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***
After spending a hectic morning handling the tasks assigned to him by the Crown Prince last night and the work he had to finish today, Ezkhiel had just barely found a moment to catch his breath and have a meal.
But before he could do so, two people suddenly came looking for him and dragged him into the Knights' building.
At least he had managed to bring his lunchbox with him, but sadly, this current situation was closer to an interrogation than a meal. Ezkhiel's nerves weren't thick enough to eat under such pressure.
"What exactly did His Highness the Crown Prince contact Arie about yesterday?"
"…Didn't you hear it from Lady Averil?"
Suppressing his fatigue, Ezkhiel asked quietly. Achilles responded irritably.
"She said it was about her resignation. But does that even make sense? Are we supposed to believe that His Highness personally contacted someone over a mere low-ranking official's resignation?"
"The answer I can give is no different from the lady's. His Highness truly spoke of nothing else but that matter."
Still, neither Achilles nor Alexander looked convinced. Ezkhiel could understand their doubts, but as the Crown Prince's chief aide, it wasn't appropriate for him to openly agree with them.
"Everything His Highness does has meaning. As his subordinate, it would be presumptuous to pry into his intentions."
Maintaining his usual formal composure, Ezkhiel offered a stiff reply. Achilles, clearly frustrated, raised his voice.
"How can we possibly not be concerned? His Highness, who hasn't even married yet, personally contacted my younger sister late at night, over something that makes no sense at all!"
"The reason was an official one. Wasn't it about the lady's resignation?"
"No, it's a reason no one could accept. Sir Ezkhiel, you know that very well, don't you?"
Alexander crossed his arms, and behind his usual polite smile, his sharp gaze pierced Ezkhiel like a hidden blade.
"From what I heard yesterday, even after Arie submitted her resignation, His Highness tried to have her promoted instead. When she petitioned through you to cancel it, he personally contacted her again to confirm. How can we not suspect that the only reason His Highness is so invested in a new Ministry of Culture clerk's promotion and resignation… is because the person in question is our Arie?"
"Lady Averil is the precious daughter of House Averil. If she intends to resign, it's only natural to investigate whether there's any underlying problem. That is simply consideration for your family."
"Then couldn't His Highness simply order an internal investigation within the Ministry of Culture? There's no need for him to personally contact my sister when he's already so busy with state affairs."
"His Highness decides what actions to take. That is not for a mere subordinate like you to dictate."
Golden eyes, cold as ice, and calm green eyes met head-on.
It was a true standoff between spear and shield, until Achilles's sharp, pressing voice broke the tension.
"Sir Bright. Let's just speak honestly for once. Are you really saying His Highness contacted Arie with absolutely no personal feelings or ulterior motives? Or, fine, even if you can't say that for certain, did you not even get that sort of feeling?"
"His Highness is a fair and upright man. What other intention could he possibly have besides official business?"
"If I already knew the answer, I wouldn't be asking you! Honestly, have you ever seen His Highness personally contact any of those so-called diamond candidates for Crown Princess that the public is always gossiping about? Has he ever personally reached out to Lady Sharon or Lady Eskis for any reason other than something everyone could accept?"
Ezkhiel almost shook his head on reflex. In the four years he had served as chief aide, he had never once seen Matthias personally contact a woman for private reasons.
'Well… he did reach out to Letty, but that was because of the Wallace family purge.'
His conversations with Letticia were politically sensitive enough that they couldn't be made public, but even if people found out, they could understand the necessity. But contact with Ariette… that was different.
Noticing Ezkhiel's hesitation, Achilles slammed his hand on the desk and raised his voice.
"See? Even you think it's strange, don't you! Brother, is there any way we can get that resignation processed as soon as possible?"
"I've already relayed the request to the Ministry of Culture, so it should be processed soon. What matters more is what comes next."
Alexander now stared at Ezkhiel with open hostility in his eyes.
"We were lucky yesterday. Because His Highness contacted her through the private communication channel, news of this didn't leak. But if His Highness attempts to reach out to my sister again, I hope you will stop him. If rumors spread that the still-unmarried Crown Prince is showing interest in Arie, she will be buried under unnecessary public scrutiny."
"And let me make this clear, we have absolutely no intention of making Arie into the Crown Prince's consort. If His Highness shows any sign of such intentions, I expect you to inform him of our stance."
"…If such a situation arises, I will report it to His Highness."
Ezkhiel nodded calmly, accepting the brothers' request.
He could understand their concern, the attention of high society on a young, handsome, and unmarried Crown Prince, and the envy, scrutiny, and jealousy that would fall upon anyone who caught that Prince's eye, these were natural worries for brothers with a younger sister.
Moreover, Ariette was a noble who had entered the Ministry as a civil official without ever debuting in society. Unlike Letticia, who had been the glittering "diamond" of high society, Ariette could easily become the target of sharp backlash.
'Still, being from a great neutral noble house… that is an attractive trait.'
From the imperial family's perspective, seeking a Crown Princess from a neutral faction wasn't a bad move to counter the old aristocracy. Only rare exceptions, like Letticia who inherited blood from a Great Lord's family through her maternal line, could overcome the unwritten rule, no matter how wealthy a new noble family was, the Crown Princess couldn't come from a house without the old noble bloodline that had shared the Empire's history.
The Averil Ducal House itself was a favorable candidate for an in-law family. Though a great noble of the East, their military strength was small, about the size of a single knightly order. Their real power came from their massive wheat production, and they rarely interfered in capital politics.
Considering all this, it wasn't unreasonable for Matthias to consider Ariette as a potential Crown Princess candidate.
This was the conclusion Ezkhiel had reached after forcing himself to think of the most rational explanation for Matthias's unusual behavior the night before.
The problem was… he couldn't be sure it was something he could tell these two brothers.
"Of course, our Arie is truly lovely, adorable, and perfect. So if His Highness takes an interest in her, we can't really blame him."
"Exactly. Who wouldn't love someone as kind, angelic, and intelligent as Arie? We have to understand that much."
"But that doesn't mean we could forgive any thief who tries to steal her away from us. Any thief who dares take our treasure… must be slaughtered."
"That's right, that's right."
"…"
While Ezkhiel wrestled with his thoughts, the Averil brothers began a round of sisterly praise that only the two of them could possibly understand.
Watching them unabashedly flaunt their doting obsession in front of another person, Ezkhiel felt his mind waver dangerously, but he barely held on.
He had seen this enough times to develop a bit of immunity. In fact, he even started to wonder if, by saying his goodbyes now, he could still make it back in time to finally eat his lunch.
"In any case, Sir Bright, we hope you will handle things so that His Highness never takes an interest in our Arie."
"Indeed. There could be nothing more dreadful than for His Highness to become one of those thieves we'd have to slaughter."
"…I understand your wishes. In any case, I must be on my way. Please enjoy the rest of your day."
Discreetly picking up his lunchbox, Ezkhiel bowed swiftly to avoid their stares and slipped out the door.
If he stayed any longer, he'd end up working the afternoon on an empty stomach. And in this sweltering summer, hunger would only sap his strength twice as fast. That was one misery he definitely wanted to avoid.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like the brothers were free enough to chase after him.
As Ezkhiel finally approached the Ministry of Culture building, he noticed the path leading to the garden that Matthias often strolled through.
Normally, he would have passed by without a thought, but having just come from that conversation about Ariette, her words resurfaced in his mind.
'She said she ran into His Highness in that garden during his walk…'
Was Matthias's contact yesterday a bold political maneuver? Or was it a whimsical act driven by personal feelings?
Ezkhiel forced his steps to quicken and pushed the thoughts out of his mind.
***
—My resignation got approved, Lady Sharon! I can leave as early as next week!
"That's a relief. I'm glad it was resolved smoothly."
At Ariette's cheerful message, Letticia set down the business management book she had been reading and congratulated her. She had worried when Ariette first said she wanted to quit after speaking to Matthias, but it seemed things had been handled without trouble.
—His Highness gave the order to cancel my promotion this morning. And since some officials requested to transfer to the Ministry of Culture, the handover will happen quickly.
"Cancel your promotion?"
Letticia looked puzzled, and Ariette tilted her head with an equally confused expression.
—Didn't Lord Sharon tell you? His Highness suddenly issued a promotion order for me, and it put me in a difficult spot. So I asked him to contact Sir Bright…
"Ha…"
Of course. It was inevitable.
Letticia discreetly reached up to rub the back of her neck, which had suddenly begun to ache with tension.
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1 Comments
Same, Letty...
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