Chapter 48
‘He has those moments sometimes. When that happens, don’t scream or anything, just endure it. That way it ends faster.’
The previous aide patted his shoulder as if to encourage him and left.
Perhaps he had said the illness was deep-rooted?
It would be, wouldn’t it…
He probably couldn’t even breathe properly several times a day depending on the mood of the person he served.
The loyalty and joy of serving His Highness the Prince had long since evaporated and flown away.
The aide’s unfocused eyes followed the goblet made of glass, sent by the Bolshevik family quite a long time ago, said to be so rare it was hard to put a price on it.
The precious thing that had already been shattered somehow seemed similar to his own situation…
“…are you?”
“Yes.”
When the aide, whose mind was elsewhere, reflexively answered, Smith’s face contorted.
“What on earth… Huh. No, never mind. It’s a waste of time.”
At this, the aide hunched his shoulders, and Smith waved his hand.
“The documents.”
“They’re here…”
“Get out.”
Before the aide could properly speak, Smith immediately cut him off.
At this, the aide disappeared without a word, no, not just without a word, but somehow very quickly.
It was fortunate for him that Smith didn’t even glance at the aide, so he didn’t notice.
“Huh.”
As Smith, who had closed his eyes tightly and sighed, took a step forward.
-Crunch.
The sound of glass shards being crushed under his shoe rang out.
Smith’s lips twisted as he looked down at the goblet that had not just broken but completely lost its original form.
Isn’t it truly laughable?
Something so expensive and precious, yet it breaks so easily.
It seemed like the Crown Prince position that had seemed just within his grasp…
-Clink.
The sound of ice rolling in a glass rang out, but the glass wasn’t filled.
Smith’s Adam’s apple moved greatly as he picked up the whiskey, but in the end, he put the alcohol down and turned away.
Now wasn’t the time to drink and get drunk.
Eventually, Smith, with a teacup in front of him, glared at the miserably shattered goblet and muttered.
“It’s become quite a laughable situation.”
As he said this, Smith gripped the teacup he was holding so hard it creaked.
“Riina, and Einar.”
If they didn’t intend to completely crush him, they wouldn’t have gone that far in front of everyone at the hunting competition.
He hadn’t been able to sleep properly due to the humiliation after the hunting competition.
Moreover…
‘I don’t care what they say!’
He had boldly declared that he wouldn’t care about what people who supported him or didn’t said.
‘Your Highness, fortunately, there aren’t people gossiping.’
At the vivid memory of the aide’s stupid face, veins popped on Smith’s neck.
How fortunate it was for that aide that he wasn’t in front of Smith right now could be easily inferred just by looking at Smith’s face that seemed about to explode.
“Stupid, so stupid!”
What’s fortunate about it?
For such an incident to have happened and not even be mentioned.
Aren’t they all treating him as a ‘nobody’?
“It’s not good. It’s very bad.”
He had expected that ascending to the Crown Prince position would become somewhat difficult after breaking off the engagement with Riina.
But the fact that nothing was going according to his expectations after the broken engagement was truly very bad.
No one would believe his words from the hunting competition anymore, saying ‘She seems hurt, so I’m trying to comfort her’.
If only there had been even a little time to turn the lie into truth…
Smith gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t see any breakthrough.
But he had no intention of giving up on the Crown Prince position.
“It can’t end like this.”
Yes. The hunting competition was just at a terribly bad time.
It was the perfect condition for Einar to act up.
But at the upcoming national event, he would be able to fully demonstrate his abilities.
A few days ago.
The Emperor had summoned the princes, or to be precise, those except the youngest prince who was unconscious due to a high fever that day.
‘Envoys from various countries will come regarding next quarter’s trade.’
It was an annual event that happened every year, but there was probably a separate reason why the Emperor had specially summoned the princes this year.
‘Prepare.’
As expected. Now the Emperor has officially started the test for the Crown Prince position.
After the test ends, the one to sit on the next imperial throne will be decided.
The Emperor looked tired, but he swept his cool gaze over the princes.
Smith’s lips twitched as he slightly bowed his head, receiving the Emperor’s gaze.
A test for the Crown Prince position…
The stagnant time of bickering with each other’s forces would end with this.
But why at this point in time?
Wasn’t it when Einar, who had seemed completely uninterested in the throne, had started to move?
He must have known for quite a long time that the First Prince and he had been keeping each other in check for the Crown Prince position.
Smith glanced at Einar from the corner of his eye.
He didn’t even hide his bored expression as usual, which irritated Smith’s nerves even more.
Could it be that he was waiting for that guy?
As soon as that thought occurred, his stomach turned, but he soon took a deep breath.
Although he couldn’t help feeling resentful about why, it wouldn’t be a good choice to disturb His Majesty’s mood with personal emotions.
The Emperor, after sweeping his gaze over the princes, didn’t say much and got straight to the point.
‘Before the official trade negotiations begin, I have something to ask…’
Eventually, the Emperor rubbed his tired eyes and threw out a question.
‘What do you think, First Prince?’
But there was no immediate answer.
The First Prince was distracted by the black tiger’s hide hanging prominently near the throne.
He probably recalled the hair-raising memory of that time.
‘First Prince.’
‘I-I apologize.’
Only after Einar nudged his arm almost imperceptibly did the First Prince come to his senses and hurriedly opened his mouth.
‘So, um…’
But since he hadn’t properly heard the Emperor’s question, he just gaped.
The Emperor’s face was expressionless as he looked at him.
There was no disappointment, let alone anger or even contempt.
He just indifferently took his gaze off the First Prince and then nodded towards Einar, but before he could open his mouth, Smith stepped forward.
‘The Empire is the largest market on the continent, so we can use this point to secure an overwhelming advantage.’
The Emperor nodded towards him, who had directly quoted what Riina had said sometime in the past.
Recalling up to this point, Smith glared in the direction of the Bolshevik residence.
“Riina, Riina. It’s all about Riina.”
So she’s getting engaged to Einar after all.
His Majesty’s approval has already been given, and even the engagement date has been announced.
“What on earth is she plotting?”
Wasn’t she the one who clung to him and begged for attention until the day before the broken engagement?
Yet overnight, she broke off the engagement with him, and as if it were a lie, her love for him completely cooled.
Moreover, after that, her relationship with Einar deepened quickly, leading to an engagement.
It was incomprehensible.
Of course, Smith doesn’t have the fairy tale-like delusion that love lasts forever either.
Love can cool off.
But suddenly without any trigger?
He had constantly gone over the day Riina declared the broken engagement, the day before, and the day before that, but he couldn’t recall any special incident.
“Still, I have to keep knocking.”
Because he can’t just let Riina go so easily.
Is there a weapon as powerful and reliable as her in becoming the Crown Prince?
No, I should say Bolshevik, not her.
He needs to bring back the supporters who turned their backs on him through this trade negotiation once again.
And if he still can’t have her even then…
“It would be better to destroy it. If I can’t have it, no one can.”
How could he willingly hand over a treasure he had once held to someone else?
It’s been a long time since he ordered an investigation into anything that could be considered Riina’s weakness.
But Bolshevik is Bolshevik, should we say.
No satisfactory results came out at all.
His eyes fixed on the documents the aide had left.
Smith’s eyes stopped on one word as he skimmed through the documents densely filled with information about Bolshevik’s movements.
“Shadow…”
Then, as he rifled through the documents about Jane, Smith clicked his tongue.
“A commoner? This is more likely to be completely useless.”
Smith, who was tapping Jane’s portrait, raised the end of his eyebrow sharply.
“Blue eyes, as expected of a Bolshevik.”
Although they weren’t the piercingly transparent, truly Bolshevik blue eyes like Riina’s.
After alternately looking at Jane’s portrait and documents for a while, Smith couldn’t stand it anymore and got up.
He gulped down the whiskey, not minding the slightly melted ice.
“Phew.”
Hot breath mixed with the smell of alcohol flowed out, but Smith’s hand heading towards the liquor bottle didn’t stop.
* * *
Around the time Smith was pondering the usefulness of Jane, the shadow.
The person in question, Jane, was handling Bolshevik affairs for the first time in Riina’s office.
Riina gave Jane an overview of the work that would pour in from now on.
“The tea party season is also the Empire’s trade negotiation season. So?”
Without continuing, she gestured towards Jane, who immediately opened her mouth.
“We should prepare for the tea parties.”
