Chapter 29
March 8th, Year 761 of the Continental Calendar
It was the first day of etiquette lessons for Princess Muriela and Princess Adeline under the supervision of Queen Elodia.
Even before Anna, the etiquette teacher, arrived, the two princesses were already looking miserable.
Adeline covertly poked Muriela’s waist.
Whisper, whisper.
“Muriela, this is all your fault!”
“How was I supposed to know it’d turn out like this?”
Unbeknownst to them, Queen Elodia was watching from behind, her eyebrows rising higher and higher.
“Hmph… Etiquette lessons are only tolerable when you can zone out… What are you going to do about this?”
“Do about what? You’re the one who slacks off all the time anyway. Why do you even hate etiquette lessons so much?”
“Learning this stuff doesn’t let you do anything. What’s the point of looking pretty for other people?”
Oh, Adeline, you’ve got a point there. Solinor nodded to himself in silent approval.
Exactly! The moment you care about what others think, you’ve already lost.
A man should open his heart and connect sincerely. That’s the real deal.
“Yeah. So what if I don’t use fancy words? As long as the content’s good, it doesn’t matter.”
“Child, do you really think it’s fine for a princess to announce in public, ‘I need to pee’?”
Before they knew it, Queen Elodia was right behind them, glaring down.
“Ahh!”
“Ughhh!”
Startled, the two princesses toppled over in opposite directions from their seats.
Thud! Roll, roll.
“Oh my, look at you two! Your skirts are flipped, and your undergarments are on full display. I suppose I’ll have to scold you again after the lesson.”
“Mom, it’s because you scared us!”
Adeline protested meekly.
“And who cares if a little underwear shows? It’s not like it’ll wear out or anything.”
Muriela’s shocking comment made Queen Elodia’s eyebrows soar to new heights.
If there were a stock market tied to the queen’s eyebrow height, it would’ve made people rich by now.
But alas, this world had no stock market.
As the queen’s imposing aura peaked, the two young princesses instinctively tried to crawl away.
Just as Elodia was about to say more—
“Good morning, Queen Elodia, and Your Highnesses. What an honor to have all three of you together today.”
Anna, the etiquette teacher, entered gracefully, delivering her perfectly rehearsed greeting.
Her poise and eloquence were immediately overshadowed by the sight of the two princesses sprawled on the floor, inadvertently advertising the colors of their undergarments.
_
“Thus, it is best to phrase things in this manner.”
“Now, let’s review proper sitting posture.”
“Excellent form, Princess Adeline.”
Under Queen Elodia’s piercing gaze, the two young princesses sat through their first-ever properly focused etiquette lesson.
Anna, meanwhile, was in bliss.
Who knew having parents attend lessons could be so wonderful?
Of course, it depended on the parent. Anna had yet to meet a K-drama-style parent.
Though Adeline and Muriela were both on the verge of tears, Solinor was suffering more than anyone.
At his age, he was being forced to mimic etiquette movements meant for little girls?
He had a reputation to maintain! Ahem.
Of course, preserving Solinor’s dignity meant letting Muriela’s pride take the hit.
But come on, even a storybook-perfect princess sprawled with her legs trembling would be too much.
Then again, a 40-year-old king slouching at formal events wasn’t great either.
“Then, I shall see you all at the next lesson. I wish you peace and well-being.”
“Goodbye, Teacher!” x2
Relieved that the torturous lesson was finally over, the princesses eagerly said their farewells.
“Teacher Anna, could I speak with you outside for a moment?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
With Queen Elodia and Anna stepping out, the girls instantly reverted to their chaotic postures.
“Muriela, what are we going to do? If we have to do this every week, we’ll die!”
“Don’t be dramatic, sis. We’re not going to die.”
“No, this is soul-crushing! It’s basically abuse!”
“Huh? That actually makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Muriela’s body, but Solinor’s soul.
If Solinor’s being forced to do things that don’t suit him, it’s no wonder his soul feels like it’s dying.
So that’s why it was so unbearable.
How can I escape this miserable fate?
“Ugh, we need to find a weakness in Mom and strike a deal with her. Muriela, you’re in on this, right?”
Coming up with a plan to exploit someone’s weakness for negotiation at this age? Terrifying child.
“Of course.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from the doorway.
“Princess Adeline, have you been well? It’s Anton.”
“Oh, the history teacher is here! Hello!”
Looking around the room, Anton’s gaze landed on Muriela, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Princess Muriela, you’re here as well. Did you have a good weekend?”
“Yes! I practiced swordsmanship and reviewed history books!”
Swordsmanship? This delicate princess?
Anton couldn’t help but take the bait.
“Your Highness practices swordsmanship?”
“Of course! I’m a swordsmanship prodigy! My knight, Sir Hamilton, even said sparring with me was a great help to him! Pretty soon, I’ll be the strongest in the palace!”
Solinor, completely fixated on his granddaughter’s non-existent talents, was the epitome of someone living in delusion. Let’s not forget, Muriela was possessed by her grandfather’s ghost.
Gasp. Maybe Florina’s suggestion to isolate her for treatment wasn’t entirely off the mark.
Regardless of Muriela’s mental health, Anton let her words slide past one ear and out the other.
He’d seen the princess enough to know that she had no athletic ability whatsoever.
Expecting physical talent in addition to her already exceptional intellect was asking too much.
Still, believing the knight’s words to boost her confidence? A little naïve, but understandable for her age.
I’ll do my best to ensure she doesn’t get swept up by lies in the future.
“Ah, that’s incredible. You truly are the granddaughter of Solinor, the famed swordsman and former king. Now, I need to begin Princess Adeline’s history lesson, but Princess Muriela, would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to. Is that okay, sis?”
“Of course! That sounds more fun anyway. Oh, by the way, why don’t you join my lessons on Tuesdays from now on?”
“Really? Are you sure I can tag along?”
A princess asking to “tag along”—what a choice of words. Outside, the etiquette teacher sneezed on her way home in high spirits after speaking with the queen.
“Yes! I’ll ask Mom later!”
And just like that, Adeline joined the “Coup Club.”
Thus, the royal cancer of Silbrenoa continued to grow day by day.
What a wonderful kingdom. Truly running smoothly.
***
March 9th, Year 761 of the Continental Calendar
The day after Adeline and Muriela’s history lesson-turned-treason plot.
Crown Prince Alfred, the undisputed favorite to inherit the throne, was strolling through the garden.
He’d grown bored of playing with women. Though he’d tried to fill the emptiness inside by emulating his father, it was clear his nature was different from Eldric’s.
Ever since he was eight years old, his lessons in history, politics, economics, and various other subjects had drilled certain virtues into him:
Listening—a king must be able to hear the voices of his loyal subjects and the people.
Decisiveness—a king must make tough decisions when necessary.
Responsibility—a king must take full responsibility for those decisions.
If these were the virtues of a king, why didn’t Father embody any of them?
When someone said something he didn’t want to hear, he’d dismiss them with a wave. If they persisted, he’d have them removed.
When it came to policymaking, if he wasn’t sure, he’d just delay it or delegate it to his officials.
And responsibility? Last time, he blamed everything on the official who proposed a policy and had him demoted.
If even someone like Father could be king, what’s the point of teaching these virtues?
Whenever Alfred asked, his teachers would fumble awkwardly and fail to give a proper answer.
As if I hadn’t seen them spout flattery in front of Father countless times.
Even scholars lack the courage to speak the truth.
Then again, I couldn’t confidently say I’d speak my mind to Father either.
In a way, criticizing them would be like spitting into the wind.
“I wish I hadn’t been born a prince… Or at least, not the firstborn.”
Deep within Alfred’s heart was a desire to become a good king like his grandfather, Solinor.
He just didn’t know how.
If I can’t be a good king, should I support Kaelen instead?
Lately, he’d even entertained such thoughts.
But that guy only cares about swordsmanship.
If he became king, he’d probably run things into the ground even worse than I would.
The burden on his shoulders, one he’d borne since birth, felt especially heavy today.
Succumbing to its weight, Alfred lay down on the grass and closed his eyes.
At least the sunlight was warm.
—
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