Episode 48. Bringing Prince Kydel
After the chorus of the young ladies, one young lady answered excitedly.
“The gift is a jewel! We will purchase the largest jewel possible with His Majesty’s treasury. The Riley Auction is coming up soon!”
“That Riley Auction?”
“But Your Highness already has a lot of good jewels...”
“So we should choose something special!”
Her Highness Milliora was discussing the contest with the members of the Tea Party. It was something she had to talk about with me, her maid.
But the content was so stupid that I wondered if I should be the one worrying about it.
The Riley Auction was a secret auction where only invited nobles could participate.
Since it was held irregularly only when there was a rare and special item, sometimes, unimaginable amounts were traded.
However, a jewel as a birthday gift for His Majesty, a middle-aged man, seemed out of place.
Her Highness’s Princess also thought the same thing and said bashfully.
“Should I propose to His Majesty?”
The atmosphere became cold with that one word.
Keryl asked the young ladies for their agreement while looking at the Princess’s expression.
“That’s right. His Majesty already has the jewel called the Empress. Right?”
“Of course. Miss Keryl is right.”
The young ladies responded enthusiastically. I didn’t feel sorry for them. I wondered if these young ladies knew about the relationship between Her Highness Milliora and Her Majesty the Empress or not.
Still, Her Highness was patient.
“Think about it more. Your Highness wouldn’t have caused such a problem because of a lack of materials, right?”
“Of course. Of course!”
Keryl replied. When another young lady spoke,
“By the way, I heard that the ‘red tears’ are being auctioned at Riley’s?”
“You mean the famous red diamond? Didn’t it disappear after being taken by pirates decades ago?”
“Yes! That’s it. I thought it was a legend, but I heard it’s being auctioned this time.”
“I really want to see it.”
“I should ask her to send me the catalog. My mother is a member of Riley Auctions.”
“Oh my, I’m jealous! But will it sell? The price will be huge. I should ask my mother to participate in the auction.”
“Should I do that?”
“I hope macarons come out of there, too. Of course, there will be a tea party before the auction, right?”
“Of course! It’s Riley Auction.”
I felt embarrassed by the excitement of the young ladies, so I looked at Her Highness, and my eyes met hers.
She was also embarrassed by this conversation, so I looked at my eyes.
I quickly averted my eyes.
They were always cheerful and cheerful tea party members, and Her Highness seemed to enjoy spending time with them.
However, they were too distracted and interested in their own interests to be entrusted with the discussion of such an important matter as the competition.
Her Highness didn’t seem to know that, but she hated me enough to entrust her future to them.
Her Highness seemed to be feeling the limit of her patience, but she spoke calmly.
“His Majesty has nothing to lose. That’s why this is a more difficult problem. Let’s go back today, think about it individually, and continue the conversation tomorrow. What do you think?”
After the chorus of the young ladies, one young lady answered excitedly.
“The gift is a jewel! We will purchase the largest jewel possible with His Majesty’s treasury. The Riley Auction is coming up soon!”
“That Riley Auction?”
“But Your Highness already has a lot of good jewels...”
“So we should choose something special!”
Her Highness Milliora was discussing the contest with the members of the Tea Party. It was something she had to talk about with me, her maid.
But the content was so stupid that I wondered if I should be the one worrying about it.
The Riley Auction was a secret auction where only invited nobles could participate.
Since it was held irregularly only when there was a rare and special item, sometimes, unimaginable amounts were traded.
However, a jewel as a birthday gift for His Majesty, a middle-aged man, seemed out of place.
Her Highness’s Princess also thought the same thing and said bashfully.
“Should I propose to His Majesty?”
The atmosphere became cold with that one word.
Keryl asked the young ladies for their agreement while looking at the Princess’s expression.
“That’s right. His Majesty already has the jewel called the Empress. Right?”
“Of course. Miss Keryl is right.”
The young ladies responded enthusiastically. I didn’t feel sorry for them. I wondered if these young ladies knew about the relationship between Her Highness Milliora and Her Majesty the Empress or not.
Still, Her Highness was patient.
“Think about it more. Your Highness wouldn’t have caused such a problem because of a lack of materials, right?”
“Of course. Of course!”
Keryl replied. When another young lady spoke,
“By the way, I heard that the ‘red tears’ are being auctioned at Riley’s?”
“You mean the famous red diamond? Didn’t it disappear after being taken by pirates decades ago?”
“Yes! That’s it. I thought it was a legend, but I heard it’s being auctioned this time.”
“I really want to see it.”
“I should ask her to send me the catalog. My mother is a member of Riley Auctions.”
“Oh my, I’m jealous! But will it sell? The price will be huge. I should ask my mother to participate in the auction.”
“Should I do that?”
“I hope macarons come out of there, too. Of course, there will be a tea party before the auction, right?”
“Of course! It’s Riley Auction.”
I felt embarrassed by the excitement of the young ladies, so I looked at Her Highness, and my eyes met hers.
She was also embarrassed by this conversation, so I looked at my eyes.
I quickly averted my eyes.
They were always cheerful and cheerful tea party members, and Her Highness seemed to enjoy spending time with them.
However, they were too distracted and interested in their own interests to be entrusted with the discussion of such an important matter as the competition.
Her Highness didn’t seem to know that, but she hated me enough to entrust her future to them.
Her Highness seemed to be feeling the limit of her patience, but she spoke calmly.
“His Majesty has nothing to lose. That’s why this is a more difficult problem. Let’s go back today, think about it individually, and continue the conversation tomorrow. What do you think?”
“Yes, Your Highness. That’s a good idea!”
“I’ll think about it all night! While drinking some tea to wake up.”
Their answers were encouraging and made me believe that there wouldn’t be any good ideas tomorrow either.
But Her Highness Milliora stared at me intently and said,
“If you come up with a good idea, I might bring a special guest here. Prince Locard is staying at the palace during the academy break, right?”
For a moment, my hair stood on end.
‘...Your Highness?’
“Whoa! You’re inviting Prince Kydel?”
When the young ladies screamed, Your Highness Milliora smiled brightly and said,
“I haven’t checked his schedule yet, but wouldn’t it be possible? This is if you come up with a good answer.”
“Of course! I won’t sleep at all today!”
“Whoa, Your Highness Milliora is the best!”
The young ladies happily retreated. They were as excited as a flock of chicks on a spring day at the mention of Prince Kydel.
As they left, Her Highness Milliora stared at me intently.
“Can you do it?”
“...”
I blinked, unable to figure out Her Highness Milliora’s intentions.
“What?”
She smiled coldly and said.
“You’re quite close to Prince Locard. So bringing him to my tea party shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
I was surprised, and my voice grew louder without me realizing it.
“Me?”
“If he can give you the medal of the attendant that he bestowed upon you, even the word ‘friendship’ is an understatement. Isn’t that right?”
That’s right.
I kept my mouth shut.
She had always suspected my friendship with him because of the appointment ceremony.
She might have thought of me as a spy or a traitor to His Highness Grayon!
I felt like I was going to die, but I couldn’t curse Prince Kydel.
I wanted to quickly repay his favor and then go back to our old, carefree relationship and swear at him again.
‘Prince Kydel. I have so much to say to you!’
Highness Milliora asked as if she were confirming the death.
“Aren’t you going to answer, maid?”
I swallowed hard. And then I answered.
“Your Highness.”
“Say it.”
My voice, filled with resentment, was so strong that it almost sounded solemn.
“I am not close to Prince Kydel.”
The Princess’s beautiful eyebrows are slightly crooked.
She was certain of her thoughts, but her confidence wavered when I spoke so strongly.
“If you wish, I will submit a request to the Second Prince’s Palace, but as the Second Prince’s attendant, Prince Kydel, it will be difficult for him to accept it.”
“Who doesn’t know that? That’s why I am ordering you, who is my close friend?”
“As I said, there is nothing I can do personally.”
“And yet you are wearing his medal on your chest?”
I felt like I was being attacked by both Prince Locard Kydel and Princess Milliora.
That’s why I suddenly burst into tears.
“If Your Highness had given me my medal, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Ha! You call that a lie?”
The Princess got angry and grabbed the handles of her chair, straightening her upper body.
However, asking Prince Kydel for a personal favor was something I couldn’t back down from now.
“If you give me my medal, I will return it to Prince Kydel, Your Highness. Then the problem will be solved. I will not have anything to do with him in the future.”
“While you are returning it, are you saying that you will bring him to my tea party? That is my problem.”
What should I do? I want to hit Her Highness.
I held my breath as much as I could to suppress my excitement.
“As I said, there is nothing I can do.”
Her Highness narrowed her eyes and stared at me.
Then she got up and took a small box out of her desk drawer and pushed it to the edge of the table.
I caught it before it hit the floor and opened it.
Inside was the servant’s medal that Her Highness should have given me.
Haa...
Her Highness smiled and turned away from me. I walked out, carrying the box. I had to return the medal to Prince Kydel now.
Easier said than done.
The sky was too high today.
Her Highness’s arrogant laughter dispersed like fog.
As the maid left, Miliora Tagar turned around on the sofa, leaning her head against the backrest.
Depression, loneliness, and a sense of defeat weighed on her.
'How much that arrogant bastard had despised me earlier...'
A contest that was crazy.
She knew she had nothing.
The position of the eldest son, who was strongly protected by the Empress, and the courage of the second son, who seemed to have gained wings by acquiring a lion cub, were all stories of others to her.
In the continent's long history, the empire has only won a battle in the Tunbar Mountains a few times.
When the empire decided to fight in the Amata War, the commander was destined to be killed or defeated.
However, Grayon did not utter a single word of complaint when he was ordered to go to war instead of Orl.
He simply went before his father and made a demand with mad eyes.
'Do not decide on a Crown Prince until I return.'
That was the only condition he had set before leading his army and leaving for the Tunbar Mountains.
Now that he had returned from there alive, he was no longer the Second Prince who had quietly sought to survive in the shadow of the eldest son. He was a proper guardian of the empire.
He had risked everything to compete with his brother for the Crown Prince position.
The reason the Emperor had not decided on a Crown Prince early on stemmed from his own past.
When he was young and the Crown Prince, powerful nobles had fiercely competed behind the scenes to catch his eye.
Those who were pushed out of the competition dispersed to the other Crown Princes, and each sought to strengthen their power.
Under the influence of the old nobles, the Princes were hostile to each other and did not even realize that they were playing the role of the nobles' chess pieces.
And such a tense, competitive structure ended in a great tragedy. That was the history of the previous imperial family.
The Emperor wanted his children to compete solely on their own strength, and the nobles who had witnessed the cruel purges he had caused in the past did not dare approach the Princes.
And now, the Emperor has destroyed the peace of the imperial family that he had artificially maintained. It was called a contest.
They were now forced into the circular arena.
Grayon, who had returned from the brink of death, and Orl, who had always been the most beloved son. The two of them began a fight that would put everything on the line.
But why did I have to get in the middle of it?
“I’ll think about it all night! While drinking some tea to wake up.”
Their answers were encouraging and made me believe that there wouldn’t be any good ideas tomorrow either.
But Her Highness Milliora stared at me intently and said,
“If you come up with a good idea, I might bring a special guest here. Prince Locard is staying at the palace during the academy break, right?”
For a moment, my hair stood on end.
‘...Your Highness?’
“Whoa! You’re inviting Prince Kydel?”
When the young ladies screamed, Your Highness Milliora smiled brightly and said,
“I haven’t checked his schedule yet, but wouldn’t it be possible? This is if you come up with a good answer.”
“Of course! I won’t sleep at all today!”
“Whoa, Your Highness Milliora is the best!”
The young ladies happily retreated. They were as excited as a flock of chicks on a spring day at the mention of Prince Kydel.
As they left, Her Highness Milliora stared at me intently.
“Can you do it?”
“...”
I blinked, unable to figure out Her Highness Milliora’s intentions.
“What?”
She smiled coldly and said.
“You’re quite close to Prince Locard. So bringing him to my tea party shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
I was surprised, and my voice grew louder without me realizing it.
“Me?”
“If he can give you the medal of the attendant that he bestowed upon you, even the word ‘friendship’ is an understatement. Isn’t that right?”
That’s right.
I kept my mouth shut.
She had always suspected my friendship with him because of the appointment ceremony.
She might have thought of me as a spy or a traitor to His Highness Grayon!
I felt like I was going to die, but I couldn’t curse Prince Kydel.
I wanted to quickly repay his favor and then go back to our old, carefree relationship and swear at him again.
‘Prince Kydel. I have so much to say to you!’
Highness Milliora asked as if she were confirming the death.
“Aren’t you going to answer, maid?”
I swallowed hard. And then I answered.
“Your Highness.”
“Say it.”
My voice, filled with resentment, was so strong that it almost sounded solemn.
“I am not close to Prince Kydel.”
The Princess’s beautiful eyebrows are slightly crooked.
She was certain of her thoughts, but her confidence wavered when I spoke so strongly.
“If you wish, I will submit a request to the Second Prince’s Palace, but as the Second Prince’s attendant, Prince Kydel, it will be difficult for him to accept it.”
“Who doesn’t know that? That’s why I am ordering you, who is my close friend?”
“As I said, there is nothing I can do personally.”
“And yet you are wearing his medal on your chest?”
I felt like I was being attacked by both Prince Locard Kydel and Princess Milliora.
That’s why I suddenly burst into tears.
“If Your Highness had given me my medal, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Ha! You call that a lie?”
The Princess got angry and grabbed the handles of her chair, straightening her upper body.
However, asking Prince Kydel for a personal favor was something I couldn’t back down from now.
“If you give me my medal, I will return it to Prince Kydel, Your Highness. Then the problem will be solved. I will not have anything to do with him in the future.”
“While you are returning it, are you saying that you will bring him to my tea party? That is my problem.”
What should I do? I want to hit Her Highness.
I held my breath as much as I could to suppress my excitement.
“As I said, there is nothing I can do.”
Her Highness narrowed her eyes and stared at me.
Then she got up and took a small box out of her desk drawer and pushed it to the edge of the table.
I caught it before it hit the floor and opened it.
Inside was the servant’s medal that Her Highness should have given me.
Haa...
Her Highness smiled and turned away from me. I walked out, carrying the box. I had to return the medal to Prince Kydel now.
Easier said than done.
The sky was too high today.
***
Her Highness’s arrogant laughter dispersed like fog.
As the maid left, Miliora Tagar turned around on the sofa, leaning her head against the backrest.
Depression, loneliness, and a sense of defeat weighed on her.
'How much that arrogant bastard had despised me earlier...'
A contest that was crazy.
She knew she had nothing.
The position of the eldest son, who was strongly protected by the Empress, and the courage of the second son, who seemed to have gained wings by acquiring a lion cub, were all stories of others to her.
In the continent's long history, the empire has only won a battle in the Tunbar Mountains a few times.
When the empire decided to fight in the Amata War, the commander was destined to be killed or defeated.
However, Grayon did not utter a single word of complaint when he was ordered to go to war instead of Orl.
He simply went before his father and made a demand with mad eyes.
'Do not decide on a Crown Prince until I return.'
That was the only condition he had set before leading his army and leaving for the Tunbar Mountains.
Now that he had returned from there alive, he was no longer the Second Prince who had quietly sought to survive in the shadow of the eldest son. He was a proper guardian of the empire.
He had risked everything to compete with his brother for the Crown Prince position.
The reason the Emperor had not decided on a Crown Prince early on stemmed from his own past.
When he was young and the Crown Prince, powerful nobles had fiercely competed behind the scenes to catch his eye.
Those who were pushed out of the competition dispersed to the other Crown Princes, and each sought to strengthen their power.
Under the influence of the old nobles, the Princes were hostile to each other and did not even realize that they were playing the role of the nobles' chess pieces.
And such a tense, competitive structure ended in a great tragedy. That was the history of the previous imperial family.
The Emperor wanted his children to compete solely on their own strength, and the nobles who had witnessed the cruel purges he had caused in the past did not dare approach the Princes.
And now, the Emperor has destroyed the peace of the imperial family that he had artificially maintained. It was called a contest.
They were now forced into the circular arena.
Grayon, who had returned from the brink of death, and Orl, who had always been the most beloved son. The two of them began a fight that would put everything on the line.
But why did I have to get in the middle of it?
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