CH 265

I jumped onto my couch once Madam Perez left, glad that she was appreciative of my gift. Worried that she might find my action to be excessive meddling, I had thought long and hard about giving her the primrose oil. In any case, no misconceptions were created, and I was relieved.

The woman had served our family for many years. It was for this reason that I wanted to see her for longer in good health. Recalling our meeting, I gazed at the piece of paper before me. The concept for the banquet was decided—this meant half the battle was over. Feeling proud, I got up from my chair. Since the seamstress would be visiting today, the next thing to do was decide on a design for a dress.

***

In the crown prince’s study, Max sat with his closest aides, Dennis and Victor.

“Your Highness, we should begin setting up a base for our…” Dennis began but soon stopped himself. He let out a small sigh—his lord was far from engaged in the conversation. Typically, Max was serious when discussing plans for the uprising, making this a peculiar sight. Dennis didn’t understand the change in his lord’s attitude, but one thing was sure—he had changed after meeting with the emperor the previous night. The crown prince looked uneasy instead of relaxed as usual. Overcome with an ominous feeling, Dennis turned to Victor who was sitting on the other side of the table. Unsurprisingly, he was smiling, his head resting on his hand. It seemed the good-for-nothing comrade was daydreaming again.

Furious, Dennis kicked Victor’s leg under the table. “Agh!” Victor cried, but despite his exclamation, the crown prince remained unstirred, still deep in thought.

“Just be honest with me. If you like her, I will set up a meeting for you two.” The emperor’s words lingered in Max’s mind. He was thoroughly bothered that the emperor had mentioned Jubelian. If he could, Max wanted to visit the lady at this moment to check to see if she was okay. The problem was that he was stuck in an important meeting.

“Your Highness, is something the matter?” Dennis’ question finally brought Max back to reality. He raised his head to face his right-hand man. “I don’t know what happened during the meeting with the emperor last night, but I am concerned. It seems that you are upset about something.”

Max pursed his lips, wondering if it would be appropriate to disclose his personal issues to his aides. Victor and Dennis had stayed by his side for many years and through countless battles. Nonetheless, Max had never grown to trust them—or any of his subordinates for that matter. To the crown prince, the men he led were beings to protect, not ones to depend on. However, a familiar voice swayed him.

“Well, do you feel better now after letting it out?”

At a point in time, Jubelian was just another being to protect. She, however, had encouraged Max to be open about his worries. Having come to a decision, he explained, “It seems the emperor found out about my weakness. He mentioned it to me last night.”

‘It must be Lady Floyen.’ Dennis’ expression grew foul. The lady would be an excellent asset for the uprising as she may be useful in convincing the duke to side with the crown prince. If the emperor had noticed this already, it meant trouble. Anxious, Dennis asked, “What have you told him, Your Highness?”

“I simply denied it.”

If not careful, there was a chance that Duke Floyen could become an enemy instead. For this reason, Dennis praised, “A wise decision, Your Highness. I agree that it would be best to hide the truth for now.”

“Well, if we’re close to getting caught anyway, wouldn’t it be better to show the emperor that he will have to pay if anything happens to the lady?” Victor butt in with his simple advice.

Rubbing his temples, Dennis began, “And if the emperor decides to intervene… Actually, never mind. This isn’t even worth my time.” Then turning to his lord, he said, “Anyway, please go see the lady, Your Highness. We understand your situation.”

Silence followed, and Dennis lightly kicked Victor’s leg under the table. The man flinched. Then sighing, he grumbled, “I, Victor, will guard this place on behalf of Your Highness.”

“Please don’t worry about us. We will take care of any issues should they arise,” Dennis reassured his lord.

An unfamiliar feeling overcame Max, and he awkwardly expressed his gratitude. “…Thank you.”

‘His Majesty really has changed for the better.’ Despite the years Dennis had spent with his lord, the crown prince had always been somewhat distant—he seemed like a flawless being. But now, there was someone he wanted to protect, and by showing his trust to his subordinates and asking for advice, he was revealing a weakness. Dennis was deeply moved by the great changes his lord had undergone. It was unlikely for a ruler who listened to his subordinates to turn into a tyrant; although Dennis didn’t expect Max to become a sage, the knight was sure his lord would become a wise ruler.