Chapter 48

Lucas and Leord.

Lucas, who has become much more composed, is quite dejected. Both mentally and physically, he has deteriorated significantly. Leord is actively moving around. At the moment, it is Graham who continues to cause trouble.

The first prince is being held in the VIP cell.

This was a well-known fact. The prince, who was excellent and had the right to inherit the throne until he entered the academy, became close to a baron's daughter there.

If it had been a moderate closeness, it would have been better, but it led to the worst possible situation.

It chilled the relationship with his fiancée, the Duchess Armandine's daughter, and caused discord between the two families. He ignored the advice of sensible nobles and plunged into a momentary passion. As a result, those left around him were only foolish ministers who wanted to benefit from the royal family's power.

What made it even worse was the nature of the baron's daughter.

At first glance, she had a delicate and simple charm like a small animal, but her true nature was that of a venomous woman. She seduced a knight who was close to her and used him to get close to the first prince. Not content with that, there were rumors that she was also after the son of the prime minister, who was attached to the first prince. She was also rumored to be courting the second prince, teachers, and other young nobles.

There was probably some jealousy and envy, but rumors can be a terrible thing.

There were various rumors, such as secret meetings behind the school building and embraces in the greenhouse.

In principle, the princes have guards and are also under surveillance—some of which are to investigate their qualifications as future kings.

The results were disastrous. Both were completely under the control of a woman. They competed to offer jewels and dresses, and caused problems as the baron's daughter incited them. In particular, Lucas's madness was severe. It was also because the baron's daughter had been particularly persistent with him.

His tyranny eventually led to a problem that extended beyond the school.

It just so happened that a noble lady of high rank was visiting the school. She had come to meet her schoolmate's family and friends.

And it just so happened that she was the daughter of one of the most respected figures in the country, whom he had slandered and even injured.

The respected figure, Duke Latigche, was so enraged that he judged Lucas.

The sentence was so severe that it could have led to the execution of all those involved. Fortunately, the duke's daughter, who was present, showed mercy, and the executions were few.

Lucas had ignored the repeated advice of the king and those around him, and the consequences had come back to him.

After that incident, Lucas was placed in the VIP cell. His initial dejection was not ordinary. It was said that he might go mad, but—since the expectations of those around him had already fallen, he was not given much attention.

The madness of the queen, Mezarin, who wanted to make him king, was even more unbearable to watch.

However, the second prince, Leord, was also involved in the incident and was being reprimanded, so it somehow worked out.

Over time, he became depressed and withdrawn, but gradually returned to his original rational self.

He was deeply infatuated with the baron's daughter and was emotionally unstable and short-sighted.

He had lost his appetite, but was quietly in seclusion.

"Brother, have you lost more weight?"

"...Leord. I just can't seem to eat."

"If you keep this up, you'll ruin your health."

The cook had lamented that he was eating only half as much as before, as he had heard from others.

Indeed, many people were disappointed in Lucas, but there were still those who looked up to him.

Those who knew the clever Lucas from his childhood had even more affection for him.

"I am effectively out of the line of succession. No one will care."

"Brother...!"

The self-deprecating words, unlike his usual self, made Leord call out to him in a scolding manner.

In response, Lucas smiled as if he had come to terms with it. He had become thin, and his originally handsome face had become gaunt. His body, which had been trained in horseback riding and swordsmanship, had clearly deteriorated. He looked not just thin, but like a sick person.

Leord, who knew the first prince and his brother, had always been a wall that stood in his way.

His mother, the second queen, Ophelia, had always been hostile to the queen, Mezarin, and Lucas. Even when she smiled gracefully at tea parties, she would scold her own son, Leord, to do everything to beat that first prince.

Lucas, who had possessed a graceful demeanor and the bearing of a ruler from a young age, still exuded a sense of refinement, but not the strength he once had.

Lucas, who had fallen from grace. Leord had also been reprimanded for the prince's misconduct at the academy, but it was nothing compared to Lucas.

"Is Renaria still with Graham? ...I understand that it's hard to let go, but there's nothing that can be done now."

"Yes, Graham still refuses to listen—The girl who was imprisoned has been protected, but her throat has been crushed, and it will take time for her to recover. He insists that he doesn't know where Renaria is, but she must be hiding somewhere.

The prime minister has apparently realized what Graham has done, but is covering it up out of fear of adding to the charges."

"Can the girl not write? ...Was she brought from the slums?"

"Yes, and she was not from our country but a slave brought by a foreign merchant. She is an important witness, so she has been entrusted to someone reliable."

Slavery is prohibited in this country, but not in neighboring countries.

The girl who was imprisoned was given better clothes and food than before, so she did not mind being locked up. However, she had been forced to remain in a bowed position, which was difficult for her, and when she was rescued, she was quite unsteady.

Her previous owner had apparently abused her, and there were countless scars under her clothes.

"Don't trouble yourself, Leord. It's all because of my incompetence... What about Cain, Joshua, and Findor?"

"Cain has been transferred from the academy to the magic academy. He is quite emotionally unstable, so he is under the supervision of the royal court's magicians. Joshua has been disowned by the Dampierre family and is to be sent to the border as a soldier. Findor will continue as a teacher... Well, he was rather one-sidedly favored by Renaria, so he might be relieved."

"I see, that's reasonable. Findor is young, but he is an excellent teacher. It's good that his future hasn't been destroyed."

Renaria seemed to be infatuated with him, but as a teacher, he could not ignore the favor of the first prince, who had won the affection of the baron's daughter.

At the time, Lucas was quite tyrannical, and even teachers found it difficult to offer criticism.

Looking back, he might have also been a monitor for the school.

"You used to glare at Renaria when she was around?"

"That was then. Now I've woken up. I feel as if I've been in a bad dream for a long time."

Lucas narrowed his pale green eyes and smiled wryly.

There was not a trace of the passionate fire in his eyes, which were now calm and still. The madness that had once seemed almost like a fever had completely disappeared.

Leord pressed on, asking for confirmation.

"...Are you really sure about Renaria?"

"Yes, I am partly to blame for the situation, but the crime should be punished justly.

It's no longer a matter of seeking clemency. If I were to receive such a thing, it would only make things worse.

...Leord, you must have pursued Renaria as well. Have you made up your mind?"

"Sooner than you."

"Thank you."

Leord, who was not as obsessed with Renaria as Lucas and the others.

The fact that he cared about her because she was the girl who had captivated and charmed Lucas and the others was something he still did not realize.

He was probably unaware that he had envied and pitied his brother, who had been so desperately in love that he had become ridiculous.

The only one who had noticed was his fiancée, Cathryn.

She had watched him with a sigh, and he was grateful that she had not been driven by jealousy like Almandine, the Duke's daughter.

He had only just realized that his seemingly dull fiancée was quite resilient. And he felt inferior to her. She was also a high-ranking noble, the daughter of the Duke of Flings, and one of the women who had been educated to be a princess.

The difference between her and Almandine was not a matter of duty, but whether she truly loved her fiancé as a person. That seemingly tough girl had been in love with Lucas, not the prince. That was why she had strongly opposed Renaria, who was leading Lucas to ruin. Even knowing that it would earn her Lucas's resentment, she had tried to stop him. Even if her own love could not be fulfilled, she had tried to make Renaria a better match for Lucas, even in her spite. Keen people had noticed this.

Bian had endured with a mix of complex emotions.

Her stance as a duke's daughter, her capacity as a leader, and her helplessness as a girl were all contained in it.

The problem was Graham. Despite the magnitude of the incident, he showed no signs of coming to his senses. He seemed to be even more infatuated with Renaria.

The prime minister was desperately trying to prevent the information from leaking, but when the time came for the execution and Renaria was not there, the truth would inevitably come to light.

Leord, as a childhood friend and schoolmate, was trying to persuade him, but to no avail. Lucas also did not want Graham to commit any more crimes. It would be dangerous to tell his mother, the concubine. Graham was seen as a supporter of the first prince and would only try to push Lucas further. The public would not see it as Graham's own decision. The only one left was his father, King Lauses. It was embarrassing to tell the king, who had suffered so much because of his mediocre sons, about the failure of his trusted prime minister's son. But it would be even worse if Renaria's whereabouts were unknown. If she were left in exile, the discontent of the nobles, which had subsided, could flare up again. If Duke Latigche's anger were to reignite, it would be even worse. The king, who understood the gravity of the situation, had promised to secretly search for the criminal Renaria, which was a relief.

Leord and the others continued to try to persuade Graham, who was the most likely to have the most powerful information.

They