Chapter 72

#072 As Long as It's Not Me (2)

"His Majesty cherishes the three of them deeply. Otherwise, the punishment wouldn't have been so light."

Bengiamin said with a smile in his voice.

His movements were careful as he added ice to the warm hydrangea tea.

The summer palace's resting area was very much to our liking.

It was perfect for setting the mood, organizing thoughts and information, and enjoying tea time.

Behind the grand palace, which resembled a magnificent mansion, was a small forest that was just lush enough.

Within the forest, there were a few pavilions with white tiles and orange roofs.

The sofas and chairs were as clean as new, and the flower pots looked as if they had just been placed there.

It was surprising how, despite being just a step away from the grass and trees, the area under the roof was perfectly arranged like an indoor space.

"Of course, His Highness is the only son of His Majesty. Sir Elizabeth is His Highness's irreplaceable friend, so he must have found him endearing. Lady Sarnez is the precious daughter of Duke Simon de Sarnez, and she was once a potential bride for His Highness."

"That's true. I also thought the punishment was quite light."

I nodded and started to eat a beignet.

Today's beignet was filled with stewed cherries and cranberries, sprinkled with sugar powder, and it melted in my mouth like a sweet dream.

It felt both in shape and taste like a French-style doughnut.

"Moreover, the way the three of them caused trouble... Perhaps it reminded His Majesty of his own youth."

The middle-aged man added gently. I chimed in.

"I've heard that His Majesty used to cause trouble with Cardinal Boutier."

"That's true. Usually, Grand Duke Evelyn would clean up the mess. Perhaps His Majesty was secretly pleased to see that in the three of them."

That made sense.

Four days ago, the dinner with the Emperor and the Cardinal was held in an extremely tense atmosphere.

But considering that, the punishment given to Kristel, the Prince, and Sir Elizabeth was quite light.

In the end, everyone except the Prince and me had a few glasses of absinthe, and the atmosphere relaxed.

According to Ganael, if he had done something like that, he would have been locked in the underground prison without a doubt.

"If it had been someone from a family that didn't get along with His Majesty, they might have been accused of treason."

The boy sitting on the small sofa chattered.

Indeed, it would have been strange if anything else had been said after bringing pirate ships to the royal territory.

I chuckled and sipped the hydrangea tea.

The palace had been very quiet for the past three days.

The Emperor and the Cardinal had come here for a "summer retreat" but not for a vacation, so they were busy handling state affairs in their respective offices.

Knights rushed back and forth between the capital and Evelyn, acting as messengers.

Sir Elizabeth left for the Marquisate of Mute the day after the banquet.

He had many things to check, such as whether the knights of the Margrave had caught the pirates he had thrown into the sea and how the aftermath was being handled.

Kristel and her teacher, Sir Johann Heins, stayed at the palace.

The Prince was ordered to stay here for a while and continue his lessons.

The two of them didn't engage in loud sparring sessions like they did at the palace.

Moreover, the Prince, as Duke Evelyn, was busy handling the accumulated affairs of the duchy.

I was the only one who found peace in this situation.

* * *

The wind from the north swept through the leaves and grass.

I couldn't help but smile.

Bengiamin and Ganael, after confirming that I was eating and drinking well, each opened the books they had brought.

My daily routine for the past few days had been like this. I had slept well too.

I opened my notebook and picked up a quill pen.

* Avoid vs. Get Involved

The words I had written the day before greeted me clearly.

I glared at the two words as if they were my enemies.

With my abilities, I might not be able to avoid being involved in Kristel's epic forever.

That was what I had realized from this experience.

Until now, I had believed that as long as I did my best and stayed away from the two main characters, I would find a way to survive.

But now, after coming to Evelyn with them and spending the summer here, I was a bit skeptical.

If the author of "Retired Duke" needed me in Kristel's story and planned to fit me in somehow, my resistance would be futile.

Moreover, the two of them had even saved me when I fell off a cliff.

I absentmindedly rubbed my forehead, which had been pressed against the Prince's throat.

* Avoid vs. Get Involved

- Advantages of Getting Involved: Easy to obtain information

I added this sentence and stared at the paper.

Generally, the main character is often the center of new information.

Kristel is lively and full of curiosity, so she would be an excellent partner to acquire vivid knowledge of the "Retired Duke."

I might even find a clue to get home.

Her adventures would be full of things I couldn't learn from books or lessons.

But...

- Advantages of Avoiding: Can survive until the war

Feeling a dry throat, I bit into one of the ice cubes floating in the hydrangea tea.

My dilemma branched out from this point.

If I avoided the two and interfered with the original storyline as little as possible, the war would likely happen as it should.

Given how important the event was, where a popular "secondary male lead" died, the author probably wouldn't omit it.

In that case, the only thing I needed to do to survive was one thing.

Minimize contact with the two main characters and wait out the war in a safe place.

"Ah..."

But if I didn't resist getting involved with the main characters and joined Kristel and the Prince's future...

The original "Retired Duke" might not even have a skeleton left.

Already, both of them were becoming Holy Knights, and I was becoming a "real" cleric, changing our roles entirely.

Adding more uncertainty to my situation was too risky.

Unlike them, I was a very ordinary human.

I made frequent mistakes, had poor physical coordination, and wasn't someone who could make decisions like a protagonist or royalty.

If I got involved and the story took an unpredictable turn, and as a result, my death was accelerated...

"It's going to be a headache."

I muttered. Survival. What was most important was survival.

If I had been possessed by the Emperor or the Cardinal and needed to save Prince Yeseo, I would have laid the groundwork from the beginning to prevent the war.

But I was the Prince himself and a hostage.

With limited room to maneuver and the constant risk of danger, a passive attitude was the only way to survive.

I already had one means prepared, but...

It would be nice if there were other ways to ensure my safety.

"Deal."

Suddenly, I remembered something I had thought of a few days ago while looking at the Prince.

I quickly flipped to the front page of my notebook.

* Sadie and the Suspicious Letter

I had a note to get back from a child.

I had also been thinking that the only thing I could offer in return was ether.

But then, the same was true for the Prince and Kristel.

I could offer the same conditions to the two of them.

The problem was that they might not find me as desperate as I was.

I was proud that my ether was of the highest quality on the continent, but...

"Bengiamin, I'm sorry to bother you."

I finally called out to Bengiamin, who was sitting on the opposite sofa. I needed an adult's advice.

He immediately looked up at me.

His deep eyes seemed to calm me a bit.

"If I want to make a deal with someone, but my cards aren't very good, what should I do?"

I asked. Bengiamin tilted his head slightly.

"The quality of my item is excellent. I'm confident it's the best. But the item itself is common, so the other party can easily find a substitute."

The Prince could get ether from the Archbishop if he wanted, and Kristel was no different.

She had probed me a couple of times, but it was a bit urgent because the Great Demon Purge was approaching.

If she took her time, the House of Sarnez had the ability to search through all the temples in the empire.

"But there's nothing that can surpass the Prince's item, right?"

"Probably. I think so."

"Then the Prince has the best hand."

Bengiamin answered calmly.

Ganael, who had just looked up from his book, blinked and listened intently.

"Anyone who would deal with the Prince must be of a high status. Such people are not interested in ordinary items. They are obsessed with obtaining only the rarest and most precious things. They will accept any of the Prince's demands."

"Ah."

I hadn't thought about it from a class perspective.

I had only considered saying something like, "These days, it's about the quality, not the quantity, sir."

This is what pinpoint marketing is.

"May I add one more thing?"

"Yes, please."

I straightened up and said. Bengiamin smiled kindly.

"However, the most important thing is trust. To make a contract, there must be mutual trust first."

His words felt like he was seeing through me. I smiled bitterly and looked down at the table.

I saw a brioche de Vendée, fluffy like Kristel's hair.

"Prince, do you find it hard to trust