76 - The Crown I Will Take From You
Episode 76
"......”
“You don’t like that, do you?”
“You’re as unlucky as ever, aren’t you? You know just how to piss me off.”
“What other talent would someone who makes a living with their mouth have?”
Finding herself speechless, the Princess grew irritated, claiming that her lace gloves were stuck and wouldn’t come off.
Fourth Princess Angelique had a fiery temper.
If she wanted something, she had to have it, and even then, she handled it carelessly, so most things ended up broken or discarded.
“I don’t like anything about this tiny country! The only thing worth seeing was the young King’s face!”
Judging by how much she emphasized it, she must have really liked the King’s appearance.
Kensington wondered if the Princess had accepted this mission solely to see the face of the King of Baldina.
“Your Highness, the King of Baldina is away, but his cousin is still in the country.”
A greasy-eyed man with a shiny black mustache and a gleaming red uniform joined the conversation.
“……Count Raju.”
Roberto Raju.
A nobleman born in Baldina, he was part of the delegation as an envoy to ease tensions between the two countries.
He was a commoner from Baldina, but in his youth, he had thrown himself in front of the late Emperor Alkettas II to stop a leopard, and was granted an imperial title for his service.
Alkettas II employed him for saving his life, and Count Raju enjoyed considerable trust and power despite being a foreigner.
However, before he could even rejoice in his belated rise in status, Alkettas II passed away.
His brother, Perdikkas II, who succeeded him, did not employ Count Raju, who reminded him of his brother’s reign.
Although he became an awkward figure due to the Emperor’s rejection, he was still a nobleman of the Kazen Empire and had enough influence in Baldina.
Unlike Kensington, who frowned, the Fourth Princess showed interest.
“Cousin? Who?”
“The Duke Claudio. As you may know, he is the only son of the Regent Duke who rules Baldina.”
Raju, his greasy eyes sparkling, smiled and spread his arms.
He looked like a fishmonger trying to sell stale fish on a stall.
“As a direct cousin, they look very similar. So the Duke is also known for his handsome looks. In fact, he is already here to greet the Fourth Princess.”
Raju clapped his hands.
Step, step. Samon walked towards the Princess with a faint smile.
He was dressed to the nines, like a peacock spreading its feathers to attract a female’s attention.
His stiffly starched uniform was tailored to emphasize his physique.
The epaulettes on his shoulders and chest were dazzling, and the pointed toes of his shoes were oiled to a shine.
Princess Angelique scanned him from head to toe, as if looking at a mannequin in a store.
In a fleeting moment, she had already finished evaluating the product.
‘Just a well-dressed beanpole.’
The brief interest quickly faded away.
Then, Samon greeted her with smooth etiquette.
“Greetings to the Princess of Kazen. I am Samon Claudio. Duke Claudio, the former King’s brother and current Regent Duke, is my father.”
His low, resonant voice was polite and gentle. Moreover, its content was sweet.
“The beauty of the Fourth Princess has been heard even in this distant Baldina. To be able to see the most beautiful woman of the century in the continent, God, I am simply moved-”
“Similar, but,”
Princess Angelique snorted. Her gaze was directed at Count Raju. She didn’t even look at Samon.
“If you’re going to offer something, you should bring something better.”
“Yes, eh?”
And before Samon could be embarrassed,
“Count Raju, how dare you bring something inferior to Angelique Graham?! Do I look that easy to you?”
Princess Angelique snapped irritably.
“The King’s hair sparkled. It was like a mysterious moonlight was scattered! And that indifferent gaze, those truthful eyes devoid of lust…….”
Unlike Peleus’s mysterious silver hair, Samon’s was closer to a dark gray that had lost its brightness.
Samon’s eyes were also blue like Peleus’s, but the color was much duller. The narrowly folded eyes were also nervous.
The occasional glint in his eyes looked cunning, and his lips, thinner than Peleus’s, were petty.
He was tall, but he hadn’t trained his body, so he lacked the strength of the knights who crossed the front lines.
Decisively, he lacked the unapproachable, cool, and upright atmosphere of Peleus.
“Hmph, a low-quality product.”
The Princess scanned Samon’s features once more, then turned her head and walked past him.
“Y-Your Highness!”
Count Raju was flustered and chased after her.
Left alone, Samon trembled with shame.
He didn’t know what was said before he came out of the tent, but the Princess treated him like a piece of meat in a butcher shop.
Her gaze was sharp as she scanned him in detail, as if trying to see if the meat was of high quality, domestic, or organic.
Since he had a head on his shoulders, he couldn’t help but know who the Princess was comparing him to.
Peleus. His King and cousin, who always stood like a tree he could never climb.
“…….”
Samon clenched his fist. His nails dug painfully into his flesh.
\ \ *
“The Fourth Princess still has quite the temper.”
General Jared, glancing at the Princess’s noisy quarters, raised the corner of his mouth.
“Ah, I apologize, Grand Duke. This one was born and raised roughly, so he doesn’t know how to value anything. Whether it’s people or things.”
Psh. A flower held between thick fingers was crushed miserably.
Enjoying the scream-like sound of the slender petals, the General looked at the man in front of him.
Then, a beautiful young man with reddish-brown hair neatly arranged gave the General a faint smile that was impossible to read.
Iason Castulo. He was the Grand Duke of the Kazen Empire.
“Who would easily comment on the actions of a hero of the battlefield?”
This young Grand Duke, with his generous and gentle appearance, was actually a somewhat ambiguous figure in Kazen.
Originally, he was supposed to inherit the throne.
If the late Emperor had been alive, he would have been the one and only Crown Prince.
However, his uncle Perdikkas II, who took over the throne instead of Iason, was an excellent ruler who greatly enhanced the Kazen Empire’s national power, and his children, especially First Prince Cesare, were conquerors who were hard to come by again on the continent.
With the victory of the continental war and the unification of the small kingdoms under the rule of the father and son, Kazen firmly established its position as the undisputed superpower of the continent.
In comparison, neither the late Emperor Alkettas II nor his only son Iason, who inherited his blood, had any particularly outstanding achievements or abilities.
Therefore, there was no force that would come forward to correct the disrupted order of succession in the Imperial Family.
Also, the overwhelming presence of his cousin, First Prince Cesare, who was Iason’s contemporary and the next Crown Prince, played a major role.
Who would try to support Iason against that cruel demon?
When Perdikkas II bestowed the title of Grand Duke to his nephew Iason, he gave him the surname Castulo.
‘Castulo’ was the name of a saint who devoted his life to religion as a martyr.
Giving that surname to Iason meant that he had no intention of returning the throne.
Iason also accepted his uncle’s decision and restrained himself.
So, in the eyes of the world, he appeared to be a kind and wise man who knew his place.
However, everyone has hidden intentions.
In this distant land of Baldina, where the Emperor’s eyes did not reach, Iason’s suppressed ambition was slowly beginning to raise its head.
“May the glory of victory be with General Jared forever.”
Iason raised his glass, his eyes shining with an inscrutable light.
