Monitares Flowers and Sap 4
When we returned to our room, an unexpected person called out to us.
The guard knight waiting in front of the door bowed his graying head toward me.
「I apologize for Prince Elliot's repeated conduct.」
At the sudden occurrence, I shook my head vigorously. Looking closely,
he was the person who had come to the castle's medicinal herb laboratory to
pick up Prince Elliot, and he seemed to have the highest rank among the
guard knights. I have no recollection of doing anything to warrant an apology
from someone of such status.
「I do not mind it. Please raise your head.」
His face somehow exuded a sense of hardship. Even someone as dense as
me could guess a few things.
「Prince Elliot is young and has stamina. I hear his fever has not
gone up, either.」
「Actually, when I went to get water earlier, I overheard the servants
talking. I apologize that His Highness's thoughtless actions caused this
situation.」
Ashren-sama and Gray were talking in
the entrance hall. Voices echo there, so I am convinced that the knight knows
because it wouldn't be strange if the servants had heard. Even so, it is rare
for a knight to apologize like this.
「Have you been Prince Elliot's guard for a long time?」
「Yes, since His Highness was born, so it has been twenty years now. If I
had supported him better, His Highness might not have turned out like this
either.」
The last words were so quiet they seemed to fade away, as if he were
speaking to himself.
·
(Elliot's Perspective)
My body feels heavy, it's hot, someone do something. When I reached out
my hand, what gripped it back was the rugged hand of a man. At a time like
this, I should be nursed by the cold, soft hands of a woman.
What I remember are white, slender fingers. As a child, I had a weak
constitution and was frequently bedridden with fevers.
At those times, my mother never left it to wet nurses or maids, but
stayed by my side the whole time. She would help me sit up, make me drink water
or fruit water, and wipe the sweat from my forehead. I always thought I wanted
to meet the expectations of such a mother.
My two older brothers and I are half-brothers. The brothers' mother
passed away from illness, and the following year, my mother was welcomed as the
Queen.
One of the two grand dukedoms in the Tarteria Kingdom was the
former Queen's family home. The engagement of the two was decided when His
Majesty the King—at that time, the Crown Prince—was eighteen years old. I hear
it was an engagement that resulted from him falling in love at first sight with
the former Queen, who was three years older, and successfully wooing her over
several years, so the two were apparently very close.
Despite that, the reason he remarried my mother the year after the
former Queen passed away was because many royals from a few generations ago had
died from Bareinurake disease; in short, it was to increase the royal
bloodline so it wouldn't die out.
And one more thing. I heard it was because of fierce backing from my
mother's family home, which was the other grand dukedom.
My mother is the same age as His Majesty the King, and was apparently
the strongest candidate for Crown Princess in the past. Because of that, she
was educated to become the Crown Princess since she was young, but as a result,
the one chosen was the other candidate.
It seems it was my grandfather's ambition to have a King emerge from
his own clan. It is unknown to what extent my mother desired it, but as a
result, she is by His Majesty the King's side as the Queen.
My grandfather would tell me when I was still young, "I will make
you the King," as if it were his favorite phrase. When I was really small,
I believed those words, but by the time I was five or six, I thought it might
be impossible. Because I had two older brothers, after all.
But my grandfather kept saying it. And when I was ten, I hit upon the
true meaning of those words, and a fierce sense of elation ran through my whole
body. The true meaning of my grandfather's words was, "I will eliminate
all impeding factors, persuade those around us, and by any means necessary,
make you stand at the summit of the country." I thought he intended to
push me up and pull me up using every possible means.
Perhaps because of that, my grandfather demanded me to be perfect.
Every time we met, he told me not to lose to my brothers in either
academics or martial arts, and patted my shoulder saying he had high
expectations. I had a weak constitution when I was young, but when I grew up
and fell ill less often, my grandfather immediately ordered me to learn
swordsmanship. It seems this was the reason he chose a man said to be an expert
even among the knight order to be my guard knight. The sword practice was
grueling, and in between, I studied all kinds of literature.
For five years, I have no memory of spending time like a normal child.
I only thought about single-mindedly meeting my grandfather's hopes, and my
mother cheered me on as well.
But the results did not go as I wished. I never once beat my eldest
brother in swordplay. Of course, there is an age difference, but against my
eldest brother, who mowed down all the knights in a tournament held by the
knight order and won the championship, I felt like I could never win in my
entire life.
Then, as for literature, all the attention was gathered on my second
brother, who was called a prodigy, and I was left in the shadows. Unlike with
the sword, I was getting grades that could be called sufficiently excellent,
but the opponent was too bad.
Amidst all that, the only thing I could beat my second brother in was
pharmacological knowledge. It was probably because my grandfather excelled in
plant knowledge, and my mother was also knowledgeable. Since I was small, I
read books on medicinal herbs instead of picture books.
However, I was told that as things were, they could not push me up to
become the next King. Because pushing and pulling me up requires a
corresponding reason, I was told to show where I was superior to my two
brothers.
The method my grandfather came up with for that was studying abroad in
a foreign country.
Just graduating from the noble academy in the Tarteria Kingdom,
I would be compared to my second brother and lose. In that case, the words my
grandfather said to me were to just study abroad in a foreign country, graduate
at the top of that country's noble academy, and while I was at it, write at
least one paper on my specialty, pharmacology, and get commended for it.
The country chosen was the Kanista Kingdom, which was said to be
fifty years behind our country. At sixteen, having improved my sword skills to
a certain extent, I thought I could easily be number one in both academics and
martial arts in the Kanista Kingdom. And that I could casually write one
or two papers while I was at it.
Return home with prestige, and climb to become King riding on my
grandfather's coattails. My grandfather sent me off with a smile, saying he
would whittle down the influence of the other grand dukedom and prepare the
groundwork while I was studying abroad. Around that time, the death of my
brothers' grandfather also served as a tailwind, and I headed to the Kanista
Kingdom in high spirits.
However, my elation was short-lived. In the Kanista Kingdom,
sword classes are mandatory. Thinking I would win the championship with ease,
partly due to letting my guard down, I was defeated in the first round by a
single strike from Ashren. In the finals of the tournament, which I
watched while stunned, Ashren won again and took the championship.
Moreover, with an aloof attitude as if winning the championship was only
natural, he didn't even make merry or rejoice.
If I hadn't let my guard down, someone like that wouldn't have been a
match for me.
I thought he was just a meathead after all, but in the end-of-term
exams held next, Ashren got almost perfect scores and took first place.
As if it were only natural, Ashren became a central figure in
the academy, but the man himself remained completely unperturbed, acting as if
he had absolutely no interest in such things. That attitude displeased me even
more.
Since a long time ago, I had a better face than my brothers and was
highly popular with the noble ladies. In the Kanista Kingdom too, women
naturally surrounded me and fawned over me, but gradually, one by one, they
left. They started chasing after Ashren and sidled up to him, but that
guy brushed them off as if they were annoying.
What is with that guy?
Taking everything cynically, seemingly making no effort and having no
interest, yet snatching away the best results. Furthermore, he is popular with
women and has many friends.
As things were, I couldn't meet my grandfather's expectations. I had to
achieve excellent grades in this country and prove that I was superior. That
was my grandfather's wish, and also my mother's wish. Though my mother didn't
say it out loud, she probably regretted not being chosen as the Crown Princess.
To fulfill that regret, it was necessary for me to surpass my brothers and
become King.
I continued to make an effort for three years. But my grades were
always second, and in swordplay, I barely managed to enter the top five.
In my final year, I spent a lot of time on medicinal herb research. In
the Kanista Kingdom, it is customary to submit a paper upon graduation,
and the best one among them is commended. If I was chosen for that, if I had
that, my grandfather would surely be satisfied.
Naturally, my mother and grandfather knew my grades up to that point,
and letters from my grandfather began arriving frequently. With grades that
were perennially in second place, it would be difficult to recommend me for
King; just how much groundwork did I think he had been laying? Letters lined
endlessly with words that could be taken as reprimands or anger drove me into a
corner.
I secretly hired a scholar and had him help write the paper, but the
one commended was Ashren.
Ashren is the nephew of the King of Kanista,
so I'm sure favoritism was at work; I explained this to my grandfather when I
returned home, but he told me not to make excuses and lent me a deaf ear from
then on.
I was abandoned.
All because of Ashren, I could no longer obtain the throne,
which was the dream of my grandfather and my mother.
「Just how much hardship do you think I went through? Even though I took
the trouble to lay the groundwork, because you are pathetic, I cannot push you
up to become King like this. To think you couldn't even stand at the top in
that Kanista Kingdom; I am disillusioned with you. Never show your face
to me again.」
Those were the final words of the grandfather I loved so much.
I gave up on everything. Even so, the women who gathered around me—the
Third Prince who looked better than his older brothers—never ceased, and as if
in desperation, I formed relationships with them. Even if it was only for a
moment, it made me feel acknowledged, and made me think there was a part of me
that was superior to others.
While spending my days sluggishly as if just consuming time, one day, I
was called by His Majesty the King.
Even though he had forgotten about me ever since my eldest brother
became the official successor, to call me now... While thinking that, I headed
there and was told about a marriage proposal with the Princess of the Kanista
Kingdom.
The King strung together plausible reasons, saying I had experience
studying abroad in the Kanista Kingdom, that I attended the academy at
the same time as the Princess, and that he heard rumors she was quite a beauty,
but in short, he probably just wanted to get rid of a nuisance. Deepening
friendship with a country that has no particularly notable industries or
technologies has no specific merit for the Tarteria Kingdom, after all.
But I thought that wasn't bad either. Even in such a country, I would
become the King of a nation. If that happens, I can surpass Ashren.
「Although it is unofficial, your name has been raised as the top
candidate for the Princess's prince consort. I am counting on you.」
Thinking 'Is this the first request from His Majesty the King?', I
placed a hand on my chest and answered, "Understood."
Returning to the Kanista Kingdom after a long time, the Princess
had become more beautiful than in her academy days, and just as I was thinking
this wasn't bad either, I heard the story about Ashren's fiancée. I
heard she was a talented woman from the Jilgista Kingdom, and was so
beautiful that even that Ashren doted on her.
Hmm, me becoming King, or having his fiancée stolen away—which one
would make that guy feel more frustrated? Thinking such things, when I
approached Layla, a reaction beyond my expectations returned from Ashren.
That Ashren viewed me as a rival for the first time.
Laughter welled up at the sight of that guy, who didn't even pay
attention to me during our academy days, keeping me in check. And then I came
up with an idea. After becoming King, I just need to make Layla my
concubine.
The Kanista Kingdom is, in the end, just a small country that has no choice but to rely on our country's coal. If I cut off the coal coming from my grandfather's territory, the country's industry will stall, and the citizens won't be able to survive the winter. I can just imagine Ashren stamping his feet in frustration. I will never forgive that man who snatched everything away from me with an aloof face. He can regret it to his heart's content.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
Nepheos
[Silver]
Corey Hicks
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Jake Seagraves
Matthew Fraser
Tbaum56
Baelee
Christopher Feliciano
Ctdela
Curious Panda
nick nasca
SD Fox
Taylor King
Z
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----