Karan doubted his ears at Ian's words. But it didn't seem like he heard it wrong. The eyes of the Second Prince and the Duke were also changed.
But Ian continued speaking innocently.
“Why? Didn't you purposely lock in the basent to prevent my brother and from seeing each other? In a dangerous place where the air was scarce, at that?”
The attendants in the drawing room murmured quietly.
"Oh my God, what the hell is this talking about? Did Young Master Karan do such a cruel thing?”
"Goodness. Isn't that blasphemy against the royal family?"
"Are you kidding ? It's not just a cri of blasphemy. If he really did sothing wrong…"
It counted as an attempted murder of the royal family.
However, Karan had no choice but to feel ridiculous.
Not only did Ian push him for attempted murder, but what, he was willingly going to et his brother?
‘Didn’t you try to run away to the basent of the annex when you heard that the Second Prince was coming?’
It wasn't only that.
“I wanted to see him when I heard that a brother I had never seen before was coming, but I was so afraid when he locked up.”
‘What are you talking about, as soon as you heard the prince's na, I clearly saw your face turn ugly!'
The dumbfounded Karan complained to Ian.
"It's unfair. Why are you framing people with such ridiculous lies?"
"But it's true that you locked in the basent."
“!?”
"You clearly knew that my brother was going to co."
“…!”
Ian pretended to cry in great sorrow. Thanks to this, Karan was pushed to a dead end and could only glare at Ian.
‘This damn little kid did this on purpose…!'
And it was then.
"Tsk."
The sound of a tongue clicking echoed in the drawing room.
Karan's head turned on its own at the familiar sound. His father, the Duke, clicked his tongue. He was also looking at Karan with a blatantly displeased gaze.
Of course, he did not look displeased from locking up Ian.
His eyes were as if condemning Karan for doing sothing that could be picked up as a weakness because he couldn't handle his job properly.
Karan was furious at the Duke's gaze.
‘How can you look at with those eyes!’
He was a duke who favored only his good-for-nothing older brother, while he looked at him like a monster no matter how genius he was.
And Karan was ashad to receive such a gaze in such a situation.
Yes, he locked him up as a joke at first.
But thanks to that, Ian was able to gain the power in the basent.
‘I don't know exactly what kind of power it is, but at least it wouldn't have been a loss.’
In a way, it was as if Ian had gained sothing thanks to him.
But that wasn't what was important now.
"Oh really? Did that happen?"
“!”
As if taking the bait, the Second Prince was glaring with frightening eyes.
Of course, the Second Prince didn’t side with Ian as he was the opponent in the succession war, but it was a natural thing to do under the current circumstances.
‘If the opponent is the Garcia family, the story is different.’
As a prince supported by Lavaltor, Garcia was like a thorn in his eyes.
Furthermore, the opponent was the Duke's third son. The Duke was troubleso to deal with, but Karan's talents were already famous among the aristocrats.
It was said that he would be the youngest pri minister after passing the national examination if only he was allowed to enter the royal palace.
‘I'd rather take him in and make him my entourage.'
Even if it didn't work out, it was an opportunity to grab the Duke's weakness.
Just by taking him, he would be supported by both sides, Lavaltor and Garcia.
So, he asked with a murderous voice.
"Third Young Master, have you really locked up my brother in the basent of the annex? The kid who said he was going to et too?”
"…that."
Karan's stomach churned. anwhile, Ian chid in.
“That’s right, Brother. I rember clearly the face of the Third Young Master who suddenly closed the basent door. I'm sure he even called a fool as well."
"Huh. Even if you are the son of the Duke, you dare say that to a mber of the royal family.”
While the two began to put on a two-man show, Karan was rooted on the spot, and the other attendants were sweating bullets.
And excited by Ian's words, the Second Prince took one step further while he was at it.
He wasn't going to miss out on this great opportunity.
"Even though you co from the ducal family that has graced the kingdom with their loyalty, it is considered to be a disgrace to the royal family if you do this much. So, what do you think, Duke?”
At the Second Prince's smile, the Duke slightly raised an eyebrow.
It was obvious what the prince was trying to say, but he replied nonetheless.
"What do you want to do?"
"Shouldn’t we adhere to the law?"
The Duke's eyes flashed at those words.
"So, you want to cut my child's tongue in my own castle?"
An ominous silence dawned on the room as if a bloodbath would break out at any second.
The tone sounded respectful, but there was animosity in his slightly-raised mouth. The Duke didn't like the Second Prince anyway, who had stord into other people's territory and did all kinds of rudeness.
The Second Prince, feeling a montary sense of crisis, smiled and took a step back.
“Exactly what it ans. Still, how can I cut off the tongue of the Duke's son?"
"What do you want?"
“Nothing much. A sincere apology from Duke Garcia is enough.”
He asked for an apology, but the Duke frowned, unsure about the hidden profit the prince might gain.
‘Of all things, apologize to him.’
In a word, the Duke would give his support to this damned prince and at the sa ti give up his talented third son. In other words, he aid to kill two birds with one stone.
Of course, if it was the second case, he would have thrown him to the prince without hesitation. If he so wished, cut his limbs.
However, Karan was one of the most outstanding children even if his antics were unpredictable. Not to ntion, Karan was also a special candidate who might get soon.
The Duke weighed the Second Prince’s proposal with a cold look.
‘Politics is all about give and take. However, losing to the Second Prince ans…’
It was no different from giving an extra wing to the Second Prince who had gained Lavaltor's support.
As the Duke was struggling so much.
For so reason, Ian, who had been quiet so far, ca forward.
"What are you two talking about?"
At Ian’s sudden words, the Second Prince smiled in vain.
"You ask that? Your brain isn't working that well? Were you planning on being acknowledged with just that kind of brain?”
The Second Prince, who finally showed his true colors, laughed at Ian. He pretended to be gentle, but it was an obvious ridicule.
"I’m not sure about you, but it is to make those who insulted the royal family apologize and give so compensation. You have yet to be recognized, but he dared to lock up soone who is said to be a mber of the royal family underground. There is every reason to punish him as a mber of the royal family. Do you understand?"
"I get it. But the victim is , so why is my brother the one receiving the apology and compensation?”
“…!!”
The Second Prince’s face distorted uncontrollably at Ian's words.
Ian smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.
"Don't you think so? All I have to do is apologize to you for being late. But a re apology for locking up is not enough, so I think I should get so compensation for it."
The Second Prince was rendered speechless.
No, wasn’t he the one who talked to him like he wanted to scold Karan just now? Who was it that snitched on him?
However, Ian continued without hesitation.
“So, I have to accept the apology for the part I was trapped in the basent, Duke Garcia.”
The Duke burst into laughter.
There was nothing wrong with that logic either. In principle, laws related to the contempt of the royal family should be resolved by the parties concerned. It was right that the Second Prince had nothing to do with it.
He could get an apology for Ian's lateness, but that's all.
The Second Prince, who belatedly realized Ian's true intentions, widened his eyes in disbelief.
‘Is this… lowly kid taking advantage of ?’
Now he was certain.
Feigning being hurt, Ian pretended to be innocent as if he was on his side from the beginning.
‘This cunning bastard.'
It must have been for this reason that he pretended to be in tune with him.
It was for none other than to bring up the word apology and compensation from the Duke’s own mouth!
Looking at the Duke's personality, he would never say such a thing to Ian.
The Duke also watched Ian as if it was amusing.
‘Which hand should I take?’
The Second Prince with great power, or the Seventh Prince who had no power yet?
Of course, the answer was set.
Rather than the Second Prince who straddled on the back of a running tiger (Lavaltor), the tiger cub (Ian), who was still in his hand, was much better.
The Duke nodded his head toward Ian.
"All right. Then, in line with the Seventh Prince's wish, I will discipline my son harshly. Now, what do you want for the compensation? Gold? Jewel?"
Losing Galon was already painful enough. He was talking about Garcia’s imnse wealth.
However, Ian raised the corners of his mouth as if he didn't want anything like that.
"Give the right for Karan’s punishnt and education."
"What?"
"It's an insult I've suffered, so his punishnt, education—I'll do it all, not the Duke. I can ask that much, right?”
The one most astonished from hearing those words was none other than Karan.
No, he was not even a servant, so who's punishing whom? Besides, what education? Moreover, if that guy was the one doing it…
When the speechless Karan was about to argue with the Duke.
Nod.
"Do so."
Shockingly, his father's approval fell.
***
"Then I'll go in first, Brother."
“…”
Karan, who had beco sort of Ian's servant, gritted his teeth, and Ian got up with a bright face. However, the expression of the Second Prince looking at him was anything but good.
He looked as if he had been badly stabbed in the back.
He had no choice but to do so.
‘How can I lose Karan in this way? That bastard.’
His plan to use Karan as a weakness to consolidate his position as heir to the throne had gone down the drain.
Actually, he was feeling angrier that he was being used by that kid.
‘I was too shortsighted.’
For that reason, the Second Prince said in a harsh but low voice.
“Co to think of it, there will be a legitimation ceremony at the royal castle soon.”
The Second Prince flashed a friendly smile.
"It's already late, so take a rest. Tomorrow, as an older brother, I'll tell you what you will need for the legitimation ceremony."
Ian snorted at his words.
His handso face with a mad smile was no different from what he rembered in his mory.
‘He's playing the good guy with that shitty personality.'
He had roughly predicted what the Second Prince would do tomorrow.
‘It's obvious. He'll ask for a match using the legitimation ceremony as an excuse.’
With a high probability of it, he would teach him swordsmanship, which was his specialty. And it would not end with a simple confrontation.
‘He is going to cut off my arm, pretending to make a mistake.’
That would eliminate one competitor.
Ian was already well aware of what the Second Prince had done to the other brothers in his previous life.
As if his prediction was spot-on, the Second Prince gave an eerie look.
"By the way, don't take the knights with you. Knights are hardheaded and will say no to a lot of things. I just want to spend so good ti with my brother."
Ian smiled brightly as if he was clueless.
"Okay, I'll let all the knights rest as you wish, Brother."
The Second Prince nodded and left as if he had finished his business.
Then, he whispered to the knights around him.
“Tell the other brothers. The youngest will not be able to attend the legitimation ceremony, so there is no need to prepare a robe.”
Ian hurriedly bid the Duke goodbye and returned to his room.
Because he had so work to do.
‘The Duke had permitted to take care of Karan. It doesn't matter now. It would be fun to educate him thoroughly.’
The important thing was tomorrow morning.
He didn't an to just let it go as long as he knew the Second Prince’s tricks. Rather, he intended to remove the Second Prince who wanted to eliminate his competitor.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
‘The Second Prince has swordsmanship skills worthy of his ferocious character. On the other hand, I'm still a beginner who couldn’t do proper swordsmanship yet.'
Moreover, he was only a skinny kid with a slim body.
However, Ian had a glimr of hope.
It was none other than the one thing that the Duke had been interested in all this ti.
Ever since he dropped his blood in the underground passage and ca out of the room, a suspicious wisp of smoke kept whispering to him.
[Are you ready now?]
The power Ian found in the basent. It was .
Reviews
All reviews (0)