Chapter 6

Prince Louis Lino Antila was receiving treatment from Oriane in his room at the palace.

“Gah...!”

“Prince Louis, are you alright?”

Oriane, the holy maiden, was healing the wound on his hand inflicted by Asaria Jil Spencer. However, Oriane’s healing magic couldn’t cure it in one go and had to be used multiple times.

Part of the reason was Oriane’s inexperience, but it was also because Asaria’s magic, which had burned the skin, was hindering the healing process.

“What did Asaria do to me, a prince...”

“She did such a terrible thing after I left the party.”

“Yes, I never thought she was such a violent woman. I will make sure she receives her punishment for this!”

With a voice laced with hatred, the two of them sat on the sofa, leaning close to each other. However, they were sitting further apart than usual, perhaps because Prince Louis had been cold to Oriane at yesterday’s party.

“Prince Louis, is what Lady Asaria said yesterday true? That if the engagement with Lady Asaria is broken, you will no longer be the first in line to the throne...”

“That’s just Asaria’s nonsense. I am the first prince, and it’s only natural for the first prince to become the next emperor. Even without being engaged to a duke’s daughter, I am still the crown prince.”

“Yes, that’s true. I believe you will be fine, Prince Louis.”

“Yes, thank you. Besides, I have you, the holy maiden, by my side.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

They laughed together, but the atmosphere was somehow worse than usual.

Prince Louis’s right hand, which was not yet fully healed, was bandaged as they drank tea together. Suddenly, a knock was heard, and a butler entered the room.

“What is it?”

“Your Highness, I apologize. The Emperor has summoned you to the audience chamber.”

“Huh, the Emperor?”

Prince Louis, who disliked being interrupted, had no choice but to go if the Emperor summoned him.

“Oriane, I’m sorry. I have to go since the Emperor has called for me. I won’t be able to see you off.”

“It’s alright, Prince Louis. I pray that your injury heals quickly.”

“Yes, thank you.”

They parted ways, and Prince Louis headed to the audience chamber, accompanied by the butler to the door.

“Your Majesty, Prince Louis is here.”

“...Enter.”

A low voice came from inside, and the butler opened the door, allowing Prince Louis to enter the audience chamber alone. The room was lavishly decorated, with a red carpet leading straight to the throne, where the Emperor sat.

“Your Majesty, you summoned me?”

When Prince Louis asked, the Emperor stood from the throne and glared at him.

“Do you not know why I have summoned you?”

“...Is it about the National Foundation Day party?”

“Yes.”

Being summoned to the audience chamber was not a common occurrence, so Prince Louis immediately understood. He thought the Emperor had called him out of concern for what had happened yesterday.

“Your Majesty, yesterday, I was severely injured by my fiancée, the Duke of Spencer’s daughter.”

“That was because you were disrespectful to the Duke of Spencer’s daughter.”

“Huh...”

Prince Louis was taken aback by the Emperor’s words and could only give a weak response.

“You invited a baron’s daughter without thinking and even neglected your fiancée, the Duke of Spencer’s daughter, to socialize with the baron’s daughter.”

“...It’s true that I invited Baron Dianu’s daughter, the holy maiden Oriane. However, I did not do anything to deserve such violence from the Duke of Spencer’s daughter.”

“Do you think I don’t know? I heard that you grabbed the Duke of Spencer’s daughter’s arm just before the incident.”

“...”

With that, Prince Louis was left speechless.

“Grabbing a lady’s arm is not something a prince should do. Given that it was the Duke of Spencer’s daughter, it’s only natural that it became a problem.”

“But the Duke of Spencer’s daughter was very disrespectful to me...”

“You were the one who started it! You were the one who was disrespectful!”

The Emperor interrupted Prince Louis and raised his voice in anger.

“Your fiancée, the Duke of Spencer’s daughter, is not someone you can insult. Think before you act.”

“But Your Majesty, we are the royal family. Why should I, a royal, have to consider the feelings of a duke’s daughter?”

“...Hmph, it seems I need to dismiss your tutor and find someone who can teach you better.”

The Emperor, now more exasperated than angry, sat back on the throne and put his hand to his forehead.

“Do you think that just because you have royal blood, you can look down on the Duke of Spencer and the other four dukes?”

Prince Louis, who thought he was the top of the royal family, the Emperor’s son and the crown prince, was taken aback.

“Indeed, in terms of position, you are. But the reason you can maintain that position is because the empire has been at peace since its founding.”

“The foundation of our empire was built by the four dukes, who continue to fight against the monsters to maintain peace. Insulting the Duke of Spencer, one of the strongest and most renowned of the four, is out of the question!”

“But, Your Majesty, the royal family is still above them...”

“You may be above them in position, but without them, the royal family would be nothing. If we were attacked by monsters and killed, the blood of the commoners and the royal family would both stain the ground red. It is because of them that the royal family can rule the empire and maintain peace.”

Prince Louis still had things he wanted to say, but he decided to remain silent, knowing that any further words would only anger the Emperor more.

“I never thought you were this foolish... If it were another prince, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m starting to doubt whether you are fit to be the crown prince, but as long as you are engaged to the Duke of Spencer’s daughter, that won’t change.”

“Huh...? What do you mean?”

Prince Louis, unable to believe what he was hearing, asked for clarification. However, the Emperor, without mercy, delivered the worst news to him.

“The reason you were made the crown prince is because you were engaged to the Duke of Spencer’s daughter. The Duke of Spencer guards the most dangerous southern fortress and does not want his daughter to fight there, so I accepted that.”

“You mean... I became the crown prince because I was the first prince...”

“Being the first prince doesn’t automatically make you the first in line to the throne. Normally, the princes’ talents and abilities would be compared to decide the crown prince, but you were chosen because you were engaged to the Duke of Spencer’s daughter.”

“...”

It was true. Everything Asaria Jil Spencer had said at the party was true.

“Did you not know? I, from the four dukes of Spencer, became the crown prince because I was engaged to Prince Louis.”

“If I break the engagement, he will no longer be the crown prince.”

If he broke the engagement with Asaria, he would no longer be the crown prince. This realization sent Prince Louis into a deep depression.

“Your future wife and empress will be the Duke of Spencer’s daughter. The one you need to cherish is not the holy maiden or a baron’s daughter.”

It seemed that the Emperor was already aware of his relationship with Oriane and was making it clear.

“I’m not telling you to end your relationship with the baron’s daughter, but you need to take responsibility for your choices.”

In other words, he could continue his relationship with Oriane, but doing so would mean he would no longer be the crown prince.

“You may leave now.”

“...Yes.”

With a pale face and a dejected spirit, Prince Louis left the audience chamber.

Back in his room, he sat on the sofa, but...

“Damn it!”

His frustration boiled over, and he swept a glass off the table. The drink spilled onto the floor, and the glass shattered.

“Why do I have to cater to Asaria’s mood?”

Before the party, Asaria had always been nagging him, saying, “As a prince, you need to take responsibility. It’s irresponsible to be infatuated with other women.”

He thought she was just trying to get his attention and didn’t want to lose her position as the crown prince’s fiancée.

Prince Louis had never liked Asaria. She was beautiful, but not to his taste, and her personality was annoying, making her an unpleasant fiancée.

On the other hand, Oriane was beautiful in his eyes, with a gentle and lovely personality. That’s why he had neglected Asaria, and it had never been a problem until now.

However, at the party, Asaria’s attitude had suddenly changed.

She had said that he could break the engagement and confidently stated that it would be he who would suffer if the engagement was broken.

He had wanted to believe it was a lie, but now that the Emperor had confirmed it, it was true.

“Damn it, what should I do! I can’t afford to lose my position as the crown prince...”

He was the first prince of the royal family, the one who should be at the top. The thought of being surpassed by his younger brothers, the second and third princes, was unbearable.

But to remain the crown prince, he had to cater to and respect Asaria.

He, who should be the crown prince and the one at the top...

“Damn it...!”

The wound on his right hand, inflicted by Asaria, throbbed with pain. The image of Asaria’s wicked smile flashed in his mind, and Prince Louis’s frustration only grew.