23. Furniture.
The king said,“Teaching the crown prince to say a single sentence shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”
“Pardon? Oh, uh, well, that would require him to speak a bit more fluently first…” Adelen stammered.
Randomly stringing words together and forming proper sentences were entirely different skills. The latter took much more time and effort.
“He’s already speaking in something that roughly resembles human language. And I am not saying he should do it now, but three months later—on my birthday. By then, teach the crown prince to say a simple birthday greeting. That’s all. Easy, right?”
The king had already outlined his plan.
“I will… try my best…”
Adelen replied hesitantly. If it didn’t work now, they’d keep trying until it did. It might mean grueling daily training sessions.
The king smiled with satisfaction at Adelen’s answer.
‘This is a disaster…’ Adelen thought.
Saying no now or failing later would both likely result in death, as the king could easily sentence someone to death for disobeying a royal command. So she agreed for now, but was this really the right call?
“What will happen to the crown prince after his debut in society?”
Rakalt, who had been silently listening, spoke up. He was keenly emphasizing on the word ‘after’.
“What do you mean? You’ll keep raising him, of course,” the king replied casually with a shrug.
“…!”
“!”
Rakalt and Adelen froze as if struck by lightning, followed by utter despair.
Preparing the crown prince for his debut was daunting enough, but to keep raising him indefinitely?
The lack of a specific endpoint clearly implied a lifelong commitment.
The situation Adelen had dreaded actually occurred. She was now condemned to a life of servitude as the prince’s nanny or caretaker, effectively sacrificing her own future.
“Until the crown prince grows into a perfect citizen of Teplan, incapable of turning against the nation, and eventually takes his place as a puppet king of Morn.”
Hearing the king’s grand plan, Adelen drew a sharp breath.
This would at least guarantee the prince’s survival. But the thought of him living such a predetermined life weighed heavily on Adelen’s mind.
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to keep the crown prince in the royal palace?” Rakalt suggested.
You’re amazing, my lord! Adelen silently praised.
This was why having allies was important. She was deeply moved by her employer’s strong support.
Besides, raising the prince in the royal palace would mean access to better resources and professional care.
“Keeping him in the palace would also make it easier to eliminate him, should the need ever arise,” Rakalt added.
“…”
While they were in the same boat, they clearly had different priorities. Rakalt’s reasoning wasn’t about better care for the prince but ensuring he could be discreetly removed if necessary.
Adelen hugged the baby tightly, shielding him protectively.
Rakalt and the king both turned their gaze toward her, as if targeting the child.
Feeling their intent, Adelen tightened her arms around the baby even more.
“Ah-goo? Kyaa!”
Unaware of the situation, the baby thought it was all a game and let out a cheerful laugh, completely oblivious to the threat against him.
It only made him seem more pitiable.
“Even so, the crown prince will stay at your estate,” the king declared.
“May I ask why?”
“There’s no one to raise him in the palace. Do you expect me to do it? With this body?”
The king held up his thin wrist and shook it feebly, making it resemble a brittle twig fluttering in the wind.
“But aren’t there nannies and caretakers waiting in the royal palace?”
“They’re reserved for my future heirs,” the king replied bluntly.
“Has Her Majesty the Queen conceived?”
“No, but she will someday, won’t she?” the king said with an innocent smile.
If anyone else had said it, it might have sounded like a taunt, but coming from the king, it felt natural.
“Well, I’ve heard there are also backup candidates…”
“They’re too unqualified. Would you trust them?”
“…”
Rakalt fell silent, unable to refute the point.
The king smiled knowingly and reached out to take Rakalt’s hand. Though Rakalt allowed it, he lowered his gaze.
“Rakalt, now and always, you’re the only one I trust. I trust that maid because you do.”
“…”
“The royal palace is too vast. It’s the perfect place for vermin to hide. That’s why I have no choice but to entrust this to you, Rakalt. Understand?”
The king’s voice was earnest, almost affectionate, like he was speaking to a family member rather than a subordinate.
Adelen shook her head internally. No, don’t fall for it, my lord. Even if it’s a heartfelt request and not a royal command, we still need to think about our own survival!
“…Yes,” Rakalt finally replied.
Adelen felt a crushing sense of despair.
‘Ah, yes. My lord has devoted his life to the family. I forgot that if His Majesty commanded him to die, he wouldn’t just pretend—he’d actually do it.’
Adelen sighed internally. The gratitude she felt for her lord’s intervention had now turned into despair as they were both swept up in this mess.
“Thank you. Who else but you could I entrust the crown prince to?”
The king then shifted his gaze from the groaning Rakalt to Adelen and flashed her a bright smile.
“After all, you’ll be the one doing all the hard work.”
“…”
Adelen shut her eyes tightly at the king’s unassailably accurate statement.
The king wasn’t finished with his questions.
“What’s your name?”
“Ah, it’s Adelen, Your Majesty.”
“I see. You’re not planning to marry anytime soon, are you?”
“…No, Your Majesty.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Do you have any family, relatives, or friends connected to Morn?”
“Uh, no, none at all.”
“Good, no issues then. Looks like you can raise the crown prince without any problems. Besides, he already seems very attached to you.”
No, I’m just a temporary caretaker. Temporary. This was supposed to be temporary!
Adelen wanted to shout but kept her mouth shut.
The king had already decided that she would raise the baby for the next few decades without so much as asking for her consent.
She had gone to great lengths to avoid being permanently assigned as the prince’s nanny, yet here she was, shackled by a royal decree.
Her dreams of a simple, ordinary family and happiness were on the brink of vanishing.
Saying “no” might well be considered treason. But if her life was already ruined, why not commit treason just this once?
Adelen’s thoughts spiraled downward.
“The crown prince of Morn is a crucial key to Teplan’s future. We absolutely cannot let him be taken from us. If that happens, war will break out again.”
The king’s request sounded more like a threat. Adelen couldn’t possibly refuse. Not when doing so might label her not just a traitor but an enemy of the state.
For someone like Adelen, who had nearly fallen into such a situation before, the warning struck deep.
“Wait, surely you didn’t summon me here to raise the crown prince?”
A bright, melodic voice suddenly interrupted the suffocating atmosphere.
Adelen instinctively lifted her head. Both the king and Rakalt turned toward the source of the voice.
The speaker was a stunning woman with flowing golden locks like molten honey and light, peachy-pink eyes.
‘Who is she?’
Her beauty was so overwhelming that even Adelen momentarily forgot her frustration and despair.
“Maltina,” the king said with a faint smile as he greeted her.
The woman, Maltina, walked toward them with an elegant grace, her dress billowing softly as if she were a flower in bloom.
Upon reaching the king, she gave him a refined bow before sighing deeply at Rakalt.
“So it was about this, as I suspected. Why else would you summon me so urgently this morning?”
“If my actions have inconvenienced you, I sincerely apologize,” Rakalt replied.
“There’s no need for you to apologize. This was all His Majesty’s doing, wasn’t it?”
Adelen’s eyes widened as she observed the exchange.
Though the two maintained proper decorum, their conversation carried a strange familiarity.
What’s their relationship? she wondered, her heart racing as her attention locked onto the angelic woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
Even the king chuckled as he poured tea into the cup set before Maltina himself.
“Given the effort I put into orchestrating this, you could at least go along with it,” the king teased.
“Why should I accommodate your schemes when you’re not the one putting in the effort? That’s a bit much,” Maltina retorted smoothly.
“Did you hear that, Rakalt? Put in the effort,” the king ordered.
“I will do my best,” Rakalt responded solemnly.
“Don’t bother. Even after bringing along such a lovely lady, you still talk about effort,” Maltina remarked, suddenly pointing at Adelen.1If you don’t understand what they are talking about then read the next chapter and come here again. You will get it right away!
Adelen drew in a short breath as Maltina’s gaze swept over her, sharp and discerning.
Adelen felt like prey cornered by a predator and instinctively shrank back.
“And who is this pretty young lady?” Maltina asked with a radiant smile.
…Furniture.
Hello dear readers! Alaa is back again! This chapter and the next 9 chapters are sponsored by CobraTitan3.
Thank you CobraTitan3 for your patience, I really appreciate it 💌
