That day, the atmosphere in the royal palace of Alexandria was unusually tense.
Not only the officials serving in the palace but also the maids, servants, and everyone else paid close attention to the every move of the king and the ministers. This was because, on this particular day, their mood was exceptionally bad.
The reason for the ill temper of these key figures in the kingdom was a letter that had arrived the day before at the Royal Academy. It was a letter sent from the borders of the Highland Duchy, located to the north of the kingdom. Its contents read as follows:
"We request your permission to allow the marquis' eldest daughter, who was exiled from your kingdom and formerly known as Elizabeth von Blauvelt, to accompany my child, Randolph Victor, as an attendant and study assistant during his time at your Royal Academy."
It was a request for Elizabeth, who had been banished from the kingdom, to be granted temporary entry.
Normally, such a request would be dismissed as absurd, but because this situation was far from simple, the kingdom's leading figures could not hide their irritation.
And so, with their evident frustration, the king and his top officials gathered in a large conference room.
"Now then, I'm sure you all understand the situation. Yesterday, this letter was delivered to the academy," said King Gerald Roa Alexandros, ruler of the kingdom and father of Crown Prince Edgar. The king, with a look of disdain, tossed the letter onto the table. A nearby man picked it up and began to pass it around for everyone to read.
"Allowing someone who has been exiled to re-enter the country is out of the question!"
"What nonsense! She survived the exile—the Demon Forest, on top of that! Surely, we should demonstrate some magnanimity."
Voices of agreement came from both sides of the debate, reflecting the deep divide in opinion.
"I understand everyone's points," said the king. "However—"
"Allow me to elaborate on the details," interjected Dil Weissman, the bearded prime minister, stepping forward from beside the king.
"This is not the only letter we've received from the duchy. A separate information was also sent directly to us, the kingdom's government. The contents are as follows—"
The prime minister withdrew a set of letters from his breast pocket.
"The first one confirms that the lady in question has been given protection and an official position in the duchy—this is stamped with the duchy's seal, so there is no doubt about its authenticity. However, the problem lies in this particular letter."
With a grim expression, Dil held up one letter for all to see. Written on it was a single sentence:
"We trust in the generosity and independence of your kingdom's government."
The elegant, refined handwriting carried an inexplicable pressure despite its short sentence.
The experienced politicians in the room, found themselves frowning at the vagueness of this statement.
"'Generosity,' is it? Indeed, perhaps it is only right to demonstrate the breadth of our tolerance by accepting someone who has atoned for their sins."
"Ridiculous. Are you suggesting we bow to the whims of a small duchy's minor noble?"
"But it's the Demon Forest! She survived it!"
The discussion split into two opposing views, stemming from the nature of Elizabeth's exile.
The method of banishment established by the Kingdom of Alexandria included the following:
1. Stripping the individual of their royal citizenship.
2. Publicly announcing their exile to the kingdom's citizens.
3. Informing other nations of their exile.
4. Considering the punishment complete once the individual was expelled from the country.
In other words, the moment Elizabeth was exiled, her punishment was considered fulfilled. No further penalties could be imposed on her.
If interpreted strictly by the law,
"She's served her sentence and isn't even a citizen anymore. Why not allow her temporary re-entry?"
Such arguments sparked outrage, with cries of "What nonsense!" erupting throughout the room. While it indeed seemed like sophistry, it was also true that the law said nothing about post-exile measures.
"Why was such a loophole left unaddressed?"
All eyes turned toward one man—Leonard Rowe, the Minister of Justice.
"Because we never envisioned a situation where someone would attempt to re-enter after exile," Leonard replied bitterly, as though he had just swallowed an expired pill.
Indeed, as Leonard said, no one had ever returned from exile before, not in the few instances where banishment had been carried out in the kingdom's history.
Why was that the case?
Exile always involved the revocation of royal citizenship. This revocation was formalized during the procedures at the kingdom's borders. However, once exiled, the person became stateless until they were formally accepted and protected by the other country.
In this world, citizenship was more than a simple identifier of national citizen. It was a declaration by the state, guaranteeing the individual's origin and placing them under the protection of its laws.
While "protection under the law" might sound controlling, it was actually beneficial for citizens. As long as their status was guaranteed by the state, they could enjoy peace and stability under the law.
However, for those without citizenship, it was a different story. Stateless individuals were not considered protected by any nation's laws. This created a dangerous loophole—one that permitted actions against such individuals with virtually no legal repercussions.
To put it simply, citizenship was a shield that protected human rights. Losing it was equivalent to losing one's rights as a person. What fate awaited someone stripped of their citizenship was, sadly, all too predictable.
Thus, although it was officially termed "exile," in practice, it served as a system for executing those whose public execution would provoke backlash. By abandoning them beyond the borders, their deaths were merely blamed to external forces.
This was why no explicit prohibition on re-entry was ever included in the law; it was assumed that exiled individuals would never survive to return.
Therefore, when someone like Elizabeth managed to overcome such difficulties, it wasn't surprising that some voices rose in her defense.
"Which is why I've said—she survived exile. We must show the grace to acknowledge her atonement," one defender argued.
"I understand your perspective," another challenged. "But why wasn't she attacked this time?"
"Because, for this instance alone, we didn't notify the duchy about her exile," Leonard answered once again.
Typically, when an exile is announced, the receiving nation and surrounding areas are informed. This information often finds its way to criminals, such as bandits near the borders, who are well aware of the opportunity. They know that the exiled individual can be attacked. It is a risk-free crime for them. Essentially, these criminals acted as executioners.
However, in Elizabeth's case, no formal announcement was made. While rumors still spread, there was uncertainty about where she might cross the border, and the bandits had no interest in venturing into the Demon Forest.
"Why wasn't the duchy informed of her exile?"
As murmurs of discontent filled the room, Prime Minister Dil Weissman sighed deeply before answering.
"That's where the matter of 'independence' comes into play."
With a grim expression, Dil began to explain how the Holy Church had been involved in Elizabeth's exile.
Initially, the Church demanded the death penalty for Elizabeth, citing her numerous offenses against the Saintess and claiming they amounted to blasphemy against the goddess herself.
However, the kingdom argued that, even if she had offended the Saintess, the incidents were mere student quarrels and didn't warrant the death penalty. At this point, the Church countered by pointing out that the Crown Prince himself had suggested exile.
At first, the kingdom's government was reluctant to agree to the Church's demands for two key reasons:
1. Exile was, for all intents and purposes, equivalent to the death penalty, making the punishment far too severe.
2. Agreeing to the Church's demands would make it appear as though the government had succumbed to external pressure.
The kingdom could not allow the perception that the Holy Church had some influence over its governance. Furthermore, some noble families, particularly those allied with Elizabeth's Blauvelt family, were outraged.
"Exile over a student squabble?" they protested greatly.
At the same time, the government wished to avoid worsening relations with the Church, which was the state religion.
The compromise they devised something
By not notifying the duchy, they avoided essentially sentencing her to death. This also appeased the territorial nobles by ensuring her safe transport across the border under proper escort. At the same time, the Church was appeased by picturing this act as a gesture of the Saintess' mercy.
However, hidden among these political maneuvers was another agenda. Certain individuals who viewed the Blauvelt family as a threat had their own designs at play.
Taking this opportunity, those who sought to weaken the Blauvelt family deliberately arranged for Elizabeth to be exiled to the Demon Forest. They also assigned problematics guards to escort her, ensuring that her survival would be virtually impossible—a classic case of dead men tell no tales.
The masterminds behind this scheme were none other than:
• Prime Minister Dil
• Minister of Justice Leonard
Both men saw the expanding influence of the Blauvelt family, which had even reached central government, as a significant threat. The royal family shared this sentiment as well
The head of the Blauvelt family was not only the father of the Crown Prince's fiancée but also a shrewd ruler with formidable resources in his domain. Even the king himself began to feel threatened by the family's growing power and capabilities.
"If things continue as they are, the Alexandros family could be overthrown."
Such anxieties made the devilish whispers of Catherine and her allies all the more compelling. If they used Elizabeth as a scapegoat, they could weaken the Blauvelt family.
For them, the incident involving Elizabeth was a godsend opportunity.
• It allowed them to appease the Church.
• It addressed the dissatisfaction of the territorial nobles.
• It catered to their own petty vanity.
• And, most importantly, it curbed the perceived threat of the Blauvelt family.
These factors became intertwined, turning what should have been a simple exile into a planned execution.
After explaining this motives while carefully omitting key details, Prime Minister Dil let out another sigh.
"In the end, to satisfy both the Church and the territorial nobles, we devised a scenario that masqueraded as a safe exile…"
Even now, Dil attempted to shield himself with this justification.
"Since the punishment has already been carried out in some form, if we refuse to accept her back now, it will appear as though the kingdom is ruled by the Church," one minister pointed out.
Dil nodded bitterly. Refusing to accept Elizabeth's return would indeed give both foreign nations and the territorial nobles the impression that the kingdom was controlled by the Church.
To preserve the image of an independent government and enforce the appearance of fair and lawful governance, they had to act accordingly.
"Well then, Your Majesty, what is your decision?"
All eyes turned to King Gerald.
"What else can we do? We must accept it," the king muttered bitterly, his words causing a stir in the room.
"There is no legal precedent to deny her, and she has served her punishment. On top of that, she has even obtained foreign citizenship. To deny a single young woman's return would be petty and narrow-minded."
Covering his face with his hand in frustration, King Gerald was asked, "And what about the Church?"
"The exile itself was already a performance for the Church. Now that it's been carried out, they have no grounds to demand anything further. In fact, this move can serve as a countermeasure against the Church's overreach."
The king, still holding his head in his hands, continued, "The kingdom operates under laws recognized by the God. Under those laws, all are treated equally."
This was a subtle reminder that the Holy Church had endorsed the kingdom's laws by signing a joint agreement with the monarchy. Since even their God recognized these laws, they could not object to decisions made within their framework. It was a warning to the Church: the kingdom follows God's law, not the Church's.
"However, issue a restraining order to keep her away from the Saintess. Should she commit a crime, the responsibility will lie with the duchy."
With this final attempt at self-preservation from potential trouble, King Gerald's words brought murmurs of agreement throughout the room. It was standard procedure for foreign nationals who committed serious crimes within the kingdom to be deported back to their own country.
Once that happened, it would become a matter between the duchy and the Church, entirely outside the kingdom's concern. Understanding this, the officials quickly reached a conclusion.
"Then, we grant temporary entry to Elizabeth."
★★★
"What a intersting boy he was."
As the carriage rocked gently, Marquis Lucian gazed out at the peaceful landscape of the Victor domain, a faint smile on his lips.
"Are you referring to Randolph? He was indeed an intriguing young man," replied Lady Flora, who also watched the passing scenery.
Lucian let out a soft chuckle. "Randolph was interesting, but so was his father, Lord Alan Victor."
Still looking out the window, Lucian recalled his discussions with Alan regarding Elizabeth's entry into the kingdom.
(To think he could deduce so much from the limited information I provided…)
Of course, Lucian had formed his own predictions, but that was because he was well-versed in the workings of the royal government. For someone like Alan, who lacked such insider knowledge, to outpace him in analysis and propose a solution was nothing short of astonishing.
(To find such a remarkable individual in this remote region…)
"The world still holds its share of hidden gems," Lucian said with a delighted laugh, his gaze falling on the fields where the harvest was already underway.