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I Changed My Thinking and Saw Differently (2)
It wasn’t really special that Count Bale Balahard declared himself as the guardian of the First Prince. It was just natural that a respected count would become the guardian of his nephew.
However, the repercussions of that natural thing were not so simple.
In the past, the Count criticized his nephew’s nature and gauged his qualities as those of a tyrant. Then, the Count withdrew all his support from him. As a result, the prince rapidly lost the respect of others, and eventually, he was made an outcast. Then, it was made public that the King has disowned his eldest son.
The Count was praised for it. He was praised for his high and noble cause, that he didn’t choose blood over the well-being of the kingdom.
However, the Count has now overturned his decision.
He did it at a time when the King has already deprived the First Prince of the rights to succession, and when the First Prince’s position was to worry more about his confinement rather than his succession rights.
The nobles could not understand why the Count overturned his decision.
However, they knew the impact of it.
Count Bale Balahard owns one of the only five quad-chains in the kingdom. He was a high lord whose wide territory encompasses the northern part of the kingdom. His family possessed the Black Lancers, whose fame and glory was only second to the Templar Knights. These soldiers were trained in fighting monsters in the mountains. As such, the Balahard family’s strength cannot be ignored.
With such prestige and power now behind the First Prince, his status soared quickly.
Of course, that did not mean that he was now the most influential candidate for succession.
While he was confined, the other Princes made steps to strengthen their position and gather support. Even with the great Balahard’s support, it would take a lot for the First Prince to cross the gap between him and his brothers.
The only thing he had that could overrule his brothers’ claim was his legitimacy. He was, after all, the First Prince, the eldest son.
But in the King and the kingdom’s eyes, his offenses and the scandals he had caused had already piled up so much, to the point where none of the nobles wanted to be under his banner.
* * *
The palace was busy.
There were new court knights, maids, and servants wandering around. I knew they were spying on me.
It was all so troublesome.
I couldn’t bear it anymore and yelled at Carls.
“Make them leave!”
“Your Highness, these people are under His Majesty’s command. Even if I command them, they will not listen.”
“Then, at least, get them out of my sight!”
It was only then that Carls stepped forward and drove the newly assigned escorts outside of the palace. One of the chief maids I had come out and led the new servants and maids away.
Only then did I feel safe from the secret gazes that I have been getting.
“That’s better.”
I thought I could finally take some rest, but suddenly, the Third Prince arrived.
“Why are you here?”
I asked with an annoyed tone at his unannounced arrival.
The Third Prince’s eyes narrowed.
“It’s pretty exciting…”
What is this guy talking about?
“I heard you’re planning some trickery with Count Balahard.”
He looked as if he had taken offense about my training as if it was unfair.
“What? Who did you hear it from?”
“Did you think you could beat me now? Thanks to that, our battle will only be more exciting.”
The Third Prince arrived out of nowhere and did not have any intention to answer my questions, only to say what he wanted to say.
“Yes. All right, now, please go.”
“You’ll find that it isn’t good to trick me, who came in good faith. I was just trying to save my brother’s face.”
“Thank you then.”
“My brother made a really big mistake.”
The young man’s face looked very harsh.
“I’m thinking of making you pay for your treachery…”
Seeing that evil gaze, I leaned back on my chair.
“So?”
It seems that my relaxed attitude at his threat further infuriated the Third Prince.
“It looks like you don’t understand… I’m saying I’ll give you a nightmare that you won’t forget your whole life.”
I said nothing.
“If I were you, I would rather live the same as I did. A life of girls and alcohol. Don’t be so greedy.”
“Is that all you have to say?” I pointed at the door. “When you’re done speaking, go. Stop bothering people.”
“Even without that, I was about to go.”
He looked as if he lost his momentum, but he kept pretending that the conversation was going according to his plan.
“Please enjoy the upcoming banquet.”
His grin was evil as if he thought that I could not avoid another accident at such gathering.
After that, he rose from his seat and turned to the door.
He stiffened for a moment when he saw who was standing there.
It was Uncle.
The Third Prince recovered quickly, and gave Uncle a slight nod, before passing by him and leaving the room.
Once the door was closed, Uncle approached me.
“Why did you just let him leave like that?”
I shrugged.
“A child who didn’t know better could not make me heat up. Besides, we were already scheduled to fight.”
We heard that the Third Prince was doing quite a bit of work himself. There will certainly be quite a number of spectators on the day of the sparring.
Uncle shook his head.
“His temper is an evil one.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re the one who created this mess, Uncle.”
The sudden increase of the servants, the sudden visit of the Third Prince – it all happened after Uncle’s declaration.
“Tsu,” Uncle clicked his tongue.
“You could have at least delayed it,” I chided him.
“Until when? Until the other princes have finished preparing?” he rebuked me.
I also had my own plans.
I don’t intend to spend my whole life in a palace.
With moderate strength and moderate finances, I was planning to escape the palace.
Of course, it was not that easy. However, in the worst case, I was prepared to fake my own death just to be able to leave.
But before that, I need to find the sword – my actual body – that was hidden by the King.
“Just because you don’t want it doesn’t change the situation,” Uncle said, taking me out of my thoughts.
“I am not interested in the throne.”
Uncle thought I had changed to regain the things that I have lost. But that was wrong.
In the first place, I wasn’t losing anything.
The throne wasn’t mine from the start.
How do I lose something that wasn’t mine? Why would I want to get it back?
If there was anything that I wanted to recover, it wasn’t the throne, but the power and strength that reached transcendence.
“Just match the beat for now. Dance with the tune. Consult with me and work hard,” Uncle said as if the race for succession was simply a stream you can dip your feet in and out of as you wish.
“Are you doing this for the Balahard family?” I asked him.
However, instead of getting angry or looking embarrassed, Uncle burst out laughing.
“As long as the royal family and the nobles remember the harshness of winter, they will have nothing to do with the Balahard family.”
The Balahard family, Uncle explained, acted as the shield that protects the kingdom from the monsters in the northern mountains. No one could replace them.
I admired his overflowing confidence a little.
“But remember,” he sounded firm. “The rights of the firstborn don’t disappear unless he dies. If you need time to accept the situation, take all the time you need. We won’t force you until you’re ready.”
“No matter how much time you give me, I won’t change my mind…”
Uncle left it at that and disappeared from the room.
No matter how much time passes, I will not change my thoughts.
My decision was firm.
At least, it was before I attended the banquet.
* * *
“The Viscount and Viscountess Artuen Farinel from the Southern Farinelle Estate are entering!”
The great doors opened after each booming announcement.
One by one, the nobles began filling out the luxurious banquet hall.
Upon entering, they start looking around to find acquaintances or family members, looking over the carefully prepared mountains of food.
Soon, the spacious hall will be filled.
They gave and received polite greetings, and insignificant conversations came and went. It was the same scenery as with any other banquet.
Taylor Tailheim looked around with a nervous face. Until now, only nobles from the rural areas have entered the room. But it seemed like the nobles are entering by rank. Soon, insignificant nobles such as the Tailheim family were pushed into the corners as the great nobles arrived.
“Baron Rockwell?”
“Oh, long time no see, Baron Tailheim!”
Fortunately, there were quite a few rural nobles who had been pushed in the corners with them, and Taylor and his father found acquaintances.
“Isn’t the banquet hosted by the royal family really extraordinary?”
“Yes, it’s too much. I’m feeling a little embarrassed being here.”
As he said it, Baron Tailheim’s gaze was directed at the nobles gathered in the distance, waiting to be announced.
“Well, we must take this great opportunity and enjoy it. There will not be many like us who have been invited by the First Prince directly.”
“Yes, it wouldn’t have been easy to receive an invitation with his own royal seal.”
At that, some of the rural nobles around them nodded at each other and expressed their gratitude at having been invited by the First Prince himself.
Baron Rockwell and Baron Teilheim looked over at the other rural barons at their side, then at each other.
“Did you…?”
“Yes. My son was invited by His Highness the First Prince a while ago.”
“Oh, my second son, too…”
All of them had a bad experience with the First Prince, but strangely, they have been personally invited to the banquet. The rural barons quickly felt a sense of sameness and started talking to each other animatedly.
Some of the nobles frowned at them.
“I see. Some people who were not cultured are also called nobles…” One lady remarked to herself.
“Right? The great lords are entering, but they are making a fuss.” Another responded.
Baron Tailheim and the other rural nobles blushed and fell silent.
“Hmm, it’d be better to talk a little later.”
“Let’s do that because the great lords are entering soon.”
After a while, the great lords and counts began entering the banquet hall one after the other.
“Count Verok Graham of the Eastern Graham Estate and his second daughter, Anne, are entering!”
“With Count Polt Ronen of the Western Ronen Territory… … .”
Only
Each of the lower nobles who had entered in advance approached the great lords and paid their respects.
The country nobles watched from their corners. Since they were not acquainted with any great lords, they could only watch their prestige from afar.
“Marquis of Trindel Mendelheim and his eldest son Klasman from the southern Mendelheim estate are entering!”
The pinnacles of the noble ranks, the marquises and dukes, have started to enter, as well.
And soon after, the attendant shouted loudly.
“The rightful successor of His Majesty the King Lionel Leonberger, the eldest son of the Leonberger royal family, His Highness Idrian Leonberger is entering!”
At that moment, everyone turned their heads towards the entrance of the banquet hall.
The great doors opened slowly, revealing the notorious First Prince.