I Grabbed the Tyrant’s Heart

There were quite a lot of luggage that I thought would be simple.
No matter what, I’ve lived here for 14 years.

Unlike when I left Alin, it was a very sunny day when I left Varen.

We first went to the Varen immigration office and headed to the neighboring area, Seid, using the magic circle.
After riding a few magic circles there, we moved from the vicinity of the capital by carriage.

We could see that we were welcomed in a very different way than when we were exiled.

“… Father, did you decide your official position? Or is it decided once we get to Alin?”

I asked in the carriage heading for the capital.

“It has already been decided.”

Father smiled bitterly, perhaps he knew what I was thinking.
There was not a single smile on Mother’s face.

“Minister of the Internal Affairs ”

“… what?”

“I am scheduled to take office as the Minister of the Internal Affairs next month.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs, which refers to the leader of other departments.
He has that much power.

A position so-called the next Chancellor.
It is not a suitable position to entrust to a person whose career has been cut off for 14 years, and the opposition must have been severe.

“… Minister of the Internal Affairs?”

Father smiled awkwardly, perhaps he knew the meaning of my surprise.
Gael rolled her eyes.

“Is it bad? Wouldn’t it be great if you were the minister?”

“Yes, that’s great.
It’s very good.”

I tried to stroke Gael’s head, who was hanging and whining at me, but my head was throbbing.
Reluctantly, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window.

What was he thinking?

No, what was that crybaby thinking? Maybe it’s because he felt guilty and it was a sense of responsibility to make amends.

“Our Father is smart.”

“Euel, you have a very confused expression when you say that.
Dad is hurt.”

“No, Father.
I always think of Father as a great person.”

“Gasp, Euel.
Dad is so touched!”

“Gael thinks Dad is great too!”

After a hectic journey, we reached Alin.

* * *

I thought it would be okay.
I thought I would have no emotion, but that was a mistake.

The carriage passed the iron gates of the Hardland grand mansion.

“Sniff.”

Standing in front of the front door felt like a new feeling.

“Miss?”

Someone hired to help with the move called me.

“I…….”

I turned back slowly.

“I’ll go to the garden, so go in first.”

Without hearing an answer, I ran as fast as I could.

Looking at it, I seemed convinced.
No, even though I know that my current actions are meaningless, I am struggling to find a reason.

“What…….”

The tree, which I thought had been cut down, was there.
The tree that was smaller than me is now much bigger than me.

It is possible that the previous Emperor confiscated this mansion and no one entered the mansion.
But I couldn’t help but find a reason why this tree was still there.

“You, you worked hard for me, right?”

For the past 10 years, I shed a name that I couldn’t bear to say.

“Tess…….”

On this day, I was able to open the pocket I received from Mr.
Bugh after a long time.
Actually, I haven’t opened it since the day I received it.

As I slowly opened the pocket, a red jewel the size of an adult’s fist was shining brightly.
Just looking at this made my heart ache, so I couldn’t even check the type of this gem.

A jewel of this size and without any scratches, it must have been of great value.
But how did he feel when he gave it to me?

—

Reunion

“Euel, can’t you take a little rest?”

“Um, but I have already applied for it.”

I shrugged at Mother’s worried questions.
As soon as I came to Allin, I contacted the Concium and applied for an admission.

The Concium is a research institute, and it is also equipped with the academy’s higher education institutions, which is a must for nobles to graduate.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been in the capital city, so maybe it takes time to get used to it?”

“You’re not going to make me go to a tea party or a social gathering, are you, Mother?”

“Umm, well.”

“Mother.”

I looked serious, but Mother didn’t change her complexion.

“Euel needs to find a good partner too.
Coming to the capital means you have a lot more options.
Mother was worried that Euel would marry a bum like Ber.”

“Bum…….”

Yet she entrusted me well to Ver, the bum.

I learned not only swordsmanship, but also magic, history, and all kinds of liberal arts from Ber.
I was worried about the Concium exam because I had not received proper education in the remote Varen, but it was much easier than I expected.

The Concium’s admission exam is notorious for being very difficult.

“It’s a new beginning when we got kicked out, so now it’s a new feeling.”

There was some time left before going to the Concium, and I was finally able to rest.

* * *

“Everything is a mess…….”

Father took office as the minister, and there was still no contact from my childhood friend.
Instead, another guest went to see me.

“Euel.”

“What is it, traitor? Are you here?”

“Didn’t I really keep in touch?”

Ethyl strongly expressed his resentment.

Now that he’s fully grown, of course he’s a lot taller than the last time I saw him, and his shoulders were broad.
He was a complete knight.

His dark hair and bold brown eyes were still there.

“Yes, yes.
You would want to believe so.”

 

“No, Euel, I sent you a letter every year.
I started not getting any replies from you, but I kept sending them anyway.
The most recent one was in the middle of this year.
If you don’t believe it, let’s go to the post office and check it out together.”

Ethyl, who still seems to have his personality, seemed to feel twisted when his words were questioned.

“Do you know how surprised I was when I suddenly lost contact with you one day?”

“Yes.
If you look at the cut off at all, something must have gone wrong in the middle.”

“I want to go in person and check if you are well, but I can’t.
If Aurin Xuen didn’t tell me you were fine, I would have gone crazy.”

Ethyl murmured in a melancholy tone.

“Aurin?”

“Yes.
She said that she exchanged letters with you as well.
One day, that woman suddenly said, ‘I’m also close with Euseniel now.
We call each other by our first names.’.”

After staying in the knighthood, Ethyl’s mouth got pretty rough too.

“That’s right.
We have been in contact quite regularly.”

“You reply to her all the time, but not me, so I thought you were mad at me.”

For unknown reasons, Ethyl, whose earlobe was red, let out a deep sigh.

“Still, I’m glad you’re okay.
And I’m glad you’re back in Alin.”

“Yes.
I am happy to see you again.”

A blush appeared on Ethyl’s cheeks.

“Well, Euel.
So, speaking of the New Year’s ball-“

Knock, knock.

“Miss, you have a guest.”

“Tell them to come in.”

The door opened and it was Aurin.

“Hello, Aurin.”

“Yes, Euel.
Lord Bonart is here too?”

“Hello, Miss Xuen.”

How come they don’t seem to have changed? It’s like going back 14 years ago.

“What were you two talking about?”

“Ah, Ethyl.
What were you going to say?”

“No, nothing.”

I looked at Ethyl, who seemed to have lost his steam, with narrowed eyes.
For a moment, Aurin sipped the tea the maid served and brought up a topic.

“Even though Varen is a remote area, it is a border area.
So, I heard that exchanges with other countries are more active than I thought, is it really like that?”

“No.
The neighboring town of Seid is more active.”

“Seid? How? It’s not even a border area, is it?”

“In Varen, there is a town where it hardly ever snows, and supplies come and go only through that road.”

“Oh.”

Aurin’s eyes twinkled.

“Right.
But Aurin, what are you interested in trading for?”

“I have been interested in it for quite some time.
When I got the chance, I wanted to go to Varen or other places.
I wanted to ask you for guidance in Varen.”

“Did your father allow it?”

I asked cautiously, thinking about the stern Marquis Xuen.
I don’t think patriarchal power supremacy has gone anywhere.

“There is the youngest, so I’m not that important, right?”