Chapter 64

The Sleepless Night of the Maid — Chapter 64

The conversation between Edward and the Duke of Kensington continued without interruption. There was nothing special about it, but it felt like their words were skirting around the tip of a blade.

The three of them looked relaxed, but they were all realising that the air in the room had changed. It felt like the air was wasted in the process of throwing the bait, eliciting a reaction, and exploring. A heavy atmosphere was coming down upon the three of them.

“There are eyes from the Imperial Palace, so are you one of those who dare to monitor the Crown Prince too?”

Count Holland thought about the Duke’s intentions and raised the intensity a little.

“Maybe someone else thinks so too?”

Again, the Duke did not take the bait that Count Holland had thrown. He meant that he would not bring his reasons up first unless he explicitly brought out his purpose here.

However, it was dangerous to ask who’s side he was on. Reconciliation came with conditions, and those conditions became Edward’s weakness. It would be a fatal mistake if the Duke was already on the side of the Empress.

But the sluggish conversation, back-and-forth, wasn’t what Edward wanted. He asked the Duke, leaning his back on his chair, feeling a bit tired.

“Duke Kensington, I didn’t come here just to say hello, correct?”

It was a crucial question. There was no need for any more talk if the Duke dragged his feet again. He put his intentions out in the open, so even the Duke would no longer be able to avoid it.

The Duke took a short breath and lowered his eyelids with indifference. The momentary stillness he had created annoyed Edward.

The Duke, who pretended to be conflicted, quickly changed his expression and formed his mouth into a gentle smile.

“Is that possible? When I received a letter from His Majesty to visit, I waited eagerly.”

“Is that so?”

It was a surprisingly hopeful answer. Edward saw the corners of Count Holland’s lips curved with delight. But on the contrary, he heightened his vigilance.

Edward’s position now was very unstable. More than half of the nobility of the Senate had already passed over to the Empress’ side. While he was on the front lines, they were busy moving behind the scenes to disqualify Edward as Crown Prince.

That would be best known to the Duke of Kensington, Chairman of the Senate. If he knew that the Duke would stand by his side, then he would have something he wanted. It was not a silly thought to think that it was natural for the Crown Prince to ascend to the throne, because the Duke was a self-proclaimed principal. But the claim of the Empress did not mean that there was no basis at all.

“I have a favor to ask you.”

“Say it. I will listen to anything you have to say.”

Count Holland spoke calmly on Edward’s behalf. This was not a request, but a condition offered by the Duke. The decision rested with Edward, and the deal belonged with Count Holland.

Watching Count Holland earnestly awaiting the next words, the Duke paused again. What kind of conditions does he plan to lay out? Edward was subtly offended by the Duke’s carefree smile.

“Olivia is waiting for you, Your Majesty.”

The Duke looked at Edward quietly and spoke his words in a low voice.

“Oh, is she? Please, have her come in.”

Edward gave an indifferent answer and looked towards the door. There was a momentary thought that he had been indifferent to Olivia. Arriving late last night, he rested in his room until late in the morning, and he was planning to leave right after he had finished talking, so he had little time to spare. Olivia knew that too, and it seemed that she had come and waited.

Still, it was what it was. The Duke cut the important conversation short and his daughter became his priority.

At Edward’s answer, the Duke’s face seemed to harden for an instant. He looked at Edward with indifferent eyes, then gave a short smirk.

“Why don’t you take a walk in the garden with Olivia? After this, we will meet again in Montana and have a serious conversation. If you accept my condition at that time, I will be on your side as someone more powerful than anyone else.”

“… … .”

In an instant, a different kind of silence followed. Count Holland was visibly delighted, and the Duke’s lips curled gently. He had not heard the terms yet, but Edward was equally satisfied. While they were chatting around, the Duke was the first to directly respond positively. The conditions were still a mystery, but this was a valuable enough result. 

Just by giving the Duke to the Crown Prince would be the first step to catching his breath.

The atmosphere changed in an instant and flowed into a friendly atmosphere. The three of them exchanged light conversations and maintained a good mood. Occasionally, someone burst out laughing.

After a while, the door opened with a knock and Olivia appeared. Her brown eyes twinkled and she suggested to Edward and Count Holland, 

“Would you two like to go out for a walk?”

“I would.”

Edward smiled faintly and stood up from his seat. He had satisfactory results, so he had no reason not to delay a little.

***

Rex sat cross-legged, holding a cup of tea. He didn’t show it, but he was very annoyed. When was he guided to the study of the Duke of Kensington and told to wait? Even after a long time had passed, he couldn’t help but feel agitated.

“Would you like some more tea, Mr. Rex?”

One of the maids who entered the study asked kindly.

“No, thank you. Is the Duke still very busy?”

“Ah, yes. The Crown Prince visited last night and was talking about -”

“What?! Who did you say?!”

Before the maid could finish speaking, Rex set the teacup down loudly.

Hi everyone. This novel’s translation may be coming to an end soon. I am struggling to juggle editing in my free time while working a full time job. I am sorry for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding.