The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 72

The official schedule Keltman had prepared for the foreign envoys was designed to span an entire month.

However, by the second week, the envoys—gathered under the pretense of a hunting festival—were already preparing to return to their respective nations.

The reason was simple: that very morning, the delegation from the Heil Empire, led by the Duke of Chaield, had announced their intention to depart as soon as preparations were complete.

Though not all nations were affected equally, smaller countries closely aligned with the Heil Empire were unwilling to lose the protective shield provided by Chaield.

As these nations began quietly making arrangements to leave, other envoys, who had initially intended to see the schedule through, started to feel uneasy.

The grand hunting festival, which was supposed to begin in earnest after the tournament, had already fallen apart. But Gidima’s concerns lay elsewhere.

“The Duke of Chaield…”

Gidima slammed his fist on the desk. The heavy thud echoed through the office at the White Palace, a sound as weighty as the pressure bearing down on him.

If it were the Duke of Chaield, he would quickly uncover why the Gargoyle Earl was there at that time, and who had put him there in the first place.

Sheltering a criminal from another nation was, without a doubt, a serious diplomatic violation. On top of that, hadn’t the Duke also made Lady Diane cry during their private meeting?

“If the Duke of Chaield finds out, he’ll lose it.”

There were too many issues the Duke could take offense to. If all of them erupted, Gidima might very well lose his position.

A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind. Sending a military force to block their return had crossed his mind, but the Chaield delegation had too many guards.

If they traveled by land, he could send assassins to ambush them. But the Duke of Chaield had declared he would return by sea, aboard a large ship.

“If an assassin is caught aboard the ship, it will only expose our weakness.”

As if to deny him time to come up with a plan, the Chaield delegation was rushing their departure. Gidima gulped down cold water in frustration.

The only saving grace was the fact that the Gargoyle Earl’s life was in critical condition, as if he were possessed by a ghost.

“At least the old man won’t live to testify, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”

Perhaps it was the cold water, but Gidima’s thoughts began to settle. Upon closer examination, the current situation wasn’t entirely favorable for the Duke of Chaield either.

“I heard the young warriors who were attacked by the Gargoyle Earl still haven’t regained consciousness.”

The Duke would insist he hadn’t been the one to harm them, but how many in the Heil Empire would actually believe him?

Outwardly, they might all pretend to trust him—just as they always had—but the Duke’s claims lacked solid evidence.

Moreover, Heil had already committed two diplomatic blunders: losing the necklace and deciding to leave before the schedule was completed.

“Two breaches of etiquette in diplomacy.”

Competing with Chaield in wealth was suicide, but Gidima had honed the skill of reading situations and playing his hand during his long reign.

For now, he would issue government bonds to borrow from the nation’s wealthy elites and resolve the immediate financial crisis. Then, he could face Heil head-on.

“No matter how brilliant the Duke of Chaield is, even he can’t outmaneuver experience.”

Gidima regained his confidence as he reflected on the diplomatic achievements he had accumulated over the years.

He couldn’t imagine that his enemy possessed a secret weapon capable of peering into another’s thoughts.

The Chaield delegation’s preparations to leave Heil proceeded swiftly, thanks to the efficiency of the Duke’s staff.

“I guess it’s true that Chaield owns significant assets even in Keltman.”

Amelia gawked at the numerous carriages summoned with a single command from Kyle. If this were the 21st century, Chaield would be a multinational corporation.

Everywhere in the world, they had estates and carriages, along with loyal personnel under their banner.

“Well, they’re deeply involved in Keltman’s national projects, so it’s no surprise they dominate private ventures as well.”

Chaield’s wealth and power never failed to amaze. Amelia gave up trying to comprehend it and stepped toward the prepared carriage.

“Lady Diane!”

Princess Lien called out, stopping her in her tracks. Her face was filled with regret, as though she didn’t want to see the Chaield delegation leave.

Amelia had to admit that she’d grown somewhat fond of Lien.

“Princess Lien, thank you for your kindness during my stay.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, Lady Diane. Please take care on your journey. And do give my regards to your father.”

“If the opportunity arises, please visit the Diane estate. My father and I will be waiting for you.”

As soon as she said it, Amelia felt a pang of worry. Gidima might retaliate against Lien for failing to secure the position of Chaield’s fiancée, as her father had wished.

Kyle, who was about to step into the carriage after her, immediately sensed her concern. His lover was far too empathetic for her own good.

“Don’t worry. You’ll see Princess Lien again soon,” Kyle said confidently.

Though his tone suggested some hidden scheme, Amelia felt oddly reassured. She exchanged final farewells with Lien and climbed into the carriage.

Kyle naturally took the seat beside her, and the coachman flicked the reins to start their journey. The White Palace, where they had stayed briefly, grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

“Kyle, what did you mean when you said we’d see her again soon?”

“The love and peace you cherish so much.”

Coming from the “harbinger of doom,” love and peace sounded suspiciously like code names for a covert operation.

“Now that I think about it, Lien seemed to have struck some sort of deal with Kyle.”

What could it be? Amelia firmly implanted “love and peace” into Kyle’s thoughts one more time.

Around the same time, in the Heil Empire’s royal palace:

Verdo leisurely got up and began his morning routine. While he ate breakfast, a servant carefully opened the day’s newspaper.

As the pages fell loose, the headline was revealed:

[Week Two of the Delegation: What Have They Achieved So Far?]

It was another mundane, perfectly peaceful headline. Verdo sipped his tea, clearly pleased, and gazed out the window with an air of self-satisfaction.

“As emperor, I’ve realized something,” Verdo announced.

“Huh? Out of nowhere?”

The seasoned servant concealed his surprise, maintaining an attentive demeanor.

“When something significant enough to affect the lives of my subjects occurs, the newspaper headlines change first.”

Verdo took another sip, swirling the tea in his mouth before continuing.

“As emperor, it is my duty to care for my people. Beginning my day by looking into their lives is of utmost importance.”

He instructed the servant to spread apricot jam on his scone while continuing his unsolicited praise of newspapers. For him, they were a reliable barometer of political sentiment.

Whenever something happens, it always shows up in the headlines. So if the headlines remain mundane, it means I’m performing my duties as emperor well.

With this conviction, Verdo bit into his scone. Just as the pleasant sweetness began to spread in his mouth—

“Y-Your Majesty! News has arrived that Keltman’s envoys are returning home!”

His confidence shattered in an instant.

“What? Isn’t the schedule far from over?”

“The details weren’t included in the telegram, but it seems a major incident has occurred.”

“A major incident?”

Thud. The scone he had been holding fell jam-side down onto the table. It was beyond salvation.

“And Nadia? What about her?”

“The princess appears to be safely returning, but… it seems the return was ordered by the Duke of Chaield.”

“…Hah.”

If there was anyone who knew the immense patience of Kyle, the Duke of Chaield, it was Verdo. For him to forgo that patience and declare a return meant that something catastrophic must have happened.

“Take this away.”

The innocent newspaper was promptly relegated to the trash.

Arriving at Heil’s port earlier than expected, we quickly transferred to a carriage headed for the Chaield estate.

Though the ship had been remarkably comfortable, the carriage was even more luxurious. As I admired the soft velvet seats, Kyle handed me a cushion.

“You must be tired from the journey. Please rest.”

“You’re the one who should rest, Kyle. I’ve been sleeping just fine this entire trip.”

Ignoring his polite refusal, I grabbed Kyle and made him lie down with his head on my lap. He didn’t resist, instead meeting my gaze once he was settled.

“Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when we reach the estate.”

“…I prefer staying like this.”

Kyle reached out and gently caressed my cheek, his touch cautious. Through it, I could see what was on his mind.

It was a scene from when Marabas had used the Gargoyle Earl to wield Areté. The young warriors of the Heil Empire had looked at Kyle with venom, spitting harsh words at him while he lay unconscious, his lifeless eyes resembling those of a dead fish.

Even though their words were barbed and cruel, Kyle had endured, his heart battered but his face impassive.

“If it were me, I’d be grabbing the sleeve of a passerby and bawling my eyes out.”

Yet Kyle acted as though such pain was as familiar as a heartbeat. It was heartbreaking to see.

“What are you thinking about, Sister?” he asked.

“Oh, just wondering who dared to insult my handsome fiancé,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Kyle’s eyes curved into a gentle smile at my cringe-worthy words. The moment was nearly perfect—if not for the sudden coughing fit from the back seat.

“Hack, hack… My apologies, I choked on my own spit.”

“…”

Flustered, I averted my gaze. Normally, Kyle would have glared at Vanessa as if he wanted to kill her, but this time, he let it slide.

“I owe her a debt,” his thoughts explained.
“If she hadn’t used the medicine Princess Lien gave at the right moment…”

I later learned from Vanessa that the potion, which undid Areté, had been provided by Kyle to her. Judging from Kyle’s thoughts, however, it seemed Princess Lien was the one who had originally obtained it.

How had Lien managed to acquire a specialty product from Triha?

“Kyle, wouldn’t it be a good idea to keep some of that potion stocked at the Chaield estate?”

“Do you want it for yourself?”

Did I want it? Well, the potion was beautiful enough to be used as a decoration—it looked like a jar of stars. But that wasn’t the point.

“It’s reassuring to have something like that on hand for emergencies.”

“Understood. I’ll contact someone through unofficial channels to see if it can be procured.”

“Unofficial channels? Doesn’t the Triha trade company sell it?”

Kyle and Vanessa shook their heads almost simultaneously at my question. Why was I, the one who had read the original story, the most uninformed?

“In the original, this potion was used by Marabas or Itar… Wait a minute.”

A chill ran down my spine. I alternated my gaze between Kyle and Vanessa, forcing a smile as I asked cautiously, “Who… gave that potion to Princess Lien?”

Please, let it not be him. But my silent prayer went unanswered. Both Kyle and Vanessa answered without hesitation.

“Itar de Traiha, the third prince of Traiha.”

Damn it. Why did I keep finding connections to the villains?