## Chapter 199 – 199. Royal Castle (3)
#199. Royal Castle (3)
“More than anything, I can’t stay in one place for long, so marriage would be difficult. I hope you understand.”
Putting aside my dislike for the king’s attitude, if I had a little more leeway, I would have seriously considered it.
It’s not just anything, it’s a chance to marry the incredibly beautiful Elisabeth.
Any man with normal sexual values would find it hard to refuse such an attractive offer.
“It’s a shame, Elisabeth. I wanted to connect you with a promising magician.”
“…I am deeply honored.”
But that’s just my opinion.
Since entering the royal castle, I had been keeping my hearing at its maximum.
Because I didn’t want to be a blind man who knew nothing.
Thanks to that, I learned a few things.
Why Elisabeth is called “Your Highness” even though there is a First Prince.
It was because the heir to the throne had not yet been decided.
The First Princess, Elisabeth, is in conflict with the First Prince over the throne, but in reality, it seems to be flowing in favor of the First Prince.
In that situation, marrying Elisabeth to a mere magician who is not even a noble is practically a notice to withdraw from the heir competition.
The one who should be the fairest is subtly supporting the First Prince.
“Then what compensation do you want? Tell me what you desire.”
To throw such a question to someone who is not even a noble, he must not like that a mere magician rejected his offer.
‘Narrow-minded bastard.’
If I ask for financial compensation, he might get angry, saying that I’m putting a price on the royal family’s life.
You might say that’s too much to assume, but well.
“It wasn’t something I did daring to hope for compensation. I am satisfied with the glory and honor of saving the beautiful Princess.”
It would be worse than that, not less.
“Not very magician-like. The magicians I know are all scheming to get even more.”
There he goes.
Talking bad about magicians in front of a magician.
He seems to want to play the role of a benevolent ruler, but he’s not a guy with such a nature.
“If that’s the case, I’ll send something appropriate to the Ruby Palace. Surely you won’t refuse even this, will you?”
“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s generosity.”
The king waved his hand at us. We left the garden as soon as we were dismissed.
As I walked along the corridor, I suddenly remembered the look in the king’s eyes as he looked at Elisabeth.
It was too cold to be the look he would give to his daughter who had just returned alive from an assassination attempt.
It wasn’t that I expected a warm word of comfort.
But I didn’t like the indifferent attitude as if it were nothing.
“Hyunwoo.”
Elisabeth stopped walking and turned to me.
“…Why did you refuse?”
“Pardon?”
After moving her lips for a while, she quickly closed the distance. A subtle floral scent brushed past my nose.
“Do you hate me too…?”
Her eyes, looking at me, were pitifully trembling.
Why is she suddenly saying this?
I was momentarily lost for words.
Could it be that she really likes me…
“Pfft.”
“?”
Just as I was swallowing hard and sweating nervously, a familiar laughter was heard from somewhere.
Elisabeth was laughing with her hand covering her mouth.
“Just kidding, just kidding. Aren’t you taking it too seriously?”
“…”
“You’re not angry, are you? If you’re really disappointed, should I ask Father again? That you want to marry me.”
“It’s not like that…”
Clang.
At that moment, something fell to the floor.
My and Elisabeth’s gazes turned towards it.
“M, marriage…?”
Tina was standing there.
Beyond her sleeve, throwing stars were falling to the ground. Contrary to her usual self, she looked visibly flustered.
“Tina?”
“Princess Elisabeth is getting married… married… married…?”
Tina was overly agitated.
That state continued until Elisabeth ran over and stroked her hair.
‘Is it really that shocking?’
I couldn’t help but feel bitter.
Just then, someone walked from beyond the hallway.
It was a middle-aged woman who looked quite old. But unlike the other servants, she wasn’t wearing a maid uniform.
‘A lady-in-waiting?’
Ladies-in-waiting refer to those who assist the royal family by their side.
In other words, a noble.
“Greetings to Princess Elisabeth.”
The atmosphere instantly sank at the woman’s appearance.
Elisabeth’s eyes, who was hugging Tina as if taking care of her younger sister, turned cold. It was the first time I had seen such an expression since meeting her.
“It’s unusual for you to come find me. Did the Queen tell you to come and check if my head is still attached?”
Blatant hostility and sarcasm dripped from her words.
If Elisabeth had a sword in her hand, there would have been no hesitation in beheading the lady-in-waiting.
“How could that be.”
The lady-in-waiting dealt with it calmly, as if it were a familiar occurrence.
“I simply came to convey the Queen’s wish, as Her Majesty has invited Elisabeth and the magician to tea time.”
“Invitation? Did she get a new poison?”
The lady-in-waiting said nothing.
She simply lowered her head quietly and waited for her answer. As if it were always the case.
“I refuse.”
Elisabeth immediately passed by the lady-in-waiting.
As if she had expected it, the lady-in-waiting said nothing.
I followed Elisabeth and left the main palace.
Her back, walking towards the carriage, looked somehow particularly small.
Of course, she was small to begin with, but something more fundamental…
“Hyunwoo.”
“Yes?”
My thoughts were broken by a familiar voice.
When I came to my senses, I met Elisabeth’s eyes.
“…Aren’t you going to escort me?”
Standing in front of the carriage, she glanced at me. A faint blush was rising on her face.
When I smiled and held out my hand, she glared at me as if she didn’t like something.
“…It looks like you’re doing it reluctantly.”
“Surely not, how could that be.”
Elisabeth took my hand and got into the carriage.
Just in case, I tried to offer my hand to Tina as well, but I was lightly ignored.
To be honest, I didn’t expect to be rejected.
Should I say she’s been strangely on edge since earlier?
‘Is it because of the marriage talk?’
If that’s the case, I was wronged.
The marriage talk was brought up by the king, I’m just a victim.
I was dumbfounded, and then the back of my head tingled.
“Are you looking at Tina right now…”
“I didn’t do anything.”
It’s a mess on both sides.
***
Not long after returning to the Ruby Palace, someone from the main palace came to visit.
“This is the reward bestowed by His Majesty the King.”
The old man, who appeared to be the chamberlain, handed over a small jewel box and left without a word.
At that sight, not only me but even Elisabeth was dumbfounded.
The reward given by the king is just a jewel box?
Even if he doesn’t like me, this is clearly a matter of the royal family’s dignity.
Moreover, this was also an act of mocking Elisabeth. It was no different from valuing her life at just one jewel box.
In an instant, murderous intent towards the king surged.
Click.
There were several quite expensive-looking jewels in the jewel box. But even so, it didn’t seem to be worth billions of Korean won.
‘He really was a narrow-minded bastard.’
I roughly put the jewel box into my inventory. I didn’t particularly intend to sell it to a jeweler.
It would be better to use it when deploying a barrier.
“…Wait a moment.”
Leaving those words, Elisabeth immediately left the room.
After a while, she returned with a small pouch in her arms.
“Here.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me what it is?”
“Just open it first.”
The pouch was heavier than I thought, and inside were gold coins.
Even at a glance, there was quite a lot. It wasn’t as much as the jewel box I received, but it wasn’t an amount to be ignored.
“That… it’s not much because it’s been difficult to secure a budget recently. But it’ll be better than nothing.”
She lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers.
“Sorry…”
Elisabeth was feeling guilty towards me.
Although I grew up without parents, I know this much.
It is the duty of parents to express gratitude to those who saved their child’s life.
“Is it because it’s too little…?”
When I didn’t say anything for a while, Elisabeth’s voice trembled anxiously.
“…It’s not like that, so you don’t have to worry.”
I smiled and thanked her.
In fact, I didn’t intend to stay here for long from the beginning.
Naturally, I thought that reuniting with the two of them would also be after everything was over.
But I couldn’t leave like this.
‘The Second Queen, was it…’
After returning to the Ruby Palace, I had a chance to talk with Tina alone for a while.
And I heard shocking facts from her.
A total of 29 attempted poisonings.
A total of 11 assassination attempts.
These were the things that the Second Queen had done to Elisabeth so far.
The reason that woman can be so blatant is because Elisabeth has no backing.
While Elisabeth’s mother, the First Queen, was from a small country that has now been destroyed, the Second Queen was the daughter of a marquis family that boasts immense power.
Even if she confronts the First Prince over the throne, the structure itself is not established in the first place.
‘If I leave like this, Elisabeth will likely die.’
Of course, I had no intention of just standing by and watching.
But that doesn’t mean there’s anything I can do right now.
Because assassinating the Queen in the royal castle like I did with Weibel is impossible.
Moreover, it’s not a problem that can be solved just by dealing with the Second Queen. If I don’t do something about the nobles who follow the First Prince, Elisabeth will only be manipulated like a puppet even if she ascends the throne.
‘This is a headache…’
No matter how I look at it, it’s not a problem that can be solved in a short period of time.
“Hyunwoo.”
My thoughts were broken by a familiar voice. A small piece of paper came into my view.
It was written in the language of this world, but there was no problem reading it.
As I read the words written on the paper, I blankly raised my head and looked at Elisabeth.
She was smiling, trying to hide her trembling eyes.
“It’s a recommendation letter. You have to take this and go back quickly. You said you have a group waiting.”
I blankly received the recommendation letter.
But I didn’t put it in my pocket.
Tear-
I tore it up as it was.
“…Huh?”
Elisabeth looked visibly flustered at the two torn pieces of the recommendation letter.
She probably didn’t expect me to do this.
Of course, considering the circumstances of Iris and Amelia, it was true that I couldn’t spend too much time here.
But that doesn’t mean I can ignore her situation when I know it so well.
Then there’s only one way left.
“Please wait a moment.”
Ting-
A familiar screen appeared before my eyes.
[Would you like to end the matching?]
[※Matching time remains. Are you sure you want to end the matching?]
[Y/N]
“I’ll be right back.”
[Y]
The view reverses.
***
[Matching has ended.]
[Affection change
Iris Remeria Vaihart Pelledea 99♡]
[Relationship level change
Iris Remeria Vaihart Pelledea Lv.5]
[Affection change
Melissa Malefis 60♡]
[Relationship level change
Melissa Malefis Lv.1]
[Calculating…]
[3,000 Love Coins have been paid]
[Remaining coins: 8,680 coins]
I returned home and looked around.
It was still dark outside. As I sat down on the sofa and habitually picked up my phone.
Bang.
The bathroom door opened and Noel came out with only a towel covering her body. Her hair was damp as if she had taken a shower.
Only then did I remember what I was doing before I went to meet Iris.
‘I kissed Noel in the forest on the way back from dealing with the governor.’
Noel’s request to kiss like a lover was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t bad.
Rather, it was fun to see a new side of Noel.
“Master…”
Thud, the towel that was covering Noel fell to the floor.
Relying on the light leaking from the bathroom, I looked at Noel’s naked body.
A bright red blush on her face, hardened nipples, and panting breaths.
Her lower body was throbbing at the sight of her looking like she was in heat.
Thud, thud, when I tapped next to the sofa, Noel smiled happily and approached me.
It was the beginning of a pleasant night.
