Chapter 23

Mother had apparently never confided her feelings towards His Majesty the King to Grandfather or Grandmother, and after hearing Mother’s story, Grandmother burst into tears.

"If you were making Lise feel this way, you should have rejected the royal command from the very beginning."

"Henrietta."

"But isn’t this too much?"

Grandfather, pulling Grandmother into his arms, tried to comfort her with a troubled look. It seemed it would take some time for Grandmother to calm down, so Mother and I decided to take a walk in the garden of the Marquess Malcoth’s townhouse.

Following behind Mother and me was Cragger Leopold, Mother’s second husband and former bodyguard. I heard he had become the general in charge of the Marquess Malcoth’s army.

When I suggested walking beside Mother, she declined, saying it was to be just the two of us today. It felt a bit awkward, considering we were about to become closer as a family.

But, Cragger will eventually become my stepfather, right? I wonder if he will join the Marquess Malcoth’s household. Grandfather hasn’t said anything about it yet. Maybe I should check later.

"Mother."

"What is it?"

Holding an umbrella in one hand and my hand in the other, Mother replied cheerfully.

"Is it okay to talk about Her Royal Highness the Queen?"

Since she didn’t seem to react negatively when we talked earlier, I thought it would be fine to mention the Queen.

"I’ve been entrusted with a letter."

"A letter?"

"If you don’t want to receive it, I’ll return it to Her Royal Highness. I’ve already promised her that I would do so. Whether you receive it or not is entirely up to you."

While listening to me, Mother gazed into the distance.

There hasn’t been any direct communication before, so I’m not sure what she might say, and I’m a bit on edge.

"I’ve been thinking that I should face her properly at least once."

If it’s going to be nerve-wracking, maybe it’s better to fade out.

"There are still some resentments towards Her Royal Highness, so it might take some time to respond."

"I’ll let her know."

"Thank you."

Mother, who had been looking into the distance, turned her gaze to me.

"Albert, do you often meet with Her Royal Highness the Queen?"

Are you curious? I guess you are. But it’s more about gathering information than building a relationship.

"It’s not just me."

Mother smiled gently at my response.

"Yes, having a supporter within the palace is necessary."

"Mother?"

"Everyone knows that Father is your guardian, but he doesn’t show up every day, right? Even if Duke Virihikait is looking out for you, there will always be those who take advantage of the gaps. Albert, use whatever you can. If Her Royal Highness is willing to protect you, don’t hesitate to accept it. With Attentita by your side, nothing too serious will happen, but don’t let your guard down."

Despite her gentle tone, as if she were talking about beautiful flowers, I realized that Mother, who isn’t romantic, is undoubtedly Grandfather’s daughter and a princess of the House of Marquess Malcoth.

"Yes."

"Promise me you’ll return to Fulftball alive."

Her tone was light, but the content was heavy.

Who said I was a delicate princess? It was me. I need to reflect on that.

"And one more thing."

What is it? Is there more bad news?

"Have a talk with His Majesty the King, once?"

"About what?"

Mother smiled as if to say, "You’re such a troublesome child," even though she knew my quick response.

"I’ve heard that the opposite of love is indifference."

"His Majesty the King was indifferent to me and Mother, right?"

"Isn’t it different now?"

Occasionally, he gives me a look that’s a bit annoying, but I wonder if it’s because he’s wary of me doing something that might disadvantage him.

I’ve never been interested in him. We’ve had no interaction for so long.

At first, I thought of him as someone who talked down to me, and even after learning he was my father, I never thought of him as a parent. Rather, he was the King, not a father.

The admiration and desire for attention and play that I felt towards a male parent were directed towards Cragger, who used to take me for walks on his shoulders.

The incident four years ago wasn’t about rebelling against my father. It was simply because, after the connection was established, I couldn’t see any value in being a king. I wasn’t going to be the obedient prince they wanted, but if I did nothing, I would have ended up being treated as a prince who deserved it. They might have even fabricated some false charges and revoked my right to the throne with a smug look.

So, I just destroyed that future.

It was all for my own sake, not because I hated or resented His Majesty the King. It’s a matter of not even having those feelings.

If you think I’m being cold as a family member, then the same can be said for His Majesty the King, who treated us this way. Right?

There’s really nothing to talk about with His Majesty the King.

Mother must know what I think, yet she’s telling me to talk to him.

"Nothing will start if you don’t start the conversation."

But it’s fine if nothing starts, right? In fact, it might be better if nothing starts. But maybe this is...

"Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be in peril in a hundred battles."

Is that what you mean? Not in the sense of defeating the enemy, but in the sense of solving problems.

"What’s that?"

It’s natural that Mother doesn’t know. It’s a line from a military strategy book from another world.

"An old military strategist once said."

Is there a similar strategy book in this world?

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