READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 56
“A letter from Brother Demitul!?”
Sosua’s voice came out louder than expected, clearly showing her surprise.
(So… Brother was also led by Jilvol, just like me. Does he even know about it…?)
Sosua had considered the possibility that Demitul was still alive, but the arrival of the letter confirmed it.
“Your Highness, what does the letter from Crown Prince Demitul say?”
“Huh? I’ll check right away.”
Sosua opened the letter from Demitul and began to read.
(It’s definitely Brother’s handwriting… Thank goodness, he’s alive. He’s with the Zafing Marquess House in Galvate… Zafing, that family known for producing civil officials for generations. They have history but not much influence… If he’s been placed there, it means Brother’s standing in Galvate is quite low…)
Sosua realized that Demitul being placed with the Zafing family in Galvate meant his position there was insignificant. The Zafing family was known as a modest civil official lineage, rarely making waves in other countries. Of course, this was all a disguise, but it was so well-crafted that outsiders had no idea of the Zafing family’s true nature.
(Right now, I’m abroad, striving to gain Galvate’s cooperation… How about… Huh?)
As Sosua read on, she noticed Demitul detailing his struggles, but she reacted harshly to it. Knowing her brother’s personality, it was hard to believe he would willingly endure such hardships. As she continued reading, she came across a decisive statement.
“WHAAAAAAAAAT!?”
Sosua stood up almost unconsciously and shouted.
Everyone around her turned to look, wondering what had happened.
“What is this!? How did it come to this!?”
Sosua, overwhelmed, had completely dropped her princess facade.
“W-What happened, Your Highness?”
“Ah, I must have shown an unbecoming side of myself.”
“No, that’s not important. But for Your Highness to be so upset, what exactly does the letter say?”
(Crap…)
Sosua realized her mistake. The people around her were not her allies but her enemies. She couldn’t let them see the contents of the letter.
If it were Giorg or Jilvol, they would have shown no sign of distress and simply said something like, “I’m glad he’s safe,” without revealing anything. At this point, Sosua knew she was far from matching Giorg or Jilvol, but she also understood that she was being manipulated as Jilvol’s pawn, so she had no choice but to accept it.
“Brother Demitul says he’s going to abdicate the throne of the Gildolq Kingdom to me.”
“What!?”
The people around her reacted in various ways—some were confused, while others looked delighted. Sosua could see her position clearly reflected in their reactions.
The ones who were confused were Jilvol’s agents, while those who were happy were the newcomers who had joined after Sosua entered Rekuryaku Castle. They believed that if Sosua became queen, they would gain more power.
“Is the letter genuine?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if it’s his sister, would the Crown Prince really abdicate the throne?”
This opinion came from Ryoshua Agail, one of Jilvol’s agents.
“Indeed.”
“Crown Prince Demitul never showed any reluctance to take the throne.”
“So… is it a fake letter after all?”
Jilvol’s agents quickly agreed with Ryoshua’s opinion.
“No, if it were fake, Her Highness would have noticed immediately. She knows Crown Prince Demitul’s handwriting.”
This time, it was Reos Marquein, a newcomer, who voiced his opinion. Reos was from a branch of the Marquein Count House, and after the main family was purged, he had taken advantage of the chaos to claim the title of Count. He had joined Sosua’s faction not out of loyalty but to secure his own interests.
“Indeed, Her Highness was surprised by the letter’s contents, but she didn’t seem to doubt its authenticity.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
The newcomers agreed with Reos. For them, if Sosua became queen, they could secure their own interests, so they supported Reos’s opinion.
“Lord Marquein, isn’t that a bit hasty? In this situation, there’s little reason for Crown Prince Demitul to abdicate. Shouldn’t we be cautious, considering it might be someone’s scheme?”
“Lord Agail, what are you saying!? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Right now, our faction is barely holding onto the area around Rekuryaku Castle. We need more allies. If Princess Sosua becomes queen, even the fence-sitters will flock to our side!”
“That may be true, but…”
“Your Highness! We need a stronger banner to rally behind! If you become queen, think of how much it will inspire us! Lead us as queen and drive out the hated Zabeiru forces!”
Reos immediately cut off the debate with Ryoshua and pressed Sosua for a decision.
(Ugh… Marquein, you fool!! To corner me like this… It’s highly likely this is someone’s scheme! But if I refuse to take the throne now, my chances of survival will diminish…)
Sosua was forced into a difficult decision.
This decision would determine her future fate. She could feel it.
(How can I survive? How can I get through this situation?)
At that moment, Sosua might have been thinking harder than she ever had in her life.
(There’s no doubt Jilvol is manipulating me. But this situation is definitely outside his expectations. Otherwise, Ryoshua wouldn’t be opposing it. To survive, I need to go beyond Jilvol’s expectations.)
Realizing this, Sosua knew there was only one choice she could make.
She felt a chilling sensation, as if she were being forced to choose this path by someone else.
(Whose plan is this? But I have no choice but to go along with it…)
Sosua made a bitter decision.
“The letter was definitely written by Crown Prince Demitul… This is his decision… I cannot refuse.”
Reos smirked at Sosua’s words.
(It’s because of you that I’m being cornered like this!! You incompetent fool!!)
In her heart, Sosua cursed Reos relentlessly, but on the surface, she remained calm.
“Of course, my reason for taking the throne is to save the people. Therefore, until a more suitable candidate appears, I will take the throne!”
Everyone bowed in response to Sosua’s declaration.
(Ugh… This situation is the result of my own immaturity… If I hadn’t panicked back then, this wouldn’t have happened…)
Sosua looked at the bowing figures and regretted her earlier mistakes.
Three days after Sosua’s declaration… her coronation was announced.
The news of Sosua’s coronation spread rapidly throughout the country and reached the ears of two men.
One frowned, while the other smirked.
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