Volume 4, Chapter 1: Prologue
"The content of the letters is becoming more and more humble, don't you think?"
Aoi said while reading the letter that came from Yamato.
"To be honest, it's a bit sad if even as a member at the bottom of Yamato's royal family."
Since then, Yamato has been desperately sending letters to us, but we've been ignoring them.
"I wonder if it's time to forgive them."
The truth is, I intended to destroy Yamato, but Kazanzakis-san has been desperately trying to persuade me to quit.
In other words, for Patrida, a resort area with tourism as its main industry, it's still undesirable to make an enemy out of Yamato, who is the leading country in this world.
Well, for now, we won the initial battle, and the opponent has weaknesses.
Based on political judgment, we decided to stop the war for the time being.
However, whether to forgive or not is a separate issue.
"So, this is a strategy of deliberately ignoring and waiting for the other side to increase their apologies step by step, right? Then, at some point, we reduce the number of apologies and bestow favors, saying 'this is enough, I forgive you'?"
Apolito asked me.
"Indeed, my brother. That's correct. But I intend to settle the matter regarding the dirty work my sister was forced to do."
I never expected that my own sister would be made to do dirty work in this world and become like a spy.
And she didn't die in the bus accident either, and I cried a lot back then.
There's a possibility that our parents are still alive, but my sister doesn't know that.
Since then, my sister has been insisting on talking to me about something, but she seems agitated, so I told her to calm down first and entrusted her to Murasaki.
"I heard they're planning to elevate you from a duke to a grand duke at last."
Kazanzakis-san has a genuinely troubled expression.
"Well, it's just becoming more of a loner. It's like a punishment game."
I replied, and Apolito nodded.
Why don't those guys from Yamato notice? It makes me angry.
I am promoted as a leader of a special operations unit, hailed as a savior and given the title of colonel. However, it feels like they are merely tossing scraps onto my foul-smelling blanket.
Soon, they will promote me to the rank of grand duke, but what awaits me is not luxury and comfort. Instead, my bed will be reduced to nothing more than a pile of decaying leaves and spoiled food.
"I'd rather have money than those things. It can be used for construction funds and new businesses like supermarkets."
Instead of sympathizing, give me money.
"I see, your business is important to our country too. Hmm," Mr. Kazanzakis said with a troubled expression.
My business is also crucial to Patrida.
After all, I went from groaning in a second-rate country to becoming a potential first-rate country.
"I'll leave that to you," Mr. Kazanzakis laughed.
"Thank you."
I'm happy to have a great grandfather-in-law.
Or rather, Aoi has started to soften occasionally, but she doesn't attack as my uncles say and she doesn't come when I invite her.
Maybe she's a valuable existence in this world.
Murasaki is more proactive, but I, a coward, can't take that one step forward.
Honestly, Murasaki is also very important, and it seems that it's not strange at all for noble people to go in that direction in this world, but I still need courage.
Even though I'm Yuuki, I lack courage.
This might be related to the fact that I used to have hemorrhoids.
It was a mild case, but once I showed it, I immediately had to undergo surgery and get it cut.
They insisted that it was better to treat it quickly.
Since stitching it would cause the inside to rot, they said to leave the wound exposed and let it heal naturally.
Because it wasn't stitched, when stool passes, I experience a tremor-inducing excruciating pain.
When I told the doctor about the unbearable pain, he said with a smiling face, "It hurts because you think it hurts."
Looking back now, was it some kind of SM play?
As I was contemplating such things, my sister Mitsuki entered the room.
"Brother, listen to me!"
For the time being, I covered my ears with my fingers.
I already knew it would be some useless talk.