Interlude 1: Darren Archiam
In the current affairs of the Kingdom of Valschein, if one were to ask whose movements were the most in the spotlight, the only name that would come to mind would be Yumiella Dolkness.
She had defeated the Demon Lord, become two people, and of course, surpassed level 99... There were countless rumors of unknown authenticity regarding the countess. It had even been theorized that the recent mysterious natural phenomenon in which black stripes had covered the skies of the entire world had also been her doing.
Since she was someone whose presence inspired constant attention, information of her appearance in the Royal Capital had spread throughout the town within the day. It was a popular subject of conversation between commoners who lacked entertainment, and even members of the aristocracy were sending their subordinates out to gather intel.
The same went for the head of the Archiam family, Darren Archiam. He was currently in his estate in the Royal Capital, listening to a report given by one of those very subordinates.
“First, she headed to a dress shop that deals in wedding dresses,” the man was saying. “After that, she stopped by a fragrance store before returning to the Dolkness estate.”
“Right, she has a wedding coming up...” Count Archiam recalled. “Perhaps we shouldn’t rely on her—”
“Do you have any other options?” his subordinate asked.
The count fell silent for a moment as he pondered this question. Finally, he shook his head. “No...”
“Then I believe we have no choice but to rely on Countess Dolkness.”
The man standing before the count, giving logical advice, was the estate’s steward, Kevin. He was the longest-serving member of the staff working for the Archiam family, and his father had served the Archiams as well. He was an elderly man who had looked after Darren ever since Darren had been a young child. Whenever the count had a decision to make as the head of the household, he always first discussed it with Kevin.
As always when it came to strategic moves, Kevin was the one who had suggested they should approach Yumiella, who had just appeared in the Royal Capital. The count was forced to admit that this suggestion had virtue; he couldn’t think of another way to escape the predicament he was facing other than to ask for Yumiella’s aid. He wasn’t too happy to have to consider relying on his daughter’s classmate, and to avoid the shame of it, he tried to find faults in the plan.
“She has no obligation to save Archiam,” he pointed out. “She won’t agree to meet with me.”
“We should be able to at least get her to see us,” Kevin countered. “Oh, I forgot to tell you about this... Today—and, chronologically, this would be before the visit to the fragrance store—Countess Dolkness was standing at the gates of this very estate. It would have been most advantageous if we’d invited her in right then, but the guard stopped her... Admittedly, that’s the correct response at any other time, so I cannot blame him too much for how he handled it.”
“Why was she here...?” Darren had some interaction with her parents, the previous count and countess, but Yumiella and the Archiam family had no connection whatsoever. He couldn’t think of a reason Yumiella would visit the Archiam estate.
Even if Darren didn’t grasp her reasoning, the elderly steward probably understood why she’d stopped by. While the count wasn’t surprised that Kevin hadn’t expected Yumiella’s sudden visit, when he considered the manner in which the steward had delivered the information, the man was likely not flustered by Yumiella’s unexpected presence.
Darren Archiam asked his steward directly for the answer. “Why? Why was she here?”
“As you already know, Lord Darren, Countess Dolkness has no obvious reason to visit here. Considering that fact, it would be natural to think that the reasoning lies in the desires of another person. For example, perhaps she came to deliver a message for someone else, or she was here because she was following someone else, something along those lines.”
Though Kevin’s answer wasn’t a straightforward one and quite roundabout in its phrasing, it provided enough information for the gears of the count’s mind to begin turning through the possibilities. Someone Yumiella Dolkness knows, and who also has business with the Archiam family. Yumiella’s parents, the Ashbatten family... As he mentally scrolled through possible candidates, he quickly found the answer.
“It must be Eleanora Hillrose.”
“Yes,” Kevin agreed. “According to the guard’s report, she was there as well.”
Eleanora, who was “missing” according to official records, was in the care of the Dolkness household. Though this was technically a secret, it was generally public knowledge, so of course Count Archiam knew of it as well.
His daughter Dorothea and Eleanora had been friends before they’d attended the Academy together. Most centralist aristocrats knew each other from a young age, but because their families were in the same faction, Dorothea and Eleanora had many opportunities to become friends growing up.
Knowing that Eleanora was an innocent girl without a single scheming bone in her body (a continual surprise to everyone, given that she was the ever-conspiring Duke Hillrose’s daughter) Count Archiam couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved that she seemed to be doing all right.
Since they were only friends because of the association of their families, the count wasn’t sure how his daughter actually felt about Eleanora deep down, but in this case, he knew that he could turn their relationship to his advantage. This started to make him feel a little guilty about essentially using this disgraced young noble as a way to get Yumiella to meet with him.
“Thanks to Lady Eleanora, Dorothea was able to escape being alone over the course of her time at the Academy, despite her shy nature...” the count mused. “Is it right for me to be using the person who is practically my daughter’s savior?”
“I don’t believe it’s something to be proud of...” Even Kevin, who preferred to express disapproval indirectly whenever possible, could find no way to sugarcoat this. But before the count could suggest they give up on asking Yumiella for help, the steward continued. “However, as the head of an aristocratic household, it’s necessary to be prepared to get your hands dirty. Even if your subordinates and children despise you for it, there are times where one must pick the options that contradict what is ethically correct.”
“So you think that I should ask for Countess Dolkness to help?”
“I did not say that,” Kevin responded stiffly. “If you wish to accept the predicament the Archiam family is facing, then by all means follow your own ethics and live a free life with your unsullied integrity. You do have the option of accepting everything and letting go of your status.”
Though his words seemed to communicate the opposite, the count was beginning to feel that Kevin was encouraging him to take the less ethical path.
Currently, the Archiam family was facing a crisis. Accepting the situation would mean that what the count most desired for his family’s legacy—a dream passed down from generation to generation—would be even farther out of reach. He needed to make a decision not as Darren Archiam, but as the head of the Archiam household.
The count steeled himself and hoped that the steward, who was deeply trusted by his father as well, would give him the final push that he needed.
“What would my father have done in a situation like this?”
The steward responded without pause. “The former count would have done anything to protect his status.”
“Then that’s what I shall do. As the head of the Archiam household, I’ll do anything that I have to.”
“You should be making this decision, Lord Darren, not your father.”
“Yes, I understand.”
It was best to put the Archiam family first and toss aside any personal feelings—to act in the way that his father would have done, despite the fact that he had been hated even by his own family. This was logically the correct thing to do. Not only that, but his father’s former right-hand man, Kevin, had even said that he would do the same.
Despite all of this, Yumiella was terrifying. Her standing in the aristocratic society of the Royal Capital was strange. At one point, there had been families trying to form an alliance with her, but she shooed them away. Now, everyone observed her from afar. The fact that she rarely showed her face in the Royal Capital contributed to the air of mystery surrounding her.
Considering the fact that she had taken in Eleanora, she was clearly not the monster that some rumors claimed. At the very least, she was someone who could be reasoned with.
This course of action is the one I must take to survive in the Royal Capital—to protect the fruits of our family’s labor. After all, we’ve worked so long in order to fulfill our long-desired wish. I must use Eleanora and Yumiella... Even if people talk about my foul deeds behind my back, I must do it.
The count’s determination was solid. He would think about how to ask for Yumiella’s help later on, but he had no concerns about using Eleanora to get to her.
“Well then, please invite Lady Eleanora for a visit.”
“As you wish. The countess or the margrave’s son may find our actions suspicious, so I will head over there tomorrow morning.”
Though the count had no idea what kind of methods Kevin would use to achieve his ends, he knew that his steward had helped him time and time again. The count was sure that one way or another, Kevin would ensure that Yumiella would come before him.
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