Chapter 1

Chapter 3 begins!

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"Madam, what do you think?"

King Wilson of Filarus, stroking his smooth chin, turned his gaze to Queen Rezabella, who was sipping from a teacup beside him.

The Kingdom of Filarus, located in the northwest of the Ailanz continent, was about to enter the social season. Since Wilson's birthday coincided with the start of the social season, his coronation had marked the beginning of the social season with the King's birthday celebration.

The King's birthday celebration was just a week away. The celebration included speeches and parades from morning to afternoon, followed by a grand party in the evening, which included guests from other countries. Therefore, it could not be taken lightly. It was a perfect opportunity to showcase the peace and prosperity of Filarus to the guests who had traveled from other countries. Conversely, a failure here could affect the future relations between countries.

For this reason, the preparations for the birthday celebration required not only the efforts of the subjects but also the cooperation of the royal family. ...And yet.

"Why are my children so at odds with each other?"

In the salon of the castle, where the birthday celebration planning meeting was held, the King and Queen, along with their two children, Crown Prince Edward and his wife Elizaveta, and Edward's sister, the First Princess Eugenia, and her husband Enoch, were gathered.

The attendants had been dismissed, and it was a private discussion among the family. The preparations for the birthday celebration were almost complete, but they had gathered for the final adjustments. However, within thirty minutes, the sibling quarrel began, and Wilson sighed.

Edward was about to turn twenty-nine this winter, and Eugenia had just turned twenty-six in the summer. Despite being adults, it was unclear what they were thinking.

"...Well, at least they don't shout and curse each other anymore, so perhaps they have grown up a bit."

Rezabella placed her hand on her cheek and smiled wryly.

"That's true, but Madam, they fight more often now than when they were children."

"That's true. I wonder why? They used to get along well."

Edward, who could belittle others with a smile, and Eugenia, who provoked with a high-pitched laugh, were watched by their parents, who sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Elizaveta and Enoch, who observed the scene, were well accustomed to it. They neither joined the fight nor supported either side, but simply waited for the two to run out of insults. They knew that intervening would only escalate the situation, so they kept their mouths shut.

"Elizaveta and Enoch are both good, but I wish they had more courage to speak up to the two of them."

"If you say so, what about you, who pretend not to see?"

"Madam, too."

"I did try to talk to them properly once. ...It was in vain, though."

"Really, I wonder why they turned out this way."

Both Edward and Eugenia could put on a show when others were around, but as soon as the others left, the atmosphere turned sour immediately.

"At this rate, I can't hand over the throne with peace of mind. My goal is to retire before I turn sixty... I only have two years left."

"Why don't you give up and work for ten more years?"

"I don't want to. My dream is to roll around in the countryside, growing hay."

"I've always wondered, why do you want to grow hay so much?"

It's a mystery, Rezabella said, looking into the distance for a moment, then agreed with the King, "But indeed, this situation is problematic."

"Elizaveta is a good girl, but her status is what it is. She can't rely on her family's support. She alone is not enough to assist Edward. We need Eugenia's cooperation."

"That's true."

Edward was excellent, with a quick mind, though his deviousness was a flaw. However, a king needed to be able to perform some tricks.

Despite his excellence, Edward had always said he would choose his wife based on family background and ability, yet he chose a baron's daughter. It was apparently love at first sight. Wilson and Rezabella opposed it, knowing a baron's daughter couldn't be a suitable queen, but Edward convinced everyone with his words and spent three years courting Elizaveta before marrying her. Wilson was surprised by his son's passionate nature, but in the end, they agreed that if he was happy, that was enough.

Even if the queen lacked ability, Eugenia was there.

Eugenia's husband, Enoch, was from the Rodford Duke family, whose matriarch was Wilson's sister. The Rodford Duke family had connections with many nobles. Last year, the duke passed away, and Enoch inherited the title, but Wilson's sister was still alive and had significant influence in the social scene. As the Duchess of Rodford, Eugenia, with her naturally sociable personality, had become a central figure in a major faction alongside her mother-in-law.

If Eugenia supported Elizaveta and assisted Edward with her husband, the next reign would be stable. However, contrary to Wilson's expectations, Edward and Eugenia did not get along well.

"We need to do something soon."

"What do you mean by 'do something'? How do you plan to mediate between them?"

The Queen asked how he planned to mediate between the siblings who constantly argued. It was impossible to scold them like children, as they were both adults. They could easily pretend to listen and then ignore the advice.

"Hmm... Hey, if I grow a mustache, will it give me more authority? Maybe then they'll listen to me a bit more."

"That won't work. Think of King Jules. Instead of authority, his mustache just made him look suspicious."

"That's true."

Wilson laughed, thinking of his friend, King Jules of the neighboring country of Briolette to the southeast.

"That's the thing, in Briolette, the queen is more intimidating than the king."

"Queen Barbara would be angry if she heard that."

"No, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd listen to Queen Barbara. When she glares, it feels like being a slug doused with salt. I'm glad my wife is a kind woman. I couldn't have a wife like that."

"You're always so carefree..."

Rezabella sighed.

However, Wilson was right. In Briolette, the queen was strong. Not just Barbara, but historically, the queens had been powerful. Rezabella didn't know of any other country that valued the queen's ability as much as Briolette, and the ability to find such capable women generation after generation was impressive.

"I don't know much, but according to Edward, Lady Olivia is also excellent?"

"Yes, that's true. When she stands next to Prince Alan, it feels a bit off, but with a new fiancé, things will change. So, the next king will be Prince Cyrus, I suppose."

"It's a strange system where the throne depends on who they marry."

"That's how it is in Briolette. Prince Alan won't have a chance unless he finds a woman better than Olivia. As far as I know, there's no one better than Olivia in that country."

"...So, that's why you invited Prince Cyrus to the birthday celebration."

"That's right. Edward should get along with Prince Cyrus from now on."

When Wilson sent the invitation to Briolette, he secretly added, "I'd like Prince Cyrus to come this year." Knowing that King Jules was busy during the time of Wilson's birthday, he knew that writing this would ensure Cyrus's attendance. If Cyrus came, Olivia would come too. With the southern country of Calzor showing suspicious movements, a strong alliance among the three countries of Levanor, including Briolette, was necessary. Wilson wanted Edward to build a close relationship with the next king and queen before ascending the throne.

"Ah, we've strayed from the topic. What should we do about those two?"

Having concluded that a mustache wouldn't help, Wilson tilted his head.

"Maybe we need a bit of tough love?"

"Tough love? ...I don't have a good feeling about this. What do you plan to do?"

Wilson smiled at the worried Rezabella.

"Hmm, ...maybe it will be good?"

Thank you for reading!

The second volume of this book is scheduled to be released on July 1st.

The manga adaptation is also ongoing. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, "The Demon Lord Earl and the Cursed Gem ~Please, Stop Clinging to Me~" has concluded today!

If you're interested, please give it a read (*^^*)

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8523hp/

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