New chapter of Plant Magic Lord is out! (3/3 chapters)

 

 

The Truth is in the Darkness of the Past

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

When I couldn’t respond, Hold stroked his small mustache and continued heavily.

“The origin of the matter is something only the people involved would know now. In any case, 15 years ago, Father and your mother, the princess, fell in love.” (Hold)

“Love…?” (Elt)

I voiced my doubt. Among nobles, love marriages were still quite rare. Not entirely unheard of, like in Hold’s case, but still.

“Most likely, Father was serious. The princess probably was too.” (Hold)

“I don’t really get it. If that’s the case… then why was I treated like that?” (Elt)

If I think about the princess, I feel I could’ve been treated a bit better. And also the butler panicking like that… Ah…

It struck me then.

“…It was a forbidden love, wasn’t it?” (Elt)

“That’s right. It seems the princess’s engagement to another country was annulled because of it. I don’t know the details, only that much.” (Hold)

“I see…” (Elt)

In other words, I have royal blood, but I’m not recognized by the royal family. If that’s the case, I can understand why everyone kept quiet about it. Now that I think about it, no one in the household ever said anything bad about my mother. Even if just in name, they probably couldn’t speak ill of a princess.

“Father really did something reckless…” (Elt)

“Well, that part is a bit complicated. It seems Father didn’t realize she was a princess until the very end.” (Hold)

“He didn’t know…? No, he should’ve at least known what the princess looked like, right?” (Elt)

I’d heard plenty about the bustle of the royal capital from traveling merchants and Leia. Talk of balls and viewing parties and so on… No matter how I think about it, it’s hard to believe Father didn’t recognize someone from the royal family.

“That’s true, but… with magic, it’s another story. If someone has exceptional mana and the right aptitude, they can disguise themselves as someone else entirely.” (Hold)

“…No way.” (Elt)

The depths of my memory stirred, and recollections from my past life surfaced.

I do have an idea. Illusion magic and beast transformation magic certainly include spells that can change the user’s appearance. Even Marcosias shifts back and forth between a young girl and a puppy.

“There are some gossip-loving nobles who frequent my art salon. Probably accurate. Apparently, the princess often used illusion magic and… went out disguised as a poor noble’s daughter for fun.” (Hold)

“And that’s when… she fell in love with Father?” (Elt)

“From Father’s perspective, he might have intended to take her in as a fourth wife. Or perhaps he’d even tried to lay the groundwork with the other wives. If she really had been a poor noble’s daughter, and he’d followed proper steps and taken responsibility, there wouldn’t have been a problem.” (Hold)

Among higher-ranking nobles, having multiple spouses wasn’t unusual. Without children possessing strong mana and aptitude, a house could decline quickly. This was accepted even for female heads of houses. For nobles, their first duty was to protect their territory. Second was preparing someone to inherit that role.

“In any case, once the princess became pregnant, everything came to light, and it turned into a huge uproar. It became a scandal that shook the royal capital.” (Hold)

“Well, that figures…” (Elt)

“What happened afterward. I don’t know the details. But the Nagash Household spent an enormous amount of resources on damage control and negotiations.” (Hold)

“Yeah, I suppose they would have…” (Elt)

I’m not deeply versed in this world’s diplomacy, but since an engagement with another nation collapsed, this wasn’t just our country’s problem.

“In the worst-case scenario, it could’ve been seen as a coup attempt against the royal family. There was likely intense pressure from other wives and relatives too… since he’d put the house in danger.” (Hold)

“Hmm…” (Elt)

“The princess, of course, paid a price. She was stripped of her royal status and banished from the public eye.” (Hold)

“…Huh?” (Elt)

Banished…? But she gave birth to me and then died, didn’t she?

“Don’t be surprised. Most likely, your mother, the princess, is still alive.” (Hold)

 

—

 

I can’t keep up with these thoughts. Alive? The mother I’ve believed dead all this time?

“Of course, this is just speculation… but probably correct. They only made it look like she died.” (Hold)

“…Hah, I really don’t understand anymore.” (Elt)

I let out a sigh and spoke honestly.

This was all before I was even born. Hold had been a child himself. This is just a hypothesis he’s pieced together from information he gathered afterward. I don’t think he’s lying, but I can’t do anything based on Hold’s words alone. There’s just not enough evidence to determine the truth.

“Does Berzel-niisan know about this too?” (Elt)

“To some extent, yes. He must know your mother is the princess.” (Hold)

For Berzel-niisan, a knight of the kingdom itself, this must’ve been a taboo topic. He probably couldn’t bring it up himself.

“I understand now why I was treated that way… In that case, was I sent to this land for a reason?” (Elt)

“…I have a theory built on top of another theory.” (Hold)

“That’s fine. Tell me anyway.” (Elt)

Hold lowered his face. I wasn’t familiar with noble customs. I only knew through hearsay and books.

“Elt, you may not know this… but a noble can cease being a noble.” (Hold)

“What do you mean?” (Elt)

“An uninhabited territory like this used to be, though it’s different now, can’t be maintained with small mana. If one throws away their family name, they’re no longer noble, but they can still live.” (Hold)

“…So, they sent me here on purpose to make me not a noble anymore? I suppose I can kind of see that…” (Elt)

It’s like when I first arrived here. Even if I’d given up and thrown everything away, no one would have known. There wasn’t even a watcher. Even now, no letters come from home. Even if I’d run away, no one could verify it. Of course, I couldn’t live as a noble anymore, but there were still ways to live.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just expel me from the house? This feels needlessly roundabout.” (Elt)

“For example… just for example… what if your mother was supposed to come for you? What if Father had made some kind of arrangement or deal with someone?” (Hold)

I fell silent. Hold raised his face and spoke quietly.

“This is all just a possibility. But it’s not impossible.” (Hold)

“I won’t deny it…” (Elt)

There really is no other way to respond.

“That’s the end of my story. I swear, don’t go trying to uncover the truth. You may have the right, but others won’t acknowledge it.” (Hold)

“I understand.” (Elt)

The moment I said that, there was a knock at the drawing room door.

“Looks like it’s gotten quite late…” (Hold)

Before I knew it, we’d been talking for a long time.

“Excuse me, dinner is ready.” (Stella)

It was Stella who opened the door.

“Piyo! Dinner time, piyo!” (Dia)

“Hawa~… Otou-sama, let’s go…!” (Audrey)

Audrey was holding Dia in her arms, gently rubbing her cheek against her. Next to her, Clarissa was petting Dia too. Hold raised his voice cheerfully and stood up.

“Oh, it’s already that time? Sorry about that. I got carried away talking after seeing him again after so long.” (Hold)

“Hmm? What were you and Elt-ojiisama talking about?” (Audrey)

Audrey asked, likely just out of curiosity.

“Oh, just some old stories. Elt likes reading books, you know. He’s even smarter than Victor-nii-san.” (Hold)

“Ehh!? Smarter than Victor-ojiisama!?” (Audrey)

Hold said it casually.

Hmm, he really is a born noble in that sense.

“Yeah, he was just teaching me various things about this village. And also… wasn’t there an interesting story about this little Dia-chan?” (Hold)

“Piyo!?” (Dia)

Hold stayed cheerful to the end.

Just like he said, the earlier conversation was over now.

“Ah, Dia can float on water.” (Elt)

“Piyo… I can float and sink, piyo-yo!” (Dia)

“Eh… so that story about Okaa-sama’s ancestors is true!” (Audrey)

“You mean the one where she was thrown into the sea, caught by a cockatrice, and survived… right?” (Clarissa)

At Clarissa’s confirmation, Audrey nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! I want to see it! I want to see Dia-chan floating on water!” (Audrey)

“Why not after dinner? Once everyone’s seen it…” (Stella)

To Stella’s suggestion, Dia struck a pose.

“Sounds good, piyo-yo! I’ll float, piyo-yo!” (Dia)

“Yay! Then let’s eat quickly!” (Audrey)

Audrey looked ready to run off at any moment, bouncing on her feet.

“Yeah, let’s eat.” (Elt)

Regaining my composure, I stood up.

That’s right… I need to focus on what’s in front of me first. It’s a meal Stella poured her heart into preparing. I should eat it gratefully.

 

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