Β©Novel Buddy
Reincarnated Princess Wishes To Avoid Death-Chapter 509
This chapter is updatπd by π»πβ―β―π€β―π·π―β΄πβ―π.πΈβ΄π
Extra Chapter: The Seed That Did Not Sprout
Sion Sol Sunkland ascended to the throne shortly after graduating from Saint-Noel Academy. Interestingly, his coronation coincided almost perfectly with Mia Luna Tearmoon assuming the role of empress. The dual successions, coupled with the expansion of the transnational organization Mianet and the dissemination of a new strain of wheat, appeared to signify the dawn of a new era to the public.
Amidst a mix of emotionsβexcitement, apprehension, ambition, and hopeβa significant piece of news shook the Kingdom of Sunkland. The young king, Sion Sol Sunkland, revealed his engagement.
On the day of the announcement, discussions flooded the taverns in the royal capital. Unsurprisingly, the sole topic of conversation was the upcoming marriage.
βBut, uh, what about the brideβs family? Iβve never heard of a Marcount Rudolvon before. I mean, a marcount? Who would have expected to hear that term again? Is he from some traditional country?β inquired a patron.
βNo, Iβm pretty sure the girl is a Tearmoon noble,β responded another man, lowering his voice. βKeep this between us, but I heard heβs a marcount in name only, and itβs essentially an empty title.β (f)reewe(b)novel
βReally?β
βYeah. I mean, it has to be, right? After all, marcounts donβt exist in Tearmoon. They only have outcounts, and supposedly, thatβs a term they use to mock nobles in the countryside.β
As the men exchanged thoughts, they felt increasingly offended, viewing the arrangement as a slight to their king. However, just as their collective anger reached its peak, a new voice entered the conversation.
βGotta say, though, I donβt know about marcounts, but the name Rudolvon sounds familiarβ¦β
A contemplative remark from one of the gossipers brought the discussion to a halt.
βYou know, now that you mention itβ¦β
At that moment, a newcomer, a traveling merchant, joined the group.
βOh, come on. Youβve got to be kidding me,β scoffed the merchant, rolling his eyes at the others. βHave you folks been living under a rock? Does Cyril Rudolvon ring a bell? You know, the one who discovered the new strain of wheat?β
βAhββ
Immediate realization struck. The mass production of cold-resistant wheat was a pivotal event in the continentβs history. Nowadays, even the most ordinary individuals recognized the names Cyril Rudolvon and Arshia Tafrif Perujin as heroes.
βI see. So, thanks to Cyrilβs groundbreaking achievement with wheat, his father got a complimentary promotion to marcount,β deduced one of the men.
The merchant, however, shook his head. βNo, not necessarily. According to what Iβve heard, Marcount Rudolvon is one of the earliest members of the empress faction, and he worked diligently to establish and unite people around the faction.β
The empress faction, initially formed by Empress Mia to counterbalance the factions of the Four Dukes, started as a coalition of political newcomers rallying under Miaβs banner when she was still a princess. Over time, it grew in strength, now rivaling the established factions and introducing a fifth player to Tearmoonβs traditionally Four-Dukes-dominated political scene.
While merchants, dependent on information, were well aware of these developments in Tearmoon, the ordinary Sunkland populace remained uninformed. Consequently, the merchantβs revelations were met with awe and approval, encouraging him to share more.
βOn that note, have you folks heard of Count Berman? His domain borders the marcountβs, and itβs where the empressβs private borough, Princess Town, resides. And thatβs where it gets interestingβ¦β βHm? Doesnβt that mean Saint Mia Academy, the place where they developed the new wheat, is alsoβ¦β βExactly. Itβs also in Count Bermanβs domain,β said the merchant in a conspiratorial tone.
Marcount Rudolvon and Count Berman, both early members of the empress faction, added an element of intrigue to the merchantβs narrative. The gossipers in Sunkland, accustomed to considering marcounts as esteemed figures, now viewed Rudolvon in a different light. The idea of such an esteemed title being bestowed upon a country noble seemed preposterous.
βSo Rudolvon is clearly a distinguished noble who had the honor of becoming the empireβs very first marcount, meaning heβs now part of the empressβs inner circleβ¦ and his daughter is the one whoβsβ¦β Additionally, her younger brother, Cyril Rudolvon, was the hero who discovered the new strain of wheat. The engagement began to seem less objectionable.
βBut what about the girl herself? How is she as a person?β βAbout thatβ¦ Just between us, Iβm a gardener for a noble family, and the husband told me something a while backβ¦β said a nearby man who joined the conversation. βMarcount Rudolvonβs daughterβ¦ She apparently saved the former king, His Majesty Abramβs life.β
βWhat? Iβve never heard of that.β βOf course you havenβt. It concerns the royal family. Theyβre not gonna just come out and tell commoners like us,β the gardener said with a smug shrug.
His increasingly intoxicated audience could only nod in agreement, their mental faculties no longer capable of skepticism.
βWhich meansβ¦ His Majesty Sionβs bride isβ¦β
Under the haze of intoxication, the audience compelled themselves to rationalize the situation. The potential queen consort, Tiona Rudolvon, had directly saved the life of their former king, Abram. She was the sister of Cyril Rudolvon, the continentβs savior, and her father held a prominent position in the empress faction, earning him a unique rank as Tearmoonβs first and only marcount, bestowed upon him by Empress Miaβs trust.
The more they pondered, the more they realized that this was, in fact, a favorable turn of events. Later, a personal blessing from the Holy Lady for the impending union further solidified their admiration for Tiona.
βWho would have thought that young woman would be an old friend of Lady Rafinaβsβ¦?β Each additional piece of information added another layer to Tionaβs evolving image in Sunkland. As she entered Sunkland, preceded by her reputation, the people greeted her with a blend of excitement and apprehension, uncertain of the accuracy of what they knew about her.
However, the speculation was short-lived. Quickly, the Sunkland populace found themselves enchanted by Tionaβs down-to-earth personality, a quality often absent in prominent nobles. She embodied a fairy tale unfolding in reality, where the daughter of a commoner-turned-poverty-noble crossed the class barrier to marry the prince of a grand kingdomβa dreamlike narrative forever popular yet seemingly unattainable. Yet, she had achieved it, and her romantic tale became a vicarious vessel for the people to invest their hopes and wishes.
Despite some initial resistance, Tiona found herself welcomed by her new home, and Sunkland wasnβt the only kingdom affected. Within Tearmoon, the dynamics of the noble class shifted. Those who had considered Marcount Rudolvonβs new title as empty were taken aback. The marcountβs family, to their surprise, now included the King of Sunkland.
Initially skeptical nobles couldnβt believe the news; while they acknowledged the school connection, the idea of the daughter of an outcount marrying the young Sunkland king seemed far-fetched. However, the wedding proceeded, and Tiona Rudolvon was warmly embraced by the people of Sunkland.
Now, it was the Tearmoon noblesβ turn to feel a sense of urgency. The supposedly empty marcount title had gained substantial influence through a matrimonial alliance with Sunklandβs royal family. The panic among the nobles wasnβt just panic; it was a feeling akin to βmassive FOMO.β The news of a Tearmoon noble marrying into Sunkland royalty prompted the central nobility factions, previously at odds, to set aside their grievances and unite. Their common goal: to marry one of their own into Sunklandβs royal family, regardless of the candidate, as long as they represented the distinguished lineage of the central nobility. The looming question, however, was who the Sunkland candidate would be.
Thatβs when the nobles recalled a crucial detailβduring Abramβs reign, Sunkland boasted not one but two princes. Rumors surrounded the other one, but those details werenβt pertinent at the moment. All they required was Sunkland royalty, and the second prince was an ideal fit. Additionally, the boy had already been placed under the care of the Greenmoons as a future fiancΓ© for the Dukeβs daughter.
The prospect was too tempting to ignore, and the Greenmoons suddenly found themselves in the spotlight. Influential nobles discreetlyβand sometimes not so discreetlyβvisited them, inquiring about the arrangement with the Sunkland prince. If the Greenmoons intended to call off the engagement, these nobles were eager to propose their own daughters as potential replacements
Before long, Esmeralda was summoned by her father to discuss her promised marriage. Annoyed, she arrived with a scowl, exclaiming, βUgh, again? Father, how many times must we go through this?β
Five years had elapsed since she brought Prince Echard home. Now twenty-three, she was well within the marrying age, if not slightly overdue. Numerous marriage proposals had been declined; her reason was straightforwardβshe had Echard. Since the day she brought him home, she had made a silent pledge. His past mistakes didnβt matter; he was the one for her, and she had decided so.
Echard, steadily growing into a promising young man, seemed to strive to live up to her silent pledge. Studying under Headmaster Galv at Saint Mia Academy, his academic performance was exceptional. Esmeralda believed in him, convinced he would achieve greatness, and betraying his trust was the last thing she wanted to do.
With determination, she prepared to decline the new proposal vehemently. βActuallyβ¦ Iβve had a lot of talks with people lately, and theyβre really starting to clamor for you to hurry up and finalize your marriage to Prince Echardβ¦β
βIβmβ Waitβ¦ Huh?β Esmeralda stared in disbelief, trying to process the unexpected revelation.
Her father grimaced. βI donβt blame them, considering the recent developments. But I canβt exactly tell them the truth about Prince Echardβs situationβ¦β Regretfully, he realized he should have sent Echard back to Sunkland earlier. Esmeralda, however, did not share his remorse. Puzzled, she slowly processed the words.
βFinalizeβ¦ my marriageβ¦ to Prince Echard?β
Thus, the pairβs wedding proceeded at breakneck speed, and before long, Esmeralda, at the age of twenty-three, and Echard, at fifteen, were married.
More time elapsedβtwo decades, to be exact. Then came the day when Sunkland joyously welcomed the return of Echard and his family. After a flurry of greetings and official functions, he retired to a room in the royal castle with Sion. It had been a considerable time since the brothers had met in person. They clinked their wine glasses together, celebrating their reunion.
βWhen was the last time we shared a drink like this? About a year ago?β βYes, during Motherβs birthday last year. Itβs great to see you again, Sion.β Echardβs smile was genuine, lacking the stiffness and reservation that had characterized his demeanor around Sion until just a few years ago. Finally, they could converse in a state of mutual comfort.
βI have to say, the Mianet really is something,β Sion remarked after a sip of wine. βI heard itβs expanding beyond the continent and collaborating with kingdoms overseas now?β
The topic was familiar, given Echardβs involvement in the Mianetβs operations. βYes. Greenmoonβs connections paved the way for us. The more kingdoms we can persuade to join the network, the more people we can help. By sharing food and fostering communication between nations, it also enhances diplomatic relations. The work this organization does is immensely valuable.β Despite his modesty, Sion detected the pride in Echardβs voiceβa good, mature pride emanating from someone who found profound meaning in their work. There was a radiant maturity to his younger brotherβs expression that Sion found heartening and even a bit dazzling. He nodded.
βThatβs very reassuring. Especially coming from youβ¦β said Sion. βIβm pleased to know that youβre fulfilling your duties as a member of Sunklandβs royal family and doing it exceptionally well.β
In his role as the Mianetβs negotiation officer, Echard managed contractual obligations with numerous kingdoms, showcasing diplomatic prowess second to none. Sion had long heard unanimous agreement from experienced merchants who worked with the Mianet, praising Echardβs superiority in closing deals.
Sionβs praise brought a calm smile to Echardβs face. βThank you for your kind words, Sion. Knowing that you recognize the value of my workβ¦ It means a lot. More than anything else.β π―π§ππππππ£π€π«ππ.π¬π€π’
βOn a different note, Echard, sorry to shift the topic, but I recently heard an intriguing rumorβ¦β βA rumor? What kind?β Echard raised an eyebrow. βI heard from Miss Chloe that she discussed stepping down and having you succeed her as the Mianetβs president, but you firmly refused,β Sion revealed.
Seeing Echard in good spirits was reassuring, but there was one thing that still troubled Sion. For some reason, Echard consistently declined every job offer that came his way, often for high-ranking or executive positions, showing no interest in them.
Echardβs time at Saint Mia Academy had proven highly successful. Even by Sionβs standards, the talent and competence displayed by his younger brother were impressive. Most jobs should be manageable, if not trivial, for someone of Echardβs ability. However, he adamantly declined prestigious or significant positions, making Sion suspect that lingering guilt from a past incident still haunted him.
βI think itβs a great job for a Sunkland royal, and Miss Chloe clearly offered you the position with confidence in your abilities. So why? Why did you say no?β βUhβ¦ Well, thatβsβ¦β Echard shifted uncomfortably in his seat, mumbled something under his breath, scratched his cheek, and offered a hushed confession. βItβs becauseβ¦ If Iβm too busy, Esmeralda gets lonelyβ¦β What a revelation! For a brief moment, Sion stared in silence at his brotherβs reddening face, then burst into laughter. βBah hah hah hah! Does she, now? Well, thatβs certainly a very valid reason to turn down a job. Iβm not sure I can even think of a more valid one. Ha ha ha.β
At that moment, Sion finally dispelled his worry. He could now confidently say that the seed Echard had sown so long ago had withered for good, never to sprout again.
There was something else he could assert with absolute certaintyβas a married couple, Echard and Esmeralda were doing well.
Thus, the subtle rift between Sunklandβs royal brothers was finally repaired, concluding a potentially tragic chapter with laughter. And it was all thanks toβ¦
Mmm hm hm. Outcount and marcountβ¦ All I changed were the first three letters, and on the surface, they both mean the same thing. I bet those silly nobles wonβt realize what I actually did. Serves them right for pestering me when I was trying to enjoy my cake!
The initial sentiment behind the long chain of cause and effect leading to this conclusion would forever be lost to historyβ¦