The Loser Lord Who Kept Getting Sweet Revenge and Somehow Rose to the Top - Chapter 15: Don’t Ever Show That Face Again

Chapter 15: Don’t Ever Show That Face Again

“…Let me say this plainly. You jump ship the moment you see someone better off and think you can profit from them. Don’t you find that shameful—not just as a woman, but as a human being?”

Princess Creambelt shook her head with a weary sigh as she scolded Talia.

Talia looked like she wanted to snap back, but this was the kingdom’s princess. One wrong word and she’d be guilty of lèse-majesté. All she could do was grind her teeth and stay silent.

“If you truly loved him, shouldn’t you have supported him and lifted him higher instead? Lord Sean already had a solid household, a proper domain, a set of eccentric but highly capable attendants and maids, and on top of that, he himself is a rare dragon knight. You threw all of that away—and now you dare to crawl back? With what mouth do you even say such things? Clinging to a man just to drink the sweet nectar of his success makes you no different from a parasite. When you choose someone, you should polish them, strengthen them, and support them.”

“T-That’s just hindsight, isn’t it? If you say so, Princess, then how exactly do you intend to lead Sean forward?”

“――To Chancellor or Grand General. At the very least, I will push him that high. Because I am Creambelt, a princess of this kingdom!”

Talia could only hang her head in frustration at those words—straightforward, confident, and absolutely certain of the future. Maybe it was because Princess Creambelt’s radiant conviction was the exact opposite of Talia’s filth, both inside and out.

…Though, Princess, maybe aiming for Chancellor or Grand General is a bit much. That’s like choosing only from the top two jobs in the entire kingdom.

In the end, Talia was handed enough travel money—and even some pocket change for baths along the way—by the princess’s attendants, then sent packing.

Countess or not, she had neither the guts nor the status to stand up against a princess of the realm.

Honestly, even if the princess hadn’t shown up, I would’ve just brushed her off and tossed her out. But with royalty involved, Talia didn’t even have the chance to talk back, so the whole thing was way easier.

As a woman, Creambelt completely outclassed her in every way. Talia, crushed under humiliation and misery, slunk away in defeat. If there’s ever been a picture-perfect example of “total loss,” that was it. From the moment she walked in to the moment she left, she was wall-to-wall pathetic.

As for Princess Creambelt—“Princess Crim”—she had come to my house carrying a royal letter from His Majesty himself, officially urging an engagement between me and his sixth daughter. And apparently, the reason she hadn’t given advance notice of her visit… was because she wanted to surprise me.

Well, mission accomplished. I sure as hell was surprised.

Princess Crim was clearly smitten with me, and she was fully prepared to marry in as soon as the arrangements were ready.

For me, it was a blessing in disguise. Considering the future of my house, I knew I needed to settle down eventually. And being His Majesty’s daughter, Crim had the kind of presence and strength of character that really showed.

“And by the way—Miss Kiriko, Miss Linna. I’ve heard you two have been Lord Sean’s close friends since childhood. As a princess of this kingdom, I can’t possibly give up the position of First Wife—that’s just how it is. But I believe that you, who have supported Lord Sean until now, also deserve to be equally loved. So… make sure you decide the order among yourselves, okay?”

…And just like that, she dropped a nuclear bomb in the middle of the room. Please, Princess, don’t just casually toss out lines like that. It’s awkward as hell.

“She’s one powerful princess, huh. Well then, I’ll leave big sis in your care! …Now I can finally focus on chasing down that man.”

Not long after the princess departed, Gou also left the mansion again. Before going, he let slip that he was pursuing his own biological father—Van Nod Ryber.

Didn’t sound like it was for a very good reason. Still, I figured if Gou ever decided to open up about it, I’d be ready to listen—and if possible, I’d lend him my strength.

Time passed, and just as my marriage with Princess Crim was drawing close, the Empire suddenly invaded, marching straight into our homeland.

And the one who opened the gates for them? Count Shakara. He sold us out, betraying the kingdom in exchange for status under the Empire.

You again.

YOU AGAIN?!?!

That damn count never stops causing problems. The moment I thought he’d finally shut up and stay quiet, he goes and escalates things all the way to treasonous collusion with a foreign power. Unforgivable.

Looks like I don’t have a choice anymore. Time to put him down for good.

At the border, I heard that not only General August but also the old veteran generals were already locked in battle with the invading Imperial army. Without wasting a second, I vaulted onto Comet’s back and flew straight toward the battlefield.

By the time I arrived, General August had already left the main camp, leading his soldiers in a direct charge. One of the reserve generals still at base filled me in: this time, the invasion was being led personally by one of the Empire’s Three Great Generals—the strategist, Reebok.

“Nfufufu, you really are a boy without greed, aren’t you?”

―Those words stirred up old memories—back when I had just graduated knight school and first entered the army, when General August had taken me under his wing and trained me.

One night, sitting together by the campfire at a field encampment, he had spoken to me.

“Your tolerance for others and your lack of greed are virtues, Sean. But as you are now, you drift forward without a vision, like a leaf carried by the river. One day, you must discover the path you wish to walk—the future self you wish to become. That is my challenge to you.”

…It’s been years since then. I’m over twenty now, I’ve inherited the domain, and yet—what about me now? What’s the “self I want to become”?

I try to picture it, but nothing really comes to mind. I don’t even know why that memory surfaces now, but the image of General August’s gentle face lit by the campfire has never left me. Maybe it’s because I never gave him an answer—never told him my dream—that it still lingers in my heart.

“The self I want to be,” huh… Princess Crim talked about pushing me up to Chancellor or Grand General, but what do I actually want? Honestly, all I ever wished for was a life without the daily struggle to survive. A place where my people could live in peace, where war didn’t exist. That alone always felt like enough.

I still can’t picture my “future self” at all. But for now?

First things first—kill that trash Shakara.

Yeah. Let’s go with that.