Chapter 30

"Um, there's one more thing that's really hard to say..."

It's understandable to be on edge when the Duke of Einhorn speaks, right? You can't help but feel like there's still something more, can't you?

"Um... earlier, didn't the Marquis Bilihikaito say that he wouldn't directly tell his daughter about this matter, specifically the engagement to the First Prince?"

"Yes, did he speak to the princess afterward?"

"No, it's not that."

The Duke of Einhorn paused, glanced at the old man, took a few deep breaths, and then continued.

"Actually, before I was approached by His Majesty about the engagement, I had already heard from my daughter that His Majesty had already spoken to her about it."

There was a sound like shattering glass or pottery, and I realized the old man had crushed the teacup he was holding.

Oh no...

"Old man, please let go of your hand."

I took the saucer and the remains of the teacup from the old man's hand, placed them on the table, and my twins quickly moved to clean up, treat the old man's hand, and prepare new tea before quietly leaving.

It seems the King is quite skilled at stepping on the old man's landmines.

But still, it shouldn't end with a blood-soaked King being found in his chambers tomorrow. Instead, a silent, soon-to-be-executed criminal will probably be found in the King's chambers.

Old man, you do this kind of harassment regularly, don't you? You did the same thing four years ago, didn't you? How could you forget? Back then, the Chancellor came to beg you to stop, with tears in his eyes, but you said you didn't know what he was talking about. Indeed, there's no evidence that we did it, so the culprit remains unknown.

What? The royal shadows are around, right? What are they doing?

Well, the royal shadows originated from the Marquess family. While the organization is now completely separate, the know-how and such originally came from us.

Moreover, the final test to become a royal shadow is to complete the training at the Marquess family. If you don't meet the standards, you can't become a shadow. That's why our skills are higher. They occasionally do surprise inspections for us as a favor.

This is information the King should know.

So why do you do such things?

Look, the Chancellor is covering his face with both hands. Is he already predicting tomorrow's events and lamenting? Don't increase the Chancellor's workload.

"Duke of Einhorn"

The Queen, instead of the speechless Chancellor, asked the Duke of Einhorn.

"Have you heard the specific details of the conversation from the princess?"

"No, my daughter was also shaken and couldn't provide much detail. However, she seemed very concerned about the engagement being finalized because it was from His Majesty."

He looked at me. Well, somehow, I get the feeling that the Duke of Einhorn's daughter has told her father something about me.

"I see. Duke of Einhorn, would it be possible for you to get more detailed information from the princess? And please make it clear that there is no engagement between Prince Albert and the princess."

I don't know what the Duke of Einhorn's daughter is thinking, but the fact that she's shaken by the engagement talk with me is a bit suspicious.

No, it's not good to have negative preconceptions about someone you haven't met yet.

We should meet the Princess of Einhorn and make a judgment based on that. Depending on the situation, we might not even meet, in which case there was no need to meet, and my concerns would be unfounded.

Let's hope for the best.

The Queen asked the King's two secretaries to see the Duke of Einhorn out, and after the three left the room, she stood up from the sofa.

"I will also confirm with the servants who are with Ignatz and Ale."

"Kati!"

The King tried to stop the Queen as she was about to leave.

"Wait. What are you angry about?"

What? You don't understand why the Queen is angry? What have you been listening to all this time?

The Queen, perhaps to calm herself, took several deep breaths and then slapped the King hard across the face.

"I feel ashamed of your lack of understanding!"

The Queen raised her voice as if she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Four years ago and now, why don't you understand what you've done! Do you think you can continue to sit back and enjoy peace because of the Marquis Fulftball's tolerance?! Despite the Marquis Bilihikaito repeatedly telling you not to interfere with Prince Albert, why can't you keep your word! What do you intend to do!"

The King froze at the Queen's angry voice. He seemed more shocked by the fact that the Queen had yelled at him than by the content of her words.

"W-What do you mean, I'm Ryugen's father. As a father..."

His voice trailed off, probably because he sensed the pressure from the Queen's sharp gaze, telling him not to say more.

The King's gaze wandered between the Queen, me, the old man, and the Chancellor, but he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"Your Highness, please calm down. Confirming with Prince Ignatz can wait."

The Chancellor, finally recovering, intervened.

"Our discussion is not over. Let's decide on the next steps together, with Your Highness."

The Chancellor's voice sounded very tired, and I thought he must really want to throw this whole thing away.

But he's a responsible person, so he can't do that.

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