Chapter 28 - Where The Monster Disappeared (6)

Translator: Kimmy

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How great is it that such a person is there to support Karlos.

Duke Aragon looked at the youth in the room and smiled delightedly.

The officers of the Information Division flinched at the old gentleman’s smile.

Their reaction wasn’t a surprise since Duke Aragon was the infamous bloodless and tearless previous head of the Information Division.

“Now that His Majesty is over 30, the nobles are on the edge of their toes. This time, they were lined up in front of the gate.”

The office was feeling a little vacant today, they all must have gone to meet Duke Aragon.

Glenn added the names of the people who were absent today on his mental ‘scold list’.

“The House of Lords* did put in some pressure this year.”

“Hah. You must be having a hard time then.”

“The House of Lords is rather better than His Majesty himself.”

Glenn sighed slowly.

Now that the Emperor’s power was stronger than that of the House of Lords, Glenn could just ignore the House of Lords.

The reason Glenn allowed the House of Lords to pressure the Emperor was because he himself knew they were right.

The Emperor’s impregnable stand on marriage was the bigger problem than the House of Lords gnawing at his temper.

A man who is afraid of women.

It was a pathetic thing for the strongest man in the continent to be. 

The Chancellor, at times, wanted to strangle and shake some sense into the Emperor.

“I can’t understand him, but if he dislikes young ladies so much, why don’t we introduce him to older noblewomen?”

“Ah……..That is probably my fault.”

Glenn made a strange face.

Duke Aragon’s wife was 20 years younger than the Duke, which was a common thing for a noble around his age.

During those times, it was normal for a noble lady to marry in her late teenage years.

There was a generation gap, so Glenn didn’t say anything about it, but Glenn couldn’t understand the old custom either.

“I am a commoner, you see. The Emperor could be thinking in my perspective subconsciously.”

“Ah, that’s plausible. Since you were alongside His Majesty ever since His Majesty was young.”

Duke Aragon recalled that Glenn basically raised the Emperor during his younger years.

The commoners were not as financially stable, so they generally married way later than nobles.

20 was the age most people started gaining financial independence, so that was when marriage was considered to be an option. So, commoners and nobles had a very different point of view on marriage.

The problem here was that despite being the top of the nobles, the Emperor had a similar stance on marriage as commoners. 

Only Glenn could understand the Emperor here while all the other nobles couldn’t.

However, the bigger problem that is unknown was that the Emperor not being able to talk to women.

That Darned Emperor.

“I was young back then too.”

“You are still young.”

“Sir, I am about to be 40.”

Duke Aragon chuckled looking at his predecessor who looks just over 30.

“That’s still young.”

*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*

After parting with Duke Aragon, Glenn went to see Maximilien. 

The Emperor beat him earlier at noon, so even though the Duke was strong, he must be in bed right now.

As expected, Maximilien was in the Royal Room of the ward with a black eye.

“Duke Aragon just visited.”

“Uweck.”

“I didn’t know you had a talent in imitating a frog.”

Maximilien forcefully moved his throbbing calf and glared at Glenn.

“It’s because I’m not really comfortable with that old man.”

“Well, you made big trouble this time. Why during the Harvest festival of all times? Are you perhaps unhappy with your life?”

“I brought him here with his mother’s permission. I kept him alive with all limbs intact. I didn’t even grind his face yet.”

No wonder the crown prince was in a relatively okay state despite Maximilien being the one who brought him. 

Maximilien must have not broken anywhere or cut anywhere as his last thread of respect to the prince.

Glenn was getting a headache.

It was impossible to figure out what this lunatic was thinking.

“I can’t go to my love with this face, so I’m going out when it gets better. By the way, did you find that bastard? He was good at running away, that’s for sure. I thought I was looking at a squirrel, not a crown prince.”

Sir Emmerich couldn’t care less about your face.

Glenn kept those words at the tip of his tongue and frowned. 

“That squirrel prince is in His Majesty’s bedroom.”

“………his preference was a man? No wonder he showed no interest in women. Fortunately, the Rumilesa bloodline will end here then.”

“It’s not like that. The Emperor is trying to protect him.”

“And you are not happy with that?”

“I want to at least teach the boy a lesson.”

At times like this, they got along surprisingly well.

The two looked at each other and smiled wickedly.

*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*

Diego looked at the sandwich on the table, smacking his lips.

Other than the dust he ate while he rolled in the carriage, he didn’t eat anything yet.

But he was the crown prince of Cartul.

He could never be sure if the food had poison or not, especially now that he found out he was in Lesa. 

He admired his judgment and held his empty stomach.

Diego’s strong points were that he was true to his word and that he was patient, but to say these in a negative way, it would be that he was stubborn and uselessly persistent. 

Suppressing his hunger was nothing in order to maintain his skyrocketed ego.

“But it looks so delicious…….”

The sandwich with fresh vegetables, ham, and cheese had a flavorful color and organization that aroused his appetite. 

Even the thin slice of lemon on the juice beside it looked delicious. 

Diego stood up from his seat.

The reason he didn’t touch the sandwich was because it was obviously placed there for him to eat. 

He couldn’t think of a single person who would be this kind to him in Lesa. 

Diego always thought shortly in everything he did, but he knew to think deeply enough when he had to. 

He didn’t earn the crown prince position for nothing. 

His highly-respected mother seemed to be contemplating her son’s competence but his veins ran with the blood of Cartul. It was impossible for a dog to be born from a lion.

Diego searched the room to find anything that could be used as a weapon.

Cutlery would be easy to hide but he couldn’t find any since the only food there was a sandwich. 

He didn’t give up on his search. 

“Hm?”

There was something shiny beside the book that was placed above the fireplace. 

“A….paper knife.”

It was decorated with gold and jewelry. 

It was closer to a decoration since it was too dull to be a weapon but Diego decided to hide it in his hand anyway. 

He could use it to stab someone to escape. 

Diego recently learned how precious life was thanks to that immoral Duke that he felt no shame stealing as a royalty. 

He would have to be alive to repent or whatever. 

He wondered why it was placed in such a noticeable place but even if it was a trap he felt like he needed to hold something to relax. 

And thanks to not letting his guard down, he could hear someone approaching the door. 

“Are you up yet?”

It was a deep voice. 

Only knights and generals had this kind of voice in Cartul. 

He asked before entering, so he must have some manners. Was he the owner of this room?

While Diego was contemplating on whether to answer or not, the door opened. 

“You are awake.”

Diego could swear on the heavens that he never saw such a big man. 

He was big. Humongous. 

Diego knew that in terms of height and build, some of the knights he knew were taller and bigger. But that man was just ‘big’. 

Diego held his breath. 

It was an animalistic response when a male met a stronger male. 

How are floors not falling when that thing is walking? Lesa’s buildings must be strong.

As he was panicking internally, Diego analyzed that the thing in front of him was indeed a person and that he couldn’t be heavy enough to tumble down floors.

“How are you feeling?”

“……Did you move me here?”

“You could say that.”

His response was not rough. 

He didn’t know how they were conversing but they were. 

Diego just escaped from Duke Gardelli who looked normal but couldn’t converse normally, so he made sense that he could converse normally with the man that didn’t look normal. 

Diego accepted it. 

“I express my gratitude. I am Di….”

Diego hurriedly blocked his mouth. 

Was it the right thing to reveal who he was right now? When he doesn’t even know who is standing in front of him?

He decided to be a little more careful.

“Di, Didieyr.”

Karlos looked at the crown prince with a strange look. 

That boy was pretty clever. 

Judging by just the reports, he seemed to be clumsy and egoistic. 

But he managed to find a weapon as soon as he woke up and even thought of hiding his real identity, even though it was obvious he was lying.

He was indeed the lioness Sabina’s son.

Karlos had already noticed that the paper knife he placed above the fireplace was gone. 

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Merry Christmas readers~ Hope you have the best holidays!!

TL/N: the House of Lords is basically a council of nobles.