Chapter 59
On the envelope, as white as a priest’s robes, was stamped the sun-shaped seal, symbol of the god Helios.
Carefully opening the envelope and taking out the letter, elegant handwriting was visible.
[I heard there was a disturbance at the Duke’s residence. I’m sending this letter out of concern that you might have encountered some unfortunate incident there. If you need my help, please don’t hesitate to say so.
-Prion]
It was a letter from High Priest Prion.
It seemed he had sent it after hearing about Lady Quillian’s news.
Come to think of it, tomorrow would be the fifteenth day.
Since she had decided not to go to the temple, she had planned to send a letter to the temple the day before the fifteenth to inform them that she would not become a priestess…
But receiving Prion’s letter like this made it seem too impolite to inform him that way.
After all, it was she who had asked Prion for help.
And Prion was doing his best to help her.
I should tell Prion in person.
And let him know that she was alright so he wouldn’t worry anymore.
“If you write a reply, I’ll send it right away,” the butler said.
“No, I need to see the Duke first.”
“…I’ll relay that.”
The butler left immediately, and Alice hurriedly changed into the dark green dress Aileen had brought.
* * *
Clop, clop.
The sound of hooves hitting the ground echoed busily inside the carriage.
Alice and Kylus were together in the spacious carriage.
And the destination of the carriage they were riding in was none other than the temple.
Alice looked out through the small window of the carriage at the scenery outside, then turned her head to Kylus.
He was still looking down at his documents, in the same posture as when they had departed.
His perfect posture hadn’t wavered at all, as if his neck and back didn’t hurt.
If you’re busy, I could have gone alone.
Alice thought as she looked at Kylus.
Actually, she had intended to go alone, and it would have been more comfortable to go alone.
But Kylus had been adamant.
‘I think I need to visit the temple. I want to tell High Priest Prion in person that I’ve decided not to become a priestess.’
‘Let’s go together.’
‘I can go alone…’
‘I have business at the temple too. So let’s go together.’
Kylus had said that and immediately prepared the carriage.
That’s why they were now riding in the carriage together.
He can’t possibly have… business there.
Alice naturally didn’t believe his claim of having business at the temple.
He probably didn’t want to let me go to the temple alone.
Maybe… he was worried that she might suddenly change her mind.
Although Alice now had an absolute reason why she couldn’t go to the temple, Kylus didn’t know that reason.
He might have been anxious.
But even while understanding this, she was always surprised.
By his obsession with her holy power.
Isn’t that right?
The fact that he was coming with her despite being so busy meant that his desire for holy power was that great.
It’s not like his body looks terribly bad either.
Could the shock of being poisoned have left him traumatized?
Alice tilted her head at his obsession with holy power, then remembered a more important issue.
It was the matter of the next Crown Prince that she had overheard by chance in front of the office.
‘…I hear that the First Prince is gravely ill. Once His Majesty passes away, the Second Prince’s faction will immediately raise the issue of appointing the Crown Prince.’
‘What about the collateral bloodline?’
‘As you know, Your Grace, the one with the highest right of succession among the collateral bloodline is Marquis Beilens, the son of the late emperor’s Second Princess. But that man…’
‘He’s already over 50. And his health isn’t good either.’
‘Yes. So it’s difficult to push him as the next emperor… I hear there will be a hunting competition hosted by the Imperial Family in ten days, and many of the collateral bloodline will attend. Let’s look for a suitable candidate there.’
‘We’ll have to.’
This was the conversation she had happened to overhear when she arrived at the office, as the servants had just left their posts.
According to the conversation with Tessiri… it seemed Kylus was looking for a candidate for the next Crown Prince to replace the Second Prince.
There was no hope for the First Prince after all.
From Alice’s perspective, it was good news that Kylus wasn’t choosing the Second Prince, who was the Empress’s son, but there were other issues.
The fact that Kylus hadn’t mentioned the Third Prince at all, and that the hunting competition was approaching soon.
The events of the original story have been moved up again.
Originally, the hunting competition was supposed to be held in midsummer, not in early spring like now.
But perhaps because the original story had started to twist, the timing of the hunting competition had also been moved up.
Well, it wasn’t entirely bad news.
Alice had been waiting for the hunting competition, which would become a trap for the Empress.
The problem was that Kylus was planning to find a candidate for the next emperor there.
If not the First Prince or the Second Prince, it should naturally be the Third Prince.
Why suddenly jump to the collateral line?
Originally, the male protagonist of this world, who was supposed to deal with the Empress along with Baroness Meltain and become the next emperor, was the Third Prince.
Having decided to fight rather than run away from the Empress, Alice had no choice but to get involved in the issue of the imperial succession.
After all, the Empress’s ultimate goal was to seize imperial power.
Alice had naturally been thinking of the Third Prince… but after hearing today’s conversation, she realized that was only her own thought.
In fact, it was a natural outcome when you think about it.
In the book, the Third Prince was the protagonist, but at this point in time, no one recognized the Third Prince as a prince.
A prince born from the womb of not even a maid, but a lowly bedchamber servant of low noble birth.
The Emperor considered the very existence of the Third Prince a disgrace.
He was only kept alive because the Emperor couldn’t bring himself to kill him. The Third Prince hadn’t enjoyed any of the life he should have as a prince.
He had been driven out to a palace that was no different from being abandoned by the Imperial Palace as soon as he was born, living like a dead mouse.
He had never appeared at any official events, let alone any parties.
There were even children who didn’t know there was a Third Prince in the empire.
Even in the book, the Third Prince was only able to appear officially when he attended a party as Baroness Meltain’s partner.
Even though he hadn’t particularly hidden his hair or eye color, no one recognized him as the Third Prince until he revealed his identity himself.
That’s how much… the Third Prince was a completely abandoned child in the Imperial Family.
He had started to make his existence known by thoroughly trampling the Second Prince at the party… but anyway, the current Third Prince was no different from a ghost.
So Kylus probably wasn’t even considering the Third Prince as a candidate for the next Crown Prince.
But it has to be the Third Prince.
Kylus had to choose the Third Prince.
Because he was the winning card.
Given this situation, she somehow had to highlight the existence of the Third Prince to Kylus before the hunting competition.
Moreover, if Alice’s plan succeeded at the hunting competition, the Second Prince would be cornered, so it would be the perfect time for the Third Prince to step up.
If Kylus supported the Third Prince, he would receive even more attention.
But how to connect the Third Prince to Kylus?
Many events from the original story were being moved up, but it wasn’t like the Third Prince had suddenly appeared yet.
“Do you have something to say?”
Alice’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt at the sudden sound of Kylus’s voice.
“Pardon?”
“You’ve been staring at me for a while now.”
Kylus said, lifting his gaze from the documents. It was too late to deny it, as their eyes met the moment he looked up.
It seems she had been too focused on figuring out how to make Kylus and the Third Prince meet.
But since it had come to this, Alice decided to ask directly.
“…Duke. May I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
Kylus leaned back slightly against the carriage wall, staring at Alice.
“Earlier, by chance, in front of your office… I overheard a conversation about the First Prince and the Crown Prince appointment. That you’re looking for someone from the collateral line to replace the First Prince…”
Kylus’s gaze intensified slightly.
Thinking she might have crossed a line, Alice hurriedly said,
“Ah, if it’s a difficult question, I’m sorry.”
Kylus softened his sharp demeanor and shook his head lightly.
“It’s not particularly difficult. You’ll encounter many issues related to the Crown Prince appointment while by my side anyway, so these are things Alice should know too.”
Kylus uncrossed his legs, setting aside the documents that had been on his lap.
“What you heard is correct. I don’t intend to support the Second Prince as the next Crown Prince. He’s not suitable for the throne. But since there’s no hope for the First Prince… I’m looking for a suitable person from the collateral line.”
“I see. But as far as I know… doesn’t His Majesty the Emperor have one more child?”
Alice spoke as if she knew nothing.
She couldn’t allow Kylus to have any suspicions about her mentioning the Third Prince.
As Alice blinked her eyes, feigning innocence as if she had no other intention, Kylus was silent for a moment.
Is he… suspicious?
As her insides slowly shriveled under his piercing black eyes, his lips finally parted.
“The Third Prince… I didn’t consider him. Although he is His Majesty’s son, he’s a prince who receives even worse treatment than the collateral line. No one would be willing to support the Third Prince. Moreover… it’s not even certain if the Third Prince is still alive.”
It was a coldly objective assessment.
Since it wasn’t particularly wrong, Alice could only nod awkwardly.
“I see.”
It seems there’s absolutely no chance Kylus would seek out the Third Prince on his own.
Then it seems a meeting disguised as coincidence is necessary.
But how on earth could she make Kylus and the Third Prince meet by chance?
To begin with, the two had never been connected in the original story.
The Third Prince’s first appearance was… after Kylus had died.
His first appearance was when Baroness Meltain, who was gathering Kylus’s people, accidentally discovered the collapsed Third Prince.
“Ah…”
Alice let out a small exclamation at the thought that suddenly struck her.
