The Troublemaker Daughter of the Grand Duke Wants To Live Alone - Chapter 108

Inside the throne room, only Estin and the Emperor were present. The windows of the golden room were obscured by a hefty red velvet curtain.

On a golden throne, the emperor was seated. A massive sun was engraved behind it symbolizing the empire where the sun never sets.

The greenhouse’s garden was typically where Estin and the emperor would meet. The emperor’s feelings for Estin were undoubtedly complicated and nuanced. However, regardless, Estin was a close friend and almost like a brother to the emperor, who had known him since he was a very young child.

It was kind of fortunate that the emperor called Estin, who wanted to see him.

This is done to help him recognize his role as king.

Regardless of whether he understood the Emperor’s intentions, Estin simply stood motionless a great distance away.

The emperor suddenly felt afraid because the silence resembled an unknown deep sea. It was because he had no idea when a massive tsunami would strike. So the Emperor made a move.

“Does the evidence really show that Cameron is the main suspect?”

The emperor boldly made the decision to go first.

Estin wasn’t bothered in the slightest by the emperor’s demeanor. As though he anticipated the Emperor’s reaction.

Estin wasn’t looking at the emperor; instead, he was fixating on the ground. His thick eyelashes cast shadows, creating a melancholy atmosphere.

The emperor gasped during the prolonged silence.

“I’ll begin.”

Estin finally spoke after a period of silence.

“Should I torture Count Stein to force him to admit that the first prince is the culprit?”

The vocabulary used for a remark made in front of an emperor was quite extreme. The emperor did not comment on Estin’s haughtiness; he simply clenched his fist.

“What’s the point of all that, though?”

“Estin Conler.”

“The emperor will likely support his child, and perhaps Count Stein will assume responsibility for everything.”

“Can’t you do that?”

Estin raised his head. Instead of a country’s emperor, a father of a child was at the other end of his gaze.

“I’m sorry. It’s because I raised him incorrectly. I will justly punish Count Stein and make up with the ladies for their loss.”

It was a pretty desperate tone. While listening to the emperor’s plea, Estin closed his eyes and moved his neck from side to side as if he were bored. When he saw the sight, the emperor’s mind became more urgent.

“Of course, Cameron will be scolded. I’ll lock him up in the spire for a week. Isn’t he like a nephew to you? Yeah, he has a bit of an inferiority complex towards the Grand Duke. It’s all because of my shortcomings as a father. It’s all my fault. Can’t you just let it go this time for me?”

“You had earlier questioned whether Cameron was in fact the true suspect, but I guess you already knew that.”

At Estin’s grin, the emperor tightly shut his eyes.

Yeah, He was wrong. He ought to have asked for forgiveness and should have immediately acknowledged his mistakes. Every time, he forgets that Estin is someone he cannot fight with pride. Over and over again, the same error is made.

“I and the emperor are both too frail for our kids,”

Estin spoke with a heavy sigh in his voice.

“My daughter and Astina, I mean the daughter of Marquis Bourneau said they were fine, so they’ll forgive him. Nothing good will happen if we compete with the imperial family.

“……Your daughter is clever.”

“Mary? She’s a child who can use her brain properly.”

The emperor, who was looking at Estin, questioned the quality of his vision. It was because Estin’s face lit up when he mentioned Mary. The smile on Estin’s face wasn’t a sneer, it was a warm smile he had never seen before. But it was only there for a brief moment. No, it was like a mirage. Estin’s face quickly took on its distinctive expressionlessness once more.

Even Estin didn’t seem to be aware of his own smile when he was talking about Mary; it just seemed to come out naturally.

“I also raised my children incorrectly; I should not have raised them as marionettes.”

“Estin.”

“So I have to get something that is beneficial to my family. That’s what my children want.”

“Say whatever you want.”

“If we win the right to trade with the Kingdom of Lacom, it will entirely fall to our Conler Duchy. The imperial family will receive no profit.”

The emperor unwittingly smacked his lips with regret. But he couldn’t help it. The imperial family was planning to collect some share of the profits generated from trading rights as taxes.

In fact, this was also a card held by the emperor. If he forgives him he’ll give him a tax cut. However, he didn’t expect him to say it right away. The emperor expressed regret saying he would not leave Cameron alone.

“I’ll do that.”

Estin’s expression was not very good, despite getting what he wanted. Just as he was about to tell Estin that he could go back, Estin brought up a meaningless story.

“Oh, do you remember what I said before?”

“What….”

“Is it okay to shoot where no one is watching?”

“Estin!”

The emperor felt like someone was squeezing his heart. So he gasped and shouted. The empty throne room was filled with the emperor’s shouts.

He understands that Estin’s anger cannot be resolved. Even so, how can he threaten a person’s life like that?

“Right… Your Majesty and I have so many to protect.”

Without so much as batting an eye, Estin turned around and disappeared. Only the emperor remained alone in the vast room, his gaze fixed on the hem of Estin’s coat.

Estin left.

Conlers are unable to use protective magic. Nevertheless, Estin was able to master protective magic after putting a lot of effort into it after Helena died and Mary was abducted when she was young.

Did you say you cast a ward of protection over Mary? What a terrible fellow.

There are so many to protect.

The emperor thought about Estin’s remarks.

***

“Mary.”

“What?”

“I want to ask you something.”

I whirled around and cast my gaze at Demimore. Demimore kept his gaze fixed on the front, never once turning to look at me.

Nevertheless, I could see how serious Demimore was at this point. Like Demimore, I shifted my attention away from him and responded while looking directly ahead.

“Ask me.”

“It’s not something I can ask in a place like this.”

“Hey, Demimore.”

“What?”

“I believe it is too late if you are trying to call off our engagement.”

We’re about to leave for the engagement party, you and I.

I said to Demimore with as sweet a smile as I could muster.

Demimore finally turned to look at me with surprise. His eyes were brightly red and resembled those of a rabbit.

“That is not the case.”

“What are you trying to say on a day like this?”

“Lady.”

“I don’t want to be engaged to you.”

“I’m serious.”

I playfully imitated Demimore’s voice when he said those words when I was nine. Demimore used his tongue to itch the inside of his cheek. Since I’ve known Demimore personally for five years, I am aware that this habit manifests whenever he is experiencing or feeling unpleasant.

I keep making fun of him because I find his response so adorable. But Demimore was shouting, “I’m not in the mood to mess with you right now,” with his entire body.

“What is it that you want to ask then?”

“I couldn’t ask you that time. You know when we were nine.”

“Why are you asking now what you were unable to ask before?”

“Ah, can you just listen to me?”

“All right.”

Demimore sighed exaggeratedly as I blinked, covering my mouth with my hand; Theodore said he wanted to flick me every time I did this, and Demimore clearly felt the same way.

“You gave it to me because, you know, right?”

“What?”

“Laminaicho.”

Why are you bringing up Laminaicho at this time?

I lowered the hand that had been covering my mouth in response to the unexpected comment and gave Demimore a quiet look. Why, then, is this guy bringing this up now?

Demimore saved his mother from being poisoned by the laminaicho I gave him when he was 10 years old. Someone kept poisoning the food that Demimore’s mother was eating. My engagement with Demimore accelerated when it was finally revealed that I was the one who gave him laminaicho.

What you’re saying is that the Laminaicho is the reason I’m engaged to you. I focused closely, trying to understand what he was trying to say.

It’s not unreasonable for me to believe this because he once made a big deal out of saying he didn’t want to get married to me.

Demimore later admitted to me that his refusal to propose to me on my birthday wasn’t motivated by his dislike of me. He claimed that the real cause was that it was difficult for us to get engaged before we were ready. It wasn’t that I didn’t comprehend his feelings, though.

In addition, Lauseanne said that Demimore liked me but he didn’t want us to get engaged because of politics.

In any case, it is appropriate to disregard the advice of a romance novel addict.

No, I’ll end the marriage by myself. Can you please wait a bit?

“Didn’t you give it to me knowing my mother was going to be poisoned?”

“Of course I knew.”

“What?”

I gave Demimore a smile. Seriously, when did he grow up like this? Naturally, he was taller than me when we were younger, but the fact that he asked me this question after developing in this manner makes me proud.

“Oh, we’ve got to go in now!”

I grabbed Demimore’s arm and led him.

The time had come to enter the banquet hall.