Chapter 78

"Your Majesty, Grayson."

Chasing after His Majesty Grayson as he left the room, I exited the parlor. His Majesty Grayson stopped with Queen Olivia.

"What is it, Prince Rolf?"

With a calm smile, His Majesty Grayson looked at me, his outwardly composed face. Queen Olivia also wore a gentle smile. Seeing the two of them like this, a chill ran down my spine.

In the palace, only guards and attendants accompanied them. Among such close associates, His Majesty Grayson had never shown such a contrived attitude. He should have called me Rolf without any formalities, as he always did.

"I wish to apologize for this matter..."

"Enough of your excuses."

With a sharpness that cut me off, His Majesty Grayson interrupted my apology. My feet froze at the oppressive tone of his voice. Queen Olivia, with a cool expression, opened her fan.

"The more I think of the Naris Kingdom, the more it seems your country never trusted ours. How disappointing."

His Majesty Grayson's eyes resembled those of a fierce beast, its fangs bared in anger, ready to tear my throat.

"You intend to use Sheena and Jinklette to eliminate the Colts, don't you? That family is nothing but a nuisance to you and Kanan. I'm sure you can predict how that vixen will act, given your nature."

He snorted and sneered, glaring at me. The first look of contempt he directed at me made me anxious.

"To use Sheena, who protected our country from monsters, fed our people, and saved my son and many soldiers. To betray the benefactor who saved the only heir of Naris. ...I must be senile. To seriously consider entrusting our benefactor to such an unrighteous person..."

To entrust a benefactor... He, King Marita, had intended to entrust a benefactor to me.

With those words, I realized how much trust I had received from His Majesty. And how I had betrayed that trust in the worst possible way.

"I believe you must have noticed, but Jinklette is deeply in love with Sheena. He is utterly devoted to her. However, I, as King of Marita, have sworn to protect her. Even if it means causing my son pain, her safety is non-negotiable. If my son is unsuitable, I was prepared to remove him by force. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Marita would not stand."

The Kingdom of Marita was originally founded by a nomadic people, known for their strong sense of righteousness and camaraderie.

If the people of Marita knew about the secret deeds of the holy maiden, they would unite to protect her, the great benefactor who saved their country.

"When I thought of the best man to protect Sheena, you, Prince Rolf, were the first to come to mind. Even more so than my own son, Jinklette. I believed you could be entrusted with her without any worry. Your excellence, your deep affection for those you care for, your ruthlessness towards enemies, and the network you have built—no one could be more reliable to entrust Sheena to. I knew you wanted to marry a noblewoman, but I believed Sheena's value surpassed that. I thought it would strengthen your position, so I approached Naris..."

He laughed, almost self-mockingly.

"I rambled on with pointless excuses. I was being weak. Sadly, our country was in dire straits due to the monster attacks. I wondered if we could protect that girl from the Kingdom of Daido in such a state. Foolishly, I believed that as an ally, the Kingdom of Naris would help protect the holy maiden. I truly believed that."

His Majesty Grayson averted his gaze from me and spoke matter-of-factly.

My chest ached. Cold sweat trickled down my neck and back, and I felt dizzy with regret.

"I was wrong. Jinklette is better than you. He may still be naive and lack many qualities compared to you, but... he will protect Sheena without hesitation. He would risk his life for her. I have reconsidered and believe it is best to entrust her safety to my son."

No words came out of my anxious mouth. It seemed impossible to regain His Majesty Grayson's trust, no matter what I said.

"Go ahead, Prince Rolf. Use our country as you please."

He smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up.

"But if you cause even a single hair on her head to be harmed..."

His twisted smile and eyes filled with burning anger made my heart shrink.

"I will crush Naris, even if it means dying in the process. Be prepared for that."

His Majesty Grayson turned on his heel. Queen Olivia, still smiling, followed without a word, as if she didn't think it was worth addressing me.

I watched his retreating back with a sense of shame.

When did I first meet him? It was before I entered the palace, during the days of my frustration. When I was struggling to protect everything on my own, he and my brother reached out to me. They saved us, apologized for not noticing our plight, and praised me for my efforts, patting my head.

He was my brother's friend. When I was with my brother, I felt like a big kid.

But both my brother and His Majesty Grayson always smiled calmly, bearing the responsibility of ruling the country without showing its weight to anyone.

Their backs were large, strong, and inspiring, and I, as a child, desperately tried to catch up.

My brother and sister-in-law were right. They had correctly evaluated His Majesty Grayson and the Kingdom of Marita. I was the one who was wrong. But I stubbornly clung to my own thoughts and ignored their advice.

I knew all too well.

I knew that sweet offers in times of distress were not salvation. Fairy tales did not come true in reality. Wishing to the goddess would not make things happen. Believing in salvation and waiting for help was foolish, as I had been repeatedly taught.

I thought the same this time.

I couldn't afford to lose something important again due to my own inadequacy.

But perhaps my stubborn beliefs had seeped into me like a curse.

Until just now, I had foolishly thought I could somehow turn things around. However, His Majesty Grayson saw through all my thoughts and schemes.

If those venomous people I brought here were to harm the holy maiden, His Majesty would seriously retaliate against the Kingdom of Naris.

I must protect the holy maiden at all costs.

Otherwise, the worst-case scenario could be a war between the Kingdom of Marita and the Kingdom of Naris.

I must protect her from the venomous people I brought in, a bitter and foolish task.

I don't know if the holy maiden will accept someone as foolish as me, but I must talk to her.