Chapter 33

"What did Eriku say to you?"

"It's nothing important."

"Opal..."

"In fact, I didn't really listen."

"...So, is Opal okay?"

After leaving the room, Claude, seemingly unable to bear Opal's silence any longer, asked her.

Opal answered honestly, but Claude didn't seem convinced.

Worried, Claude frowned, and Opal smiled at him.

"I'm fine. It was within my expectations. Rather, are you okay, Claude?"

"Yeah, about that..."

"You don't seem to be okay, do you?"

Claude's voice had clearly changed, and Opal became worried.

However, she was taken aback by what Claude said next.

"When I entered Lord Balba's office, His Majesty was there."

"Huh?"

"I thought it was unlike Lord Balba to call me specifically, but I was deceived."

Listening to Claude's sigh-filled story, Opal became anxious.

The fact that the king had called Claude before their meeting was clearly for a reason.

"Hey, Claude. Is His Majesty against this marriage? If so—"

"No, it's not that he's against it. It's just harassment."

"...I don't understand the difference."

"He's still sulking because I offered to resign. He said, 'Which is more important to you, me or your childhood friend?' Of course, it's the childhood friend—Opal."

"His Majesty... was a man, right?"

"Yeah, he's a forty-year-old man this year."

"Claude..."

"Don't worry. Arguments with His Majesty are common."

Claude, who didn't smile, said seriously, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

It seemed Claude was angry.

"Being a secretary is just a miscellaneous job. And to harass me by increasing my workload because the miscellaneous job is gone, how childish. Besides, I wanted to introduce Opal properly after the marriage, but he insisted on her attending the ball. It's all because he wasn't invited to the ceremony, so it's also harassment."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Even today, he called us to separate me and Opal, which made Opal uncomfortable with Eriku. Right?"

"Huh? No... not really..."

Opal was surprised by Claude's unusual behavior.

Recently, Claude seemed mature and always composed, but now he seemed like a child complaining to his siblings.

Unable to help it, Opal burst out laughing.

"Opal? This isn't funny."

"It is. You look so happy."

"Happy?"

"Yes. You do."

Opal, who had been worried about Claude for the past eight years, was glad to know he had someone he could confide in.

She was angry with Eriku, but she understood that he was worried about Claude in his own way.

(Well, if Claude hadn't appeared, I might have argued back...)

Now, Opal, who had been tense until a moment ago, was looking forward to meeting the king.

She wanted to see how much "sulking" Claude was talking about.

This person knew Claude's eight-year period that she didn't know.

Eventually, Claude stopped in front of a room with guards standing at the door.

He looked at Opal as if gauging her mood.

"This is it."

"...Unexpected."

"Yeah, I know."

Opal thought the audience with the king would be in a grand hall, but this looked like a private room.

This suggested that Claude and the king were close, and the king disliked formalities.

Feeling the guards' curious gazes, Opal stepped into the room at Claude's urging.

A middle-aged man stood up and spread his arms toward Opal.

"Welcome to my kingdom, my palace. Claude's fiancée, I welcome you."

"Your Majesty, this is Opal Holloway. As you said, she is my fiancée. —Opal, this is King Alessandro."

Of course, Opal didn't jump into his arms. She stood next to Claude, who had stopped, and was introduced.

She felt that the distance between her and the king was farther than usual during greetings.

"Pleased to meet you. I am Opal Holloway."

"I've heard a lot about you, so it doesn't feel like the first time. May I call you Opal?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Bowing, Opal straightened and observed Alessandro, albeit hesitantly.

Alessandro smiled, noticing Opal's gaze.

His expression became more approachable, but Opal wasn't fooled.

(Though the first impression is different, he resembles my father...)

Opal's father, the Earl of Holloway, seemed very gentle to those who didn't know him well.

However, his character was far from gentle, being strict and meticulous.

He assessed the situation, read the market, and moved faster than anyone to increase his wealth.

Using his wealth and status, he strengthened his influence in the palace and further built his wealth and status.

Alessandro, who had taken the throne, had developed this Taisei Kingdom, which had been ravaged by plague and succession disputes, in just a few years, proving his skills.

Sitting on the sofa next to Claude, Opal immediately received a small, thorny comment.

"Opal, I am delighted to finally meet you. There were voices suggesting that Claude should marry my niece, but Claude said he wasn't interested. But it wasn't that he wasn't interested in marriage; he was just not interested in anyone but you."

"—I am deeply honored to hear you say so. Claude is stubborn, so I imagine you often find him difficult, Your Majesty?"

Responding to Alessandro's gentle words with a calm smile, Opal seemed to understand Claude's feelings, as he didn't interject for a while.

Though he smiled, his eyes didn't.

"Indeed, I am often exasperated by Claude's stubbornness. There are many beautiful women in this country. Despite being invited by them many times, Claude never agreed, and eventually proposed to you and went to the Kingdom of Sosie. I am relieved that he returned safely..."

"I am delighted to hear such words. My affection for Claude has deepened. Thank you, Your Majesty."

"That's good. I couldn't have rebuilt this country without Claude's help. I am very grateful to him."

"—Thank you for your kind words."

Unable to remain silent any longer, Claude thanked Alessandro and glared at him.

However, Alessandro smiled and waved his right hand lightly.

"No, no, there's no need to thank me. I still intend to use you a lot. Therefore, I truly welcome you, Opal. I believe you will strongly support Claude, just as you did when you obtained the Duke of MacLeod's property through fraud-like means."