My trusty pen glided across the paper as I signed “Christoph von Velfalt” in one smooth motion. I tossed it atop the mountain of approved documents piled up on the corner of my desk. Then, I reached toward the unresolved stack and picked up another document.
“It’s about at the end of its rope,” I muttered with a sigh.
Johan looked back at me from where he stood in front of the bookshelf. “Is something the matter?” He put down the book in his left hand on his desk and strode over to me.
“It’s this.” I handed him the document, and he began to review it.
“Duke Schletter’s domain, I see.” His brow furrowed. “It’s been on the decline for half a year now. It’s quite evident that that man has absolutely no talent for management.”
Daniel von Schletter’s face floated through my mind as I listened to Johan. The duke is so impulsive and lacking in discretion that I’m incredulous about his relation to our levelheaded king. He foists his work onto his brilliant wife and subordinates and drowns himself in debauched merrymaking. What a depraved human. He’s clearly unfit to be a feudal lord.
However, he had changed as of late. In the past, he had shown not even a sliver of interest in managing his domain, but suddenly he had begun to take charge. He was reassessing new business ventures, tariffs, and so on—working with a vigor like he’d turned over a new leaf. Unfortunately, that man had no aptitude for business. His fortune had disappeared in the blink of an eye, as if he’d opened a hole in their vault.
“I scorned him as a hopeless wastrel, but I’ve changed my opinion of him a bit,” Johan said.
That was an unexpected statement, so I asked, “How so?”
He raised one corner of his mouth into a slight smirk. “Diligent work on his part has resulted in destitution for his citizens and ruin for his duchy. He was far more helpful when he was a wastrel capering about,” Johan said in a scathing tone.
It was harsh, but I didn’t think he had said too much. In fact, I agreed with him.
“He should’ve docilely left things to his wife, as he has always done. Has he lost his mind?” Johan wondered.
“It’s because he felt competitive toward Rose,” I said.
“The only commonality they share is that they’re both feudal lords of ducal rank. He’s inferior to our sister in every single way. His audacity is incredible.” The sneer vanished from Johan’s face, replaced by a sulky frown. “You and the king have been watching quietly, but isn’t it about time?” He mimed crushing something with his hands. “Observe all you like—he’ll do nothing but bring harm.”
“That may be the case, but there needs to be an appropriate reason for us to intervene.”
As shoddy of a feudal lord as Daniel von Schletter was, we hadn’t found any evidence of illegal activity. The royal family currently lacked sufficient grounds to step in and lay judgment upon him.
“Shall I find a reason?” Johan suggested casually.
I glared at him through half-lidded eyes. “Stop that.”
“I’m not saying I’ll fabricate something. Scratch about enough, and I’m sure we’ll dig up some dirt. If we compile enough of his minor misdeeds, they’ll string together to form a larger allegation.”
“Stop that,” I repeated.
He clicked his tongue like a pouty child.
“As incompetent as he is, he’s still a duke,” I continued. “If we move hastily and blunder, the other families won’t stay quiet. Crushing Duke Schletter would affect more than a few households.” I paused. “The most desirable outcome would be for his heir to take over as quickly as possible.”
“Oh yeah. He has a son.”
“Franz is a diligent and brilliant man. I’m certain he will become a good lord.”
“Diligent and brilliant, you say...” Johan grouchily parroted my words. “If we wait for such a lawful and upright man to make a move, who knows when he’ll succeed his father? Either the duchy falls to ruin or the current lord passes away from infirmity.”
Like Franz, I also disapproved of attacking others with out-of-the-box methods, so my brother’s assertion hit a little too close to home. “Yes, it may take time, but in exchange he’ll reliably—”
Johan interrupted me by slamming the documents in his hands onto my desk. “And what will you do if that man manages to pull something off while you’re leisurely twiddling your thumbs?” He jabbed at the paper with such force that the surface creased. “His current target is our sister.”
Surprise flashed across my face.
“If you wait on the sidelines for his duchy to collapse on itself, then you’ll suffer the consequences. That man refuses to acknowledge his incompetence. Our sister may be unrelated to his failings, but that won’t stop him from resenting her unjustifiably.”
I swallowed audibly. When I imagined him directing malice at Rose, who was with child, chills ran down my spine.
“If that asinine duke becomes desperate and tries to hurt my dear sister, I won’t stand for it,” Johan said in a monotonous yet bloodcurdling tone. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“I feel the same.” I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh. I don’t want to think about it, but I would never allow Rose to be endangered. I may be criticized for acting upon personal grudges when I’m the future king, but I would send him to hell with my own two hands without fail.
“Then—”
“However, he won’t be able to harm Rose so easily,” I said.
Johan blinked at me.
“Did you forget to whom she is married?”
He froze, taken aback. Then, his expression slowly transformed. Cantankerous wrinkles formed on his brow, and his mouth drew into a tight line, but no rebuttal came. Though Johan flared up at Leonhart at every opportunity, he acknowledged the former captain’s abilities.
“Our nation’s strongest knight is by Rose’s side, so I’ve no doubt she’ll be safe.” I said those words out loud to remind myself of that fact too. As the crown prince, I couldn’t run to Rose’s side. It vexed me, but at the same time, I understood that it wasn’t my duty. “There’s no role for us to play right now. Needless to say, I’ll keep an eye on his movements, but we should address our own obligations first.”
Johan remained silent, a grim look stuck on his face. He stared at the floor like he was hurling all his irritation at it and then shut his eyes tightly as though he were trying to break free from something. “Not right now, you said, yes?” he asked in a low growl.
“That’s right.”
“Which means we might have a role to play...depending on the duke’s machinations?” His head still down, Johan gave me a sidelong glance from the corner of his eye.
“It’s possible,” I replied evenly and nodded. “If there is no significant development within half a year, in all likelihood, the king won’t remain silent either. And if that happens, our time will come.”
If Franz makes a move and achieves some degree of success in half a year, then the Schletter Duchy’s lifespan will be prolonged. However, if he remains stuck in the current standstill, he’ll be abandoned.
Johan breathed out deeply, as though he were emptying his lungs. “Fine. I’ll behave myself.” There was an unspoken “For now” tacked on at the end. He turned on his heel and returned to his desk, resuming work as though nothing had happened.
A soft sigh escaped from my lips as I gazed at his profile.