Chapter 67

After that, Prince Francesco immediately left the harem.

On the other hand, Aura and Zenjiro, still in shock, headed straight to the children's room where their child was waiting.

However, unfortunately, their main purpose was not to hold their child, who had just recovered from an illness, but to reiterate a warning to the doctor, the wet nurse, and the maid who were under house arrest in that room.

"Understand this. You must not speak of what you have seen and heard in this room today, no matter what. If you should leak any information, not only will you pay with your life, but the lives of your entire family as well. Do you understand?"

"We understand."

In response to Queen Aura's unequivocal final warning, the doctor, the wet nurse, and the maid all bowed their heads in unison.

"Hmm, take this to heart."

Aura nodded in satisfaction.

This should be fine, she thought.

Doctor Michel, as the royal physician, was accustomed to keeping secrets. The wet nurse, Cassandra, was a woman loyal to the royal family, whom Aura also trusted.

As for the blonde maid, Margarete, there was no need to emphasize the point. She was Aura's confidante, to whom she entrusted her information network.

If Margarete were not trustworthy, Aura could say with certainty that there would be no one among her subordinates who could be trusted.

With this group, unless something extraordinary happened, the matter would not escalate, Aura judged.

"Hmm..."

"I'm exhausted today, too."

Returning from Carlos's children's room to the living room, Zenjiro and Aura both collapsed onto the sofa, lying down like lumps of mud without saying a word for a while.

"..."

"..."

Too many things had happened in just one day.

Carlos's illness.

Prince Francesco's visit.

And the secrets of Prince Francesco and Carlos that were revealed there.

Each of these events shook Zenjiro and Aura's hearts intensely.

In the sunlight streaming through the window, neither Aura nor Zenjiro had the energy to even lift their heads.

Zenjiro, who had canceled his work for the day, was one thing, but Aura had business to take care of that day. However, at this point, Aura had already decided to take a temporary break.

If she pushed herself during such times, she would eventually be crushed by the workload. Aura understood this intuitively.

Besides, even if she abandoned her duties at the palace, it wouldn't turn the rest of the day into a holiday.

"..."

After a while of languishing, Aura, somehow having regained the minimum amount of energy, sat up from the sofa and straightened herself.

"Zenjiro, how about it, are you still not up to it?"

"Ugh... Hmm? What, are we starting already?"

Zenjiro, still lying on the sofa, turned his head to face his wife sitting on the opposite sofa.

"Yes, if you're ready, I'd like to start the conversation. How about it?"

"Hmm... Alright."

Still looking somewhat lethargic, Zenjiro also sat up from the sofa.

"Now, what should we talk about first?"

Still not fully recovered, Aura lazily crossed her legs on the sofa, while Zenjiro, sitting opposite, cracked his neck and replied with a yawn.

"Hmm? Well, first, I have a few questions, can I ask them?"

"Hmm, I don't know if I can answer them, but go ahead."

With permission, Zenjiro began to speak in a hesitant tone, as if trying to gather his thoughts.

"Alright, first, a fundamental question, or rather, a confirmation. The thing Prince Francesco used to heal Zenji's illness. That was really 'Healing Magic,' right? It's not like he secretly used a 'Healing Secret Stone' in his right hand, right?"

"No, that's not the case. You saw it yourself; at that moment, magic power undoubtedly rose from Prince Francesco's body and was poured into Carlos. That was undoubtedly Prince Francesco's own magic.

Moreover, as you can see, the 'Healing Secret Stone' remains unused."

Aura placed the white stone, still containing strong magic power, on the table with a click.

Zenjiro blinked in surprise.

"Huh? So, he left it behind?"

"Yes. The original reason Prince Francesco came to the harem was to use the 'Healing Secret Stone' on Carlos. If he returned with an unused 'Healing Secret Stone,' it would contradict the story."

"But didn't Prince Francesco say that if he used it, Princess Bonna would be angry?"

"According to Prince Francesco, he is used to being scolded, and Bonna is used to scolding him."

"Wow... Just hearing it, you might feel sorry for Prince Francesco, but imagining the scene, you can only feel sorry for Princess Bonna."

Zenjiro silently paid his respects to Princess Bonna in his heart.

Still, if Prince Francesco wasn't just a fool, then Princess Bonna, who was asked by the king to be Prince Francesco's supervisor, might be...

"Most likely, she's a decoy to hide the truth. The credibility of the story increases dramatically if there's one person who is genuinely being misled by Prince Francesco's foolishness."

"What a pitiful situation..."

Zenjiro felt a pang of sympathy.

Feeling genuine sympathy for Princess Bonna, Zenjiro shook off the feeling and moved on to the next topic.

"By the way, I can understand that Zenji can use 'Bestowal Magic' as well as 'Time-Space Magic,' but why did Prince Francesco go to such lengths to tell us this? It feels like we're the only ones benefiting from this one-sided deal."

To Zenjiro's question, Aura shook her head with a slightly troubled expression.

"No, in the short term, knowing this doesn't really benefit us.

Think about it. Do you think you can master the correct incantation for 'Bestowal Magic,' the amount of magic power to use, and the mental image of the effect without guidance from a mentor?"

"Oh, right. Just knowing that Zenji can use 'Bestowal Magic' doesn't help if we don't know the detailed methods of using it."

Aura nodded in agreement with Zenjiro's understanding.

"Exactly. Without the cooperation of the Shalowa royal family, it would take about three generations to establish and practically use 'Bestowal Magic.'"

"Wow, that's a long time..."

Indeed, it makes sense for Aura to say that there is no short-term benefit.

"So, what does that mean? Is Prince Francesco going to say something like, 'Zenji can use 'Bestowal Magic.' I'll teach you how to use it, so let's make a deal with me'?"

After some thought, Zenjiro speculated about Prince Francesco's intentions, and Aura nodded in agreement while making a slight correction.

"That's the most likely scenario. However, it's hard to believe that this was Prince Francesco's decision alone. The information he revealed is too significant.

If the first prince or the current king of the Shalowa royal family is involved, they might be aiming for a much larger change."

"A larger change?"

Tilting his head, Zenjiro listened as Aura, adopting a serious expression, continued her explanation.

"Yes, even if Carlos becomes a user of 'Bestowal Magic,' it doesn't directly benefit the Shalowa royal family. However, if the information that Carlos is a user of 'Bestowal Magic' becomes public, it will change the position of certain individuals."

"Prince Francesco?"

"Yes. Without considering his political position, Prince Francesco is an extremely capable individual.

Not only can he use two types of magic, but it's natural to want to pass on his vast magic power to the next generation."

"Right, magic power is generally hereditary, with some exceptions."

While the inheritance of physical traits is not always precise, magic power is passed down from parent to child. For the royal family, who can manipulate 'Bloodline Magic,' the amount of magic power is a significant asset.

However, it is indeed a waste that Prince Francesco, who possesses overwhelming magic power, is not allowed to have children due to a secret agreement.

"In other words, by making Zenji's case public, they might be trying to invalidate the rule that 'those who awaken to the opposite bloodline magic must not have children'?"

"Indeed, but this is just my speculation. If they were to actually do this, it would cause a near-revolutionary upheaval in the dual kingdom. I think the likelihood of such a drastic move is low."

"I see. Then, it won't be such a big fuss, right?"

Zenjiro's words, tinged with a faint hope, were mercilessly cut off by the queen.

"No, I'm sorry, but that's not the case. Once it becomes known that Carlos can use 'Bestowal Magic,' the information could spread throughout the country.

Then, the next question will be, 'Why does Prince Carlos have the potential for both 'Time-Space Magic' and 'Bestowal Magic'?' Once that question arises, it's only a matter of time before it's revealed that you have Shalowa royal blood. After that, the more radical faction, led by General Pujol, will push you even harder to take a concubine."

"Ugh..."

With a despondent voice, Zenjiro's wife, who had been calmly predicting the future, now wore an expression of pain.

"I'm sorry. In the end, I keep breaking my promises to you, even though you have never broken a promise to me..."

Zenjiro's wife slumped her shoulders so deeply that it seemed a sound effect could be heard, and Zenjiro reflexively offered words of comfort.

"No, you don't have to worry about it so much. It's just that my ancestors' situation was unique, and it's not your fault."

Indeed, it's not Aura's fault. If anything, the initial assessment was too optimistic, which might be the most appropriate criticism of Aura.

However, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, and the negative impact on the country is too great to stop it. As the queen, Aura has no choice but to pass the burden to her husband, Zenjiro.

"Still, the condition when I was summoned was that I didn't have to do anything except have children. If I could go back in time with 'Time Travel' magic, I'd want to slap the back of my head at that time.

To be honest, if you do nothing, the palace will be in chaos."

Aura spoke as if mocking her own overly optimistic assessment at the time.

"Hmm, but I never really thought I could do nothing from the beginning. In fact, there was a period after the wedding when I could do nothing, and it wasn't as enjoyable as I thought.

In the end, it turned out well, I think."

Zenjiro's words were genuinely meant to comfort Aura, and he wasn't lying.

Being a representative of a country and performing public duties is a significant pressure, but he has become accustomed to it, both positively and negatively, and no longer feels as mentally drained.

He has no major complaints about his current life.

However, precisely because of this, he wants to firmly reject the 'concubine issue,' which would drastically change his life.

In the worst case, if there's no way to avoid it, he will have to make a decision, but for now, he renews his vow to maintain his stance against concubines.

"Still, is there anything you want or anything you want to do?"

This was a question she had asked many times, and Zenjiro, after some thought, gave a slightly different answer today.

"Hmm, well... Right now, more than anything, I want to hold Zenji."

It was probably not the answer Aura was expecting, but it was undoubtedly what Zenjiro most wanted at the moment.

After all, he had been busy with work for the past few days and hadn't had the chance to visit the children's room, and today's 'Scarlet Fever' incident.

He wanted to hold his beloved child in his arms, feel his warmth, and feel at ease as soon as possible.

"Zenjiro..."

Aura could only smile wryly.

Despite the constant trouble he caused, Zenjiro never complained, and she wanted to repay his efforts in some way. However, she strongly empathized with Zenjiro's answer.

"Right. Since the illness is already cured, Doctor Michel won't say anything. Let's go see Carlos together in a little while."

"Okay, let's do that. Alright, thinking about it, I feel my energy coming back."

True to his words, Zenjiro's eyes regained their strength, and he leaned forward from the sofa, rotating his shoulders.

"However, you must not speak in front of Carlos."

"No, I've been working hard recently. I think my pronunciation has improved, and I want to try saying something other than 'It's Dad.'"

"That's not acceptable. I recognize your efforts, but the results are not there yet."

"What a harsh response."

"Hehe, it's for the sake of our child's future."

Their subsequent conversation continued in a bright and cheerful atmosphere, dispelling the previous gloom.