Rogero's words were harsh and bitter. Not only Bartholomew, but even Cheraan looked like she was having a hard time holding back her anger, but the people involved, Franz and Judith, were calmly listening to him. In fact, there was nothing wrong with what he said.
“Now, Bartholomew, do you understand why I brought up the story of the Second Prince? The nobles of this country like Franz because he is a flawless and excellent person, ‘unlike the Second Prince.’ But then, out of nowhere, the problem of him having an affair with a woman comes up. And the other person is his sister-in-law?”
“...”
“I’ve heard rumors that the second Prince is a debaucher, but I don’t think he’s ever been involved in such an outrageous scandal.”
Not only the nobles of Rotair but also the people of the capital were fed up with Krald's tyranny. In particular, many citizens were angry at his careless touching of non-noble ladies and his atrocities with young nobles who were like swindlers. King Jedercayer was also aware of public opinion about Krald, so he declared Franz as Crown Prince at the founding ceremony, which was attended by people of various social classes.
As expected, people's reactions were enthusiastic. Some believed that Franz would be able to escape Krald's atrocities just by sitting on the Crown Prince's throne. Therefore, if the rumor involving Flavia were to spread, it would inevitably be fatal to Franz.
“Your Highness the Prince is right. The place where you are standing is still a very sensitive position. If there is even the slightest scratch, they will not miss the opportunity and will rush in and do whatever it takes to bring down the Emperor.”
Franz kept his eyes closed the whole time Judith spoke. Anguish could be felt from his silent lips. Judith looked at his face for a moment and then let out a short sigh.
"Then... Do we really have to just cover it up like this and move on?”
Cheraan was about to burst into tears. She was so angry that she couldn't bear it. Rogero did not complain anymore as if he would leave the matter to Judith and Franz. At that time, Franz quietly opened his closed eyes.
“We could just pretend like nothing happened, but then the Crown Princess’ safety might be threatened again.”
Franz looked at Judith. Judith was anxious about his eyes. They seemed uncompromising.
“I understand what you said and what Rogero said. But I think it would be better to make this public before more problems arise.”
“No, Your Highness. There is nothing more scary than public opinion. Queen Gilsis, Duke Laetian, and their forces are of course dangerous and something to be wary of, but compared to people who believe that things that are not real are real, they are just ripples before a tsunami.”
“I have had no personal interaction with the second Princess. It has been that way until now, and it will be even more so in the future. Rumors are bound to disappear someday.”
“No one knows whether it will disappear or not. No one can guarantee it. Once a rumor starts to spread and people start to believe it, it doesn’t matter how many people shout the truth.”
“We can try to dispel the rumors. If my current efforts don’t work, I can do 10 or 20 times more.”
“That’s not the problem!”
Judith suddenly screamed and took a sharp breath as if she had been stabbed by something. The eyes of the three people who were observing the atmosphere widened, not daring to intervene in the increasingly sharp confrontation between the two people. Franz also looked surprised.
Judith lowered her head and her shoulders were shaking as if she were sobbing. But Judith was not crying. She was just biting her lip and trying to force herself to say what she wanted to say. It was a daunting task. The pain was like having a stone pushed into her stomach.
Of the five people present, only Judith knew how terrible false rumors were. She had already ruined one life like that. She resisted until blood flowed from her throat and her voice could no longer be heard, but it was no use. People pointed fingers at her, calling her a lecherous, shameless, and shameless woman. They didn’t care what kind of person Judith was normally.
Didn't Judith try hard at that time? Did she do something that would make someone else think of her?
It was definitely not either. Nevertheless, Judith could not escape those cruel words. She could not move like a prisoner whose limbs were bound. Even knowing this, and having already experienced it, she could not agree with Franz's words.
“Judith.”
Franz, who had been silent for a long time, opened his mouth. It was a mixed voice. But Judith shook her head as if she would not listen to what he said next.
“I cannot agree with what you said. This incident should not be exposed to the world like this now. Never. I would rather be the bait.”
“Bait? What do you mean!”
“If Flavia intends to harm me, she won’t give up after one failure. If she tries again, I have to catch her so she can’t escape. So that Flavia’s guilt will remain. That’s how it should be.”
“I can’t allow that. What’s the difference between saying you’re willing to put yourself in danger?”
“If you don’t do that, you can’t save yourself!”
Bang!
With a loud noise, the chair Judith was sitting on fell backward. The moment Franz tried to stand up, Rogero and Bartholomew intervened between them at the same time.
“I think there needs to be some coordination between the two of you. Why don’t you stop getting excited and just talk?”
Rogero said. His tone was as relaxed as usual, but he was rolling his eyes here and there, probably quite embarrassed by the suddenly intense atmosphere.
There was the sound of the candle wick burning. Franz looked at Judith with an expression that seemed to barely suppress his anger, then turned his head. At that moment, Judith's wide eyes filled with tears.
“...Miss Ebelta, please bring the Crown Princess to the bedchamber.”
Franz said. Cheraan immediately stood up and grabbed Judith's arm. She was drooping, as if she had no energy at all. Judith, who had been quietly walking away, leaning against Cheraan as if she had no more strength to speak, turned her head toward Franz. However, their eyes never met each other.
The door closed. Only then did Bartholomew and Rogero relax and sit down. Franz covered his head and hunched his shoulders. A soft moan escaped his closed lips, and Rogero snorted, even though he was exhausted.
“You’re going to regret it right away, but you’re going to get angry.”
“Shut up, Rogero. I’m not in the mood to listen to your nagging right now.”
“Have you ever had a day when you felt like nagging me?”
Franz glared at Rogero at the sarcastic tone. Rogero was not the type to be scared by such remarks.
“Franz, I also believe that Her Highness the Crown Princess is right.”
Bartholomew, whose gaze had been fixed on the flickering candle, spoke quietly. Franz's frown deepened.
“So, you agree to be the bait for the Second Princess to do something dangerous once more?”
“No, I don’t agree with that. There must be another way. But if this matter becomes public now, the risk you have to take is too great. That is an undeniable fact.”
Silence followed. After a deep, heavy sigh, Franz muttered self-mockingly:
“In the end, I haven’t changed. What would I do if I were the chief? What would I do if I were the Crown Prince? I haven’t been able to protect her, not now. What use are these hands?”
Franz looked down at his palm and clenched his fist as if he couldn't bear his own emotions. Then he lowered his head and slammed the table.
He believed it would be okay now. He also knew that he had changed a little. That's why he thought he wouldn't make Judith do things like take risks for herself like she did before. It didn't even take a year, or even half a year, for him to realize that it was all just pride. He couldn't even laugh out of frustration.
“Is it the position of a Crown Prince to sacrifice my wife to protect me, to protect the position I am currently sitting in? Is it the position of a Crown Prince to risk the blood and life of someone you care about without any hesitation?”
Franz muttered with a grin. Bartholomew would have said something in the past, but this time he couldn’t speak easily. He thought that Judith’s method was too dangerous. Not only was it dangerous, but it would have hurt Franz too. However, Rogero, who was sitting with his arms crossed, reacted in a completely different way from Bartholomew.
“It’s the first self-loathing I’ve seen in a long time. Hey, Franz.”
Franz just turned his head without changing his posture. Bartholomew's body naturally tensed in an atmosphere that seemed as if a fistfight might break out. Rogero said.
“Should you sacrifice your wife for the position you have? Is it the position of a Crown Prince to risk the blood and life of someone you love? Is that what you are saying now? If you are going to dig the ground while talking nonsense that you don’t even know... Give it up, and go to a remote country estate with your precious Princess and go to a lettuce field or something."
“Your Highness! What you said...!”
“It’s noisy, Bartholomew. This kid is sick of hearing things like this. Is now the time for you to tie your head and cry? Your wife says she will risk her life for you, but when the boy picks up the shield and thinks about his own uselessness even though he can’t defeat them, the enemies say, ‘Ah, let’s not mess with her, she’s a poor girl,’ and retreat on their own?”
Rogero's words were not properly concluded. Before he could do so, there was a loud crash and another loud crash.
“Franz!”
The moment Rogero was torn apart by the chair, Bartholomew stepped forward to block Franz. However, Rogero’s force pushing him away was stronger. He pushed his shoulder, and it felt like he had been hit by a rock. The moment Bartholomew hesitated, Rogero grabbed Franz by the collar and fell, swinging his fist. But that was it. There was no sound of hitting.
The two men stared at each other for a moment as if they were going to devour each other. One side of Rogero’s mouth was split open and looked like it would bruise, but his fist remained motionless, right next to Franz’s jaw.
“Judith.”
Franz, who had been silent for a long time, opened his mouth. It was a mixed voice. But Judith shook her head as if she would not listen to what he said next.
“I cannot agree with what you said. This incident should not be exposed to the world like this now. Never. I would rather be the bait.”
“Bait? What do you mean!”
“If Flavia intends to harm me, she won’t give up after one failure. If she tries again, I have to catch her so she can’t escape. So that Flavia’s guilt will remain. That’s how it should be.”
“I can’t allow that. What’s the difference between saying you’re willing to put yourself in danger?”
“If you don’t do that, you can’t save yourself!”
Bang!
With a loud noise, the chair Judith was sitting on fell backward. The moment Franz tried to stand up, Rogero and Bartholomew intervened between them at the same time.
“I think there needs to be some coordination between the two of you. Why don’t you stop getting excited and just talk?”
Rogero said. His tone was as relaxed as usual, but he was rolling his eyes here and there, probably quite embarrassed by the suddenly intense atmosphere.
There was the sound of the candle wick burning. Franz looked at Judith with an expression that seemed to barely suppress his anger, then turned his head. At that moment, Judith's wide eyes filled with tears.
“...Miss Ebelta, please bring the Crown Princess to the bedchamber.”
Franz said. Cheraan immediately stood up and grabbed Judith's arm. She was drooping, as if she had no energy at all. Judith, who had been quietly walking away, leaning against Cheraan as if she had no more strength to speak, turned her head toward Franz. However, their eyes never met each other.
The door closed. Only then did Bartholomew and Rogero relax and sit down. Franz covered his head and hunched his shoulders. A soft moan escaped his closed lips, and Rogero snorted, even though he was exhausted.
“You’re going to regret it right away, but you’re going to get angry.”
“Shut up, Rogero. I’m not in the mood to listen to your nagging right now.”
“Have you ever had a day when you felt like nagging me?”
Franz glared at Rogero at the sarcastic tone. Rogero was not the type to be scared by such remarks.
“Franz, I also believe that Her Highness the Crown Princess is right.”
Bartholomew, whose gaze had been fixed on the flickering candle, spoke quietly. Franz's frown deepened.
“So, you agree to be the bait for the Second Princess to do something dangerous once more?”
“No, I don’t agree with that. There must be another way. But if this matter becomes public now, the risk you have to take is too great. That is an undeniable fact.”
Silence followed. After a deep, heavy sigh, Franz muttered self-mockingly:
“In the end, I haven’t changed. What would I do if I were the chief? What would I do if I were the Crown Prince? I haven’t been able to protect her, not now. What use are these hands?”
Franz looked down at his palm and clenched his fist as if he couldn't bear his own emotions. Then he lowered his head and slammed the table.
He believed it would be okay now. He also knew that he had changed a little. That's why he thought he wouldn't make Judith do things like take risks for herself like she did before. It didn't even take a year, or even half a year, for him to realize that it was all just pride. He couldn't even laugh out of frustration.
“Is it the position of a Crown Prince to sacrifice my wife to protect me, to protect the position I am currently sitting in? Is it the position of a Crown Prince to risk the blood and life of someone you care about without any hesitation?”
Franz muttered with a grin. Bartholomew would have said something in the past, but this time he couldn’t speak easily. He thought that Judith’s method was too dangerous. Not only was it dangerous, but it would have hurt Franz too. However, Rogero, who was sitting with his arms crossed, reacted in a completely different way from Bartholomew.
“It’s the first self-loathing I’ve seen in a long time. Hey, Franz.”
Franz just turned his head without changing his posture. Bartholomew's body naturally tensed in an atmosphere that seemed as if a fistfight might break out. Rogero said.
“Should you sacrifice your wife for the position you have? Is it the position of a Crown Prince to risk the blood and life of someone you love? Is that what you are saying now? If you are going to dig the ground while talking nonsense that you don’t even know... Give it up, and go to a remote country estate with your precious Princess and go to a lettuce field or something."
“Your Highness! What you said...!”
“It’s noisy, Bartholomew. This kid is sick of hearing things like this. Is now the time for you to tie your head and cry? Your wife says she will risk her life for you, but when the boy picks up the shield and thinks about his own uselessness even though he can’t defeat them, the enemies say, ‘Ah, let’s not mess with her, she’s a poor girl,’ and retreat on their own?”
Rogero's words were not properly concluded. Before he could do so, there was a loud crash and another loud crash.
“Franz!”
The moment Rogero was torn apart by the chair, Bartholomew stepped forward to block Franz. However, Rogero’s force pushing him away was stronger. He pushed his shoulder, and it felt like he had been hit by a rock. The moment Bartholomew hesitated, Rogero grabbed Franz by the collar and fell, swinging his fist. But that was it. There was no sound of hitting.
The two men stared at each other for a moment as if they were going to devour each other. One side of Rogero’s mouth was split open and looked like it would bruise, but his fist remained motionless, right next to Franz’s jaw.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment