The carriage carrying us arrived safely at the royal castle. As soon as we entered the castle, an attendant came to greet us.
“Commander of the Knights, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you in the reception room. Also, today’s meeting has been changed to a grand council.”
“Understood. I’ll head there immediately.”
The Crown Prince… That’s His Majesty and the Queen’s son, and Emilia-sama and Sue’s older brother, right?
This is probably about Sue.
We followed the attendant to the reception room.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse me. The Commander of the Knights has arrived.”
“I see. Come in.”
A voice came from inside, so we opened the door and entered the reception room.
“Excuse us.”
“Ah, welcome. I’m glad you could make it.”
Inside the reception room, a young married couple and a lively-looking boy were seated on the sofa.
They had the same hair color as Sue, so I immediately knew the man was the Crown Prince. With his smooth, silky hair and gentle smile, he looked every inch the stereotypical handsome prince. The Crown Princess was just as beautiful, with long silver hair, a stunning figure, and an exceptionally gentle demeanor. And their son had the same silky hair as the Crown Prince—and was another incredibly handsome boy.
Yep. They were basically an absurdly good-looking couple, the kind that would make anyone jealous.
“Commander, I’m sorry to call you here when you’re busy preparing for the meeting. And Sue, welcome home.”
“Your Highness, there’s no need to apologize. I’m honored that you went out of your way to see us.”
“I’m home, Oniisama.”
After exchanging warm greetings, the Crown Prince turned his attention toward me.
“So, you must be Shun. Thank you for protecting Sue all this time. My name is Marc. I assume you already know that I’m Sue’s older brother. And these are my wife, Ana, and our son, Jeff.”
“Your Royal Highness, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Shun. I look forward to working with you.”
“You don’t have to be so formal. There’s a chance that you and I might become brothers-in-law someday, after all.”
Yep. He said that with a friendly smile while shaking my hand, but the Crown Prince really didn’t hold back. Still, one thing was clear. He seemed like a genuinely good person.
“Onee~cha~n!”
“Yes, it’s been a while, hasn’t it, Jeff?”
“Fufu. Jeff still absolutely adores Sue, doesn’t he?”
“Yep!”
And just like that, little Jeff—the future king—ran straight over to his beloved Sue-oneechan and threw his arms around her. Sue picked him up and held him in her arms as the conversation continued.
“First of all, as her older brother, I wanted to thank you personally, Shun. The moment I heard what happened in the Southern Frontier Territory, I was ready to jump on a horse and ride there myself.”
“My husband has always doted on Sue, especially since they’re quite far apart in age. Emilia-sama was a bit of a tomboy when she was younger, so he was always particularly concerned about the quieter Sue.”
Eh?
I wouldn’t exactly call Emilia-sama just a little bit of a tomboy. And come to think of it, does the Crown Prince have a bit of a sister complex, too? The fact that he was actually ready to leap onto a horse and ride all the way to the Southern Frontier Territory says quite a lot.
“I’m relieved to see that Shun is a man of integrity. Now, let’s get to the main topic.”
The Crown Prince shifted the conversation, his expression turning serious.
“The former Minister of the Internal Affairs, Marquis Broker, is a key figure among the aristocratic faction. There is no doubt that members of the dark organization are present within the Marquis’s estate.”
“So, you want us to join the search as well?”
“Heh, it’s a help that you’re quick on the uptake, Shun. That’s exactly right. Back in the southern Margrave’s territory, this faction actually used that underground organization to handle education. They’re likely in deep with one another.”
Come to think of it, that third son who caused such a ruckus in the southern Margrave’s territory had been tutored by a woman from an underground organization.
It seems there are likely plenty of other people involved with that group, too.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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