CH 30

At first, it was just a joke. As he said, after seeing Vasily Marjoram's ridiculous expression a few times, he intended to give her a big gold coin, and drive her away from the palace.

To think that she was blackmailing a member of the royal family with the Brewe medal in hand... If he hadn't granted Yulia's wish in front of so many people, his reputation would have been damaged.

The commoner maid of honor he took in as a joke quietly shook his daily life, shattered it into pieces, and brought it to a new world.

Yulia probably couldn't have imagined it. What it meant to Lewicia Ortega, to have someone ask him about his right to succeed to the throne.

Even Lewicia himself had lived with the conclusion that such a thing would never happen.

"Your Highness, I heard that you quit the successor classes at twelve."

"I didn't expect to hear such nagging after becoming an adult."

"You quit the classes as soon as they started, why did you do that?"

"Was it Coco who snitched on me?"

Lewicia glared at Coco with an unfair expression. Coco was looking at him with a face that showed she was having a lot of fun.

Yulia sighed, and spoke again.

"I didn't mean that you absolutely have to become King. That's not what we want from Your Highness."

"Are you playing with me right now? Are you telling me not to become King while scolding me for quitting the successor classes?"

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't become King either."

'So, what are you telling me to do?' Lewicia crinkled his nose, and stood up. He didn't want to hear nagging, so he was thinking of going out.

At that moment, Yulia held him back.

"I'm saying this because the only way Your Highness can live is by becoming a candidate for the throne."

"...What?"

"You are the son of a concubine who isn't even a successor. Moreover, Your Highness is young and beautiful. If I were the Marquis of Marjoram, I would encourage His Highness the King to promote marriage diplomacy by using the Prince as a sacrifice."

Lewicia stopped walking with a shocked face. He had never thought of it like that.

There were no neighbors around Ortega who could engage in marriage diplomacy. The only neighboring country of this narrow peninsula-shaped country was the Baikan Empire, and the Emperor was not someone who would accept marriage diplomacy.

"I'm a man."

"That's why I'm saying this."

"What?"

"In Baikan's imperial family, even empresses and princesses can have concubines."

Lewicia's face turned as pale as paper at the cruel words that came out of Yulia's mouth. He sat back in his chair, and rolled his eyes.

"How many concubines did the Empress have? Was it two? Ah, that's right, one of them died. Then, it must be one. The Empress is old, so I don't think she will take another concubine."

"I was just talking about one of the possibilities. Don't think about it too seriously."

"How can I not! I'm going to be sold to the Empire!"

"That won't happen if you become a candidate for the throne. As long as there are forces supporting Your Highness, Marjoram will be cautious, and the King will start weighing things."

"Which one of his kids is the most compliant, is that what you are talking about?"

"Something like that."

To survive, you must seize power. The palace was such a place. It is impossible to stay idle, and live peacefully. If he wanted to live such a life, he should have fled to a very distant place before becoming an adult.

"You told me to support Shatrin."

"It's a temporary measure."

Lewicia understood Yulia's words. He also thought she was completely right.

"Still, getting back into successor classes at this age is a bit..."

"You will not ask the King for a teacher. Being smart and a good student only attracts attention when you're young, but Your Highness is already an adult."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"I will teach you."

Yulia said nonchalantly. Lewicia looked as if he had heard something that didn't make sense, but after a while, he let out a long sigh.

"That's right... You are the owner of the Brewe medal after all."

"It is fortunate that the ban on successor studies has been lifted. What would we have done if I hadn't learn them at the academy."

Lewicia was more bothered by the fact that Coco kept laughing like a mean cat in the corner than the fact that he had to be taught by Yulia.

"Coco, stop laughing."

"I don't want to."

"Please."

"No."

When Lewicia pointed his finger at Coco with an angry face, Yulia gently took his finger, and lowered it, then said.

"Lady Coco will also teach you. I only know how to approach it academically. Lady Coco will be much better at explaining the history of the royal family."

An evil smile was painted on Coco's face.

*****

It was the day of the second contest.

Yulia heard from a spy planted in the palace that the King would personally attend the event. Everyone said it was natural since it was a contest under the pretext of the King's birthday, but Yulia didn't think so.

The King will appear to set up Shatrin's flag.

"Have a safe trip."

This time, instead of Yulia, Coco decided to follow. As it was the day Lewicia would declare his support for Shatrin, she decided to avoid being in a position where she could garner attention.

"The fact that I have to tell the kid who hit you to become King... doesn't make me feel good."

Lewicia muttered depressingly as he left the palace. Yulia soothed him, telling him not to care about such things.

After the two of them left the palace, Yulia hurriedly prepared to go out. While Lewicia and Coco would be shaking the contest venue by using Shatrin, she had other work to attend to.

'I have to prevent the Marquis of Marjoram from coming back to his senses too soon.'

If the route of the slush funds is cut off and the successor is destroyed beyond his control, the Marquis will not be able to pay attention to what happens inside the palace for the time being.

"Welcome!"

Maxwell, who was waiting in front of the carriage in advance, waved his hand at Yulia.

"Now then, shall we try going inside the enemy’s mouth?"

"Is it really possible?"

"Do you know what I have done the most while living in Ortega for the past ten years? Secretly sneaking in and out of the homes of powerful people."

"The Marjoram mansion is heavily guarded."

"The more guarded a place, the more vulnerable it is."

Maxwell boasted.

"The castles of Baikan are surrounded by layers of towers, gates, and walls. So, Ortega is almost at the level of a fence. Is it because the country is peaceful, or because it's open? I wonder."

"It's customary to prefer having a large plot of land rather than tall buildings."

"Is that so? Anyway, you will be able to enter the Marjoram mansion. Moreover, underground prisons are the easiest place to break into. In terms of security, it's the last place to check." 

Shortly after the boastful words, Yulia was able to enter Marjoram's underground prison.

The two guards, who had received a generous amount of gold coins, took off their armor and slipped away. Yulia and Maxwell put on the armor, and covered their faces with helmets.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes."

Yulia followed behind him.

Vasily was confined to a spacious and comfortable prison. There were also a soft bed and a dining table.

Yulia found him lying there, like a person who had embraced all the agony in the world.

"Vasily."

Yulia took off her helmet.

"...Yulia?"

'How did you come in here?' Based on his expression, that's what Vasily seemed to be thinking. It was hard to contain her laugh as she watched that stupid face.

When Yulia involuntarily let out a light laugh, Vasily came closer and grabbed the iron bars like someone who had found hope in the dark.

"Yulia, I missed you so much."

"You are still as selfish. People’s eyes aren’t meant to just see what’s in front of them as it is."

"What?"

"I am telling you to think a little bit deeper about the things you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. Especially for someone like you who were born with power in your hands, you always have to think."

"Yulia, what are you talking about after coming all the way here?"

"Something like, 'put yourself in the other person's place'."

Yulia said in a voice mixed with laughter. It was a tone that seemed to be admonishing as well as taunting.

Vasily's eyes began to shake little by little. He finally understood that Yulia's smile was very different from the past.

"You learn this when you are very young, you know. Morality, ethics, being an upright person... Oh, it comes out during etiquette, too. Since you are the son of a marquis, wouldn't you have learned that it is a moral duty expected from nobles?"

"I don’t understand what you are trying to say. Yulia, I became like this because of you, but..."

"I am telling you..."

The smile instantly disappeared from Yulia's face.

"...to think about what you would do if you were in my place. From the time we first met until now, think about it once... if you have a brain. What if our positions were reversed? Try to think about it!"

"What's... wrong with you?"

"I don’t even want you to sympathize with me. It's been a long time since I gave up on that. But, Vasily, don't you need to at least understand? Why I am doing this, and why I changed like this?"

She knew it was useless to say this. People don't change easily. Especially someone who is narrow-minded and selfish like Vasily.

"What... is so unfair?"

Look at that. Vasily eventually blamed Yulia.

"Thanks to my family’s support, you were able to study what you wanted, and you lived comfortably. Kristin used to think of you as a friend when she was little. It was the same for me!"

'Why are you so cheap?'

Yulia was about to say that, but stayed still instead. She thought of waiting to see what other nonsense he would spout out.