“So… I heard that Prince Harold wishes to renounce his royal status and be adopted by marriage into the Chevalier family…”
After enjoying my mother’s warmth for a while, Duke Chevalier asked me with a somewhat complex expression.
Could it be? Did he get sulky because I monopolized Madam Norma?
“Yes. I have absolutely no attachment to that Royal Palace or my status as Royalty. …No, rather, I want to escape from that place as soon as possible.”
I spoke my thoughts without hiding anything.
That’s right. I don’t want to be in a place that’s just painful… just miserable.
“Hmm…”
Duke Chevalier opened his narrow eyes and glared at me, then fell into thought.
…Well, for Duke Chevalier, adopting a troublemaker like me, the ‘Incompetent Rascal Prince’, would only be a nuisance.
Besides, perhaps there were political motives behind my engagement with Sandra, such as strengthening relations with King Aival.
My proposal would ruin all of that.
“…Father, do you have any complaints about Lord Hal being adopted by marriage?”
“N-no, it’s not that. It’s just that welcoming Prince Harold as a son-in-law might lead to various troubles.”
“Well, what kind of troubles?”
“Hmm…”
Duke Chevalier closed his narrow eyes… I think they’re closed, right? He closed his eyes and began to speak slowly.
Regarding my engagement with Sandra, it was requested by Duke Chevalier’s side (though reluctantly) due to Sandra’s strong desire.
Initially, King Aival seemed strangely reluctant about it, but even so, he couldn’t simply dismiss the request of Duke Chevalier, the kingdom’s largest noble.
Moreover, the marriage between the Royal family and the Chevalier family would greatly benefit the stability of the kingdom.
In the end, King Aival accepted the proposal, and I and Sandra were officially engaged.
However, he attached two conditions.
The first condition was that if the relationship between me and Sandra deteriorated, we could freely cancel the engagement. Of course, without being held responsible for the cancellation.
Duke Chevalier, who was not entirely happy with my engagement with Sandra, agreed to this without hesitation.
And the other condition was…
“…that if the engagement with Prince Harold is broken, she will be engaged to another prince.”
“““““Huh…?”””””
Not only me, but everyone except Duke Chevalier let out a dumbfounded voice.
What’s that? If Sandra breaks off the engagement with me, she has to get engaged to the three princes?
Excluding Cardis, who already has a fiancée, that leaves Raphael or Wilfred… with Sandra?
“Father, please refrain from saying such things even as a joke. Why would I have to be engaged to a prince other than Lord Hal… let alone the scum Wilfred?”
“I know. I have no intention of making you engaged to another prince. I will prevent it with everything the Chevalier family has. But… it is also a fact that I accepted that condition for the sake of the engagement with Prince Harold. Please understand that if we renege on that, the fault lies with us.”
Duke Chevalier said that, but I still couldn’t quite understand.
In the first place, why did King Aival set such a condition?
“…You don’t have to look at me like that, I understand what Prince Harold is trying to say. But for some reason, His Majesty the King said that he would not approve the engagement unless this condition was accepted.”
“That’s why I don’t understand it. Why is His Majesty so insistent on it? I understand that he was against the engagement, but this is as if we got engaged on the premise that I and Sandra would break up.”
Yes… it’s as if I’m just a warm-up act, and the prince who comes after me is the real fiancée.
“I don’t know… but if Prince Harold leaves the Royal Palace and enters the Chevalier family as it is, His Majesty may try something. Whether he will interfere with the Prince’s adoption by marriage, or impose further conditions.”
“…………………………”
Certainly, from Duke Chevalier’s point of view, it’s no wonder he’s wary.
And because he is the kingdom’s largest noble, Duke Chevalier understands how much of a negative impact it would have on this country if he were to clash with King Aival.
In fact, in “Engage Hazard,” the kingdom suffered great damage when Harold broke off his engagement with Sandra and Duke Chevalier raised the banner of rebellion.
Thanks to Wilfred’s efforts, the damage was minimized, but the country was in chaos, and the economy and public order deteriorated, as stated in the epilogue of the tutorial scenario.
“…Then, why not have the Chevalier family secede from the kingdom…?”
“““““What!?”””””
My casual mutter sent shivers down the spines of everyone here except Caz.
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