Chapter 199: Hide, Executive Manager (4)

Chapter 199: Hide, Executive Manager (4)

I found myself overwhelmed by a suffocating pressure at the banquet I attended with a light heart.

Someone, anyone, please get me out of here.

Right now, I'd even smile and endure the Crown Prince's tea-bagging.

"Baby, would you like a drink?"

"Ah, that..."

Next to me, the Mage Duchess lifted a glass of white wine as I trembled with fear.

I had no idea why a person of high status such as a Duke would be near me instead of the Crown Prince or another Duke. Thanks to that, all eyes were on us.

"I’m sorry, but Carl doesn't really like to drink."

Before I could say anything, Marghetta interjected. She declined the Duke's offer politely but firmly, a bold move she wouldn't have dared to do if she weren't part of a ducal family. It was enough to scare even me.

"Right, Carl?"

Her smile was gentle as usual, but her eyes were piercing, urging me to respond correctly.

"That’s—"

"Really? That’s strange. He was drinking just fine at the New Year's Ball."

Again, I only managed to open my mouth slightly before closing it without being able to say anything.

How odd. The question was clearly directed at me, but the conversation continued without waiting for my answer.

Did I even really need to be here in this conversation? Couldn't I just go somewhere else?

"Carl, are you planning to leave your partner behind?"

"Baby, I'm still talking."

However, they clutched at me like ghosts as soon as I tried to escape and seek freedom. It was hard to believe that they were subtly opposing each other just moments ago when they displayed such unity.

Of course, things returned to normal afterward. They continued the clash between two ducal families with me, the heir of a mere county, caught in between them and shedding tears inwardly.

Help me.

I looked desperately at the dukes who were maintaining a safe distance away.

I'm powerless; only you can end this war.

But despite my fervent hopes, the Invincible Duke quietly averted his gaze. The betrayal by someone I considered a reliable adult hurt a bit.

...No, it was okay. It could be overwhelming, even for the Invincible Duke.

Instead, I turned to the Iron-blooded Duke, who was next to him.

Only you can do it now.

My real hope was him. The Invincible Duke might step back as he had no stake in it, but the Iron-blooded Duke, who was Marghetta's father, wouldn't just stand by while his precious daughter was caught in a skirmish with the Mage Duchess, would he?

It seemed that my plea reached the heavens. The Iron-blooded Duke, who had been fiercely looking at me as if he was going to devour me, made a resolute expression.

And then, he left the scene with the Invincible Duke.

...?

What?

Where are you going? What am I supposed to do if you leave like that?

Was he abandoning me because I was an unwelcome son-in-law? But his precious daughter was here, too.

I trusted you.

I had believed that Iron-blooded Duke would not yield to the Mage Duchess...!

"It's probably because he didn’t want to be isolated at the New Year's Ball. He was just fitting in with the atmosphere."

"That’s right. Baby is that thoughtful, so he should do the same now."

The arguments around me grew fiercer before I could even wallow in the betrayal.

What started as heavily veiled comments became blatantly obvious over time. Now, anyone could tell that it was a confrontation.

Why exactly...?

It was starting to give me a headache. I could try to fix it if I knew the reason they were being like this, but I couldn't intervene because I didn’t.

Marghetta wasn't normally one to pick fights, and the Mage Duchess wasn't soft enough to excuse such rudeness.

And yet they were suddenly opposing each other, and the conflict continued as if it were the most natural thing...

Damn it.

This was driving me insane.

The sight of the Iron-blooded Duke's daughter standing up to the Mage Duchess and the Mage Duchess taking it casually was all real.

Amazing.

I had never seen anything like it, so it took me a while to understand the situation.

Initially, I was pleased to learn that the Mage Duchess had come for the Crown Princess's banquet. After all, the higher the status of the attendees and the rarer the guests, the greater the prestige of the event.

And the prestige of the banquet also reflected on the Crown Princess. So, while it was surprising, I was happy about the Mage Duchess's participation—

So there was a reason.

It wasn’t just for the Crown Princess, which was actually reassuring. It would have been stranger if the Mage Duchess had come without any reason.

Good. I nearly lost sleep trying to figure out why she had come.

I barely stifled the laughter that was about to burst out.

Executive Manager, it's you again.

I would have laughed long ago if no one was watching. His life was like a play that was so fun and amusing to watch.

Though this would make a poor play in real life.

It was unimaginably funny to the point that it didn't make any sense.

That the Mage Duchess, of all people, would...

Harbor feelings for the Executive Manager—

I bit my lip gently, trying not to laugh.

Obviously, I didn’t realize it from the start. I only suspected some connection because the Executive Manager was involved. Who would have connected it to a love affair just from that?

But I watched closely, keeping all possibilities open—not just spectating, but observing. Besides, it was a serious matter involving two ducal families, which wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

The lady is standing up to the Mage Duchess.

It was an incomprehensible act.

And the Mage Duchess isn’t reprimanding her for such rudeness.

That was also incomprehensible.

Then there’s the Executive Manager, who is involved in all of this.

Where wasn’t he involved?

Everything was like random puzzle pieces. The situation made no sense at all. Just when I was wondering what the heck was going on, I remembered an incident from a few years ago.

Back when I was still the First Prince and the succession dispute was still going on, the Crown Princess proposed to me. I couldn’t understand it, so I asked her why she was doing it and why it had to be me.

Her answer was a masterpiece.

"Your Highness. Even the most incomprehensible matters become understandable when you use love as the reason."

She then gave me a look that implied to just accept her proposal and stop worrying.

Anyway, remembering those words made me see this situation differently.

The reason the lady was standing up to the Mage Duchess and why she remained calm even when subjected to rudeness. When you considered love as the reason, it all made sense.

Now I understand.

It was surprisingly clear now. If it was for a reason other than love, then that would be truly astonishing.

This peculiar case was not an ordinary matter. The Mage Duchess’s love life wasn’t just a personal issue, but something that involved the succession of a ducal family.

The emperor himself had been worried that the ducal line might end because the Mage Duchess had been living alone for over a hundred years.

Honestly, I wondered which would come first: the Mage Duchess dying of old age or the empire collapsing.

There’s no need to worry now.

The Mage Duchess would surely not stand idly after having found a match. Thus, the issue of succession for her duchy would disappear.

Instead, a new concern arose.

Krasius, Valenti, and Catoban.

Those were the Executive Manager and the lady's houses, as well as the Mage Duchess's.

What kind of power would be formed if these three families became united by marriage? Even the smallest outcome I could think of could turn the imperial political scene upside down. It would even be enough to make the emperor rise from his bed.

This was no ordinary matter at all...

I shouldn’t worry about it.

I was here today to enjoy the Crown Princess’s birthday banquet and the Executive Manager's love life.

Let the me of tomorrow handle tomorrow’s /genesisforsaken