「…待ってください。何かの間違いです！」
私は必死だった。私がいつ市民をないがしろにした？全くもって心当たりがない。とんでもない。誤解だ。
「分かっているさ。私の娘がそんなことをするはずはない。だが、陛下は確信なさっていてな…誰から何を聞いたのかも教えてくださらない」
父は私をなだめるように言った。信じてはくれている。だが、陛下の意思が固くどうにもままならないのだという。
「エラ…以前神殿でミアに会ったな。あの時他に誰がいた？」
それまで口を閉ざしていたルドルフがふと口を開いた。
「神殿…？ええと…神官たちと、護衛騎士と、侍女ですね」
ああ、そうか。あの時ミアが自分にも加護をくれとごねたのを突っぱねたあのやり取り。私だってなるべく感情を抑えたつもりではあったが、確かに苛立っていた。傍から見れば、神殿にやってきた女の子に私が冷たい態度を取ったと取られた可能性はある。
私は、ミアとのやり取りを説明したが、その場にいる者には既に聞き及んでいることだったらしい。
「では…神殿にいた者が陛下にエラ様に対する讒言をしたと…？」
騎士団長は不快感を隠さなかった。神殿にいた護衛騎士は騎士団から派遣されている。
「いや…だが他に陛下に直接進言できる者など…」
そう。父の言う通りで、あの場にいた者から陛下の側近に話が伝わったとしか考えられない。直接進言できる者なら、ここにいる家臣の誰かが…？
私が王太子妃にならないことで利を得る者…。重臣たちの顔ぶれを確認してみる。娘がいる者が３人。だが、皆嫁いだか、婚約者がいる。わざわざ破棄して王太子妃にさせる…？
いや、権謀術数渦巻く王宮のことだ。家臣たちだって腹で何を考えているか分からない。
疑念と邪心が渦を巻き、室内の空気を支配する。
その空気を切り裂いたのはルドルフの一言だった。
「俺はここにいる者を疑ってはいない。」
言葉とは裏腹に冷徹な目線が一同を流し見る。
「ここにいる者は全員自分の身内を推そうと思えばいつでも王太子妃に推せた。幼いうちに婚約者に決まったエラを引きずり降ろそうと思えばいつでもできたのに今さら陰謀を行う理由がない」
それは確かにもっともだった。ただの侯爵令嬢だったときに反対していないのに、国の宝ともいえる聖女の立場をも一応得ている人間が王太子妃になるのに異議を唱えるとは良識ある人間なら考えられないことだ。
「あの…」
そこで口を開いたのは宮務大臣だった。王族の宮を統括していて、陛下の最も近くで仕えている。
「陛下は、これからの時代、王族の配偶者は貴族でなくても良いではないかとおっしゃっておいででした…」
数人の家臣がとんでもない、という表情になった。
だがそれはベルタ王女が平民の恋人との結婚を考えているからで、王女が自由に恋愛をしたいという意思を尊重するという親心からだろうと私は思った。
「自由で、開かれた王室の理念からそのようにお考えのようですが…先日、王太子妃もエラ様のような高位令嬢ではなく平民から迎えた方がいいかもしれないな、とこぼされたのです。」
「笑えない冗談だ」
ルドルフが不機嫌に吐き捨てた。
「私悪い冗談だと思いました。エラ様は妃教育も十分に修めておいでですし、立派な王太子妃になられるでしょう、と申し上げたのですが…。」
――カレンベルク侯爵令嬢はいくら美しくとも雰囲気が冷たく人に好かれない人格で魅力がない。平民であろうとも民を惹き付け、好かれる者の方が国母にふさわしい
陛下がおっしゃったという言葉に私は腹の奥が燃えるような思いがした。だが、それはすぐに通り越して馬鹿馬鹿しい心持になった。私の必死の努力は何だったのか。逆行前は王太子妃の地位を勝ち取るためと思って、教師たちの厳しい授業に耐えた。現世の自分だって、王太子に相応しくあろうと同じように努力していたというではないか。魅力がない、そんな一言で片付けられてしまうのか。
怒りと諦めに似た気持ちと同時に、私の脳裏に浮かんだのは、一人の少女の姿。
努力とか苦労とかそんなものを全て吹き飛ばす魅力。愛らしく誰でも無条件に好意を持ってしまう、桃色の髪の少女。
私はルドルフの方を見た。蒼い瞳が僅かにちらちらと動く。彼にも私と同じ少女の姿が見えたのだろう、と私は思った。
「馬鹿げた話だ。俺の妃はエラだけだ。変わりようがない。陛下が何とおっしゃろうが押し通すぞ」
「御意」
家臣たちが全員同時に答えた。ルドルフは彼ら頷くと、次々に指示を与える。
「陛下が最近接触してきた人間を洗い出せ。誰かに吹き込まれた可能性がある。学院長、神殿でエラに接触してきたのはあのミア・オットーだ。彼女の身辺の監視を強化しろ。」
そうだ。ミアだ。人を惹きつけ、無条件に好かれる。それが体質のためとはいえ、羨ましいと思う気持ちを私はどうしても止められない。以前はルドルフの心を簡単に奪い去り、私の父母に兄の気持ちまで奪った。今は聖女の地位すらないのに、人望を獲得し、王太子妃の座から私を引きずり降ろそうとする。陛下の発言の背後に彼女がいる。何の証拠もない。だが、確かにある。桃色の愛らしくもどす黒い暗い影が長く伸び、私の足元に届くような感覚に襲われ、私は身を固くした。
「ちょ、ちょっと！お待ちください！！」
侍従の慌てる声がした。執務室の扉がばんっと勢いよく開かれる。重い扉をまさかご自分で開けたらしい。私は肩がびくりと震えた。
そこに立っていたのは美麗な顔に、青筋を立てたマリア王妃だった。
“His Majesty considers Ella unfit to be Dauphine.”
-What? What? What did I do?
Why…?
I heard that Ella-sama disrespected the people. His Majesty is very angry that a person who cannot be kind to her people is not qualified to be the crown princess.
-Disrespecting the people…? What are you talking about? And that’s why His Majesty’s displeasure was aroused?
The Prime Minister’s extremely clerical words were, to me, a death sentence.
58 (56)
“…Wait a minute. There must be some mistake!”
I was desperate. When had I neglected the citizens? I have absolutely no idea. No way. It was a misunderstanding.
I know. My daughter would never do such a thing. But Your Majesty is so convinced that you won’t even tell me who told you what.
My father said, trying to soothe me. He believes me. But His Majesty’s will is so firm that there is nothing he can do about it.
Ella…you met Mia in the temple before. Who else was there at that time?”
Rudolph, who had kept his mouth shut until then, suddenly opened his mouth.
The temple…? Well… the priests, the guard knights, and the maidens.
Oh, I see. I was so happy to see him. I tried to suppress my emotions as much as I could, but I was certainly irritated. From the outside, it is possible that the girl who came to the temple might have taken it as me being cold toward her.
I explained my exchange with Mia, which apparently had already been heard by those present.
‘So…someone in the temple made a false allegation against Her Majesty against Master Ella…?’
The Knight Commander did not hide his displeasure. The guard knights who were in the temple were dispatched by the Order.
No…but there is no one else who can directly advise His Majesty…”
Yes. My father is right, and the only thing I can think of is that the story was conveyed to His Majesty’s entourage from those who were there. If anyone could directly advise him, it would be one of the vassals present here…?
Those who would benefit from my not becoming the Dauphine…. I check the faces of the chief vassals. Three of them have daughters. But they are all married or engaged to someone else. Why go to the trouble of breaking them off and making them crown princesses…?
No, this is a royal palace where power and intrigue swirl. Even the vassals don’t know what is going on in their minds.
Doubts and evil thoughts swirled around, dominating the air in the room.
The air was broken by Rudolph’s words.
I don’t suspect anyone here.”
Despite his words, a cool-headed look flashed through everyone’s eyes.
All of you here could have nominated any of your own people for the crown princess if you had wanted to. If they had wanted to drag down Ella, who was betrothed at an early age, they could have done so at any time, but now there is no reason for them to conspire against her.
That was certainly true.
Um…”
Then, the Minister of the Palace opened his mouth. He oversees the royal palaces and serves closest to His Majesty.
His Majesty said that in the future, royal spouses need not be noblemen…”
A few vassals looked at me as if I had just said something outrageous.
But I assumed that this was because Princess Bertha was thinking of marrying a commoner lover, and that it was out of a parental concern to respect her wish to be free to fall in love.
‘You seem to think so out of the philosophy of a free and open royal family…the other day it was spilled out that perhaps it would be better to have the Dauphine from a commoner instead of a high-ranking daughter like Lady Ella.
‘What a laughable joke!’
Rudolph spat grimly.
I thought it was a bad joke. I told him that Ella has had a good education as a queen and would make a fine Dauphine.
–The Marquise of Cullenberg, no matter how beautiful she is, has a cold atmosphere and an unfriendly personality that is unattractive. A person who attracts and is liked by the people, even if she is a commoner, is more suitable to be the mother of the nation.
I felt a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach when I heard what His Majesty had said. But it soon passed, and I felt ridiculous. What had I done all those years ago? Before my regression, I had endured the rigorous lessons of my teachers in the hope of winning the position of Dauphine. In this life, I had made the same effort to be worthy of being the crown prince. But how could I be dismissed as “unattractive” in one word?
At the same time as feeling anger and resignation, the image of a girl popped into my mind.
A charm that blows away all the hard work and effort and all that kind of stuff. A girl with peach-colored hair who was so adorable that anyone would have an unconditional liking for her.
I looked at Rudolph. His blue eyes flickered slightly. He must have seen the same girl as me, I thought.
This is nonsense. My queen is only Ella. There is no way she can change. No matter what Your Majesty says, I’ll push through.
“Your will.”
All the vassals answered at the same time. Rudolf nodded and gave them instructions one after another.
Identify the people His Majesty has been in contact with recently. Someone may have told him. Dean, the person who approached Ella at the temple is that Mia Otto. Strengthen the surveillance on her.”
That’s right. Mia. She attracts people and is liked unconditionally. Even if it is because of her constitution, I can’t stop envying her. She used to easily steal away Rudolph’s heart and even stole my parents’ and my brother’s feelings. Now she doesn’t even have the status of a saint, yet she tries to win popularity and drag me down from my position as Dauphine. She is behind what His Majesty has said. There is no proof of any of this. But there certainly is. I stiffen as I feel a long, dark, peach-colored, lovely, dark shadow reach out and reach my feet.
Wait a minute! Please wait!
I heard the panicked voice of the chamberlain. The door to the office was opened with a bang. I was surprised to hear that he had opened the heavy door by himself. My shoulders shook.
Standing there was Queen Maria, with a beautiful face and a pale complexion.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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