Arc-6 Ch-40

I know very well the person who wrote this letter—written in a somewhat peculiar hand and rigidly formal in style. In most documents, the only thing he writes himself is his handwritten signature, but I persuaded him that this was unbecoming of a lord with a title. For these past several years, I have been personally instructing him.

Even so, when I gaze at the handwriting that still retains its quirks, I cannot help but smile. Thinking back, we married after Father brought the proposal and after about a year-long engagement. We hardly ever exchanged letters, and even when we did, at most they were reports on the state of the territory.

I have never once received a love letter from him.

During our engagement, he was always at my side, and during the war, personal letters were forbidden to prevent the leaking of military secrets. Having words of love whispered to me in a tangible form like this is quite pleasant. It would have been even better if the letter had not been sent together with the report on the situation in the Bartfort domain and the documents requiring authorization. I reread the letter many times as it lay on a desk ordered at a price incomparable to that of the one in the Bartfort manor.

The private room of the ducal estate was kept immaculate down to the smallest corner, unchanged from before I married into the Bartfort family. And yet, despite supposedly having spent sixteen years in this room, I felt an odd sense of staying in someone else’s room. Is that how much I have become accustomed to the Bartfort household?

I married him, bore his children, and together we developed our domain. The one who exists here is not Angelica Rapha Redgrave.

It is Angelica Fou Bartfort. If so, why am I not with him now?

Kon kon kon

The door was knocked a few times, and I hurried to place the letter in the top drawer of the desk and locked it. The report from the Bartfort domain is what I ought to keep concealed, but if asked which would embarrass me more to have seen, it is unquestionably the former. From the open door appeared my elder brother and Cordelia—the two people with whom I am most closely connected in the ducal estate.

“How is your condition, my lady?”

“No change. But I am growing somewhat tired of remaining shut in my room.”

“Then let us go to the garden. Father is waiting as well.”

“Very well.”

Following my brother’s words, I left the room.

As we walked the long corridors inside the ducal estate, I glanced out the windows. Ten days had passed since the commotion Leon and the others caused, and the grass trampled by armor had mostly been restored. For all the uproar, not a single death was caused, and even the damage to the mansion was kept to a repairable degree. This must be thanks to Leon, who planned it, and those who carried out the fighting. Even after thinking through the strategy so thoroughly, why did he still do something so reckless without telling me?

Just recalling it made anger well up inside me, and my brows furrowed. I looked at my reflection in the windowpane and took deep breaths in an effort to regain my composure. The garden was tended as before, and at a glance, no trace of the commotion could be felt. However, upon closer inspection, there were scattered irregularities.

Lawns whose shades differed from the rest, flowering trees with colors clearly unlike the others, hedges arranged in an obviously disorderly manner. A noble’s garden depends upon overall harmony. Some are designed symmetrically and geometrically, others like a single painting in perfect balance, others still recreate rich nature while excluding artificial structures—all depending on the taste of the estate’s lord.

Having grown familiar with this garden since childhood, seeing it appear discordant inevitably caught my eye and fueled my irritation. No matter what I do in the ducal estate, all that comes to mind is Leon. Though I should be yearning for him that deeply, my irritation only grows. Barely managing to hold my frustration back, I headed toward a gazebo built in one corner of the garden. There, seated on the prepared chair, was Father, passing the time with a board game as he waited for us.

“You have come, Angie. How about a match?”

“I will refrain. I am in no mood for it.”

“What, how dull. I finally managed to secure some free time.”

“These past few days have been filled with unexpected events.”

Unexpected events—namely the commotion Leon caused. After all, it was unprecedented in the long history of the Holfort Kingdom for a young noble who had risen to viscount in a single generation to assault the residence of the Redgrave Duke, the foremost feudal-noble of the kingdom, and threaten the duke by pointing a gun at him.

Moreover, that young noble had married the duke’s daughter and continued to receive extensive support. And the incident occurred right at the heart of the noble residential district of the royal capital, causing most nobles living there to become aware of the abnormal situation. Information gathering is a basic skill for nobles to survive. For the gossip-loving people of the capital, the commotion at the ducal house sparked various speculations as topics for soirées and tea parties.

They said: “The viscount, driven into a corner by the debts owed to the ducal house, threatened his father-in-law to erase the repayment.”

They said: “He barged in to bring back the former duke’s daughter who had tired of frontier life and returned to her family home.”

They said: “Enraged by the duke’s attempt to have his grandchild inherit the viscount’s title and lands, the viscount challenged him.”

It was true that Father aimed for a certain position and had been expanding his faction.

It was also true that I had not returned to the Bartfort domain and remained at the ducal estate. It was also true that the Redgrave family had lent money to many nobles, Bartfort among them. Speculation built from limited information mixed with real facts, creating misunderstandings that birthed further rumors.

Not only nobles of the duke’s faction but even nobles of the royalist faction came to the ducal estate under the pretense of offering concern. Some nobles, from observing the state of the estate, inferred the scale of the commotion and exchanged their deductions with others, causing the information to become tangled. As for the uninvited guests and overseeing the mansion’s repairs, I had no choice but to handle them myself. Father and Brother spent their time negotiating with members of the duke’s faction, as well as mediating with the moderate royalists and the neutral nobles—resolving the situation took ten whole days.

According to Lady Mylene’s intermediary, who was among the visitors, the royal family also regarded the situation seriously and offered cooperation. We gladly accepted, and thanks to the gag order, the royal capital was beginning to return to peace.

“Once noon passes, he will come visit again today. Isn’t it about time you forgave him?”

“I hear he’s bringing the grandchildren today. You can’t very well refuse to see them.”

“With respect, it isn’t that I am refusing to see him. The one who has been unilaterally avoiding me is Leon.”

“If you keep locking him up in the waiting room every day when he comes, that is only to be expected.”

“If he wants to complain, he could simply force his way in and come to me. He makes his plans on his own, then grows frightened on his own. He had enough nerve to cause such an incident, so why he hesitates to meet me makes no sense.”

“Anyone would shrink back after seeing such a scowl on your face.”

“Stop being stubborn and meet with him. Everyone in the estate has noticed your mood worsening day by day.”

“I am not! I am not being stubborn!!”

“…Good grief, your strong will is as unchanging as ever.”

It is not as if I am being stubborn. Absolutely not, without a doubt. It is true that I had Leon, who came to the ducal estate every day, wait in the reception room, but I never confined him. The door was unlocked, and I accepted every letter and gift, offering words of gratitude. And yet Leon refuses to meet me; he remains frightened, constantly watching my mood and acting in an ingratiating manner.

No, I understand. Leon has never held an absolute view of himself, and his self-evaluation is excessively low to the point of self-deprecation. Though he appears bold, in truth he gathers information, formulates meticulous plans, raises the chance of success as much as possible, and only then engages in battle. In a situation where he cannot rely on such tactics and has no experience courting women, it is perhaps inevitable that he becomes timid with me.

But then he simply needs to come see me honestly. He should force his way to my room if he must, offer a single sincere apology, and whisper that we should return together to the Bartfort domain. For just that much, I intend to forgive him and return. Why does he still not come to see me?

And now, today, he has gone so far as to summon Lionel and Ariel, whom we left in the Bartfort domain, just to gauge my mood. I am furious with Leon for choosing such a cowardly tactic as using our children as bait. If he wants to see me, he should say so plainly. On top of that, these last few days I have not been feeling well. The fetal movements have gradually lessened, my body feels flushed, and I sense discomfort in my abdomen.

At first I thought it was due to the unfamiliar work at the ducal estate, but then I remembered that my due date was approaching. Originally, the plan was to return to the Bartfort domain on the same day Father and the others concluded their talks. But because of the incident Leon caused, we lost the timing to return and have remained at the ducal estate. My anxiety about childbirth cannot be hidden, and only my irritation toward Leon keeps growing. Why is it that though he should have courage, he always becomes spineless at the most important moments when it comes to me?

“My lady, might it not be time to forgive the viscount?”

“Cordelia, are you taking Leon’s side as well?”

“To be frank, I had thought until now that the Bartfort viscount was not suitable as your husband, my lady. However, since that incident, most of the servants of the ducal estate have begun to reassess him. What we desire is our lady’s happiness. At the very least, I have revised my opinion—marrying the viscount is far happier than marrying a fool.”

“He is a man who pointed a gun at Father.”

“I heard he said that he chooses you over rank or land.”

“That is a way of thinking unbecoming of a noble.”

“But how about as a single woman?”

“…Stop asking questions that are difficult to answer.”

“My apologies.”

‘I refuse. I have no intention of marrying any woman other than Angie.’

‘Even if I have to fight against the Redgrave family, I want Angie.’

‘If I have such a wife, wanting to make her queen is only natural for a man.’

‘What is wrong with giving Angie a position worthy of her?’

What a sinful man… After being declared all of that, how could I possibly refuse?

There is no one in this world who loves me more than Leon Fou Bartfort. For my sake, he would seek the throne, and for my sake, he might even abandon his rank and domain. If Leon, who could so easily stray from the right path without someone to guide him, is left alone, I must be the one to forever stand beside him and scold him when needed. So this is what it means to be weakened by love… I can only be astonished at myself for being such a hopeless woman.

“For now, prepare for the children to have an audience with Father. And do not forget to prepare for my meeting with Leon.”

“You will meet the viscount, then.”

“I have not decided whether I will return. It all depends on Leon’s attitude.”

“If you do not become a little more honest, he may give up on you.”

“Do not worry. He has no interest in any woman but m—”

Just as I tried to continue speaking, pain shot through my lower abdomen. It was a unique kind of pain, unlike stomach troubles or menstrual cramps. I knew this pain. The last time I experienced it was about three years ago. It is the unavoidable pain that every female creature feels at a certain time. The moment I felt it, sweat burst from my entire body, and I could not breathe until the pain eased. As the pain receded, movement gradually returned to my body. The three of them stared at me, having noticed I had suddenly fallen still.

“…Cordelia, hurry and call the birth physician. I am returning to my room.”

“U-understood.”

“Brother, please contact Leon. I have gone into labor.”

“Angie, about that…”

“What is it?”

“No one knows where he is right now. He has been changing inns every day and acting in ways to avoid being followed.”

“What?”

What on earth is Leon doing?

When I am finally about to forgive him, why does he always choose the worst possible course of action at the most crucial times?

Ow… Perhaps because I became irritated, the pain returned. I somehow performed deep breaths, trying to ease the pain and calm my mind, but sweat poured down endlessly. The intermittent waves of pain were turning into irritation toward Leon. Even my father’s and brother’s voices calling for the servants felt annoying. I take back what I said earlier. Once I see him, I am absolutely going to give him a piece of my mind.

※　※　※　※　※

“Daaaddy”

“Hmm?”

“Where’s mommy?”

“You’ll see her soon. Mama is at Grandpa’s place.”

“?”

“Not Papa’s papa Grandpa, Mama’s papa Grandpa.”

Lionel and Ariel last met the duke before the war began, so they likely remember nothing. The twins, who reunited with me for the first time in half a month, cling to me more sweetly than usual. Yet while Lionel does not leave my side, Ariel is gazing out the carriage window at the scenery of the royal capital, behaving completely differently despite them being twins.

The roads in the capital are generally paved, and noble carriages have far better facilities than those in the Bartfort domain, making them quiet and smooth while moving. The royal capital has more people on a normal day than the festivals or events in the frontier Bartfort domain. Ariel seems more interested in that than in me. Papa is so sad he could cry. Eventually, one of my and Angie’s children will become the successor, and the rest will either make their own way or marry into other houses. Then perhaps raising them in the capital could be an option?

No… For a newly risen noble house like the Bartfort viscountcy to be living in the royal capital from the start would be bad. Our territory is still under development, we haven’t finished developing all the land on the floating island, and unlike other territories, we don’t have the money or the personnel to link uninhabited floating islands to expand. Setting aside court nobles who don’t have territories, it is common sense for domain-holding nobles to devote the first few generations entirely to land development. What kind of people are nobles who live in the royal capital, know no hardship, and never visit their own territories?

Just remembering Zola, Merce, and Lutoart makes it very clear. I have no intention of raising my children to be scum. Steady, diligent, bit by bit.

That is the way of life of Leon Fou Bartfort. Why am I always evaluated as some fearless tactician? All I want is not to die because I’m a coward, and I’d really like to avoid killing people.

Is it that?

Is it because my everyday conduct is too terrible?

Well, true, I bluntly spoke my mind to the queen, got into something like a fistfight duel with the prince, pointed a gun at the duke to threaten him, and finally punched the king. I wonder why I’m still alive, my bad luck is too good. Normally, I should have lost my life if I messed up even once. I was favored by the queen, the prince suddenly got friendly, the duke is my wife’s father, and I made the king sign a written oath. People who want to kill me include of course those from the former Fanoss Principality who had their relatives killed, but there are probably tons of nobles in the Holfault Kingdom too.

No no no, why won’t my talents make me happy. Is it that, maybe it’s because I did bad things in my previous life?

To be hated by the gods this much, what kind of villain was I in my previous life?

Or maybe the me in another world is the bad one. Using lost items to destroy several neighboring countries and become a king, how many times did he repeat his life?

Maybe that guy sucked up all my luck and got promoted. But Angie became queen over there, and thinking that the Angie over there is happier than the one here makes me sad. Was the right answer to somehow win over the orb thing and become king?

It was just a threat that slipped out of my mouth, but no way I knew my ancestor was a founding contributor to the Holfort Kingdom. You never know what happens in life. Even if that is revealed, I can’t change the way I live now. Father would be shocked to learn the truth, but if he’s told he has royal blood only at the time he retires, he’d only be confused. My older brother isn’t fit to be a king at all, and Colin is too good of a kid and would end up being exploited by bad people. My older sister and Finley are hopeless, if I tell them carelessly, I can only see a future where they get carried away, step into hell on their own, and fall.

“Hey, Lionel. Do you want to become king?”

“…What is a king?”

“You don’t get it, Ariel, how about you?”

“I don’t know.”

Seems like they don’t really understand, and that might be fine. When you gain power, the things you can do increase, but duties and connections with others increase too. Living a life that suits your own capacity is the safest and most enjoyable life. And yet the one thing I need most for that kind of life—Angie—isn’t here. This is the first time in my life Angie has come to hate me this much. I have no idea what I should do to make her calm down, and I’m troubled. Since the day after I threatened the duke, I’ve been visiting the ducal estate around noon and asking for an audience with Angie, but she won’t see me.

I bring letters and gifts every day, get shown into the reception room, but am told she’s busy and I just wait there forever. When the sun sets, I reluctantly leave the letters and gifts with a servant or a maid and return. Repeat. Just thinking that Angie doesn’t want to see me that much makes me depressed. I want her to at least show me her face, but there’s no sign she’s willing to allow that. I rampaged through the ducal estate that much, so the fact they’re not turning me away at the gate is already plenty merciful.

If I keep visiting like this every day, maybe someday her mood will soften. Thinking like that got me scolded by Father and Brother, who came to the capital worried about me. Well, if the lord and his wife go to the capital and don’t return for a while, of course they’ll worry. I left out the details and told them “I fought with the duke” and “Angie went back to her family home,” and Father punched me as hard as he could.

Crying, I asked the two of them what I should do, but they didn’t come up with any good ideas. Father bragged, “I love Ruth so we can make up right away!”

Yeah, right, you’re always doing stupid things and getting punched by Mother.

My brother said “Don’t ask me…” and couldn’t even give decent advice.

I guess it was too difficult a question for a brother who was a virgin until about half a year ago. Even without Angie, the management of the Bartfort domain is on track, but I can’t feel at ease. Putting loans and territory management aside, I just want Angie to come back. Since there was no choice, when I brought Lionel and Ariel, Father and Brother went back for now. The next day, in addition to the letter and gift, I submitted the Bartfort domain reports, and received back a corrected report fixing all the issues. By the way, there was no reply to my personal letter.

No matter how seriously I worry every day and write letters telling her how much I love her, I don’t even know if she’s reading them. Angie is cold and it hurts, I seriously broke down crying on the way home. To make things worse, the king secretly met me even though I didn’t want him to, and since he was a nasty jerk, I punched him as hard as I could. Because of that, I’ve been changing inns every day. Since there was no choice, I’ll use the final measure: bring Lionel and Ariel and visit the ducal estate.

Even the duke must want to see his grandchildren, so he should help persuade Angie. Even if she’s done with me, Angie doesn’t hate the children, so it should be fine.

…It should be, right?

If this doesn’t work, I can’t think of a next move. Maybe if I break down crying pathetically in front of Angie, she might come back?

She would just be even more disappointed in me, so that won’t work. The carriage has already entered the noble residential district, and it’s about time we’ll see the ducal estate gate.

Ah, damn.

My chest gets heavier and heavier, this is more depressing than a bad battlefield. Lionel and Ariel looking at me with worry is part of the cause. Please, I really want to avoid divorce, maybe she can compromise with a temporary separation…

The shaking and sound stopped, looks like we arrived. When the carriage door opened and I got down holding the twins, a different sight than usual spread before me. Since the time I attacked the ducal estate, the servants never acted rude toward me anymore, but there had never been a situation where several servants waited at the gate. Is it because I brought Lionel and Ariel, the children Angie bore?

Even so, their expressions seemed somewhat desperate.

“Welcome, we have been waiting for you Viscount Bartfort. We were troubled because we didn’t know where to contact you.”

“…Did something happen?”

The butler chief, the oldest among the servants, spoke to me. From his face and tone, a slight sense of urgency could be felt. I can’t imagine anyone other than me planning to attack the ducal estate again after I stormed it. The only thing I can think of is that something happened to Angie. A sudden illness, or some sort of change in her condition.

…Huh, come to think of it, when was Angie’s due date again?

“Lady Angelica’s labor has begun, the master and Lord Gilbert are waiting.”

┳⁠━━━━⁠━⁠⁠━⁠━⁠━━━⁠┳

Authors Note

┻━⁠━━━━⁠━━⁠━━━⁠┻

This is a post to coincide with the completion of the Kingdom Arc comic adaptation of “Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs”. I feel lonely.

And so, the Kingdom Arc has safely come to an end in the Dragon Age October issue released today.

I have read hundreds of Narou-style light novels and their comic adaptations, but what led me to read Mobseka was Shiori Jun-sensei’s comic adaptation.

And since I myself have been writing Mobseka fan fiction for nearly two years, it feels strange.

This work too has almost entered the final stages of the main story.

I had intended to finish it by the time the original novel concluded and the Kingdom Arc comic adaptation ended, but the reason it kept getting delayed and delayed is my lack of structuring ability. 

Hey From here on, it will be a story mainly focused on Angie and Leon flirting with each other. Endlessly heavy political stories would wear down my mental state!

Lastly, with gratitude for seven years of serialization, thank you very much for your hard work, Shiori Jun-sensei.

Postscript:

At the request of the client, Moiso-sama and CL-sama have drawn illustrations for this.

Thank you very much.

Moiso-sama: Pixiv (R-18 warning)

CL-sama: Pixiv

I would be grateful to receive your thoughts and impressions, as they will be an encouragement for future work.