The Unemployed Prince Covets My Nephew - Chapter 15
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- Chapter 15 - Chapter 2. Axel von Otte′s Various Schemes
Chapter 2. Axel von Otte’s Various Schemes
The first to greet Axel upon his return to the palace with Hailey and Theo was Khalid, who had been anxiously pacing after being harshly scolded by the king.
The king had yelled when informed that the prince had married overnight, foamed at the mouth upon hearing that the child the prince was to adopt had been kidnapped, and aged ten years when he learned that Baron Langston and Count Roman were deeply involved in the kidnapping.
However, Khalid was a very competent subordinate.
After briefly but clearly explaining the possible involvement of ‘Vasa,’ the king had no choice but to cooperate with the mess Axel had created, at least ‘for now.’
No matter how competent Khalid was, Axel could not escape the king’s wrath upon his return.
“You disgrace Zenovia’s name, humiliate me, and come up with absurd plans, yet I thought you had some sense of propriety.”
In the chaos of the early morning, neither the king nor the queen and Princess Anais could sleep. Upon hearing about Axel’s major blunder, both had rushed over in shock.
Even the children of lower nobles didn’t marry in such a manner.
The drastic measures taken during the party, which resembled a war, naturally led to fierce backlash from the nobles. Moreover, it could easily escalate into a diplomatic issue.
Given the already strained view the nobles had of Axel, this was the worst possible action. Detaining the children of influential noble families within the castle and controlling the entire capital.
How could they explain that such unprecedented measures were taken merely to find one child?
“You are the only prince of Zenovia! What kind of wretched son marries in such a manner without a word to his parents?!”
“I took the proper steps to create the ‘justification’ Your Majesty likes so much, and yet you speak so harshly. It’s disappointing.”
Khalid had already stepped aside.
He was certain that the mad prince would provoke the king until he threw something. Staying out of the way was the wisest choice to avoid getting hit by any flying debris.
The most uncomfortable person was Hailey, who stood beside Axel. She felt a sense of guilt because all this had happened because of her.
Though Axel had his own motives, she was quite surprised that he, who usually had a carefree attitude, had protected her and Theo so responsibly.
“Who would accept that as a marriage? If you were to create a justification, you should have done it properly!”
“Why isn’t it a marriage? It’s stated in the early laws of Zenovia. The wedding location can be an exception, and if there are witnesses and tokens of the marriage, it can be considered a marriage.”
“Do you even hear yourself…?”
Lately, the king had a headache every time he met his son.
He wanted to punch that babbling mouth that was disregarding the king’s dignity.
“Then let me show you something more convincing. This should change your mind.”
Axel confidently grabbed Hailey’s hand, showing her ring.
“It’s the blue sapphire ring the queen instructed to give to the princess.”
Everyone craned their necks to look at Hailey’s finger. Though not clearly visible, something was definitely sparkling.
Hailey felt embarrassed by the sudden attention, her face flushing.
“This is the token I gave, and Khalid will be the witness. And I even received a dowry.”
“Dowry?”
Axel grinned.
‘No, not that. Don’t bring that out.’
Hailey and Khalid desperately hoped, with eyes full of ‘please no,’ but their hope didn’t reach Axel.
As if waiting for this moment, Axel pulled out a small white lady’s glove and waved it in front of the king and queen.
The king and queen, disbelieving, craned their necks again to confirm what that fluttering thing was, and were left speechless.
“It’s a glove made of kid goat leather.”
“……”
“It’s very useful for wiping sweat.”
Hailey realized she wasn’t as thick-skinned as she thought. Her ears and cheeks turned bright red with strong second-hand embarrassment.
Unable to contain his anger, the king finally picked up a water glass and hurled it at Axel as if he was throwing a shot put. Axel effortlessly caught the glass flying straight at him.
“You’re in good health.”
“Axel von Otte!”
“Your Majesty, please calm down. The situation has already occurred, and we must now find a solution.”
The queen gently stopped the king, who was about to pick up a water jug, by holding his arm.
Khalid cautiously stepped forward and spoke on Axel’s behalf about the current situation.
“We have testimonies from Baron Langston’s servants that they handed over the child and received a verbal agreement from the count to cancel their debt. We also have witnesses who saw the child being taken away.”
“Unfortunate as it is, that’s an internal matter of a noble family.”
“Count Roman supports over twenty orphanages within Zenovia. It’s already confirmed that children have recently gone missing from those places, so it’s not just an internal family matter.”
Both the king and queen knew that what mattered was having solid grounds and clear evidence to charge someone.
“There’s also testimony that a Vasa servant employed by Count Roman frequently visited the warehouse at Lint Port that was raided today, and there are records of his frequent trips to Vasa.”
“Then why haven’t any actions been taken until now?”
The king had received reports that Axel had recently started secretly investigating the disappearance of children in Zenovia. But he hadn’t heard that they had obtained such specific circumstances and evidence.
“Because of the solid evidence Your Majesty desires.”
Axel stepped forward.
“None of the missing children have ever returned alive, and no bodies have been found. Most of them are nameless children. How can there be evidence for children who didn’t exist from the start?”
“……”
“This is the first time. The first time a kidnapped child has returned alive. The first time someone can testify about the situation.”
Even so, there were numerous challenges ahead.
The king sighed. Though Axel’s methods were somewhat extreme, his argument was valid.
“…Arrest Count Roman immediately. I will interrogate him personally. I will convene a noble council soon, and you, prince, must attend. Prepare thoroughly so I won’t regret giving you this opportunity despite the strong opposition.”
Axel casually replied, ‘Yes.’ The king held his head in his hands.
At that moment, Princess Anais quietly spoke.
“Your Majesty, may I say something?”
In this situation, what could she say?
The king nodded roughly.
“Lady Langston. Since my well-being is tied to my brother’s safety, I must ask you a question.”
Hailey clenched the hem of her dress tightly in tension.
“As you know, my brother will soon leave the castle and head to Winchester. We cannot predict what will happen in the future.”
Today, Anais’s main concern was her brother’s bride, who had suddenly become a princess overnight.
Anais, who had been fed up with the misdeeds of Lady Brahe, thought she should firmly establish her dominance if this new lady showed any signs of scheming.
However, upon seeing her, Anais wondered if this lady was really a noble. Her appearance was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, and her dress was dirty and torn in places.
“Gaining the recognition of the Grand Duke of Winchester for you and your child is no small matter. Frankly, without his status as a prince, my brother wouldn’t be considered a great match. Are you prepared to handle all of this?”
Khalid swallowed nervously.
‘We were hiding that.’
It was a fraudulent marriage. They hadn’t told Hailey about the move to Winchester or the need to gain the Grand Duke’s recognition.
Axel and Khalid hadn’t mentioned it on purpose to prevent her from saying otherwise later. All Hailey knew was that they would divorce in a year.
Though it was the first time Hailey heard this, she tried to remain calm.
“…His Highness believed my seemingly absurd story and took great risks for me and my child. I believe the most important things in a marriage are trust and responsibility, and in that regard, I fully trust His Highness.”