Clatter clatter–
Karan repeatedly folded and unfolded the dagger in his hand. He was deep in thought. (TL: perhaps Karan is ‘playing’ with the dagger, and not the literal meaning of folding and unfolding)
It’s always something.
Just when Tyllo had been quieted, Duke Odilon started making noise.
Karan glared at the letter on the table. It was a letter sent by Duke Odilon.
The content was about how he hadn’t properly greeted him at the banquet, so he would make time to visit, but it was obvious what he would say when he came.
–Please reconsider your marriage to Melanie. –
Karan’s hand movements sped up. The blade of the knife narrowly passed between his fingers. Just when it seemed like he might cut himself, Haltbin entered.
“Your Highness, I brought the documents you asked for. Are you really going to hand this over?”
“I have to. I made a promise.”
Karan looked down at the documents.
40 gold chests, about 20 treasures, 100 bolts of silk obtained from the Eastern countries were all listed vertically.
It was a tribute to be given to Tyllo. It was Elise’s dowry.
“How can you give away the wealth you’ve hidden and accumulated? It’s not just about giving money. From now on, His Majesty Tyllo will be watching your every move. He’ll be looking for a hole where money comes out.”
Haltbin looked at Karan, who was stamping the documents, with dissatisfaction.
“Haltbin, are we at a level where we can wobble this much?”
Karan returned the documents to Haltbin. Haltbin, who received the documents and inserted them into the wooden approval board, shook his head.
“No.”
It wasn’t a level to wobble, but there was a hit.
“Right. It’s going to be annoying. Just stay quiet for a while and then move.”
Karan, who would let any more words flow past his ears, swallowed what he wanted to say.
“I understand.”
Haltbin, who puffed his cheeks with air and blew it out, closed his mouth for a moment.
He spoke as if he was contemplating.
“But why are you suddenly giving His Majesty a lot of wealth? It’s not like your non-existent filial piety suddenly sprang up.”
Karan did not tell anyone about the conversation he had with Tyllo the day after he arrived in the capital.
Karan recalled the conversation he had with Tyllo.
[The promise is different.]
[It’s not different. It’s just a matter of time. I didn’t say you would get engaged right away.]
[Your Majesty!]
[Don’t raise your voice. The one who broke the promise first was Miss Elise Worton. She showed up with her ex-fiancé. This is an act of ignoring you and Tetris.]
Tyllo caught the tail of a problem that could not be solved by Elise’s will.
[That girl, she’s not lacking compared to you.]
Karan was dumbfounded. He had been treated as defective since he found out that Karan couldn’t use magic.
[I don’t think your feelings for her are sincere. You can’t just get married in this situation.]
[Elise is a person who willingly entered the gate for Tetris. She has actions that make it hard to doubt her sincerity.]
[Even if her feelings for you were sincere, there’s a problem. She’s not ready to get engaged, not ready to get married. Trying to marry the royal family without a penny…it’ll be too embarrassing to face the nobles.]
It was all just catching the tail, and Karan decided to cut off all those tails.
[I will give you the dowry.]
That was why Karan had to reveal his hidden assets.
“It’s just to please the old man. Don’t be curious about the reason.”
“Because of Miss Elise?”
“Haltbin. You’re all good, but.”
Karan glared at Haltbin.
“You think too much. And you pretend to know too much.”
“Oh, Your Highness! It’s because it’s pitiful.”
“It’s not pitiful at all. Money can be earned again.”
However, the time with Elise cannot be turned back. Her wounds won’t be fully healed.
So, she should not be hurt in the first place.
For that, Karan could easily give up this much wealth.
****
Until dawn, Bennet’s mood was not bad. It was because Karan bringing a strange woman from Bedroka created a favorable situation for him.
The nobles rebelled when Karan said he would marry a Bedrokkan, not a Tetrisian.
Nevertheless, Tyllo tried to push for Karan and Elise’s engagement. But with the appearance of a man named Chase, even that became impossible.
“There is a possibility that he is a double agent! Even if not, his behavior is not decent. He showed up with his ex-fiancé! This is an act of belittling Tetris.”
Even if Bennet didn’t step forward, things wouldn’t have flowed as Karan wanted.
“That’s right, you should quietly marry the bride I chose for you.”
It was about Melanie, the daughter of Duke Odilon. Duke Odilon was in Bennet’s hands.
Even if Karan married Duke Odilon’s daughter, there’d still be no chance of taking the throne.
At a crucial moment, Duke Odilon would only hold his hand.
And last night, a man named Chase came and said something.
“If you help me, I will help you fulfill the Queen’s will as well.”
There was no reason to refuse Bedrokka’s support. Of course, it had to be received secretly.
When she heard the news that Karan had conquered the gate, she thought a dark cloud had covered her life, but good things happened one after another.
‘That’s why they say you can’t see an inch ahead in life.’
Bennet had a leisurely morning time, humming a nose song. But then.
“She said to deliver this. It’s very important.”
A maid who couldn’t even meet her eyes came to find her and handed her a note.
“She hasn’t left yet? She’s as stubborn as a bull.”
Bennet snatched the note from Elise, who had been waiting for her since morning.
Jun, who had delivered the note, retreated backward, bowing her head as if she had done something wrong.
“How important is it to write a note and send it? What does she have to talk about with me? If you’re begging me to look at it, I don’t know.”
If the content was insignificant, she thought she should chase her away using this as an excuse.
Bennet unfolded the note.
“This, this is…!”
The note was very short. It was just two sentences. But it was enough to make Bennet pale.
Bennet crumpled the note and threw it into the fireplace and slammed the door.
“That woman, no, Elise, where is she?”
Jun, who had delivered the note, raised her eyebrows high.
***
Looking into her sparkling eyes seemed to only properly provoke her. Elise regained her composure.
“Where did you hear such nonsense?”
As soon as she entered the reception room, Bennet, who had planned to drive people out, fired at Elise.
“Nonsense? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Elise tilted her head.
“If you’re talking about the note I gave you.”
Elise, as if to convey a secret, propped up her upper body with her hand and brought her face close to Bennet.
“It’s all true, Your Majesty.”
Bennet’s eyebrows twitched.
“Who says it’s true?”
The two explored each other at close range.
“What does it matter who I heard it from, Your Majesty. What’s important is that what’s happening in your maternal home is not just.”
Elise stood up straight.
[Illegal drug trafficking is a crime. So is human trafficking.]
Bennet’s maternal home, the Twain family, was a family with nothing special.
Then, about ten years ago, they amassed a huge fortune and entered politics.
‘It’s not politics, it’s business with a daughter.’
The head of the Twain family, Alberto, pushed his daughter Bennet into Tyllo’s bedroom.
Tyllo, who was young, beautiful, and rich, did not refuse Bennet.
He indulged in Bennet, and she gave birth to a son just three years after sleeping with the king.
It was a royal event that, despite having several concubines, the only prince was Karan.
‘His Majesty declared a two-day holiday.’
Afterwards, Tyllo drove out the woman who had been the first queen and raised Bennet to be the queen.
If they had been satisfied with that, it would have been good, but the Twain family and Bennet’s greed had no end.
Bennet planned to seat her son, Cowett Lysandro, on the throne.
What was needed to establish a position for a son who was much younger than Karan and had no time to earn merit was one thing.
Money to dominate others.
That was why the Twain family could not give up drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Elise learned this fact when drugs spread rampantly in Bedrokka and many people suffered from side effects.
Was it the year Elise turned 24?
The drugs that were spreading among the noble children spread to the wealthy merchants, and then to the common people. Bedrokka was greatly shaken.
Elise advised Chase to launch a drug eradication campaign and punished the distributors, but she couldn’t completely cut off the flow.
‘It makes sense. I couldn’t have imagined that the royalty of another country would be involved.’
She did her best to stop it, but it was just maintaining the status quo.
So, after five years passed and she caught the Twain family, Elise felt both joy and anger.
The royal family, who should look after the people, and the close associates drove the people into misery.
Even in another country!
But Elise couldn’t question their guilt.
At the time, the person who should have been questioned was Chase, but Chase turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of the Twain family in exchange for yielding the initiative on the subjugation of Ragnaros.
Since it hadn’t happened yet, Elise was waiting for the time to use this card.
But when she saw Chase and Bennet together at the banquet, she had a bad feeling.
‘After the incident, pressuring the queen will benefit me more. But the damage can’t be undone.’
Elise watched the life of a drug addict fall into the abyss.
‘Even if there’s little to gain, it’s better to prevent damage.’
So, Elise boldly played her card.
“Hey, Elise. I don’t know where you heard such nonsense. It’s just nonsense.”
Bennet feigned calmness. But Elise saw it all. Bennet, whose heart was throbbing.
“I’ll forgive you for pushing a nonsensical note and calling me out. But you need to correct that insolent attitude. Otherwise.”
Bennet puffed out her chest. The woman, who lifted her chin arrogantly, advised.
“You won’t be able to live comfortably in Tetris.”
Bennet, who looked at Elise who couldn’t present evidence, was relieved.
She was sure that she only heard it from rumors and was probing her.
