After finishing his duties at the holy land, Arthur was called to the first queen’s chambers before he could even enter his own room.
The usual aides who were always by the first queen’s side were nowhere to be seen. The queen, who had been handling documents alone, smiled warmly as she greeted Arthur.
"I apologize for calling you so soon after you’ve just returned. It’s a dire situation, and I need someone who can help."
She didn’t even try to hide the fact that it was a lie. If it were any other time, she would have summoned her older brother to sit next to her. The real reason she called Arthur was clear.
"I’ve never handled any royal affairs before, Your Majesty. I will probably be more of a hindrance than a help."
"I know of your sharpness, Third Prince. I will assist you until you become proficient, so please sit down."
The words of the fragment seemed right.
Sigh. For now, I have no choice but to play along with the first queen.
"What should I do?"
"First..."
Arthur, who had been listening intently to the first queen’s explanation, cursed inwardly.
Has she lost her mind? This is not the kind of work you give to someone doing it for the first time!
As she said, it was just a matter of following the procedures, but that was beside the point. I have no right to handle this work.
"Shall I explain it again?"
"No, I understand everything you’ve explained."
"Then do you think this is something you should not do?"
"Yes. That’s right."
Power should be given to those who can bear responsibility for it.
If you forget your place and seize power and rights, at some point, what you wield may return to you.
Arthur, who had nothing but royal blood, had always kept this truth in mind to survive.
That is why he could say with certainty:
This was not something he should reach for.
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"Sorry, I will bring my older brother instead."
"His Majesty is out. He went to the Arln family. It will take him a while to return."
His older brother, who rarely leaves the palace, had gone to the Arln family on his own?! It seems the events from before really upset him!
But doesn’t that mean that people like Lina and the fanatics of Lucy Arln are there?
The imagination can only go to unfortunate places. I hope the Arln family can hold onto their senses and stop them.
"Third Prince?"
"...Sorry, I was just thinking."
"I don’t know what you’re worried about, but the person you are now is different from the person you were before. You have the right to handle this now."
That may be true.
I no longer have to worry about being caught in factional fights like when I was young. Now, there are those who will protect me.
But that aside, I don’t want my name on these documents.
"Your Majesty, let me be blunt. I do not intend to become king."
"Why? Don’t all boys have an interest in power?"
"Well, they all like being adored."
"Aren’t you the same?"
"No. Not at all."
It is indeed a joyous thing to be praised by others.
It is the pleasure of power to have a group that speaks well of you, to surround yourself with those who only say good things.
Seeing those who turn with just a word can also be a source of joy for someone.
But if you take a step back and look at it, the story changes. There is no such thing as loyalty without a cost.
All those who live off power have their own desires. If you cannot satisfy them, your power will be in jeopardy.
"I prefer to watch chess being played rather than playing it myself. In fact, I prefer other things more than chess."
My mother told me to be happy.
I still don’t know what would truly make me happy, and that’s something I’ll have to think about going forward. But one thing is certain.
When I hold power, I won’t be happy. That much is for sure.
"I don’t understand why I didn’t catch your eye."
"...Didn’t you hear what I just said?"
"I heard it. That’s why I like you more. Those who want to be king are not the ones fit to be king."
The first queen, seemingly genuinely amused, let out a chuckle as she lowered her dignity along with her pen.
"Usually, those who sincerely wish to become king are the ones who only desire the power of the throne. They can stand proudly because they dream of wielding power from a place of dignity."
What came to Arthur’s mind was the Second Prince Cecil, who had loudly declared that he would become king.
After going through some events and maturing, his brother now focused on becoming someone worthy before concentrating on power, but he was not the same as the brother of the past.
The brother from those days had only desired the power of the king.
"Do you think they could say, without a worry, that they would become king if they truly understood the responsibility that comes with it?"
"Maybe. If they believe they must be the one."
Arthur, knowing the answer clearly, deliberately twisted his words. He changed his reply out of a silly thought—he didn’t want to say what she was hoping to hear.
"Right?"
Without even realizing that saying what the other person wanted would bring them joy.
"I think so too. If you truly believe you must become king, then that’s what will happen."
Arthur felt a chill from the first queen’s smile, but he could not delve deeper into the feeling.
What mattered more was that the first queen had issued a summons.
"Please make sure to thoroughly review what I told you today."
Once outside the office, Arthur massaged his neck and sighed before continuing on his way.
Perhaps he should visit the Arln family, just in case.
"Why do you ask that all of a sudden?"
"From what I know, it’s Bolossi. That’s what she was called during her time with the knight order."
"Hey."
Arthur, who rarely heard such a pleading request from the fragment, tried to ignore the question rising in his mind.
"It’s a lesser noble family from the west. It’s under the influence of the Raghbi Duke family. I believe the support from the Raghbi Duke family is why the first queen was able to become queen."
"I’ve solved your curiosity, but now answer me. What’s bothering you?"
Arthur asked sharply, and the fragment hesitated before whispering its answer.
"...A watcher?"
The fragment’s expression was far too serious for this to be the simple dictionary definition.
"Explain. We’re no longer under any restrictions, right?"
"The one where they helped in the foundation of the kingdom in exchange for keeping the seal intact."
"Is that what a watcher is?"
Unlike the one guarding the seal, the watcher had to move outside, and could not withstand the ravages of time.
"So, she’s no longer in this world?"
Arthur stopped in his tracks as he listened to the fragment’s explanation.
He wasn’t sure how the information about the watcher would affect him, but if the first queen was planning to force him into the throne, he’d need something to prepare for that.
"Let’s check if your intuition was right."
"We have someone who knows all the information in the kingdom."
It worked out well. He had been worried about what might be happening between Lucy Arln and his older brother, and now he had a reason to go.
Arthur, relieved that he now had an excuse to escape Lucy Arln’s mocking, set his course for the Arln mansion. As he arrived, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had fallen into a hallucination.
"How can you be so disgusting in how you look, speak, move, and even fight! If this were a forest, you wouldn’t have even seen my face, you ugly bastard!"
"You disgusting perverted girl who can only grin at girls’ feet, where are you spouting nonsense from? At your age, you should have learned to hide your desires! Hah! Is this excessive for a fox who can’t even be considered livestock?!"
"It’s not disgusting; it’s just being honest! People like you can only do such things in bed at night in your fantasies!"
"You talk like a dog, as expected! Living in constant heat—are you a beast?"
The lord of the forest and the first prince of the kingdom were facing off, their weapons raised against each other.
There was no dignity, formality, or manners—just the clash of their emotions, a street fight between them.
"How dare you, a filthy male, cling to someone who despises you! You should be thankful for your bloodline! If this were nature, you would have been eliminated!"
"And what about you!? You look like you’ve already been eliminated for a long time!"
The ridiculousness of the situation was not just in the intense hatred between them but also in the knights who had split into two factions, cheering for each side like drunken fools.
"Eliminated!? What could a male swayed by the scent of flesh have to say?!"
"That’s why you’re a beast! Humans are creatures who resist their instincts!"
The most surreal part, however, was that Lucy Arln, standing between the two, had given up and was gazing at the sky.
"Excuse me, Third Prince?"
"...Who are you?"
"It’s Karia. I have something to say to my employer. What on earth is going on here? Why is Benedict yelling for Lina’s side?"
"I’d like to know too."
Arthur sighed as he watched the forest’s lord and the first prince clash, with knights cheering from the sidelines.