Episode 99. Lorisha's Ingenious Plan.
"..."
The Duke continued, lost in thought.
"But from my point of view, it's not such a bad thing. You don't know how much I have to be on edge to prove to His Majesty that I won't interfere with the competition."
"If His Highness Orl's gaze towards my father becomes warmer, my father will have more room to move around."
"Perhaps."
"Then, praise me..."
"Shut up. Locard."
"Yes, father."
The Duke stared at his son and asked.
"Do you know who set this trap?"
"Ankart."
"Viscount Ankart?"
"No, it's his daughter. She's the one who moves the Viscount."
"You always fight for the rankings at the Academy, so I guess you've met your match."
Locard frowned as he turned to leave.
“I have never argued with her, Father. She is just trying to keep up with me.”
Duke Kydel did not dislike the arrogance displayed by his son.
“Are you entering the palace?”
“Yes, Father. His Highness Grayon must be excited right now.”
“Wait, Locard.”
Locard turned back to his father. The Duke asked the young man with a puzzled look on his face, with a stern face.
“Strange rumors are going around in society. I am more worried about you, Locard.”
“...”
“The girl you met at the Zebron Hotel? What is your relationship in reality?”
Locard looked into the air for a moment and furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
“Father, you never asked me anything when I went out to sea, but you are questioning me on this issue?”
“Are you going to tell me that I have no share?”
“...”
If he meets a woman, he will naturally have a child, so his father must mean that he should not be involved in the affairs of the first grandson of the Kydel family.
Locard looked very dissatisfied with his father’s strange way of speaking.
“I have no plans for children yet, Father.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am sure.”
I won’t tell you about my other plans.
“Don’t bring shame to Kydel’s name, Locard.”
“Yes, Father.”
***
I almost fainted when I saw the newspaper. How could the incident that night be reported so quickly?
Moreover, the nobles mentioned in it were clearly Kydel.
‘The Prince has fallen into a trap. Someone must know about the incident of the public hazard!’
My hands holding the newspaper were shaking as if they were someone else’s.
Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked Director Royman to send a message to the Second Prince’s Palace. And then we met in the backyard of the Third Palace.
Prince Kydel smiled at me. However, I could tell right away that he still hadn’t recovered from the exhaustion from the previous night and that he was having a headache even in the palace.
“Your Excellency, are you okay? What should I do? Who on earth set you up?”
“Calm down, Miss Lorisha.”
“How can I calm down? I was there too!”
He leaned his upper body toward me and lowered his voice.
“Are you worried about me right now? Is that why you came running to see me? Miss Lorisha.”
“No, that’s not it...! Focus, Your Highness.”
Then he raised his eyebrows.
“Then you’re not worried about me? I’m dealing with pirates on the high seas, who are considered traitors, and I could be executed in the worst-case scenario.”
“Huh!”
I screamed without realizing it and covered my mouth.
Even though I knew he was just teasing me, I was still terrified.
“I was worried, I was worried, I’m human too! But I’m only worried as a citizen who knows the truth of the incident...”
“...”
However, Prince Kydel’s narrowed eyes were staring at my lips. He was ignoring my words.
I never expected to see such an animalistic gaze from him.
Suddenly, all the hair on my body stood on end.
“Your Excellency!”
“Don’t worry. Everything has been resolved.”
Even though he was Locard Kydel, I couldn’t easily believe his words.
“How?”
If it were a false accusation, he could have been cleared up in an instant, but the problem was that much of this incident was true.
He had actually negotiated with pirates and traded stolen goods, and the pirates who would have proven that it was a ruse to subdue them were all dead.
But Prince Kydel said,
“I have recovered evidence that I was there.”
“Really...?”
“Really.”
I relaxed and sat down on a nearby bench. Then he smiled as if we had gone for a walk together and looked up at the sky.
I felt a sense of emptiness as I watched him.
“Who on earth reported you? His Highness Orl?”
“A woman who might become His Highness Orl’s maid.”
“...”
“Since she has become a new variable in the competition, I will tell you. The one who reported me is Miss Kalin Ankart. She did it to catch His Highness Orl’s eye.”
“Ha!”
“She has a bad relationship with you, too, right? Come to think of it, we have a lot in common, Miss Lorisha.”
“Yes. Is that so?”
I answered absentmindedly in my bewilderment and emptiness, but then I realized that I was being dragged into it and ended up making a strange sound.
Don’t stare at me so secretly and emphasize that we’re on the same side!
I moved my hips slightly to sit away from him and asked,
“How does His Highness Grayon take this? Isn’t he angry with you?”
“...”
Judging from the way his brow furrowed slightly at my question, it seemed like His Highness Grayon was in a state of turmoil.
“He was ready to send an assassin to Miss Ankart.”
“Oh my.”
Not far from where we were sitting was Director Royman’s herb garden.
I thought for a moment, smelling the unique scent of herbs carried by the wind.
It didn’t suit my nature to have a grand revenge, but this time I felt like I had to do it.
I jumped up from the bench and said,
“Let’s make a deal.”
“No.”
“Oh my? Why are you answering so quickly?”
“Now we know each other’s most secret secrets. There’s no way we can make a deal between us.”
I almost lashed out again, but I held back with superhuman strength and said,
“Stop the play of seducing me. Instead, I’ll let you get revenge on Kalin Ankart.”
“She’s now His Highness the First Prince's. You can’t touch her.”
“You touched me without permission!”
Prince Kydel suddenly stood up with a fierce expression.
“What exactly made you feel that way? Considering it was my first time, I’m proud to say that I was careful, delicate, and very capable!”
“I-I admit that, but... Ugh!”
I suddenly felt like my mind was going crazy, so I covered my head with both hands. If I could kill someone because I was so annoyed, it would probably be at a moment like this. I hated Prince Kydel even more for looking at the distant mountains while I was suffering.
I roughly straightened my hair with my hands and said,
“I don’t want to hear any more mention of that, Prince. What I said was your scheme to cause a scandal with me.”
“I see. I’ve been thinking about ‘that’ so much lately...”
I sat down on the bench, my legs feeling weak. Then he sat down next to me again.
My voice came out very calmly, perhaps because I was so exhausted.
“Your Excellency, that is not honesty. It’s true.”
“I have never tried to be honest with you.”
“That is exactly what I am pointing out.”
“We talked the truth that night, and didn’t you feel much better? Does Miss Lorisha want me to lie?”
He was right.
I felt relieved after confessing that I had written that letter of ecstasy. And he seemed relieved after confessing that he had been jealous of Labouri Shiha.
But my courage ended there.
I suddenly looked at his face. His violet eyes revealed a pure question, asking what he really wanted.
I turned away from him, unable to think of an answer. I really couldn’t tell whether I wanted him to lie or not.
I was hurt. Instead, I knew clearly what I wanted.
“Are you going to make a deal or refuse?”
“...”
“Your Excellency?”
“I will listen and decide.”
I was dissatisfied, but it now seemed like the time to be the first to reject me.
“Tell the truth.”
“Miss Lorisha.”
“Please report what His Highness Grayon actually did. Instead, let’s say that the Ankarts secretly lent him the ‘Red Tears’.”
Prince Kydel clearly looked like he was going to refute my words, but after a moment, he slowly opened his eyes wide as if he realized it.
“It was all a heroic plan by His Highness Grayon?”
“The Ankarts willingly put up ten million gold for the good of the empire.”
Prince Kydel’s mouth grew into a conspiratorial smile.
“Then the Ankarts will be abandoned by His Highness Orl. Whether it’s true or not, as long as people believe that the Ankarts are supporting His Highness Grayon, His Highness Orl will not be able to keep her by his side.”
“And His Highness Grayon treats her like hell! If you must say that, then say that you killed the pirates who were chasing you for revenge. It’s true.”
“Will it be...?”
“You ignore it! Then kids like Kalin Ankart will be so angry that they won’t be able to sleep and will roll around in their beds?”
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