Chapter 818 Is this alright?
The king gave a dramatic pause after saying this, but he continued by saying, "I've been thinking very hard on who should be my successor and I've finally reached a decision."
Instead of turning to the fourth prince like everyone expected, the king came over to my side and put a hand on my shoulder before saying, "He shall take the throne and lead the country from now on."
There was only silence that followed after the king said this.
Chins dropped the moment that these words were said and everyone looked on in disbelief, as if they couldn't understand the words that they had just heard.
All of them looked at the king as if they couldn't help wondering if there was something wrong with his brain.
This didn't change for a while as everyone just looked at the king with those confused looks on their faces.
But eventually, they had to come back to their senses.
The king hadn't said a single thing after this since he was looking out at the crowd.
With the look on his face, it was as if he was waiting to see how they would react.
At the same time, it was as if he was judging them to see how they would take this news.
There were a few nobles that seemed to realize something when they saw this.
These were nobles that had higher rankings than the others, so they felt comfortable acting while others didn't. They realized that this was the chance for them to act before it was too late.
After all, if they didn't say anything now...it would be too late to regret it if it actually happened.
So one of the nobles suddenly came forward and asked, "Your majesty, is this alright?"
The king narrowed his eyes when he heard this and he looked at the one who spoke.
But it wasn't as if this was a proper argument.
Duke Southland took a deep breath before saying, "Your majesty, this is a matter of prestige for the royal family. If someone who marries into the royal family is fit to take the throne, then wouldn't that mean that anyone would have the right to rule?"
The way that he said this almost seemed like he was provoking the king, but it was a subtle jab at the pride that a ruler should have.
After all, it was said that the royal family had received the divine right to rule.
So by saying this, it was almost as if they were saying that this wasn't true.
The other nobles nodded in agreement again and this time, there was someone else who stepped forward.
It was another noble, but this was a noble who was on the same level as Duke Southland.
This was the final duke of the four dukes, Duke Firestand.
When Duke Firestand came forward, everyone cleared the way for him.
After he stepped forward, Duke Firestand said, "Your majesty, please reconsider this. This is a crucial time for the kingdom, we can't make rash decisions like this."
Then after a pause, he gestured to the fourth prince and said, "If you're looking for a successor, there is one right beside you. Please don't make the mistake of ignoring what is in front of you."
The way that he said this could even be considered a way of flattering the fourth prince which made Duke Southland knit his brows.
He didn't think of it, so he was of course angry that Duke Firestand was taking advantage of him.
Still, at this point, there was nothing to gain from being divided.
So in the end, Duke Southland also supported what Duke Firestand said about the fourth prince.
The king just narrowed his eyes to look at them before saying, "Is this really how you feel?"