Chapter 35

#035 The Rogue of the New Country (1)

"An interview? What...?"

"Could it be *Weekly Riester*?"

Lady Elizabeth asked the question on my behalf, looking flustered.

Benzamain's serious expression seemed to spread to her as well.

If it was *Weekly Riester*, it was the social magazine I had read the most diligently since coming here.

Half of the empire's nobles subscribed to it, and the other half read it with friends who did.

"Yes, that's correct. Sir Sara Belliard, the editor-in-chief, formally requested an interview with Prince Yeseo, and His Majesty approved it."

Benzamain explained calmly while serving coconut cake on the tea table.

Even as I picked up my fork, I couldn't shake off the various questions swirling in my head.

"I don't know what's suddenly going on. It's been quiet so far, hasn't it?"

"Well, it hasn't been quiet."

Benzamain carefully began to explain in response to my words.

I stopped eating the soft cake and looked at him.

"As you know, all private letters from nobles to the prince are filtered out by the imperial palace. Gifts are also stored in the royal treasury, as we don't know the intentions behind them."

"Yes, that's right."

"Media access is the same. Especially *Weekly Riester* has been requesting an exclusive interview since the day the prince entered the palace. Until recently, His Majesty had always turned them down."

Of course, that was to be expected. Well, the further away from the spotlight, the better for me, so it was a relief.

"I'm curious why His Majesty changed his mind."

I replied.

Though it was a bit unsettling, I didn't think I couldn't handle an interview.

Sure, it was a kind of labor I had never done in my life, but as long as I answered the questions as directed and remained silent on anything difficult, it should be fine.

If the imperial palace wanted something from me, I was prepared to comply as long as it wasn't too much to ask.

After all, if the person holding my lifeline told me to do something, I had to do it, right?

Still, I was curious about the sudden background of the interview.

"To cut to the chase, it's because of Marquis François Dume."

Benzamain sighed as he answered.

Lady Elizabeth, who had been listening quietly, nodded and said, "So that's how it is."

I looked at her and then at Benzamain.

Marquis François Dume, the brother of the Dume Guard Captain and the organizer of the 'Great Beast Purge,' had announced that he would put the 'Sword of Mars' up as the grand prize of the tournament, which had upset the Cardinal.

Ah.

"Could it be that His Majesty allowed my interview in exchange for delaying the coverage of the Sword of Mars?"

"Yes, that's correct."

I nodded at his straightforward answer.

I had heard the Cardinal's explanation about this.

I recalled that Sir Sara Belliard, who wanted to announce Marquis Dume's announcement even if it meant issuing a special edition of the magazine, must have been thinking along those lines.

Even if the Marquis had already boasted about the grand prize, there was a world of difference between it being reported in the most influential media of the empire and it just being a rumor.

"Usually, His Majesty is lenient with the nobles. He thinks it's less troublesome that way. The nobles enjoy their freedom as long as they don't offend His Majesty."

"So this media control is a special case, then."

"Yes. Since this is such a rare occurrence, His Majesty seems to have decided that it would be cleaner to offer compensation."

And that compensation was me.

Rather than leaving room for constant annoyance, His Majesty intended to throw them a bone and keep Belliard quiet.

"When is the interview scheduled?"

I asked.

"Tomorrow at 2 PM in the imperial palace."

That's quick. I diligently melted the yellow, sweet cake in my mouth.

After all, when would I use a hostage who was just a layabout if not at a time like this?

I had volunteered for the Great Beast Purge, so I didn't include that in my thoughts.

"Prince Yeseo, be careful with Sir Belliard."

Lady Elizabeth, sitting opposite me, said meaningfully.

I stopped attacking the cake and met her gaze.

"I almost got grilled by him a few months ago."

As she said this, the Guard Captain showed her left hand.

The ring on her fourth finger sparkled in the warm sunlight.

It was the same piece of jewelry I had seen when I first met her, with a beautiful gemstone in the center.

"It's a yellow diamond."

"Amazing."

If I were the real Prince Yeseo, I might have encountered such a precious gem often in my life, but this was my first time.

She laughed softly at my reaction.

"Even though engagement is a private matter, he tried to dig into it because I'm the heir of the Monté family. He's not an easy person to deal with."

So it was an engagement ring.

I was curious about who the other party was, but I hesitated to ask since Lady Elizabeth hadn't mentioned it first.

Anyway, it seemed that the attitude of the media towards celebrities wasn't much different from what I was used to.

Of course, it made sense since the author of 'Retired Duke' was Korean.

I recalled Saeedy in the confessional at the temple a few days ago, who had sharply rebuked me.

"You shouldn't listen to other people's confessions casually. It's supposed to be a secret."

"Sara Belliard doesn't deserve such consideration."

What did that mean?

The child's fierce reaction, Benzamain's warning that the interview was 'bad news,' and Lady Elizabeth's account of being harassed—all these things made me wonder.

Was Belliard just a typical 'scumbag journalist'?

"Thank you."

The elderly woman's voice still rang clearly in my ears.

She had a sick grandson and had drifted apart from her daughter and son-in-law because of it.

Of course, just because someone has a story doesn't mean their faults should be overlooked...

No, I shouldn't approach someone with a biased mind.

I chewed the cake firmly, determined not to forget this.

"I'll play dumb on difficult questions and give short answers to easy ones. That should do, right?"

I said with a slight smile.

Lady Elizabeth nodded and said, "That's exactly the right attitude."

Benzamain nodded silently but looked somewhat worried.

*creak*

At that moment, Demi popped up between the shrubs in the garden.

He seemed to have been playing energetically and was now feeling hungry.

I offered him a small slice of mango and cleared my mind.

I had caught five beasts yesterday and studied all day after returning to the palace. I wanted to leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's me.

*

Yesterday's me was really a lazy guy. Why do you only think about yourself?

"You don't really need much makeup. You handle bright colors well."

"Indeed, your skin is so clear."

The head of the imperial palace makeup department, who held a large brush, and the head of the costume department, whom I had met at the spring ball, started a discussion as they seated me in a high chair.

One of the many empty rooms in the imperial palace was now filled with people attending to me.

It was really overwhelming...

The imperial palace staff, who had rushed to the Julliette Palace early in the morning, looked like they were ready to scrub me in the bathtub.

The news that the famous media figure Sara Belliard had secured an interview with a royal family member must have caused a much bigger stir than I thought.

I managed to get all the attendants to leave by threatening to starve myself all day if they didn't let me wash myself.

Of course, I didn't intend to starve, but it was a stroke of luck that the bluff worked.

The Friday class with the Cardinal was canceled, but one of today's minor misfortunes was that Cristel still came to play.

"I worry my mother a lot when I stay at the mansion."

"..."

The protagonist suddenly spoke. I was at a loss for words.

"It's hard to see someone who is kind to me in pain, even though I don't have many memories of my mother."

She concluded.

The Duchess Isabelle de Sarnes was still worried about her daughter.

Of course, what parent could let go of such worries...

From her words, I could glimpse a bit of Cristel's personality.

She was as sentimental as I had heard from Eunseo and seemed to be weak for 'big sister-like' figures.

It wasn't unreasonable for a twenty-something office worker to feel like a thirty-something duchess was a big sister.

"Since your hair is so well-behaved, we just need to brush it."

While I was lost in thought, the head of the makeup department, who was gently examining my hair, announced a significant discovery.

Well, I'm not an idol or anything... Fine, not wearing makeup is also an option.

Eunseo had always found it incredibly annoying to remove makeup.

*

"This is my first time here, it's really magnificent."

Cristel looked up at the ceiling frescoes and exclaimed in admiration.

She seemed very pleased to have come with me from the imperial palace for lunch and to the interview location.

I couldn't bear to be a damp squib after she had been talking about her mother with a dark expression...

"Indeed."

I, too, had never been to the area near the emperor's office except for the Cardinal's study and the dining room.

We walked slowly down the wide corridors of the imperial palace, led by a palace attendant and followed by Benzamain and Ganael.

"This person is..."

While Cristel was carefully examining the patterns on the wallpaper, my eyes met the large portrait facing the emperor's office.

It was a face I couldn't miss, even though I didn't know the person.

"This is His Highness Alexandre Riester."

Benzamain answered my unspoken question.

Alexandre Riester, the man who had given up his dukedom for love.

The late emperor's husband now remained only as a painting in front of his spouse's room.

He looked very much like Prince Cedric, but his black hair reached down to his waist, and his eyes were a deep, sea-like blue.

'The Great Mage of Tremors'...

"Your Highness."

At that moment, Ganael's hurried voice rang out.

I turned around, thinking the Cardinal might have come to observe the interview.

"..."

"..."

However, the person who appeared before us was not the Cardinal.

"Your Highness, Prince Yeseo."

Cristel, standing next to me, greeted him first.

The attendants, who had been momentarily flustered, quickly bowed.

Unlike the serene portrait, his eyes, which were approaching slowly, were a vivid sunset color.

I calmly greeted Prince Cedric and the woman who was following a step behind him.

"Hello, Your Highness. Sir Belliard."