Finally, Judith spoke.
“I’m sure you think you need to be careful.”
“It seems that there are quite a few forces that do not want to make him Crown Prince.”
It was an outspoken expression. But it was accurate. Judith looked at Rogero for a moment, then lowered her gaze and smiled.
At that time, Rogero realized that it was very difficult to read her inner thoughts.
He was someone who could easily see through even seasoned nobles who had been in and out of the imperial palace. It was surprising and strange that Judith, who was just over 20 years old and was said to have received the King's abundant affection as a Princess, was better at hiding her emotions and intentions than them. It was a question he asked because he didn't know what she had been through.
“If you think about it that way, it seems like the imperial Crown Prince system is comfortable in many ways. Of course, it is not without its drawbacks, but there is no room for this kind of noise.”
“Now that I think about it, in the empire, when the eldest son is born, the status of Crown Prince returns.”
"Is it so. It only applies to the heirs of the Empress's resurrection, but there are conditions. If a son born to another concubine reaches the age of 15 without a legitimate child being born, the child becomes the Empress's adopted child. Then he becomes Crown Prince.”
Judith was curious. What if the eldest son is not qualified to become Emperor?
Even if they received training as the next Emperor from a young age, there was no way that everyone would grow up to be a decent Crown Prince. What if someone like Krald happens to be lucky enough to be born as the eldest son?
"If... What happens if the eldest son is unsuited to succeed to the throne? Is there no way the Crown Prince will change?”
It was an obvious question to ask, but Judith's attitude was cautious. The issue of the throne was a sensitive topic everywhere, regardless of the size of the country, so it was inevitable. However, Rogero responded calmly.
“Unless the Crown Prince dies or becomes disabled, the position of Crown Prince will never be passed on to someone else, no matter who he is. However, if the five teachers in charge of the Crown Prince’s education unanimously judge that the Crown Prince lacks qualifications, the regent takes responsibility for state affairs even after the Emperor dies or steps down.”
“Then what happens to the Crown Prince?”
“Until he receives permission from his teachers to take over the throne, he will remain in the position of Crown Prince forever. How funny is it, a Crown Prince without an Emperor? So everyone works hard and tries to get recognition from their teachers. In the Delacca Empire, sometimes the influence of the teachers in charge of the Prince’s education is stronger than that of the Emperor.”
Judith laughed, thinking the last remark was a joke, but Rogero did not say it just to make her laugh.
The teachers in charge of the Prince's education were very important figures in Delacca. At first glance, it might seem like there would be more benefits, but that wasn't the case.
If the teachers' collusion went astray, the very foundation of the imperial throne would be shaken, so they lived under strict surveillance for several years or even decades until the Crown Prince ascended to the throne of the emperor. Not only was it difficult to meet people for personal purposes, but the assets one could own were extremely limited.
Among the nobles, highly educated and well-known people were selected as teachers of the Crown Prince and were respected by the royal family, but in reality, their lives were no different from those of monks.
“And the other Princes of Delacca...”
Judith blinked, waiting for the next words. Rogero said.
“Each person takes on a position to assist the Crown Prince. There are some positions that are only in name, but most of them are important positions in the empire.”
It was common for the King's children, who did not have the right of succession, to have their own titles or fiefs, but it was a unique and unheard of system for them to hold important positions in the country. When Judith asked why, Rogero added an explanation.
“There are two reasons. The external reason is for the Emperor’s descendants to unite together to solidify the power of the empire and the imperial family and maintain peace, and the other reason is to keep the Crown Prince and, by extension, the Emperor, in check.”
“Containment?”
“Earlier, You asked a question about qualifications. When he was Crown Prince, his teachers were able to control him, but the story changed after he became Emperor. Wouldn’t it be a problem if he pretended to be quiet when he was the Crown Prince and then peeled the pumpkin seeds after he became the Emperor?”
“Then other Princes will hold important positions in the empire... Are you saying they want to make the Emperor aware?”
"That's right. If you only have a title and a fief, it's hard to know the inner workings of the imperial family, right? But if you continue to participate in internal affairs, it’s a different story.”
“But then, I think it would be easier for someone who is greedy for the throne to emerge.”
“That is the reason why the royal family of Delacca cannot separate their homes at will even after getting married.”
Judith, who was tilting her head as if wondering, finally realized, “Ah.” In other words, the Prince's family were hostages. Once you entered the imperial palace, you were held in it for the rest of your life, unable to leave.
Judith felt the need to slightly correct her thoughts about Rogero. On the outside, he seemed bright and innocent and had no worries. However, it was difficult for the Prince, who had grown up to this day as a member of the imperial family with such complex power relations, to not have any plans.
The Emperor of the empire was a moderate man. Rumor has it that he was merciful and wise and that he ruled better than his predecessors. However, it was not an easy task for him to run such a large country and maintain its sanity under tight checks and surveillance, as Rogero just mentioned. It was impossible without perfect conduct and strategy.
The fact that Rogero became friends with Franz may have been something that the god of luck moved for Franz. Franz had enough ability to become Crown Prince of Rotair, but he was unlikely to be adept at political maneuvering. But it occurred to her that if Franz stayed close to Rogero, he might, knowingly or unknowingly, learn such things.
“According to what Your Highness the Prince said, I guess you will also hold one of the important positions in the empire in the future?”
“That’s right. Are you curious about what position I will take?”
“To be honest, yes. I'm very curious. Even if Your Highness the Prince returns to your homeland, you will be able to continue your relationship with His Highness Franz for a long time.”
Rogero laughed. He knew that Judith was deliberately acting in a transparent manner.
“It will be difficult to give a definite answer now as it will be decided by my father in the future.”
“Is that so?”
It was unclear whether he knew but was not giving an answer or whether he really did not know at the moment, but Judith decided not to ask further questions.
Rogero combed his hair once. Hair of a unique color that attracted attention from anywhere fluttered and returned to its original place following the movement of the fingers.
“Should we stop talking about the boring stuff?”
“I had fun.”
“I’m glad if that’s the case, but it’s sad to only talk about this when the banquet is finally ripe. Please dance with me.”
Rogero lazily held out one hand. He said he liked swordsmanship, and indeed, his fingers were full of calluses and scars. They ranged in size and shape from very old ones to ones that looked like they had recently healed.
Judith looked down at his hands and then at his face.
“Thank you for your words, but I haven’t had my first dance yet today.”
It was an unwritten rule that a married person's first dance should be with the husband or wife. After hearing Judith's words, Rogero let out an exaggerated sigh, as if he knew that would happen.
“That guy like a stone.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness the Prince.”
“No, no.”
As soon as the words were out, Rogero grabbed both of Judith's hands and helped her up from her seat. Her body was lifted up so easily that Judith had no time to show her surprise. Although he was not very tall or built, his strength was surprisingly strong.
“I can’t just spend this night without Your Highness and dancing because of that piece of wood.”
“Then how...”
“Just because you don’t have your first dance with your husband doesn’t mean they’ll arrest you, right? Come out and dance with me. Wouldn’t that help him come to his senses?”
What does it mean to come to his senses?
However, before she could ask what those words meant, Judith was already being led by Rogero toward the center of the hall. When the two people appeared, the people dancing slowly moved away to make room.
“Now, take my hand.”
Rogero naturally wrapped his arms around Judith's waist. His attitude was clearly sharp, but it wasn't very unpleasant.
When she glanced back at Franz, she saw that he, like everyone else, was staring at her and Rogero. As Judith bit her lip and suppressed laughter, Rogero narrowed his eyes as if he knew why she was doing that.
“All men, no matter how smart they are, are all equally idiots.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m telling you this because I think you don’t know how to use effective medicine.”
“I especially...”
When the music started, Rogero was the first to step to the beat. It was a movement on a completely different level from what she had just been watching. His pulling and pushing movements were so graceful and skillful that even Judith was surprised.
“Franz is also suspicious. He's going to look at us like that with crazy eyes.”
“Not really... I don’t think so.”
“Huh? What if you say something like that about Your Highness? Franz alone is enough to make fun of because he's a piece of wood. I don’t dare make fun of Your Highness with such vulgar words, so please don’t say things like that.”
Judith laughed. Rogero, perhaps on purpose, supported her waist and took a spinning step as they slowly moved closer to Franz. As a result, by the middle of the song, Judith had come so far that she could clearly see Franz's face.
“Your Highness, you seem to be mischievous.”
“Maybe in time, you will thank me.”
Rogero and Judith's palms lightly touched each other.
Franz stood motionless, without taking his eyes off Judith, until the dance ended. Every time Judith felt his gaze, she felt her earlobes and forehead heating up one after another. However, she did not look directly at Franz. If that were to be the case, he would have been using Judith's own way of saying 'weakness is a trick'.
“Now, take my hand.”
Rogero naturally wrapped his arms around Judith's waist. His attitude was clearly sharp, but it wasn't very unpleasant.
When she glanced back at Franz, she saw that he, like everyone else, was staring at her and Rogero. As Judith bit her lip and suppressed laughter, Rogero narrowed his eyes as if he knew why she was doing that.
“All men, no matter how smart they are, are all equally idiots.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m telling you this because I think you don’t know how to use effective medicine.”
“I especially...”
When the music started, Rogero was the first to step to the beat. It was a movement on a completely different level from what she had just been watching. His pulling and pushing movements were so graceful and skillful that even Judith was surprised.
“Franz is also suspicious. He's going to look at us like that with crazy eyes.”
“Not really... I don’t think so.”
“Huh? What if you say something like that about Your Highness? Franz alone is enough to make fun of because he's a piece of wood. I don’t dare make fun of Your Highness with such vulgar words, so please don’t say things like that.”
Judith laughed. Rogero, perhaps on purpose, supported her waist and took a spinning step as they slowly moved closer to Franz. As a result, by the middle of the song, Judith had come so far that she could clearly see Franz's face.
“Your Highness, you seem to be mischievous.”
“Maybe in time, you will thank me.”
Rogero and Judith's palms lightly touched each other.
Franz stood motionless, without taking his eyes off Judith, until the dance ended. Every time Judith felt his gaze, she felt her earlobes and forehead heating up one after another. However, she did not look directly at Franz. If that were to be the case, he would have been using Judith's own way of saying 'weakness is a trick'.
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