Chapter 50: Knight Commander, Jerome Crowner (3)
“My lord, I will enter now.”
As soon as I left the knights' headquarters, I went directly to Edwin's room.
He was sitting at his desk, Emilia cross-legged, struggling with a thick book.
"What do you do?"
"they? My duties. The teacher said I must memorize everything about the families of the nobles in the empire for tomorrow.”
Edwin's expression, muttering earnestly on the desk, was different from what I had first seen; It wasn't long ago, but his childhood features retreated a little, as if he had suddenly matured.
“Do you only have to memorize names?”
“No, and their characteristics and genealogies as well.”
What? That old “Sage”... Does he intend to teach him the entire “jurisprudence of the empire”? What is the use of this young man knowing all the noble families?
After a while Edwin finally looked up from the book.
“By the way, where have you been? Catherine said you were out.”
“I have just returned from a meeting with Duke Jerome Crowner.”
Edwin's eyes widened and the pen immediately fell from his hand.
“You have met Sir Jerome?”
"Yes."
“You really met Sir Jerome? where? how? What did he say? Did you talk about me?
What... does Jerome like him that much? First time I've seen him shine like this.
And a little annoying... I myself don't want to come into contact with that man, and I went to him face to face specifically for this boy!
“Sire...do you like Sir Jerome?”
"they? naturally!"
Raise a small fist in the air. “It's great! The strongest knight in the empire!
amazing? That bloated muscle? I don't understand.
“And that's all?”
“And also... he's the savior of my life—I mean our lives!”
“The savior of your lives?”
“When I was young, Sir Crowner saved us.”
Four years ago in the summer, the imperial family's convoy was attacked by barbarians while on its way to a villa. Edwin's carriage was at the back of the convoy, and was in a dangerous position.
“I thought I was going to die then. There was no one to protect us.”
“And where are the knights?”
“They all went to protect my father and the two eldest princes.”
The fighting intensified, so Emma held baby Emilia in one hand, and Edwin in the other, and jumped out of the carriage. Unfortunately, they came across a barbarian warrior.
“He had a huge cross-shaped scar on his face.”
Edwin closed his eyes while he was in his wet nurse's arms before the point of his axe... "But Sir Jerome appeared with one blow and struck him down."
The one who rescued the neglected third prince was the empire's most powerful knight, Duke Jerome Crowner.
“So Sir Jerome is a hero to me. But I didn't thank him properly that time...”
Hero... huh. I opened my eyes slightly.
“Some people are called butchers despite their misery,” I murmured with low sarcasm, “and others are called heroes—although in both cases their hands are stained with blood.”
«Huh? What did you say?"
"nothing." Then I continued with a calm face: “I did not know that he was your savior. “If I had known, I would have given him more courtesy.”
I regret knowing too late—and I said it sincerely.
“Has something happened between you and Sir Jerome?”
"never."
I shrugged coldly, and Edwin began fiddling with his fingers nervously: “So what happened between you two?”
“We discussed something that would benefit you, my lord.”
“For my benefit?”
He tilted his head with an innocence unknown to the world. I grabbed his shoulders and smiled: “Remember my promise to you?” To make you able to choose as you wish.”
I nodded calmly.
“I'll start keeping that promise... now.”
He blinked in surprise at “now.”
“And on the way, you will have an opportunity to thank Sir Jerome properly.”
Even with my meaningful smile, the innocent prince still didn't understand anything.
“You went to the Knights of Gloria?”
A small hut in a shady corner of the Third Prince's palace—the gardener's new home.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Sage—the prince's gardener and tutor—covered his mouth with his palms: “You're crazy, aren't you?”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“That's not a compliment!” He stared at me and then laughed desperately.
“Pure madness. An unauthorized break-in into Gloria's headquarters, then a blatant request from the Duke Crowner?
“I don't see him as blatant. "I only asked that my lord Edwin be allowed to join in training the knights for a little while."
“You think Jerome Crowner is a normal person? What if he knew your true identity?
“He didn't know, so no problem.”
He was tongue-tied.
“Huh...it's really you, Kayla. Same recklessness as Kayla Angel.”
“I told you, that name is forbidden.”
“Is your name important now?” He clasped his hands under his chin seriously: “Are you prepared for the consequences of what you did?”
“What consequences? "I asked for physical exercise for a short period of time, but nothing more."
“Why are you even doing this? Why the Knights of Gloria in particular?
“Because they are the most famous.”
“Why do you deliberately mean the months?” He hit the table with his thin arms:
“The news of the visit of the Third Prince’s governess to the Knights of Gloria most likely reached the Second Consort. "You know that she bears a grudge against Crowner because he refused to teach her son the sword!"
“Yes, I heard.”
“You heard and yet you are quiet?”
“What is there to be alarmed about?”
“Don’t you know the nature of the second wife? You will not be silent. Maybe you will send assassins to the prince’s palace!”
He grabbed his head and shouted: “They will find out about me!” "I haven't done anything yet and I don't want to die!"
Didn't he say before that he didn't mind death? It turns out that no one really wants to die; Anyone who says “I want to die” is a liar.
I opened my mouth calmly: “Don’t worry too much.”
“How can I not worry? You should worry more—”
“Do you think the news only reached the ear of the second wife?”
When I smiled reassuringly, his face changed: “Don’t say that you…”
Finally he caught the idea: “You did that on purpose?” To get the Emperor's attention?
He claims to be a great sage... and slow to understand. He shook his head in disbelief.
«Why? Do you want to drag Edwin into the succession struggle?
"no. not quite."
“Then why—”
“I do not intend to enter the battle for the throne, but that does not mean that I should stand idly by.”
“Huh?”
“Didn't you tell me: Build the foundation first?”
Sage fell silent. "Isn't that why you made him memorize the details of the nobles' families?"
He couldn't find anything to answer. “I too had to prepare the ground,” I continued, shrugging my shoulders. “My status is low and I cannot meet His Majesty the Emperor directly… so I will let him come to me.”
Emperor Cavellius III—I remembered his files in the organization.
He has two titles: “The Righteous King,” who ascended the throne at the age of twenty and led a vast empire, and “The Immoral One,” who shed the blood of his brothers to obtain the crown.
And the assassins who drained the imperial blood at that time...were from our organization. So he was the last person I wanted to get involved with.
But for Edwin's sake, I need his support.
News of the visit of the Third Prince's governess to the leader of the Empire's most powerful knights would inevitably reach the Emperor—whether the Crowner or some other gossip informed him.
As Sage said, the second presumption and others already knew.
It doesn't matter.
What concerns me is: How will the Emperor receive this order?
Will he give his youngest son a chance?
Or will he eliminate him, as usual, without mercy?
If he judges him weak and ignores him, I will show him the opposite.
Once Edwin had the chance to show what he had... the Emperor would see the Third Prince with different eyes.