59. Letzen's Mad Dog
“Congratulations on your wedding.”
The first to start the meaningless lie was Arthur Hertford, King of Lars.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Bjorn skillfully joined in the play.
The King congratulated the allied nation's wedding with a gentle smile, and the Prince expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Their conversation flowed naturally, perfectly suited to their assigned roles. It was a scene of tranquility that belied the anxious ministers of both countries standing outside the conference room.
"Although belated, I deeply appreciate Your Majesty's offer, conveyed through Princess Gladys. Although my own wishes differed from Your Majesty's and I could not accept them, I will long remember your thoughtfulness."
The one who put an end to the conversation that had been going on for a long time was surprisingly Bjorn.
Arthur Hartford's brow furrowed as he watched the Prince casually provoking him. His face wore a constant, polite smile, but Bjorn's eyes held a piercing edge he had no intention of hiding.
How dare you interfere in the internal affairs of another country by putting your illegitimate daughter first?
It was a bold response to the offer to help reclaim the lost crown. It also came with a warning that he would never forget that overstepping of authority.
“You are still the same, Prince Bjorn.”
Arthur Hartford, who had been scrutinizing the Prince with a displeased gaze, burst into a laugh mixed with despair. He thought the passage of time had made him toxic, but he was right. He looked no different from the days when he'd used Gladys as a snare to strangle Lars.
"It wasn't my intention to usurp Letzen's throne to my will. I know the wolves of Dneister are no easy task. However, if that's what Letzen wants, I simply wanted to help. As atonement for having a worthless daughter."
"I trust Your Majesty's sincerity. Furthermore, I believe you now understand clearly what Letzen means."
“Bjorn.”
Arthur Hartford let out a long, drawn-out sigh. It was the first time since these secret meetings began that he had shown any genuine emotion.
"I completely understand your unwillingness to take Gladys back as your wife. However, putting aside personal feelings and thinking rationally, I believe that restoring you to the Crown Prince position is in the best interest of both countries. Even though things have come to this."
"Even if Leonid ascends to the throne, the friendly relations between our two countries will remain unchanged, Your Majesty. My brother will be a moderate and considerate King, so wouldn't that actually reduce the risk of a dangerous situation?"
“You really seem like a man who has no attachment to the crown.”
“If I had been foolish, I wouldn’t have put it down.”
Bjorn smiled, as if he were rather relieved. Arthur Hartford's gaze gradually narrowed as he examined the Prince, who concealed his sly, snake-like inner thoughts behind a seemingly innocent face.
Letzen's mad dog is back.
The opinions of other kingdoms regarding Crown Prince Bjorn Dneister, who was beginning to rise to prominence, were largely similar.
Letzen's mad dog.
It was the nickname of his great-grandfather, Philip II, a great conqueror hailed in Letzen but a bitter enemy to all nations except Letzen. The wolf banner of the Dniesters was so feared that its notoriety is still widely remembered today.
International affairs are a cyclical system, with some scheming to beat others, others to beat others. However, the general consensus was that Philip II of Letzen was a truly outrageous scoundrel. Lars was one of the kingdom's most severely bitten by that mad dog.
Of course, there was a time when Lars was more powerful than Letzen. The battle fought then, in which Lars' cavalry charged into Letzen's heart and forced its King's surrender, was a source of pride for Lars, who had long used it to despise the Letzens. However, after the naval fleet led by the Mad Dog sank the combined fleet of Lars and three other nations, it became a distant memory. The battle was particularly humiliating because Letzen's ships were outnumbered. Philip II personally commanded the naval battle. It was a victory that laid the foundation for the young King, not yet thirty, to ascend to the throne as a conqueror of the continent.
When the mad dog conquered the continent, peace returned.
It was a near-resignation, a reluctant acceptance of the hierarchy that had been awakened through beatings, but somehow the continent stabilized again, industry and civilization blossomed, and thus an era of prosperity arrived.
Fortunately, the light of civilization shone upon the wolves of Dneister, and unlike their ancestors, the descendants of Philip II maintained a moderate reign. However, the nations of the continent, anxious about when the enemy might reveal his teeth, sought to forge the most powerful alliance, the betrothal. Thus, when Gladys was chosen as the Crown Princess of Letzen, Lars's sense of accomplishment and pride was truly heavenly. This was especially true when her opponent was Bjorn Dneister, the Crown Prince known as the reincarnation of the mad dog.
Although he was a young Crown Prince who hadn't yet entered his own era, his temperament, occasionally revealed, was unmistakably that of his great-grandfather. A conqueror. A cold-blooded madman. When Bjorn Dneister resigned as Crown Prince due to his affair with Gladys, it was no wonder the entire continent, except Letzen, was relieved and heartbroken.
Arthur Hartford nodded, shaking off his thoughts with a deep sigh.
“To be honest, Bjorn, if I can’t make you my son-in-law again and put you on the throne, it would be much better for Lars if you remained a Prince who had no power.”
“So, we’ve reached the best outcome for both of us.”
"The best. Is this the best for you and Letzen?"
Even as he met his questioning gaze, Bjorn smiled faintly. His face showed no trace of regret, yet still shone with the spirit of his great-grandfather.
"These are turbulent times, Your Majesty. We need negotiators, not conquerors, to balance the raging waves of change within and the old order within, and to keep the precarious balance of peace from tipping over. This is a time when we need negotiators, not conquerors."
"I don't have the confidence to be a monarch worthy of the role, so I will pass the crown on to my younger brother. Is that what you mean?"
"If I set my mind to it, there's no way I wouldn't become such a monarch. I also know full well that the weight of the crown I've been given is not something I can just casually shoulder."
Bjorn, who had been staring out the conference room window for a moment, spoke calmly.
“However, in Letzen, there is someone who perfectly fits its values and is the perfect person to lead that era to its greatest glory, and I simply do not wish to devote my one and only life to values that differ from my own.”
“Then, what is the value you, who has no attachment to the crown, wish to devote yourself to?”
“That would probably be... living a life of leisure and luxury.”
Arthur Hertford, who was blankly staring at the arrogant Prince who was talking nonsense in the conference room where he was meeting the King of a country, burst out laughing.
"What a beautiful value. Is that why you're buying Lars' bank?"
"It's an honor that Your Majesty is interested in the pastimes of a vagabond Prince."
“It’s something to pass the time.”
“Yes. I understand that Prince Alexander of Lars also recently purchased a famous horse from Letzen.”
Bjorn's impudent attitude of equating the Prince's hobby of buying a racehorse with his ambition to merge Lars' bank made him laugh once again.
“Leonid knows the price both countries paid to preserve this alliance.”
Bjorn slowly opened his eyes and faced him.
"So, do not be anxious, Your Majesty. Even without marriage, this alliance remains strong and will remain so throughout Leonid's reign. This is a promise I can make on the honor of the Dneisters."
The sunlight filtering into the conference room fell on the young Prince, who straightened his neck. Arthur Hartford, who had been staring blankly at him, sighed softly and nodded. A deep sense of regret crept into his mind, realizing what his foolish daughter had missed.
“So, can I open that door now?”
Bjorn pointed to the conference room door with a smile returning to his eyes.
“The ministers of Letzen must be very worried that the troublesome Prince will be beaten by the enraged King Lars.”
“Since you’ve already claimed to be a troublemaker, why not risk those rumors?”
The young Prince's playful remark was met with a joking response. Bjorn furrowed his eyebrows, as if expressing his trouble.
"I think that's a bit much. Please take into account that we are on our honeymoon, Your Majesty."
Looking at him, Bjorn naturally reminded him of his marriage.
Arthur Hartford, who had let go of even his last foolish thoughts, asked a question born of pure curiosity with a hearty laugh.
"I understand the Prince's intentions. But why did you dare to go to such lengths? Just how remarkable is your bride?"
Karen let out a silent sigh and rubbed the stiff back of her neck.
The Grand Duchess, seated at her desk, had been memorizing Letzen's noble almanac for hours. Karen, too, was unable to move, remaining by her side. "What about this family? What about that family?" Her constant barrage of questions was starting to make her head spin.
“I’m sorry, Karen. Are you tired?”
A quiet smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's face as she examined her complexion.
"No, Your Highness. I am simply doing what I must do."
Karen mechanically offered a set answer. But the look in her eyes toward Erna was one of unfiltered displeasure. Princess Greta, the youngest of the royal family, barely twelve, undoubtedly knew more than the ignorant Grand Duchess.
“I heard you’ve been with Bjorn for a long time.”
“Yes. I have served His Highness since he was a young Crown Prince.”
"Mrs. Fitz said the housekeeper was a very loyal person. I agree."
Karen's eyes narrowed as she watched Erna continue to talk nonsense.
“May I ask what you would like to say, Your Highness?”
“It means that I understand that as much as you love and cherish Bjorn, you can be dissatisfied with him, Karen.”
With her face still wearing a gentle smile, Erna threw out a sharp remark.
“I know I am very inadequate as that man’s wife. I’m sure the maid sees it that way, too.”
“What are you talking about...”
"So, I'll study harder. I'll strive to be a Grand Duchess who doesn't disgrace herself. So please, help me. Please."
Karen swallowed dryly, flinching.
Even though she's useless outside of bed, she still seems to want to be a boss.
Karen was furious, but she couldn't resist, so she endured the humiliation and obeyed the order. The Grand Duchess smiled, seemingly satisfied, and returned to concentrating on the nobles' almanac.
The barrage of questions, which had been going on endlessly, finally ended when the sun went down.
While the Grand Duchess, excited by the prospect of dinner with her husband, went to change, Karen wrapped her pounding hair and basked in the cold air. It was around this time that an urgent message from the Prince arrived, informing her that work was running late and that she should dine first.
“If this continues, won’t it be less than half a year?”
The maid burst into laughter when she heard the news. Instead of scolding her for her rudeness, Karen added to the laughter.
“Let me know later.”
Karen firmly stopped the maid who was going to deliver a message to the Grand Duchess.
"Her Highness is currently changing clothes. It would be rude to interrupt at a time like this."
The maids' voices, laughing and chatting, spread through the clear darkness of the evening, imagining the face of the Grand Duchess who, after all her elaborate dressing, would hear the news that she had been caught in the wind.
“Huh? Isn’t that Jade?”
A maid with startled eyes stopped Karen as she turned around.
Karen's eyes widened as she observed the direction the child's fingertips were pointing. Jade, Princess Gladys's maid, was rushing towards her.
“Congratulations on your wedding.”
The first to start the meaningless lie was Arthur Hertford, King of Lars.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Bjorn skillfully joined in the play.
The King congratulated the allied nation's wedding with a gentle smile, and the Prince expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Their conversation flowed naturally, perfectly suited to their assigned roles. It was a scene of tranquility that belied the anxious ministers of both countries standing outside the conference room.
"Although belated, I deeply appreciate Your Majesty's offer, conveyed through Princess Gladys. Although my own wishes differed from Your Majesty's and I could not accept them, I will long remember your thoughtfulness."
The one who put an end to the conversation that had been going on for a long time was surprisingly Bjorn.
Arthur Hartford's brow furrowed as he watched the Prince casually provoking him. His face wore a constant, polite smile, but Bjorn's eyes held a piercing edge he had no intention of hiding.
How dare you interfere in the internal affairs of another country by putting your illegitimate daughter first?
It was a bold response to the offer to help reclaim the lost crown. It also came with a warning that he would never forget that overstepping of authority.
“You are still the same, Prince Bjorn.”
Arthur Hartford, who had been scrutinizing the Prince with a displeased gaze, burst into a laugh mixed with despair. He thought the passage of time had made him toxic, but he was right. He looked no different from the days when he'd used Gladys as a snare to strangle Lars.
"It wasn't my intention to usurp Letzen's throne to my will. I know the wolves of Dneister are no easy task. However, if that's what Letzen wants, I simply wanted to help. As atonement for having a worthless daughter."
"I trust Your Majesty's sincerity. Furthermore, I believe you now understand clearly what Letzen means."
“Bjorn.”
Arthur Hartford let out a long, drawn-out sigh. It was the first time since these secret meetings began that he had shown any genuine emotion.
"I completely understand your unwillingness to take Gladys back as your wife. However, putting aside personal feelings and thinking rationally, I believe that restoring you to the Crown Prince position is in the best interest of both countries. Even though things have come to this."
"Even if Leonid ascends to the throne, the friendly relations between our two countries will remain unchanged, Your Majesty. My brother will be a moderate and considerate King, so wouldn't that actually reduce the risk of a dangerous situation?"
“You really seem like a man who has no attachment to the crown.”
“If I had been foolish, I wouldn’t have put it down.”
Bjorn smiled, as if he were rather relieved. Arthur Hartford's gaze gradually narrowed as he examined the Prince, who concealed his sly, snake-like inner thoughts behind a seemingly innocent face.
Letzen's mad dog is back.
The opinions of other kingdoms regarding Crown Prince Bjorn Dneister, who was beginning to rise to prominence, were largely similar.
Letzen's mad dog.
It was the nickname of his great-grandfather, Philip II, a great conqueror hailed in Letzen but a bitter enemy to all nations except Letzen. The wolf banner of the Dniesters was so feared that its notoriety is still widely remembered today.
International affairs are a cyclical system, with some scheming to beat others, others to beat others. However, the general consensus was that Philip II of Letzen was a truly outrageous scoundrel. Lars was one of the kingdom's most severely bitten by that mad dog.
Of course, there was a time when Lars was more powerful than Letzen. The battle fought then, in which Lars' cavalry charged into Letzen's heart and forced its King's surrender, was a source of pride for Lars, who had long used it to despise the Letzens. However, after the naval fleet led by the Mad Dog sank the combined fleet of Lars and three other nations, it became a distant memory. The battle was particularly humiliating because Letzen's ships were outnumbered. Philip II personally commanded the naval battle. It was a victory that laid the foundation for the young King, not yet thirty, to ascend to the throne as a conqueror of the continent.
When the mad dog conquered the continent, peace returned.
It was a near-resignation, a reluctant acceptance of the hierarchy that had been awakened through beatings, but somehow the continent stabilized again, industry and civilization blossomed, and thus an era of prosperity arrived.
Fortunately, the light of civilization shone upon the wolves of Dneister, and unlike their ancestors, the descendants of Philip II maintained a moderate reign. However, the nations of the continent, anxious about when the enemy might reveal his teeth, sought to forge the most powerful alliance, the betrothal. Thus, when Gladys was chosen as the Crown Princess of Letzen, Lars's sense of accomplishment and pride was truly heavenly. This was especially true when her opponent was Bjorn Dneister, the Crown Prince known as the reincarnation of the mad dog.
Although he was a young Crown Prince who hadn't yet entered his own era, his temperament, occasionally revealed, was unmistakably that of his great-grandfather. A conqueror. A cold-blooded madman. When Bjorn Dneister resigned as Crown Prince due to his affair with Gladys, it was no wonder the entire continent, except Letzen, was relieved and heartbroken.
Arthur Hartford nodded, shaking off his thoughts with a deep sigh.
“To be honest, Bjorn, if I can’t make you my son-in-law again and put you on the throne, it would be much better for Lars if you remained a Prince who had no power.”
“So, we’ve reached the best outcome for both of us.”
"The best. Is this the best for you and Letzen?"
Even as he met his questioning gaze, Bjorn smiled faintly. His face showed no trace of regret, yet still shone with the spirit of his great-grandfather.
"These are turbulent times, Your Majesty. We need negotiators, not conquerors, to balance the raging waves of change within and the old order within, and to keep the precarious balance of peace from tipping over. This is a time when we need negotiators, not conquerors."
"I don't have the confidence to be a monarch worthy of the role, so I will pass the crown on to my younger brother. Is that what you mean?"
"If I set my mind to it, there's no way I wouldn't become such a monarch. I also know full well that the weight of the crown I've been given is not something I can just casually shoulder."
Bjorn, who had been staring out the conference room window for a moment, spoke calmly.
“However, in Letzen, there is someone who perfectly fits its values and is the perfect person to lead that era to its greatest glory, and I simply do not wish to devote my one and only life to values that differ from my own.”
“Then, what is the value you, who has no attachment to the crown, wish to devote yourself to?”
“That would probably be... living a life of leisure and luxury.”
Arthur Hertford, who was blankly staring at the arrogant Prince who was talking nonsense in the conference room where he was meeting the King of a country, burst out laughing.
"What a beautiful value. Is that why you're buying Lars' bank?"
"It's an honor that Your Majesty is interested in the pastimes of a vagabond Prince."
“It’s something to pass the time.”
“Yes. I understand that Prince Alexander of Lars also recently purchased a famous horse from Letzen.”
Bjorn's impudent attitude of equating the Prince's hobby of buying a racehorse with his ambition to merge Lars' bank made him laugh once again.
“Leonid knows the price both countries paid to preserve this alliance.”
Bjorn slowly opened his eyes and faced him.
"So, do not be anxious, Your Majesty. Even without marriage, this alliance remains strong and will remain so throughout Leonid's reign. This is a promise I can make on the honor of the Dneisters."
The sunlight filtering into the conference room fell on the young Prince, who straightened his neck. Arthur Hartford, who had been staring blankly at him, sighed softly and nodded. A deep sense of regret crept into his mind, realizing what his foolish daughter had missed.
“So, can I open that door now?”
Bjorn pointed to the conference room door with a smile returning to his eyes.
“The ministers of Letzen must be very worried that the troublesome Prince will be beaten by the enraged King Lars.”
“Since you’ve already claimed to be a troublemaker, why not risk those rumors?”
The young Prince's playful remark was met with a joking response. Bjorn furrowed his eyebrows, as if expressing his trouble.
"I think that's a bit much. Please take into account that we are on our honeymoon, Your Majesty."
Looking at him, Bjorn naturally reminded him of his marriage.
Arthur Hartford, who had let go of even his last foolish thoughts, asked a question born of pure curiosity with a hearty laugh.
"I understand the Prince's intentions. But why did you dare to go to such lengths? Just how remarkable is your bride?"
***
Karen let out a silent sigh and rubbed the stiff back of her neck.
The Grand Duchess, seated at her desk, had been memorizing Letzen's noble almanac for hours. Karen, too, was unable to move, remaining by her side. "What about this family? What about that family?" Her constant barrage of questions was starting to make her head spin.
“I’m sorry, Karen. Are you tired?”
A quiet smile appeared on the Grand Duchess's face as she examined her complexion.
"No, Your Highness. I am simply doing what I must do."
Karen mechanically offered a set answer. But the look in her eyes toward Erna was one of unfiltered displeasure. Princess Greta, the youngest of the royal family, barely twelve, undoubtedly knew more than the ignorant Grand Duchess.
“I heard you’ve been with Bjorn for a long time.”
“Yes. I have served His Highness since he was a young Crown Prince.”
"Mrs. Fitz said the housekeeper was a very loyal person. I agree."
Karen's eyes narrowed as she watched Erna continue to talk nonsense.
“May I ask what you would like to say, Your Highness?”
“It means that I understand that as much as you love and cherish Bjorn, you can be dissatisfied with him, Karen.”
With her face still wearing a gentle smile, Erna threw out a sharp remark.
“I know I am very inadequate as that man’s wife. I’m sure the maid sees it that way, too.”
“What are you talking about...”
"So, I'll study harder. I'll strive to be a Grand Duchess who doesn't disgrace herself. So please, help me. Please."
Karen swallowed dryly, flinching.
Even though she's useless outside of bed, she still seems to want to be a boss.
Karen was furious, but she couldn't resist, so she endured the humiliation and obeyed the order. The Grand Duchess smiled, seemingly satisfied, and returned to concentrating on the nobles' almanac.
The barrage of questions, which had been going on endlessly, finally ended when the sun went down.
While the Grand Duchess, excited by the prospect of dinner with her husband, went to change, Karen wrapped her pounding hair and basked in the cold air. It was around this time that an urgent message from the Prince arrived, informing her that work was running late and that she should dine first.
“If this continues, won’t it be less than half a year?”
The maid burst into laughter when she heard the news. Instead of scolding her for her rudeness, Karen added to the laughter.
“Let me know later.”
Karen firmly stopped the maid who was going to deliver a message to the Grand Duchess.
"Her Highness is currently changing clothes. It would be rude to interrupt at a time like this."
The maids' voices, laughing and chatting, spread through the clear darkness of the evening, imagining the face of the Grand Duchess who, after all her elaborate dressing, would hear the news that she had been caught in the wind.
“Huh? Isn’t that Jade?”
A maid with startled eyes stopped Karen as she turned around.
Karen's eyes widened as she observed the direction the child's fingertips were pointing. Jade, Princess Gladys's maid, was rushing towards her.
Comments
Post a Comment