An envoy came from Myzahn a short time after Master Robin’s escape. Moreover, it was the king’s younger brother, Prince Rivage Myzahn. It seemed that each country had sent its king’s younger brother to participate in this conference.
Prince Rivage was wearing a gaudy outfit embroidered with golden thread, and he gave off a dignified and intimidating air as he entered Sutrena’s central town surrounded by a large number of subordinates. He was a tall, handsome man and had the same skin color as Defi. His long, glossy black hair hung down his back to his waist. Coupled with his traditional Myzahni outfit, which had a long, feminine hem, it was easy to mistake his gender from a distance.
Prince Leonardo, who’d been put in charge of negotiations, was petrified from the stress. I was feeling a bit worried.
“Save me, Nazelbaaart!” As expected, he was whining and relying on Lord Nazel in his time of trouble.
Prince Rivage didn’t seem to mind what was going on with Prince Leonardo, as he approached with a leisurely gait while the hem of his clothes trailed behind him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Prince Leonardo.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Prince Rivage.” Prince Leonardo somehow managed to reply in a monotone voice.
Lord Nazel backed up Prince Leonardo by flawlessly—as always—guiding Prince Rivage to the conference venue. The negotiations would be held in the largest conference room in our town’s fortress. It was the most spacious and ideal place for negotiations in Sutrena. The King of Myzahn’s younger brother had traveled to Sutrena by boat and was transported to the fortress via mountbeast. He was the one who’d given the order for Master Robin’s breakout, so Sutrena didn’t have a favorable impression of him.
The air is a bit tense.
This was the critical moment that would decide whether we could maintain a friendly relationship with Myzahn or not. I was starting to get stressed like Prince Leonardo.
I admire Prince Rivage for maintaining his composure under these circumstances. He was kind of brazen, I supposed... Anyway, he was incredible in a number of ways.
At the fortress, Prince Leonardo, his subordinates, and Lord Nazel, who was reluctantly attending, took the lead in the discussion. Wearing a hooded outfit that Kelly had prepared for me, I followed Lord Nazel and quietly slipped into the venue. I was also worried about Defi, who we were planning on handing over to Myzahn, so I’d asked Lord Nazel to let me attend. I didn’t want to obstruct the negotiations, so I quietly chatted with Defi in a corner. He was the main topic of this discussion, so he would have to occasionally join the main conversation. The rest of the time, he would be waiting here with me.
“Lady Agnes, this has been bothering me for a while, but...why does your face look like that? Your thick makeup kinda makes you look like a ghost,” Defi said.
“It’s a measure to repel Master Robin,” I replied after a moment.
During this discussion, Master Robin would also have to show up once as evidence. Of course, he would be attending with his mana sealed and under strict surveillance. Master Robin had been constantly making passes at me up to now, most likely because I was Lord Nazel’s wife. Every time that happened, Lord Nazel’s mood had taken a nosedive, and his expressions of love toward me had become more intense. This time, I had taken measures in my own way to make sure that Lord Nazel could stay calm throughout the conference.
“I’m on the edge of the room and don’t stand out, so it’s all right,” I added.
“Well yeah, but...once you notice this face, it will constantly be on your mind. There won’t be any room left for diplomacy. How did it end up like this?” It seemed that as a foreigner, Defi wasn’t familiar with the rumors surrounding the infamous Lady Bumpkin.
“I come from the House of Evantail, a family that yearned for the good old times. When I still lived under their roof, I always looked like this.”
“What? Are they insane?! I feel like this will haunt my dreams...” Defi looked dejected, like he was imagining a nightmare.
As we were talking, Defi’s name was called from the center of the room.
“Damn... I have to go.” He walked to a conspicuous spot in the center with heavy steps.
Now by myself, I quietly paid close attention to the conversation between Lord Nazel and the rest. Continuing his conversation with Prince Leonardo, who could finally speak normally, Prince Rivage turned to the matter of Defi’s treatment.
“I would like to turn Defi, whom we’ve captured, over to you,” Prince Leonardo said.
Prince Rivage shook his head with no hesitation.
“That won’t be necessary. You may get rid of Defi as you please.” Perhaps because of the situation we were in, Prince Rivage replied in a very dispassionate manner, and I hated to say this, but I didn’t sense an ounce of kindness from him.
Isn’t he being a bit too casual when it comes to his own subordinate, especially the one entrusted with the important job of taking Master Robin to Myzahn? I felt alarmed at how easily he could speak of “getting rid of” Defi, like he was an object.
I nervously observed how Defi was doing. He stood in the very middle of the spacious room, and though he was silent, he wasn’t confused. He seemed calm, as if he had somewhat already known that he would be treated like this. If anything, he’d looked more shaken when he’d seen me in my Lady Bumpkin getup. Perhaps he had more or less anticipated Prince Rivage’s decision. Defi had said he’d always wanted to quit his job. I felt like I’d caught a glimpse of a part of the reason just now.
From the looks of it, even if he were able to return to his country, he probably wouldn’t be treated well. In the worst-case scenario, he might even be punished.