RAMHM - Chapter 109 < The Real Enemy >





A smile and the word 'Auntie', clearly meant as a mockery, hung on his angelic face.

I had to hold onto both hands tightly to keep from scratching that face.

For a brief moment, Bardenaldo clutched his chest, perhaps feeling a pain in his heart.

“Now that you’re here, huh, huff. What are you hiding?”

***

Bardenaldo chose two candidates for the Crown Princess who would be most helpful to his future.

Adrienne Piretta. Adrienne Piretta, the Princess of the Piretta fiefdom, was the capital when Ronta was a kingdom.

And Doris Castagna, daughter of the Duke of Castagna, a noble family with a long history.

Bardenaldo felt an unbearable anger towards Adrienne, who was interacting with Rhodnes more than he, the Crown Prince, compared to Doris, who was friendly towards him.

It was because it felt like Rhodnes was mocking Bardenaldo, who always suffered from anxiety and an inferiority complex, by saying that he was better than him.

In the end, he decided to take Doris Castagna as his wife and give Adrienne Piretta the position of 'the Crown Prince's mistress'.

He was proud of himself for making that decision and thought of it as a punishment for Adrienne.

The mere thought of his mischief at having the woman Rhodnes so desperately wanted to have as his mistress was enough to make Bardenaldo giggle with glee.

When he first summoned the Duke of Piretta, he immediately realized that the A and B in this relationship were already decided.

The Duke of Piretta had legitimacy as the capital of an empire a very long time ago, but because of this, he was subject to the restraints of numerous families.

The geographical proximity to Elacon also played a role.

The empire, which feared Elacon while ignoring him, tried to keep his power in check in various ways in case someone from the Piretta territory, who had friendly relations with Elacon, gained power.

So, despite its reputation, the Eastern Kingdom, especially the Duke of Piretta, was unable to advance into the central social circles of the capital, let alone hold any important official posts.

That is why when Bardenaldo chose Adrienne Piretta as the candidate for Crown Princess, the Duke of Piretta was overjoyed.

This is because he also knew that in order for Bardenaldo to ascend to the throne without any incident, the Crown Princess' family had to be healthy.

Although not as powerful as Piretta, Western Castagna also entered the war of selection with the dream of advancing to a central position, and in the end, Castagna, which had established itself slightly closer to the center, was the winner.

Duke Piretta was very proud and did not readily respond to the Crown Prince's call.

Meanwhile, on the last day of returning to the East, Crown Prince Bardenaldo made the following proposal.

“Actually, the one I love with my heart is Adrienne Piretta.”

Duke Piretta looked blank for a moment at the word 'love' coming out of the Crown Prince's mouth.

But on that day, Bardenaldo looked more serious and pure than ever, so the Duke could not help but believe the words of the Crown Prince, who was called the Saint of Ronta.

“...If you are planning to offer me the position of concubine, I decline. I do not want Piretta’s daughter to miss her marriageable age without any written promise.”

“Is that so?”

“Besides, would Castagna just sit still? Even if His Highness ascends to the throne safely and welcomes Adrienne later, it will be difficult for the public to see my daughter under an Empress from Castagna.”

“What about the position of Grand Duchess Trovika?”

In the empire, the Grand Duke is the second most valuable marriage partner after the Crown Prince. Grand Duke is a marriage partner with a much more valuable future than the 2nd Prince Rhodnes, who is known as a problem child, or the 9th Prince, who was thrown away to Elacon as if he were nothing more than a hostage.

“...Can you treat the woman you love as your aunt?”

“No, no.”

Bardenaldo closed his gentle eyes and smiled affectionately.

“Adrienne Piretta will one day become my son’s mother.”

“!”

The Duke, who had stopped moving for a moment, stared blankly at the Crown Prince, who was showing a stronger will than ever before.

“Her external position is Grand Duchess Trovika. But in reality, she is my woman.”

Bardenaldo whispered sweeter than honey.

“The two men with the most power in this country... will be controlled by the Duke’s daughter. Wouldn’t the position of a proud Grand Duchess be better for the future of the Princess than the position of an Empress who is always under control?”

“Th, how is that...”

“There is only one thing I can trust the Duke with.”

“...”

“Doris Castagna and I will not have children. Do you know what I mean?”

Bardenaldo was confident of his victory.

It was because the Duke of Piretta's desire, which he tried to hide deep in his heart but could never be hidden, clearly appeared in his purple eyes.

***

“Your father wanted to come to the center even by that means.”

“...”

“He firmly believed that you were the one I truly loved. I was so touched that I brought all kinds of precious medicine to the Grand Duke’s residence to save you.”

I remembered.

The voices of the maids told me to drink the precious medicine, which was sent directly by His Highness the Crown Prince, without spilling a single drop.

Annie's voice was particularly sharp, perhaps because she was the Duke of Castagna's person.

“...You killed me with that medicine?”

“Oh, I always wondered how you died.”

Knock knock, knock knock, knock knock.

The Crown Prince gushed blood from his mouth. I took a handkerchief out of my bosom and handed it to him.

“I originally planned to wait a little longer, but then I thought about it and realized that it would be a waste to keep you when you’ve become even more withered and lost your beauty.”

Cough-.

The crown prince, who was laughing and squeaking like a broken door with a cough, had already returned to being the devil he was the night before.

“But why should I step forward myself when there are so many people willing to step forward without me having to get my hands dirty?”

“...”

“When my aunt gets better, I’d like to invite her over for dinner.”

"..."

“My aunt is so elegant and beautiful, but her illness is annoying.”

Bardenaldo wiped the blood with a handkerchief and smiled brightly.

“There are people who get so angry that their eyes turn red just from those words, and who want you to die as soon as possible.”

Bardenaldo's focus became slightly blurred as he recalled one of the countless days when he had provoked Doris.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you were able to last for two years thanks to the rare medicine we sent you.”

"We?"

“Even though Rhodnes was hit in the back of the head like that, he always sent you only the rare medicines he found on the battlefield. Don’t you know yet? Most of the rare medicines that my uncle always sent you were sent by Rhodnes.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Did he give it to my uncle under another noble’s name? It was well known that the Grand Duchess was sick, so people always tried to win his favor in that way. Cough! My uncle, who would have rejected most medicines, couldn’t refuse the medicine that Rhodnes brought him because it was something that couldn’t be bought with money. It was funny. I knew it, but I didn’t tell my uncle on purpose. I think he realized it at some point, but I guess I had no choice but to accept it. He probably wanted to save you.”

Ah, Rhodnes!

I'm shaking with betrayal.

Despairing over heartbreak.

Finally accepting reality, and even while he was running around the battlefield...

“How is it? Now do you know who your real enemy is? It was Doris who killed you, and it was your father who made you marry you even though he knew I wanted you. Your father is really stupid. He’s just greedy. He reminds me of Doris Castagna.”

If what Bardenaldo said is true, my father used me to advance to the center.

Externally, I was the Grand Duchess of Trovica. Internally, I was the Crown Prince's mistress.

Using his daughter to surround two men with her skirt, he plans to one day give birth to a son for Crown Prince Bardenaldo and strike Castagna in the back of the head.

The day I was finally eliminated as a candidate for the Crown Princess, I thought that my father was as indifferent as I was.

The day I received a proposal from Noevian Trovica, I thought my father was just cheering for my first love to come true.

'You knew everything, but you closed your eyes.'

My mind was blank, so I was silent for a moment.

“See my child in your body? Heh... Cough! If your father had seen me waiting for Doris to kill you, he wouldn’t have had such vain desires.”

Bardenaldo, whose cough had gotten worse, naturally reached out to me as if asking for another handkerchief.

I didn't hand him a new handkerchief.

The Crown Prince threw his blood-soaked handkerchief on the floor and gave me a brave look as if he were looking at some insignificant animal rebelling against him.

“He was fooled like an idiot. Seriously, he was foolish. It was so funny to me that the father and daughter were such idiots together. Heh. Cough, heh heh...”

I was sick of Bardenaldo's evil nature, and when I saw Bardenaldo looking relieved, my heart twisted involuntarily.

“...That’s all?”

A betrayal of a different level than the shock I had felt from Noevian or the Crown Prince sent shivers down my spine.

But I stood firm.

It was because I was convinced that the sight of me shocked and collapsing at this point was what the devil wanted the most.

Bardenaldo chuckled for a while as he reminisced about the past, but as I stood firm, his smile slowly disappeared.

“Is that all?”

"Yes."

It was a lingering answer, but I didn't ask any further.

I don't know how much I should believe that kid, but if what he says is true, it does clear up some of the questions I had about him.

“I swear to God, I told you the ‘truth’ you wanted without a single lie. Gulp, gulp! Heuk, heuk. So... Now go give that damned testimony. And if you can, don’t show up in front of me.”

“...What testimony?”

“!”

“Like an idiot.”

A coughing fit began. Blood clots poured out onto Bardenaldo's pale hands, which had no handkerchief.

“You were fooled like an idiot and told me everything you knew. Thank you, it was quite entertaining.”

“Oh my, my, my...”

“You’re going to die soon, Bardenaldo.”

Cough cough! Cough cough!

“Just like you, there are people who want to kill you because their eyes turn red if they move their tongue just a few inches.”

“Wait, wait! Where are you going! Ugh... Call a doctor! Cough, cough! Shit! There’s blood...”

My insides were completely burned and only ashes remained, but I smiled just as evilly in front of the devil who had no chance of recovery.

Click-.

I closed the bedroom door, leaving the demon behind, who was screaming weakly at me to stop.

The moment the cold bedroom door touches my back.

I saw another demon walking down the hallway, carrying a line of attendants,
 as if she was coming for a fight.

“Hello, Crown Princess.”

Doris Castagna, who didn't even show her nose all day.

A person who can kill someone with just a few flicks of her tongue and her eyes turn bloodshot.


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