Chapter 44

"The Duke of Einhorn has sent an apology for the actions of the duchess."

At the information sharing meeting, the queen told me and the prime minister this.

"Does that mean Ignatz... has admitted to stalking her?"

"Yes, and the duke has said that the duchess will renounce her right of succession. Since the duchess's right of succession will eventually be gone, I told the Duke of Einhorn that it's fine as it is."

Ah, the king has two children. For now, I am the first in line for succession, and Ignatz is second. The next in line are the king's sister and the Duchess of the Northern Border, who is the daughter of the late king's sister and the Duke of Einhorn. These three have already renounced their rights of succession. The third and subsequent rights of succession belong to the children of the Duke of Einhorn.

The Duke of Einhorn has four children. The eldest son is the same age as our twins, the second son is a year younger, then there is the duchess, and the third son is three years younger than the duchess.

The right of succession of the Duke of Einhorn's children will automatically disappear when Ignatz marries and has a child.

"Well, once he marries, it won't matter anymore."

At my words, the prime minister looks grim.

"Einhorn has a princess who is a descendant of the late king's sister. It's not good to continue the connection with the royal family."

"Is it because of the bloodline? Or the power balance?"

"Both. Therefore, if a duchess marries into the royal family, it would be from the Hunt-Airfolk family."

One of the former happy companions' family.

"Does the Hunt-Airfolk family have a suitable lady for Ignatz?"

"Oh, hehe. Did you know, Your Highness Albert? The third daughter of the Hunt-Airfolk family is said to be good friends with the Countess of Gyvich."

"Oh, that's news to me."

"Hehe, I think she will come to pay her respects to Your Highness Albert soon."

Information travels fast.

The queen really didn't have any useful pawns until four years ago. The maid who came with her from her homeland was half projecting her ideals and desires onto the love romance between the king and the queen, and the other half was because the Kingdom of Rave, where the queen had just moved to, was an away game. To quickly gain allies and friends, it was easier to use the love romance and treat the concubine as a virtual enemy.

The queen probably didn't expect that her confidant would overprotect her and do such things.

"Has the Duchess of Einhorn also come to apologize to Your Highness Albert?"

"She did come... but it turned out she was a princess who was enchanted by a romance novel about a princess bride. And she wanted to get back at someone."

"I've given her some homework, so we'll see the results later."

"Homework? Can the duchess solve the difficult problems that Your Highness Albert gives her?"

The prime minister asks with a stern face. Please don't group her with that. The duchess can understand if she studies!

"Your Highness Albert, the person is a girl, so please consider leniency in grading?"

Are the queen and the prime minister thinking I'm some kind of monster? I wouldn't do something so cruel without a second thought!

They didn't realize what they had done, which is why it happened. It's not my fault.

If I continue like this, I might be treated like a villain, so I'll change the topic.

"More importantly, there's something I'm concerned about."

"What is it?"

"It's about Ignatz's servants and close aides."

I don't think this is something I should meddle in, but I can't just leave it alone, right?

As soon as I bring it up, the queen's face tightens, and the prime minister frowns.

"Ignatz's servant is his foster brother, right? What kind of person was the wet nurse? How does Ignatz get along with this foster brother?"

"Your Highness Albert, as someone who was there four years ago, you should understand the situation in the palace at that time."

The prime minister speaks with a look as if he had eaten something unpleasant.

"Considerable restrictions were placed on the queen. One of them was the selection of the wet nurse for the second prince, Ignatz."

No way, right? Or is there a lingering effect?

"The wet nurse for Prince Ignatz was chosen by the king. She was one of the king's classmates and was a baron's daughter at the time. She was known for her many romances, and her reputation was so tarnished that her fiancé broke off the engagement. Later, she became a second wife to a count."

That's too suspicious. Why did they choose such a person as a wet nurse?

"About that count's family..."

"The current count is the son of the first wife, so the children from the second wife are either commoners or have to earn a knighthood. Fortunately, the second wife became the wet nurse for Prince Ignatz, and her child became a servant and foster brother to Prince Ignatz."

Wait, wait, just a moment? A former baron's daughter with many romances, whose engagement was broken off, then became a count's second wife and had a child... Hey, that child is the count's, right? No doubt about it?

"What happened to that wet nurse?"

"She became a nun four years ago."

The queen, with a cool expression, said that she had awakened to the call of God.

Scary.

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