🌹💘🌹
WHEN the news broke at the royal palace about the failure of their attack.
“What…what did you say?” Next to Keunt, Medaikonar dropped his teacup. It shattered on impact. “Wh-What am I supposed to do now…?”
Medaikonar paced restlessly around the parlor as he chewed on his nails. Keunt, afraid and on edge, stood near him without saying anything.
The crown prince had readily agreed with high priest Pisciozze’s counsel and exultantly helped him raise an army. They should have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, so they could report their tremendous victory to the king. But that wasn’t what happened. He’d lost his personal guard and approved the disbursement of national funds for the expedition without conferring with the government. What should have been an easy victory instead turned into a nightmare, with most of his troops being held captive by the Empire.
He had ordered everyone who knew about this to remain silent, but it was only a matter of time before the king found out. Which was why Medaikonar continued to pace fearfully around the parlor. He’d been like this for almost half a day now.
“Say something, Keunt!” he roared.
“Heee!”
When Keunt flinched in terror, Medaikonar clicked his tongue in aggravation and resumed his pacing.
Keunt wanted to say something inspiring, reassuring. Unfortunately, he still kept a secret from Medaikonar. That his home—the Strelizzi ducal residence and its holdings had been burned to the ground by the peasants.
“Enough. Leave me.”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”
Medaikonar spat the words at Keunt, who could only nod meekly.
The latter was grateful for the opportunity to escape the parlor and it showed in his attitude. He rushed out of the palace, intent on boarding his family’s coach. But when he arrived at the stables and ordered a servant to prepare the carriage, the servant responded uneasily, clearly troubled.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“My lord…your coach isn’t here.”
“Impossible!”
“I hate to inform you, but…Duke Strelizzi ordered the return of the vehicle to his estate in the capital.”
“My father…? But why…?”
He didn’t understand why his father would do such a thing. For now, he ordered the servant with the downcast gaze to prepare another carriage instead. There were extras in the palace for just such situations.
The coach rolled up smoothly and when he boarded, he ordered the driver to take him to his family’s estate in the capital. Rain started falling.
Roughly half an hour later, the carriage arrived at its destination, but a problem occurred. The guard refused to open the gates.
“Tsk… He must not realize it’s me. I’ll remember his name and make sure he’s dismissed.”
The idiot guard probably wouldn’t open the gates because this carriage was different from the usual one he took from the palace. Having no other choice, Keunt stepped out from the vehicle and showed his rain-soaked face to the guard.
“You there! I know damn well you know who I am! Hurry up and open the gates!”
But the well-built guard didn’t budge at all as he replied, “Per Duke Strelizzi’s orders, I am not allowed to permit Lord Keunt entry into the grounds.”
For a moment, he couldn’t understand the words.
“What…? What do you mean?!”
“As a gatekeeper, I do not have the authority to discuss this further. Your understanding is appreciated.”
“You dare to ridicule me…?!”
The rain fell heavily now, so strong it made it difficult to hear someone’s voice. Battered by the downpour, Keunt stood on his tiptoes in front of the gates and seized the guard by his lapels, demanding entry. His efforts were for naught. No matter how much he shouted and railed abuse at the man, the guard’s unyielding attitude never wavered.
Behind him, the horses shook off the rain pelting them in annoyance. The coachman had also reached the end of his patience.
“Damn it all to hell! What is Father even thinking…?!”
Just when his frustration peaked, another carriage approached the gates. There was no mistaking the elegant coach painted in black. It was his father, Duke Strelizzi’s personal vehicle.
“Father!” Keunt ran toward it and stopped in front of it, spreading both hands in appeal. Then he knelt on the flagstone next to the carriage and shouted to his father inside. “Father, the guard won’t open the gates for me! Thanks to that, I’m absolutely drenched. Please let me inside your coach.”
Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, his father twitched the curtain open. He glanced down at Keunt very briefly—then dragged it closed again, the whoosh of fabric final.
“Huh…?”
The coach rolled leisurely past Keunt, who looked flabbergasted. Still kneeling on the ground, he watched in blank amazement as the gates opened to allow only his father to pass through.
“Lord Keunt.”
He had no idea how long he’d remained in his shocked state there. The butler came out from inside the mansion, walked through the gates, and offered Keunt an umbrella. Then the white-haired man wiped his hands before placing a letter in them.
“This is from Duke Strelizzi. Please read it.”
Still in a daze, he tore open the envelope. His eyes grew rounder and rounder as they swept over the words on the paper. His body started shaking in fear.
“‘The duchy of Strelizzi…endorses His Imperial Highness’s decisive measures… As the third son, should you choose to align yourself with His Royal Highness… The Kingdom of Kophe’s future is clear, so…so I choose to do the necessary to protect our family’s name…’”
Keunt couldn’t believe it. His father had pledged his allegiance to the emperor’s younger brother, the man seduced by the accursed Arousing Priestess Monica.