Have You Grown Disillusioned with This World?
It seemed His Majesty had arrived in Nympée far earlier than anticipated because he had taken a fast horse. He apparently changed horses multiple times and even left his escort behind in his rush to get there.
No wonder he got there so quickly.
Ordinarily, it would be unthinkable for a king to ride out alone on horseback unless it was wartime.
Well, I suppose it just showed how shaken he had been.
Perhaps he thought that once he reached Nympée, I would simply make everything right for him.
(Really… it’s just absurd.)
I found myself exasperated—not just with His Majesty, who was still so convinced I loved him, but also with my own past self who had once been devoted to him.
And so, I had no choice but to cut short the long-awaited holiday I had been so looking forward to.
☆
When we returned to the castle, it was—as expected—eerily quiet, the air stretched taut with tension.
His Majesty had stayed behind in Nympée. However, just as Lord Runken had said, the House of Lords had demanded his immediate return, and a messenger was sent to fetch him.
A meeting of the lords was convened, with all the leading nobles in attendance.
As I took my seat, my eyes met my father’s. His stern features briefly softened at the sight of me. My father had a sharp, commanding presence that easily intimidated others, but as his daughter, I knew the truth—he was a gentle man with a thoughtful heart.
Nobles filtered into the chamber, taking their seats.
Many of them glanced at my hair and did a double take, some even looking two or three times.
I couldn’t blame them, though there wasn’t much I could do about it now. I had no intention of hiding anything.
When the meeting began, the last to arrive was His Majesty himself, who had been forcibly returned to the castle.
It had been a long time since he’d attended a meeting of the lords—probably since the New Year’s greetings more than six months ago.
With exaggerated confidence, he strode into the room and swept his gaze over the assembly. Then his eyes landed on me, already seated, and he scoffed.
(… What is that supposed to mean?)
He didn’t look like someone about to be held accountable. I found it strange but kept my expression blank, pretending not to notice his gaze.
──At last, the meeting formally began. As expected, the main topic was Veronica’s scandal, and—
“Your Majesty. This matter has already become public knowledge among the common people.”
With a loud thud, the Chancellor stood from his seat. In his hand was a newspaper.
His words stunned me.
(Wha… What!?)
I had assumed we needed to impose an immediate information blackout.
We needed strict control of information—yet, to my utter shock, it had already spread to the public!?
But why!? The answer became clear immediately.
The Chancellor held a newspaper—presumably reporting this very scandal.
“It seems the reporters caught wind of it. It’s been published in today’s issue, and even if we start collecting them now, the copies already sold can’t be retrieved.”
“Just suppress it. That’s your job, isn’t it?”
His Majesty answered calmly, in an incredibly dismissive tone. This whole mess had been caused by his mistress’s light fingers, yet he showed no remorse whatsoever, acting as though he bore no responsibility.
The Chancellor clearly didn’t appreciate his attitude, a deep furrow forming between his brows before he schooled his features and spoke neutrally.
“The newspaper doesn’t only cover that. It also reports on Count Belnett’s tax evasion allegations.”
I almost gasped aloud.
Because the only people who knew about that were me and Lord Runken.
I instinctively glanced at Lord Runken, who, noticing this, offered me a faint, knowing smile.
So he had arranged this. Always so thorough—shrewd, even.
It really drove home that he was not someone I wanted to make an enemy of. I couldn’t help but wonder just when he’d managed to contact the press.
As I mulled this over, the Chancellor raised a hand and the doors to the chamber opened.
Escorted by knights, the man who entered was—
Veronica’s father, the head of the Belnett family, Count Belnett himself.
Count Belnett seemed not to fully understand why he had been summoned. Judging by his glare at the gathered nobles, it seemed he’d been dragged here without warning.
“What is the meaning of this, Chancellor? Do you really think you can get away with such behavior? This is an insult—an outrage against House Belnett.”
The Chancellor responded to his outrage with polite indifference.
“I apologize for the abruptness. But it would have been troublesome if you tried to run.”
Then, in a quiet tone, he posed his question to the Count.
“I believe you are already aware of your daughter’s… most grievous misconduct.”
“I know nothing of it. She is no longer my daughter. I have disowned her.”
Count Belnett sneered, his words clear and cutting. From that reaction, it was obvious he knew of Veronica’s transgressions.
Since he was already here, this was my opportunity.
I rose from my seat.
“Count Belnett. I, too, have something I wish to ask you.”
At my voice, his gaze shifted toward me, eyes narrowing in suspicion. His expression plainly said, “What does the ornamental queen want with me?”
Then, a mocking smile spread across his face as he replied,
“Well, well, Your Majesty. Whatever happened to your lovely hair? Have you grown disillusioned with this world after failing to win His Majesty’s love?”
What do you think about this chapter?
