The Unemployed Prince Covets My Nephew - Chapter 20
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As soon as it became known that Baron Langston and Count Roman had been arrested for attempting to kidnap and assassinate the prince’s child, the capital, Ludwig, was thrown into an uproar.
The baron couple and Count Roman were immediately imprisoned in the underground cells, and even their servants were not exempt. The royal family had already sent people to thoroughly search the estates of the two nobles.
The servants of the two households rushed to testify, each trying to save themselves.
Although they found documents proving that there were transactions related to debts between the baron and the count, Count Roman vehemently denied that the transactions had actually taken place.
While Zenovia had outlawed the slave trade, there had never been a precedent of a noble being punished for it.
The final decision-makers and beneficiaries of the slave trade were, of course, the nobles, but those who actually bought and sold the slaves were usually the servants or retainers of these nobles.
According to Zenovia’s law, only those directly involved in the slave trade could be punished.
The same applied to Count Roman. The one who directly conducted the slave trade was not Count Roman but his servant, making the situation more ambiguous.
Moreover, the nobles strongly opposed recognizing the prince’s marriage and Theo as an adopted son.
“Your Majesty, royal marriages are sacred. His Highness is the small sun of Zenovia, and the position of the princess should be occupied by the most noble woman. How can such a person be brought in as the princess? Furthermore, that child isn’t even a recognized illegitimate child of the baron’s family, not even registered at birth.”
Duke Brahe was the loudest voice.
Duke Brahe had always clashed with Axel. Their conflict worsened when Axel renounced his status as a prince, automatically annulling the marriage contract between the royal family and the Duke of Brahe.
He had once enraged the king by saying that the term ‘queen’ itself was a disgrace to the Kingdom of Zenovia regarding Princess Anais, resulting in a fine for insulting the royal family. If he hadn’t been a duke, he would have been imprisoned.
“The prince has followed legitimate procedures for his marriage. All procedures were expedited, so there is no reason she cannot be elevated to the position of princess. Additionally, there is no law against the royal family adopting a child, so what does it matter?”
“Your Majesty, as a loyal servant, I cannot stand by and watch the dignity of Zenovia be further damaged. The prince’s adopted child is entitled to succession rights, so how can we not express our concerns?”
The king had anticipated this backlash. Although he supported Axel, it was difficult to completely dismiss their arguments, leaving him with no choice but to suppress them forcefully.
“As you all know, the prince will leave the palace anyway. Succession rights are the exclusive prerogative of the royal family. Your interference is extremely insolent and an affront to me. If anyone dares to insult me further, they will be executed as an example. Choose your words carefully.”
Only then did Duke Brahe fall silent, though with a very displeased expression.
The king did not want to say that Axel’s actions were commendable, but he felt an urge to behead the duke for his arrogance.
The king and Axel had long suspected that the Brahe family might be agents of the Kingdom of Vasa. Recently, evidence supporting this suspicion has gradually emerged.
They were letting it be for now to root them out thoroughly, since acting hastily could lead to greater danger.
Attending the urgently convened meeting, Axel displayed a very insolent attitude, even closing his eyes, seemingly uninterested in the exchanges.
When Duke Brahe stopped speaking, his close associates took the floor.
“While the actions of Count Roman and Baron Langston are indeed regrettable, there is insufficient evidence to charge them with insulting the royal family.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. Since the child cannot be recognized as a noble, how about making the count and baron pay compensation for this incident?”
This premise was based on the absolute refusal to recognize Theo as a member of the royal family.
If they chose to merely pay compensation, it would also imply that the prince’s act of detaining the party attendees within the castle was excessive.
It seemed like a plausible solution but was actually a very arrogant statement.
Suddenly, Axel, who had been silent, began to clap.
Everyone looked at Axel with eyes that said, ‘That crazy guy.’
“I cannot help but pay my respects to their hypocrisy. Don’t you agree?”
The nobles’ faces turned unpleasant as if they had heard a great insult.
Some even coughed awkwardly when Axel openly mocked the officials by saying he paid them ‘respect.’
Although the king agreed with Axel, he formally warned the prince.
“Prince, be careful with your words.”
“Is there anyone among them who hasn’t fathered an illegitimate child?”
“Your Highness! How can you…!”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to shut your mouth? I am speaking to His Majesty, and you dare interrupt. If this were a battlefield, you would all have been dismembered. Be grateful you live in a greenhouse.”
“……”
“How dare you.”
The prince was known for his sharp tongue. He didn’t hold back.
Since announcing that he would abdicate his title, he could no longer attend meetings, but in the past, meetings chaired by the prince were the most hated by the nobles.
“Where am I wrong? Should I list the names of those who ousted their legitimate wives and raised their illegitimate children as heirs?”
“Your Highness, we are merely offering sincere advice out of concern.”
Duke Brahe pleaded with Axel to consider their advice.
“A so-called noble of Zenovia kidnapped children and handed them over to merchants of Vasa, a mere vassal state. Who knows how many children were killed in the process. And to top it all off, they attempted to kidnap my child.”
Under the table, Duke Brahe clenched his fists. His facial muscles twitched slightly at the mention of handing over children to a mere vassal state like Vasa.
“Is preventing their punishment the advice you speak of?”
“……”
“Even if it were a slave trade, no country sells its children as slaves to a mere vassal state. Yet your concern is only about who has a more noble birth. If that’s your complaint, come to me directly anytime.”
Axel took off his glove and threw it on the table. Throwing a glove was tantamount to a duel challenge.
Everyone was shocked and stared at the glove.
“I will personally deal with you anytime.”
Even skilled knights couldn’t match Axel. Naturally, the idea of bureaucrats who only handled paperwork dueling Axel was absurd.
The king felt a pang watching his son. He thought it a waste to let him leave the prince’s position and tried to mediate the situation.
“As the prince said, this is not merely a matter of slave trading. No country sends even a grain of rice to a vassal state, let alone people. This is akin to a major act of treason. Therefore, the entire Langston barony and Roman county will be eradicated, and all their assets confiscated.”
“……”
“Baron Langston and Count Roman will be executed by beheading, and their heads will be displayed in Rumont Square for a month as an example. All those involved will be arrested, and anyone who does not cooperate will be considered an accomplice and severely punished.”
The House of Otte had been a line of tyrants for generations.
The current king appeared somewhat flexible, willing to consider his subjects’ opinions, but he had survived by eliminating all his brothers and becoming the sole prince.
Though he seemed gentle, the king was a beast. At times like this, it was best to bow one’s head low.
Even those who had sided with Duke Brahe and displayed arrogant attitudes fell silent at the king’s wrath. There was no fool who would dare to argue in this situation.
Just when it seemed the situation was wrapping up, Duke Brahe opened his mouth again, seemingly making a last desperate attempt.
“Your Majesty, while your words are indeed wise, I have a proposal I would like to present. I humbly request the opportunity to speak.”
“What is it?”
“I heard that the place where the child was found last night was not Lint Harbor, where His Highness took the Eligos Knights. The child was found on a street in the shopping district, and there were no traces of the child on the ships of the merchants from Vasa. If that is the case, it casts doubt on the claim that the child was kidnapped. Although it is a vassal state, we cannot ignore the possibility of this escalating into a diplomatic issue.”
Although the prince’s son should rightfully be treated with the respect due to a prince, Duke Brahe continued his sly remarks, subtly omitting the proper titles.