Act 12. I Thought Everything Was Smooth Sailing…?
The people of the empire cheered when they saw the crown prince’s black armor at the vanguard of the triumphal procession.
“Wow, his bravery perfectly matches his status as a hero!”
“No one else would have been able to cut through the enemy lines and behead the enemy’s commander like he did!”
People lavished praise on the crown prince, as his achievements were on the level of Duke Floyen’s, the hero of this empire. The crown prince’s triumphal procession, which had drawn cheers from the people everywhere it went, eventually reached the imperial palace.
The emperor watched with vigilant eyes as his son entered his office. Nevertheless, he couldn’t see his son’s expression since it was covered by a helmet. ‘Now that he’s made a great contribution to this empire, the nobles will outcry even more.’ The emperor was in the middle of figuring out a way to deal with his son, afraid that his son might use this chance to drag him down from the throne. ‘I still have Duke Floyen on my side, in the rare case that he decides to run astray…’ the emperor thought as he gave his son a dreary look.
His son had approached him in no time and was now in his immediate vicinity. The crown prince’s black armor was now considered a symbol of victory, but to the emperor’s eyes, it only seemed ominous. The emperor suppressed his fear and welcomed the crown prince with a generous voice. “Welcome, Crown Prince. You’ve done a great job defending the south.”
Crown Prince Maximillian, in his armor, lowered his head at the emperor’s greetings. “It’s all thanks to your arrangements, Your Majesty.”
The emperor’s face, which had been filled with worries about his son acting impudent towards him as he did last time, relaxed. “My son, aren’t you going to show your face to your father?”
The crown prince replied with a polite nod. “Unfortunately, I’ve come a long way, and am currently in an unpresentable state, Your Majesty. I’d appreciate it if you could generously overlook this.”
“I guess there’s nothing we can do, then.” Although the crown prince had respectfully denied his request, the emperor wore an unpleasant expression again as if he had been offended by the rejection.
At that moment, the crown prince praised the emperor again. “I’d like to express my thanks again for approving of the victory banquet.”
The emperor’s face brightened again at his gratitude. “Of course. I guess you should start preparing for the banquet now. There will be a lot to do, as we’re only about a fortnight away from it.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You won’t have to worry much about it as I’ve already informed Countess Roas, the head of the maids, to make excellent preparations for the banquet.”
The crown prince hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth. “If possible, I’d like to change the person in charge. Will that be okay?”
The emperor nodded magnanimously at his son’s words. “I see. You must have someone in mind. Tell me who it is.”
The crown prince muttered quietly at the emperor’s probing. “It bothers me that the victory banquet is being held so close to my sister’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Hm, that is definitely true,” the emperor replied indifferently at the mention of his daughter, who he had never paid attention to. He had given a lukewarm response on purpose, but the crown prince remained calm.
“I request for my sister Beatrice to be in charge of this banquet. It will become her achievement if she successfully hosts this banquet, and will put her in the spotlight during her coming-of-age ceremony.”
The emperor put his brain to work at those words. ‘The empress has certainly been a bit of a nuisance lately.’ He thought about the curtain lectures his wife had given him, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll have the princess organize the victory banquet, then. You can discuss the details of the event with her.”
The crown prince bowed. “Thank you for granting this request as well, Your Majesty.”
The emperor smiled with satisfaction when his son, who he had been hostile against, was being so civil with him. He let out a hearty laugh, then said, “Don’t mention it. You must be tired. Why don’t you go to your room and rest up?”
At the emperor’s permission, the crown prince rose and bowed deeply. “Thank you for your consideration. I will do that.”
The crown prince began to make his way out of the office. The emperor watched him leave, then murmured, “I see that you’ve finally figured out your place.” He was relieved to see that his son, who had been troubling him until now, was finally bowing obediently to him.
Meanwhile, the crown prince, who had returned to his room, shooed his servants away with a wave of his hand. “Everyone may leave. I’ll change on my own.” He was about to remove his helmet after all the servants left, when someone emerged from behind the curtain.
“What did the emperor say?” an arrogant voice questioned, sounding as if he was speaking to his subordinate.
However, instead of becoming angry, the crown prince knelt on one knee out of courtesy. “It was as you thought. He granted permission to have the princess be in charge of the banquet.”
“Good.” If the princess planned and hosted a successful banquet, she was surely going to be praised by the people. On the other hand, if she were to make a mistake, she was going to be the one held responsible. ‘Now that sly woman won’t be able to manipulate anything.’ He reflected on his successful plan for a moment, then spoke to the crown prince who appeared uncomfortable. “You may take off your helmet now.”
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