Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 80.1

“Is there no way out of this?”

“A way…”

I called for Tambor to discuss the matter.

How could I make sure those servants stop looking down on Enfrise? After hearing my concerns, Tambor looked troubled.

“If it were an ordinary situation, firing them all and hiring new ones would be the quickest and most effective solution, but…”

“Enfrise is being called strange names among the other nobles, right?”

“…You heard about that.”

To me, Enfrise and Elmare look almost identical. The only differences were probably their coloring and their overall impression.

“If we hire new ones, won’t the same thing just happen again?”

“That’s true. Besides, His Grace can’t fire them just as you please.”

“So, the title of Grand Duke means nothing, and nothing can be done freely.”

Though it was a sharp remark, Tambor didn’t disagree. Instead, she smiled bitterly and poured some tea. The faint scent of chrysanthemum spread, but I couldn’t bring myself to drink it.

“But why can’t he fire them at will?”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the servants here were hired by the Emperor. Though His Grace may not have the intention… Since the palace is full of cowards, they fear that someone as powerful as him might build a faction, which is why His Majesty was worried.”

So after slandering Enfrise’s very lineage by calling him a ‘blood thief’ and taking the heir’s position, he was still afraid of him. No, that was exactly why he was afraid.

How stupid.

“The Emperor is almost omnipotent. He can freely grant or strip titles, and even take someone’s life. To such a person, even if no one acknowledges His Grace, who is the heir by blood, must feel like a thorn in his side. Then, cowardly nobles try to flatter the Emperor by slandering His Grace.”

And those employed in this mansion likely wanted to stay in the Emperor’s good books more than anything. The smallest fault would have them reporting to the Emperor immediately.

How stupid and vile.

Why was this kind of thing the same in reality as it was in novels? Then again, they said reality was even more novel-like than novels.

“So, there’s no way?”

“…It’s not impossible, but there is a way. If His Majesty openly shows favor to His Grace.”

Eehh.

Wasn’t the Emperor the petty fool who was bothered by even Enfrise being isolated and robbed of his rightful position? Would he really show favor to me?

“At the very least, if His Majesty scolds those who insult him harshly, things could improve… He just turned a blind eye, and it slowly became a kind of tradition, even among the younger ones who didn’t fully understand the situation.”

Tambor muttered with a look of regret.

At this point, shouldn’t Enfrise just become a rebel? If he became the leader and simply took down the Emperor, it might actually feel cathartic.

Ugh. And yet, he was still so kind-hearted.

“Ha…”

When I sighed quietly, Tambor gave a bitter smile. After a brief moment of contemplation, I spoke again.

“Is there any chance I could meet His Majesty?”

As a County, I was considered a high-ranking noble, but I was the daughter of a fallen family. My parents were dead, and I didn’t inherit the title, so it was only natural that such an opportunity would be out of reach.

For someone like me to meet the Emperor…

“….”

But surprisingly, Tambor didn’t respond right away. She stood there for a moment, lips pressed together, head lowered in thought, before finally speaking.

“I can’t say for certain.”

Could it be that she knows a way?

Even though meeting the Emperor might not change anything, perhaps at least I could leave a good impression on him? Maybe something like how Enfrise slightly changed his perception?

If I spoke sincerely about Enfrise’s good qualities, maybe the Emperor would take notice.

If not, perhaps I could create a positive impression and, in turn, improve Enfrise’s standing as well. Maybe the Emperor already saw me in a positive light. If I could make it known that I wasn’t being kept here against my will, but rather was here by choice…

If I could show that I chose Enfrise, then maybe that would make a difference. Who would I need to meet to see the Emperor? I’ve got nothing to lose, so it was worth a try.

With that, I got lost in thought.

* * *

“It’s not possible.”

The result of my thoughts led me straight to Enfrise, my number one choice. He was someone who did anything I asked of him, and he was the one person I trusted the most. However, before I could even finish speaking, he rejected my request.

The first rejection I’d ever heard from him caught me off guard.

“So when can we meet… Huh?”

I reacted before I could stop myself.

I thought he’d agree right away, and I was about to ask him to set up a time, but when I looked at Enfrise, blinking, I saw him shaking his head with a serious expression.

“No.”

“Why?”

My question burst out impulsively. I could see a flash of the fierce expression he had when we first met.

Why?