Chapter 65
The Worst Man
“Duke, your daughter seems to be getting more and more reckless. Please, have a seat there.”
“Ah, haha… Well, you see… after she injured her head, her personality completely changed… Even I get bewildered sometimes, Your Majesty. Haha.”
Emperor Genos had separately called Duke Sylvester and Kailian into the reception room. As he invited them to sit, he poured some wine for them.
“Marquis Termos, you’re quite an unusual person if you ask me. Do you prefer this changed princess better?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Not just liking her—I’m deeply captivated.”
Kailian answered with a serious, expressionless face.
“Hahaha. This is why love between men and women is such a mysterious thing, don’t you think, Your Majesty?”
The duke smiled approvingly at Kailian’s straightforward answer, but Genos ignored him and got straight to the point.
“Marquis, I want you to significantly reduce the number of participants from your Red Moon Knights in the upcoming monster hunting tournament.”
“…My knights?”
“Yes.”
Surprised by the sudden request, Kailian asked with a puzzled expression.
“Your Majesty, this is a difficult request to understand. Shouldn’t you be encouraging more knights to participate in the monster hunting tournament? Many knights even lose their lives during the hunts. Why reduce the number?”
“I’m not trying to reduce the total number of participants, but specifically for your knights. As you know, your Red Moon Knights sweep the tournament every year, winning the prize money, lands, and honor, which is causing growing resentment among the other lords. However…”
Genos pointed at the duke sitting there looking confused and continued.
“Now that your family and the Sylvester family are united, and both knight groups are practically one, it’s become even more unfair. So I want you to cut your knights to one-third and fill the rest with mercenaries from other nobles. In return, I will reduce your allocated sponsorship funds. What do you say?”
Kailian suspected Genos had some ulterior motive and couldn’t answer immediately, but Duke Sylvester interrupted to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“If you’re willing to reduce the sponsorship funds, how about just following His Majesty’s wishes for this tournament? Now that I think about it, I’ve also heard envious complaints about the Red Moon Knights. Besides, your men are so skilled that even with fewer numbers, they’ll accomplish great feats.”
With the duke persuading him, Kailian had no choice but to comply with Genos’s request.
“…Yes, understood.”
“Marquis, from the next tournament onward, instead of leading your knights to glory, how about supporting the Royal Guard behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the event? Duke Sylvester is a founding hero of Kedem and my right hand. Since you’re his son-in-law, you’re practically one of my people now. You should contribute more actively to the royal family.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course, Your Majesty is right. Haha.”
The duke happily echoed the emperor’s flattering words, but Kailian grew angry at the emperor’s blatant intention to use the duke to control him and remained silent.
“Oh, and Duke, I especially thank you for promising generous sponsorship funds this time. But since Prince Diego withdrew his proposal, allowing you to make the marquis your son-in-law, you should show that much grace. Don’t you agree?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. I consider it a gift in return for the prince’s great kindness. I will recommend a younger and prettier noble lady to the prince than my own daughter, Your Majesty.”
“Heh, I trust you on that. Now, I shall take my leave. Your impulsive fiancée must be waiting anxiously.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We will take our leave first. Please rest well.”
While the duke kept bowing repeatedly, Kailian just silently bowed and left the reception room. Feeling very uneasy and uncomfortable, he barely responded to whatever the duke was saying beside him.
“Haha. Luckily, it went smoothly. You did well to appease His Majesty. From now on, leave dealings with His Majesty to me, and just trust me.”
“…Yes.”
“Come on, let’s go. Himena will be waiting.”
Kailian headed to the banquet hall with a troubled look.
‘Prince Diego, so that’s how it is? I never thought so badly of him, but now I see he’s truly cowardly and pathetic.’
Himena clenched her teeth and gave Diego a bitter smile.
“Your Highness, what do you mean by that? People here might misunderstand, thinking you and I did something shameful in broad daylight.”
“Oh, was it really that shameful? Well, I didn’t think so because you acted so recklessly… but now that I think about it, maybe it could look that way.”
“Then please be more clear, Your Highness. Are you saying you saw me naked in the reception room in broad daylight?”
“Gasp! Oh my, how could you say that!”
“My goodness!”
Himena’s blunt words caused a big stir.
“Ha! Well, well. I tried not to say such things to avoid insulting you, but to hear you say it yourself… Indeed, you are a bold woman, princess! Haha.”
‘Insult? If I back down now to avoid insult, people will cruelly trample on my reputation with false accusations. But it’s not about my reputation. He’s trying to insult Kaili too, implying he married a fiancée he knows nothing about! I won’t allow that! Not this!’
“Your Highness, you’re not answering my bold question. I’ll ask again. Did you see my bare… body in the reception room?”
Himena smiled coldly as she ground the question, and Diego flustered but the alcohol kept pushing him on.
“Yeah, princess. If that’s true, what are you going to do? Claim I forced you while you were drunk?”
“No, Your Highness. I ask because you insist on something I never did. Then let me change the question. I have a birthmark as big as a newborn’s fist on my chest. It’s so big you can’t forget once you see it. If you really saw me naked, you’d know which side it’s on, right?”
“What… what?”
“Answer me quickly. Which side is the birthmark on? Right or left?”
People stirred again at Himena’s bold question. Diego stammered awkwardly.
“Ha! Men don’t usually remember details like that when they’re… satisfying urgent desires. Besides, it was dark at night… Would you really have seen such a mark clearly?”
“Dark at night? Changing your story already, Your Highness? You just said it was broad daylight in the reception room during tea time! I clearly heard you say it was an embarrassing act in broad daylight!”
Flustered, Diego glanced at the murmuring crowd, his face twisted in frustration. Suddenly, a smirk appeared as he pointed at Himena’s chest.
“Left! It was the left, princess! Now I remember. Yes, a very big birthmark below the left breast.”
The crowd felt awkward but quietly awaited Himena’s response.
“Heh. No? How do you intend to prove that here? Could it be… you plan to show your bare body right here, princess? Is that your plan?”
Ignoring the prince’s insulting words, Himena shouted toward the crowd.
“Is there any man here willing to secretly give the prince the correct answer? There are rumors that I’ve enjoyed a promiscuous nightlife with many men. If that were true, at least one of you would know the answer, right? Anyone?”
Although Himena had once lured men to the balcony to get Kailian’s attention, she had never really crossed the line. The men looked away nervously, while the women who spread baseless rumors eyed the men suspiciously and whispered.
Himena scanned the crowd, then glared coldly at Diego.
“In the end, it seems no one, including Your Highness, has seen me naked. Listen carefully and remember well. I have never undressed or acted shamefully in front of anyone, including Your Highness. Such actions are only for the person I truly love, proudly and without shame! Now, the answer is…”
Himena grabbed the hands of two young noble ladies standing behind Diego.
“Ah!”
“Oh my!”
“These ladies will go with me to the powder room and confirm for you which side my birthmark is on!”
She forcibly led them into the powder room.
“What’s going on here? Your Highness, what’s happening?”
Duke Sylvester, who appeared late, saw the crowd in the hallway and asked Diego, confused. But Kailian watched Himena dragging the young ladies into the powder room with a grave expression, sensing something was wrong, and glared at Diego.
“Ha! Only in front of the person you love? Is that so, Marquis Termos? You know, don’t you?”
Seeing Kailian, Diego, overwhelmed by a mixture of embarrassment, jealousy, and drunkenness, staggered toward him.
“What do you mean?”
Kailian glared coldly and asked quietly.
“Your fiancée asked a very interesting question to everyone here. She has a birthmark as big as a newborn’s fist on her chest and asked if anyone has seen it.”
Diego smirked as he got close to Kailian’s face.
“And she said… she would only proudly show it to the man she truly loves. So, Marquis Termos, if you really love her and are engaged, you must know about her birthmark, right? Am I right? Answer me!”
