“I believe I mentioned that eavesdropping on ladies’ conversations is not the conduct of a gentleman.” With a gentle voice, someone grabbed his hand from behind.
“…!”
Ferand turned his head sharply, startled. There stood Ludwig with a chilling smile, shushing him while pulling the lounge door handle with his other hand. Click. With a very small noise, the lounge door closed tightly.
Ferand spun around in shock, and Ludwig, wearing a chilling smile, pulled the lounge door shut with his other hand. Click. With a small sound, the lounge door closed tightly.
Only then did Ludwig release Ferand’s hand and step back. The smile vanished completely from Ludwig’s face.
“I told Your Highness, especially now, Your Highness must be more cautious with your behavior.”
“You b*stard…!”
“At a time when you should be expressing deep regret over the third prince’s injury, were you planning to harass those innocent young ladies?”
Ferrand instinctively shrank back at the cold, reprimanding voice. But then, something welled up from deep within his chest. Why on earth do I have to listen to this?
“So, the second prince has been nothing more than a tool for the first princess since birth?”
“I’m worried that the first princess is unfairly taking away the second prince’s opportunity to achieve glory…”
Is there anything wrong with what those ladies said?
Ferand, from the moment he was born, had all his will stripped away and was raised by his mother, the second concubine, solely as a tool for Rebecca. He thought it was natural. Since he had learned it that way from the beginning, he didn’t find it strange. But every time Rebecca humiliated him and people laughed at him behind his back, doubts washed over him like waves.
Why does he live like this? Why does he have to obey his sister… unconditionally? Why?
“…”
Ludwig looked at Ferand, who was trembling with clenched fists, with pity, then gently patted his shoulder with a picture-perfect smile.
“Your Highness.”
“…”
“Your Highness Ferand.”
“…”
“If Your Highness is very tired, how about going back to rest? I will explain everything to others.”
It was an order to disappear rather than interfere if he couldn’t act properly.
Ferand gritted his teeth, staring at his feet, feeling the urge to punch Ludwig’s smug face whenever he saw that smiling expression.
“…Alright.”
“A wise decision. On your way back, please… avoid paying attention to nonsense.” Ludwig adjusted Ferand’s appearance slightly, then turned and disappeared.
Ferand stood still until Ludwig was out of sight, then let out a bitter laugh. “Ha, now even that damn marquis is trying to lecture me.”
Ferand silently laughed, shaking his shoulders. He couldn’t stop laughing, even as he buried his face in his hand. A glint of madness flashed in his eyes through the gaps between his fingers.
At some point, Ferand abruptly stopped laughing and slowly straightened his body. With the ‘proper posture’ always emphasized by the second concubine, he twisted his lips into a fierce sneer. Spitting on the ground, he walked in the opposite direction from where Ludwig had disappeared. Once he was gone, complete silence returned to the corridor.
How much time had passed? Click. The lounge door, which Ludwig had closed, opened with a small sound. A pair of blue-purple eyes peeked out and then disappeared back into the lounge.
“Looks like they’re gone.”
“Haa, thank goodness…”
At Diana’s words, Belladova sighed in relief, leaning back on the sofa. Although she knew it was inappropriate behavior in front of Diana, the tension had drained her strength.
Contrary to Belladova, who seemed exhausted, Mizel, sitting across from her, looked perfectly fine. She clicked her tongue as she stared at Belladova as if observing something curious.
“Typical noble ladies.”
“How rude.”
“What can I say? I’m not a noble.” Mizel shrugged and replied cheekily.
Belladova glared at her, then turned to Diana. “Your Highness, can we really trust someone like her with this task? It seems the only thing she knows is how to be rude.”
“Isn’t it natural to be suspicious of you rather than me, who has been building trust for over a month? I belong to Her Highness’s guild, after all.”
Diana silently watched the bickering between Mizel and Belladova, which had become familiar.
After appointing Belladova as her lady-in-waiting, Diana learned that the two were complete opposites. Mizel and Belladova also needed to understand each other to make Diana’s plans smooth, so she introduced them.
Since both needed to understand each other to ensure Diana’s smooth operations, she introduced them.
“Mizel, this is Belladova Rezeta. Bella, this is Mizel.”
Diana thought the two would get along reasonably well. However, Mizel found Belladova’s insistence on manners over every little thing exhausting, while Belladova disliked Mizel’s casual demeanor.
They’ll stop eventually., like always. Diana didn’t particularly try to stop them. It was a wisdom she gained from her past experience.
“More importantly, thank you both. You were a great help.” Diana smiled at Mizel and Belladova in turn.
During the mock battle, Diana was waiting in the stands for the individual matches to begin when she witnessed Rebecca pushing Ferand aside. And she also saw Ferand, left alone, clenching his fist with a twisted expression.
“Come to think of it…”
Before her regression, Ferand had not lost his life, even up to the moment when Diana was beheaded under false charges. But Diana knew that Ferand occasionally glared at Rebecca from behind during her time as Rebecca’s maid. Still, since Ferand never openly defied Rebeca or disobeyed her orders, Diana quickly lost interest.
“I can use him.”
Seeing the mix of emotions on Ferand’s face, Diana smiled pleasantly.
She deliberately waited until Ferand was alone, leaving the door to the lounge slightly open to provoke his sense of humiliation and inferiority precisely. Just in case, she had stationed Hillasa outside the lounge, and fortunately, Ferand seemed to harbor some resentment towards Rebecca, just as she intended.
Even if I can just cut off the second concubine’s power before the hunting festival, it will be a great gain.
The crack had been made. Now, it was time to prepare the nail to drive into that crack at the right moment.
* * *
It was after the celebration banquet. Kayden had firmly established himself as a strong candidate for the throne. Many nobles, impressed by the results of the mock battle, wanted to align themselves with him, and as a result, the circumstances of the third prince’s palace had improved beyond comparison.
Patrasche stamped the ledger without hesitation, clutching his chest. “To think I can approve the training ground maintenance request without worrying about the budget…”
Kayden chuckled at Patrasche’s emotional reaction. Indeed… it’s remarkable.
Kayden, resting his chin on his hand, glanced over the documents on the desk, inwardly amazed. Lately, he had been acutely aware of just how much of a ‘kite with a broken string’ he had been in the past. It still felt strange to be able to approve expenses like the servants’ salaries, the palace’s maintenance costs, and the knights’ equipment repair fees without worry.
He was still not used to being able to approve salaries, maintenance costs, and equipment repairs without worry.
Growl. At that moment, a small sound echoed in the office. Patrasche immediately placed the documents on the desk.
“It’s lunchtime, Milord.”
“You never miss a meal, do you? Your stomach clock is more accurate than any clock.”
“Since it’s all about making a living, isn’t it natural? Will you be dining with Her Highness?”
Twitch. Kayden’s shoulders flinched at Patrasche’s question. He subtly lifted the documents to hide his face.
Seeing this, Patrasche frowned deeply. “Are you planning to eat separately again?”
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