Chapter 104

Demian laughed heartily at the news of the royal marriage between Crown Prince Patzraelli and Lady Meryl.

“Trying to win back Lady Meia, only to marry Lady Meryl?”

It was amusing. The last time he had met Patzraelli, the Crown Prince had said this:

<Where?>

At Demian’s remark, Patzraelli had laughed triumphantly.

<So? Did she agree to take you back?>

<Probably.>

<Haha! Doesn’t ‘probably’ mean there’s a chance she refused?>

Demian knew very well how proud Meia was. She was the kind of woman who would rather bite her tongue and die than reconcile with Patzraelli.

<No, it means she agreed to take me back.>

What nonsense. The beautiful and cold-hearted flower of high society, harboring lingering feelings? It was more likely that she regretted not finding her parents’ bodies. There was no way Meia had any lingering feelings for Patzraelli.

<We’ll see whether she becomes the Crown Princess or the Imperial Princess, won’t we, brother?>

If, by the slimmest of chances—truly the slimmest—Meia did take Patzraelli back, Demian would simply kill him. After all, the throne belonged to the strongest.

“Ha ha.”

“Demian, what’s making you laugh so much?”

“Oh, Mother. I’m just thinking about what gift to give my brother to celebrate his royal marriage.”

Demian continued to laugh loudly as he pondered over what gift would please Patzraelli. He had no choice but to think carefully.

Initially, he considered gifting fresh strawberries. However, a strawberry-themed gift that Meia might like didn’t sit well with him. In fact, Patzraelli might even think of Meia when he saw the strawberries.

That couldn’t be allowed.

Demian would not tolerate Patzraelli thinking about Meia for even a moment.

After much deliberation, Demian decided on the perfect gift and gave Robert his orders.

“Robert, I’ll gift my brother a yuzu tree.”

Robert asked with a puzzled expression,

“A tree? Planting a tree in the palace requires Her Majesty the Empress’s approval. The procedures will undoubtedly be complicated.”

“I want to give a meaningful gift.”

“Why a yuzu tree? It’s such a common tree.”

“That’s why I’ll have it crafted out of gemstones.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m not the kind of man to joke about a royal marriage gift, Robert.”

Typically, people would craft flowers or birthstones into jewelry to give as gifts. However, no one had ever heard of Patzraelli liking yuzu trees, nor was it his birth flower.

This left Robert unable to discern Demian’s intentions.

“Use yellow topaz for the tree, green jade and emerald for the leaves, and craft the yuzu fruit especially beautifully with golden magic stones.”

“Golden magic stones?”

“Yes. A luxurious gemstone yuzu tree! It’ll be a perfect royal marriage gift.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“It would look perfect on my brother’s desk in his office. Also, make sure the coating is durable enough that it won’t break if thrown.”

Robert, still puzzled, agreed.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

“Make two identical ones—one for Lady Meryl and one for my brother.”

Smiling with satisfaction, Demian gave the order to craft two identical yuzu trees.

“They’ll both love it once they understand the meaning behind the gift.”

Demian laughed heartily, clearly pleased with himself.

However, Robert couldn’t understand Demian’s intentions until the gemstone tree was completed.

The Demian he served despised Patzraelli. To be precise, he loathed him. So why would he gift such an expensive gemstone yuzu tree?

Robert was certain there was a hidden motive.

Because of the high cost, what would typically take months to complete was finished in just three days.

When Demian saw the completed yuzu tree, he smiled. The gemstones, especially the golden magic stones, sparkled brilliantly.

“Take special care in packaging the tree for my brother.”

“Yes.”

The completed gemstone yuzu trees were sent to the Hatzbellua Ducal Estate and to Patzraelli.

Lady Meryl, upon receiving hers, admired it as a magnificent piece of jewelry.

However, Patzraelli frowned simply because the gift came from Demian. More than that, he immediately understood the intention behind the gift.

“Demian, you bastard.”

The servant who had delivered the gift explained,

After placing the gift on Patzraelli’s desk, the servant left.

For a while, Patzraelli stared at the gift, utterly speechless.

“Unbelievable.”

The yuzu tree’s flower language was “joyful news.”

Even this alone made Demian’s intentions crystal clear.

Clearly, on the surface, the royal marriage was being celebrated as ‘joyful news,’ but the sender was Demian. From Patzraelli’s perspective, the gift implied that his marriage to Meryl was ‘joyful news’ for Demian.

This was no congratulatory gift; it was mockery disguised as one.

Patzraelli picked up the exquisitely crafted gemstone yuzu tree and hurled it forcefully to the ground.

“Send it back to Demian immediately!”

At that moment—

Knock, knock.

“Your Highness, Prince Demian has arrived.”

The door suddenly swung open, and Demian entered Patzraelli’s office with a smile, ignoring the flustered servant behind him.

He cast a pitiful glance at the yuzu tree lying discarded on the floor.

“I didn’t grant you permission to enter, Demian.”

“Did you throw the gift I sent?”

“Do you truly call that a gift?”

Demian tilted his head and replied nonchalantly,

“I heard the ‘joyful news’ of your royal marriage. I sent the yuzu tree, which carries that meaning, so why are you so upset?”

“Demian.”

The low tone of Patzraelli’s voice clearly conveyed his rising anger.

“Do you really think I wouldn’t understand the intent behind the yuzu tree?”

“I’m delighted to welcome Lady Meryl as my sister-in-law. That sentiment is what I poured into this gift.”

Demian’s innocent expression, as if he knew nothing, only made Patzraelli despise him more.

“Lady Meryl even sent a thank-you letter for the gift, but you, brother, threw it away… Thankfully, the coating seems to have worked, so it didn’t break when thrown. Still, seeing my gift treated this way wounds me deeply.”

“Leave.”

“You won’t even offer tea to your wounded younger brother?”

Patzraelli bit his lip, suppressing the curses threatening to escape as Demian continued his shameless act.

“I said, leave.”

“Once you’re married, I’ll also marry Lady Meia. Since you’re marrying first, please share plenty of advice about marriage.”

“Take the yuzu tree and get out.”

“Brother, are you truly angry?”

Demian feigned innocence.

“I’ve heard that grooms experience emotional swings before their wedding… Could it be that you’re going through the same? If so, I’ll introduce you to an excellent counselor.”

Patzraelli erupted in fury.

“Leave at once!”

His roar echoed down the corridor.

“Congratulations on your royal marriage. Truly. I shall take my leave.”

With a shrug and a smile, Demian exited the room.

Patzraelli picked up the yuzu fruit gemstone lying on the floor and hurled it out the window.

But the next day, the yuzu tree returned to Patzraelli, now adorably repackaged.

“Demian!”

Patzraelli, imagining the yuzu tree as Demian himself, threw it out the window with all his might.

It was only then that Robert understood the reason behind Demian’s insistence on making the yuzu tree unbreakable.

Having received Demian’s one-sided ‘congratulatory’ gift, Patzraelli trembled with rage and humiliation.

***

Meanwhile, in the Carpen Empire, Empress Dowager Rose von Shaner Mavro had endured a brutal power struggle to protect her son and make him Emperor.

Born a noble, she had risen to the highest position in the empire.

And now, an era of peace had arrived. Rose believed she had nothing left to worry about.

But that was arrogance.

She had cherished Meia deeply, only for Patzraelli to break off their engagement.

‘Well, engagements can end. But there’s no one more suited to be Empress than Meia. What a shame.’

Since noble and royal engagements weren’t based on love, she had accepted it and moved on. After the breakup, Patzraelli became engaged to Meia’s cousin.

And after enduring all kinds of scandals, the royal marriage was finally announced.

But then—

It was absurd.

It was Patzraelli who had abandoned Meia when she was devastated by the loss of her parents.

<Negotiate.>

<I’ll make her Empress.>

Rose couldn’t help but scoff at Patzraelli’s childishness.

The next day, Patzraelli returned, this time with Empress Ellermin in tow.

Hearing their whining from early morning, Rose abandoned courtly manners and snapped.

<It’s the fisherman’s fault, Your Majesty.>

<Exactly. The fisherman should have held on tightly! Why regret letting the fish go because another seemed bigger?”>

<I’ll catch it again.>

<Don’t cling to what’s already gone.>

Having endured heartache from her husband’s nights with concubines in her youth, and having struggled to make her son Emperor, Rose now faced new trials thanks to the whining Empress and Crown Prince.

Each day, her stress grew.