Chapter 83

"I don't believe it either."

...I was surprised. The Minister of Education came out. Aren't you a guest?

"I have been with His Highness since he was a child... just around ten years old, I believe. I have seen His Highness, Seria, visiting orphanages and taking care of the orphans. I was astonished. He would soothe infants, feed them milk, and feed young children porridge with a spoon. He would even bathe with the children and wash their bodies. A prince of a nation, and a duke's daughter who is the prince's fiancée, doing such things. It's impossible to believe that His Highness discriminated against a baron's daughter and bullied her."

When did you see that? Minister, you didn't peek at Seria's bath, did you? I'll have you dismissed!

"I don't believe it either."

The principal came out.

"If there is someone at the school whom Prince Shin dislikes, you should tell me. I will immediately expel them. There's no need to bully or harass them to drive them out of the school. Ah, Ren."

"What... what is it?"

The principal, holding a memo and a fountain pen, approached Ren.

"Who is the young lady who claims to have been bullied by Prince Shin?"

"Uh..."

"Who is it? Please tell me the name."

"Wha..."

"Ren, tell me the name of the female student who falsely reported to you, causing a misunderstanding and insulting the royal family, and is now trying to deprive Prince Shin of his right to succession. I will immediately revoke her graduation certificate. What was her name... Rin, wasn't it?"

"Principal, that's a bit much..."

It looks like things are getting bad, so I'll stop it.

"From the beginning, it seems she didn't say it herself. It seems Ren misunderstood, so let's handle this calmly."

"Is that so? Then let's do it that way. Ah, you?"

The principal, holding a memo and a fountain pen, now approached Powell.

"Ah, no, I..."

"Who are you?"

"I, I'm not involved..."

Jack laughed loudly.

"Come on, that's not possible now! The eldest son of the Royal Guard, Powell Hargan!"

"Oh!"

"Powell Hargan, is it? Despite being forgiven by His Highness for almost being expelled for swinging a real sword in the martial arts competition, you are now resentful of His Highness and are openly obstructing his ascension to the throne for your own convenience. I will deal with you. Farewell."

The principal knows everything! What was that act just now?

The principal is writing notes.

"Principal."

"What is it, Your Highness?"

"Please spare him..."

"I see. Then I will do that."

Everyone is giggling, and the principal steps back.

"You... you, stupid son, aaaaaaaah!!!"

Oh, the Captain of the Royal Guard has barged in!

He ran over with a terrifying expression and punched Powell in the jaw!

"Ugh!"

Powell flew back!

"What are you doing!"

He pounced on Powell and started punching his face!

"Captain! Captain! Stop it!"

The guards gathered to stop the captain!

"...Captain! You've gone too far! This is a graduation party! Stop being violent!"

I stopped him, and the captain stopped struggling.

"Your Highness! This time, my unworthy son has been extremely disrespectful!"

He bowed to me, pressing his head to the floor.

"That's fine. Just calm this down."

"Punishment can be dealt with later in any way you see fit!"

"Sure, just go home!"

"Yes! I apologize for causing a disturbance at this joyous party!"

He dragged Powell, who looked like a corpse, by the collar out of the venue.

...There... There's blood on the floor... Oh...

A maid came with a mop to clean it up. What is this...

With his only ally gone, Ren turned pale.

"Disinheriting Prince Shin is out of the question. If such a thing were to happen, the loss to this country would be immeasurable. I will not accept it."

The Minister of Health. Why is he here? For a mere student graduation ceremony?

"Prince Shin is an irreplaceable figure with his foresight. He has greatly contributed to the development of medicine in this country. Along with Lady Seria, he has proposed the effectiveness of alcohol disinfection, serum therapy, smallpox vaccination, and the new drug penicillin in the royal council. He has been doing this since he was eleven years old! The smallpox vaccination, in particular, he participated in clinical trials with Lady Seria to ensure its safety with his own body. All of this, for the benefit of all citizens. I am grateful for his qualities befitting a true king."

"I don't believe it either. If you like, we can conduct a thorough investigation. Prince Ren, can you tell me the name of the first-year girl who made this claim? We can have everyone restrained and make them confess."

The Minister of Justice, making them confess... That's a bit much.

"No, Minister of Justice, please don't. This is just a trivial rumor within the school."

I hurried to stop him. Things get really bad when you show up.

"Stop it! Do you doubt me?"

Ren also tried to stop him.

"Why? Everything you say, Prince Ren, is hearsay. It can't be used as evidence before it's even doubted. If what you say is true, there's no problem with investigating and verifying it. This is a matter concerning the right to succession, and as the Minister of Justice, I will conduct a thorough investigation and severely punish those who give false testimony."

"It's not necessary!"

"Then you agree that there is no evidence at all?"

"Uh..."

"Do you agree?"

Ren's expression froze.

"Ren-sama, aaaaaaaah!"

Thump, thump, thump.

Wearing a dress and using a cane, the heroine arrived!

This farce is still continuing!

"Lyns!"

"Ren-sama, oh, I'm so glad you made it!"

"Is your leg okay? Are you alright!?"

"Yes, somehow. It's just a sprain."

"But your hands and feet are bandaged!"

"This much is fine! For the graduation party!"

Saying that, she stumbled and threw herself into Ren's chest.

Ren embraced her. So that's how it is.

The audience sighed, "Ah, ah, ah..."

"Did you find out who pushed me?"

She looked up at Ren with tears in her eyes.

"Lyns... no, that's..."

"At least the culprit isn't in this venue. Everyone came here by carriage or on foot from outside. There's no way anyone had the time to push you. You probably just fell and made up a story on the spot."

Oh, I forgot. You haven't had your turn yet, cool guy.

"Fried Black. His parents are marquises, but let's put that aside. He was bullying Lyns, but we have the evidence."

"What?"

Ren's eyes widened at the man who spoke to the prince informally.

"You're a fan of Ren, Your Highness. The bullying up to second year was done by someone else in the school, but that's not important. When you entered first year, the bullying started again. Do you know why?"

"...What are you saying?"

"It's because Lyns got close to you, flirted with you, and became good friends. The first-year girls were jealous and started harassing Lyns. They even spread rumors that it was Shin and Lady Seria who did it. Your fans probably wanted you to inherit the throne."

"What!?"

"You, you're a big siscon, aren't you? You're weak for older women. The first-year girls were all upset. I heard you used to love Lady Seria when you were a kid. Crying because your beloved Seria-neesan was taken by Shin? That's why."

"Wh... wh..."

Ren turned red. You have that kind of taste?

Suddenly having his sexual preferences exposed, he couldn't respond. I see.

The heroine, who made me stumble not at all, and who thwarted all events with other targets and couldn't raise their affection, set her sights on my younger brother Ren and secretly tried to charm him with her older woman's appeal, to have me disinherited and make Ren the crown prince, and eventually become queen. That's pretty nasty.

"Why do you know all this!"

"Mirene!"

When Fried called out, a girl in the audience walked up with a scary face and suddenly slapped Ren's face hard!

Oh no!

The first-year girl who just slapped Ren is his fiancée, Mirene Bistrius, the duke's daughter!

"I saw everything from the beginning, Ren-sama."

"Mirene..."

"I have endured your neglect of me for a long time, but this time I can't take it anymore! Trying to disgrace His Highness Shin, whom I respect, over such a trivial matter has gone far enough!"

"Um, what do you mean? Fried, can you explain?"

"Your brother, this stupid prince's fiancée, Mirene, is my sister."

"Whaaaaat!"

I didn't know that at all!

"It's not surprising you didn't know. When I was a kid, I was the third son and was adopted into the Black Marquess family, which had no male heirs. So Mirene is my blood sister."

"I see..."

So it's not just that he's cool, but he was actually from a ducal family. He might have grown up a bit twisted because of that.

"I heard everything from Mirene. She knew the situation well. After all, she's the fiancée of this stupid prince. Today, when he refused to escort Mirene and insisted on taking Lyns, I brought Mirene here. You should understand how humiliating that was for her."

Fried's eyes looking at Ren and the heroine are like looking at trash. The reason he suddenly became cold to the heroine in third year must be because of this. If you investigate who was bullying the heroine, it leads right to Mirene.

"Mirene, she endured this stupid prince's womanizing and infidelity for a long time, saying she would break the engagement someday."

"Ah, I get it! Fried, you've always hated me, haven't you? That's why!"

"Of course! If Mirene marries this stupid prince, you and I will be stepbrothers and relatives. That's not funny at all!"

"...In that case, who would be the older brother?"

"By convention, you would be my older brother."

"That's not funny at all..."

What a shock.

"Y-You, Mirene, were the one bullying Lyns!"

"That's impossible. I no longer have any affection for His Highness, and I only hoped to work up a reason to break the engagement. I would never be jealous of Lyns or interfere with His Highness's relationships."

"...That's right, Prince Ren. You have long been abandoned. Say it, Mirene."

Mirene took a step back, with a cool, trash-like look, just like her brother.

"Your Highness, I hereby declare the termination of our engagement due to your repeated infidelity and lack of sincerity. Please accept it."

Oh, the engagement is being broken by the ducal daughter, Mirene, to my younger brother, Ren.

Can this be resolved?

"...I accept."

The scene opened up.

Everyone bowed their heads and kn