Chapter 8

"Rugen Albert, upon reaching the age of eighteen, will renounce the name given to him by His Majesty the King, return the Aigel, and relinquish his right to the throne. To prevent any future disputes over succession, it is stipulated that no one of my bloodline shall have the right to the throne of the Laave Kingdom. This proposal was made by Rugen Albert himself. It will be formalized in writing, signed by His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister, and my legal guardian, Duke Malcocius Flufthall, and the document will be kept by the three of them. The document will also include a Temple Oath. How does that sound?"

By putting it in writing and binding it with a Temple Oath, I'm closing off any escape routes like saying, "I don't remember saying that."

With a smile, I look at the Prime Minister, who compares me to my grandfather with a serious expression and then asks my grandfather:

"Is this acceptable to you, Duke Malcocius?"

For a noble, especially one with a dukedom, it's common to have ambitions. If his daughter bore the king's child, he would naturally want to make that child the next king.

But my grandfather is different.

"It doesn't matter to me, so I won't say anything."

My grandfather, who already has wealth and honor, has no interest in or attraction to royal power. That's why he didn't order my mother to gain the king's favor.

"Do you wish for Prince Rugen, who is of your blood, to become king?"

The Prime Minister's words touched a nerve with my grandfather.

"I have never desired a connection with the royal family."

He didn't raise his voice, but he interrupted the Prime Minister mid-sentence, showing his anger.

"Because of the reason that the only noble daughter who could balance the marriage with His Majesty is my child, the engagement was decreed by royal command, and when His Majesty said he would marry a bride from a neighboring country, the engagement was annulled. Then, because the bride couldn't bear a child, I was ordered by royal command to become a concubine. None of these things were my doing or my desire. Do you think the humiliation of being treated this way can be compensated by making me a prince?"

Implicitly, my grandfather is saying that his goal is not to make me king but to see the head of the king who trampled on the Malcocius family.

Because he hasn't made a clear statement, he can't be charged with treason.

The Prime Minister, realizing the hidden meaning in my grandfather's words, turned pale.

"He himself has said he doesn't want it. You can't take a child's words seriously, so he's even making a document with a Temple Oath. His Majesty the King, as his parent, also seems to have no objections to this proposal. You are the only one opposing it."

So, why don't you sign the document quickly? But the Prime Minister is hesitant to nod.

"I, I only wish for Prince Rugen to become king."

"I see, that's what you think. But even if Prince Rugen becomes king, he won't be your puppet. Do you really think he can be?"

Ah, I see. If that's the case, wouldn't you want to accept my proposal?

Because until now, I've been seen as a slightly dim-witted prince, a perfect target for a puppet.

"I'm not thinking that at all!"

The Prime Minister raises his voice, looking offended.

I always thought the Prime Minister was a man loyal to the rules. He mentioned that I had always been with my mother and was surprised that the budget wasn't allocated to my mother and me in the palace.

But my grandfather seems to think that the Prime Minister's hesitation is not out of good intentions but because he has his own agenda.

"Really? I thought you were aiming to put the easy-to-handle First Prince on the throne and hold the real power yourself. If there's another reason you want the First Prince to be king, please explain."

"Anyone can see that Prince Rugen is more suitable for the throne."

The Prime Minister says this hesitantly.

"Indeed, until now, I have only heard bad things about Prince Rugen."

Because my so-called friends had been manipulating my image, spreading lies about me being capricious and throwing tantrums.

"But now, standing before Prince Rugen, I can't believe those things are true. No ordinary six-year-old would say such things. Even if Duke Malcocius were making him say it, it doesn't feel forced. It's clearly Prince Rugen's own will. The Second Prince can't compare. How can anyone say that such a remarkable person should not be king? Moreover, removing him from the royal family would be a loss to the country."

The Prime Minister says this as if pouring out his heart, but it doesn't resonate with me at all.

"Who made the First Prince make such a decision?"

In response to my grandfather's final question, the Prime Minister, with a pained expression, says:

"...I understand."

But he's not really convinced. His attitude clearly shows that he's absolutely against it. But he should give up and direct his resentment at His Majesty the King.

While this was happening, the head of the palace servants, the head of the palace maids, the Minister of the Palace, and the Minister of Finance arrived, and the First Prince's treatment and the allocation of funds for the concubine and the First Prince were questioned.

But why don't they handle that in a meeting later?

First, the head of the palace servants and the head of the palace maids:

They were instructed by the king's close aides to praise the First Prince no matter what and never to reprimand him.

Next, the Minister of the Palace:

He was aware of the treatment of the First Prince and the concubine, but since His Majesty the King never said anything about the current situation and became upset when they mentioned it, he left it as it was (out of consideration for the King).

Finally, the Minister of Finance:

Because His Majesty the King treated the First Prince and the concubine coldly, he reallocated their budget to the Queen and the Second Prince (again, out of consideration for the King).

Oh, they're really picking a fight with the Malcocius family.

The Prime Minister and my grandfather will decide their punishment. The King is not involved in this decision because his neglect of me has led to the conclusion that he has abandoned his role as my parent. From now on, any adult matters concerning me will be handled by my grandfather, so the King has no role.

Since the King has said he doesn't want me, he should just sign the documents. It's part of his job, so he should do it.

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