Chapter 62
Do other knights receive this much leave? It was unclear what to do with this floating time. They had been told not to go outside, whatever happened. Something about not wanting to catch the Count’s eye. Adi thought differently. The Count would move to reclaim his position.
Adi needed to move as well. However, they couldn’t avoid others’ gazes. Though some were planted by the Duke, people’s eyes followed Adi’s every movement.
When they reached their destination, a guard shifted his spear aside and asked:
“Are you from House Woodpecker?”
“…Yes, but not related to His Grace the Duke. I received a separate invitation from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Looking at their bruised face, the guard asked with a disbelieving expression, “Lord Adrian Grimaldi?”
“…Yes.”
Perhaps the stares following them had been because of this face. If even the guards here knew, rumors must have spread throughout Palesa Palace.
“They’re waiting. Please enter.”
The guard said, moving his spear. Adi bowed and went inside.
The reception room was empty. With all curtains drawn, it was particularly dark. Perhaps the poor weather outside made it seem more so. As Adi stood there, a servant told them to sit and wait.
After waiting on the sofa for about ten minutes, the Crown Prince finally appeared through the door. Two servants followed behind. Claude, wearing only a robe as if just risen, brushed back his hair and spread his arms in welcome toward Adi. Adi stood to face Claude.
“Wow.”
Claude’s hand covered his mouth.
“What happened to your face?”
Though he pretended surprise, his expression wasn’t truly shocked. Just slightly unexpected, with some interest in his eyes.
“Was the Count such a violent person? I didn’t know.”
Spencer Grimaldi was always the epitome of cold rationality. So unchanging in any situation that one might think him a golem created by some magician.
But seeing this state proved the Count was human after all. The price for leaking the family’s swordsmanship. Well, they hadn’t even shared it with the royal family.
“Why haven’t you healed? Didn’t Yuls provide a healing mage?”
Claude asked, sitting in the main seat.
“The Count would dislike healing.”
“Wouldn’t he dislike you walking around in that state more?”
Adi smiled wryly. Ah, this. Though they say you can’t steal seeds, the resemblance is identical. It would be a shame if this pretty man became like Spencer Grimaldi. No, he’s already quite similar.
“It was intentional.”
Claude said. A rebellion staking yourself.
“More interesting than expected, Lord Adrian Grimaldi.”
“I’m glad you’re amused.”
“I was going to issue orders for Ionad, but Woodpecker sent transfer papers first.”
Claude asked, sinking into his chair. Today he didn’t smell of crushed grass. His eyes seemed clearer than usual.
“Are you thinking of going to Woodpecker?”
“…”
“I don’t like people playing games with me.”
“Though you may not believe me, I didn’t know about it.”
“Right. That’s what everyone says.”
What else could they say outwardly? All humans hide their intentions, go back on their actions, and move toward what benefits them.
“But Woodpecker isn’t bad.”
At Claude’s words, Adi looked confused. The Crown Prince seemed to check the Duke, yet saying it was fine—did that mean they were on good terms? But the Duke had described the Crown Prince as a falling horse.
“If you go there, I’d be relieved too. More than elsewhere. He’s my only cousin I trust.”
Strange. Normally, they shouldn’t be able to trust each other. If anyone trusted anyone, it would make more sense for the Duke to trust the Crown Prince. Those in high positions are always wary of others because everyone wants to climb higher.
“Still, come to me.”
How had the Duke earned the Crown Prince’s trust?
“Does Your Highness have some need of me?”
“…Need of you.”
“I thought you had a close relationship with my father, but seeing the current situation, perhaps not.”
“A close relationship with your father, you say.”
Claude rubbed his fingers. It seemed a somewhat anxious gesture. The standing servants seemed to notice too. But they didn’t move. Because there were no orders from the Crown Prince.
“The Count is just one of many subjects.”
Claude said.
“The only difference might be that he’s currently fallen from the king’s favor. Perhaps he thought his position allowed him to speak such words. It was a mistake.”
“May I know how it happened?”
“Well. It was nothing special. Just a difference of opinion with the king.”
Saying this, Claude tapped his temple with his index finger.
“My father, you see, has become rigid here.”
Adi didn’t know the king. They’d never had an audience, only seeing him once when he arrived at Palesa. Outwardly, the king seemed fine. Perhaps it was the power that came with the position. It seemed proper. But perhaps those who saw him up close saw differently.
“When you get old, it seems thoughts can’t penetrate a hardened mind. He thinks the current situation isn’t bad. Actually, Dalkatir has always been precarious. Like most nations. Rather, maintaining absolute monarchy is unusual.”
Claude sighed while speaking. He seemed to think about something while staring into space, then leaned forward, raising his body.
“How much do you know about the political situation, Adrian?”
“…Not much.”
“War is coming in the northern country.”
“The northern country—you mean Türingen?”
“Yes. It’s precarious now. Between the nobles and rebel forces.”
Türingen wasn’t far from Grimaldi. Just across from a small village in northern Grimaldi territory.
In that village, they spoke both Türingen and Dalkatir languages. More precisely, the two languages were quite similar, and the dialect used in Grimaldi was close to standard Türingen. Being so close, if war broke out, Grimaldi would suffer greatly.
“But these rebel forces are more solid than expected, and they have many elites. They speak of the world they want, but it’s not so good for us. So the Türingen royalty asked for help. After all, when one royal house falls, it affects other countries. Shouldn’t we help each other?”
Adi couldn’t agree. While good for the royal family, it wasn’t good for northern nobles.
“But opinions differed. The Count said it would be better to refuse the request for aid.”
If Adi had been there, they would have thought the same as the Count. Any lord would make that choice. If they cared about their territory’s people.
“And I agree with the Count on this point.”
“Why?”
“Though the Count’s position and mine differ, from my perspective, Dalkatir’s royal authority is more precarious than other countries.”
Adi found this somewhat unexpected. Apart from their own limited understanding of politics, Claude seemed to judge his situation objectively.
“My father is the third son. The legitimate line belongs to my cousins. Originally, Duke Woodpecker should have had higher succession rights than me. Though my rights rose when I became Crown Prince. And except for Yuls, everyone aims for the throne.”
Did that mean Duke Woodpecker didn’t aim for it? Why did he think that?
“The Count said we can’t aid another country when Dalkatir’s royal authority is already precarious. He’s right. For the royal family.”
It was a rational choice for the Count. It was the path for both the royal family and Grimaldi territory.
“But my father thinks differently.”
However, all these correct statements from him gradually built up emotions in the king.
“He thinks the Count spoke to protect his territory. Since he became king by breaking the legitimate line and failed to put someone else on the throne, he considers his power quite strong. He wants to show that power to other countries too.”
Claude smiled self-deprecatingly as he said this.
“While he can’t even properly handle his own subjects.”
Was that subject only Grimaldi, or were there others?
“That’s why I took the Count’s side. Though not providing a residence in Palesa—”
“Meaning you won’t completely take his side.”
“Right. I agree with the Count’s opinion, but he underestimates the royal family too much.”
Looking at the king’s path since ascending the throne, it was understandable. Grimaldi seemed to dislike everything about the royal family, finding fault with every little thing. Though some points were valid, the king refused to acknowledge them. He thought it infringed on royal authority.
“He thinks it’s a position he put them in.”
It wasn’t wrong. The current king sat there thanks to Count Grimaldi. Others thought so too. That was the problem.
Not the king himself, but that it happened because he had good vassals.
Count Grimaldi’s existence was as much a threat to royal authority as it was helpful.
“That’s probably why the ancients killed all their founding contributors. They get arrogant.”
