「ねえ、ひょっとしてセドリック様はわたくしが選んだ人達を全て切った?」
アイリーンの笑みを見て後ずさりつつ、ジャスパーが頷く。
「あ、ああ。アイリーン・ローレン・ドートリシュが選んだ人間なんて信用できない、しかも第五層の人間なんてってな。......皇太子様がそんなこと言っちまっていいのかねえ」
「......。取り繕うのをやめることにしたそうよ」
内心では馬鹿にしながら、どうでもいいからと表向き合わせていたのだろう。
本音はそちらだったわけだ。
世の中は取り繕う方がいいこともあるのに。
「ま、俺はただの悋気じゃねぇかと思うけど」
「どういうこと?」
「ほら、お嬢様が選んだ幹部連中、何故か若くて顔のいい男が多いだろ。それをリリア様に近づけたくなかったんじゃないかって俺は思ってる。べた惚れだなーありゃ」
そんな理由であの人材を手放すのか。呆れてアイリーンは目を丸くする。
だが今回ばかりは有り難い。アイリーンが欲しい人材が、そのまま残っているのだから。
「でも、あなたに頼む手間が省けたわ。人材だけをどうしようかと思っていたから」
「んん? なんかまたやらかすのか」
「お父様に言われているのよ。とられた事業の損失を補填しろって」
ジャスパーが目を丸くしたあと、口笛を吹いた。
「さっすがドートリシュ宰相。娘にも容赦ねぇなー娘だからこそか?」
「クビにされた全員に、よかったら仕事を紹介すると伝えておいて。城の修繕を頼みたいわ。あとは馬車を作って欲しいわ。急ぎの仕事だから報酬ははずむわよ」
「ほんとか? そりゃあいつらも喜ぶぜ、助かった。もうアイリーン嬢しか頼る人いねえって泣きつかれてたからよ」
「でも過酷な仕事よ。どんな仕事でもやる気のある者だけ集まるように言って」
「大丈夫じゃないか? あいつら、お嬢様に見込まれただけあって腕は確かだしな。第五層出身って偏見と癖が強くてとにかく大人しく従わねぇから、干されちまうだけで」
「なら結構よ。あとは薬の方だけど......これも一つ心当たりがあるわ。集まる場所や日時はいつも通り、あなたを仲介してお願いしていいかしら」
「おお、了解だ」
「それと、あなたにもう一つ頼みたいことがあるんだけれど。正義の味方さん」
呼びかけると、ジャスパーはたちまち嬉しそうな顔をした。
「何だ? 特ダネか」
「キースという高官を知っていて? 魔王の従者で有名なはずだけれど」
「ああ、そりゃあ......ってお嬢様。なんでまたいきなり魔王なんだよ?」
「彼の給金が支払われていないわ。恐らくだけど、魔王に関する予算を誰かが横領してると思うの」
目を丸くした後で、ジャスパーは声をひそめた。
「本当か? 魔王つっても皇子だし、生活苦で魔物をけしかけられないよう、結構な予算が固定費で組まれてるんだろ」
「と、わたくしも思っていたのだけれどね」
うらぶれた廃城が瞼の裏に浮かぶ。あれがとても、予算が割かれた結果と思えない。
「ひとまず調べてみて頂戴。大物が引っかかるかもしれないわ。何せ、魔王の予算だもの」
普通、そんなもの横領しようとしない。
するとすれば、クロードが訴え出ないことをあらかじめ見越せるような、そういう人物だ。必ず何か裏がある。
神妙な顔でジャスパーは頷いた。
「分かった、調べておく。連絡はいつも通り?」
「そうね、新聞社に投稿するわ。呼び出しは広告で返して頂戴」
「了解だ。しかしそうか、魔王かァ。いいねぇ、皇位継承権を剥奪された禁忌の皇子!」
「正義の味方なら、魔王は敵でしょう。複雑ではないの?」
真意を探るべく水を向けると、ぶんぶんとジャスパーは手を横に振った。
「ンなことねぇよ。散々子供の頃から命狙われまくったのに魔物をけしかけず廃城に引きこもってくれるなんて、できた皇子様だろ。魔物対策なんてほとんどしてもらえねぇ四層と五層の連中は、騎士団より魔王様々だしな。魔物が悪さしなくなったのは魔王のおかげって」
「......あら、そうなの?」
「下々の連中には人気だぜあの魔王様。魔物が『脆弱な人間共、魔物の力を思い知れ』とか『王にひれ伏せ!』とか言いながら現れるんだけどさ。豪雨でふさがった道をあける作業も倒壊した建物の片付けも、騎士団より先にきてやってってくれるって」
ベルゼビュートだ。もう少し言い回しが何とかならないのかとこめかみに人差し指を当ててしまう。
(......でも、クロード様......そう。お人好し......というより、これはもう)
器、ではないだろうか。為政者の器。
鳥肌が立った。
皇妃という名前の臣下になるはずだった教育の名残だ。どうしても考えてしまうことを、アイリーンは頭から振り払った。今の自分にそんな余裕はない。
「だったら下々に寄り添う魔王様の財産で私腹を肥やす貴族連中の横領は、なかなかウケがよさそうね」
「ああ。ただ魔王様が表舞台に出てきてくれねぇからなー。一目見たら忘れない美形だって話だし、写真でも撮れたら女性受けもよさそうなんだが」
「それは最重要懸案事項に入れておくわ。じゃあ、あとはお願いね」
「おう。そう言えばお嬢様は、どうするんだ?」
「行くところがあるの」
「その行き先も気になるが、知りたいのは今後だよ。セドリック皇子は諦めんのか? 俺はお嬢様が皇妃になるの、楽しみにしてたんだけどなあ」
嫌味のない言い方だったので、腹は立たなかった。実際、この男は皇妃になったらこいつに気をつけろ等々、色んな情報をくれたのだ。それが役立つ日は、もうこない――けれど。
(生き延びたら、そういう日もまたくるかもしれない)
そのために目下やることは決まっている。
「他にやることがあるのよ。セドリック様よりいい男を見つけてしまって」
「――はっ? いやいや、婚約破棄されたのって三日前だよな!?」
「愛に時間は関係ないのよ?」
含み笑いを浮かべたアイリーンは、優雅な足取りで先へ進む。
女ってこえぇ、というジャスパーの声は聞かなかったことにした。
[Hey, by any chance, did Cedric-sama fire all of the people that I've chose?] 
Jasper took a step back and nodded when he saw Irene smiled.
[Ah? Yes. He said people who have been chosen by Irene Loren D'Austriche are untrustworthy, and moreover, those are people from the fifth layer......I wonder if it's okay for the Crown Prince-sama to say something like that] 
[....... It seems like he had stopped trying to keep up with appearances] 
Surely, while deep down he was looking down on them, he showed an outward appearance of indifferent.
His real thoughts were at that side as one would expect.
Even though in this society, there are times when people need to keep up with appearances.
[Well, I think maybe he was just being jealous of me] 
[What do you mean?] 
[See, for some reason, a lot of those top officials who had been chosen by Ojou-sama, are young men with good looks, right? I had a thought that maybe, he doesn't want them to get closer to Lilisama. He's a slave to love-that man] 
Did he really let go of the human resources for a ridiculous reason like that? Astonished, Irene's eyes widened in shock.
But she couldn't help but be grateful this time. Because the human resources that Irene needed for what she's about to do, were exactly those people who were fired.
[But, it saved me some time from asking you for a favor. Because I'm having trouble with human resources, so I was wondering what I could do about it] 
[Hmm? Do you have something you want to do again?] 
[I've been commanded by Father to make up for the losses] 
After widening his eyes in shock, Jasper whistled.
[As expected from D'Austriche Prime Minister. There's no mercy even for his own daughter-or maybe because you're his daughter?] 
[Tell everyone that had been fired, if it is okay with them, I have a job to introduce to them. I want to ask them to repair a castle. And then, I want them to make a carriage. Because it's a job that needs to be done quickly, they will be paid handsomely] 
[Is it true? For sure they're going to jump in joy; you've saved me. While clinging to me in tears, they said they could only depend on Lady Irene, for there are no other people they can rely on ] 
[But, it's a tough job. Just tell them to gather only those who are willing to do any type of work] 
[Are you ok? Those fellows, they're counted upon by Young Lady, so they'd certainly be skilled as expected. The people from the fifth layer have many prejudices and bad habits, so only when their livelihood is taken away, they would be willing to follow someone from those layers.] 
[Then, that's wonderful. All that's left is people in charge of medicine, but......this is also the thing that I need to keep in mind. Time, date, and place to gather are as usual; is it okay if I ask you to mediate this?] 
[Okay, understood] 
[Also, I have one more thing to ask of you. Hero of Justice-san] 
When I called him as such, Jasper made a happy face in an instant.
[What is it? Is it something special?] 
[Do you know a senior officer by the name of Keith? He's supposedly a well-known attendant of the Demon King] 
[Ah, of course I......eh, Ojou-sama. Again, why did you suddenly mention about the Demon King?] 
[His salary hasn't been paid. This is just a probability, but I think someone had embezzled the budget meant for the Demon King] 
After widening his eyes, Jasper's voice fell to a whisper.
[Is it true? Even if he's the Demon King, he's a prince; and in order not to spur the monsters on because of his life struggles, there should be a reasonable budget issued at a fixed cost, right?] 
[My thought exactly] 
The image of the shabby castle floated at the back of her mind. She, by no means, can think of that as a result of sparing a budget.
[For now, please look into it. Who knows you might just catch yourself a big scoop for your newspapers. After all, it's about the budget for the Demon King] 
Normally, no one would dare to embezzle that kind of thing.
If they dared to do so, it was those kinds of people that already knew beforehand that Claude won't make a complaint about it. Certainly, there's more to this than meets the eye.
Jasper nodded with an obedient look on his face.
[Understood. I'll look into it. I'll contact you as per usual?] 
[Yeah, I'll make a contribution to the newspaper company. Please call me back in an advertis.e.m.e.nt] 
[Understood. But I see, the Demon King, is it? That's good,
[Isn't a hero of justice, the enemy of the Demon King? Don't you have mixed feelings about this?] 
To draw out his true motive, she probed him, but Jasper (1) shook his hand back and forth.
[Nah, there are no such things as that. Even though his life has been severely targeted ever since he was a child, he did not let the demons to attack the humans. Instead, he shut himself in an abandoned castle; Isn't he the kind of prince that can do that? A countermeasure against demons is pretty much useless, and those Holy Knights in the fourth and fifth layer, act more like demons instead of Knights. I also heard that it was thanks to the Demon King the monsters do not end up doing something bad] 
[......My, is that so?] 
[His attendants are popular, you know? That Demon King-sama. The monsters will appear while saying things like{weak human beings, realize the power of the monsters} and {Prostrate thyself before the King!} . I heard that they will come and do things like clearing up the path that was blocked by the torrential rain and tidying up collapsed buildings before the Holy Knights can do anything about them] 
That's Beelzebub. She wondered if she can do something about the way that guy speak; she ended up pressing her fingers on her temple.
(......But, Claude-sama......That's right. He's a good-natured person......rather than that, this already)
I wonder if he's a device? The ruler's device that is.
Irene got gooseb.u.mps.
She supposed it was remains of education of named Emperor that subjected it to him. Irene couldn't shake that question off of her mind no matter what she ended up thinking. My current self can't afford to have such thought.
[If that's the case, it seems like the common people who are close to those n.o.blemen who allegedly embezzled the Demon King's a.s.sets for their own profits are going to receive a good amount of fortunes themselves] 
[Yes. That's only because Demon King-sama had left the center stage of politics. There's also a story that after one takes a glance at him, his beauty won't allow people to forget him. Based on the pictures taken of him, he'll be especially popular among the women folks] 
[Put that in as the most important mystery. Then, I'll leave the rest to you] 
[Okay. Which reminds me, Ojou-sama, what are your plans?] 
[I have somewhere to go] 
[Although I am certainly curious about your destination, what I really want to know is about your plan in the future. Have you given up on Prince Cedric? To be honest, I've been looking forward to Ojou-sama becoming the Empress] 
I knew there was no sarcasm or such in his words, so I wasn't angry at all after being asked such question. But I also knew if I were to become the Empress, I should always be careful of this man. This man, after all, was my source of information for all sorts of things happening in this country. (2)The day when he becomes useful can longer come----However.
(As long as one lives long enough, that kind of day might come)
For that reason, I've decided to do it now.
[I have other things to do as well. I've managed to find a better man than Cedric-sama] 
[----Huh? Nono, it's only been three days since your engagement was annulled though!?] 
[Love knows no time, you know?] 
Irene giggled, and she went ahead with an elegant stride.
Women are scary! I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that comment from Jasper.
Villainous Daughter Aims for the Last Boss
悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/villainous-daughter-aims-for-the-last-boss/
Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo
Adapted to Anime Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Bloodlines Broken Engagement Business Management Businessmen Calm Protagonist Demon Lord Demons Female Protagonist Handsome Male Lead Hated Protagonist Kuudere Multiple Reincarnated Individuals Nobles Otome Game Politics Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Saints Sword And Magic Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2766dz/
永瀬さらさ