Chapter 97

#097 The Royal Counterattack (2)

The steady breathing of the sleeping deities spread throughout the room.

Ether also began to flow gently through the boy's body.

"I was surprised that the earl's residence was much larger than I thought. I felt a bit regretful about returning to the palace in such a hurry. I couldn't properly greet Sir Michel."

Prince Yeseo chattered.

'Saedi' ignored whatever he was saying from across the table.

His voice wasn't irritating, and she was in a regretful position herself.

It was true that she had lacked pure ether all day.

The prince had merely taken on a young appearance to ensure a smooth supply.

"Still, he seemed to like the housewarming gift. That's fortunate."

And the effect was better than expected.

The royal priest smiled faintly as he looked down at his golden sanctuary.

It seemed he couldn't raise his voice or get angry at a child.

Moreover, the current prince knew her true identity.

She wondered how long this ridiculous pretense of not knowing would last.

The idea of a housewarming gift was also astonishing.

If he wanted to commend someone, he could just bestow a reward.

Why would a royal think like a commoner on the street?

"Thanks to Sir Michel, Eva is living comfortably. Sir Haines has also fully recovered."

At his words, Saedi frowned and warned him.

"Keep your distance from Sir Johann Haines."

The prince blinked his blessed eyes in surprise.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"·····He's a hard-to-trust individual."

Saedi stopped there and closed her mouth.

The scene she had witnessed at the opera house was clear.

However, there was no concrete evidence, and the situation wasn't favorable.

She was a wounded patient trying to protect the prince, and after fully recovering, she had received the favor of both the prince and Princess Sarnez.

Moreover, he had already passed the internal investigation when he entered the palace.

There was nothing to criticize on paper.

That's why she had requested information about the Margrave of Muté through Elizabeth.

If she, who guarded the borders of the land and sea and frequently interacted with the Holy Kingdom, had obtained new intelligence, it would be useful.

"I was also suspicious of Sir Haines at first."

The prince began, which was unexpected.

"But lately, he seems like a decent person. He takes good care of Saint and Princess Sarnez, and he's kind to the deities and attendants."

·····She still didn't like it. Could he not suspect that he was wearing a mask?

"Not everyone is like you."

Saedi retorted. It would be difficult for him to make such a guess with his personality.

To the prince, Sir Haines was a benefactor who had saved his life.

How he interpreted the boy's words, he smiled and replied.

"He even checked my teacup once, to see if there was any poison."

"What?"

The child's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I'll send a doctor soon."

The child said it as if giving an order. The prince nodded with a look of resignation.

It annoyed her that he trusted others more than he suspected them and always treated them kindly.

"Would you like some warm milk?"

The prince asked as he stood up. This attitude was the problem.

Would he treat Sir Haines, who might have ulterior motives, the same way?

Frustration led to a sharp remark.

"You're acting like a nanny."

"Do you have a nanny?"

But the prince didn't seem to be affected. He even looked like he was trying to suppress a smile.

'Would it be strange not to have one?' she heard him mutter.

He picked up the kettle, which he had kept warm with a candle, and poured milk into an empty glass, stirring it with honey.

Warm milk at night. She hadn't had it since she was nine.

Wait.

"Does that mean you didn't have a nanny?"

The child narrowed his eyes and asked. The prince finally looked taken aback.

He smiled bitterly and returned to the table with the glass.

Saedi inwardly clicked her tongue.

She had heard that the prince had been disliked by the Grand Chancellor of Bernier since birth and hadn't received proper treatment in the Holy Kingdom.

But she hadn't expected that he had grown up without a nanny.

"Um, Fleur de Lis."

The prince, now seated, changed the subject.

His gaze wavered slightly, indicating that the new topic wasn't entirely comfortable either.

Saedi exhaled deeply through her nose.

She remembered how the prince had been watching her face ever since she heard some old woman's nonsense in front of the trade office.

He seemed to be trying not to show it, but he couldn't hide his gratitude or concern.

The child had been like this since the moment she first met the prince.

"Would you be satisfied if all the fortune-tellers in the capital were expelled?"

"No, why would you make them unemployed?"

He shook his head quickly.

"Just curious. I can't see the related records, but I heard that the predictions of the mages can be overturned."

"They predict death at a specific point in time, and if the person doesn't die then, they change or cancel their prediction."

While he was asking broadly about 'Fleur de Lis,' the prince's curiosity was clear.

He couldn't just let go of the story about her receiving a death prediction.

A sense of pain flashed across his white face. Even though it wasn't his own matter.

"That's irresponsible. What about those who were hurt by the predictions?"

"They just do their job."

Saedi answered and stood up.

Golden particles were already floating from his small body.

The boy glared at the milk in front of him for a moment, then lifted the glass and drank it clean.

The hit rate of Fleur de Lis's predictions was as high as 80%.

"And I survived."

The prince was one of the 20%. It was enough to make false accusations true.

The deity was capricious, but perhaps her flame wasn't an ominous power.

He strode toward the balcony.

It was time to leave.

*

The kid, with milk all over his mouth, left, and the next day dawned.

The summer garden of the Juliette Palace was bustling with guests. It was right after Sir Haines's class.

Prince Cedric was busy and hadn't been seen all morning.

"Isn't it great, Sir Elizabeth?"

"Yes, I'm very happy. I thought it would be a miracle just to survive the annual prayer meeting, but to receive a reward leave as well... "

At Crystal's words, Sir Elizabeth answered with a grateful expression.

Ganael, sitting beside her, also congratulated her, and Béngjiameng smiled kindly as he poured cider into her glass.

It was rare for her to drink alcohol in the palace during the day.

But it was possible because she had entered the palace as the Margrave of Muté, not as the Royal Guard Commander, the day before.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Have you made any plans for your leave?"

I asked. Sir Elizabeth was an excellent knight with outstanding leadership.

It was a significant achievement that none of the two thousand bishops were injured during the event.

I was secretly disappointed that she had come to work in uniform yesterday, but she said the emperor had granted her a surprise week-long leave starting today.

That was fortunate.

"I plan to rest at the earl's residence for a few days. And next week... "

"Lord Dume's polo match is coming up. Sir Elizabeth, you've been given a ticket too!"

Crystal's light gray eyes sparkled. A strange premonition ran down my spine.

Sir Haines, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"Is this the same Lord Dume who oversaw the prince's duel? He seems to be interested in sports."

"Yes, but this time, he's participating himself."

Sir Elizabeth answered. I immediately asked.

"Are you participating as a rescue team member like during the demon purge?"

"No. Uncle originally likes polo. He plays with close nobles every morning when he comes to the capital, and he seems to want to expand the scale this year."

It's like someone who used to run an early football club decided to start a team.

I nodded thoughtfully.

The figures of five men and women faded, and in the distance, I saw Saint playing with the deities among the shrubs.

Attending every imperial event, managing his territory, engaging in social activities, and enjoying sports, while also inventing things in his spare time...

Yes, the marquis who did all that was François Dume.

'He's making some kind of crystal plate now.'

'He says he wants to project people's faces on a large crystal plate.'

I recalled the new invention of the marquis that Sir Elizabeth had explained yesterday.

It would definitely serve as a billboard or screen in the world of the retired duke.

The reason I was confident was simple.

Because the scene of Jeon Eunseo rolling on the sofa and ranting was so vivid.

'Kiss cam!'

'Surprise!'

'Wow, crazy. Really happened. What do we do, bro? Our kids got caught on the kiss cam and actually kissed.'

At the time, I couldn't understand the phrase 'caught on the kiss cam.'

The story of the retired duke seemed to be a medieval European fantasy with knights and princesses on the cover.

But how could there be a kiss cam in the story, like a camera at a baseball stadium that catches couples in the audience and encourages them to kiss?

'Do you watch dramas?'

'No, I watch our kids. But Yeseo kissed Crystal. Oh no, everyone can see.'

That's right.

The key point was that it wasn't the prince but Prince Yeseo who kissed Crystal.

And as far as I knew, the prince who witnessed the kiss between Prince Yeseo and Crystal felt jealousy for the first time in his life.

That was the moment he realized his feelings.

You lackluster guy. If you don't get stimulated, you won't realize anything, which is why Jeon Eunseo always complains about you.

"Phew."

Still, it was okay.

I hadn't expected the marquis's kiss cam debut to be so soon, but after hearing Sir Elizabeth's story yesterday, I had a plan in place.

I gently pressed my chest. I could feel the texture of the square notebook and the crystal bell.

"Excuse me."

I spoke.

The people discussing naturalization stopped and looked at me simultaneously.

"I want to attend the marquis's polo match. If I ask His Eminence, will he send me?"

This was probably the first time I had expressed a desire to leave the palace.

*

That evening, a cold wind blew through the cardinal's office.

"So, you're requesting the dispatch of cardinals for the consecration of the holy knights. Since it's a consecration, the response from the Vatican will be quick. The cardinals should arrive here as early as the week after next."

"Is that so?"

Johann Haines answered smoothly.

His eyes drooped, and his lips curved into a gentle smile, but there was a strangely cold edge to his mint-colored eyes.

However, if a holy knight didn't harbor a sword within, that would be absurd.

They were born to be such beings. Aurelius Butier looked at him for a moment and continued.

"Can you complete the training by then?"

"Of course. As I mentioned, the two of you could easily be promoted to bishop level. Attitude training and vessel cultivation can continue after the consecration."

The cardinal smiled like a painting, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

Johann looked at her and revised his 'plan' in his mind.