The One Who Won't Be Abandoned - Chapter 65

After the emperor’s death, the crown prince had taken it upon himself to sit at the empty seat of honor and assert his presence. Despite not having been officially crowned, and thus lacking the qualifications to attend the imperial assembly, the crown prince had stormed in out of sheer frustration when no news of a coronation came.

The councilors, having begrudgingly allowed his presence, should have faced an elated prince. Instead, his face was twisted in horror.

“What… what did you just say?”

He had come to confirm the date for his coronation—only to be told that it had been indefinitely postponed.

“…We councilors have agreed to delay the coronation until Your Highness makes a full recovery.”

It was the Duke of Bukovatz who took the lead in voicing the council’s decision. Though he wore a look of regret, his eyes, locked on the prince’s contorted face, gleamed with a certain satisfaction.

“You mean to say… you’re refusing to acknowledge me as emperor?”

‘You dare?’

That was what the prince’s eyes screamed, but none of the council members showed fear or bowed their heads. Their silent, unwavering gazes made their stance clear. The prince glared at them with barely restrained fury.

The Duke of Bukovatz raised a newspaper and waved it meaningfully before the prince.

“This was published today. Another article questioning the crown prince’s fitness for the throne due to his unclean affliction! Look at yourself, Your Highness. You have a venereal disease, do you not? What citizen would support a king plagued by such a sickness?”

“Are you insulting me right now?!”

The prince slammed his hands down on the table and stood abruptly, looking as though he might rush the duke and throw a punch.

Yet the duke remained calm and unshaken.

“Moreover, the late emperor had already expressed his reluctance to pass the crown to Your Highness. Have you forgotten how he died? He met a disgraceful end while pushing himself to produce an heir.”

“Delaying the coronation is pointless. I am the only rightful heir to the throne. If you care about restoring order to the empire, you should be urging me to take the seat without delay!”

“We understand Your Highness’s intent, but how can you rule in your condition?”

“There’s nothing stopping me! And besides, I’m already recovering. Look!”

In a fit of agitation, the crown prince yanked open the front of his robe with such force that a button popped off, revealing his chest.

Andrei, watching, smirked. The rashes and blisters on the prince’s face had visibly subsided, and his body looked like it was on the verge of full recovery. If things kept going this way, all their efforts might be wasted and he might actually heal.

But before anyone could properly inspect him, the other councilors recoiled as though they’d seen something repulsive, turning their heads away in disgust.

“Tsk, tsk. How could anyone rule in that state…”

“Someone open a window. We need fresh air.”

“Your Highness, we’ve made our stance clear. May we be excused now? I don’t know how we’re supposed to enter this chamber with any peace of mind.”

Right in front of the prince, the councilors treated him like a contagious disease—filthy, repulsive. His face flushed red with fury, and his body trembled with rage.

Surveying the murmuring crowd, the Duke of Bukovatz was the first to rise.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Let’s carry over any remaining business to the next session, three days from now.”

“I haven’t finished speaking!”

The prince tried to stop him, but the duke simply ignored him and exited the chamber.

“Duke of Bukovatz!”

The remaining councilors, watching the prince with wary eyes, rose one by one and followed the duke out. In the blink of an eye, the crowded chamber was empty, leaving only silence in its wake.

Andrei, who had been silently observing the furious and bewildered crown prince, finally rose from his chair.

‘He’ll destroy himself without me having to lift a finger.’

Seeing how the prince only made his weaknesses more obvious the more emotional he became, Andrei realized there was no need to intervene. Even if the prince’s downfall dragged on, either the Duke of Bukovatz or the princess would take care of it eventually.

To Andrei, the crown prince was no longer of any concern. All his attention was focused elsewhere—on Jeanne, his lover, who was now residing within the palace.

The princess had promised Andrei that Jeanne would be kept safe in her palace. It wasn’t an arrangement he was happy about, but Andrei had no other option.

The palace didn’t have spare rooms for a common maid who had followed her master unannounced. By protocol, Jeanne should have been lodged with the other palace maids.

But to Andrei, the idea of Jeanne living and sleeping among strangers in the dangerous environment of the palace was unthinkable. Just imagining it made his blood boil.

As much as he hated to admit it, Princess Grecia’s palace was currently the safest place within the royal grounds. Even if the princess whimsically gave a maid a luxurious room, no one dared to say a word about it. And the crown prince—quick to anger since falling ill—would never come storming into the princess’s quarters, a place he couldn’t stand to even look at.

“Jeanne…”

Andrei hadn’t seen Jeanne in several days now. Too many eyes in the palace were watching him too closely. Though he had brought her here himself because he couldn’t bear to leave her behind, the fact that she was within the palace during such a volatile time—when the throne’s occupant was still undecided—weighed heavily on his mind.

“Jeanne…”

What was she doing now? The thought of Jeanne, likely feeling out of place and walking on eggshells in the harsh, cold palace, made Andrei’s chest ache. He wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her.

A deep sigh escaped him as his eyes welled with worry for her. The name he whispered so sorrowfully and the breath he exhaled—soft and helpless—scattered through the empty corridor like a passing breeze.

* * *

The crown prince, who had been trembling with humiliation in the empty assembly hall, was only able to collect himself and leave after quite some time. Though his anger had slowly cooled, his face was still twisted with the sting of disgrace.

“Those wretches… how dare they…”

Back when the emperor was alive, none of them had dared to squeak in protest. But now, emboldened by their own agendas, they acted like they had something to rely on—mocking and belittling him, the crown prince. As if it were not simply a matter of time before he took the throne.

“The moment I ascend, I will mobilize the imperial army. I’ll have every one of them who insulted me today beheaded. Especially that Duke of Bukovatz…!”

Grinding his teeth, the crown prince recalled the gleam of satisfaction in the old duke’s wrinkled eyes.

‘You dare look down on me? I won’t grant you the mercy of a swift death. I’ll ensure your final years are a living hell—crawling on your knees before me, begging for forgiveness.’

Lost in this delightful fantasy, he was just about to turn the corner of the corridor when a sharp female voice, brimming with fury, rang out.

“He is not that kind of person!”

Recognizing immediately that it wasn’t the princess’s voice, the crown prince came to a halt in disbelief. For a commoner to shout so boldly in the palace—such insolence was enough to warrant execution. Already frustrated by what he saw as a collapse of royal discipline, the outburst only deepened his displeasure.

Curious to see who dared be so bold, he turned toward the direction of the commotion.

With long strides, he quickly found the source. On the bridge connecting two palace wings, two young noblemen stood face-to-face with a woman he vaguely recognized.

The woman, dressed plainly with not a trace of ornamentation, had shouted at the men. Embarrassed, the young nobles flushed red.

Jeanne stood her ground, hands on her hips, chin raised defiantly.

“It’s incredibly rude and cowardly to talk about someone you barely know behind their back!”

“Pardon me, my lady, but it’s equally rude to eavesdrop and interfere in someone else’s conversation, is it not?”

“My friend is right. If we’re to have a proper discussion, may we at least have the courtesy of your name?”

Mistaking Jeanne’s confidence—despite her humble attire—for the poise of a poor noblewoman, they addressed her with guarded respect. But Jeanne firmly shook her head.

“I have no intention of telling my name to people who’ve been so disrespectful.”

“Are you, by any chance, acquainted with Andrei Kaiman?”

“Yes! I know Lord Andrei very well. I know how kind and sensitive he is, too.”

“Then I suppose you also know that the young Lord Kaiman only got where he is through a convenient engagement, far beyond his station. He’s a disgrace.”

Listening to this heated exchange, the crown prince inspected Jeanne more closely. Her face seemed familiar. After a moment’s thought, he recalled she was the maid who had come up from D’Hel with Andrei. He might’ve even heard her name, but of course, he never remembered the names of mere servants.

“Hah…”

A maid. Just a maid, dragged along by her master from some backwater province, yet she stood here arguing with noble heirs as if she were one of them.

“Shame belongs to those who slander others from the shadows. Lord Andrei is upright and brilliant. As for that so-called ‘position’—I don’t know the details, but seeing how envious you both are, it must suit him perfectly.”

The crown prince found himself intrigued by the fire in her eyes as she fiercely defended her master.

‘I bet she’s just as feisty in bed.’

Since falling ill, women had recoiled from him, and he hadn’t felt desire in ages. But now, for the first time in a while, he felt a stirring—and it hardened below his waist. By nature, he would’ve dragged her straight to his chambers and taken her then and there. Her resistance would only have heightened his pleasure.

But this was a critical time. Until he claimed the throne, he had to tread carefully. He couldn’t afford to give his enemies another weakness to exploit.

‘As long as I get her consent, no one can complain.’

He simply needed her to climb into his bed of her own volition. Plenty of women had already thrown themselves at him for his title and wealth. If that meant less struggle, so be it—he could still tie her down afterward, and with hot wax and a slender whip, coax out all the resistance he wanted.

Satisfied with this plan, the crown prince approached the still-arguing group. Saving a woman from a couple of arrogant noble brats would be an easy way to gain her favor.

But just before the crown prince could step forward and announce his presence with a commanding voice, an unexpected intruder disrupted the scene. A man suddenly sprang out of nowhere like a jack-in-the-box and grabbed the woman by the arm, dragging her away.

“Let go! What do you think you’re doing, Harmon?!”

“Shh! Shh…!”

Jeanne, still with plenty left to say to the young noblemen, tried to shake off Harmon’s grip, but he held her tightly and quickly whisked her away from the scene.

“What the—? Are they running away now?”

“Those bastards…!”

Still seething with anger, the nobles grew even more furious when Jeanne vanished from sight.

“Running around the palace like that… haven’t even been taught proper decorum.”

“She said she was close to Andrei Kaiman, didn’t she? Birds of a feather. Both vulgar and uncultured.”

“I can’t believe I even wasted my time talking to someone like that…”

“That’s exactly why I’m angry! She dared to raise her voice at us? Next time I see her, I’ll find out what family she belongs to and make sure they’re cut off from every source of funding.”

They glared in the direction Jeanne and Harmon had disappeared, then turned away, determined to leave the now-tainted spot behind. As they turned, they spotted the crown prince standing awkwardly in the distance.

Upon realizing who he was, they quickly bowed their heads.

“Ahem! That’s enough. You may raise your heads and be on your way.”

Clearing his throat and straightening his posture, the crown prince’s mood had soured completely now that his plan had fallen apart. The nobles, sensing his foul temper, backed away with nervous, hesitant steps, their eyes fixed warily on him.

* * *