Chapter 230
In the northeast of the continent, there juts out a peninsula, a region where eternal snow settles, and the sea freezes over—a harsh land of cold. Simply by location, it sits even further north than the plains known as the Northern Region by the Empire.
Nestled there is the Lucen Kingdom, a nation that neither gets invaded nor invades anyone, making it an odd place indeed. One wonders why a country exists in such a frigid locale, but no one wants to claim ownership of that icy land anyway, so everyone just accepts it as it is.
Anyway, the strongest enemy for the Lucen Kingdom is the cold, prompting them to yearn for warmth. Perhaps as a result, the liquor from the Lucen Kingdom is notorious for its high alcohol content.
“Khrrr─!”
The vodka I’m currently drinking is also one of the kingdom’s signature beverages and export items. Just the scent alone seems enough to get someone tipsy, and once it slides down my throat, I feel as if I could pinpoint exactly where my organs are located.
“Your Highness, it’s not good for your health to drink like that.”
V, who was beside me, opened his mouth with worry, but unfortunately, it didn’t register in my ears at this moment. All I want right now is to get drunk. I want to let go of my thoughts and just go to Enen’s side for a moment.
As I grabbed the bottle to pour more vodka into my empty glass, I was interrupted.
“Your Highness.”
That small desire of mine went unrealized. V, with half-closed eyes, gripped my hand.
“I’m sorry, V.”
His narrowed eyes weren’t much open, but they were filled with concern. Seeing that, I couldn’t just throw a tantrum and continue drinking.
V is generally quite lenient with alcohol. So, if he’s come all the way to my office, it must mean my drinking has crossed a dangerous threshold.
After all, I had suddenly sought out vodka, something I hadn’t even touched before. That had to have reached V’s ears through my attendants.
“You seem troubled.”
At my apology, V smiled faintly and put the bottle away.
And unfortunately, as soon as V spoke those words, my head throbbed again. Was it the alcohol? No, I wish it were just that.
“Director of Inspection is truly a fascinating person. Without showing his face in social circles, he always seems to be at the center of them.”
As if reading my state of mind, V chuckled slightly. I found myself a bit resentful of V at this moment.
Still, I understood. Just this morning, I almost laughed upon hearing news that had come in as soon as I woke up. If it weren’t tied to me, I could have laughed freely.
“…Indeed.”
But it is tied to me. I can’t feel at ease at all.
An incident exploded right in the heart of the capital. It wasn’t just a banquet venue for the Crown Princess anymore; it was smack dab in the middle of the capital, visible to the general public. Moreover, the protagonists were none other than the rumor-inciting Director of Inspection and the Duke Marcilio.
‘This is insane.’
It wasn’t even an ordinary incident. Apparently, the Duke was crying while searching for the Director.
If ordinary commoners were to do something like that, it would still create a rumor storm, but with a duke and a director involved, it couldn’t possibly be just a personal romantic squabble; it was bound to have political ramifications.
The duke publicly pursues the director, while the director pushes him away. Then, the duke comes back crying, desperately clinging to the director.
What a terrible situation. It’s only logical to conclude that the director has the duke completely under their thumb. It would be weirder if no political repercussions arose from this.
‘At least it’s quiet, though.’
Fortunately—or rather, I don’t really want to use the term fortunate—the rumors about the Duke’s tears have remained relatively hushed.
The reason is simple. A bigger rumor has overshadowed it.
“I’ve heard many people saw the Director walking with the Duke. They said they even held hands!”
This was the latest news the head butler brought me this morning. When I first heard about the Duke’s tears, I felt blindsided, but upon hearing this, I exhaled in relief.
There’s a stark difference between an incident with few witnesses at night and one that occurs in broad daylight with plenty of people around. Naturally, the latter is going to attract more attention. Furthermore, when it touches upon a budding romance, it draws even more eyes.
‘They planned this.’
With a slight furrow in my brow, I let out a sigh. The Director isn’t someone who acts on sheer whimsy. They are well aware of the consequences if rumors of the Duke crying and searching for them spread.
That’s why they made a deliberate show of things. If rumors are going to circulate anyway, better to disseminate positive ones. Rather than the duke desperately pursuing the director, they wanted to highlight how they were exchanging each other’s affections.
Granted, it would also leak that the duke spent the night at the director’s residence, but so what? It’d be shocking enough to ensure it spreads widely.
“The Duke and the Director are both pillars of the Empire, so if those pillars intertwine and grow stronger, what a joyous occasion that would be.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
I tried to self-justify with that positive statement. Yes, this is a good thing. A joyous occurrence.
– The Imperial family chooses to maintain silence regarding this matter.
I can’t think of it any other way. Since the Father King decided on this silence, that’s all there is to it.
I wondered if the Father King received the news around the same time I did, as shortly after, the head butler contacted me.
– Trying to intervene in an event that has already occurred will only cause more chaos.
There’s no point in trying to control a situation that erupted in the heart of the capital. Far better to watch as the bigger news swallows the smaller proclamations.
– It’s only a matter of time before the Krasius and Katoban houses connect. So, Crown Prince, do not involve yourself in this matter.
“Yes, Father King.”
In summary, it could be boiled down to: ‘Since the outcome is positive, let’s pretend the process didn’t happen.’ It might sound irresponsible, but what else could they do? The imperial family can’t turn back time.
Yet it seems the Father King is bemused by this bizarre incident.
– It’s been a long time since I last saw the Director. While dispatched to the Academy, they have been a loyal subject, defeating many rebels.
“Indeed, that’s true.”
– Before this year ends, I want to have a meal with the Director, so the Crown Prince should prepare quickly.
“Yes, I shall.”
The Father King, who had been inactive in public affairs lately, wishes to meet the Director personally. He wants to uncover what kind of extraordinary developments have caused such an event to unfold.
– However, I cannot disrupt the Director’s work. The appropriate time will be determined by you, to show consideration for the Director.
Plus, before meeting the Father King, I’ve received permission to interrogate the Director myself.
This was granted time by the Father King. A legitimate opportunity to tease and ridicule the Director.
‘This is an imperial decree.’
It’s definitely not a personal endeavor. After all, it’s an imperial directive.
With that thought, I grabbed the communication terminal.
*
The Duke, stumbling over his words as if malfunctioning, hastily ran towards the Magic Tower.
Yet still, those ears were perked up high. Yeah, I thought he’d like that. After all, it was a calculated maneuver on his part.
‘It worked out well.’
A sense of pride swelled within me. I handled that quite well, if I do say so myself.
The Duke’s previous low spirits had lifted, and the unfortunate rumors that spread overnight were thoroughly suppressed.
Surely, people would find it easier to believe the gossip of me escorting him through the streets than that absurd tale of him crying. Normally, the best defense against rumors is more rumors.
‘Thank goodness it was at night.’
If the Duke had been roaming the capital during the day, this plan would’ve been futile.
With a sigh of relief, I pulled out the communication terminal. I should check in with the origin of all this chaos.
“Wow, Joka! You reached out to me first! What’s the matter with you?!”
After a good while, I heard back from the wise Duke.
His usual raucous greeting was annoying as ever, but today, I reached out to express my gratitude, so I didn’t mind too much.
“Thanks to my aunt, things turned out well.”
“Whoa?!”
He tilted his head and emitted an odd sound of surprise. I briefly wondered if reaching out was a mistake, but I persevered.
“You said to strike first, didn’t you?”
At that, the wise Duke blinked a few times and burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Oh hey~ Joka~ You’ve grown to be quite the charming gentleman, huh?”
“…You’re overdoing it.”
With that one phrase, I easily painted a picture of my uncle’s life. It seemed clear he wasn’t exactly enjoying it.
“Joka? Isn’t Joka doing well with that cute aunt and the Duke?”
“Yes, well…”
“Then let’s hear about it!”
Like a heavily intoxicated uncle urging someone to share their first love story, it wasn’t a good idea to have reached out.
I felt regretful about contacting him, but I nodded and began to speak. After all, the wise Duke was indeed helpful.
I then casually recounted events from the Magic Tower yesterday—
“Whoa?! What did you say?”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“I wanted you to poke lightly, not use a siege weapon on his solar plexus!”
The wise Duke, who had regained his sobriety, awkwardly laughed.
Damn.
The hero who panicked the wise Duke into sobriety? That’s me.
‘Did I purposely do that?’
It felt bitter. The look I received from the wise Duke at the end hinted at a thought like, ‘Was my explanation too hard for this kid?’
That was a total misunderstanding. I had initially intended just to poke gently. The real issue was stumbling upon the unexpected secret of that potion, which inadvertently shattered the Duke’s mentality.
And all of that snowballed into this whole situation. Honestly, I did plan to keep things gentle.
…Though no one would believe that. Honestly, it sounds like an excuse even to me.
– But hey, Joka! You won’t have any issues fighting with the Duke over love now, huh?!
Furthermore, the wise Duke said that to uplift my spirits.
Sure, there won’t be any fighting. After all, the Duke showed a level of vulnerability that was heartbreaking. Whatever I do from now on, he’ll just look at me with those sad eyes. It’s truly a sad affair…
‘Now’s not the time to worry about others.’
Staring at the now silent communication terminal, I let out a sigh once again. Right now, I should be focusing on my own self, not worrying about future complications with someone else.
While communicating with the wise Duke, I received a message—an official one highlighted with the royal purple border that symbolizes the imperial family.
[ I hear the busy Director of Inspection has arrived in the capital, which makes me quite pleased. I urgently wish to discuss something, so come quickly to the Crown Prince’s palace. ]
An indirect rebuke questioning why that busybody came to the capital to cause such a ruckus.
Yet, I felt no resistance towards that beautifully worded message.
‘…I hope I won’t be disciplined?’
At least I take comfort in knowing that it shouldn’t be a disciplinary matter.
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