The majority of Nobles in the Kingdom of Reed owned two or three homes. Naturally, one would be in Royal Capital, and those with territories would maintain one in their regional seat. If a Noble oversaw a town, they typically had a house there as well.
Tiffany and Lisa were probably resting in their homes in Royal Capital. Isaac assumed so, mainly because he himself was utterly exhausted.
"Two weeks in a carriage is brutal... you feel the same, don't you?"
He spoke to Patrick, who sat beside him, equally weary. Normally energetic, Patrick had been stressed by the long ride in his large cage. Though he likely didn't understand Isaac's words, the timing of his yawn was perfect.
(As Lisa said, the estate grounds are enormous. And prime land with a view of the palace.)
Isaac looked out the window and saw the rooftops of the royal palace. Around it, the kingdom placed offices for Nobles and nearby guard stations, with Noble estates arranged around them. Families with territories, like the Marquis and Count houses, positioned their estates in the direction of their lands. The Wellrod family lay to the southeast of the palace.
Nobles without lands could live wherever they pleased. Still, households like Tiffany's and Lisa's, which served higher Nobles with territories, were informally required to live relatively close to the superior estates, to respond quickly if summoned. Of course, they were not called upon except in emergencies, particularly when just arriving from the provinces. Both parties were exhausted, after all.
Upon arriving at the Royal Capital estate, Isaac requested the gardener to prepare a flower bed. After that, he simply relaxed, spending a quiet moment with Patrick.
(This palace looks easy to attack.)
Isaac considered the future. The palace was designed around administrative functions, essentially a flatland castle. Perhaps they assumed an attack from Royal Capital would be impossible—or maybe the game's scenario writer hadn't considered it. Either way, it worked in Isaac's favor. Should the day come to assault Royal Capital, it would be easier than a mountain fortress.
(The town walls are thick and tall. But if we disguise a thousand soldiers as refugees who've escaped a war, we could open the gates from inside. Defense works against outside attackers but is vulnerable from within.)
"Royal Capital itself isn't terrifying as a defensive point," Isaac judged, though he knew this was just wishful thinking.
He understood that unless he became Lord and controlled the Vassal Nobles, an attack on Royal Capital was nothing but fantasy. Planning two or three moves ahead was useless if he stumbled on the first. First, he needed to figure out how to bring the Nobles under his control—a problem that had him temporarily distracted with other thoughts.
(I'd like to visit the Windsor Marquis estate first, as a future ally. When Pamela was nearly executed, I saved her, and that drew me into a conflict with the royal family. Building a friendly relationship now will let us coordinate later.)
Though he rationalized it, Isaac's real motivation was simple: he wanted to see Pamela. Tiffany had begun growing her hair; not yet braided, but it would be soon.
(So what about Pamela's drill hairstyle?)
In anime and manga, characters with drill hair have perfectly shaped curls. If, in this world, her hair were just lightly spiraled like a perm, it would be disappointing. He wanted the distinct, croissant-like drills shown on the game's packaging. Perhaps she wasn't yet old enough for drills—still, that could be amusing someday.
(No, laughing would be bad.)
Isaac scolded himself. He had to win her over, not risk alienating her by laughing. Still, whether he could suppress laughter when facing her was another matter. Among all the women he had met, only Pamela's hair stood out as ridiculous—he had to prepare himself mentally.
To keep his mind off it, he petted Patrick, who looked up with sleepy eyes, silently saying, "I'm tired too..."
(Right. When I'm tired, I won't think of anything clever. Time to rest.)
Isaac lay down, using Patrick's body as a pillow. Since the last incident, whenever he felt sleepy around Patrick, he did this. Though still a child, it felt strange to rest next to adults like Lucia or Adela, making Patrick the perfect companion.
Patrick, of course, found it slightly inconvenient. He nudged Isaac lightly with his tail twice or thrice, as if to say, "Move, I can't sleep." But he quickly gave up, knowing Isaac wouldn't budge. He refocused on sleeping instead.
Patrick's tolerance stemmed from one simple fact: Isaac was a child. Just as people instinctively recognize puppies despite size or breed, Patrick instinctively knew Isaac was a child. He had the capacity to forgive childish behavior.
After one big yawn, Patrick closed his eyes and curled slightly, almost shielding Isaac's body as he rested his head on his stomach.
Royal Capital estates were vast. Isaac and Lucia could stay in a room apart from Melinda's group, yet three times a day still brought a form of discomfort: mealtimes.
Back in their territory, they had eaten at the Annex, but here they were told to dine together with the first and second wives. They didn't need to be friendly, but overt avoidance in Royal Capital would give Wilmente Marquis house a chance to intervene.
"If the hierarchy among the wives is disturbed, it could disrupt the whole household," Isaac reasoned.
Normally, it would be unthinkable for Lucia, a Viscount's daughter, to avoid Melinda, a Marquis by birth. Even if done out of Randolph's consideration, it could be seen as extremely rude.
—Melinda would be recognized as the first wife, Nathan would remain second in succession, and Lucia and Isaac would have to follow quietly. That was natural and avoided unnecessary conflict.
Royal Capital mealtimes offered a shield. They could use the fact that they dined together to counter any objections. Melinda might talk about past events at the estate, but that was irrelevant. Any excessive scrutiny would become a pretext for retaliation.
They were equals with the Marquis house; not merely on the receiving end. Of course, this applied only to Wellrod and Wilmente families. The relationship between Lucia and Melinda within the household was left to the individuals and Randolph.
"Hey, you. Tomorrow, you're coming to my family's home, right?"
Melinda directed this at Randolph, meaning he was to accompany Nathan to her family estate.
Isaac could have gone back alone, but accompanying his father made for a better impression.
"Of course," Randolph replied readily.
Though his relationship with Lucia was sometimes troublesome, Melinda was now his beloved wife, and he had no intention of dismissing her. Unlike Lucia, Melinda normally lived far from the family, so he intended to prioritize her during their visit to Royal Capital.
"Do you have plans, Lucia?"
Randolph meant to invite her along. He hoped that visiting Melinda's family together would help ease tensions. Yet Melinda glared at Lucia, a silent message of "You're not coming."
"I was thinking of meeting friends I haven't seen in a while," Lucia replied.
She didn't particularly want to go, and Melinda's glare confirmed it. Still, the desire to meet friends was genuine, and she used it as an excuse to decline the Wilmente Marquis visit.
"I see... that makes sense. It's been five years, after all," Randolph said, accepting the explanation.
With Wellrod Vassal Nobles, meetings were common, but for families of bureaucrats in Royal Capital or other distant territories, opportunities to meet were rare—only when gathered in Royal Capital. Lucia had spent her time in Wellrod raising her child, making this a long-awaited chance to see old friends. Randolph didn't intend to spoil that.
That said, from a Noble's standpoint, Lucia's actions were improper. Prioritizing friends over greeting senior Nobles was generally unacceptable. Still, she was the daughter of a provincial Viscount family, and without her marriage to Randolph, she would never have had a chance to meet the Wilmente Marquis. So forcing her to attend with Melinda seemed unnecessary.
Morgan, however, judged Randolph's leniency too soft. This wasn't just about Lucia—it applied to Melinda as well.
Melinda had accepted Lucia's existence upon marriage. Thus, if anyone tried to exclude Lucia now, Randolph needed to step in. The Wilmente Marquis were not just Melinda's family; they were a prestigious household supporting the Reed Kingdom. Even the first visit to Royal Capital should have been accompanied by them.
Lucia, now Randolph's wife, was officially part of the Wellrod Marquis household. Remaining in her Viscount mindset would be inappropriate. Even if Melinda rejected her, she should have the resolve to follow out of courtesy.
(I need to remind him later.)
Not to Melinda or Lucia—but Randolph. Morgan could have intervened directly, but Randolph was a capable father with two wives and a child. He needed to learn to address such matters himself. Yet scolding him in front of children would be humiliating. It would have to wait.
"What about you, Isaac?"
Unaware that Morgan would later reprimand him, Randolph turned to Isaac.
"If Father and Mother are going out, I'd like to go too. Do grandfather and grandmother have plans?"
"Hmm..."
Morgan exchanged a glance with Margaret. Tomorrow, there were plans, but it seemed acceptable to bring Isaac for the first visit. Margaret nodded in agreement.
"Tomorrow, we're scheduled to meet the Windsor Marquis. You can come along. They even have a girl your age. Shall we go together?"
"Yes, I will," Isaac replied immediately.
He had been thinking about drill hairstyles just moments before. Seeing it now as a child rather than an adult mattered; he wanted to get used to it.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Establishing a connection with the Windsor Marquis was important for future plans. With this opportunity, he could not afford to miss it.
Isaac's satisfaction drew a teasing voice.
"All your friends are girls, huh?"
Nathan. He assumed Isaac had reacted to the "girl my age" comment and decided to tease him. It was a simple taunt, but it hit the mark—Isaac did want to see Pamela.
Isaac, though far more mature mentally than Nathan, could easily brush it off.
"That's true. Still, no matter who they are, new encounters are wonderful. I want to cherish each one as a once-in-a-lifetime meeting," Isaac said firmly.
Nathan had planned to mock Isaac for lacking boy friends, but knowing Nathan's intention, Isaac refused to give him the opportunity. Responding openly to Nathan's taunt made the teasing ineffective. Without a reaction, Nathan found it difficult to continue. Though he still considered Isaac "annoying," he could say nothing.
"Now, don't oversleep," Morgan interjected, preventing a quarrel.
He believed Randolph should handle the matter, but watching the grandchildren squabble was unbearable. So he stepped in.
"Yes, grandfather," Isaac responded obediently.
This calm, mature attitude—ignoring Nathan's jibes—only served to further frustrate him. To Isaac, Nathan's insults were easily dismissed because of their age difference. Nathan, unaware of this, could only see him as a clever, haughty child. Isaac had never realized that his careful restraint would aggravate Nathan..
Notes:
• Ran - She is a gentle orphan, appeared as Mobu's close friend, surviving the demon attack in their secret hideout.