Chapter 3: 1.2

The jam-making machine was delivered to the palace along with Beatrice’s letter.

The Blue Salon. Blue-grey wallpaper and carpets, windows so large you had to look up at them and velvety grey curtains. After Albert ascended to the throne, this room was set up as his private conference room.

After the joint rule system was introduced, each ruler would gather advisors and nobles who were friendly to them, and once they were all in step with each other within their camps, they would exchange opinions in a formal “conference time.”

The nobles of the Albert faction——yes, those who supported the siblings were now so scattered that they have formed factions——usually gathered in the Blue Salon after they held court.

Dear Brother. Seamless and carefully ordered writing. Even though she was queen now, she still hadn’t lost her timid nature.

She also hadn’t lost her habit of concealing her nature.

He knew that because he was her blood-related brother. This letter was only painted with a top coat of kindness. Once you strip it away, it was a cold response.

“May the siblings rule the land in harmony. People often say that. We splendidly built up our own factions, and underneath the surface, we’re pulling at each other’s legs.”

A low voice that carried well. Smoothly, as if he was singing, he was mocking the current system.

“Tris, you still don’t want to see your brother’s face, huh.”

The messenger’s shoulders shook as he kicked the desk and let out a ragged breath through his teeth.

His green eyes, peeking out from behind his golden hair that was as bright as the sun, were burning with anger.

The first child who thoroughly took over the Bertram lineage, Albert Bertram Hierbas. Of the three siblings, he was the king who was the fiercest, most competitive, and the luckiest when it mattered.

Right after his coronation, Albert led his troops to settle the internal strife, and in the middle of a blizzard, he recklessly took the lead in charging the rebels.

When the people found out he was the young, newly crowned king, they turned their guns on him at once, but the stormy weather suddenly caused snow to fall, and it turned into a blizzard that made it impossible to distinguish between heaven and earth. One couldn’t tell the direction of the enemy or the whereabouts of one’s allies——or even if one’s body really existed. The restless rebels were caught off guard and broke their ranks.

In Albert’s dark green eyes, it seems as though everything looked right.

He made his enemies yield with his powerful swordsmanship and raced across the ground covered in blood.

Since his grandmother’s generation, the blood of the Bertrams had made snow its ally. He effortlessly defeated the rebels.

Albert, who had a spectacular start, was the promising first son. Of the three siblings, he was the first to become king.

As a result, his words and actions were rather arrogant and self-important, and he often bewildered those around him.

Not satisfied with just kicking over the desk, he growled and threw the wine glass in his hand against the floor.

His aides quickly picked up the jam-making machine. They visually checked the machine for broken parts and scratches, and then placed it on a pedestal in the back to keep it out of the king’s sight for the present.

Even if Albert didn’t like it, it was a gift from Beatrice. It must not be damaged.

The messenger was still kowtowing, his shoulders trembling.

“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. I was under orders to take her to the palace no matter what.”

“You’re the third incompetent person now.”

Albert crumpled the letter in his hand. The letter apologized for not being able to see him, but he knew in reality that she had no desire to see her older or younger brother.

He had sent many invitations to her. Meetings with important agendas, the anniversary of their father’s death, even Albert’s birthday. Each time, he received a polite letter of apology and an ignorance-feigning “research result.”

“Her Majesty Queen Beatrice must be at ease, since Your Majesty is in the palace.”

His closest aide, Duke Will Gardiner said, as if to intervene.

His remark wasn’t flattery, but his true thoughts. Will never lied, and sometimes he spoke so frankly that it made those around him tremble violently.

However, it was that lack of two-facedness that was appealing.

Albert hated lies and flattery. Will was honest about everything, and that was why Albert had always made much of him.

“I can’t stand it if this continues on.”

“It might be a temporary thing. Your Majesty has been chasing around Her Majesty since you were young, so she may just want to keep her distance. I’m sure she will return to the palace once she is satisfied.”

The air in the room was chilled by the comment that immediately flew out of his mouth.

“Oi, was that supposed to be comforting?”

“That was the intention.”

“That was shit.”

Albert clicked his tongue and thrust the letter before Will’s eyes.

“If Tris is not by my side, it will interfere with ‘my’ government affairs. The seal of state must be stamped with the one Beatrice holds. I can’t pass a single bill without it. Look, the seal of state has not been stamped on the territory issue. It’s still ‘pending.’ That’s all I can do.”

Albert gnawed on his lip.

That was why he wanted to bring Beatrice back to the palace and have her assist him in government affairs.

It was too much of a waste of time to ride all the way Rilbek in the northern region where Beatrice lived in order to exchange letters. There was also the danger of having a messenger carry an important letter over a difficult road. There were no serious concerns at the moment, but the possibility of the messenger being attacked by enemies on the way there and have the letter stolen was not small.

The enemy wasn’t just foreign spies. His relatives were also quietly holding their breaths.

The fact that appeared in the back of his mind was that of his still childlike younger brother. Samuel Bertram Hierbas. The childish and crafty third child. His shifty younger brother who was using his still-angelic face to operate behind the scenes.

“I must not let Samuel’s camp snatch Tris while she’s away from me. I want to make sure the foundations of my throne are solid.”

If there were three siblings, there would always be fights.

If two of the three colluded with each other, the remaining one would be ousted.

If the eldest and the youngest turned against each other, they would fight over the middle child.

Beatrice was a woman. From a position standpoint, she was more easily taken advantage of than a man. Albert and Samuel were not so different in what they were thinking.

Albert slowly walked around the room. It was his tendency to not sit still when he was thinking. A blue cloak covered his back. It has the Bertram family crest sewn into it with gold thread, and it was something only the king was allowed to wear.

The stone flowers on the mantlepiece reflected that blue shimmering color.

“I want to keep Tris near me somehow.”

“I suggest you give her another strong command. Even Her Majesty can’t ignore what an older king says.”

“She’ll ignore it. Because she has the seal of state. She’s in the same position as me. She’ll apologize in a letter and send an odd machine as though to say that she is someone who lacks common sense. She’ll say, ‘the older brother is exceedingly normal, but the younger sister is an eccentric. I’m sorry.’ For the sake of not hurting my reputation. But it’s all calculated.”

Albert spat out.

Beatrice had always been caught between her two brothers, always aware of their eyes on her.

When they were learning together, and when they were playing together. She always treated her older brother with respect, conceded to her younger brother, and protected her own privileges to the extent where no one paid attention to her.

Albert had doted on her more than anyone else. He wanted her to help him with his work in the future. Things started to change after the birth of their younger brother. It was supposed to be just the two of them, supporting each other. Before they knew it, they had become an older and younger brother competing for the sister.

It was then that she realized the position she was in.

“She’s no longer the little sister who will stay quietly by my side.”

A treacherous younger sister. It was also she who induced their cousin, Princess Camilla, to travel abroad with her husband and rarely come to Hierbas.

How many of the bloodline of Bertram would he be able to bring into his camp? That was one of Albert’s main concerns. If his sister and cousin Camilla would join him, it would be incredibly easy to settle the dispute between him and his opposing brother Samuel. It would have been better if he had asked Camilla to marry him as soon as possible, but he had missed the opportunity with all the troubles.

He clicked his tongue and jutted his chin at the jam-making machine.

“Will. What flavor do you want?”

“And what you mean by that is…” Will said.

Finally, Albert’s interest seemed to have turned to the almost-forgotten jam-making machine.

“It’s an invention my sister made. Why shouldn’t I, her brother, use it?”

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Albert said, completely forgetting that he was the one who kicked it down earlier.

“I would have whatever Your Majesty’s favorite flavor is.”

“Don’t give me such an uninteresting answer. Just decide what flavor you want.”

“Personally, I like orange.”

“Rejected. I can’t do a test run with your favorite flavor.”

“I see,” Will responded with a look of dissatisfaction.

Everyone in the room wondered why he had asked in the first place, but they didn’t say it aloud. They were all looking out for themselves.

Albert slowly marched around the blue room.

“Blackcurrant, maybe. Or strawberries? Didn’t she send a gift for Samuel?”

The messenger answered coweringly.

“No. Only for you, Your Majesty.”

When he heard that, Albert seemed just a little bit relieved.

One of the vassals replied without hesitation.

“I think it is best to go with raspberry flavor. It is Your Majesty’s favorite.”

“Reasonable. And raspberries are Samuel’s least favorite food. That’s quite a clever answer. ——Will.”

“Yes?”

“Since you’re a Scepter, you can at least give me an answer that satisfies me. It’s a good thing you’re the only Scepter now, but it’s only a matter of time before the other two seats are filled. My Scepter must never be inferior to those of the other kings.”

The king’s close aide was called a Scepter, and they could execute many of the affairs of state on the king’s behalf. In Hierbas, the ones who received a dukedom were the Scepters.

Will was a twenty-seven-year-old man in the prime of manhood. He had a sturdy body, close-cropped red hair, and virile features. He wasn’t good at probing or negotiating, but there was no greater warrior than him on the battlefield. He was a trustworthy subordinate who could be entrusted with the most important aspects of the country’s military affairs, and who could be trusted to have his back during emergencies. It would be a shame to lose him, but…

(To get what you really want, it’s inevitable that you would have to give up the best you have.)

A good investment, Albert thought.

“A king without a Scepter is like a warrior without a sword. There is a precedent for queens in particular to marry their Scepters. Don’t you think it’s a problem that Tris doesn’t have a Scepter, Will?”

“Yes. It is time for Queen Beatrice to think seriously about her future. For Hierbas’ sake.”

Most women probably wouldn’t turn down Will. He had great achievements, was still young, and was good-looking. He was serious, had never been involved in a scandal with a woman, and had the perfect personality to be a part of his family.

“Will. Marry Beatrice.”

Will’s eyes widened at Albert’s words.

“…Me, Your Majesty?”

“What’s the matter, you got a woman you like? Or are you unsatisfied with Beatrice?”

“That is absolutely not the case. It is simply that I am your Scepter. I am not inclined to go to another ruler.”

“You’re the one who said, ‘Queen Beatrice needs to seriously think about her future.’ What’s with this sudden about-face?”

“What I meant was that Queen Beatrice herself should start looking for a partner.”

Albert sighed in dismay.

“What’s with that unmotivated response? In this kind of situation, you should have sensed it when I was talking about Tris’s Scepter and suggested it yourself. You’re too naive. Is your head filled with jam? Even if you don’t use a machine, just digging up your brains will make delicious orange jam come up.”

“Your Majesty.”

Will looked uncomfortable.

“It’s the older brother’s duty to arrange his younger sister’s marriage partner. You have as much experience as anyone. Win Tris’s heart successfully.”

“I don’t have the experience of going from one woman to the next like Your Majesty, so I’m not sure if I’m fit for the task. But if that’s your order…”

“Tris is very cautious. It’s better to have a man who’s not used to this kind of thing. Also, don’t talk about me like I have no integrity or principles. I’m just sociable.”

Anyways, Albert broke off.

“I need a reliable prince consort to take care of my little sister. Of course, from my camp. You can press the state seal on Tris’s behalf.”

Albert licked his lips.

There was no way in hell that he was going to fall behind his little brother.

Women were meant to be taken. Even if it was his little sister, as long as it would help him.

Albert respectfully bowed his head in front of the portrait of Queen Adele.

“My dear grandmother. Let me show you that I am a noble child of Bertram.”

It was said that his grandmother Adele, who was called the Wise King, was said to have fought fiercely with her sisters for the throne. She swallowed up her sisters with the storm hidden within her body and rebuilt the declining Bertram dynasty in one generation.

“——I will become a storm that swallows up everything. A storm at the top of Bertram that swallows up my siblings below.”

Albert had an ambition.

(I’ll be the next one called the Wise King.)

In his father’s generation, there were no major national crises and no big achievements.

It was also thanks to Adele’s prince consort, Ethan, who pulled the strings in important political matters and casually corrected the course of their children when they seemed to go astray.

The people of Hierbas secretly sighed in lament as their grandparents’ generation became ephemeral.

No matter how small the tear, there was no guarantee that a big hole wouldn’t open up someday.

(I can’t let Samuel poke at it.)

Even though the three siblings were ruling jointly, he was the one who was leading because of his age. He wanted to take the industrial cities of the north by any means. To do so, he needed Beatrice’s consent.

(I respect Grandmother, but I am against joint rule. The most excellent king should rule the country. I don’t believe it makes sense for siblings to soak in tepid water and play nice with each other on the surface. It would be easier for Tris if she just followed me, and Samuel would stop having any ulterior ambitions. That would be the best way to ensure the longevity of the Bertram dynasty.”

His aides nodded, as though it was reasonable and obvious.

Soon, the servants arrived pushing a cart loaded with jam ingredients. A mountain of raspberries piled high on a silver tray. Albert popped one in his mouth. It was sweet and sour. Raspberries were one of Albert’s favorite foods, if only for the reason that Samuel hated them.

The raspberries were thrown into the jam machine along with plenty of white sugar. They put the lid on it and let it sit for a while, but nothing happened.

Albert asked a question.

“Oi. Is this hand-operated?”

“It seems so, Your Majesty.”

He punched the jaw of the messenger whose eyes were glued to the instruction manual.

“Your Majesty. There has been movement from Prince Samuel. He is headed towards the Ruined Tower.”

“It’s probably just a reminder and courtesy visit. He’s making sure Tris doesn’t stamp the state seal on any document that can be used against him.”

Albert had no intention of visiting the Ruined Tower himself. He knew that a king didn’t leave his post so easily for another king.

“Next time, Tris will come to the palace. We’ll both get dressed up and have a portrait of the two of us together painted. Of course, we’ll leave Samuel out of it. Hey, you there. I’ll forgive you for me having to clean up your incompetence by making me some good jam. Now move your useless hands.”

It was comical watching an older man in a position of authority fumbling with the machine in an eager effort to make jam.

Albert laughed loudly and made arrangements to bring in the painters, even though he hadn’t gotten his sister’s approval.

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