The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

#40 The Servant Cedric (6) – The Direction of Effort

#40 The Servant Cedric (6) – The Direction of Effort

Cedric gazed at Claudia.

Her face, endlessly venomous yet tinged with a faint smirk, was provocative, as if daring him to solve it, if he could.

But also, from another angle, it seemed desperately pleading for help in any way.

Though the aspects were contradictory, it wasn’t that strange, truly. Feelings, after all, are complex.

‘Hmm.’

And that was the same for Cedric, himself.

His own feelings were, in truth, quite complex.

Judged through the sensibilities of a nobleman, Claudia’s words bordered on childishness.

What, after all, was the reason she had been able to enjoy so much as a noble lady? It was because her name was Redbell.

Extravagant delicacies, luxurious garments that a commoner would never even dream of touching, a cozy and comfortable bed to sleep in – all things gifted to her by the family.

To have enjoyed all those benefits and then refuse the ‘duty’ that she, as a Redbell heiress, should rightfully bear? Could there be anything more absurdly naive?

But considered as the words of a single human being, they were also entirely understandable.

Is it just for parents to spend a fortune on their child’s private education and then claim, ‘You received a good education because of my money, so you have to take the job I want’?

Is it the right attitude to shove all sorts of things upon a child without ever asking their opinion, and then demand that they pay the price as if it were a debt?

Cedric’s origins lay with the Crown Prince.

Which is to say, someone unbelievably ‘high-ranking,’ but to him, those memories of being the Crown Prince felt as distant as a dream.

And so, Cedric replied:

“Hmm, that’s a bit much, isn’t it, what the Marquis is doing.”

“……!”

Claudia’s eyes widened.

It couldn’t be helped.

She could never have imagined that, here in the Redbell territory, a servant would so openly criticize the Redbell Marquis.

At the sight of Claudia involuntarily whipping her head from side to side, scanning her surroundings, Cedric actually smiled.

“What are you so afraid of? You’ve been making complaints upon complaints until now.”

“Is, is it the same when I do it and when you say it!?”

“My master is you, Miss, not the Marquis. What does it matter?”

“……”

At Cedric’s expression, so genuinely bewildered, Claudia found herself drawing a sharp breath.

Before Claudia had truly begun her descent into wantonness, she’d been surrounded by many servants.

They’d worried over her as she fretted, offering to assist with whatever they could, begging her to unburden herself of her troubles. But the moment Claudia revealed her true feelings, they couldn’t hide their unease.

-The Marquis didn’t mean it that way, Miss.

-Marriage isn’t always a bad thing. Please, try to think positively.

-Miss. You mustn’t speak so foolishly. It is a daughter’s duty to obey her father’s wishes.

They’d try to appease Claudia any way they could, offer hollow words of comfort, or even suddenly turn serious and change their demeanor.

Only then did Claudia realize.

The servants who had seemed to care for her so deeply were, in truth, only loyal to her father, not to her.

In a way, it was obvious.

The Marquis, master of the immense power that was Redbell, and a young girl who merely lived in his shadow. Which one to prioritize was all too clear.

But now, the servant before her spoke these words.

To him, Claudia was more important than even the Marquis.

Claudia didn’t know what to say and fidgeted, at a complete loss.

Leaving her thus, Cedric simply shrugged.

“I understand why you’ve become so… twisted, Miss. But I can’t say it’s a particularly good choice.”

“…What, you’re telling me to just obey my father quietly, too?”

“It’s not the goal itself, but the means you’re employing. Speaking plainly, what you’re doing now isn’t affecting the Marquis’ plans in the slightest.”

“What?”

Claudia blinked.

It was a pronouncement she hadn’t anticipated.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s assume the Marquis intends to take a new wife. If it were widely known that he enjoys beating commoners as a hobby, would there truly be no families rushing to marry into his?”

“That’s…”

Claudia hesitated.

Not because she didn’t know the answer, but because she vaguely understood its implications.

“Whether the Marquis has such a reputation or not, families will be tripping over themselves to forge a connection with him. He beats commoners? He mistreats servants? What does it matter? He’s a key figure, spoken of as second only to the King in this entire kingdom.”

Cedric’s expression and tone were more composed than usual, devoid of any hint of amusement.

“Of course, the person forced to marry the Marquis might be opposed. But what does that matter? If the head of the opposing family deems ‘this marriage is beneficial to our house,’ the union will be forced, even against their will. It’s the same with you, Miss.”

Families eager to be linked to the Redbell lineage wouldn’t concern themselves with Claudia’s minor imperfections.

After all, what’s important to them isn’t Claudia herself, but the mere fact that they’re connected to Redbell.

“If your aim is to make the Marquis click his tongue and lament, ‘Tch, I could have sold her for more,’ then what you’re doing is sufficient. However, if you’re trying to avoid marriage itself, then your actions are meaningless. It’s not as though the Marquis wouldn’t still find a use for you.”

The tips of Claudia’s fingers trembled.

She had phrased it relatively nicely to Cedric, but Claudia’s outbursts had not been born of thoroughly calculated action.

Rather, they were closer to a demonstration for the Marquis of Redbell, a way to protest, ‘I am this angry,’ ‘I feel this dissatisfied.’

Perhaps it was all meaningless.

Even if she did these things, nothing would change.

When the truth she’d been dimly aware of, yet actively ignoring, was thrust before her, Claudia erupted with irritated frustration.

“Then, what am I supposed to do? If it’s pointless whether I’m good or bad, then what am I supposed to do?!”

Cedric answered,

“Well, it’s simple, really. If being good or bad doesn’t matter, then you simply have to be ‘very good’ or ‘very bad.'”

It sounded like a wordplay at first glance.

But perhaps because of what she had already heard, Claudia gazed at Cedric with tear-filled eyes.

“Go on.”

“Being ‘very bad’ is easy. You simply commit an offense so egregious that even the name Redbell wouldn’t be able to cover it up.”

“Like what?”

“Hmm, if you were to grate your face on a cheese grater, wouldn’t that effectively put an end to any marriage prospects, no matter what?”

“Hiccup.”

Claudia instinctively hiccuped and distanced herself from Cedric.

If he had deliberately created an eerie atmosphere and spoken as if trying to scare her, it might have been one thing, but he spoke of such things as if reciting the evening menu, which was twice as chilling.

“So, something else! Some other accident!”

“One could shave their hair and use some kind of drug to prevent it from growing back! I’ll try to find a drug that doesn’t hurt, somehow.”

“Don’t say such horrible things! Isn’t there something, something involving…other people?”

“Hmm. But the nobles of this kingdom… frankly, aren’t they all trash when it comes to character? Even if the young lady were to rush out into the middle of the street and hold a public chopping-off-heads competition with commoners, these nobles would probably just say, ‘Oh, how barbaric.'”

Claudia fell silent.

She thought it was probably true, herself.

Cedric continued.

“Well, as you can see, being ‘very bad’ is easy, but the side effects are considerable. The young lady could be left with permanent scars, or her reputation could plummet vertically from ‘brat’ or ‘vixen’ to ‘utter scum.'”

“Did you just subtly imply that I’m currently a ‘brat’ or a ‘vixen’?”

“I told you, is that a problem?”

“…”

Claudia opened and closed her mouth, then sighed.

“Yeah, it’s not like you ignoring me like a dog is anything new. Why bother being surprised?”

Cedric frowned.

He spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Madam, I have never ignored you like a dog.”

“Ha, what good are words? It all comes out in your everyday behavior.”

“Comparing you to a dog would be an insult to the dog, you see.”

“You son of a b*tch!!”

Cedric, who had finally coaxed a curse worthy of a tavern adventurer from the noble young lady, leisurely caught the teacup and cake plate Claudia threw before continuing.

“It is true that your situation is somewhat deserving of sympathy. It is also true that the Marquis has been excessive. However, you have caused far too much trouble to those around you to let it pass with just that. You must acknowledge that.”

Claudia scowled, but did not interrupt Cedric.

“Therefore, doing ‘exceptionally well’ will be a very difficult path. Because you will have to rebuild the performance and reputation that you have voluntarily whittled away, starting from a deficit.”

“If I do that, will my situation change? Isn’t getting sold off the same no matter what?”

“That is the story of doing adequately well. If your performance and reputation surpass a certain level, the Marquis will be faced with a dilemma.”

“What dilemma?”

“He will be contemplating whether it is more advantageous to truly sell you off, or if it is more advantageous to simply keep you.”

Marquis Redbell was a heartless man.

His daughter’s personal happiness meant nothing to him, he would only concern himself with if she was useful or not to him.

Yet, because he was Marquis Redbell, it was ironically easier to persuade him with results, rather than emotions.

“Secure the loyalty of the servants. Secure the loyalty of the people. Make everyone acknowledge your capabilities, young lady. To the point where the Marquis feels it would be a waste to hand you over to another family.”

“Does that… even make sense?”

“It is possible.”

Cedric’s demeanor was resolute.

He held such a sincere conviction in her potential, even Claudia herself couldn’t believe it.

“Exquisite beauty, abundant wealth, a unique attendant, a territory ripe with potential. You already possess all the necessary tools, young lady. Only two things are lacking.”

“What’s lacking?”

“The will to succeed. And trust in me.”

As if awaiting her answer, Cedric gazed at her.

Claudia hesitated.

No matter how she considered it, the idea felt utterly preposterous.

And yet.

*After all, my master is you, young lady, not the Marquis. Why should I care?*

That nonchalant attitude, as if there was nothing particularly grand to assert, resonated with her so deeply.

“─Fine. I’ll do it. We’ll just make it happen.”

At her reply, a smile blossomed on Cedric’s lips.

“Excellent, young lady. This Cedric will dedicate himself wholeheartedly during the remaining time, ensuring you become a magnificent sovereign.”

Claudia swallowed unconsciously.

He, who usually seemed like nothing more than an unpredictable eccentric, at this moment felt strangely like a knight from the stories.

Looking back, it was his peculiar, almost bouncy way of speaking and his habit of utterly disregarding his master that were the problem, but his movements themselves were always the picture of elegance.

Until now, Claudia herself had displayed shortcomings as a mistress, so perhaps he maintained a crude attitude in response. Conversely, if Claudia showed her true mettle, he too would accord her the proper respect.

Claudia’s eyes glazed over, dreamily.

Bathed in the warm sunlight, she envisioned herself elegantly enjoying afternoon tea, Cedric standing guard by her side.

Not bad.

Truly not bad at all, she nodded unconsciously.

“Th-then, what should I do first?”

To Claudia’s tentative question, Cedric replied,

“First, you will bow your head and apologize to all the servants in the manor. And let me be clear, attitudes like ‘It couldn’t be helped, you know’ or ‘Isn’t this enough, since I said sorry?’ are absolutely forbidden.”

“……”

“Milady?”

“Ah, I understand.”