Common Sense of a Duke's Daughter

CHAPTER 27:Communication

I have settled most of today's work, all that's left is arranging and confirming documents. Because I didn't feel like eating with my younger brother in the evening, I asked Tanya to bring me a light meal. Mother and Tanya didn't mention him in my vicinity, they were probably taking my feelings into consideration.

The skies outside has turned completely dark, and the dim room is only brightened by a lamp. ...I wonder if it is about time I start wearing glasses. Since I've only been looking at detailed reports, it can't be helped if my eyesight worsened.

Knock, knock, a knocking sound echoed in the room. When I asked the person to come in, the one who entered was Berne.

"Is there something you need?"

"...Do you still have work left to do?"

"That's right. It is as you see."

"...Do you always work with this kind of schedule?"

"Since mother and grandfather arrived, it has subdued a little. Back in those days before they came, I would work all day long."

...It might really have been a long time since I've had this kind of talk with my younger brother. It's been almost two years since we last saw each other, and even we were both still at the academy, we had our own entourage so we didn't have much of a chance to communicate with each other.

"...Is that so..."

"Is it all right for me to ask you one question?"

"What is it?"

"...Why did you assist the Second Prince at that time?"

"...Why you ask...? That's because older sister did that to Yuri..."

"You're talking about... the way I criticized her, and spread false rumors. Were you prepared to undertake the responsibility of the results of what happened?"

"..."

"If you want to succeed father as the next Prime Minister, you should think about the consequences. The consequences of your act and the influence it has.

...I don't have detailed information regarding your behavior in the Royal City. Nor did I want to know. However, I do know for a fact that your reputation isn't that good.

Right now, I do not want to let you succeed as the fief Lord, and being the Prime Minister is just a dream within a dream."

"...It is the duty of their subjects to fulfill the wish of the royal family."

"The role of the Prime Minister is to oversee the Kingdom according to the King's will. However, it is also part of his duty to remonstrate against the King when he makes a mistake. ...Besides, you said that it is your duty to realize the wish of the royal family, do you not have to consider the feelings of others?"

Grandfather was the one who told me the duty of the Prime Minister. "Louis-dono has matured splendidly with his role... But as for Berne..." was what he expressed.

"...To conduct things with feelings and to move because of feelings are both different. I made a move because I was overcome with the ugly feelings of jealousy, and it led to that outcome. My number of allies diminished, and I was expelled from the academy. You stood on the other side and denounced me at that time, but now, are you not also facing the same situation?"

It is regrettable to stop the tradition of our family of having the position of being Prime Ministers. I am still in need of more and more power. While I was thinking about that, I thought I might be able to adjust younger brother's behavior somehow...