150. drape (5)

Upon hearing Louis’ request, Maxim made an expression as if he had bitten a bug. Louis looked lonely as he faced Maxim’s rotten expression.

“Your Highness, how can you order someone else to serve you if something goes wrong with you when you are so perfectly fine?”

Sensing that Maxim’s tone had hardened somewhat, Louis held out his breath as if he was sorry.

“It is natural for you to be dissatisfied with my words. I know that what I say to you is something a lord shouldn’t say to a knight. But I still want to get you a promise like this.”

Maxim let out a short breath. It was a sigh that contained both the dissatisfaction with the words of the first prince and the annoyance to himself.

“Your Highness, it sounds as if I will fail to protect you.”

Louis shook his head calmly. The tone Lewis continued was by no means an excuse for his words.

“Your mission is only to stay with the 2nd Guards as my teacher. Protecting me is not included in that.”

Maxim frowned and protested Louis’ words. As if dealing with a stubborn child blindfolded, Maxim held back his anger and continued.

“That’s just a play on words, Your Highness. How can a knight of Your Highness say that protecting Her Highness is not her duty?”

Despite Maxim’s objection, Louis just shrugged his shoulders with a small smile. Aside from the content of the conversation, it must have been that Maxim’s feelings of loyalty and affection were very welcome.

“Then let me ask you as a close friend, not as your lord.”

Maxim opened his eyes wide at the attitude of Louis, who directly referred to him as a close friend.

“Look after my sister.”

Those blue eyes were serious. Maxim couldn’t resist saying so many words, those eyes that harbored a complicated feeling. I’ve seen too many people with eyes like that. Louis just continued to speak calmly and earnestly, as if he were really asking his best friend instead of giving orders to his knight.

“If it is you, I can trust you and entrust you with this request. And please, I want to make a promise to know from you.”

Maxim looked at Prince 1 and sighed, telling the ground to disappear.

“Your Highness, even if you don’t ask for it in the first place, I will protect your Highness as the 1st princess.”

“Know. But I think that and this request are two different things. Because it’s a matter of my heart, this.”

The blue eyes staring at Maxim were shaking eagerly. Maxim still did not know why the first prince was trying to protect the first princess. Perhaps reading that question, Louis let out a long sigh.

“Maxim, I told you that my sword is my longing.”

“… Yes, Your Highness.”

Maxim held on to the eagerness of those eyes looking at him and listened to Louis.

“You were envious. I was envious of the way they worked hard to catch up with those who wanted to walk side by side, and I was also envious of how, after all that hard work, they finally arrived at the path you wanted and laid the foundation for you to walk side by side.”

Like someone who would tell everything, Lewis had a bitter, yet relieved expression on his face.

“I also have someone I want to walk side by side with… It would be correct to say that there was But that person could never walk side by side, and I shouldn’t have thought of walking side by side. Even following him was something I should never have done.”

Maxim was speechless, listening to Louis. Seeing Maxim’s expression as if he was speechless, Louis made his expression even more bitter as if he knew it. Parallel lines that should never meet. A rose among thorns that must not be plucked.

“I never thought it was unfortunate. And I still feel that way.”

However, Louis sighed.

“Since the situation is so urgent, at least I don’t want to leave any regrets. If you can ensure her safety, I will have no regrets.”

Maxim kept his mouth shut, and Louis, who brushed off his words, was looking at Maxim with an empty expression rather than desperate.

“If you understand what this means, can you just say yes to my request?”

Maxim regretted asking him about condensed milk. It’s because I agree with his words, but I couldn’t agree with him, and I sympathize with him, but I couldn’t sympathize with him.

“My appearance is quite funny.”

Louis sighs again, helping himself. What she harbors is a premonition close to the certainty that a change will happen to her. Maxim couldn’t bear to agree, saying that his hunch was correct, but he nodded. How could I say no to a request like that?

“… As Her Highness said, I promise to protect Her Highness, the 1st princess. But, Your Highness, I must also get your promise.”

Louis looked at Maxim and nodded as if to say something.

“You must not give up. Promise me. If you promise to fight together until the end, I will also be able to fulfill your request as a close friend. The Margrave will also arrive at the capital soon and assist Your Highness, and I will always be your sword.”

Lewis smiled bitterly and nodded.

“yes. I will also do your request. Not as your lord, but as your disciple and close friend.”

Maxim did not know what Luis was foreboding. However, I just hoped that I would not give up on going through the uncertain and blurry future.

—

The home of Leon Benning.

Ministers sat side by side on either side of Leon Benning, who was sitting in the high table, as if the meeting was continuing. Of course, unlike the harsh atmosphere at the previous meeting, the cool sense of intimidation radiated by Leon Benning was pressing down on the ministers, pressing down on the space.

In a situation where no one could easily open their mouth, Minister Han looked around and asked the Count a question in a cautious tone.

“As you said, we are continuing the pressure in the previous meeting, but… Are you really okay?”

Leon Benning’s gaze turned to the minister. The court aristocrat swallowed dryly and accepted that gaze. In a dry voice, the count asks a question in reverse to the minister who asked the question.

“Ask the other way around. Why do you think it’s not okay?”

When Dae-shin was asked the question in reverse, he looked at his surroundings again as if he was perplexed.

“That, that… Hasn’t the King’s potential been properly revealed yet? No matter how much the king accepts the pressure while avoiding direct confrontation, when will the tide of battle reverse…? .”

“Please don’t just speak directly. They said they were afraid of an unexpected aftermath.”

The cynical sarcastic remarks came from Emile Bordain, a court aristocrat who sat closest to the count. The minister made a sharp contortion and took offense at Emile Bordain.

“How can you say that! How come the words I said out of fear of affecting our plans and for our succession have become words for my own comfort!”

Even as he said that, the minister’s face flushed red as if he agreed with Emil’s words. Emil spit out a sneer at that distorted expression. The count raised his hand to mediate the dispute between the two, but then turned to the minister again.

“Yes, is that the reason for respect? They say they are afraid of the king’s prestige.”

At the words of the Count, the blood disappeared from the face of the minister, who had turned red with anger and shame. With a tired expression like a ghost, the minister vigorously waved his hand.

“Nope! Never. Please do not misinterpret my meaning. What I meant was that if you continued to press all the time, you might one day be counterattacked by the king. Count Agon, with whom we have an alliance right now, is staying within the capital, and the Margrave is also said to be advancing westward soon.”

“Then, wouldn’t it be better to make sure there is no time to counterattack?”

The count’s eyes widened. The count’s usual ridicule did not contain the intention of ridiculing the other party at all, nor did it contain the exhilaration derived from that laugh. Laughter just to show that you are laughing at the other person. Instead, he trembled.

“That word… .”

“At the next royal meeting, let’s bring up the issue of installing the crown prince.”

In an instant, the meeting hall of the mansion was dyed with tension again. The ministers all focused their eyes on the Count with a firm expression.

“For the King, this offer will be his last chance to end the conflict peacefully. Well, if you want to see blood. At that time, you will have no choice but to show blood as you wish.”

I don’t think there’s anything that can end peacefully. The Count added so. The count looked at the ministers who were quietly silent. Those who act according to their will without having to curse themselves and brainwash them. Even if one or two more die, it doesn’t matter that much.

The count bit the ministers with such unsentimental eyes. The ministers bowed their heads and left the count’s mansion. As they retreated, another figure rose from the shadow of the count.

“In the end, I failed in the martial arts competition, so I had to mobilize the last method I had been putting off. Did you know this time, Count, that nothing ever goes according to your plan?”

The sound that sneered and resonated throughout the room belonged to the witch. She, as always, was smiling foolishly at the Count, and the Count responded casually to her attitude.

“I am not one to give up on a plan if things don’t go according to plan. Even if you are mistaken, it seems that you have been wrong for a long time.”

Lillia raised the corner of her mouth as if she was satisfied with the Count’s answer. The Count asked again impassively.

“The second prince? Are all necessary things done?”

“I have finished all my work. The 2nd Prince should be able to make a decision now.”

Right.

Leon Benning’s eyes were locked. Perhaps reading his thoughts, Bernardo approached Leon Benning. The count looked at Bernardo and gave an extremely heavy order.

“Give orders to the Jackdaw Knights under the 2nd Prince to stand by at full readiness.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Theodora. he remembered his daughter. When did Theodora begin to defy her authority? The count remembered the black sword that flew into the arena where the martial arts competition was in full swing. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve overcome the intimidation inscribed in my childhood, or it’s just a whim. But surely, this time too, his daughter will somehow disobey his orders.

“If, by any chance, Theodora, leader of the Jackdaw Knights, does not obey this order… Or if you pretend to obey and try to spill this information.”

Leon Benning’s voice was cold. The echo contained a chill that could not be thought of as referring to her own daughter.

“Subdue Theodora and bring her before me.”

Hearing Leon Benning’s command, Bernardo knelt down and bowed his head without hesitation.

“I will follow the Count’s command.”

—

The previous meetings in the past few days have been chaotic and disorganized. As if playing a tug-of-war, if the ministers on the side of Leon Benning pressed the king to the middle of the day, the king let go of the words or brought up another agenda, leading the meeting in a different direction.

“They are quiet today for some reason.”

The king looked at the ministers lined up with a calm voice. Even if those ministers didn’t have to speak out, the atmosphere was telling. The king, who had been scanning the ministers all the way from the end, looked at Leon Benning, who stood closest to him. When the king’s gaze reached him, the count stepped forward as if he had waited.

“Your Majesty, I have something to ask.”

State office. Wasn’t it a request, not a threat? The King listened to Leon Benning, suppressing his desire to answer.

“I refrain from speaking.”

“The royal family has been thrown into chaos with the visits that were made in the streets of the royal capital in the past.”

Pretending to be solemn, Leon Benning’s voice resounded low in the Great War. Hugo Bern, the commander of the escort knights, raised his momentum by holding the hilt of his sword firmly at the king’s side, but the king raised his hand to stop him. Glancingly, the Count, who briefly glanced at Hugo Bern, continued his words.

“God dares to guess, but I think this is all happening because the foundations of the royal family have not been rectified.”

The king was able to predict the next words without difficulty. Leon Benning took a short breath and finally uttered the long-awaited words: Daejeon go away.

“Therefore, God beseeches the 2nd prince, who was not caught up in the scandal, to officially appoint as the crown prince the 2nd prince, who was not caught up in the scandal, and rectify the foundations of the royal family, and at the same time to denounce the 1st prince who was caught up in an unsavory scandal!”