Rogero answered nonchalantly, but Franz was once again surprised by his thoughts and attitude.
On the one hand, he felt ashamed of his own misjudgment that Rogero seemed to have little interest in things like self-awareness or a sense of duty as a Prince. Rogero understood better than anyone else the power structure in which even the slightest imbalance could lead to irreversible consequences.
“I was worried that one day you would really want to become a circus clown, and I wondered how I would stop you. It turns out that all my worries were for nothing.”
Rogero chuckled as if he found it funny.
“You never know. There may come a day when it won’t be a needless worry, so please worry about me often in the future.”
“Come to think of it, weren’t you looking for a magician before? The one wearing a serpentine ring? Did you find him?”
Franz expected Roger to ask back, "Who was that?" He usually showed interest immediately when he found something even a little interesting, but then turned around and completely forgot about it and went on to find something else to do. However, unexpectedly, Rogero understood what he said and shook his head.
“No, I couldn’t find it. I tried asking around as much as I could, but I couldn’t find out where it was hiding.”
“Are you really seriously looking for that person?”
Franz asked back as if he couldn't understand. Rogero, who was staring blankly at his face, thought that he could no longer fool Franz with his petty lies. He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky, then glanced at the soldiers standing far away and sat down close to Franz.
“Franz, the real reason I’m looking for him isn’t to learn some silly magic trick.”
Franz's lips were pressed together in a straight line.
“I expected that. But then why are you looking for him? Did he cause some trouble in the Empire and sneak into Rotair...”
“It was a good guess, but it wasn’t like that. It would be better if it were that simple.”
Franz's expression hardened as he listened.
“Then why are you looking for him? Is it because of something dangerous? Surely not...”
“If it’s dangerous, then you could say it’s dangerous. But the problem is that I’m not the one in danger.”
Suddenly, he felt an ominous feeling. Franz unconsciously licked his dry lips. Rogero seemed to be choosing his words with an unusually careful attitude. Rogero said.
“The serpentine ring he was wearing wasn’t just any jewelry. At first, I was hesitant, but as I kept thinking about its unique pattern and shape, it came to me. It was the symbol of the royal family of the kingdom of Modrum, which had fallen seven years ago.”
“Modrum? I’ve never heard of such a country before.”
“It would be natural for you not to know. It was a small country, and after its destruction, it disappeared cleanly, leaving behind no legacy.”
“If it’s a ring with a royal emblem engraved on it, does that mean that someone who was a member of that country’s royal family is currently in the lottery?”
Rogero shook his head.
“The serpentine ring with Modrum’s symbol is a symbolic ring bestowed upon the highest-ranking military officer in the country. As far as I know, before Modrum was destroyed, the one who possessed the ring was a man named Tudban.”
“Did I see something wrong? Why would someone like that be wandering around the Royal Palace of Rotair?”
“I hope I was mistaken, so I’m looking for him so desperately. Tudban disappeared during the last war when Modrum was defeated. Everyone thought his body was damaged in the chaos, but that’s not the case. There’s a high chance he’s still alive.”
“How do you know that?”
Franz asked back. His voice revealed an impatience that could not be hidden. The lost military officer of a fallen country on another continent. There must be some serious reason why Rogero was talking so earnestly about a story that had nothing to do with Franz. And it was also not a story that he would be happy to hear.
“...I was the one who saved him from that war.”
Franz's eyes widened. Rogero looked as if he had swallowed something bitter and tossed his hair around. His dark green hair was tangled and then stood up in a mess before it could settle down.
“It was not long after the war that rumors began to spread that someone who resembled Tudban was spotted in a place where mercenaries gathered. Until then, I didn’t pay much attention to the rumors... It was common for those who fled after being defeated in a war to become wandering mercenaries. However, his job as a mercenary wasn’t to carry luggage or deliver suspicious items.”
"Then?"
Rogero took a deep breath.
“Killing people for money. That’s his job.”
Although it was not an unexpected statement, Franz felt his nerves slacken. If such a person was walking around the palace, it was obvious what he was after.
“Rogero, if the person you are looking for is really that guy, Tudban... whose life do you think he will take first?”
Rogero shrugged.
“I can’t be sure, but I think you’re the one who’s most at risk.”
When he let him live, Rogero had no idea that his impulsive choice would lead to such a troublesome outcome. If he had anticipated that it would be a hassle later, he would never have let him live.
But even if he couldn't have foreseen this, he felt responsible for the fact that Tudban had come here alive. He couldn't stand by and watch his friend get into danger without knowing it because of his past impulsive actions.
So Rogero tried his best to find the person who had the Serpentine Ring, but it was no use. Aside from the brief encounter he had there that day, he couldn't find anyone who looked like him anywhere.
“Rogero, are you sure it’s really him? I could have seen things through. Or maybe someone else happened to have the ring he had.”
“If that’s the case, then we can feel relieved. But shouldn’t we consider the case where that’s not the case?”
Franz sighed involuntarily. As they say, one mountain after another, he felt tired of the troublesome things continuing one after another. Wasn’t there a way to sort out all of this at once? The faces of Queen Gilsis, Krald, and Duke Laetian flashed before his eyes one after another. Franz clenched his molars.
If anyone was going to hire an assassin from another continent to take down Franz, it had to be one of those three. Maybe they had one or two more connections, but the initial plan must have come from one of those three.
“It must be the Duke of Laetian.”
Rogero tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand. His expression seemed to ask why he was so sure it was the Duke of Laetian and not the Queen.
“The Queen’s Palace is a place where people’s eyes come and go a lot, whether they like it or not. If someone like that had visited the Queen’s Palace even once or twice, it would have been harder to keep quiet. However, Duke Laetian is different. He has always stayed outside the capital, so he is relatively free from the eyes of the capital’s nobles. He doesn’t even have a separate mansion here.”
“Where is that Duke of Laetian staying now?”
“The residence is not certain. They allowed him to stay in the palace, but I heard it was rarely used.”
“I guess we need to find out where the Duke usually stays. I don’t know if it’s some kind of worthless kid, but it’s not my place to poke at someone like that. Franz, can you do it?”
A slight change occurred on Franz's expressionless face. His furrowed eyebrows moved faintly.
“Whether it’s true or not, we have to try. Rogero, if the person you saw is really that guy named Tudban, then we can’t just sit back and do nothing like you said.”
“Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
“Why, Cheraan?”
Judith answered but did not raise her head. The sharp tip of the charcoal made a squeaking sound as it brushed across the paper.
Cheraan looked at Judith with a worried expression and sighed. She had been repeating the same actions for hours already. Half of the paper was covered with black lines that were drawn without any meaning, even though she wasn't drawing.
“Why are you like that? I’m worried, so please tell me.”
Only then did Judith put down the charcoal she was holding. Although she had said she was careful, the area from her fingers to the side of her palm was covered in black stains. Cheraan held her dirty hand and thoroughly wiped the stains with a wet cloth.
“I was thinking about what Libencia Montfort said.”
Cheraan's eyes blinked slowly. Judith, who was watching the stain on her fingertips gradually fade away, rubbed her forehead with her clean hand.
“Your Highness, do you believe that story?”
“What’s important now isn’t whether I believe it or not. Rather, it’s the real reason why such rumors started to spread.”
“It’s not like the Queen has been acting up for just one or two days.”
“Yeah. That’s why.”
Judith's hand, which had been wrapped in cloth, slipped out.
“It’s not like it’s the first time that Queen Gilsis has been acting up and being violent. But never once has there been a rumor like this.”
Judith spent a long time pondering the story that Libencia Montfort had left behind before leaving the Palace of Nation.
The first was how credible the rumors told by Libencia were.
“She said it clearly, Cheraan. ‘The reason the Queen doesn’t come out is because she’s lost her mind.’ I’m sure all the maids working in the palace know that by now. This isn’t the first time that Queen Gilsis has been locked up in her palace and protested, but there were no rumors like this back then.”
Libencia Montfort said with great confidence that 'the Queen has become mentally unstable'. More precisely, it was a rumor that was circulating, but if it was a ridiculous rumor, it would not have reached Libencia's ears in the first place.
“But, Your Highness... If the rumors are true, then it’s all the better for us, isn’t it?”
On the one hand, he felt ashamed of his own misjudgment that Rogero seemed to have little interest in things like self-awareness or a sense of duty as a Prince. Rogero understood better than anyone else the power structure in which even the slightest imbalance could lead to irreversible consequences.
“I was worried that one day you would really want to become a circus clown, and I wondered how I would stop you. It turns out that all my worries were for nothing.”
Rogero chuckled as if he found it funny.
“You never know. There may come a day when it won’t be a needless worry, so please worry about me often in the future.”
“Come to think of it, weren’t you looking for a magician before? The one wearing a serpentine ring? Did you find him?”
Franz expected Roger to ask back, "Who was that?" He usually showed interest immediately when he found something even a little interesting, but then turned around and completely forgot about it and went on to find something else to do. However, unexpectedly, Rogero understood what he said and shook his head.
“No, I couldn’t find it. I tried asking around as much as I could, but I couldn’t find out where it was hiding.”
“Are you really seriously looking for that person?”
Franz asked back as if he couldn't understand. Rogero, who was staring blankly at his face, thought that he could no longer fool Franz with his petty lies. He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky, then glanced at the soldiers standing far away and sat down close to Franz.
“Franz, the real reason I’m looking for him isn’t to learn some silly magic trick.”
Franz's lips were pressed together in a straight line.
“I expected that. But then why are you looking for him? Did he cause some trouble in the Empire and sneak into Rotair...”
“It was a good guess, but it wasn’t like that. It would be better if it were that simple.”
Franz's expression hardened as he listened.
“Then why are you looking for him? Is it because of something dangerous? Surely not...”
“If it’s dangerous, then you could say it’s dangerous. But the problem is that I’m not the one in danger.”
Suddenly, he felt an ominous feeling. Franz unconsciously licked his dry lips. Rogero seemed to be choosing his words with an unusually careful attitude. Rogero said.
“The serpentine ring he was wearing wasn’t just any jewelry. At first, I was hesitant, but as I kept thinking about its unique pattern and shape, it came to me. It was the symbol of the royal family of the kingdom of Modrum, which had fallen seven years ago.”
“Modrum? I’ve never heard of such a country before.”
“It would be natural for you not to know. It was a small country, and after its destruction, it disappeared cleanly, leaving behind no legacy.”
“If it’s a ring with a royal emblem engraved on it, does that mean that someone who was a member of that country’s royal family is currently in the lottery?”
Rogero shook his head.
“The serpentine ring with Modrum’s symbol is a symbolic ring bestowed upon the highest-ranking military officer in the country. As far as I know, before Modrum was destroyed, the one who possessed the ring was a man named Tudban.”
“Did I see something wrong? Why would someone like that be wandering around the Royal Palace of Rotair?”
“I hope I was mistaken, so I’m looking for him so desperately. Tudban disappeared during the last war when Modrum was defeated. Everyone thought his body was damaged in the chaos, but that’s not the case. There’s a high chance he’s still alive.”
“How do you know that?”
Franz asked back. His voice revealed an impatience that could not be hidden. The lost military officer of a fallen country on another continent. There must be some serious reason why Rogero was talking so earnestly about a story that had nothing to do with Franz. And it was also not a story that he would be happy to hear.
“...I was the one who saved him from that war.”
Franz's eyes widened. Rogero looked as if he had swallowed something bitter and tossed his hair around. His dark green hair was tangled and then stood up in a mess before it could settle down.
“It was not long after the war that rumors began to spread that someone who resembled Tudban was spotted in a place where mercenaries gathered. Until then, I didn’t pay much attention to the rumors... It was common for those who fled after being defeated in a war to become wandering mercenaries. However, his job as a mercenary wasn’t to carry luggage or deliver suspicious items.”
"Then?"
Rogero took a deep breath.
“Killing people for money. That’s his job.”
Although it was not an unexpected statement, Franz felt his nerves slacken. If such a person was walking around the palace, it was obvious what he was after.
“Rogero, if the person you are looking for is really that guy, Tudban... whose life do you think he will take first?”
Rogero shrugged.
“I can’t be sure, but I think you’re the one who’s most at risk.”
When he let him live, Rogero had no idea that his impulsive choice would lead to such a troublesome outcome. If he had anticipated that it would be a hassle later, he would never have let him live.
But even if he couldn't have foreseen this, he felt responsible for the fact that Tudban had come here alive. He couldn't stand by and watch his friend get into danger without knowing it because of his past impulsive actions.
So Rogero tried his best to find the person who had the Serpentine Ring, but it was no use. Aside from the brief encounter he had there that day, he couldn't find anyone who looked like him anywhere.
“Rogero, are you sure it’s really him? I could have seen things through. Or maybe someone else happened to have the ring he had.”
“If that’s the case, then we can feel relieved. But shouldn’t we consider the case where that’s not the case?”
Franz sighed involuntarily. As they say, one mountain after another, he felt tired of the troublesome things continuing one after another. Wasn’t there a way to sort out all of this at once? The faces of Queen Gilsis, Krald, and Duke Laetian flashed before his eyes one after another. Franz clenched his molars.
If anyone was going to hire an assassin from another continent to take down Franz, it had to be one of those three. Maybe they had one or two more connections, but the initial plan must have come from one of those three.
“It must be the Duke of Laetian.”
Rogero tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand. His expression seemed to ask why he was so sure it was the Duke of Laetian and not the Queen.
“The Queen’s Palace is a place where people’s eyes come and go a lot, whether they like it or not. If someone like that had visited the Queen’s Palace even once or twice, it would have been harder to keep quiet. However, Duke Laetian is different. He has always stayed outside the capital, so he is relatively free from the eyes of the capital’s nobles. He doesn’t even have a separate mansion here.”
“Where is that Duke of Laetian staying now?”
“The residence is not certain. They allowed him to stay in the palace, but I heard it was rarely used.”
“I guess we need to find out where the Duke usually stays. I don’t know if it’s some kind of worthless kid, but it’s not my place to poke at someone like that. Franz, can you do it?”
A slight change occurred on Franz's expressionless face. His furrowed eyebrows moved faintly.
“Whether it’s true or not, we have to try. Rogero, if the person you saw is really that guy named Tudban, then we can’t just sit back and do nothing like you said.”
***
“Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
“Why, Cheraan?”
Judith answered but did not raise her head. The sharp tip of the charcoal made a squeaking sound as it brushed across the paper.
Cheraan looked at Judith with a worried expression and sighed. She had been repeating the same actions for hours already. Half of the paper was covered with black lines that were drawn without any meaning, even though she wasn't drawing.
“Why are you like that? I’m worried, so please tell me.”
Only then did Judith put down the charcoal she was holding. Although she had said she was careful, the area from her fingers to the side of her palm was covered in black stains. Cheraan held her dirty hand and thoroughly wiped the stains with a wet cloth.
“I was thinking about what Libencia Montfort said.”
Cheraan's eyes blinked slowly. Judith, who was watching the stain on her fingertips gradually fade away, rubbed her forehead with her clean hand.
“Your Highness, do you believe that story?”
“What’s important now isn’t whether I believe it or not. Rather, it’s the real reason why such rumors started to spread.”
“It’s not like the Queen has been acting up for just one or two days.”
“Yeah. That’s why.”
Judith's hand, which had been wrapped in cloth, slipped out.
“It’s not like it’s the first time that Queen Gilsis has been acting up and being violent. But never once has there been a rumor like this.”
Judith spent a long time pondering the story that Libencia Montfort had left behind before leaving the Palace of Nation.
The first was how credible the rumors told by Libencia were.
“She said it clearly, Cheraan. ‘The reason the Queen doesn’t come out is because she’s lost her mind.’ I’m sure all the maids working in the palace know that by now. This isn’t the first time that Queen Gilsis has been locked up in her palace and protested, but there were no rumors like this back then.”
Libencia Montfort said with great confidence that 'the Queen has become mentally unstable'. More precisely, it was a rumor that was circulating, but if it was a ridiculous rumor, it would not have reached Libencia's ears in the first place.
“But, Your Highness... If the rumors are true, then it’s all the better for us, isn’t it?”
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