Chapter 79: His Majesty the King’s Torment (Part 1)

While Rodel seethed with ambition and hatred in the palace,

In the heart of the palace, a man was holding his head and groaning.

“Seriously… How did he become so foolish…”

The room resembled a conference room, with a large round table, around which three individuals sat.

One of them was the head figure of the palace.

David Iwood, the King of Iwood Kingdom.

He was Rodel’s father, the man who should be at the pinnacle of the nation.

Usually, he would stand before others with pride and dignity, but today he was seated deeply in his chair, hunched over.

What troubled the king’s heart was the misdeeds of his third son, Rodel.

“To think he would cast magic at a classmate in the middle of a classroom… What was he thinking?”

“Perhaps he wasn’t thinking at all, Father.”

The one who responded was a young man sitting at the round table as well.

Richard Iwood, the first prince of Iwood Kingdom.

Already in his mid-twenties, he had been designated as the crown prince and was almost certain to become the next king.

“Or perhaps his brain is simply degenerating. Maybe his head is filled with chiffon cake.”

“…Richard, that’s not funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny. I’m dead serious.”

As the king glared at his son, Richard snorted.

“He’s just a beast swollen with pride. It’s a mistake to expect any rationality from him… We knew he would cause trouble sooner or later.”

“…Indeed.”

The king affirmed Richard’s words with silence.

This was expected… It’s true.

Rodel was of royal blood, but he was a man devoid of tolerance and compassion.

He only thought about satisfying his inflated pride and desires.

Although he was considered Richard’s Half-brother, Richard had never regarded him as a brother.

“Wouldn’t it be better to discipline him for this incident? There’s certainly a just cause, isn’t there?”

“Don’t say things you know can’t be done. You know that too.”

Even the king had thought about disciplining Rodel more than once.

Unfortunately, it couldn’t be done.

Rodel was protected. By the late Queen Dowager and the current Queen Consort.

All the king could do was isolate Rodel and the Queen Consort in the detached palace to prevent any further damage to the palace workers.

“Seriously… Why did my mother raise Rodel like that…”

The king said bitterly.

Of the two protective walls shielding Rodel, the one currently in the forefront was the late Queen Dowager.

Although it’s said that the sins of the child are the responsibility of the parent, the king had not been involved in Rodel’s upbringing and education.

Rodel had been protected and raised by the Queen Dowager, who was the king’s mother.

Her name was Frederica Iwood.

Her reputation was impeccable. Perhaps too impeccable.

Skilled in the art of winning people’s hearts, the Queen Dowager had once rallied many individuals and ousted the tyrant who was the previous king.

At that time, she had decentralized the authority of the centralized Iwood Kingdom, distributing it among the nobles, laying the foundation for decentralization.

Some people jokingly likened her to a harlot because of her ability to capture the hearts of men with just a few words, but her accomplishments far outweighed any criticisms.

That’s why the Queen Dowager’s faction remained strong even after her death, serving as a support for Rodel.

“…Even though we are her grandchildren, she never paid any attention to my brother and me. Frankly, I have no idea what she was thinking.”

Richard said, slightly lowering his gaze.

Here, ‘brother’ referred not to Rodel but to the second prince, Andrew Iwood.

“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but… It seems to me that the Queen Dowager deliberately let Rodel’s education fail. Otherwise, such a completely brainless idiot prince wouldn’t have been created.”

“…That might be going too far. My mother who saved the country from a tyrant and held power might have lost her ability to make sound judgments in her later years due to her fondness for her grandchildren.”

The king sighed.

Although he denied his son’s words, the truth was that he, too, did not understand what the Queen Dowager had been thinking.

She had deposed her tyrant husband and seized power, but she was originally a baron’s daughter who had been forcibly made queen by the previous king.

At that time, her family home had been destroyed. Her family, relatives, and her fiancé had all been killed.

They were all eliminated because they opposed her marriage to the king and earned the wrath of the tyrant.

(Her family and fiancée were killed, and she was forced to become the king’s wife… Get rid of her husband and take power. Mother, what on earth were you thinking…?)

The king asked, but there was no one left to answer him.

The Queen Dowager passed away without revealing her innermost thoughts to even her own son.

Perhaps she didn’t trust the son born from a marriage forced upon her.

Or perhaps there were other reasons.

“Enough sentimentality. Shouldn’t we discuss what to do from now on?”

The person who had been silent until then spoke up.

Listening to the conversation between the king and Richard, the person who hadn’t spoken up until now was the prime minister—Velios Crocus.

He was Celestine’s biological father and a powerful figure second only to the king.

“Prince Rodel is a villain, but he’s insignificant. He can’t commit any major crimes. Instead, we should dismantle the people behind him.”

“…True.”

The king nodded at Velios’s words.

The factions that idolized the Queen Dowager.

They were a thorn in the king’s side, political enemies who often stood in his way as internal concerns.

They couldn’t afford to leave those who might rebel using Rodel as a banner unchecked. They had to crush them for sure.

“The influential members of the faction… It’s known that Marquis Eiger has been in contact with Prince Rodel, who is currently under house arrest at the detached palace. They seem to be plotting something sinister.”

“…Keep an eye on Eiger. If we can expose his misdeeds and capture him, it might serve as an opportunity to dismantle the faction.”

“…Understood.”

Velios accepted the king’s order and began to move.

For Velios, the issue regarding Rodel was not just a matter of concern for others.

His daughter Celestine had been betrothed to Rodel because of the Queen Dowager.

To free her from a worthless man… They had to bring down the Queen Dowager’s faction as soon as possible.

While Rodel was scheming behind the scenes, those who opposed him were also making their move.

The resolution of their struggles within the palace, orchestrated by a single young boy, was still a matter of the future.

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