As Arkan stared blankly, Damon repeated the same words once more.
“That can’t be true, Your Majesty. There must have been some... misunderstanding.”
Damon’s eyes became a little more determined. At Kensilom, the calm young man who was usually seen only in front of his grandmother Helen seemed to have finally revealed himself a little. He was the unstable successor who quietly kept a small spark of ambition alive.
However, Arkan did not give Damon time to refute him confidently.
“I understand that you want to believe that, Prince Damon. However, it is unfortunately true.”
Damon was helplessly shaken as his barely held onto pride collapsed all at once.
He looked down at the portrait on the table with trembling eyes, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling with an anxious expression. He also shook his legs slightly. It was a habit that came out when he was feeling dizzy.
Arkan looked at Erdene for a moment.
The look on his face was like a bewildered large hunting dog, and Erdene almost burst out laughing.
'It's because I'm weak at the crucial moment.'
Erdene thought. It was clear that Arkan was momentarily confused about whether to push Damon further or loosen the reins when he saw Damon's anxious appearance.
Arcan's strength and weakness were that he was stubborn but not inherently persistent or evil.
And as for Erdene, no matter how pitiful the other person was, she was a person who was used to pushing until he gave up what she wanted.
"I was a foreigner and an adversary by the standards of the inlanders."
Damon suddenly raised his head at Erdene's strong words.
She stared into Damon's large eyes with a faint sneer before continuing.
“I can’t help but be disappointed by Kensilom’s actions, which are not only breaking the solid alliance in the inland overnight but also being unable to shake Vetor. Of course, the Prince knows about the assassination incident last time, right?”
Damon silently moved his lips as if he was dreaming, then lowered his gaze as if he were ashamed.
Erdene continued.
“Was it a problem that His Majesty let something so absurd and tragic go so easily? Still, His Majesty could not ignore the duty as an ally that once held hands, so he did not pursue it severely. It seems that Kensilom’s officials are completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation. Can you imagine how heartbroken His Majesty is by this?”
It was not something that would make him heartbroken, but Arkan allowed Erdene to drive Damon.
In any case, Erdene was much more skilled than Arkan in these negotiations, which were bound to turn hostile.
“In this situation, is there any point in the Prince’s request to His Majesty? It’s not something that can be accepted morally either.”
Arkan looked at Damon with an expressionless face—a face that even Plat often thought “incomprehensible”—and nodded.
“Yes. As the Queen said, that promise alone is not enough.”
Damon, who was embarrassed, opened his lips slightly and looked back and forth between the two.
“In that case... what do you want me to do?”
Erdene studied his face for a few seconds.
The sunlight streaming in through the window he was sitting with his back to was casting a deep shadow on Damon’s face.
In Erdene’s eyes, he was someone who had long been accustomed to standing in the shadows.
Their situations were completely different, but for some reason, he was similar to Tenek in that he could not stand in front... That was why Erdene wanted to tie the knot here.
The rumors about Damon’s personality didn’t matter.
“I don’t believe anything except what I see.”
She muttered in her mind.
If Damon wanted any kind of aid from Vetor, he would have to show clear evidence to both Arkan and Erdene.
“I heard that the Prince,”
Erdene said again, and Damon took a deep breath and stared at her.
“You have quite a surprising plan, I hear. His Majesty has said so.”
Arkan’s gaze quickly passed over Erdene. He thought.
‘How cleverly she throws out bait. A bait that the Prince of Kensilom cannot help but bite. If Hirschsten and Vetor had faced each other head-on, I would have known this side of him long ago.’
He had heard rumors that she was playing around on the battlefield like a playground, but he had never heard anything about how Erdene negotiated the end of a war.
However, from the inland position where they were helplessly defeated by Hirschsten, there was no way they would evaluate Erdene’s negotiations positively, no matter how good they were...
Erdene’s fingertips precisely touched the center of the portrait.
“What do you think about using him for the Prince’s plan?”
At her words, Damon made an expression like someone who had tripped and fallen on bare ground.
His eyes seemed to not understand at all, but even though his head couldn’t follow, he instinctively understood the cause of the problem and the solution.
If he had fallen, he had to get up quickly. It didn’t matter why he fell. What mattered was...
Arkan, who had noticed Erdene’s intentions, stared at Damon with a wonderful, yet slightly mischievous smile.
“There might be something among the things that man is selling through smugglers that the Prince needs. The justification, you know. Are you willing to try to bargain with us, Damon?”
While Damon was sweating in front of Arkan and Erdene, who were being killed like a married couple.
In Hirschsten, Aiman was sweating in a way that was not appropriate for his size, facing his niece Dionina.
Judging by her appearance alone, no one would have known that she and Aiman were uncle and niece.
She was neither hunched nor fierce. She was also smaller than most women, making her look younger than her age.
Dionina had just become a court doctor in the Golden Castle, but she was very smart and quick-witted and was quite trusted by her colleagues.
However, in her sparkling eyes when looked around, she sometimes showed a similar warlike temperament to her uncle.
Aiman had trusted his niece’s cleverness and boldness and had entrusted her with the investigation into the suspicious death of the late Emperor.
Aiman said,
“Dion, this is really important. Do you understand? If you fail, there will be serious problems. But of course, you shouldn’t be in danger. If you are in danger...”
“Oh, uncle. Stop nagging me. It’s wearing out my ears.”
Dionina snapped in a husky voice with a hint of grumbling.
Aiman, who was looking at his little nephew who was puffing out her cheeks like a grumbling girl, continued to nag him, becoming even more restless.
“It’s important enough to keep telling you, you punk. Do you understand? Don’t get involved in anything dangerous and leave it to Captain Thelma. Just in case...”
“Yes, yes, yes! I understand. If I see anything suspicious, I’ll get out right away. The cleanup will be done by Captain Thelma, Captain Merton, and our Captain. There’s only one thing I have to do, and that is to stick to Senior Delsh, who is celebrating his forty-eighth birthday, and keep his mind completely focused. If by any chance he doesn’t lose his mind, I’ll sneak this into his glass without anyone noticing.”
When Dionina pulled out a small bottle of tincture, Aiman pretended to be frightened and covered her hand and the bottle.
His eyes were wide open and his expression was fierce enough to scare even a fairly strong person, but to Dionina, who had been accustomed to her uncle’s face like an angry bear since the moment she was born, it was nothing special.
“You little brat! How many times have I told you not to act so rashly!”
“Oh, uncle! It hurts! Let go. Don’t worry. Do you know how much I’ve been flattering you, this unlucky rascal because you used to sing the song “Your Highness, Your Highness?” And now you’re going to ruin things? I’m not a fool.”
“Anyway, you’re a little brat, but your mouth is still alive. Even if you were drowned in water, your mouth would still float, you rascal.”
Dionina burst into laughter, tapping the pocket containing the tincture bottle and saying,
“Don’t worry about it, and my uncle will prepare the carriage and wait. By the way, I understand that Captain Thelma is taking Delsh away secretly, but what do you plan to do next?”
“That can’t be true, Your Majesty. There must have been some... misunderstanding.”
Damon’s eyes became a little more determined. At Kensilom, the calm young man who was usually seen only in front of his grandmother Helen seemed to have finally revealed himself a little. He was the unstable successor who quietly kept a small spark of ambition alive.
However, Arkan did not give Damon time to refute him confidently.
“I understand that you want to believe that, Prince Damon. However, it is unfortunately true.”
Damon was helplessly shaken as his barely held onto pride collapsed all at once.
He looked down at the portrait on the table with trembling eyes, then suddenly looked up at the ceiling with an anxious expression. He also shook his legs slightly. It was a habit that came out when he was feeling dizzy.
Arkan looked at Erdene for a moment.
The look on his face was like a bewildered large hunting dog, and Erdene almost burst out laughing.
'It's because I'm weak at the crucial moment.'
Erdene thought. It was clear that Arkan was momentarily confused about whether to push Damon further or loosen the reins when he saw Damon's anxious appearance.
Arcan's strength and weakness were that he was stubborn but not inherently persistent or evil.
And as for Erdene, no matter how pitiful the other person was, she was a person who was used to pushing until he gave up what she wanted.
"I was a foreigner and an adversary by the standards of the inlanders."
Damon suddenly raised his head at Erdene's strong words.
She stared into Damon's large eyes with a faint sneer before continuing.
“I can’t help but be disappointed by Kensilom’s actions, which are not only breaking the solid alliance in the inland overnight but also being unable to shake Vetor. Of course, the Prince knows about the assassination incident last time, right?”
Damon silently moved his lips as if he was dreaming, then lowered his gaze as if he were ashamed.
Erdene continued.
“Was it a problem that His Majesty let something so absurd and tragic go so easily? Still, His Majesty could not ignore the duty as an ally that once held hands, so he did not pursue it severely. It seems that Kensilom’s officials are completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation. Can you imagine how heartbroken His Majesty is by this?”
It was not something that would make him heartbroken, but Arkan allowed Erdene to drive Damon.
In any case, Erdene was much more skilled than Arkan in these negotiations, which were bound to turn hostile.
“In this situation, is there any point in the Prince’s request to His Majesty? It’s not something that can be accepted morally either.”
When Erdene pushed the wedge in, Damon had nothing more to say. Of course, it was something he didn’t know about and it had nothing to do with him. However, as the Prince of a country, he couldn’t make such a petty excuse.
Damon, who had been dropping his gaze helplessly, let out a short, heavy sigh.
“I apologize on behalf of Count Trivi and my father. Your Majesty, and Your Majesty the Queen. I promise that I will never ignore or condone this matter.”
At that moment, Erdene glanced at Arkan and smiled. She had been waiting for Damon to say that himself.
She tilted her head slightly and said in a cheerful tone.
Damon, who had been dropping his gaze helplessly, let out a short, heavy sigh.
“I apologize on behalf of Count Trivi and my father. Your Majesty, and Your Majesty the Queen. I promise that I will never ignore or condone this matter.”
At that moment, Erdene glanced at Arkan and smiled. She had been waiting for Damon to say that himself.
She tilted her head slightly and said in a cheerful tone.
“Hmm... I don’t think that promise alone is enough. What do you think, Your Majesty?”
When Erdene turned her head toward Arkan, Damon followed her and looked at Arkan. It was a vague, pleading gaze.
Arkan looked at Damon with an expressionless face—a face that even Plat often thought “incomprehensible”—and nodded.
“Yes. As the Queen said, that promise alone is not enough.”
Damon, who was embarrassed, opened his lips slightly and looked back and forth between the two.
“In that case... what do you want me to do?”
Erdene studied his face for a few seconds.
The sunlight streaming in through the window he was sitting with his back to was casting a deep shadow on Damon’s face.
In Erdene’s eyes, he was someone who had long been accustomed to standing in the shadows.
Their situations were completely different, but for some reason, he was similar to Tenek in that he could not stand in front... That was why Erdene wanted to tie the knot here.
The rumors about Damon’s personality didn’t matter.
“I don’t believe anything except what I see.”
She muttered in her mind.
If Damon wanted any kind of aid from Vetor, he would have to show clear evidence to both Arkan and Erdene.
“I heard that the Prince,”
Erdene said again, and Damon took a deep breath and stared at her.
“You have quite a surprising plan, I hear. His Majesty has said so.”
Arkan’s gaze quickly passed over Erdene. He thought.
‘How cleverly she throws out bait. A bait that the Prince of Kensilom cannot help but bite. If Hirschsten and Vetor had faced each other head-on, I would have known this side of him long ago.’
He had heard rumors that she was playing around on the battlefield like a playground, but he had never heard anything about how Erdene negotiated the end of a war.
However, from the inland position where they were helplessly defeated by Hirschsten, there was no way they would evaluate Erdene’s negotiations positively, no matter how good they were...
Erdene’s fingertips precisely touched the center of the portrait.
“What do you think about using him for the Prince’s plan?”
At her words, Damon made an expression like someone who had tripped and fallen on bare ground.
His eyes seemed to not understand at all, but even though his head couldn’t follow, he instinctively understood the cause of the problem and the solution.
If he had fallen, he had to get up quickly. It didn’t matter why he fell. What mattered was...
Arkan, who had noticed Erdene’s intentions, stared at Damon with a wonderful, yet slightly mischievous smile.
“There might be something among the things that man is selling through smugglers that the Prince needs. The justification, you know. Are you willing to try to bargain with us, Damon?”
***
While Damon was sweating in front of Arkan and Erdene, who were being killed like a married couple.
In Hirschsten, Aiman was sweating in a way that was not appropriate for his size, facing his niece Dionina.
Judging by her appearance alone, no one would have known that she and Aiman were uncle and niece.
She was neither hunched nor fierce. She was also smaller than most women, making her look younger than her age.
Dionina had just become a court doctor in the Golden Castle, but she was very smart and quick-witted and was quite trusted by her colleagues.
However, in her sparkling eyes when looked around, she sometimes showed a similar warlike temperament to her uncle.
Aiman had trusted his niece’s cleverness and boldness and had entrusted her with the investigation into the suspicious death of the late Emperor.
Aiman said,
“Dion, this is really important. Do you understand? If you fail, there will be serious problems. But of course, you shouldn’t be in danger. If you are in danger...”
“Oh, uncle. Stop nagging me. It’s wearing out my ears.”
Dionina snapped in a husky voice with a hint of grumbling.
Aiman, who was looking at his little nephew who was puffing out her cheeks like a grumbling girl, continued to nag him, becoming even more restless.
“It’s important enough to keep telling you, you punk. Do you understand? Don’t get involved in anything dangerous and leave it to Captain Thelma. Just in case...”
“Yes, yes, yes! I understand. If I see anything suspicious, I’ll get out right away. The cleanup will be done by Captain Thelma, Captain Merton, and our Captain. There’s only one thing I have to do, and that is to stick to Senior Delsh, who is celebrating his forty-eighth birthday, and keep his mind completely focused. If by any chance he doesn’t lose his mind, I’ll sneak this into his glass without anyone noticing.”
When Dionina pulled out a small bottle of tincture, Aiman pretended to be frightened and covered her hand and the bottle.
His eyes were wide open and his expression was fierce enough to scare even a fairly strong person, but to Dionina, who had been accustomed to her uncle’s face like an angry bear since the moment she was born, it was nothing special.
“You little brat! How many times have I told you not to act so rashly!”
“Oh, uncle! It hurts! Let go. Don’t worry. Do you know how much I’ve been flattering you, this unlucky rascal because you used to sing the song “Your Highness, Your Highness?” And now you’re going to ruin things? I’m not a fool.”
“Anyway, you’re a little brat, but your mouth is still alive. Even if you were drowned in water, your mouth would still float, you rascal.”
Dionina burst into laughter, tapping the pocket containing the tincture bottle and saying,
“Don’t worry about it, and my uncle will prepare the carriage and wait. By the way, I understand that Captain Thelma is taking Delsh away secretly, but what do you plan to do next?”
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