The Sleeping Devil

On the first day of the new year following the Blank Festival, the second prince's private room in the royal palace was in a state of disarray. Vases were shattered, maids were struck with a whip, and the fine feather pillows were ruthlessly torn apart.

A letter Alphonse had sent to the Marquis Beriard a while ago had returned after a long time, and upon hearing its contents, Alphonse couldn't contain his anger.

"Why did she reject the engagement with me? What's wrong with me? She acted so obediently in front of me before! She's a liar!"

"Al, calm down. I thought she was perfect for you, too. It's disappointing. Is there nothing we can do about it?"

Saying this, Alphonse's mother, Lady Lyra, who had delivered the contents of the letter herself, looked at her retainer with moist eyes.

The retainer, being looked at with such eyes that invoked maternal protection, fought the urge to say, "I'll do something about it," and bit down on their lip.

Seeing this, perhaps out of sympathy, Romilda, who was in charge of Alphonse's education, stepped in to restrain the two.

"Your Highness Alphonse, I must ask that you refrain from using such language even in your own room. Your Highness must have taken a liking to Lady Sheriel, correct? Even among royals, if one truly loves another, their lineage may be overlooked. Please choose with your heart."

Romilda's words were not lies. In noble society, political marriages were common. However, when two people who genuinely cared for each other were involved, it was often advantageous in terms of the magical potential passed down to the child and the marriage itself, provided there were no issues with lineage. Alphonse, perhaps recalling the tea party, stopped his rampage for a moment and looked at Lyra in silence.

"It doesn't have to be her. But I don't want Alicia or any of those other girls. I want someone like mother, someone kind who will listen to everything I say."

"Well, Al, you say such delightful things. I wouldn't want a bride for you who isn't kind and won't cherish you."

During the mother and son's conversation, Romilda cast her eyes downward. Was she suffering from a headache, or perhaps stress? She placed her hand on her temple, taking a moment to collect herself quietly.

Alphonse, who was never supposed to have a claim to the throne, was the legitimate heir due to the untimely illness of his half-brother, the first prince, just before Alphonse was born. Furthermore, as the king had not taken a new queen for ten years after Alphonse's birth, there was currently no one else in the royal palace who could inherit the throne. As a result, Alphonse had been pampered beyond measure, with anything displeasing to him kept at bay, except for Romilda. And thus, Alphonse's royal education had fallen significantly behind.

Normally, such outward expressions of emotion would be unthinkable for a royal. Children were not at fault for their flaws; the adults around them were the problem. Romilda had to remind herself of this, but Alphonse's words and actions were unbearable to watch. She was the one personally responsible for Alphonse's minimum royal education. There was no one else who could refuse this mission, for fear of what would happen to the kingdom if she did.

"Women like Romilda are absolutely dreadful, aren't they? Always nagging and thinking they're clever. I can't believe she got married. It must have been a political marriage, right?"

Alphonse hurled insults at Romilda as if venting his frustration, while both the retainer and Romilda herself continued to listen in silence. If only a talented lady could assist His Highness, perhaps something might change. This had been Romilda's initial plan-- to find a future queen for Alphonse early on.

However, considering the current situation, it seemed more prudent to postpone any engagement until Alphonse developed a sense of royalty. Fortunately, there were a few outstanding young ladies of his generation. In a society on the brink of decay, it was almost miraculous that such talented individuals had emerged in this generation.

For a few more years, until Alphonse developed a sense of royalty, the retainers present believed that it would be best to delay any engagement.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the nobility, known as the Senate, were contemplating a similar matter. Although they had been promoting Alicia, the niece of the Prime Minister, they had quickly brought up the issue of her behavior at the tea party.

The Senate was composed of the Ten Noble Houses, which held significant power among the nobility. It was a political organization consisting of the most influential lords in terms of magical power and territorial strength, separate from the Prime Minister. During major policy decisions or times of war, the Senate's approval was crucial, and even the king couldn't proceed without it.

"In three more years, His Highness will grow, or he won't..."

"It's quite uncertain. However, I felt somewhat relieved when the Beriard family rejected the proposal."

They all shared concerns about Alphonse's precariousness. Still, they also had the wisdom not to burden everything on the young ladies of his age. Something needed to be done. Whether to guide Alphonse or to appoint an alternative heir to the throne, they had a few years to decide, but it was currently the most pressing issue on their minds.

They had also gathered some information about Sheriel, the new member of the Beriard Marquis's family.

"Yes, I heard that he is quite fond of her. Is the rumor about buying a slave true?"

"She doesn't possess any magic or curses, does she? If she's an heiress of the Beriard family who harbors feelings for her, we can't allow her into the royal palace."

"That's right. If anything were to happen, the palace would be stained with blood."

One noble decided to visit and observe Alphonse's situation. Only the Ten Noble Houses had the authority to offer Alphonse critical advice, and they occasionally visited the royal palace for this purpose.

"Your Highness Alphonse, it's been a while."

"Oh, it's Heinly."

With an indifferent glance in the salon of the palace, Alphonse acknowledged Heinly Keesling, the lord of the Keesling Marquisate and a member of the Ten Noble Houses. Being in his mid-thirties, Heinly was still considered young in the Senate, but he had managed to earn Alphonse's favor.

"You seem to be in a rather foul mood, Your Highness. Is something bothering you?"

"You know, right? That girl, from the Beriard's... an incompetent, white-haired fool... rejected our engagement!"

Heinly, of course, knew about it. That's why he had come to the palace today. However, he hadn't expected Alphonse to be so furious.

"Did Your Highness have a preference for a girl like Sheriel? I've heard she resembles Lady Alicia in appearance."

"Alicia won't do. She nags too much and lacks charm. Besides, a girl who's only into studying, like Romilda, is bound to be like her."

"Hmm? But, isn't Miss Sheriel also talented in her studies? I've heard she's quite exceptional."

Upon Heinly's words, Alphonse's mouth fell open, and his eyes widened as he remained frozen for a while. Heinly didn't actually know much about Sheriel, but he assumed she must have some talent, considering the Beriard's patronage. The Beriards were not the type to engage in family playacting out of noblesse oblige; their curses were not so easily twisted for other reasons.

"That girl... She deceived me..."

"Did you say that Sheriel dislikes studying?"

"Not really... I didn't say that. But... I just hate those girls who are like Alicia! We had a good match, or so I thought! Damn all of them!"

Alphonse realized he had jumped to conclusions based on Sheriel's appearance and submissive demeanor. But he had heard discussions about her not having magic, being a former slave, and lacking talent. In reality, he hadn't spent enough time to know what kind of person she truly was.

While disillusioned at the thought that Sheriel might also be a cold and arrogant woman like Alicia, he found himself increasingly irritated when he thought of the usual young ladies gathered at the tea parties.

"Do you know why all the young ladies who could potentially be your fiancées are so diligent in their studies?"

"Because they need to be suitable to assist the queen, right? I know that much."

"Indeed, to serve as the queen's assistant, they need to acquire knowledge and wisdom equivalent to the king and possess a calm judgment."

"But right now, there's no queen, and my mother is just living a life of leisure, isn't she?"

"Another person is acting as queen, and Lady Lyra's substitute for official duties."

Originally, Lyra, who was a courtesan, was supposed to assist the queen. However, she lacked the necessary education, and even during the queen's lifetime, she was only responsible for minor arrangements for tea parties.

And now, with the queen gone, there was no one to assist, and every day seemed like one of revelry, with tea parties, evening gatherings, calling in merchants, and shopping, even from the perspective of a child.

"That's why, Your Highness Alphonse, if you were to become exceptionally skilled to the point where you don't need assistance, wouldn't it be acceptable for you to marry a kind princess who lacks education?"

"Me?"

"Yes, exactly. If Your Highness Alphonse makes a bit of an effort, you could become a wise king who doesn't need assistance."

In reality, some level of education would still be necessary. It wouldn't suffice to have the education level of a courtesan for diplomatic affairs with other countries, managing the palace, or standing alongside the king in public. However, there was a plan that, with Alphonse's diligence in studying and the emergence of a royal consciousness, these lines could naturally be drawn.

Alphonse displayed his first smile of the day, seemingly not completely dissatisfied.

"That's good to hear. I'll commend you, Heinly! I might hate studying, but it's better than marrying a woman like Romilda."

Heinly smiled quietly while bowing his head. If Alphonse made efforts to become a good king and those efforts paid off, he could simply take a kind woman as his mistress. For that, he would need to marry an excellent queen who would recognize her.

As a representative of the Senate, Heinly, who had completed his mission successfully, left the palace with a small glimmer of hope in his heart, believing that this country would be alright.