The Executed Saint Reincarnates as a Princess and is Loved by Her Older Brothers - Episode 25

“The Sapphire Empire is truly amazing after all…!”

While reading the open book, Angela was deeply impressed.

As a princess, I felt I needed to learn more about this country, so I read various books as much as time allowed, but I was constantly amazed by the high standards of the empire in every aspect.

From industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, to the diverse fields of mining, manufacturing, commerce, and finance, the Sapphire Empire surpasses and outpaces Angela’s previous life homeland—the Coral Kingdom—in every aspect.

“The Sapphire Empire is truly amazing after all…!”

While murmuring the same thoughts for the second time today, Angela ruminated on the name of that kingdom along with the throbbing pain in her chest.

Kingdom of Coral…

The country where I was born and died in my previous life.

I wonder what that country is like now.

Angela put the open book back on the shelf and looked for the bookshelf containing information about foreign countries.

Although there are far fewer documents here compared to those about our own country, there are also records summarizing the situation in the Kingdom of Koryu and recent data.

If I remember correctly, Prince Nathan is currently on the throne, right?

Political discussions were rarely held in front of young Angela, but she knew that King Coral had passed away about four years ago and that Crown Prince Nathan had ascended to the throne by listening to the conversations around her.

I still can’t believe that His Majesty the King has passed away.

Juliet was not particularly close to the former king, but she did have official interactions with the king as a saint several times a year.

The former king was a robust and vigorous person. He seemed like a man who had never caught even a cold, yet he passed away less than a year after Juliet’s death. I still can’t believe it.

The queen, the saint, and the king. As the kingdom’s high-ranking officials continued to pass away one after another, it was Nathan who ascended to the throne. The queen’s name is Hortense.

Ortans-sama… I remember. Indeed…

That’s right. She was the Marquise de Turenne’s daughter, a glamorous woman known as the belle of the social scene.

Oh, she’s not a marquis’s daughter. The Turenne family has become a duke.

The Marquis de Turenne, who is Hortense’s father, has now become a duke. Furthermore, he seems to have been appointed as chancellor by Nathan and is working as his right-hand man.

Nathan and Hortense got engaged shortly after Juliet’s death.

If it were the engagement of the Crown Prince and Princess, it would normally be celebrated grandly, but it seems they kept it modest due to the Queen’s mourning period.

Even though it couldn’t be helped, wasn’t it against Nathan’s wishes, who always wanted to stand out?

Furthermore, after the marriage, before the grand announcement could take place, the king passed away. It seems that the palace was thrown into utter chaos, alternating between celebrations and mourning.

Not knowing whether to celebrate or mourn, the people around must have been quite troubled as well.

Moreover, the reign of the new king Nathan, which started unexpectedly early, seems far from smooth sailing based on the figures in the documents.

Huh… am I this down…?

The economic growth rate in the Kingdom of Koryu has been declining over the past five years, as if going down a slope.

The fluctuations in prices are also severe, and particularly due to the poor harvest of crops, food prices seem to be soaring year by year.

The cause is the inclement weather. It seems that the unprecedented long rain that started right after Juliet’s death led to cold damage.

The levee has collapsed, and the irrigation facilities have also fallen apart, but it seems that the repairs are lagging far behind.

The Kingdom of Koryu has had a stable climate throughout the year, with extremely few natural disasters.

The lack of awareness about natural disasters and insufficient preparations probably also played a role.

“But this area is holding up, isn’t it?”

While economic activities are cooling down across the entire kingdom, there is one region that is increasing its growth rate.

Duke of Rochelle

“Duke Rochelle……”

It was the name of a remote northern area close to the orphanage where Juliet grew up.

Since the previous lord’s death, it had been a desolate and neglected land, but in the late years of the late king, the second prince was granted the title of duke and entrusted with the governance of the Rochelle territory.

“Second prince…? Was there such a person…?”

Angela involuntarily tilted her head.

As far as Juliet knew, Nathan was the only prince of the king. He had sisters, but he was the only male.

As the only son, Nathan had been spoiled and had always gotten his way, and he was a haughty person who didn’t hide his dissatisfaction with Juliet. It was the first time I heard he had a younger brother.

“When Duke Rochelle was granted his title, he was the second prince, but now he is considered the king’s brother.”

After Juliet’s death, did the former king have a second prince?

However, since the former queen has also passed away, it is impossible for the child to be the queen’s.

Moreover, it’s been five years since Juliet died. If the child was born after that, they should still be an infant. It would be difficult not only to bestow the title of duke but also to manage the actual territory.

“There were rumors that His Majesty the King has illegitimate children scattered all over the place… Is that story true, and is Duke Rochelle one of them?”

The second prince of the late king and the current king’s younger brother.

Angela’s heart stirred at the mysterious figure unknown even to Juliet, the saint of the kingdom.

If it were within the Kingdom of Koryu, we might be able to learn more accurate information about the origins of Duke Rochelle, the king’s younger brother, but the literature of the foreign Sapphire Empire does not contain such detailed information.

Angela looked down at the materials again.