Chapter 42
Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Meritorious Conference (4)
“What the hell is this supposed to be?”
“……”
“Even for you all, barging into the Crown Prince's resting quarters without so much as a word.”
The Crown Prince, momentarily stunned by the sudden situation unfolding before him, soon hardened his expression and spoke.
“On top of that, you aren't even showing proper respect to imperial blood.”
“……”
“Won't you bow your heads?”
At those words, the house heads lightly offered a curt nod before fixing the Crown Prince with cold stares once more.
“Well, aren't you bold.”
The Crown Prince, incredulous at their brazen attitude, glanced around before turning to the little kid at the front.
“...Hey, you. Won't you bow?”
“I don't have to, do I?”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
But just as the Crown Prince, eyeing the unidentified child standing defiantly before him, gripped his sword to draw it—
-Pzzt...
The child's eyes flickered, the whites suddenly dyeing crimson in an instant.
“...Belverk?”
Seeing this, the Crown Prince startled and released his grip on the sword.
“Crown Prince. If it were me, I'd have tried to resolve this as gently as possible.”
“...Mother.”
“The situation is a bit unfavorable for you right now.”
Right then, the Emperor appeared from behind the house heads, a intrigued smile on her face as she spoke.
“Ah, I just tagged along because it looked fun. Don't misunderstand.”
The house heads flinched and turned, but the Emperor waved them off reassuringly before shifting her gaze back to the Crown Prince.
“What in the world is going on here?”
“...Sigh. At your age, Crown Prince, you should be able to figure it out at a glance.”
She replied to the Crown Prince's dazed question with a look of pity.
“Isn't this the moment right before the Four Great Meritorious Houses invoke veto on your wish?”
But even with that straightforward explanation, the Crown Prince tilted his head in confusion.
“Veto...? What's that?”
“Oh dear.”
“...The meritorious houses could do something like that?”
The Emperor pressed her hand to her forehead at his words, while the still-confused Crown Prince finally grasped the situation, grimacing as he spoke.
“You lot... can you handle the fallout?”
But the house heads, arms crossed silently behind Kairen, merely smirked at his question.
“If anything, Your Highness should be the one worrying about the consequences.”
“What?”
“What do you think happens if we invoke veto on your wish today?”
As the house heads reacted, the Crown Prince's face grew increasingly furious—right then, Kairen stepped forward and began explaining in a bold voice.
“...What happens? You all get on my bad side.”
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes with a hollow laugh at Kairen's words.
“At the same time, rumors will spread that the Crown Prince is so distrusted the Four Great Meritorious Houses are dusting off their ancient veto power.”
“What?”
“And in contrast, what rumors do you think will swirl around the youngest Imperial Princess?”
But Kairen's pointed explanation was clear enough even for the dim-witted Crown Prince.
“Kuh...”
Even as the designated heir, without the cooperation of the Four Great Meritorious Houses, he couldn't properly govern once on the throne.
Especially if those usually discordant houses had united like this.
Thus, in this situation, the Crown Prince had only one option.
“So, we're actually giving Your Highness an opportunity.”
“……”
“We just reach a nice mutual agreement here. We don't use the veto, and Your Highness never made the wish to begin with. Win-win, right!”
As Kairen nailed that very option, the Crown Prince swallowed his rage forcibly, his face darkening.
“Hahaha! Now that you mention it, you're right.”
“……?”
“Yeah, my wish this time was a bit much.”
However, even the notoriously arrogant and self-centered Crown Prince could act the part of heir when needed.
“So, out of regard for the meritorious houses' face, I'll specially withdraw this once.”
“……”
“Be grateful. I wasn't planning to clash with the meritorious houses right away anyway.”
With that, he forced a smile, spreading his arms in a magnanimous pose reminiscent of a benevolent lord, retracting his wish.
“By the way, what's your game? Belverk?”
“……”
“What's in it for you to rope in the meritorious houses and sabotage me?”
But then, as he approached right up to Kairen, the Crown Prince bent down to eye level and whispered lowly.
“Ah, is that rumor true, by any chance?”
“...What rumor?”
“I heard the youngest Imperial Princess and Belverk's youngest son are smitten with each other...”
At the Crown Prince's smirking words, Kairen flinched and raised his voice.
“N-No, it's not like that!”
“...Huh?”
“It's just a stupid rumor!”
The Crown Prince, who had tested Kairen with the rumor, looked surprised instead, while the Emperor beside him pinched her thigh to stifle laughter and whispered info to Kairen.
“...Pfft. Kairen, denying rumors you never even heard is probably not wise.”
“Ah!”
“Well, seems a bit late for that.”
As the Emperor said, not just the Crown Prince but the house heads behind him stared at Kairen with blank looks.
“Wait, what? For real?”
“……”
“Why her? What's so great about her?”
After a brief awkward silence, the blinking Crown Prince suddenly turned serious and addressed Kairen.
“That girl's a retard and a lunatic. No benefit in getting close.”
“……”
“A Belverk young master could have girls on both arms. Don't get weird ideas—listen to me.”
Then, suddenly treating him like a close friend, he slung an arm around the dazed Kairen's shoulders and subtly egged him on.
“...So, instead of that psycho youngest princess, how about hanging with me?”
“……”
“Once you're a bit older, this big bro'll teach you the ropes. How to charm girls, how to fool around without getting caught...”
The Crown Prince's eyes sparkled eagerly.
“And I can sneak you into all those exclusive spots only for the chosen elite li—”
“Gross.”
“What?”
“Don't spout pathetic nonsense!”
But briefly, as Kairen shoved him away with a cold expression and snapped, the Crown Prince's face chilled.
“...Ah, what a boring kid.”
Muttering lowly, he soon fixed Kairen with icy eyes and issued a warning.
“Watch yourself, Belverk's little brat.”
“……”
“The Crown Prince's authority is stronger than you think.”
“And once someone gets on my bad side, I never let them off... Kyaaak!?”
But before he could finish, the Crown Prince shrieked and staggered.
“Chirp!”
“That crazy bird again!?”
Clutching his pecked ear, he spotted Peep perched primly on Kairen's shoulder and furiously drew his sword.
“You damn bitch! Can't even control your pet...!”
“Peep, let's run!”
“...Hey, you there!”
“See you later!”
Before he could steady himself, Kairen cradled Peep protectively and scurried out of the room.
“Shiiibaaal!!!”
The house heads gave the Crown Prince a pitiful glance before quietly following Kairen, leaving him alone to tremble in rage before screaming and slashing at the room's furnishings.
“Puhahaha!”
The Emperor watched pitifully too, then slipped out, closed the door, and burst into held-back laughter as she followed Kairen and the house heads.
“Peep, you okay?”
“Chirp.”
“No injuries anywhere?”
I'd urgently clutched Peep and fled the Crown Prince's room, now sitting in the palace garden to check for injuries.
“Chirp!”
“Ow!”
“Chirp chirp!!!”
But for some reason, Peep glared primly at me before suddenly pecking my flesh.
“It hurts! Stop!”
“……”
“Bad bird! I hate you!”
After helplessly getting pecked awhile, as I raised my voice tearfully—
-Swish...
Peep, half-lidded eyes glaring slyly, suddenly extended its head, pressing its cheek to my chest.
“What's this now...? Mmph?”
“...Chirp.”
Wondering what was up, I looked down—just as it snapped its head up, beaking my lips before flying skyward.
“Chirrp...”
Was that a thank-you kiss? But it pecked me happily earlier—why?
“I just don't get this one sometimes.”
“Hey, little house head.”
“...Ah, Your Majesty.”
Staring blankly at Peep's inscrutable retreating figure, the Emperor sidled up and asked.
“So, heading back to Belverk now?”
“Yes!”
“Makes sense. After-parties like that must be awkward for a proxy house head anyway.”
Apparently, the day of the meritorious conference always ended with a secret banquet for the assisting house heads.
But I urgently wanted to leave this palace. Holding my own flawlessly against them so far was a miracle; staying overnight might spell disaster.
“Plus, sticking around might lead to grabbing the Crown Prince by the collar... Though that could be fun too.”
Especially after properly provoking him to defend the youngest princess; better avoid him for a while.
“Look here a sec.”
“Yes?”
“Got something for you.”
As I headed to the Belverk carriage lost in such thoughts—
“It's an invite to my granddaughter's tea party.”
Marquis Sharhen sidled up, handing me an invitation with a displeased look.
“It's not given to just anyone, so attend without fail.”
“Heehee, thank you, Grandpa!”
“...Ahem.”
Whatever it was, gifts were welcome—especially from Marquis Sharhen, whom I'd thought untrusting.
“By the way, my granddaughter's young but has the talent to succeed me as the world's greatest sword.”
“Really?”
“Even surpassing my eldest, the empire's greatest sword.”
Why the sudden granddaughter brag? Was this the romance fantasy cliché where old house heads are all doting grandparents?
“Wow, even better than Belverk's First Knight Division Commander...”
“Gal!”
“Eek.”
Mid-innocent question, I dodged as Marquis Sharhen erupted with terrifying aura and fury.
“...I have something for you too. Northerners always repay favors.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“I'll formally invite you to our northern festival.”
But soon caught by Governor Hakfreet, I received yet another similar gift.
“By the way, I have a late-blooming daughter too.”
“Pardon?”
“She's famed as the Snow Princess of the North... Hmm. As a mother, I wonder if that's quite right.”
Why did these people keep bragging about their descendants to me?
“...Still, she'll be better than the youngest princess.”
“That much?”
“Yes, oh right—better to show a picture...”
As I tilted my head at Governor Hakfreet's cold smile—
“Little house head! That earlier was truly appreciated.”
“Ah, Marquis Magnaris.”
“Nothing fancy, but here's a gift from me.”
Marquis Magnaris wedged between us, beaming as he offered the third invitation.
“This is...?”
“Academy festival tickets!”
“Th-Thank you?”
“These aren't easy to get. On the black market, you could buy a capital house...”
Trailing off, glancing at the Emperor, he whispered in my ear.
“...By the way, I have a disciple at the academy.”
“A disciple?”
“I can tell—she'll become the strongest great witch, surpassing me by far!”
At this point, weren't all Four Great Meritorious house heads just doting parents/grandparents by default?
Even that damned Opstein cherished his eldest daughter Dorsia, so it kinda fit...
“H-House Heads.”
“……”
“Thank you so much for these wonderful gifts!”
Grateful anyway, I clutched the three precious invitations and beamed my thanks to them.
“...Tch, gloomy old fogeys.”
“Pardon?”
“The way they slobber over anyone they like—it's a sight.”
I waved to their oddly wistful faces and turned—only for the Emperor to mutter cryptically.
“By the way, Kairen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
She turned serious, so I swallowed and listened.
“...Do you really like the youngest princess?”
But seeing her sinister smile, ignoring her seemed wiser.
“Kairen's leaving now.”
“Ah, at least chat before you go. Imperial command.”
“I'll veto.”
“...Ah, well. Can't be helped.”
How did Mom endure people like this all these years?
Thus, the grueling meritorious conference fully concluded at dawn that day.
“Young Master, time to wake up.”
“...Ugh, sleepy.”
“We've arrived at the Belverk Ducal House.”
Exhausted, I'd drooled asleep in the cozy carriage, but Schwarz's shoulder shake roused me.
“Hehe.”
Stepping out, the beloved Belverk Ducal House scenery filled my view.
“Everyone, Kairen's back...?”
Excited to recount the day to the retainers and maid sisters for affection, I hurried to the entrance with Schwarz.
“...Huh?”
I realized something was wrong right after.
“This is...”
“...Oh no.”
Belverk's prized antique garden lay half-destroyed, dust billowing.
And scattered unconscious amid it—could those be the maid sisters!?
No way—who'd dare do this in the heart of Belverk...?
-Kuuguuguukwang...!
Dazedly surveying, a deafening boom hurled a dust-covered girl beside me.
“...Kuhk.”
I gaped wide-eyed at the staggering, blood-coughing girl—then doubted my eyes.
“Lilien Big Sis...?”
Lilien Big Sis, supposedly absent, stood battered beside me.
Wait—why was Sis here? She'd gone to the orphanage far from the duchy...
“B-Brats. Why're you back so soon?”
“...Pardon? The conference ended.”
“Damn. Thought it'd take another day...”
She stared back shocked, wiped forehead blood with her sleeve, looking troubled.
“Guard! Protect the house head!”
-Tzztz...
“Pushed this far already? But preparations were perfect...”
Schwarz's eyes blackened, aura flaring as her command summoned the house head's guards from shadows around me.
“...This level of rampage is a first.”
Still clueless, I followed Lilien's ragged-breathing gaze and finally understood.
-Gooooh...
A presence indescribable in words emanated overwhelmingly as someone slowly approached us.
“This manic episode won't be easy to resolve.”
Moonlight briefly revealed the figure—torn clothes exposing undergarments, so female.
And the bloodied bare skin between suggested a powerhouse devastating even Belverk's monsters.
“Huh?”
Unable to guess who in the empire could do this, I stood blankly—then belatedly recognized the nearing figure and quietly trembled.
“Haa...”
“Mother?”
“You there.”
Turning Belverk to ruins, approaching with a cold smile—it was my mother, Duchess Astridje.
“...You look delicious.”
“Eek.”
The sole difference from usual Mom: licking blood from her lips, she saw me as mere prey.