“Haha, now that’s the Aaron I know!”

“So, will you tell me your plan?”

When Duke Kyle asked, Aaron spoke in a calm voice.

“First, I’ll wait.”

“Wait?”

It was a situation where time was of the essence. As Duke Kyle frowned, Aaron grinned.

“There’s something I ordered along with the background check on Laine last time.”

“What is it?”

“The entry and exit records of Kunda citizens to Bereut. Plus their hair color and relationship with Laine.”

No way.

“There was a lot, so it took some time.”

As Aaron nodded, hearty laughter burst from Duke Kyle’s lips.

“That’s my son-in-law for you!”

* * *

“Crazy, crazy!”

Virtanen muttered curses. Knights were all around.

They were armed and pointing swords at him.

“What the hell is this all about!”

As he shouted, Duke Kyle appeared between the knights.

“Are you Count Virtanen of the Kingdom of Kunda?”

“Who the hell are you!”

“My, my.”

Duke Kyle shrugged his shoulders.

“Kyle de Ceres. You should know that name.”

“……!”

“I had a really hard time finding you.”

Duke Kyle giggled but quickly withdrew his smile. He drew a sword from his waist and pointed it at Virtanen’s neck.

“It would be better for you to come along quietly.”

“……I understand.”

There was nowhere else to run. And anyway, he had been abandoned by Laine.

Since that incident, there had been no contact from him.

Being abandoned like this, it seemed less unfair if he at least took revenge.

“I’ll tell you everything about Prince Laine.”

After organizing his thoughts, Virtanen said.

“I instigated all those incidents that you two know about.”

A purple gaze full of killing intent poured down as if piercing his heart.

Though terribly afraid, Virtanen clenched his fist and continued speaking.

“And all of this was done on the orders of Prince Laine, whom I serve.”

As soon as Virtanen finished speaking, Aaron grabbed his collar forcefully.

“Because of you and Laine, Eileen…!”

Virtanen choked, but Aaron did not loosen his grip. Instead, he applied even more force.

“Duke Aaron.”

In the space that seemed like breath might be lost at any moment, Eileen’s low voice spread.

“Let that person go.”

“……”

“Quickly.”

Aaron released his hand, sending a disapproving look.

“Can you testify exactly as you said?”

The blue eyes were intimidating just by looking at them.

Somehow, it felt suffocating. Virtanen barely exhaled and answered.

“Of course.”

“Do you know why Prince Laine did it?”

Virtanen gulped and confessed everything.

When his long story ended, a hollow laugh escaped from Aaron and Duke Kyle’s mouths.

“Crazy bastard.”

“He’s a crazy bastard.”

Curses came out simultaneously. Thinking that Eileen had suffered for such a trivial reason made them angry.

Enough to want to kill Virtanen who was right in front of them.

“Duke Aaron, I’ll go meet His Majesty, so please watch this man.”

“Yes, I’ll take care of it.”

But first, capturing Laine was the priority.

The two departed for their respective positions.

* * *

“Laine.”

“……”

“Are you feeling very unwell?”

Though the king called several times, Laine did not answer.

He just lay with the blanket pulled over his head, his back turned.

“Wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor?”

“……”

“Hah……”

The king made a groaning sound.

The Prince Laine he knew had never pretended to be sick.

He had always set an example as a prince, and now fulfilled his role well as the crown prince.

So he had sent him on a long trip as a vacation.

But as soon as he returned, he suddenly refused all duties and was in this state!

Was he going through late puberty?

“Your father will withdraw now.”

“……”

“If you’re hungry, call a servant.”

In the end, the king gave up and left the bedroom.

He wanted to spend more time with his only son, but urgent work was piling up.

“……”

As the king left, silence fell over the bedroom. Laine removed the blanket and sat up.

His eyes were tinged red, as if he had been crying.

“Lady Eileen……”

Laine covered his face with both hands and shed silent tears.

Quite a while ago, a letter had arrived from Virtanen.

Looking at the date, the wedding was already over.

He thought it was a progress report on what he had ordered.

So he desperately hoped that this time it would say they had succeeded.

But the content written was shocking.

“Why did I do that……”

Laine closed his eyes tightly at the sentence that still lingered in his mind.

He just wanted to gain Eileen’s love.

He thought if he removed Aaron de Monston who stayed by her side, he might at least have a chance.

But now even that chance was gone.

Because of what he had done.

“D*mn it.”

It was miserable.

* * *

“Laine……”

Though he was attending to his duties, thoughts of Laine simply wouldn’t leave his mind.

“What exactly is ailing him.”

The thought of his precious only son suffering made his heart break.

“I’ll finish this quickly and then……”

Cutting off his words, a knock that sounded like it would break the door came along with a servant’s shout.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“Tsk.”

The king clicked his tongue strongly. He rose from his seat with the intention of scolding the servant.

However, at the continued shouts, the emperor forgot his dignity and flung open the door.

“G-Guests from Bereut have arrived!”

If it was guests from Bereut, he would be able to know why Laine was acting this way.

After all, it was where Laine had been staying until recently.

“Welcome!”

Unlike the king who had a bright smile blooming, the faces of the guests from Bereut were stiff.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Duke Aaron de Monston.”

“Ah….. I am Valder Adolf, king of the Kingdom of Kunda.”

The atmosphere was unusual. The king first grasped the hand that Aaron extended.

“I am Duke Kyle de Ceres.”

As the handshake with Aaron ended, Duke Kyle immediately extended his hand.

“But what brings you to the Kingdom of Kunda?”

When the king asked, Aaron held out a document stamped with the Bereut emperor’s seal.

“We’ve come to extradite a criminal. We ask for your cooperation.”

“A criminal? What on earth does that mean?”

Instead of answering, Aaron gestured to the document with his eyes. The king received the document.

It was dizzying from the first sentence. What kind of person from the Kingdom of Kunda had committed such a reckless act?

The king clicked his tongue and moved his gaze to the next sentence.

“……Huh?”

At first, the king had an indifferent expression, as if it were someone else’s business.

But when he found a familiar name in the document, his face turned pale.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

The king asked, roaring.

He couldn’t understand why his son’s name was written on a criminal extradition document.

At that moment, the memory from 30 minutes ago flashed through the king’s mind.

‘No way……’

Laine, who had fallen ill shortly after returning from Bereut….

It all fit together like a puzzle.

But Laine was the king’s only son before being the crown prince of the Kingdom of Kunda.

In other words, he had to protect him no matter what.

Even if their opponent was the Bereut Empire.

The king snorted and said.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot cooperate.”

* * *

Despite presenting numerous pieces of evidence, the king’s answer remained the same.

— It’s fabricated. Isn’t it false testimony given under the threat of coercion?

“D*mn it.”

He wanted to bring in the knights and wipe them off the map.

But that wouldn’t be what Eileen wanted.

“Is there no good way.”

A way to forcibly drag him out.

Tap tap, the sound of tapping on the desk spread throughout the villa.

“Ah.”

At that moment, the tapping sound stopped with a short sigh.

The king was someone who always had to be vigilant, not knowing when a blade might come.

Especially in the Kingdom of Kunda, which had a republic adjacent to it.

“Why, have you thought of a good way?”

“Yes, I’ve thought of a very good way.”

Aaron curled the corner of his mouth askew.

“We’ll use the aristocratic faction, the radical faction, and the anti-monarchy forces.”

“Really, you’re my son-in-law, but your personality is quite vicious!”

Haha! Cheerful laughter filled the villa. Duke Kyle instantly stopped laughing and said.

“Leave the rest to me.”

Duke Kyle immediately went out with Gabriel. A few hours later, Duke Kyle returned to the villa and held out a newspaper.

There was an article about Laine on the front page.

‘Crown Prince Laine is an instigator of murder.’

And as expected, when the newspaper spread throughout the Kingdom of Kunda, public opinion began to boil.

The nobles demanded prompt cooperation, the anti-monarchy faction called for the abolition of the royal family day after day.

The radical faction tried to invade the palace.

“Perfect!”

Looking at the news that was making a fuss every day, Duke Kyle smiled with satisfaction.

“The king of Kunda has come to see you two.”

Right on time, a guest arrived. The two went down to the first floor.

“Duke Kyle and Duke Aaron.”

When the king’s eyes met the two, he knelt down. It happened so suddenly that there was no time to stop him.

“Allow him to be tried in Kunda instead of being extradited to Bereut.”

He was brazen to the end. It was disgusting.

“Nonsense……”

Duke Kyle blocked Aaron. His eyes said it was okay.