By the time Dorothea and her party were returning after experiencing various events, the palace was also abuzz with new news.
“They unilaterally brought forward the schedule of the delegation without even coordinating it...”
“But I guess I can’t help but accept it.”
Someone lowered their voice.
“The great spirit master Clive himself is visiting.”
He was considered to be the most capable of all the existing spirit masters.
If he, who could control all three elementals of wind, earth, and fire at intermediate or higher levels, had not held out, how could the mere kingdom of Rohen have such a powerful voice?
“A person who never left the kingdom..."
“Aren’t you coming to see our young genius?”
Although it was said that she could only handle water spirits, Dorothea's natural emergence as a spirit master, a series of reports that the spirits' inaction was unusual, and the skills she had shown at the previous meeting were often mentioned.
Dorothea's stock is higher than ever.
The 'fact' that a talented young spirit master had caught the attention of the current great spirit master became the justification for the profit-hungry nobles to take action themselves.
As the nobles anxiously awaited her return, trying to somehow approach Dorothea, another bomb exploded.
“God, Blair Millionaire, I would like to report the misdeeds of Lady Dorothea Highclere!”
It was highly unusual for the finance minister, and no one else, to make an accusation against someone, including himself.
The noble society was once again in an uproar over the fact that he, who had been loyal to the royal family for generations without a single incident, was targeting Dorothea himself.
“No matter how promising the spirit master may be and how great her family is, Lady Dorothea Highclere is also a citizen of the Empire and a member of noble society.”
Blair Millionaire continued speaking calmly, not even blinking, even though he was standing right in front of the murderous Marquis of Highclere.
“She has already been indebted to the police several times for illegal intrusions and unauthorized investigations. Even during the hunting competition, His Highness the Third Prince did not hesitate to make remarks that could easily be considered insulting to the royal family, even though he crossed the line of jokes.”
The Emperor glanced at the Marquis, who had already raised his head halfway, at the minister's words.
Felix, who had been relatively calm and collected next to his father with wide eyes, stood up and refuted him.
“She has indeed broken the law a few times, but she has already admitted her crimes and paid the fines. It was not a felony, but a minor offense, and even Your Majesty knows about it. Is there any reason to nitpick over trivial things?”
“It’s trivial. Does Sir Felix think this is trivial?”
Blair sarcastically took Felix's words and threw a bundle of papers at him with a loud noise.
The tiny letters revealed in detail the whereabouts of Dorothea and her party while they were staying in Spencer's Earldom.
“From the first day, she was busy leisurely touring the earldom, but eventually she started drinking and gambling day and night.”
“...”
“Not only that, but she also privately summoned the Prince to the domain without His Majesty’s prior permission, and committed the atrocity of threatening and imprisoning a collateral branch of the Spencer family.”
Felix's eyes slowly turned to the papers.
“The witnesses and the evidence are overwhelming!”
The gossip among the nobles grew louder.
The Emperor, who had been watching quietly, finally pushed the excited minister back and sorted out the situation.
“I will personally review the accusation. I have witnesses and evidence, so I will hear the explanation as soon as the party returns. If you wish, I can hold a hearing in front of the lords.”
The emperor's eyes swept over the crowd sharply.
“Until everything becomes clear, you must not let anything you hear inside leak out. Anyone who speaks without understanding the gravity of the matter will be punished by me personally.”
Even if the accusations were true, Dorothea was a trump card the Emperor could not afford to let go of.
It means that the 'Great Spirit Master', who had never shown herself despite repeated pressure and persuasion, considered Dorothea important enough to personally drag her heavy body.
“Anyone who leaks the word anywhere will not escape severe punishment.”
Everyone bowed their heads in silence at the Emperor's command.
Perhaps, contrary to their innocent appearance, they are busy calculating their own gains and losses and how to act, but at least until they decide on a clear course of action, they will all keep their mouths shut.
***
“Your Highness the Second Prince, your doctor has advised you to refrain from going outside for the time being...”
William, who was coughing lightly, shook his head slightly at the head maid who tried to stop him with a faint smile.
“I didn’t have to go out, but I had to go to my brother’s palace for a bit.”
A questioning gaze followed the back of his head.
Why would William, who rarely leaves the palace, go to see the Crown Prince, with whom he is estranged?
Everyone was obviously curious about the Prince's sudden actions.
However, the quick-witted and affectionate Prince, who would normally have kindly explained everything to them one by one and answered their questions, changed his clothes and left the palace without saying a word.
As he walked slowly, his sight caught sight of the Minister of Finance just as he was leaving the Crown Prince's palace.
The wrinkled-faced minister bowed his head slightly in greeting and brushed past William.
“It’s unexpected that you came here.”
A smile spread across William's face at the words of the Crown Prince who seemed to be seeing him off to the door.
“I remembered that my brother would be having tea time around this time, so I tried to walk, but I think I was a little late.”
The Crown Prince, who had been looking at his younger brother whose forehead was covered in sweat after walking only this short distance, nodded and slowly reached out to support him.
“Come in. I can give you some tea if you want.”
William sat down, supported by the Crown Prince, who acted like a kind and trustworthy eldest brother, and opened his mouth before the maid brought out the tea.
“I never thought you would move Lord Blair.”
"Hmm..."
As soon as the Crown Prince sat down, his eyes turned to his weak younger brother who immediately brought up the main topic.
Did William, who was always quiet, have such a generous side?
It was unexpected.
“If Richard gets credit for this, it will naturally benefit you, too, so why do you insist on finding fault with him?”
“There’s no way that guy would do his job properly. He insisted on doing it, so I sent him here to tell him it was spying.”
What he was really after was Richard's inner circle, which he had kept close to him.
The main purpose was to plant someone who could record every move of the group and relay the news to the imperial capital.
William never once expected that Richard, with his empty head, would ever return with any merit.
“If he weren’t my half-brother, I would have pushed him away a long time ago. If he causes trouble, it’ll ruin my reputation, so I have no choice but to keep him by my side so I can at least sort things out.”
A bitter smile appeared on William's lips at the cold-hearted evaluation, then disappeared.
“You don’t have to press Dorothea like that. You are the next Emperor of this empire. That will not change no matter what happens.”
“What did that woman say?”
William looked at the arrogant face of the laughing Crown Prince and asked in a soft voice.
“Then, is it Luke that you are wary of, brother?”
“Do you think that I did this because I felt threatened by a child born from the womb of a lowly maid?”
What's so great about the 7th Prince?
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and stared at his younger brother in disbelief.
Is it because he has to stay in the palace due to his weak body?
His younger brother, despite his natural intelligence, was unable to read the trends of the times.
“It’s difficult to raise the Marquis Highclere any further. The only time they can be used usefully is when you have a card that you can shake in your hand.”
If his influence had grown greater than it is now, there was a possibility that he would try to escape his control after ascending to the throne.
“You must have seen that even now, I often try to match His Majesty’s authority. It would be difficult to raise my name higher than it is now.”
“I am telling you that it would be a mistake to touch Lady Dorothea in an attempt to suppress them.”
Rather, if they left Dorothea alone, they would not be so displeased with the Crown Prince's restraint, and they would not think it a big deal to bow down to him at his will.
If he had cared so much about his reputation, he would not have brought back the son-in-law who ran away with his daughter into the family in the first place, and he would not have done such dirty things before his granddaughter had even shown her abilities.
“So, are you here to point out that my judgment was wrong?”
The shadow of the 'benevolent brother' disappeared from the Crown Prince's face.
William remained silent as he saw him expressing his displeasure to the fullest.
It was only then that he realized that the presence of the Marquis of Highclere had irritated the Crown Prince more than he had thought.
'The Highclere family has a long history of loyalty and integrity, and by taking Dorothea in, they have gained a friendly image even among the common people.'
No matter how much worldly wealth the nobles have in their hands, such as power or wealth, it is difficult for them to pose a threat to the imperial family.
But the human heart, the heart that wants to follow others, cannot be forced by anything.
William, who had opened his mouth slightly, forced what he wanted to say down his throat and smiled brightly.
“I’m sorry. I failed to take into account your far-sighted wisdom and ended up revealing my narrow-minded thoughts.”
“Don’t worry about it. You have little experience, so how can you possibly match me when I ascend the throne?”
It was as if he was saying that it was natural for William to be more foolish and lacking than himself.
William looked down at the Crown Prince, who nodded arrogantly.
It was just a slight feeling of regret rather than submission to the authority he held.
'There's no way that reckless girl would give in so easily.'
William couldn't help but smile as he thought of Dorothea, who was so focused on eating her cookies without even blinking in front of the Empress Dowager.
'What kind of cute thing will she do next to shake up the palace?'
Although he did not want to hurt the reputation of his brother, the Crown Prince of the Empire, he was secretly looking forward to the aftermath that Dorothea would bring.
"Hmm..."
As William was leaving the palace, his legs suddenly lost their strength and he staggered.
At that moment, someone grabbed his body and straightened him upright.
“Ah, thank you...”
William, who was about to express his gratitude to someone he didn't know, opened his eyes wide when he saw a familiar face suddenly appearing before his eyes.
A girl with dark blue eyes was staring at him.
“Dorothea?”
“Yeah, hello.”
Dorothea, with a sullen expression, greeted him dryly and handed a handkerchief to William, who was coughing faintly.
"Thank you."
“Is it difficult to stand?”
“A little. Maybe it’s because I pushed myself too hard after such a long time.”
“Freed, help him.”
Only then did William realize that the figure holding him back was Dorothea's silent escort.
Freed quietly lowered himself and lifted William into his arms.
“This is a bit...”
“I think this would be better than having someone support you since your legs are weak.”
Even though William may not have had much influence as a Prince, it was still unacceptable to be seen being carried around by a knight.
William, who was about to say that just supporting his would suffice, hesitated.
Dorothea's face, exposed to the sunlight, was particularly pale.
Looking back, her once shiny hair had become dull again, and her once rosy cheeks had become hollow.
William's eyebrows narrowed as he looked at the girl with thin wrists and parched lips who looked somewhat precarious.
“Where does it hurt?”
Dorothea, who was sensitive to other people's pain as she had suffered from it for a long time herself, glanced at his question and shrugged.
“A little. It’s okay.”
There was no life in the soft voice.
“What happened?”
There was no sign of illness on Dorothea's face until she came down.
It was as if she had become as skinny as when she first entered the imperial palace as if it had been a long time since she had been as lively as an ordinary girl her age.
'If something can cause health problems so suddenly...'
Before he could even shake off the uncomfortable assumptions running through his mind, Dorothea spoke.
“At least it wasn’t because of someone else’s mischief. I just paid the price because of my own needs.”
"...So?"
“I'll be okay soon.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Although he couldn't fully understand what she was saying, there was one thing that put William at ease: the reassuring voice that everything would be okay soon.
Dorothea suddenly opened her mouth as she arrived in front of the Second Prince's palace, which was relatively plain compared to the other Prince's palaces.
“Why doesn’t William covet the throne?”
"I?"
William, who asked back as if it was funny, snickered as if telling her to look at his own appearance.
Dorothea looked at his face as if she had never even thought of it, and then recalled the faces of the Princes she knew one by one.
“In my opinion, William is the best.”
“Why? Because I don’t pick a fight with you?”
“You also don’t fight unnecessarily. I think William is the only one who knows that ruling and ruling over someone with one’s authority is not the true nature of an Emperor.”
It was only hours ago that she had learned that the Crown Prince had moved Blair Millionaire to turn herself in.
Yet the girl in front of him, Dorothea, seemed to have already seen through all the facts.
“The reason why my brother is anxious is because of your family...”
“William also has a chance of succession.”
“Dorothea.”
William sighed as he looked at the girl spouting nonsense.
Dorothea waited for the mouth of the sickly second Prince, who was looking at her as if he could not stop her, to open again after a long silence.
“What about Luke? Aren’t you closer to him?”
“Oh, that’s it.”
Dorothea shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.
“Luke can’t. He’s decided to be my livestock.”
"What...?"
William's face became confused at the word that seemed to have been written in a place where it shouldn't have been written.
Dorothea, still thinking of the untamed sheep, began to tease the Second Prince, who was in Freed's arms with a serious expression on her face, with a blank expression on her face.
“Sometimes, it’s more important to gain power and protect what you hold dear than to desire to climb high.”
However, William showed no sign of being swayed by the temptation of the dark-skinned girl.
In terms of being difficult to tame, he was indeed Luke's older brother.
“They unilaterally brought forward the schedule of the delegation without even coordinating it...”
“But I guess I can’t help but accept it.”
Someone lowered their voice.
“The great spirit master Clive himself is visiting.”
He was considered to be the most capable of all the existing spirit masters.
If he, who could control all three elementals of wind, earth, and fire at intermediate or higher levels, had not held out, how could the mere kingdom of Rohen have such a powerful voice?
“A person who never left the kingdom..."
“Aren’t you coming to see our young genius?”
Although it was said that she could only handle water spirits, Dorothea's natural emergence as a spirit master, a series of reports that the spirits' inaction was unusual, and the skills she had shown at the previous meeting were often mentioned.
Dorothea's stock is higher than ever.
The 'fact' that a talented young spirit master had caught the attention of the current great spirit master became the justification for the profit-hungry nobles to take action themselves.
As the nobles anxiously awaited her return, trying to somehow approach Dorothea, another bomb exploded.
“God, Blair Millionaire, I would like to report the misdeeds of Lady Dorothea Highclere!”
It was highly unusual for the finance minister, and no one else, to make an accusation against someone, including himself.
The noble society was once again in an uproar over the fact that he, who had been loyal to the royal family for generations without a single incident, was targeting Dorothea himself.
“No matter how promising the spirit master may be and how great her family is, Lady Dorothea Highclere is also a citizen of the Empire and a member of noble society.”
Blair Millionaire continued speaking calmly, not even blinking, even though he was standing right in front of the murderous Marquis of Highclere.
“She has already been indebted to the police several times for illegal intrusions and unauthorized investigations. Even during the hunting competition, His Highness the Third Prince did not hesitate to make remarks that could easily be considered insulting to the royal family, even though he crossed the line of jokes.”
The Emperor glanced at the Marquis, who had already raised his head halfway, at the minister's words.
Felix, who had been relatively calm and collected next to his father with wide eyes, stood up and refuted him.
“She has indeed broken the law a few times, but she has already admitted her crimes and paid the fines. It was not a felony, but a minor offense, and even Your Majesty knows about it. Is there any reason to nitpick over trivial things?”
“It’s trivial. Does Sir Felix think this is trivial?”
Blair sarcastically took Felix's words and threw a bundle of papers at him with a loud noise.
The tiny letters revealed in detail the whereabouts of Dorothea and her party while they were staying in Spencer's Earldom.
“From the first day, she was busy leisurely touring the earldom, but eventually she started drinking and gambling day and night.”
“...”
“Not only that, but she also privately summoned the Prince to the domain without His Majesty’s prior permission, and committed the atrocity of threatening and imprisoning a collateral branch of the Spencer family.”
Felix's eyes slowly turned to the papers.
“The witnesses and the evidence are overwhelming!”
The gossip among the nobles grew louder.
The Emperor, who had been watching quietly, finally pushed the excited minister back and sorted out the situation.
“I will personally review the accusation. I have witnesses and evidence, so I will hear the explanation as soon as the party returns. If you wish, I can hold a hearing in front of the lords.”
The emperor's eyes swept over the crowd sharply.
“Until everything becomes clear, you must not let anything you hear inside leak out. Anyone who speaks without understanding the gravity of the matter will be punished by me personally.”
Even if the accusations were true, Dorothea was a trump card the Emperor could not afford to let go of.
It means that the 'Great Spirit Master', who had never shown herself despite repeated pressure and persuasion, considered Dorothea important enough to personally drag her heavy body.
“Anyone who leaks the word anywhere will not escape severe punishment.”
Everyone bowed their heads in silence at the Emperor's command.
Perhaps, contrary to their innocent appearance, they are busy calculating their own gains and losses and how to act, but at least until they decide on a clear course of action, they will all keep their mouths shut.
***
“Your Highness the Second Prince, your doctor has advised you to refrain from going outside for the time being...”
William, who was coughing lightly, shook his head slightly at the head maid who tried to stop him with a faint smile.
“I didn’t have to go out, but I had to go to my brother’s palace for a bit.”
A questioning gaze followed the back of his head.
Why would William, who rarely leaves the palace, go to see the Crown Prince, with whom he is estranged?
Everyone was obviously curious about the Prince's sudden actions.
However, the quick-witted and affectionate Prince, who would normally have kindly explained everything to them one by one and answered their questions, changed his clothes and left the palace without saying a word.
As he walked slowly, his sight caught sight of the Minister of Finance just as he was leaving the Crown Prince's palace.
The wrinkled-faced minister bowed his head slightly in greeting and brushed past William.
“It’s unexpected that you came here.”
A smile spread across William's face at the words of the Crown Prince who seemed to be seeing him off to the door.
“I remembered that my brother would be having tea time around this time, so I tried to walk, but I think I was a little late.”
The Crown Prince, who had been looking at his younger brother whose forehead was covered in sweat after walking only this short distance, nodded and slowly reached out to support him.
“Come in. I can give you some tea if you want.”
William sat down, supported by the Crown Prince, who acted like a kind and trustworthy eldest brother, and opened his mouth before the maid brought out the tea.
“I never thought you would move Lord Blair.”
"Hmm..."
As soon as the Crown Prince sat down, his eyes turned to his weak younger brother who immediately brought up the main topic.
Did William, who was always quiet, have such a generous side?
It was unexpected.
“If Richard gets credit for this, it will naturally benefit you, too, so why do you insist on finding fault with him?”
“There’s no way that guy would do his job properly. He insisted on doing it, so I sent him here to tell him it was spying.”
What he was really after was Richard's inner circle, which he had kept close to him.
The main purpose was to plant someone who could record every move of the group and relay the news to the imperial capital.
William never once expected that Richard, with his empty head, would ever return with any merit.
“If he weren’t my half-brother, I would have pushed him away a long time ago. If he causes trouble, it’ll ruin my reputation, so I have no choice but to keep him by my side so I can at least sort things out.”
A bitter smile appeared on William's lips at the cold-hearted evaluation, then disappeared.
“You don’t have to press Dorothea like that. You are the next Emperor of this empire. That will not change no matter what happens.”
“What did that woman say?”
William looked at the arrogant face of the laughing Crown Prince and asked in a soft voice.
“Then, is it Luke that you are wary of, brother?”
“Do you think that I did this because I felt threatened by a child born from the womb of a lowly maid?”
What's so great about the 7th Prince?
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and stared at his younger brother in disbelief.
Is it because he has to stay in the palace due to his weak body?
His younger brother, despite his natural intelligence, was unable to read the trends of the times.
“It’s difficult to raise the Marquis Highclere any further. The only time they can be used usefully is when you have a card that you can shake in your hand.”
If his influence had grown greater than it is now, there was a possibility that he would try to escape his control after ascending to the throne.
“You must have seen that even now, I often try to match His Majesty’s authority. It would be difficult to raise my name higher than it is now.”
“I am telling you that it would be a mistake to touch Lady Dorothea in an attempt to suppress them.”
Rather, if they left Dorothea alone, they would not be so displeased with the Crown Prince's restraint, and they would not think it a big deal to bow down to him at his will.
If he had cared so much about his reputation, he would not have brought back the son-in-law who ran away with his daughter into the family in the first place, and he would not have done such dirty things before his granddaughter had even shown her abilities.
“So, are you here to point out that my judgment was wrong?”
The shadow of the 'benevolent brother' disappeared from the Crown Prince's face.
William remained silent as he saw him expressing his displeasure to the fullest.
It was only then that he realized that the presence of the Marquis of Highclere had irritated the Crown Prince more than he had thought.
'The Highclere family has a long history of loyalty and integrity, and by taking Dorothea in, they have gained a friendly image even among the common people.'
No matter how much worldly wealth the nobles have in their hands, such as power or wealth, it is difficult for them to pose a threat to the imperial family.
But the human heart, the heart that wants to follow others, cannot be forced by anything.
William, who had opened his mouth slightly, forced what he wanted to say down his throat and smiled brightly.
“I’m sorry. I failed to take into account your far-sighted wisdom and ended up revealing my narrow-minded thoughts.”
“Don’t worry about it. You have little experience, so how can you possibly match me when I ascend the throne?”
It was as if he was saying that it was natural for William to be more foolish and lacking than himself.
William looked down at the Crown Prince, who nodded arrogantly.
It was just a slight feeling of regret rather than submission to the authority he held.
'There's no way that reckless girl would give in so easily.'
William couldn't help but smile as he thought of Dorothea, who was so focused on eating her cookies without even blinking in front of the Empress Dowager.
'What kind of cute thing will she do next to shake up the palace?'
Although he did not want to hurt the reputation of his brother, the Crown Prince of the Empire, he was secretly looking forward to the aftermath that Dorothea would bring.
***
"Hmm..."
As William was leaving the palace, his legs suddenly lost their strength and he staggered.
At that moment, someone grabbed his body and straightened him upright.
“Ah, thank you...”
William, who was about to express his gratitude to someone he didn't know, opened his eyes wide when he saw a familiar face suddenly appearing before his eyes.
A girl with dark blue eyes was staring at him.
“Dorothea?”
“Yeah, hello.”
Dorothea, with a sullen expression, greeted him dryly and handed a handkerchief to William, who was coughing faintly.
"Thank you."
“Is it difficult to stand?”
“A little. Maybe it’s because I pushed myself too hard after such a long time.”
“Freed, help him.”
Only then did William realize that the figure holding him back was Dorothea's silent escort.
Freed quietly lowered himself and lifted William into his arms.
“This is a bit...”
“I think this would be better than having someone support you since your legs are weak.”
Even though William may not have had much influence as a Prince, it was still unacceptable to be seen being carried around by a knight.
William, who was about to say that just supporting his would suffice, hesitated.
Dorothea's face, exposed to the sunlight, was particularly pale.
Looking back, her once shiny hair had become dull again, and her once rosy cheeks had become hollow.
William's eyebrows narrowed as he looked at the girl with thin wrists and parched lips who looked somewhat precarious.
“Where does it hurt?”
Dorothea, who was sensitive to other people's pain as she had suffered from it for a long time herself, glanced at his question and shrugged.
“A little. It’s okay.”
There was no life in the soft voice.
“What happened?”
There was no sign of illness on Dorothea's face until she came down.
It was as if she had become as skinny as when she first entered the imperial palace as if it had been a long time since she had been as lively as an ordinary girl her age.
'If something can cause health problems so suddenly...'
Before he could even shake off the uncomfortable assumptions running through his mind, Dorothea spoke.
“At least it wasn’t because of someone else’s mischief. I just paid the price because of my own needs.”
"...So?"
“I'll be okay soon.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Although he couldn't fully understand what she was saying, there was one thing that put William at ease: the reassuring voice that everything would be okay soon.
Dorothea suddenly opened her mouth as she arrived in front of the Second Prince's palace, which was relatively plain compared to the other Prince's palaces.
“Why doesn’t William covet the throne?”
"I?"
William, who asked back as if it was funny, snickered as if telling her to look at his own appearance.
Dorothea looked at his face as if she had never even thought of it, and then recalled the faces of the Princes she knew one by one.
“In my opinion, William is the best.”
“Why? Because I don’t pick a fight with you?”
“You also don’t fight unnecessarily. I think William is the only one who knows that ruling and ruling over someone with one’s authority is not the true nature of an Emperor.”
It was only hours ago that she had learned that the Crown Prince had moved Blair Millionaire to turn herself in.
Yet the girl in front of him, Dorothea, seemed to have already seen through all the facts.
“The reason why my brother is anxious is because of your family...”
“William also has a chance of succession.”
“Dorothea.”
William sighed as he looked at the girl spouting nonsense.
Dorothea waited for the mouth of the sickly second Prince, who was looking at her as if he could not stop her, to open again after a long silence.
“What about Luke? Aren’t you closer to him?”
“Oh, that’s it.”
Dorothea shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.
“Luke can’t. He’s decided to be my livestock.”
"What...?"
William's face became confused at the word that seemed to have been written in a place where it shouldn't have been written.
Dorothea, still thinking of the untamed sheep, began to tease the Second Prince, who was in Freed's arms with a serious expression on her face, with a blank expression on her face.
“Sometimes, it’s more important to gain power and protect what you hold dear than to desire to climb high.”
Dorothea wishes William would become Emperor, and not just whine and block everything she wants to do, but give her money to eat and play whenever she wants and give her the power to live comfortably.
However, William showed no sign of being swayed by the temptation of the dark-skinned girl.
In terms of being difficult to tame, he was indeed Luke's older brother.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment