Chapter 24: Trine Diego’s Resolve (2)

“What are you doing, Your Highness?”

Since the prince was tinkering with something inside a dirty bathroom, Caldein instinctively stepped forward to intervene.

“It’s nothing. Caldein, just keep doing what you were doing.”

“Thing is…”

Caldein couldn’t leave either, since he himself had business to take care of in the bathroom.

Just then, Jade, Patrick, and Dike entered the annex and caught sight of the scene.

“Your Highness! I don’t know what you’re doing, but please allow me to do it instead!”

Everyone called out to Raion in shock.

But Raion ignored their voices, holding his breath as he continued to install the pipes.

‘I need to finish this fast! Fast!’

Druruk! Druruk! Druruk!

He quickly fixed the final cover in place and tightened the screws securely.

Now, there was no opening left for any smell to leak through.

“Haah―! Haah―! Finally, I can breathe again!”

Patrick, seeing Raion gasp for air and straighten his back, quickly asked,

“Your Highness! What on earth were you doing? If you needed something, you should’ve called for me.”

“It’s fine. It’s done now. This was something really important, so I had to do it myself.”

“Still, please make sure to call me next time.”

Raion patted Patrick on the shoulder, then turned the valve that supplied water to the pipe above the toilet.

Thanks to the tank he had prepared beforehand, water began gurgling up behind the toilet.

“What is that?”

Jade, who had been silently observing, asked.

Raion smiled confidently.

“It’s called a sitting toilet. Now, we won’t have to do our business in dirty places anymore.”

“Do our business…? You mean, that kind of business?”

“That’s right. You sit here, do what you need to do, and then press this.”

To demonstrate, Raion pressed down the lever.

Shwaaaaaa―!

The stagnant water drained cleanly along with the incoming flow, then refilled itself.

“See that? That’s how it works. Who wants to give it a try?”

Everyone exchanged glances, shrugging uncertainly.

Then, someone grabbed Jade’s shoulder, who was standing in front of the door.

“Huuk―!”

It was Caldein.

He had come to the bathroom for serious business, but Raion’s construction had forced him to hold it in all this time.

“M–May I, please!”

Caldein’s face had already turned pale.

Noticing his condition, Raion shoved Jade aside and stepped out.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

As soon as everyone exited, Caldein rushed in and slammed the door shut.

Oddly enough, no one left—they all stood in front of the door, waiting.

Not long after, loud noises came from inside, followed by the sound of flushing water.

“Phew―!”

Caldein emerged, looking refreshed and back to normal.

“Sorry for making you all wait because of me.”

“It’s fine. It was a bit dangerous, but it’s all solved now. More importantly, how did you make that? It’s really clean.”

Words of amazement began to spill out.

The others were also astonished after witnessing the “toilet” Raion had created.

“I’m planning to install the same thing in Taron’s Palace too. Jade, Patrick, help me out, will you? I don’t think I can handle doing a second one myself.”

“Just tell me how, and I’ll take care of everything.”

Patrick was the most enthusiastic.

Jade, on the other hand, seemed rather reluctant—perhaps his stomach wasn’t quite as strong.

It had been nearly a year since Raion had entered Taron’s Palace.

In the royal guest room of the Canel Kingdom, Queen Elina sat with her father, Alito.

They had gathered to discuss the people who had recently joined Raion in the palace.

“Let’s see… the royal knight Jade, the third-rate mage Caldein, and the merchant Fordman, correct? What could the Third Prince possibly be thinking, bringing in people like that?”

None of them were particularly renowned for their skills.

If anything, they were so obscure that it only deepened the mystery.

Even Alito couldn’t easily answer Elina’s question.

“I don’t know either. What could the Third Prince be thinking? It’s not like there’s much he can even do from there.”

At the moment, Raion was practically confining himself within Taron’s Palace.

He hadn’t even appeared at the royal banquet that was held every New Year.

To everyone, Raion seemed completely isolated and powerless to act.

Of course, his own view might differ—but to these two, that’s how it looked.

“We probably don’t need to concern ourselves with him, do we?”

“It’s not like we can interfere with Raion anyway. All we can do is focus on our own matters.”

“I suppose… you’re right.”

Elina answered softly, gazing out the window.

Her gaze stretched out toward the vast expanse of the Canel Royal Castle.

At this rate, it was certain that the throne of the Canel Kingdom would fall into the hands of her sons.

“The Royalist faction members are gradually being won over. It won’t be easy to finish in a short time, but within the period you mentioned, it will be certain.”

“Really? That’s faster than I expected.”

“It’s thanks to Prince Raion entering Taron’s Palace. Because of that, the Royalists have completely lost hope.”

Most of the current Royalist faction had only followed King Laskan because of his royal authority.

However, King Laskan could not continue to lead the Canel Kingdom forever.

Naturally, a prince had to inherit the throne.

Yet the one the current king trusted most—Prince Raion—had betrayed that trust through his actions.

For Elina and Alito, that was precisely the opportunity they had been waiting for.

“This worked out perfectly. With him fading away on his own, things are becoming much easier for us.”

“Still, we can’t afford to underestimate the Royalist ministers and nobles. If they start to shift toward our side, the Royalist leadership won’t sit idly by.”

Factional wars were like a tight tug-of-war happening in real time.

If one side grew weaker or stronger, it would become apparent immediately.

“Ah! What about drawing in Sir Trine?”

“Sir Trine Diego, the commander of the Royal Knights? You know better than anyone that he’s the king’s closest confidant.”

He was King Laskan’s most trusted vassal.

Naturally, he was known as a man who would never betray his loyalty, no matter the persuasion.

“Not through pressure, but by forming ties. He has a daughter—what if we connect her with one of your men? A nobleman, I mean.”

“Oh-ho… You mean to link their houses through marriage? Not a bad idea.”

“Do you know anyone suitable? It would be best if he were a high-ranking noble. His Majesty the King cherishes Sir Trine deeply, so if we arranged for his daughter to marry into a high noble family, he would surely be pleased.”

Elina’s face already shone with joy, as if the plan had succeeded.

In the current royal palace, there was nothing she couldn’t achieve.

“Yes, there’s someone.”

“Someone came to mind?”

“Count Diang Oulad. His father recently passed away in the army, and he inherited the title.”

“What kind of person is he? Sir Trine values a man’s character above all, so whoever it is can’t be someone entirely disagreeable to us.”

In other words, they wanted someone who would be easy to manipulate.

Alito recalled what he knew about Diang Oulad.

“He’s working in the Royal Foreign Affairs Office. As far as I remember, he wasn’t bad. He’s also distantly related through my grandfather’s father’s sister’s line, so that’s not unfavorable either.”

“That should be fine, then. I’ll carefully bring up the matter with His Majesty.”

“I’ll speak with him as well.”

Sir Trine Diego’s only daughter, Sophia, was widely known for her exceptional beauty.

Naturally, her beauty was famous among the knights too, and many had sought her hand, but most gave up out of fear of her father, Trine Diego’s formidable presence.

“All right. And please continue to reach out to the other ministers and nobles.”

“Don’t worry.”

After finalizing their plan, the two left the guest chamber.

A few days later, a royal assembly was held in the throne hall.

After concluding discussions on national affairs, King Laskan turned to Trine.

“Sir Trine, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

At that, Trine stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

“Please speak, Your Majesty!”

“I’ve heard your only daughter is still unmarried—is that true?”

On the Phalon Continent, people generally married around the age of twenty.

If one remained unmarried without a special reason beyond that, it was often judged as a lack of ability or charm.

Of course, it was a terribly outdated notion of marriage, but the Phalon Continent was not much different from the conservative Korea of decades past.

It was a society both highly traditional and quite oppressive.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“What is her name, and how old is she now?”

“Her name is Sophia, and she has just turned twenty-one.”

“That’s an appropriate age. I’d like to arrange a marriage for your daughter—what do you think?”

At King Laskan’s proposal, Trine’s expression stiffened as he bowed his head. Then, composing himself, he slowly raised his face to answer.

“A marriage, Your Majesty? May I ask with whom?”

“Hmm… How about Count Diang Oulad of the Foreign Affairs Office? What do you think?”

“Count Diang Oulad, you say?”

Trine couldn’t answer immediately and repeated the name.

Because it concerned his only daughter, it wasn’t a decision he could take lightly.

“Of course, your daughter’s opinion is important too. Ask her, and if she agrees, we’ll proceed with the arrangement. What say the rest of you?”

When the king turned to the ministers and nobles, Duke Alito stepped forward.

“A most reasonable proposal, Your Majesty. Moreover, it would not be disadvantageous for Sir Trine to accept. The relations between the knights guarding the palace and the diplomats have long been strained—should this union succeed, it would certainly help improve that relationship.”

As Alito’s long-winded explanation went on, Trine’s bowed face grew increasingly tense.

Of course, Duke Alito’s words were not entirely wrong.

Diplomats and nobles, who spent their time abroad and in luxury, often looked down on the warriors and soldiers who guarded the capital.

As those relations soured over time, the situation had only worsened.

“For now, I wish to respect Sophia’s decision. I shall ask her directly and then report back with an answer.”

With Trine’s reply, the discussion in the throne hall concluded.

Afterward, Trine finished his duties and immediately returned home.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep