So, you agreed to the inheritance war because you want to pass the right of succession to another heir before that happens?"
"You're quick to understand, that helps."
Lady Clematis nodded and continued.
"If I just give up the right of succession based on my personal opinion, there will be complaints from Crocus again."
"'Why would you pass the inheritance rights to someone else instead of me!' That's how it feels, right?"
Of course it makes sense.
If Lady Clematis suddenly decided to hand the throne over to someone else, Crocus would definitely blow up with dissatisfaction.
What about my position as second in line? If Lady Clematis is giving up the throne, it's only natural that I, being second, should become the next king.
"So, when he brought up the issue of succession, I thought it was a perfect opportunity. If we open the succession battle by accepting his objections, we could naturally pass the inheritance rights to someone else. The outcome of the succession rights would depend on the victory or defeat, though."
"So, does that mean King Capucine and Lady Clematis went out of their way to accept Sir Crocus's objections?"
I've always wondered why they accepted such a selfish claim.
Even if it was to convince Crocus, isn't it a bit too much to indulge his whims? I can't believe there was such a backstory.
"My father, the king, is already aware of my destiny. If anything, he's also against Crocus, so he played a part in holding the succession battle. Well, it seems he genuinely hoped Hollis would become the next king."
"Wow, really..."
He wanted that Hollis to become king.
Well, from what I've heard so far, it seems Ms. Nemophila's parents have a meritocratic mindset.
Excluding Crocus, who has personality issues, Hollis would be the closest to the ideal candidate.
Though he seems to have his own character problems too.
And now that Ms. Nemophila has become overwhelmingly strong, he must have changed his mind.
"I was hoping that either the second princess Nigella or the third princess Nemophila would inherit the throne. So, I'm grateful to you for making Nemophila stronger."
"I-I see. So that's how it connects."
I finally understood what he meant by wanting to thank me.
Lady Clematis, who was cursed to have a short life, was worried about Crocus becoming the next king.
So, she arranged for a succession battle, hoping that either Nigella or Ms. Nemophila would come out on top.
By helping Ms. Nemophila grow, I ended up playing a part in Lady Clematis's plan.
"Ms. Nemophila knew about Lady Clematis's destiny, right?"
"...Yeah. Elder Sister Clematis told me."
"So, Ms. Nemophila aiming to be king isn't just for Ms. Kikrys, but also for Lady Clematis?"
"...That's right. The main reason is for Kikrys, though."
...Well, it would've been nice if she had shared that too.
But I guess Lady Clematis must've told her not to say anything.
If someone accidentally spilled the beans about the destiny to Crocus, that would be the worst.
So, it's likely that only Nigella and Ms. Nemophila know about this.
"Before fulfilling my natural lifespan, I could've left behind a 'child,' but I figured I wouldn't have enough time. If I left just one child behind and then passed away, it was clear that the child would struggle once they ascended the throne, so I decided to entrust it to my younger sisters instead."
I see, leaving a child behind was an option too.
But as Lady Clematis said, that would mean the newly crowned child would face a lot of hardships.
Plus, there might not be enough time, so it seems she ultimately decided to leave it to Nigella and Ms. Nemophila.
Speaking of which...
"Hey, what about Sir Hollis? Current King Capucine seems to want Sir Hollis to be the next king, but what does Lady Clematis think?"
"Well, I guess it's still better than Crocus. Compared to Nigella and Nemophila, you can still see some immaturity, you know? ...But, he's still a cute little brother in his own way."
Suddenly, Lady Clematis smiled as if recalling a funny memory.
"Whenever that guy is bullying Nemophila, he always comes up saying, 'Let me join in!' and then jumps back, shaking his shoulders, making some excuse to run away."
"...I can kinda imagine that."
"That little body is actually really nice to hug. Every time I spotted him in the castle, I'd sneak up from behind and catch him, but he started to sense my presence, and now he won't even let me get close. Despite his tough attitude, he's got a pretty cute side, right?"
"..."
Lady Clematis had a really joyful smile on her face.
But I couldn't listen to her story with a calm mind.
I had felt before that Hollis seemed to have a hard time with Lady Clematis.
I was sure this was the reason.
Since he was always teased by her, he must have developed a dislike for her.
And maybe this is just me overthinking, but... isn't Hollis bullying Ms. Nemophila because of how Lady Clematis messes with him? Like, he's developed a grudge against "tall women" and is taking it out on Ms. Nemophila.
...Well, Lady Clematis seems to be just showing pure sibling love towards Hollis, so I guess I shouldn't dwell on this too much.
"Anyway, both Hollis and Nigella lost in the inheritance battle, and now it's just Nemophila and Crocus left. I've been planning to concede from the start, so tomorrow's second round is basically the 'final match'."
"..."
Hearing that again, Ms. Nemophila tensed up, her body stiffening with anxiety.
Is it to ease that? Lady Clematis placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Nemophila, I'm sorry for my immature sister's unsolicited offer, but I'm rooting for you in tomorrow's inheritance battle. Well, with your current strength, even that Crocus won't stand a chance. I'm not even sure I could win against you."
"...Tomorrow, I'll fight hard for everyone. Who knows, maybe I could even win against you for real, Sister."
"...You said it, Nemophila."
Lady Clematis grinned with a mischievous smile and started to tickle Ms. Nemophila's sides.
Even Ms. Nemophila, who usually had little change in expression, couldn't help but soften her cheeks and let out a modest laugh this time".
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