Became the Son-in-Law of the Traitorous Family

9. Don’t Live Downward – 04

Declaration of war. And war.

In an instant, the atmosphere in this room froze in an instant at the words the Grand Duchess had uttered.

The Empire was the most powerful country that had reigned over this continent for over a thousand years.

It has reigned for such a long time that its original name has been forgotten and the word ’empire’ has become the name of the country. It is the most powerful country on earth.

A country like that has declared war on the Grand Duchy of YoRHa.

Looking at the size of the two countries’ territories, in terms of population, and in terms of military power, the difference is just too drastic.

Among those sitting here, there was no one who did not feel the weight of the word, so everyone kept their mouths shut as if they had made a promise.

Of course, not everyone here had such a normal reaction.

“I don’t know what the hell is wrong. The demons are the common enemies of the empire, no, humanity. If it is revealed that the envoy of the empire was in fact a demon, it would be clear that the emperor would also be condemned across the continent. But what are you afraid of and why are you so embarrassed?”

As if the word ‘declaration of war’ that her grand duchess had brought out was just ridiculous, Yurika looked at her and smiled. On Yurika’s lips, her unconcealed sneer at her Grand Duchess was forming.

“Don’t try to set the mood for nothing, Grand Duchess. If you really felt this situation as a ‘crisis’, there would be no time to have a leisurely conversation with us here. You must have already known that the Empire’s declaration of war wasn’t real, right?”

At Yurika’s cold voice, her Grand Duchess shrugs her own shoulders.

“As expected, you are smart. Your words are correct. Although the Empire has declared war on our side, it is only a means to put pressure on our side. They probably don’t even want to go to war right now. But… “

“Just?”

“As a ruler who rules a country, it is impossible not to prepare for an emergency. Although it is only one possibility, the possibility that the Empire will really attack us cannot be safely ruled out.”

“Now you’re talking about pain. Haven’t you been preparing for a rebellion against the Empire for years? If it’s a war that will happen anyway, I don’t think it will make much of a difference if it happens right now.”

“Okay. It’s true that we’ve been preparing a lot over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean we can completely win against the Empire. As you said, the war with the Empire is a foregone fact, but even so, it is a little difficult for a rebellion to happen now. We still need more time.”

“How much?”

“At least one year… If it is long, about three years.”

“Ambiguous.”

Yurika taps her finger on the chair she was sitting on as if something in her really didn’t like her.

“This is my personal opinion, but the Empire should already be well aware of the fact that you are preparing something. If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that there’s a very high chance that the Empire will raise an army before the “Preparation” You’re talking about is over. The emperor of the present empire, although he is a bastard who ate with the demons, is not a fool who does not have a strategy plan to that extent.”

Her Grand Duchess looked at her with a mysterious look at Yurika’s harsh words.

“This is amazing. Isn’t the current emperor of the imperial family none other than the lower level’s biological father? But is it okay to talk that way about your father?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t consider a bastard to be my father. No, there is only one person in the world whom she considers her father at leisure.”

Saying that, Yurika gently turned her head to look at her liner. In her eyes, there was something inherent in her that was hard to fathom.

“Well, I roughly understood the situation. You are now concerned that the death of Illivatus will cause the Empire to become wary of this side in earnest. And going one step further, the demons behind the imperial family are doing tricks.”

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“We are confident in solving the political issue of royalties, but if the existence of demons gets in the way, we will be very helpless. That’s why I just wanted to ask your opinion on what kind of solution you might have.”

At the words of the Grand Duchess, Reiner secretly nodded her head.

Certainly, the Grand Duchess was right. Even if the Empire were just a country composed of humans, the chance of the Grand Duchess’ rebellion succeeding would be less than half, at best, and behind that, even demons, beings beyond her imagination, were running rampant.

In this situation, even if we prepare for 30 more years instead of 3 years, there is no way that our rebellion against the Empire will succeed.

Actually, even in the original history, the Grand Duchess worked hard in her own way and raised a rebellion against the empire, but in the end, the Grand Duchess of Yohrha perished as it was after being brutally defeated.

Meanwhile, Yurika, who has been listening to her Grand Duchess’s words, looks at her with a puzzled look on her face.

“I’m sorry, but aren’t you misunderstanding the premise? Although we held hands this time out of mutual necessity, we basically maintain the form of a secret organization. In other words, it means that it is an organization by those who would never come out in the sun if it were not for this.”

“Anyway, you seem to know us as a fixer who can handle anything… Not at all. It is possible to lend a forceful aspect that you lack, but this kind of political or diplomatic field is absolutely not an area where we can interfere.”

“… Is that so.”

At Yurika’s resolute words, the Grand Duchess put on a melancholic expression. Judging by the look on her face, she seemed to have come here with the feeling of holding on to a straw in her heart.

“Actually, I know. The simplest way to solve this situation is that I can go to the imperial palace and explain the whole situation related to Illivatus. But… “

“In that case, the problem would be that it would be difficult to get out of the imperial family safely. Unless the emperor is a coward, there’s no way the leader of the rebels just walked to the imperial palace on his own feet and just said hello or asked.”

Even though Yurika grinned and said her words, the Grand Duchess only let out a sigh. She also knew very well that everything would go as Yurika said with a very high probability.

“Even so, when the envoy who acts as the emperor’s authority is dead, it would be impossible to dispatch a idiot as the representative of the delegation. If they act like that, then the Empire will raise an army against the Principality of Yohrha. From their point of view, it would be like a small country destroying the face of a great country head-on.”

In the end, it would not be an exaggeration to say that from the perspective of the Grand Duchess, she was completely caught in the trap.

“…..”

The Grand Duchess also didn’t say anything, perhaps because she couldn’t really refute Yurika’s words.

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess and the Princess? If you don’t mind rudeness, would it be okay if I open my mouth for a moment?”

But it was then. Reiner, who had been silently listening to them in the background until now, opened his mouth.

“You? Hmmm, allow it. Anyway, it was the moment when I couldn’t think of anything useful. Grand Duchess, how are you?”

“… Well, I don’t really care. I was also a little curious to see how different he might be looking at this issue than we are.”

When the two people’s permission was denied, Reiner smiled and looked at the Grand Duchess.

“It seems that there is an appropriate solution that can amicably solve the problems the Grand Duchess is facing. I think it’s almost the only solution in my opinion.”

“The only solution? What is that?”

Staring at the Grand Duchess, who seemed to be interested in something in her, Reiner opened her mouth.

“Well, it’s simple. Isn’t Her Highness’ current worry, to put it simply, that she can’t find anyone with the position and dignity to be dispatched as an envoy to the empire in place of Her Highness? I’ll have to explain directly to the emperor for killing Illivatus, but if I send a random person on such an important matter, the situation could actually get worse.”

“Right.”

“However, that doesn’t mean that Her Highness the Grand Duchess cannot visit the imperial palace in person, and to make matters worse, there is no one other than Her Highness who inherits the lineage of the Grand Duchess in the present Grand Duchy of YoRHa. Isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

This is something I’ve felt before, but that man doesn’t look like a mere mercenary and speaks quite well. Like… To the point where someone who doesn’t know anything might mistake it for someone who was born and raised in an aristocratic family.

“Then the story is simple. And I think I can perfectly present a simple solution to the series of events.”

“Simple solution, you mean?”

At Reiner’s confident words, the Grand Duchess tilted her head. Well, I don’t think there is such an easy and simple solution in the world…

“Yes, very simple. Because, in the current Grand Duchess of YoRHa, there is a person who has a position and dignity comparable to that of Her Highness, even nominally the Grand Duchess. He is the perfect person to use at a time like this.”

“… Yes?”

In an instant, the Grand Duchess’ eyes grew cold. However, Reiner doesn’t stop teasing her with her excited expression, perhaps not noticing her expression.

“Rainer Kreuzze, did you say Rainer von Yohr? You know, the man who is the lucky man of the era and at the same time the husband of Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Looking at the man who shrugged her shoulders and flicked her tongue in an extremely light tone, the Grand Duchess said nothing. As if holding something tight inside.

“I know because I have ears to hear. Did the Archduke of Yohrha, Reiner Kreuzze, play and eat like an unemployed man without doing anything in the Grand Duke’s family? Well, I don’t know why Her Highness, the Grand Duchess, wrapped up the man and walked away… It is an undeniable fact that he is a person who can be used at a time like this.”

“… Are you writing? Him?”

“Oops, excuse me. If so, I will change the word to use talent in the right place. But, I don’t think the incompetent man could ever prove himself worth it except now. Wouldn’t Her Highness, the Grand Duchess, never even think of what I’m thinking right now?”

“…..”

“In the previous fight against Illivatus, isn’t Her Highness the person who enjoyed life happily by locking herself in her room while risking her life on the front line to wield a sword? If Your Highness regards that man as a member of the grand duke’s family, I think he should take this opportunity to fulfill his responsibilities as a high-ranking human being.”

“… That’s not up to you to decide. Mercenary.”

“Then let me give you advice from the position of the most loyal ally of the Grand Duchess of Yohrha. Objectively speaking, the man is a person who is useless to be in the grand duke’s family. If you leave it alone, the Grand Duke’s family will be eating, so isn’t it a bad idea to send it to the system at this opportunity? Even if he doesn’t come back, he won’t have any influence on the grand duke’s family anyway, so there’s no harm… “

And that was then.

Pair!

Perhaps she couldn’t bear Ran’s words any longer, the Grand Duchess approached him and slashed her hand at Reiner’s face.

“You dare… Don’t you dare say rude things to my husband. He is… I’m not a worthless man to hear such a thing from a rude man like you.”

“…..”

Reiner smiled bitterly as he wiped the blood leaking from his mouth.

Unexpectedly, the current Grand Duchess seemed to be ‘real’ angry. Because the emotion of her grand duchess was imbued in her fingertips from just before her.

‘This is a bit out of line.’

I thought that if I scratched a little from this side, it would come over on its own. After all, they were just arranged marriages, and they had no affection for each other at all.

Unexpectedly, however, the Grand Duchess… They didn’t seem to think of their marriage as a mere house play.