The Unemployed Prince Covets My Nephew - Chapter 21
Axel had already figured out Duke Brahe’s move at that point, but he thought it would be fun to ride along and waited patiently for the Duke to finish speaking.
“Children of that age are unpredictable. They are only five years old. They might have told an unreasonable lie at an age when they need attention.”
“Are you saying that my child lied and that I foolishly fell for that lie?”
“No, Your Highness. I have seen many children throughout my life. I am merely suggesting that it is a possibility based on my experience.”
Anyone could tell it was ‘advice from an older person.’
The other nobles couldn’t even breathe properly in this tense meeting, carefully watching Axel’s mood.
Axel’s gaze was fierce, but he remained calmer than expected.
“So what I want to propose is a trial.”
Axel’s lips curled crookedly. He had anticipated this.
In Zenovia, there were three types of trials: religious trials, duel trials, and noble trials.
Zenovia recognized religious freedom to a considerable extent, so religious trials were rarely held, and duel trials were considered old-fashioned and infrequent.
The last type of trial, noble trials, could be held if there was a problem among the nobles, but actual court trials were very rare.
Usually, the king issued summary judgments, and his subjects did not oppose them.
Only in cases with room for doubt did the king convene a meeting to gather opinions from his subjects and then make a final decision.
Nobles had the right to request a trial, but the requester had to raise reasonable suspicions.
Furthermore, if they lost the trial because they failed to prove their claims reasonably, they not only had to pay a price but also suffered significant political damage.
“So you want to put a five-year-old child on the witness stand?”
Duke Brahe faced the prince’s fierce momentum head-on.
If it weren’t for Winchester, it would have been most likely for the current Duke of Brahe’s sister to become the queen.
However, with Grand Duke of Winchester suddenly intervening, all plans were ruined, and Duke Brahe had to wait decades for the next queen’s position.
Moreover, the position of the prince’s consort, which he had long prepared for his daughter, was also shattered thanks to Axel.
“If it’s just the imagination of a five-year-old child, the great Zenovia might become a laughingstock. Please, Your Highness, clarify the truth so that there is no room for doubt and restore the discipline of Vasa that has become lax.”
“Duke, present your suspicions clearly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I want to clarify whether the prince’s son was indeed imprisoned by the Vasa people in Lint Harbor. If it is found to be unrelated to the Vasa people, please reconsider the punishment, Your Majesty.”
Although Vasa merchants came and went in Lint Harbor, the region that traded the most with Vasa in Zenovia was Brahe’s territory.
For Duke Brahe, who was reaping numerous benefits from the trade conducted in Brahe’s territory, it didn’t matter whether Count Roman lived or died. He was more concerned about the situation he most wanted to avoid.
If it was revealed that this incident was indeed a ploy by the people of Vasa, it was certain that the king would declare a halt to trade with Vasa.
“What are you willing to stake?”
“I am willing to stake 100,000 zenia…”
The Duke’s claim seemed plausible.
There was no evidence that the lock on the warehouse had been forcibly removed or opened, and there were no traces of the child inside the box.
The only thing found near the warehouse was a piece of candy, so if the child had been there, there was no way to explain how they escaped on their own.
Putting a five-year-old child on the witness stand. The Duke assumed that a mere five-year-old would probably be too scared to speak properly.
Axel cut off the Duke’s words.
“Is that all you’re staking for a trial? At least you should stake the port of Brahe’s territory.”
“I will stake 1 million zenia. Even if I give up the port, the royal family already has the right to trade directly from the capital, Lint Harbor, so it would be of no help, Your Highness.”
It was natural for Duke Brahe to react sensitively, as giving up the port would also affect trade with Vasa. For Duke Brahe, it was better to stake an astronomical amount of 1 million zenia.
“You are heartless not to understand the boiling heart of a parent who has to put their five-year-old child on the witness stand. Your Majesty, it is unprecedented to accuse a mere five-year-old noble child of a crime, isn’t it? Instead, I will also stake something.”
“Huh?”
The king was astounded. Axel had given up his status as a prince and had no property to take away.
The king looked at Axel with an expression that said, ‘What do you have left to stake?’
Axel confidently replied.
“If my child is found to have lied, I will annul the marriage as they advised, and grant Duke Brahe’s family free access to Winchester.”
“……!”
Everyone was stunned into silence by Axel’s shocking statement.
Winchester had many magic stones that Duke Brahe’s family coveted, and passing through Winchester territory would allow faster trade with Vasa.
However, Winchester territory had been off-limits even to the king for generations.
This was an agreement made during the founding of Zenovia.
Of course, some kings had tried to oppress Winchester, saying, ‘How dare a Grand Duke defy me,’ but they all met bad ends, leading to what was called ‘The Curse of Winchester,’ and the current king had adhered to the agreement, whether willingly or unwillingly.
Unless one resided in Winchester or was directly invited by the Grand Duke, one had to present a valid reason and obtain the Grand Duke’s permission to visit.
Although the Grand Duke had never refused the king’s entry, it was different for other nobles.
“Is this agreed upon with the Grand Duke?”
“Yes, of course.”
Axel and Khalid had anticipated that Duke Brahe might resort to a trial as a last resort. They had also expected that Theo would be targeted, so they devised a plan to turn the worst-case scenario into the best-case scenario.
Of course, they hadn’t obtained the Grand Duke’s permission.
It was all Axel’s usual bluff. This was also why Khalid had positioned himself in the corner of the meeting room to avoid failing to manage his expressions.
‘Not a single person here knows it’s a bluff.’
Seeing the king’s surprised face, Khalid lowered his head, thinking that even the king had been fooled.
He had hoped that at least His Majesty would not be deceived.
“I will follow the prince’s opinion.”
Duke Brahe didn’t need to win this trial.
As long as he didn’t lose the trial, it would be easy to drag out the case and conclude it as he wished.
The prince’s only card was the child’s words and circumstantial evidence. Duke Brahe had nothing to lose.
Everyone watched the king’s lips closely in anticipation of his approval for the trial.
If the trial was approved, it would be the trial of the century. Most in the meeting room were already predicting Duke Brahe’s victory.
“Two weeks from now, we will hold the trial. Both sides may appoint legal representatives, and remember that any act of defiance or retaliation against the verdict will be punished with the utmost severity. This applies even to the prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Axel answered with a languid smile.
* * *
“Hailey. Who lives over there?”
“There’s an Queen in that castle. She’s the one who arranged a place for Theo and me to stay. Theo met her too, do you remember who she is?”
“I got it! The person next to that mean old man! She was pretty.”
Theo answered with a bright smile as if he had a great realization. The mean old man Theo referred to was the king.
They say you have to be careful with every word and action in front of children, and the King, who had been reprimanding Axel, was perceived by Theo as the ‘mean old man.’
Hailey showed a vague smile.
‘They will probably request a trial. They’ll go wild insisting on putting him on the witness stand.’
‘Our Theo? Putting a mere five-year-old child on the witness stand. I can’t allow that.’
‘We could forcibly suppress all the nobles and put the baron and count on the execution stand, but if we do that, the real culprit will cut their losses and escape.’
Hailey did not want to make Theo recall those horrific memories.