Chapter 47

After that, I stopped by the mansion and told Fen that I would be absent from Lady Bard's tea party the next day, and as expected, he made a displeased face.

Hastily, I wrote a letter of refusal to the lady and headed to the evening gathering, and it was quite late when I finally returned home.

The evening gathering was unbearably boring, and I was already feeling exasperated, but Fen was waiting for me at the mansion, grumbling about his dissatisfaction.

"Of course, Lady Bard allowed it when she heard that I had business in the capital, but I had to bow deeply and apologize."

Ruitas took Fen as his secretary when he became a full knight, and Fen, who had served the family as a secretary, had no qualms about speaking to Ruitas.

In fact, it was because Ruitas liked his boldness that he appointed him as a secretary, so it was difficult to complain now.

Fen's family was a distant branch of the Ladus family, and Fen was the third son.

In a situation where he would struggle to make a living without his own talent, Fen had aspired to be a civil servant from a young age and entered the civil service.

Due to his competence, he was recruited to handle the Ladus family's affairs and was introduced as one of the candidates for Ruitas' secretary, but even then, he was blunt and spoke his mind.

He said what needed to be said without hesitation, but the refined Lord Ladus did not approve of him.

"He's capable in his work, but there's something about him that I don't like," Ruitas' father said, and Ruitas immediately appointed Fen as his secretary on the spot.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and Ruitas felt a sense of satisfaction.

Now, as soon as he returned, Ruitas was listening to Fen's complaints, but he was used to it and it didn't bother him at all.

He ignored it and asked, "Did you manage to deliver the letter of apology and the gift I prepared?"

Fen reluctantly nodded.

"She read the letter on the spot and smiled wryly. She said to tell you that she understood."

"I also made a small request while apologizing. We should meet at the evening gathering the day after tomorrow."

As Ruitas was about to head to his room, Fen called out, "By the way, I received some materials about Lady Sedea from Ancheze."

Ruitas inwardly sighed, thinking that Fen should have mentioned this first instead of his complaints, and Fen continued, "They're on the table. Would you like me to prepare some tea?"

Fen was a man whose intentions were hard to read.

Ruitas had some strong tea prepared to keep him awake and began to read the report on Princess Sedea.

It seemed that Gruuk had taken action, and the report covered the state of the country at the time of the marriage, the terms of the contract, the actual situation of the Kainz family, and public opinion, leaving no room for oversight.

Despite the lack of time, the investigation was thorough.

As he read on, the circumstances that led to this situation became clear to Ruitas.

The marriage was arranged ten years ago between the eldest son of the Kainz family in Sies and the third princess of Ancheze.

On the day of the wedding, a treaty was signed between the two countries, and the terms of the marriage contract took effect, but there were uncertain elements.

The two were still young and could not be considered a formal married couple.

Even though she was a bastard, the idea of marrying the third princess of Emperor Palesis to a non-heir from another country was unthinkable in Ancheze.

Therefore, a clause was added that if the eldest son, Glen, was disinherited before the formal marriage, Ancheze could declare the marriage invalid.

Ruitas muttered bitterly, "Was that the reason they kept the eldest son, who was bedridden after a riding accident, away in Uzuk along with Princess Sedea?"

If the accident had become public, the marriage would have been declared invalid.

A noble with a name had the duty to be a shield for the king in times of crisis, and it was impossible for someone who could not move to bear the name of Kainz.

The reason Lord Kainz wanted to continue the marriage, even at the cost of deceiving the country, was money.

The contract at the time of the marriage included a clause that was crucial to the Kainz family's revenue, and they did not want the marriage to be declared invalid.

At the time, Ancheze needed the new silkworm breeding technology developed in Sies, and Sies wanted to sell its products in large quantities in Ancheze.

Sies was known for its cultivation of herbs and tea, and its production of ceramics for teaware was also thriving.

Many well-known ceramics, such as 'Caiqi,' 'Baitouyao,' and 'Bailan,' were popular in other countries, but their sales in Ancheze were not particularly good.

Ancheze imposed high tariffs on luxury goods for the nobility with established distribution channels, and Sies' ceramics were no exception.

Sies sought the abolition of tariffs on 'Bailan' and 'Caiqi' for a limited period, and Ancheze agreed in exchange for the transfer of the new silkworm breeding technology.

Since the tariff abolition was part of the marriage contract, it was limited to fifteen years after the marriage, and it was also stipulated that the rights would not be passed on to the children if the princess died young.

Emperor Palesis had no interest in the bastard princess, but the civil servant who drafted the contract included various detailed provisions to protect the young princess.

Sies was known for its male-dominated society, where divorce initiated by the husband was publicly recognized, and the authority of the head of the household was exceptionally strong.

Therefore, the contract included provisions that the Kainz family could not use the princess's assets at will and that unilateral divorce by Glen was not allowed, as well as detailed regulations in case Glen had a bastard child.

This should have been enough to protect the princess's position.

If only Lord and Lady Kainz had not been blinded by greed and resorted to foolish actions.

The Kainz family was a prestigious family in Sies, but their recent management of their territory had not been going well. Lady Kainz, who came from the royal family, had a severe habit of extravagance, and their assets had significantly diminished.

It was Lady Kainz who strongly recommended the abolition of tariffs on 'Bailan' to the king in preparation for the arrival of Princess Sedea.

'Bailan,' with its translucent white porcelain and intricate blue patterns, was produced in the Blunia region, which was almost 80% of the Kainz family's territory, and increasing the sales of 'Bailan' to stabilize their finances was a pressing issue for the Kainz family.

From the documents in front of him, it was clear that the sales of 'Bailan' in Ancheze had increased dramatically after the marriage.

With the steady profits, the Kainz family had been relieved that their financial worries were over, but then the eldest son, Glen, was involved in an accident just three years into the marriage.

When they learned that the expected profits from 'Bailan' would be lost, Lord and Lady Kainz must have been quite anxious.

In front of their severely injured eldest son, they were more concerned about the loss of 'Bailan' revenue.

... When did they decide to abandon the eldest son, who had become disabled?

Just thinking about their mindset was terrifying.

Thinking about them made Ruitas feel a boiling anger.

They had left the care of their bedridden son to Princess Sedea, not allowing her to meet with other nobles, while they themselves smiled brightly in the glamorous social scene.

Ruitas knew Seffaim, the second son who had become the heir in place of Glen, quite well, as he had chatted with him at a dinner just four days ago.

His wife was also pregnant, coinciding with the announcement of the queen's pregnancy.

He had been talking proudly to those around him about how he hoped to become a close aide to the crown prince.

They had forgotten that their current luxury was built on someone else's sacrifice.

His anger towards them was endless, but what he regretted even more was his long-term neglect of Princess Sedea.

The bastard princess who had married into another country over ten years ago was just an old memory to Ruitas. Even when he visited Sies, he never thought about her.

His concern was how to consolidate the country under the emperor's name, how to enrich the vast country, and how to build a powerful force that would not be threatened by other countries.

If he had paid more attention to Princess Sedea, he would have noticed her plight much sooner.

Ruitas remembered the princess crying like a child in front of him.

Her swollen eyes, red nose, and unreserved tears struck him as beautiful.

He felt that she was angry not for herself, but for her deceased husband.

Her words were warm, and before he knew it, he was drawn into her story.

She was the first woman to touch his heart in such a way.

For a long time, the only women around him were superficial and shallow.

... The only exception was the Empress, but she was so extraordinary in many ways that she did not even fall into the category of women in Ruitas' mind.

Thinking of this, Ruitas suddenly remembered his wife, who had passed away two years ago.

She was a beautiful woman, a noble lady raised in luxury, who loved fun and glamorous things.

Ruitas had treated her as a wife, but he did not particularly love her, and she probably felt the same.

She was not interested in Ruitas as a person but in his wealth, family, and status.

Perhaps she was a suitable match for him.

Ruitas considered himself a misanthrope, despite being recognized as a friendly and sociable person.

He had countless acquaintances, but the only people he trusted as friends were Emperor Alex, Gruuk, and Amon.

He still drank with them from time to time.

Incidentally, every time he visited Emperor Alex, the Empress was always there.

The bond formed during their days as provisional knights was still strong, and Ruitas could not imagine life without them, but in fact, his first meeting with Emperor Alex was the worst possible.

This was because, even before they met in Antole, Ruitas had a strong dislike for Prince Alex.

The reason was simple: before joining the knights, his parents had ordered him to befriend the prince.

The reason Ruitas was chosen as a playmate for the prince was that his mother often took him to salons.

Ruitas was a perceptive child who could read people's emotions.

He knew how to act to avoid suspicion, how to behave to be liked by others, and how to predict their reactions.

When he accompanied his mother, the ladies' tongues loosened. His mother, aware of this, began to take him around more often, and his father also encouraged it.

Of course, he had to have proper manners and education, so he was thoroughly drilled by his tutors in the general education and etiquette of the nobility.

He had no time to play with children his own age and became distant from his older sister and younger brother, turning into a twisted child with only a superficial charm.

No matter how kindly his parents spoke to him, if he disappointed them, they would turn their backs on him.

He always felt he had to try his best.

He made an effort to be bright and innocent, acting like a good child that adults liked, and as a result, he became popular in the salons.

Eventually, his social skills caught the attention of the Empress, and his parents were summoned to her and told to make Ruitas a candidate for the prince's retinue.

By then, Ruitas already hated his parents as much as he hated snakes and scorpions, and when they told him to befriend the prince, he naturally rebelled.

He thought he had finally escaped his parents' control by joining the provisional knights, but it was a joke to have his life interfered with even there.

He answered solemnly that he would do his best, but he had no intention of being friends with the prince and was looking forward to enjoying his own life.

However, when he joined, the Empress had already arranged for him to share a room with Prince Alex.

The other two were Amon and Gruuk.

Amon was a straightforward and lively boy who was happy to share a room with Prince Alex.

They had been childhood friends, and Amon, who was large and skilled in martial arts from a young age, secretly thought of the prince as a little brother (if Prince Alex had known, he would have complained a lot) and took care of him.

On the other hand, Gruuk was the eldest son of a prestigious family, but the family was in decline and struggling financially, and he had given up on a proper career.

He could not afford to hire a tutor, so he started attending a school for merchants' children and poor nobles at the age of six, where he quickly stood out and was hailed as a genius.

Nobles who recognized his talent offered to support him, indicating that he was exceptionally gifted.

In the end, it was Empress Tora who took Gruuk in.

Gruuk's mother had served the Empress as a maid in her youth and was called by the Empress, who offered economic support in exchange for Gruuk becoming the prince's schoolmate.

Gruuk, who wanted to use his talent for the country, eagerly accepted the offer.

Thus, the four of them, with Amon as the prince's close friend, Gruuk swearing loyalty to a prince he had never met, and Ruitas, who had no intention of being friends with the prince, began their life together with the prince at the center.

Ruitas, who was in the midst of his rebellious phase, was taken aback when he met the prince, who was even more troubled than he was.

Prince Alex was a lonely boy who was not loved by his father or mother.

The only person who had shown him unconditional love was his wet nurse, who had taught him how to love others and respect them, but she had already been removed from his life.

The wet nurse, who had been a source of comfort for the prince, was a capable woman who had left him with wise words before parting ways to ensure he would not go astray.

In this respect, she was very similar to the current Empress Via.

Empress Via had also stepped back for the emperor's sake and left, but she had left the emperor with words to protect him after she was gone.

Reflecting on this, one could say that the emperor was very fortunate in his relationships with women.

Thanks to her, the prince had managed to maintain a good image as the first prince, but he was deeply troubled, having learned of the sins committed by his father and grandfather.

If the prince, who had endured loneliness as the first prince of the emperor, had learned that the throne he was to inherit was obtained by killing the rightful heir, he would have been deeply troubled.

Since Prince Alex only trusted Amon, he tried to be calm with Gruuk and Ruitas, but Ruitas was determined to start a fight.

He was quite hot-blooded at the time and had a strange urge to punch the prince, who might become the future emperor.

One day, he deliberately provoked the prince.

The prince, who seemed to be in a violent mood and wanted to punch someone, immediately threw a punch at Ruitas, and they quickly got into a big fight.

Gruuk and Amon tried to stop them, but the blood of teenage boys is not to be underestimated.

Ruitas did not hold back from hitting the two who tried to stop him, and the prince did the same.

The two, who had been hit out of frustration, gradually became angry and joined the fight, and it turned into a fierce brawl.

The noise in the room eventually reached the ears of the instructor.

They were suddenly doused with a bucket of water (it was winter, so it was very cold), and the four of them, holding their clothes, were sent to the reflection room together.

In this regard, Lord Antole was a brave man who did not hesitate to put his own prince in the reflection room.

The four of them shivered as they took off their clothes and put on new ones, wrapped their damp hair in cloths, and spent the time.

There were futons, but the reflection room was cold, and they were not given any food.

Water was provided, but for Gruuk, who had never experienced hunger, and the other three, it was their first time feeling truly hungry.

It was so cold that they huddled together under the futons, and eventually, they began to talk to each other to break the awkward silence.

They spent three days in the reflection room (from the next day, they were given simple food, and it was the first time they found a soup with almost no ingredients delicious), and thanks to those three days, a sense of camaraderie had grown among them.

Since then, Ruitas had become a gentle boy, as if a curse had been lifted.

He felt a sense of accomplishment from punching the prince, who might become the emperor.

It was troublesome for Prince Alex, but Ruitas had also been punched and had a face that made him reluctant to show himself in public for a while, so he considered it even.

Life as a provisional knight with those three was quite enjoyable.

They were fearless and tried every prank and adventure they could think of.

They even sneaked into the full knights' kitchen to steal alcohol and food and had a feast.

They drank without knowing their limits, and the next day, they all participated in training with pale faces from a hangover.

... Looking back, they must have smelled strongly of alcohol.

The instructor turned a blind eye to such behavior.

He generally had a lenient attitude towards mischief, but looking back, he probably had similar experiences himself.

They were not scolded, but on the days they had hangovers, they were made to run more than usual.

When you are in such poor condition that your head hurts when you shout