Secrets with the Crown Prince 13
At Armand’s worried question, I lifted my quilt tip and thought hard.
“Is there someone comparable to Lady Serene? Like someone with as much influence as her?”
Armand became silent at my question, as if she was trying to think of a person. Then, when her lips were almost dry, she answered.
“Lady Serene is under Countess Mason’s line, right?”
Countess Mason was Duke Stefan’s sister and Prince Verdi’s birth mother. Thus, the Serene family was under the Prince Verdi’s line.
“Then, a person of similar power must certainly be the empress.”
“I heard that the empress’ power of influence is weak. Isn’t she from the Karudana Baron family?”
At my question, Armand lifted her thumb and tilted it horizontally. Her behavior was unmannered, but because I did it often, it seemed she was naturally following me. I supposed the expression, ‘friends become like each other’ was true.
“That’s true for the empress’ background, but there are forces supporting his highness, prince Reynold.”
Armand lifted the quilt tip that I placed on my desk and drew a sword, shield, and a rose on the paper.
‘Armand… you are bad at drawing.’
I looked at her as she drew and asked, “Is that the Roadbalt family’s symbol?”
“Ah, yes! I knew I was quite skilled at drawing.” Armand said while smiling with satisfaction. She could have just told me in words without drawing. But when I realized that she liked drawing much better than how good her abilities were, my heart ached a bit.
“Anyways, Duchess Roadbelt and Lady Roadbelt are on the empress’ side. Since they are one of the founding families, their power of influence is also considerable.”
Still, there was a difference between having a direct, powerful family background like Countess Mason and knowing someone powerful. This was the reason why although the Roadbelt family had great influence among the socialites, the empress didn’t have much authority in comparison.
Of course, Argon was part of the Duke Roadbelt family. And I wondered if I had to meet him with the engagement as the excuse. But rather than that, it seemed preferable to ensure that the empress was on my side first and then, meet Duchess Roadbelt.
“Does this have any connection to you—changing your position?” Armand asked. I nodded simply.
“Yes. It’s always good to have a strong backing wherever you go.”
“Then, you must be planning something after that?” Armand was looking at me with great curiosity.
“Yes, I am planning to use the rumors about me. Rather than explaining this, I think it’s better to just show you.”
It was unfortunate for Lady Serene, but my specialty was grabbing people’s attention and holding their interest. Armand’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded her head.
“Ena, you are incredible.”
She said while looking impressed.
“What is?”
“I don’t think I have ever seen you distilled. And…it’s also impressive that his highness Reynold always chases after you too. I think I can understand why his highness acts like that…”
I was taken back by her words. I didn’t know how I should answer her.
I couldn’t tell her that the reason why the madman chased after me was because we were both not from this world. In the end, I awkwardly smiled and answered.
“I will also help. I will tell everything I know about Lady Serene.” Then, Armand clenched her first and looked fired up.
* * *
To get the empress and Countess Roadbelt on my side, it seemed that I had to meet the madman and Argan first. I could easily meet the madman at the Lubiche mansion, but I called both him and Argan at a restaurant inside the capital. Rather than saying the same thing twice, I thought it was better to talk to Argan and the madman at the same time.
The sky calmed as the light diminished. I was at a restaurant where candles with fancy patterns were piled up high and a luxurious light emitted. The madman arrived before Argan. As if he had come right from the palace, he wore a clean uniform.
“What? You don’t have any money?” I ended up yelling at him.
The madman, who was ordering while waiting for Argan, glanced at me from the other side.
“Not even a little?”
“No, not even a little.”
After he was done with the order, he smiled at me jokingly. Was he just joking, or was he serious? Well, I was the one who called him to the restaurant and tried to pay for the meal, but I was surprised that the crown prince had no money.
“I had an issue. So, all my funds are locked at the moment.”
He drank some water elegantly and shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t worry. I can put a credit to my name.”
“With your name? Wasn’t it something like Claude Paul Fredrich Reynold?”
The madman nodded.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I have money. But I guess it’s not that great to be the crown prince, seeing how poor you are.”
While drinking his water, the madman coughed. Then, he brought the napkin to his mouth. His cheeks reddened, and he looked at me in embarrassment. Well, that part was a bit cute.
“It’s amazing. When I hear that name, Claude, I realize that you really are a person from this world. I think there’s a power behind names. I also felt like I had immersed myself into this world after I got the name, Ena.”
The madman tapped on the table with his thumb and glanced at me.
“Did Marquess Lubiche give you that name?”
I shook my head.
“No, the person who saved me.”
Then, the madman looked like he couldn’t believe me.
“What? What are you saying? Save you?
“Ah, there was a magician who…well, that’s not the important part.”
“What in the world happened to you?”
I just laughed at his question.
“My story is expensive. I can’t tell you for free,” I told him, and the madman shut his mouth again while looking displeased.
Then, when he was about to say something to me, Argan arrived. When Argan saw me, he approached me with a happy look on his face. But when he saw the madman in front of him, he looked shocked. Still, he greeted both the madman and me politely and sat next to the madman.
“Why did you call him?” The madman scowled with great dissatisfaction on his face. But like Argan was also displeased to see the madman, Argan’s mouth were in a thin line.
“I came to ask for information about the empress and duchess Roadbelt.”
“Why?”
“I want to get close to them.”
The two men looked at me expectedly and quickly glared at each other. It was almost a comedy.
“Are you planning to marry me—”
“Did you finally decide to continue the engagement—”
The two spoke at the same time and glared at each other again.
“You still have a hopeless dream. Wake up, Sir Roadbelt,” the crown prince said.
“Your highness, if you have a conscience, don’t you think you should get rid of such thoughts? Its burdensome for the lady,” Argan said.
I was surprised by Argan’s unabashed insults to a member of the royalty.
“I think both of you guys should calm down…”
Thankfully, an entrée of fresh oysters came to our table. I didn’t like fresh oysters, but it was my fault for not looking at the course menu carefully. But when the madman saw my face, he laughed.
He said, “I’m getting something else. Are you fine with snails?”
I nodded quietly. And just at the right timing, two plates of oysters were prepared in front of the madman and Argan while a snail dish was brought in front of me.
“You still remember that I don’t like fresh oysters?”
I was a bit taken back. ‘How did he remember?’
Then, like he thought it was no big deal, he shrugged his shoulders.
“What about you who remembered how I used to ask for a band-aid whenever I sliced my finger on the A4 piece of paper?”
“Well, that happened to me 5 years ago, but you madman—no, Mr. Cha Do Hyuk, that happened to you 26 years ago.”
He sighed for a moment with an, ‘Ah’.
“Well, it just came to my mind.”
Then, Argan, who had been calmly eating his fresh oysters, quietly intervened.
“I just don’t get what you are talking about. What do you mean by 5 years or 26 years ago? Lady Lubiche or your highness wasn’t even born 26 years ago.”
Both I and the madman shut our mouths at his question. I didn’t know how to answer him.
“And what is this A4 paper or a band-aid thing?”
How should I explain those things to him? I was at a loss, so I looked at the madman, but he ate his fresh oysters indifferently like he had no intention to explain anything to Argan from the first place.
“Um, it’s like our code. I’m sorry I talked about something else. So, did you both hear what I said? I need both of your permissions. Rather than getting information from other sources, I know your words are much more trustworthy.”
Argan nodded to my words. While the server took our empty plates awat, I drank a sip of water and asked.
“I will visit the Roadbelt mansion once. Could you prepare a meeting with the Duchess for me?”
The madman, who had been calmly sitting on his seat, irked at my question.
“Is there a need for you to go all the way to the Roadbelt mansion?”
The madman looked at me like he couldn’t understand.
“But I am going to the palace to meet the empress too.”
The madman couldn’t say anything more from my response and closed his mouth. I couldn’t turn my back away from the madman and had to clearly get into the right line. To do that, I needed the support of ladies in the crown prince, Reynold’s side: for example, like the empress or the duchess Roadbelt. Among the crown prince, Reynold’s support forces, these ladies had the biggest influence.
“Isn’t that fair? Mr. Madman, don’t you like things that are fair?”
I suddenly recalled how he used to enforce this fairness onto me. Yes, that madman sure loved the words: fair, equality, and responsibility.
“Is this revenge?”
“Eh, how could this be revenge? I haven’t even struck the madman’s head with some bells yet…” I murmured in a really quiet voice, but it seemed the madman had heard me.
He made a hearty laugh and attracted everyone’s attention. On the other hand, Argon stared at me with no explanation. I felt a bit awkward thanks to that, but the madman continued to make a bright smile.
Why is he getting insulted so much?
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