I’d made a mistake. I, Liesenlotte, had committed an error.
“And yet, Her Highness Princess Valiele will face mere bandits for her first battle,” the man before me said.
It felt like a waste to allocate Faust von Polidoro to such a trivial matter. In the Anhalt royal family, the second daughter Valiele was more of a backup. Faust von Polidoro was too good to stick by her, and a knight of his caliber could surely be used elsewhere. What use was there for him by the younger princess?
“It’s a different situation, naturally,” I replied. “Defeating bandits is an important part of our duties.”
It was the best excuse that I could muster. It was reasonable to create a military force to rid us of bandits. It was reasonable. However…
“Why don’t we invade Villendorf, our enemy nation?” Faust inquired.
“Enough of your jokes, Faust von Polidoro. Are you planning on starting another war against those barbarians?”
Surely this mission was humiliating for Faust, the Knight of Wrath. He had already battled the barbarians of Villendorf, taken the heads of over ten knights, and won a duel with the knight captain. His valor was fitting for a heroic tale, and he’d even taken the head of the enemy’s captain. No doubt dispatching a man of his ability to defeat a few bandits was a humiliating task. However, he served as an advisor to Valiele, the second in line to the throne, and fighting against bandits was the perfect first battle for her.
Faust likely assumed that I thought of Valiele as a backup for Anastasia, my elder daughter. In other words, the implication was that I cared very little for the younger daughter. This was bad. Very, very bad. I sounded as though I underestimated Faust’s abilities and his position as Valiele’s advisor, while belittling my second daughter. His face turned scarlet with rage, but I wasn’t sure if he was acting.
I had no way to determine his true thoughts—he was a male knight who was swept away by his emotions. His demeanor didn’t change on the battlefield, and thus, he was given the sobriquet “the Knight of Wrath” by minstrels. He was the only child of the female lord who controlled the frontier.
Faust von Polidoro was a source of trouble for the royal family. However, he was competent. His feats were extraordinary and weren’t to be treated lightly—this only made him more troublesome. I should’ve put him under Anastasia’s care. Her military prowess had already been proven when she fought against the Villendorf savages, and her fate as my successor was practically set in stone.
To have Valiele’s faction increase their power at this stage was a waste of national power. If only Sir Polidoro, our only male knight and lord, had quietly found a wife to settle down with. But I instead placed him as the advisor for the younger princess, in accordance with her wishes. That was my folly. I wished that I had placed him under Anastasia, and all I could do now was regret having done something else.
“Do you believe that my power is lacking?” Faust asked.
Of course not. I possess not a shred of doubt about your skills, I thought. Hence, I was in this predicament. I understand that I’m repeating myself here, but I should’ve placed him under Anastasia; I know that she wishes that as well. I could sense her glaring at me with everything that she had. Her pupils—those eyes that exhibited malice that made it seem like she ate humans for lunch—bored holes through me. Sir Polidoro was too busy scowling at me, his face red with anger, to notice my daughter’s gaze. Oh, Faust. I find you detestable.
If only he had died in the battle against Villendorf. No. There’s a part of me that finds his death to be a waste. You’re a handsome man. I couldn’t deny that I was eager to make him a replacement for my late husband. Unfortunately, I knew that the moment I did, Anastasia would kill me with her own hands.
Oh, the pain! Oh, the emotions! Why did my daughter’s taste in men take after her mother’s? Or perhaps Anastasia is seeking a father figure—a man with paternal instincts. Oh, Faust…
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said. “I’ve said all that I need, and I find further discussion to be pointless. May I please leave the room?”
His words would spare me from this situation, and I decided to take his offer.
“Very well,” I said. “You may leave.”
Those words came from the bottom of my heart. Faust charmed me to such a degree that if he didn’t leave, I feared that I would’ve gone crazy. His spirit so closely resembled my late husband’s that every now and again, I felt a desperate yearning for him, but I had to forget that for now. Anastasia desired his love. I offered my approval for my daughter’s greed.
“Valiele,” I said.
“Yes, Mother?” she replied. She was my spare, the one who wasn’t intended to inherit the throne.
“Should you fail your mission to defeat the bandits, I shall remove Faust as your advisor. He will be put under Anastasia’s command. Do I make myself clear?”
Valiele opened her mouth in astonishment. “Pardon?”
I didn’t mind. I just needed to take Faust from Valiele, my reserved child. As long as that wish was granted, I cared for nothing else. But of course, I didn’t expect Faust to ever fail his mission. My words would regain some trust back from Anastasia; this seemed like the perfect solution to my woes.
“Mother, please!” Valiele cried. “Faust is my advisor!”
“Oh dear,” Anastasia goaded. “I wouldn’t have expected a princess such as yourself to cower in the face of a few bandits. I must say that I’m a touch surprised, Valiele.”
I allowed my older daughter to tease her sister. In truth, the situation wouldn’t change one bit. Any numbskull could take care of bandits with Faust by their side—failing this mission was nigh impossible. Faust would remain as Valiele’s advisor and Anastasia’s advisor would be the lord of a duchy. The status quo would remain.
Our kingdom would operate with no issues. If possible, I would’ve liked to welcome Faust as the replacement for my late husband, but the bureaucracy wouldn’t allow for such a decision. Above all, neither Anastasia nor Valiele would accept it. That was just fine. This kingdom would resume its normal operations.
“Valiele, I ask only whether you can handle a few bandits,” I said. The words slipped out of my mouth.
“I would like to decline to fight against mere bandits as my first battle, quite frankly,” Valiele replied. “Do you truly believe that I cannot handle such a simple mission?”
“With Faust by your side, I find your failure to be an impossible feat. Victory is assured. But should you not go out and experience your first battle, the other nobles will certainly doubt your skills.”
She fell silent. The fact remained that there were some citizens out there, terrorized by these bandits and desperately in need of help. My young daughter had little choice as she pursed her lips with dismay.
“Mother, as my first battle, I shall go and rid us of these bandits,” she said.
“Very good,” I replied.
Finally, I had begun to find a solution to my problems. I breathed a sigh of relief while Anastasia loudly clicked her tongue with annoyance.