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Chapter : 12
“Lady-in-waiting Evelyn.”
The Crown Prince remembered the head lady-in-waiting.
A southern native, with twenty years of service in the imperial palace.
Rtie always relied on her…
She was one of the few who would speak frankly even in front of the Crown Prince.
“…”
So why is she looking at me like she’s walking on eggshells now?
Just as the Crown Prince frowned at the lady-in-waiting’s suspicious behavior—
“My apologies, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
The lady-in-waiting bowed deeply once again and then, as if being chased by something, rattled out her words.
“Your Highness arrived without notice, so Her Highness needs time to prepare properly.”
“…”
“Therefore, I shall escort you to the reception room. If you will wait just a moment, I’ll go bring Her Highne—”
“No.”
The Crown Prince cut her off at once.
“A married couple has no need for such formalities. Unless—”
“……!”
“—there is something in the Crown Princess’s palace that I, the Crown Prince, should not see?”
At those words, the lady-in-waiting gulped and lowered her head.
“I swear on my life, Your Highness. There is absolutely no such thing.”
But her polite manner looked more like she was hiding her expression.
With a much heavier voice, the Crown Prince spoke.
“Then where is the Crown Princess?”
Being asked her location so directly, the lady-in-waiting groaned and reluctantly answered.
“Her Highness is in the roundtable conference room with the Grand Duke—Y-Your Highness? Your Highness!!”
The Crown Prince strode into the building at once.
“Please wait, Your Highness the Crown Prinnnnce!!”
The lady-in-waiting stretched out her hand and cried urgently, but all he could hear echoing in his mind was—
The Crown Princess is with the Grand Duke…
Soon, the door of the conference room came into view.
If the Grand Duke—
If he was clinging too close to the Crown Princess again, just like last time…
I’ll cut him down where he stands.
“Your Highness!! It is against etiquette for a royal to open a door with their own hand!!”
The lady-in-waiting appeared at the end of the hall and shouted desperately, but the Crown Prince was faster.
BOOM.
The stone door of the conference room swung open—
It’s over…
Kawes and his attendants, who had barely caught up to the Crown Prince, squeezed their eyes shut.
“—!”
…Wait. What?!
Contrary to their expectations of some indecent scene, the atmosphere was perfectly proper.
“Territory… grain production… is…”
The first thing in sight was Grand Duke Rikesys, bleary-eyed, staring only at documents as if unaware of anything else happening.
“We greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Secretaries and knights of the Crown Princess’ palace bowed to the suddenly appearing Crown Prince.
“Your Highness, please observe proper etiquette next time.”
The panting lady-in-waiting reached the door and—
“Seven.”
—calmly counted the new additions to the room before stepping past.
“….”
The Crown Prince momentarily felt like he’d been played.
But before long, he was already standing in front of a single person looking up at him.
Rtie.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness. We were just about to begin the meeting. Have you come to observe?”
…Pft!
Watching the Crown Prince’s eyes tremble in confusion sent a sharp thrill through me.
Did he think I’d be rolling around making love with the Grand Duke?
Too bad.
Sorry—but I have no intention of getting caught. Not yet, anyway.
Yes. For now, that is.
At that moment, the frozen Crown Prince opened his mouth.
“What meeting?”
“Oh? Didn’t Lady Evelyn tell you? It’s about food support for the Grand Duchy.”
“I will sit in.”
I nodded and led him to the empty seat beside me—hiding my sly smile.
See? My lady-in-waiting really IS competent.
Evelyn and I had spoken yesterday.
“Tomorrow, I shall bring the Crown Prince at the appointed time.”
And she had truly lured him here at the perfect moment.
Now the real work starts.
Sadly, for the past three days, I hadn’t been able to flirt with the Grand Duke at all.
All I’d done was tell him to “Prepare for the meeting.”
I glanced at the knights standing by his side.
Because of them…
But after today’s meeting, everything would change.
I intended to remove every obstacle blocking my path to revenge.
“Everyone gathered here—though this is but an informal meeting in a small room, let us make today the beginning of positive cooperation between the Imperial Family and the North.”
Bang bang bang!
I struck the gavel and moved to introduce the first agenda item—
but then, an odd scene halted me.
Why… is he like that?
“Aagh…”
Grand Duke Rikesys was hunched over, drenched in sweat as if caught in a storm.
He had sat down so confidently when he entered the room.
Don’t tell me… the restroom?
“Grand Duke Rikesys—do you perhaps need to step out for urgent business?”
I asked indirectly, but the Grand Duke gave no reply.
He was so absorbed in reading the meeting documents written by the knights he didn’t seem aware of his surroundings at all.
What on earth is written there?
Then, his lips began to move.
Y-your Highness… lie to… Her Highness…?
Lie?!
I clutched my mouth in shock.
The Crown Prince is right HERE, and he’s muttering something like that?!
I instinctively glanced at the Crown Prince—
“Grand Duke Rikesys. The meeting has started. Will you remain like that?”
“Ha!”
At the Crown Prince’s voice, the Grand Duke jerked upright.
Then sprang to his feet and bowed deeply.
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Enough greetings. Focus on the meeting.”
“Yes!”
He sat again, and I quickly moved to the first agenda.
“Grand Duke, what is the cause of the food shortage currently plaguing your duchy?”
The Grand Duke’s complexion darkened instantly.
“The environmental change in the north and the poor harvest…”
His usual booming voice had become a timid murmur.
But suddenly, his eyes cleared—as if he made a decision.
Then—THUNK!
He slammed the documents on the table and spoke firmly.
“Before I answer, I will reveal EVERYTHING.”
“My lord!”
The knights rushed him immediately.
And then—
“You damned sons of devils!”
THUD!
The Grand Duke hurled a knight aside; a heavy crash echoed through the room.
Wh-what?!
In the sudden chaos, stunned speechless, I watched as he shouted again.
“Your Highness! I am about to be forced into a LOVERELESS marriage!!”
…What?
“The food shortage wasn’t caused by the harvest! It was the debt my predecessor borrowed from neighboring lords—mmph!!”
Just then—
Zennin Lock clamped a hand over the Grand Duke’s mouth.
“Restrain the Grand Duke!!”
“Let go! Mmph!!”
A mutiny?!
Half a dozen knights swarmed him, bound him, and dragged him right out of the room.
BANG!
The door slammed shut.
“…”
“…”
The remaining knights stood sweating bullets.
I rolled my eyes to the side.
“So he came to the capital because he’s broke.”
The Crown Prince muttered as he stared at the door the Grand Duke disappeared through.
I quietly closed my eyes.
His gaze held no wariness toward the Grand Duke—not even as a rival.
…Well. Good.
If the Crown Prince was off guard, then the first obstacle had been cleared.
If he kept his suspicion, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
I have money—my future lover can be poor!
The problem was the second obstacle—
If the meeting ends like this, the knights might tie him up and run away!!
I had to keep the meeting going, no matter what!
I lifted the gavel.
Bang bang!
“…Let us move to the second agenda.”
The knights stared in disbelief, but I ignored them and grabbed the documents.
“As you know, I issued the Grand Duke a certificate allowing access to the imperial grain stores until the shortage is resolved. However, the problem is transporting the food north—”
Before I could finish, a knight beat his chest and declared,
“We will handle that ourselves.”
But then—
“How can I trust you?”
“…!”
Everyone turned sharply toward the voice.
To the Crown Prince.
“You men have already lied to my wife—just to pay off the Grand Duke’s debts.”
