Damon rubbed his parched lips. It was a habit he had had since he was young.
When he was nervous, doing so helped him calm down.
Arkan waited patiently for him to speak. Finally, Damon opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.
“I don’t know how much Your Majesty knows about my story, but my father has no intention of handing over the throne to me so easily. He may have made me the Crown Prince because of what other people thought, but he probably wanted me to die first, and he would not want to see me inherit Kensilom’s crown.”
Arkan tried to say something. But Damon shook his head as if asking him to wait a moment.
“Fortunately, I have a grandmother. My grandmother does not get along well with my father, but when I was young... she took care of me, raised me, and educated me after I lost my mother. My grandmother would like me to sit on Kensilom’s throne and rule as soon as possible, but as you know, my father is still alive.”
“So you mean to say that the Crown Prince wants my help in dethroning King Grax?”
“I’m not asking for physical support. That’s something my grandmother can fully support.”
Arkan’s brows furrowed a little more. If he didn’t need physical help, then why had he come all this way?
“Then what do you need?”
“Influence, Your Majesty. A say and influence over the other kingdoms in the inland. Let’s say I were to force my father out and take the throne. Kensilom and Etonhorn have isolated themselves from the Inner Alliance. I wonder if Vinothin will join them soon... From what I’ve learned, their response seems lukewarm.”
Arkan said nothing because it was true. Damon continued.
His lips were now so dry that they were cracked and cracked like ground that had been torn by drought.
“My father betrayed the alliance once. No matter how much I sit on the throne and shout that I will take a different path from my father, no one will look kindly on the son who drove out his father. No matter what I say, they won’t believe me easily, and if that happens, Kensilom will be finished.”
“So, you want me to persuade the Kings of the other allied nations to... rebellion, so to speak. To seize the throne. Are you saying that you want a justification for that rebellion?”
A tired smile appeared on Damon’s lips.
“Yes, to be honest, yes.”
He nodded, then suddenly crouched down as if he had been punched in the stomach.
He covered his face with both hands, so at first Arkan thought Damon had burst into tears. However, there was no sobbing.
“Your Majesty is the one who leads the seven allied nations. If Your Majesty speaks for them, I will be able to organize Kensilom more quickly and smoothly. Once that happens, once I am settled in, I promise you that I will correct my father’s mistakes.”
Arkan, who had been silent, stood up without saying a word.
Damon felt his shadow cast over his head and sighed inwardly.
It must have been too much to ask. It was not that he did not understand, but...
“I know what the Prince is saying. But for now, let’s go and rest. It would be best to get some good sleep. If you talk to Plat, he will bring you some light medicine that will help you fall asleep quickly. I have used it myself sometimes, so don’t worry about it. I think you need a good night’s sleep more than anything else right now.”
Arkan left the living room after saying only that. He heard Plat go inside and talk to Damon... Only after he entered the empty study did Arkan finally feel his heart pounding.
What a headache this is. Arkan thought. After Princess Limepalee, now it was Prince Damon.
It was ridiculous that all the ambitious second generations were flocking to Vetor.
If things continued like this, wouldn’t a Prince or Princess come from Blatcherd or Femenslow? What about Etonhorn?
‘The Prince of Etonhorn is just like his father. He probably won’t come. But it’s suspicious that he’s still holding his breath... Kensilom is acting like a swindler. Is it because Etonhorn specifically planned the assassination that he’s quiet?’
When he was nervous, doing so helped him calm down.
Arkan waited patiently for him to speak. Finally, Damon opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.
“I don’t know how much Your Majesty knows about my story, but my father has no intention of handing over the throne to me so easily. He may have made me the Crown Prince because of what other people thought, but he probably wanted me to die first, and he would not want to see me inherit Kensilom’s crown.”
Arkan tried to say something. But Damon shook his head as if asking him to wait a moment.
“Fortunately, I have a grandmother. My grandmother does not get along well with my father, but when I was young... she took care of me, raised me, and educated me after I lost my mother. My grandmother would like me to sit on Kensilom’s throne and rule as soon as possible, but as you know, my father is still alive.”
“So you mean to say that the Crown Prince wants my help in dethroning King Grax?”
“I’m not asking for physical support. That’s something my grandmother can fully support.”
Arkan’s brows furrowed a little more. If he didn’t need physical help, then why had he come all this way?
“Then what do you need?”
“Influence, Your Majesty. A say and influence over the other kingdoms in the inland. Let’s say I were to force my father out and take the throne. Kensilom and Etonhorn have isolated themselves from the Inner Alliance. I wonder if Vinothin will join them soon... From what I’ve learned, their response seems lukewarm.”
Arkan said nothing because it was true. Damon continued.
His lips were now so dry that they were cracked and cracked like ground that had been torn by drought.
“My father betrayed the alliance once. No matter how much I sit on the throne and shout that I will take a different path from my father, no one will look kindly on the son who drove out his father. No matter what I say, they won’t believe me easily, and if that happens, Kensilom will be finished.”
“So, you want me to persuade the Kings of the other allied nations to... rebellion, so to speak. To seize the throne. Are you saying that you want a justification for that rebellion?”
A tired smile appeared on Damon’s lips.
“Yes, to be honest, yes.”
He nodded, then suddenly crouched down as if he had been punched in the stomach.
He covered his face with both hands, so at first Arkan thought Damon had burst into tears. However, there was no sobbing.
“Your Majesty is the one who leads the seven allied nations. If Your Majesty speaks for them, I will be able to organize Kensilom more quickly and smoothly. Once that happens, once I am settled in, I promise you that I will correct my father’s mistakes.”
Arkan, who had been silent, stood up without saying a word.
Damon felt his shadow cast over his head and sighed inwardly.
It must have been too much to ask. It was not that he did not understand, but...
“I know what the Prince is saying. But for now, let’s go and rest. It would be best to get some good sleep. If you talk to Plat, he will bring you some light medicine that will help you fall asleep quickly. I have used it myself sometimes, so don’t worry about it. I think you need a good night’s sleep more than anything else right now.”
Arkan left the living room after saying only that. He heard Plat go inside and talk to Damon... Only after he entered the empty study did Arkan finally feel his heart pounding.
What a headache this is. Arkan thought. After Princess Limepalee, now it was Prince Damon.
It was ridiculous that all the ambitious second generations were flocking to Vetor.
If things continued like this, wouldn’t a Prince or Princess come from Blatcherd or Femenslow? What about Etonhorn?
‘The Prince of Etonhorn is just like his father. He probably won’t come. But it’s suspicious that he’s still holding his breath... Kensilom is acting like a swindler. Is it because Etonhorn specifically planned the assassination that he’s quiet?’
That could be true. Kensilom had been trying to evade the accusation from the beginning, saying that they had done nothing wrong, and even tried to act like a scapegoat.
However, he couldn’t be entirely happy about Etonhorn’s silence.
Arkan counted the days anxiously. The day he would go to the empire was approaching. The very day he had promised Erdene.
Until then, he had to resolve the problem that Damon was having.
The time had come to end King Grax, not just for him, but for the entire Alliance.
The sound of blades clashing was heard.
Every time the sunlight gleamed from the sharp blade, Sophia’s shoulders twitched slightly as she watched.
It might have been okay with a wooden sword, but it was hard to watch a duel with a real sword.
The blades that clashed head-on slid off. Erdene deftly turned her body in a different direction to deflect Belen’s attack, then stepped on his instep and raised her sword upward.
The blade that almost split Belen’s jaw suddenly stopped at the last moment.
Belen’s collarbone trembled. As cold sweat ran down the back of his neck, he said,
“I lost.”
Erdene smiled and put away her sword. Belen finally let out an exaggerated sigh and burst into laughter.
“I didn’t think you’d step on my instep at the end.”
“Your swordsmanship is still too old-fashioned, Belen. You should study a more lethal method.”
Sophia handed Erdene a neatly folded towel.
I also handed Belen a cloth to wipe his forehead, and at that moment, when their fingertips touched, Belen’s ears turned slightly red.
Erdene wiped the sweat from her face and neck and pulled hard at the string on her waist to tie it again.
“Still, you’ve improved quite a bit. Now, you rarely fall down when you’re dealing with me. You won’t even fall down if you get beaten up.”
“Of course! It’s not like that anymore. I can easily run for four hours without stopping!”
“That’s not something to brag about.”
Belen’s mouth snapped shut.
Sophia looked at him with her lips pursed inward, made a faint smile, and left for a moment to put away the wet towel.
“Why are you looking at Shopia like that?”
Belen, who had been glancing at her back without realizing it, let out a groan as if he had been stabbed by a huge spear.
“Oh, no... I just caught her eye. I, I didn’t sneak a peek...”
“Who said you spied on her? Are you feeling hurt?”
“No! Your Majesty, why are you doing that!”
His whining, which was not befitting of his size, was just like the imperial adjutants.
Erdene pushed his forehead with a disgusted expression.
Belen continued muttering.
“Since she has to serve Your Majesty, Miss Fiddler comes to the barracks every day... Well, um. I’m worried that you might be bored.”
“Is that really the reason you stared at her? You don’t have any selfish intentions?”
“Selfish, selfish intentions? There’s nothing like that!”
“Why are you stammering?”
When Erdene asked with a grin, Belen realized belatedly that it would be better to keep his mouth shut.
His face turned red again when he saw Sophia coming back from over there... Erdene clicked his tongue internally and said.
“You should train hard and do your best. If you want to get married before you die of old age, then you should do that.”
“Yes?”
Erdene strode across the barracks with long strides, leaving Belen to ask in bewilderment.
She returned to the Queen’s palace, took off her clothes covered in dust, dirt, and sweat, and washed her body.
The weather was starting to get chilly in the mornings and evenings, so she made a new dress. She liked the fact that the fabric used by Vetor, unlike the empire’s, did not attract dust easily.
“I’ve never seen this dress before.”
Sabnake and Anne, who were serving her, looked at Sophia.
Sophia, who was buttoning up the small buttons one by one, nodded.
“I made a dress with the silk that my father sent to give to Your Majesty. Isn’t the color unique? It looks black, but it looks silver when it catches the light.”
“It’s beautiful, but why did the Marquis give me this?”
“Well, maybe it’s a way to thank you for forgiving my mother.”
Sophia replied calmly. Perhaps she was right.
Erdene had not officially said, “I forgive you,” but in any case, the Marchioness of Fiddlers was still staying in the main mansion in the capital and was occasionally seen visiting the palace. She was clearly hiding, as she did not visit Arkan to nag him like before or visit Sophia to babble.
"I don’t know how long that will last.”
Erdene thought absentmindedly.
The rare dress, which changed color depending on the direction of the light and the way the fabric swayed, fit Erdene’s body perfectly.
The black, occasionally silver, and diamond and sparkling white silk threads matched her sharp aura and made her look even more majestic.
“It’s done, Your Majesty.”
The moment Sophia calmly retreated, a loud noise echoed through the living room of the Queen’s palace.
However, he couldn’t be entirely happy about Etonhorn’s silence.
Arkan counted the days anxiously. The day he would go to the empire was approaching. The very day he had promised Erdene.
Until then, he had to resolve the problem that Damon was having.
The time had come to end King Grax, not just for him, but for the entire Alliance.
***
The sound of blades clashing was heard.
Every time the sunlight gleamed from the sharp blade, Sophia’s shoulders twitched slightly as she watched.
It might have been okay with a wooden sword, but it was hard to watch a duel with a real sword.
The blades that clashed head-on slid off. Erdene deftly turned her body in a different direction to deflect Belen’s attack, then stepped on his instep and raised her sword upward.
The blade that almost split Belen’s jaw suddenly stopped at the last moment.
Belen’s collarbone trembled. As cold sweat ran down the back of his neck, he said,
“I lost.”
Erdene smiled and put away her sword. Belen finally let out an exaggerated sigh and burst into laughter.
“I didn’t think you’d step on my instep at the end.”
“Your swordsmanship is still too old-fashioned, Belen. You should study a more lethal method.”
Sophia handed Erdene a neatly folded towel.
I also handed Belen a cloth to wipe his forehead, and at that moment, when their fingertips touched, Belen’s ears turned slightly red.
Erdene wiped the sweat from her face and neck and pulled hard at the string on her waist to tie it again.
“Still, you’ve improved quite a bit. Now, you rarely fall down when you’re dealing with me. You won’t even fall down if you get beaten up.”
“Of course! It’s not like that anymore. I can easily run for four hours without stopping!”
“That’s not something to brag about.”
Belen’s mouth snapped shut.
Sophia looked at him with her lips pursed inward, made a faint smile, and left for a moment to put away the wet towel.
“Why are you looking at Shopia like that?”
Belen, who had been glancing at her back without realizing it, let out a groan as if he had been stabbed by a huge spear.
“Oh, no... I just caught her eye. I, I didn’t sneak a peek...”
“Who said you spied on her? Are you feeling hurt?”
“No! Your Majesty, why are you doing that!”
His whining, which was not befitting of his size, was just like the imperial adjutants.
Erdene pushed his forehead with a disgusted expression.
Belen continued muttering.
“Since she has to serve Your Majesty, Miss Fiddler comes to the barracks every day... Well, um. I’m worried that you might be bored.”
“Is that really the reason you stared at her? You don’t have any selfish intentions?”
“Selfish, selfish intentions? There’s nothing like that!”
“Why are you stammering?”
When Erdene asked with a grin, Belen realized belatedly that it would be better to keep his mouth shut.
His face turned red again when he saw Sophia coming back from over there... Erdene clicked his tongue internally and said.
“You should train hard and do your best. If you want to get married before you die of old age, then you should do that.”
“Yes?”
Erdene strode across the barracks with long strides, leaving Belen to ask in bewilderment.
She returned to the Queen’s palace, took off her clothes covered in dust, dirt, and sweat, and washed her body.
The weather was starting to get chilly in the mornings and evenings, so she made a new dress. She liked the fact that the fabric used by Vetor, unlike the empire’s, did not attract dust easily.
“I’ve never seen this dress before.”
Sabnake and Anne, who were serving her, looked at Sophia.
Sophia, who was buttoning up the small buttons one by one, nodded.
“I made a dress with the silk that my father sent to give to Your Majesty. Isn’t the color unique? It looks black, but it looks silver when it catches the light.”
“It’s beautiful, but why did the Marquis give me this?”
“Well, maybe it’s a way to thank you for forgiving my mother.”
Sophia replied calmly. Perhaps she was right.
Erdene had not officially said, “I forgive you,” but in any case, the Marchioness of Fiddlers was still staying in the main mansion in the capital and was occasionally seen visiting the palace. She was clearly hiding, as she did not visit Arkan to nag him like before or visit Sophia to babble.
"I don’t know how long that will last.”
Erdene thought absentmindedly.
The rare dress, which changed color depending on the direction of the light and the way the fabric swayed, fit Erdene’s body perfectly.
The black, occasionally silver, and diamond and sparkling white silk threads matched her sharp aura and made her look even more majestic.
“It’s done, Your Majesty.”
The moment Sophia calmly retreated, a loud noise echoed through the living room of the Queen’s palace.
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