Chương 165: Chapter 26: Shit Disguised as Honor

Resigned, and with a clear desire to simply stay at the university in the relative quiet of the holidays, she decided to seek other company. She remembered Hassan and Ralish. She found them, as she had anticipated, in the library. Both of them were far from the main tables, as they always were; she approached the side niches, and there they were, illuminated by an oil lamp that cast a circle of golden light over their concentrated faces.

Ralish, the new Baron Silkhand, was absorbed in a thick treatise on feudal economy, his reading glasses lowered onto the tip of his nose. Hassan, the Sandstrohm student of noble bearing and observant eyes, was leafing through a volume on southern dynasties, his expression serene and relaxed. Selena approached with the stealthy fluidity she had learned in the dungeon and during her palace training.

When she was close enough, she extended both hands and, with a gentle but firm movement, lowered the books they were holding, covering the pages. Both looked up in unison, surprised. Upon recognizing her, their surprise mingled with something else: in Ralish, a slight anxiety; in Hassan, a cautious curiosity. —You owe me an explanation —Selena said. Her voice was barely a whisper yet loaded with an intensity that brooked no disobedience. She looked at each of them in turn— We need to talk. Now.

Once outside the library, Selena led them toward one of the most secluded gardens, which bordered the east wall of the building. They found a clearing beneath a coral tree whose leaves, of an intense and almost blood-like red, danced and whispered in the evening breeze. Selena sat on the grass without ceremony and waited for them to do the same. Ralish settled down carefully, as if fearing to wrinkle his new baron's robe.

Hassan sat with the natural elegance of someone trained in courts since the cradle, but his gaze never strayed from Selena's face. —So —Hassan said, breaking the silence. His voice was deep and deliberate; his Sandstrohm accent, musical and slightly guttural, slipped beneath his words with a peculiar cadence— What do you want us for, Selena? Ralish, for his part, only looked down at the grass, nervously playing with a tuft of turf. —Do you really not know, little baron?

—Selena asked, her gaze directing itself straight to Ralish. Then, her eyes turned toward Hassan— And I suppose your rank in your land is also considerable, isn't it? A viscount, at least, or something equivalent. She made a grimace; an expression of annoyance mixed with disappointment. Hassan bowed his head slightly, a gesture of tacit agreement, but said nothing. Selena took a breath, as if preparing to dive into cold waters.

—Sandstrohm and the Sultan must be very happy with the 'scientific method', are they not? And the crown of Erabergh, too. An advancement that could change the way knowledge is validated across the entire continent. —She paused, letting the magnitude of her words sink in— I told both of you, clearly, that I did not want the prestige. That my name would only attract unwanted attention. That idea had to be yours. Her voice grew sharper, carrying a hint of contained anger.

—Did you not realize that I guided my questions, that I structured the debate, so that you would take ownership of the idea? So that it would be the fruit of your intellect, of your collaboration, not a gift from a noblewoman with far too many titles. —She sighed, a deep sound that seemed to come from the bottom of her lungs, heavy with genuine frustration— Yet, you put my name on the document. Alongside yours. Fools. Well-meaning idiots, but idiots, nonetheless.

She raised her right hand, showing them her ring finger. There, the solid gold ring, with the seal of the blooming-rooted tree, shone under the light filtered by the red leaves. —And now I have this.

'Protector of the Health of Erabergh'. A grander title, a more gilded cage, thanks to you. —She sighed even more deeply, shaking her head in a gesture of helplessness— Surely both of you thought that the prestige of a heritor duchess, the weight of House Solendra, would make you more relevant. And yes, it worked. Ralish is a baron, and your family, Hassan, undoubtedly gained favor with your Sultan. But the idea... the original idea was for you to achieve it on your own. For the merit to be incontestably yours.

Now... Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. She made a vague gesture with the hand wearing the ring. —Now it is stained by my shadow. And I am burdened with another responsibility I did not seek. Ralish spoke, casting his eyes down like a scolded child, his fingers nervously plucking blades of grass. —It was my idea —he confessed, his voice trembling— Hassan said, from the very beginning, that it was obvious you didn't want credit.

That your way of guiding us was too deliberate to be accidental. But I... I insisted. I told him many times that including the name of a heritor duchess would have a much greater effect. That it would give immediate weight, that it would open doors... He paused, swallowing hard. —I admit it. I admit all of it. It was my fault. My ambition, my stupidity. Hassan looked at him as he spoke, his expression serene but his dark eyes reflecting a guilty complicity.

—There is no need for you to make a mea culpa like that either —he said, his voice firmer, with that accent that turned every sentence into a measured statement. Ralish looked at him, but Selena kept shaking her head, breathing heavily. The Sandstrohmer continued speaking. —I knew, and yet I agreed. Not just for Ralish. When the document reached the Sultanate, carrying the Solendra name was... very effective, especially after the events that befell Al'Savia.

It was not just about accepting a method that could aid the kingdom's progress. It was a political opportunity. The trade agreements between Sandstrohm and Erabergh pass, to a large extent, through the ports and networks of House Solendra. This did not just validate the idea; it clearly improved diplomatic and trade relations. The Sultan even personally contacted Grand Duke Valerius to congratulate him officially. He then looked at Selena directly without lowering his gaze, but she only sighed.

Hassan was only able to utter the apology. —I am sorry, Selena. It was the best way, given the... gears in which we are trapped. You must understand that nobility, especially between kingdoms, is more complex. Gestures are not just gestures; they are moves on a much larger board. Selena looked at them, but she did not relax. She only crossed her arms, waiting for something more authentic than political justifications or personal blame. She shook her head, a vague gesture of disappointment.

Then, she opened her eyes, those green eyes that now seemed older, harder, and locked them onto them. Both of them looked directly at her, awaiting her verdict. —I know you cannot renounce the titles and responsibilities the King gave you —Ralish continued, attempting a conciliatory, practical tone. Hassan averted his eyes to her this time, relaxing the tension in his neck as he looked at his friend. And the new baron continued. —But try to look on the bright side.

After all, now your medical opinion can help the entire kingdom, not just the Duchy of Solendra. And even though you haven't graduated yet, your suggestions, your plans... will be a priority. We could lower infant mortality with hygiene campaigns. We could improve general health with new regulations in cities and in markets. We could... He stopped mid-sentence, as if the magnitude of the possibilities overwhelmed him.

—We could standardize medical records, which are currently a disaster, especially among the nobility —Hassan continued, taking over with strategic calm— We could improve the exchange of medical information between kingdoms, creating a network of knowledge that transcends borders. We could research together, Sandstrohm and Erabergh, to find cures for diseases that have plagued both people for centuries. We could, in short, improve medicine in a way that has not been done in... in eras.

This title, this position, gives you a platform. Real power to do good, beyond politics. Selena looked at them, and something in her expression softened, but she did not entirely yield. They were good arguments. Arguments she herself, in her most idealistic moments, might have been put forward. But... —They are good arguments —she conceded, her voice lower, almost a sigh. The expressions of both boys relaxed, they exhaled, but she continued. —But that is not the point.

—She paused, letting the silence fill with the sigh of the wind through the coral leaves— The point is that now I can no longer get the King's eyes off my shoulder, and it was already very annoying before. She raised her voice back to a normal tone, but with an edge of bitter frustration. —The worst part is that those titles cannot be refused. I tried when they named me countess, what feels like an eternity ago. I tried to refuse, to argue. It was useless. Now... he didn't even consult me.

He just said he had to reward me for this document. A reward that is another chain, another expectation, another golden cage that is slightly larger. —She spat the words with visceral disdain— Shit. It's simply... shit disguised as honor. The crudeness of her language, so far removed from noble protocol, made both Ralish and Hassan blink in surprise. But on their faces, there was no offense, but rather a flash of genuine understanding.

They understood, perhaps for the first time, that everything was becoming increasingly suffocating for her; that there was no honor, duty, or sacrifice for this woman. Deep down, it was just a larger prison, one where everyone praised her for being locked up.