Chapter 37

37. The Man Without Courage

“You mean they would have confessed the crown prince’s sins as soon as they got back?”

“Yes. With evidence and witnesses, there’s no need to give the crown prince time to respond.”

“It seems like they gained the upper hand, given that they had included a message from the king.”

If the king had sided with the crown prince, the letter would not have conveyed the king’s words.

Adelaide agreed, adding.

“And these petals.”

She stroked the petals she hadn’t finished picking up.

“The color purple is the symbol of the king and crown prince, so even Zeke wouldn’t dare pluck them, not with his permission.”

The king wouldn’t meddle in such a small matter, so someone else must have given the permission.

“Soon the kingdom will have something to celebrate.”

Adelaide nodded.

“So feel free to keep the checkbook. You helped the second prince win the throne, you deserve it.”

Obediently, Callion took the checkbook from her.

“I should send a reply.”

“Shall I do it?”

“No, I’ll send it, and don’t even bother replying to the Eighth Prince.”

“What?”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

‘Surely it was a joke.’

Adelaide, who had summoned a servant to mail a letter to Siegfried, laughed at the news that the messenger had departed for Helenia this morning without waiting for her letter.

It’s surprising to see someone startled like that.

Adelaide put down the letter she had painstakingly written all night and gazed at the training grounds. Callion was practicing swordsmanship alone even before the morning training began.

With each swing of his sword, the blade reflected a beautiful beam of light. His movements were so fluid and skillful that even Adelaide, who knew nothing of swordsmanship, was impressed.

He must have practiced hard to get to that point.

Swordsmanship is a noble art, and while everyone knows the basics, few people practice it enough to develop calluses on their hands unless they’re a knight.

Callion was once a crown prince who never knows when or where he’ll be attacked, so it’s only natural that he should improve his skills. What a shame he made him eat poison to prepare for his assassination.

During such thoughts of pity, Callion turned his head. Meeting his gaze, Adelaide saw him staring at her intensely. He then approached, and with great strides, he stepped onto the terrace and dropped to one knee at her feet.

“Your Grace”

Before she could ask what was wrong, Callion smoothed the hem of her dress with a careful touch. Even from that distance, he could see the hem of her dress had curled up.

“You stopped training to come here for this?”

“What if someone sees it? ”

Callion replied with a tone that suggested it was very important.

It’s embarrassing to show her petticoats, but it’s not worth stopping training to do it.

Adelaide clicked her tongue in frustration, and Callion casually sat back in her chair.

“Why are you out at this early hour?”

“I woke up early because I had some business to attend to, but now it seems pointless.”

Adelaide smiled wryly and lowered her gaze to the letter. Callion coughed lightly.

“Didn’t I say there was no need to reply? ”

“I thought you were just saying empty words.”

“I don’t say empty words.”

Callion looked at her gently and answered. The brazenness of his demeanor was embarrassing.

Callion picked up the letter on the table.

“I’ll take this one.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

“I need to see for myself to make sure there’s nothing in there that could be misunderstood.”

“It’s just a greeting letter from a fifteen-year-old. Don’t be silly, give it to me.”

“You don’t realize how dangerous a man of fifteen is.”

“Your Grace!”

“It’s not ‘Your Grace,’ it’s ‘Callion’.”

Lightly stopping Adelaide as she reached out to snatch the letter, Callion lightly brushed her hand and kissed it.

“We’ll eat in your room after morning training. Please wait.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The Knight Commander’s office on the second floor of Tiflis Castle was the best place to enjoy the view inside and outside the castle.

The left window facing outside made it easy to monitor the movements of enemies, while the right window overlooked the main building and the training grounds.

Julian Uclaire, sitting in the office and watching Callion, furrowed his brow.

“Isn’t it surprising how childish His Grace can be?”

Lucid, who was sitting next to him, said with a chuckle.

He couldn’t believe that Callion had suddenly jumped up on the terrace in the middle of training and started chatting with the duchess.

“Yesterday, he even asked me what girls like as gifts. Can you imagine? His Grace, who is as solid as a rock, asking about gifts for girls.”

“……Shut up.”

Julian slammed the curtains in annoyance. Tsk, tsk, Lucid clicked his tongue and pulled the curtain halfway closed.

“He must have something to gain from her.”

“What?”

“She’s a knowledgeable woman, so she’s valuable to him.”

“Julian, do you still not understand His Grace?”

Lucid looked at his friend with an incredulous expression.

He knew the man was as good as Callion, if not better, in terms of high-mindedness, but he couldn’t believe he was so stupid.

After twenty years of friendship, he gently warned his friend.

“If you’re going to tell me that he’s using the duchess to get information, why don’t you just say that your Majesty loves you as well?”

Julian glared at Lucid with a killing glare at the sincere joke. At his friend’s smirk, Julian spoke in a stifled voice.

“He has a lover.”

“I know, the one that ended three years ago.”

“……Lucid Lephisto, it’s your sister’s affair. Don’t talk about it like it’s someone else’s.”

“Well, I don’t know. I’d think my sister would have forgotten about it if she was as smart as I am.”

Lucid shrugged, adding, “Well, I’m a little smarter than Shayla.”

Unfortunately, Julian still didn’t seem to have a smile on his face.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Can you please tell me who I should be angry with? My father for sending a formal letter of cancellation of their engagement? My sister for breaking off their engagement? Or should I be angry with His Grace for losing his throne?”

The first to change expression was Lucid. He stopped smiling and sharply interrogated Julian with a face strikingly similar to his sister’s.

Lucid and Shayla’s father, Duke Lephisto, was a man of great pride as well as great power.

He had pushed for their engagement after Callion had usurped the throne from Elkius. He believed that the Emperor would not leave Callion alone, and that this would bring woe upon House Lephisto.

Shayla protested with all her might, but Callion agreed without argument.

Julian, who had no intention of criticizing his friend, ended up criticizing his friend’s family, adding with an embarrassed expression.

“Shayla tore up the letter of engagement, so the break-up of the engagement is invalid.”

“The only people who think that way are you and Shayla.”

Lucid replied coldly, his gaze shifting to the terrace. The sight of the Duchess and Duke chatting, with occasional smiles, was quite a sight to behold.

“The position of Grand Duchess Tiflis was Shayla’s.”

“I’m glad Shayla isn’t the Duchess of Tiflis.”

“Lucid.”

Lucid closed the curtains impatiently.

Why do they have to go through this tiresome struggle? He muttered irritably.

“Shayla is a perfect noblewoman. She was raised like a hothouse flower, so she’s full of fear and tears. If it were a peaceful time, there wouldn’t be a better match for His Grace, but not now.”

“…….”

“Shayla loves His Grace, but I don’t know if she would have loved Callion Tiflis instead of the Crown Prince.”

“That would be an insult to Shayla’s heart, Lucid.”

“As her older brother, can’t I say even this much?”

Neither man backed down an inch. Julian shook his head heavily.

“Even if it’s for her sake, she can’t be that woman.”

“That is not for you to judge.”

“Adelaide Cornwall is the concubine of Elkius Isulandt.”

“’Was’ the concubine. Now she’s Callion Tiflis’s ‘wife.’”

“Don’t you hate that woman? ”

“Don’t ask me to agree with you. Even if I did hate the Duchess, that would not rationalize why you hate Adelaide Cornwall.”

Lucid finished firmly. Julian clenched his fists and sighed.

Julian had liked Shayla for a long time. Although Shayla never showed any sign of affection towards anyone other than Callion, Lucid knew about Julian’s unrequited love.

“Julian Uclaire. You’re a coward.”

“…….”

He’d had several chances to confess. He’d just wasted them all.

Brrrr—. The trumpet announcing training time sounded. Lucid picked up his sheathed sword.

“Let’s go train.”

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Training for the Knights of Tiflis was notoriously rigorous.

Eight hours of regular training every day and two tests every month, with extra training for those who lacked skill.

It was a grueling schedule that could have worn down both the teacher and the student, but Julian, the man in charge of the training, didn’t bat an eye.

Adelaide, who had watched the training become more merciless than usual today, clenched her jaw and flipped through her ledger.

The sapphire mining had been going well, and the checkbook from Prince Klaus had given her plenty of money to work with.

The extra money would be enough to buy new armor for the knights and soldiers.

‘We should also prepare to go to the capital soon.’

Adelaide remembered a letter from her father a few days ago. It was from the Earl of Cornwall, telling her to come to the capital because Elkius wanted to see her so badly.

‘Elkius must have asked me to come.’

She hadn’t written to him in three months. He must have gotten frustrated with not hearing from her and sent the letter through his father.

It was a transparent ploy, but the timing was perfect.

As she flipped through her ledger, thinking she’d have to talk to Callion about what to do, a soldier on horseback came running into the training hall.

“Imperial Order!!”