An unexpected smile appeared on the Duke's face. The King placed his clasped hands on the table and looked at him blankly. The way he pulled his chin, raised his pupils, and blinked his eyes seemed playful at first glance.
“Say it.”
“I know it seems impatient to say these words since it has only been a while since His Highness Franz returned. But...”
“What should we do with the succession? That’s the story, right?”
The King struck before even getting to the point, but the Duke did not flinch at all. It was a story that had to be brought up at some point anyway. The King knew it too.
It was important to gauge in advance who King Jedercayer's intentions were directed to. He did not believe that he would think of Krald as the Crown Prince before Franz, but politics sometimes made incomprehensibly strange things possible.
This was evident from the fact that the King knew what Queen Gilsis had done but forgave her while pretending not to know. Of course, his human sympathy and feelings for the Queen may have played a role, but the price he had to pay for the gap of the past few years was too great to just ask and move on based on his feelings.
The Duke knew why the King let Queen Gilsis go. As long as the Queen still had power, support forces to support her, and the Duke of Laitian, Franz could not enjoy complete freedom and security. This was because the power that Queen Gilsis could wield could be aimed at him at any time.
No matter how hard the King or the Duke tried to protect Franz if the Queen rushed at all costs for Krald, the situation would spiral out of control. If that happens, protecting Franz will not be the only problem. There was every chance that the peace that Rotair had maintained so far would be broken.
A civil war, especially a civil war caused by a feud between brothers, was bound to leave a fatal blemish on the reputation of the royal family. To prevent such problems as much as possible, the King chose to forgive Queen Gilsis first. Also, the King did not bother to point out that the Queen openly expressed her dissatisfaction and stayed away in her royal palace.
But that was it. Knowing the true nature of King Jedercayer, the Duke did not add anything about not punishing Queen Gilsis.
However, they could not just wait and see what Franz's future would be like forever. The public opinion of the nobility about Franz's transformed appearance was also positive. The Duke of Vergy was not one to miss such an opportunity.
“The position of Crown Prince must go to His Highness Franz. It is not only for the discipline and prosperity of Rotair but also for the well-being of him and his wife.”
Therefore, the Duke did not hesitate to get to the point from the beginning. What he meant was that if Franz was not able to stably assume the position of Crown Prince as soon as possible, his life would be threatened.
The King also immediately understood what the Duke of Vergy was saying.
He was mild-tempered, but not vainly indecisive or foolish. He knew very well that the longer he put off the investiture, the more opportunities he would give those who did not like Franz's presence to attack him. He also knew that not only Franz but also Judith would face difficulties in their pursuit.
“I don’t know what you’re worried about either.”
Said the King. The Duke of Vergy then leaned forward as if trying to coax a horse to sleep.
“Just because Franz is Emerea’s son, I’m not trying to put him in the position of Crown. Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I know."
“No one knows that Franz is a better choice for Rotair than Krald, whether in terms of talent or temperament. I plan to crowned Franz as Crown Prince The investiture ceremony will be held as soon as the founding ceremony is over, and before that...”
The King paused for a moment. The Duke knew he had something on his mind regarding this matter. However, it was difficult to guess the details.
If the King's will to make Franz the Crown Prince was firm, the Duke of Vergy would have no worries. The only problem would have been the fact that the Queen's opposition would be strong.
“Your Majesty."
The King's eyes blinked silently. The area around the tear ducts seemed slightly wet as if there was dust in them. The Duke suddenly felt a slight sense of anxiety as he thought that he was very old. It was hoped that the King would at least maintain his health until Franz became Crown Prince and established his foundation.
“Tell me.”
“As for the degradation of Krald... What kind of disposition are you considering?”
It was clear that if Franz was crowned Crown Prince, there would be strong opposition not only from Queen Gilsis but also from Krald. As the Duke of Vergy, he hoped the King would send Krald out of the castle. When one of his brothers became Crown Prince and succeeded to the throne, it was common for other Princes to gain estates outside the capital.
However, the king's thoughts were slightly different. He also thought that it was not a good thing for Krald to stay in the palace even after Franz became crown prince. However, as the Duke of Verge wanted, he decided that he could not just let Krold go, giving him only a small amount of land and a castle.
Although Gilsis was the second wife, she was the most loyal wife. Therefore, Krald was also at a loss. In principle, a legitimate Prince was in the line of succession to succeed to the throne at any time, even after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, before the next royal grandson was born and he inherited the Crown Prince's crown. He needed a title commensurate with it and decided that he should do so.
“Krald is scheduled to be promoted to the position of Grand Duke.”
The Duke of Vergy's eyes widened at the King's words.
“Did you say Grand Duke?”
“Isn’t he the Queen’s son? He deserves the title. Until Franz and Judith had a child, and that child took over as Crown Prince... Krald has the right to succession.”
The Duke looked puzzled at first. But he soon shook his head with a serious face.
“Your Majesty, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why is that so?”
“I believe that Your Majesty knows best what kind of person Queen Gilsis is as well as Prince Krald. There is currently no Grand Duke in Rotair. Therefore, His Highness Krald will be the only Grand Duke. You don’t know how much power the Grand Duke can have.”
The position of Grand Duke was not given to just anyone. Even if a Prince had the right to succession, it was rare for him to be crowned a Grand Duke. Although they could own their own land and castle, they waited without a title, and when the right of succession was completely lost due to the birth of a direct royal descendant, they were usually awarded titles and titles close to honorary positions.
The reason why such a system was maintained as a custom was because of the rights of the Grand Duke stipulated in the law of Rotair. The land given to Princes without a title and the land that a Grand Duke could own in his own name were different in size. And above all, the Grand Duke could have a certain number of private soldiers with royal permission.
The land ruled by the Grand Duke was called the Grand Dukedom and was supposed to be separate from the fiefdoms of nobles, such as Dukes or Marquises. Like the nearby Duchy of Melgan or Catania, the Grand Duchy itself was often treated as a small country.
The Duke spoke again.
“Your Majesty, why are you so hastily appointing His Highness Franz as Crown Prince? As Your Majesty knows, this is a matter that depends on your safety. It may be presumptuous to say this, but I believe you will know how the Queen treated you. However, if you give Princw Krald the position of Grand Duke, he will be planting the seeds of discord and watering them.”
“I will give Krald the title of Grand Duke, but I will not give him a separate fiefdom and send him out of the palace.”
Hearing the King's words, the Duke of Vergy sucked his lips with a nervous expression. Questions and confused thoughts tangled in his head. There has never been a time when it was more difficult to understand the King's true intentions than today.
“He is my son, but he does not yet have enough qualifications to rule a territory. Therefore, he will be crowned Grand Duke, but he will not move his residence.”
"Then... Are you saying that you will continue to keep His Highness Krald in the palace like this?”
“I can’t do that for the rest of my life. Once Franz settles down and a new Crown Prince is born, I will choose a suitable land and move the residence of Crown Prince Krald and his wife. I also plan to take measures to ensure that he has the status of an Grand Duke but is not permitted to have a private army.”
Whether to give Krald a title or not, whether to keep him in the palace or send him out, the Queen would not accept any decision. In that case, the King thought it would be better to leave Krald somewhere visible for the time being.
He also tried to draw a line between himself and Franz by not giving him the right to own private armies. This was to leave room for officially stopping Krald even if a situation were to arise.
“I understand what you mean, Your Majesty. But I... I am concerned about the fact that His Highness Krald holds the position of Grand Duke.”
“I don’t know that the Duke is worried, but it doesn’t change the fact that Krald is also my son. As for my intention as King, I want to completely eliminate all dangers for just one person, Franz. But as a father, it is difficult to do that.”
The King's voice contained a hint of regret and desperation. Krald was definitely not the child he wanted to see. However, since he could not love Gilsis as much as he loved Emerea, it was difficult for him to turn away a child born without his will as if it were not there.
“Isn’t it impossible to abandon one for the sake of the other?”
It was a muttering that sounded like a sigh. Since the King's intentions had already been decided, it would have been unreasonable for the Duke to push further. Also, considering that he was raising a child himself, his words were not completely incomprehensible.
“You help Franz. Just as you assisted me, I trust that you will lead Franz well even after he takes over my position.”
The King patted the back of the Duke of Vergy's hand. The worry remained, but the Duke nodded his head with a bright expression, trying to reassure him.
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