Chapter 62

Chapter 62

By the time Seongjin and his entourage arrived at the Pearl Palace, the sun had already set completely.

Masain, who had been restlessly waiting as they returned late, hurriedly came out to greet them before the carriage had even stopped.

What in the world happened, Your Highness! What did you do to get detained by the Capital Guards?

So even if you try to keep things quiet, if you are a former Knight Commander, news still leaks out.

Seongjin waved his hand in a tired expression.

There was a minor misunderstanding with some foreigners. Its been resolved, so ask Dame Maria for details.

Eh? Your Highness, I know nothing about

Dame Maria, who had been detained by Masain, looked at Seongjin with a gloomy expression.

Sorry, Dame Maria.

Since you dont know well, you have to shoulder it. Just gloss the incident adequately.

Perhaps due to the training, his usually sagging shoulders felt heavier as he walked, when he heard a cautious voice from behind.

Why did you do that, Your Highness?

Huh?

Why didnt you just tell the truth?

Turning back, he found Dame Claudia looking at him with a face full of complex emotions.

She had been quiet all the way, lost in thought. So she was wrestling with such concerns.

Come to think of it, you said you studied Brittanian? Were you preparing for overseas studies?

Yes, Your Highness.

Claudia had been silent because she couldnt interject into the princes conversation, but she had found his actions utterly incomprehensible and was extremely frustrated.

In her opinion, Prince Morres actions; standing up to protect the honor of the imperial family was unquestionably commendable.

Why not just lay bare what those Brittany fools blabbered to the Capital Guards? Then there would be no scathing looks, as if saying, That troublemaker made another mess.

Moreover, one could severely punish those arrogant Brittanians for contempt of the imperial family.

Is that so? Then you more or less understood.

Seongjin scratched his head for a moment.

Well, how should I explain? Even if I had said that, the chances of them facing appropriate punishment would not have been high.

What? Why?

It would have ended up like that. Sure, both Delcross and Brittany would have been noisy for a while, but those guys would have been safely extradited back to their homeland under Brittanys protection. The punishment, if any, would have been swept under the rug.

If that had happened, the innocent victim Amelia would be the one suffering from wounds.

Rather, I thought its better to quietly bury this matter and reap some other benefits.

Benefits?

Yes. He hadnt wasted his time engaging in futile conversation with young marquis Charles for nothing.

Seongjin flashed a bitter smile and spoke to Claudia.

More than anything,

Claudia shuddered for a moment. The princes subdued eyes, as he looked straight at her, emitted an unusual pressure that shouldnt be coming from a boy of his age.

What those guys said about Amelia-noonim should never again reach anyones lips. I want not a word, not a letter of it to even remain in documents.

He didnt want the scribe to record it or the officials to report it.

He didnt want this to become the talk of the whole Guard.

He didnt want it documented and sent all the way to Brittany.

This matter must be as if it never happened.

Understand? So forget about todays events, Dame.

Ah. Everything is all for Her Highness the Princess.

Claudia suddenly realized.

His Highness wants to avoid having Princess Amelia become the talk of the town, even if it means he himself has to face criticism!

Though Claudia may not have been entirely convinced by the princes explanation concerning the reaction from Brittany, she at least clearly understood his determination to prevent any further criticism of the princess.

Come to think of it, Prince Morres didnt react at all when those people were calling him a piglet. He only demanded a formal apology for the derogatory comments made against the Holy Emperor and the slander against Princess Amelia.

What selfless familial love this is!

Your Highness

Claudia clasped her two hands together and looked at Seongjin with tearful eyes.

How could he be so thoughtful! The sense of gravity he occasionally shows, which seems beyond his age, was not a misunderstanding after all!

The more I know him, the more rewarding it is to serve him!

I should devote myself to serving him for a long time to come and lay my bones in Pearl Palace.

Claudia internally made this resolve.

Of course, Seongjin, having no way to know what she was thinking, simply thought this:

Why is she looking at me with such burdensome eyes? Is she hungry all of sudden?

[Seongjin, be honest with me. You have no intention of letting them go safely, do you? What;s your ulterior motive?]

Back in his room preparing for meditation, the Demon King, who had been silent until now, suspiciously started speaking.

Ulterior motive? What do you take me for? Theres nothing like that.

He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples, which had been throbbing painfully.

One of the spies he had sent to observe the situation in the Imperial Court happened to witness the altercation between the knights and Prince Mores from the beginning and reported the details to Charles.

Thanks to that, he was able to quickly settle matters at the dining hall and locate the security team.

From the perspective of the knights who were punished, it was unfortunate.

They had merely been gossiping as they usually did, unaware that a person proficient in Brittanian happened to be nearby!

However, it was fortunate for Charles that the incident had not been made public. The Ravioli familys reputation could have been severely compromised, as negotiations for a secret marriage alliance with the Imperial Princess were underway.

Prince Morres quick wits were both a blessing and a curse for Charles in that regard.

He had understood the situation and tactfully retreated, but not without effectively pressuring Charles.

When asked about the imperial familys well-being in a diplomatic way, such a blatant reply was returned:

Is there a reason youre worrying about us in Brittany? I find it interesting that Im hearing news about the royal family from an outsider.

His review of a currently popular play in Brittany was also noteworthy:

A tragedy results when a family cant control themselves properly. Its a story you commonly see, isnt it? It seems the writer has tapped into the public sentiment well.

When Ravioli praised a musician for his excellent fugue compositions, this was the reply:

Repeating the same theme can get tiresome. I dont particularly enjoy listening to the same thing over and over. Id rather just get rid of the musician. How about you?

Given the hints, Charles couldnt miss the messages behind these comments.

I know all the nonsense being said about the Imperial Family. Deal with your internal matters before I intervene. Or else, Ill personally get rid of you all.

Third Prince Morres Klein.

Setting aside his quick judgment and fluency in Brittany language, he already stood out solely for his uncommon, age-inappropriate aura. Why then, was such a prince receiving negative reviews from the imperial family?

He must have been hiding his true self all this time.

If that was true, then he was a truly frightening individual.

Charles eyes became dark with silence.

From now on, he would ignore all baseless rumors about Prince Morres and focus on establishing a close relationship until the line of succession in the empire was secured.

Charles had made up his mind.

Thus, a new friendship was forming, albeit unintentionally and possibly based on misunderstandings, between the two.

Late night. The Heretic Tribunal.

A young priest, who was just about to clock out, discovered a brightly lit prayer room.

Curious, he opened the door and found a familiar face, praying in a dignified posture.

Brother Hayes?

The young priest approached him and asked, Are you praying at this hour?

The middle-aged man named Hayes got up and looked at the young priest with tired eyes.

He was a man of few words, despite having served in the Heretic Tribunal for a long time, hardly interacting with anyone.

The young priest had only been dispatched a few days ago and hadnt really had a chance to converse with Hayes before.

What brings you here at this late hour?

I happened to be running late on my way home.

Is that so?

Hayes gaze briefly touched the elongated stick the young priest was carrying and then shifted away.

Ah, youre the new Brother of the [Seed] Ive heard about.

The young priests face stiffened.

Because he hadnt received any specific information about Hayes from the other brothers, he scrutinized Hayes with a suspicious look for a moment before bowing his head and reciting an old religious chant from a now-forgotten sect.

He tightly grasped the hilt of the dagger hidden within his robe.

Bethella.

Bethella.

As the calm reply came from Brother Hayes, the young priest relaxed his face and smiled.

So youre a Brother of the forgotten sect. I am Clemence, recently summoned to the Heretic Tribunal. I havent heard about you, are you a member of [Seed]?

Although were from the same old sect, consider me as good as dead. Im not a member of [Seed]. You probably havent heard of me because I cant influence the tasks youre involved in.

Ah

The young priest, Clemence, bowed his head with a somewhat awkward expression.

So you already know about the mission. Would you like to join us? The Bishop said the season of great harvest is coming.

However, Hayes slowly shook his head.

Didnt I tell you? Im as good as dead. All I can do is pray.

You can still share in the joy of the harvest with us.

Thank you for the kind offer. However, my prayers have already been answered.

Clemence couldnt hide his sadness. It was as if he were watching a tree slowly wither and die before his eyes.

Yet Hayes himself looked almost relieved as he smiled.

Now, I am simply waiting quietly for Him to come and command me.