Chapter 84 – A Chancellor’s Grievances (1)
A short walk, he said? Kasser thought of what the head doctor had said and decided to check back on Eugene later. When he arrived at his office, he was greeted by the Grand Chamberlain, anxiously waiting for him.
“Your Majesty, the chancellor is requesting to see you.”
Kasser frowned. He had made it clear through Sven that the chancellor was not to return unless he was ordered to.
“Are you saying the chancellor is standing on the other side of this door?”
“No, your Majesty. He is waiting for your permission outside the palace.”
Picturing Verus standing alone outside of the gate, his temper simmered down a little. He admitted he was driven by emotions when he gave Sven the command in the middle of the night. If the queen hadn’t lost her memory, he would’ve overlooked Verus’s actions.
The Grand Chamberlain silently waited for the king’s answer. There had never been a day where the chancellor could not set foot into the palace—this might be quite devastating for him.
While the man sitting on the throne could not be replaced, the chancellor could be very well so kicked out of his position and replaced. Since the king’s respect towards Verus was immense, no one could dare to step up. Still, numerous men vigilantly waited for an opportunity to overtake Verus’s position.
Although it seemed like the authority of the kingdom could be handed over to another individual, the Grand Chamberlain didn’t show his curiosity. He knew more than anyone that the Kasser hated intrusive behaviors.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A moment later, Verus entered the office. He kept his head bowed down, and frantically kneeled on the floor, facing Kasser’s desk.
“I beg for your mercy, Your Majesty.”
Kasser looked down at Verus, who seemed to be kissing the floor with his hands and forehead against the cold flooring of his study. It was indeed a degrading and humiliating sight of the proud chancellor.
Given his position, Verus dominated soldiers and commoners over the years. Kasser knew it wouldn’t have been easy for him to kneel flat on the floor like that. But he did, regardless of his pride.
What a sly little f*cker, Kasser thought to himself. There was no ill-intention to how he thought of him.
A large portion of why Kasser delegated Verus was how he knew when to kneel before his leader—when to assume the form of a pleading pup when he had to.
Verus was an outstanding man, but there were enough people just like him. However, there was no one with the perfect qualifications like he had.
When Kasser was looking for the right man as the chancellor, he had asked around for the perfect person. He needed a man to be able to withhold the workload he was about to assign.
A young man was likely to complain. But Verus was different.
He was from a wealthy noble family, so he was not after his royal money. Moreover, he was the third son of his family, which meant he was unlikely to be the heir and didn’t bear responsibilities over his parents and siblings.
A man chasing after achievement, rather than power, and on top of that, one that was never ashamed of bending his pride. He was the man Kasser was looking for.
What Kasser needed for a chancellor was an arbitrator. He needed someone to force his commands to the soldiers, and Verus had been the perfect match.
“You may stand.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Kasser gestured to the Grand Chamberlain standing behind him. When the Grand Chamberlain left the room with the other servants, it was only Kasser and Verus left in the study.
“Your Majesty, I was extremely foolish, but I kneel before you. I did not have any alter motive.”
Verus assumed the king was furious with him because he pulled a couple of soldiers out of the battle and gave them other tasks to complete.
When Sven came to him and told him ‘the King had become suspicious,’ his heart sank. And when Kasser announced probation, he freaked out.
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Everyone in the Kingdom called the Desert King a sage king, generous and kind. It appeared so when he allowed officials to debate freely in meetings. Along with the imagery of always stepping first towards the army of larks, it left an additional positive impression.
But Verus thought otherwise. He knew the Desert King had characteristics of a tyrant.
So far, he had never seen the king change his opinion after he made a conclusion. Therefore, when Kasser had instructed him under probation, Verus knew there was no point in trying to prove his innocence. He knew it was only going to make matters worse.
Since he didn’t make a huge mistake, he figured begging for mercy was the only way he could survive.
“Did Sven make things clear for you?”
“I clearly understood your orders, Your Majesty.”
“How I told him to remove any spies you placed around the Queen?”
What? It was a question Verus was not prepared for. However, he remained calm and answered while his head remained drooped to the floor.
“Your Majesty, spies around the queen? I have never attempted such outrageousness.”
“Then what was the purpose of placing Sven to keep an eye on the palace? Are you saying it was not to inspect the queen?”
He was uncovered. Verus didn’t try to use shallow tricks and replied directly. “It is just like you assumed, Your Majesty. But this is the first time I have made a silly move. I was simply worried a similar incident like last time might happen again.”
“I will make sure it isn’t repeated. Do not pay any interest on matters inside the palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
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