Chapter 123
Chapter 123
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Get Strong and Come Back...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Then I’ll take that as settled and be on my way.
Ah, Sion Claussen.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“It’s not exactly top secret, but I’d prefer if you could handle it as quietly as possible.
Too much attention might get those northern barbarians all riled up, and who knows what they’d do then.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“The personnel assigned to go with you will head to your villa by dawn tomorrow, so take good care of them.
Well then...”
Edgar IV left the meeting room without another word, as if he had no intention of debating the decision any further.
He mentioned that the knights and soldiers he’d brought from his territory would be sent back or stay at the villa due to the long journey ahead, and that the royal family would handle their escort to the north.
“...”
Normally, Princess Vanessa would have followed Edgar IV out, but instead, she remained seated, staring silently at Sion.
Sion looked back at her, as if asking if she had something to say, but Vanessa kept her lips pressed tight, her gaze fixed on the man before her.
She looked like she had a lot to say but didn’t know where to start.
At this rate, they’d be sitting there for an hour or two, so Sion decided to take the initiative.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”
He said that and made as if to stand.
Vanessa startled and blurted out “Wait!” on reflex.
That stopped Sion in his tracks, and with him now looking at her, she hesitated a moment before slowly speaking.
“...I’m, I’m...”
“...”
Was she about to say something weird again, like last time?
That reasonable worry crossed his mind just then.
“I’m... sorry.”
“...”
“It’d be a lie to say I didn’t call you here intending something like this.
But I never wanted it to end up this way.
At the very least, I hoped you’d refuse...”
“Princess.
You might want to take back that apology.”
“Huh?”
Vanessa looked at him in confusion at his slightly sharp tone.
“You clearly stated your intent to take a shot at the throne, the position that leads this nation, even if it means a tough fight.
Isn’t that right?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Then don’t apologize.
A person aiming for the throne doesn’t apologize lightly to those beneath them.
Do that, and they’ll start looking down on you, thinking you’re weak.”
“B-but, even so, if I’ve done wrong, apologizing is the right thing...”
“If you’ve sinned, atone with actions and merits for the kingdom.
That’s the curse of the throne.”
In democracies or republics, apologies aren’t so heavy.
But in a monarchy, an apology from royalty is a grave matter.
It’s not just for admitting fault—it’s a weapon to wield at key moments.
“Besides, it’s a retainer’s duty to obey their lord.
On top of that, this is a role I volunteered for.
Even if you’d tried to stop me, I still would’ve headed north.”
“It’s a dangerous road.”
“The war with Nudia was dangerous too.”
“...”
“I can confidently say I know better than anyone how dangerous war is.
That’s why I volunteered—to ensure nothing like that happens again.”
Vanessa let out a small sigh at Sion’s nonchalant response.
She’d half-expected this reaction, this answer from him.
If he were just any noble, she wouldn’t have pinned her hopes on him like this, let alone strived to become the leader he wanted.
‘I thought I was pretty decent until now, but standing next to you makes me feel so small.’
With that thought, Vanessa tapped the meeting table and spoke.
“I was hoping you’d refuse this mission citing your territory’s affairs.”
“That explains the half-hearted vibe I got from you, even as you summoned me.”
“You know how ferocious the northern barbarians are.”
Truth be told, they weren’t that ferocious.
They were simply a kingdom-deficient people who’d chosen extreme ferocity as their path to survival—and as a deterrent to war.
Over time, it became habit, ingrained, exaggerated, bloated to make them seem bigger, and spread through the kingdom that way.
“Honestly, you admitted I’m the most suitable person for this, at least somewhat.”
“...Denying it would be another lie.”
Vanessa had slipped up at the end there, but that was because Kim Yu-hyun had been such a pain.
She was a woman who normally kept personal feelings separate from state affairs.
She held Sion in high regard, but she wasn’t the type to let that cloud major national matters.
If she were that soft, Sion wouldn’t have even considered picking her up.
“More importantly, you must’ve looked into the north quite thoroughly, just as I suggested.”
“I put in a lot of effort.
Plus, with my brother off inspecting southern stability, I had a bit more freedom to move.”
“The south.
Home to the kingdom’s maritime trade routes, and right now, the wealthiest, most livable place in the realm.”
“Exactly.
Ensuring stability there is the top priority.
So while my brother and his faction focused there, I watched the north.
And I got the intel just in time.”
Not early, but right on schedule.
Sion smiled and clapped for Vanessa, signaling it was really time to go.
Vanessa returned a gentle smile, as if accepting she couldn’t hold him longer.
“So, when do you plan to depart?”
“Probably at dawn tomorrow.”
“You mean you’ll set off the moment you check the people His Majesty assigned.”
“No point delaying.”
“Straight to another forced march after arriving in the capital.
My apologies just keep piling up.”
“You and His Majesty planned to send me off by tomorrow anyway, didn’t you?”
Vanessa let out a short chuckle at his playful response and lightly rang a bell.
In came the royal knight waiting outside, along with Risikida.
Vanessa turned to the royal knight.
“Escort Young Lord Sion Claussen out.
See to it he leaves the palace without the slightest inconvenience.”
It was treatment bordering on that of a veteran statesman, with a touch of exaggeration.
The royal knight bowed and stepped aside to guide him.
As Sion offered Vanessa a farewell bow and turned to leave—
“...don’t.”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Vanessa waved it off.
Sion glanced at her a moment longer, then left the meeting room with Lucia.
Once the door closed, Vanessa, alone now, tapped the table.
Hoping Sion hadn’t quite caught what she’d muttered: “See you tomorrow.”
—
‘Fuck.’
Sion swore inwardly as he boarded the carriage.
A bit more time, and things would’ve gotten awkwardly intimate with Vanessa again.
She was undoubtedly a solid political ally.
But partnering with her and tying the knot were entirely different matters.
One misstep, and he could end up a figurehead puppet—impressive on the outside, hollow within.
‘Vanessa’s a card I absolutely must hold.
That doesn’t change.’
She had to become queen.
Queen, and a staunch backer propping him up.
Only then could he push forward the future he envisioned.
If a guy like Prince Erader—average talent, excessive ambition and suspicion—took the throne, it’d be the end of happiness and the start of misery.
‘But unlike other women, getting too close risks shaking me up.’
If being the king’s spouse were easy, Mengmeng or Yinmei would’ve pounced.
Power stripped lower than a country noble’s—worse than rat shit—duties mounting, nothing gained but endless giving.
Hispania intensely guarded against the king’s spouse nearing power.
Man or woman, upon marrying the current or heir king, one immediately forfeited all family privileges and fully belonged to the royals.
They discarded their old family name for the royal one, confined to the palace.
‘The moment I connect with Vanessa, every power tie gets severed.
Like lying on an operating table, limbs forcibly amputated.’
No way.
He wasn’t aiming for the summit to breathe rarefied Himalayan air and catch freezers or whatever, but he needed a cozy spot in moderate heights, basking in warm sun.
And that required real power.
Not some social status—true strength.
The kind where, if someone pissed him off, he could ruin their life effortlessly.
‘Thinking about it, I get why Kim Yu-hyun tried so hard not to hook up with Vanessa.’
The king’s spouse couldn’t be just anyone.
Especially not someone of unclear origins, no noble blood, more at home swinging a sword on the battlefield than etiquette.
Kim Yu-hyun knew how other nobles viewed him.
He might’ve hoped reliable ally Vanessa wouldn’t waver.
‘In the end, Vanessa’s deeper love for Kim Yu-hyun led to her carelessness and downfall.
...Hold on.
That makes Vanessa just as dangerous as Trisha?
Fuck me!’
Sion’s head throbbed.
At least Vanessa wasn’t a lit fuse like Trisha’s powder keg yet.
They could still remain good friends.
“Sion.”
Turning to the voice, he saw Lucia glaring with an sharpness he’d never witnessed.
Realizing he hadn’t explained yet, he opened his mouth to speak—
“Is it because of my father?”
Sion stared blankly at her unexpected question, as if to say “What?”
Raido was intimidating, sure, but if that were the reason to exclude her, he wouldn’t have brought her along.
“What are you talking about, Lucia?”
“Are you leaving me behind because you think my father might complain about taking me somewhere dangerous?”
“No way.
If it were about Raido, I wouldn’t have been dragging you everywhere from the start, right?
There’s a good reason for this.”
“Then explain.”
She was always so composed, yet now she seemed frantic.
Sion didn’t want to stall, but this wasn’t the place for a full explanation, so he soothed her, promising to talk back at the villa—after dinner if possible.
But Lucia, uncharacteristically clingy, kept pressing him, whining for answers.
To the point Sion wondered inwardly, ‘What’s gotten into her?’
Truthfully, Lucia’s worry wasn’t unfounded.
‘Ria vanished overnight after her father showed up!’
He’d thought she’d always stick by his side, that cat.
Of course, Ria went willingly, promising to return within a month max, but Lucia didn’t know that.
Father arrives.
They talk.
She gets dragged off.
That pattern held.
And Raido, kingdom-renowned pain-in-the-ass, was Lucia’s own father.
If after facing him, Sion said, “Sadly, Miss Lucia can’t join us,” with a parting necklace, her suspicions would solidify easily.
“Lucia.
For starters, Ria wasn’t dragged off—she left on her own.”
“Why?”
“Something clicked after the fight with Trisha.
She wants to get stronger, doesn’t want to fall behind other women.”
Total bullshit, of course.
Ria was just a poor cat who fell for Sion’s temptations.
She’d never thought about getting stronger or being helpful—nothing noble like that!
“R-really?
Ria?”
But Lucia, still innocently trusting, seemed to buy it.
Sorry!
*Slap!*
Sion apologized inwardly and continued.
“Yeah.
Her father showed up right then, offering a way to get strong, so she left for wilderness training, vowing to return helpful to me.
I thought she was just a immature cat, but she’s commendably driven.”
His smile as he said it? Perfectly calculated.
And this clincher poured jet fuel on the fire.
“So I promised to grant her one wish when she returns.
Nothing big.”
“...!”