Chapter 83 - 83 王太子視点
"Thank you for making time for me."
"Hmph. I was thinking it was about time we moved forward with our discussion as well."
Evening came, and at the appointed time, I arrived at His Majesty's office with Cyril. As usual, the man before me didn't even offer a polite smile, directing a cold gaze my way.
"I know what you're thinking, keeping the daughter of Marquis Marcel as your fiancée."
"...Is that so?"
I managed to pull the corners of my mouth up into a smile, but I could feel the depths of my eyes growing cold. The air surrounding us was so frigid I felt the room's temperature must be dropping.
"I agreed to your engagement with Miss Marcel because she was a Marquis's daughter and possessed high mana. ...But the situation is different now. She has lost her mana."
"But Your Majesty did not say no to keeping her as my fiancée even after she lost it."
"That was because you seemed to be investigating something. Besides, a lady who contracted with a Spirit of Darkness was quite interesting."
"Then there should be no problem with her remaining my fiancée."
At my words, His Majesty merely glanced at me as if looking at someone who couldn't understand reason. Still, I stared straight back at him. After a heavy silence, it was His Majesty who spoke.
"The story changes once a Saint is born. To have a mana-less girl as Queen when a Saint exists... it is unfitting for the royal house."
Unfitting. It was true that I once felt she might lack the aptitude for a Queen when she became frail from mana depletion. But in reality, Rachel had simply kept moving forward with a strong heart, no matter the circumstances. Without despairing over her situation. Without hating anyone. And even now, at this very moment, she was looking only ahead.
His Majesty would likely never try to know or understand that. Still, looking at aspects other than mana, she was gaining the qualities to become the next Queen. Above all, having her stand beside me when I became King was my greatest desire and source of strength.
Irritation bubbled up within me at his words. I forced it down behind a smile, though I wasn't confident I was succeeding. Whether he noticed my inner turmoil or not, His Majesty leaned back deeply into the sofa and fixed me with a sharp gaze.
"Your recent behavior is truly eyesore. I cannot understand why you are so obsessed with that girl."
"Well, we are different people. It's only natural we don't understand each other."
Anyone else would have frozen and turned pale under his gaze and sigh. But I couldn't afford to turn my back on him now. I deepened my smile to show my disagreement.
"I consider you the most fit to be King among my sons. A King is a solitary existence. Compared to your brothers, you are exceptionally capable and, above all, capable of being ruthless. That is why I made you Crown Prince."
I understood that I was favored more than my other siblings. That was likely why I was raised surrounded by adults, with little contact with my siblings or the Queen since childhood. The monarchic education I received would certainly be useful for my future and had helped build my foundation. But I believed the idea that being lonely and excellent made one a good King was a somewhat biased view.
His Majesty wanted a successor who would inherit his own will. He raised his child the same way he was raised, so they would become a King like him. He truly believed that was the best way for this country.
"You wouldn't want to step down as Crown Prince. If so, the one you must marry is the Saint. Not that girl."
"Why are you so obsessed with the Saint? I don't understand why you want to bring her into the royal family so badly."
His Majesty crossed his arms and stared straight at me with his long, narrow eyes wide open.
"It is all for the sake of the country."
"For the country?"
"This country began with a Saint. In other words, the royal family began with the first Saint. Therefore, it is said that whenever the royal family and a Saint have united since then, the Spirit King has always granted a blessing upon the land. That is the stability of this nation and the wish of the people."
"Ha, so Your Majesty believes in such superstitions. In reality, what you fear is the Saint's power being taken by a neighboring country, isn't it?"
"Whether it is superstition is indeed unknown. But the important thing is the fact that a Saint was born in this country. Ensuring the Saint is brought into our nation is necessary. ...Including her power, of course."
As I thought, His Majesty prioritized the Saint—or rather, he viewed the risk of her power being taken by another country as a threat. He intended to use the Saint faith to gain the people's trust and stabilize the nation. Furthermore, having the Saint on the public stage would serve as a deterrent to neighboring countries.
"However, Anna Carroll is still unable to use the Saint's power."
"It doesn't matter if she can't use it. We want that power, but its existence is something only we and the neighboring royal families know. If she cannot use it, so be it."
"In that case, Miss Carroll seems to feel a debt of gratitude toward Miss Marcel. She told me herself she would never betray her."
"You expect me to believe the words of that girl? That is absurd."
His Majesty let out a snort. It wasn't because he found it funny, but because he thought it was ridiculous.
"Louis, what has happened to you? A King has no need for uncertain things like 'belief.' I taught you that, didn't I?"
"Yes. I was taught that, and I believed it too. Until recently."
The only one to believe in is yourself. I had been taught that since I was young, and as someone who felt humanly deficient, I hadn't thought that idea was wrong. His Majesty must have been caught off guard by my words 'until recently.' He narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge my true intentions.
"I felt that you were similar to me."
"We certainly are similar."
His Majesty stared at me with glass-like eyes that revealed nothing of his thoughts. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he likely wanted to say I was a disappointment. Yet, the fragment of absolute fear I had unconsciously felt toward him since childhood didn't surface even once today.
Once I began to view him as a wall to be overcome, my recognition of him as an absolute existence must have wavered. And that was a feeling Rachel had brought to me. My gaze toward him grew slightly sharper from my feelings for her. His Majesty seemed to feel it too, as the frown between his brows deepened.
The words I told him—that we were similar—belonged to my past self. Now, I was different.
"But there is one big difference. I have something that Your Majesty does not."
"What?" he whispered. In an instant, he released an overwhelming aura that seemed to dominate the entire room, attempting to intimidate me. But I didn't even think of averting my gaze. Seeing this, he relaxed his pressure for a moment and slightly curled the corner of his mouth.
"Well, fine for now. No matter how you struggle, I have no intention of changing my mind. Unless you dissolve your engagement with Miss Marcel, do not expect the throne to be prepared for you. Listen well. Either you marry the Saint, or you resign as Crown Prince. It's one or the other."
Did he think I would panic if he said that much? He really didn't understand his own son. Fine. I'll take that provocation.
"Then, shall we bet that chair?"
My own voice sounded chillingly cold. His Majesty let out a "Hou," his eyes widening slightly.
"If Rachel regains her original mana and we can guarantee the Saint won't leave this country... how about Your Majesty steps down from that throne?"
His Majesty didn't flinch. He stroked his chin with one hand while thinking for a moment. I watched his movements intently. Finally, he whispered in a voice even lower than mine, "Very well."
"The time limit is one year. I will not wait longer than that."
"Then the engagement will continue as it is during that time. Is that acceptable?"
"...Fine. But let me tell you one thing. I have never lost a bet in my life."
"Is that so? Well, I have no intention of losing either."
One year. The answer was more lenient than I expected. For a moment, my tension almost eased, but I immediately tightened my expression. The possibility of Rachel's mana returning within a year was low at this point. But I hadn't made this proposal without any chance of winning. She was on a journey now because of some lead, and there was a possibility she'd find a way to restore her mana. But I needed to protect her, considering all possibilities.
I had secured the verbal commitment I needed. All that was left was to take action.
"Drowning in love... how foolish. Perhaps I simply expected too much of you."
"You can judge that in a year."
I won't give up on anything. I swore that to her—to Rachel. For that, I shall give His Majesty his very first defeat.