How a Two-Life Scoundrel Lives - Chapter 91
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 91】
Grand Duke Guntram was furious.
‘Are they truly going to humiliate Sigmund and the Northern Region to this extent!’
The Crown Prince’s statement was nothing short of covering one’s eyes and pretending ignorance.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone knew the Loren Family was behind the incident that framed Carlisle.
Moreover, when they had even obtained confessions from the perpetrators, calling it a barbarian plot?
This was tantamount to openly screwing over Sigmund and taking the side of the Loren Family.
However, the head of the Loren Family didn’t dare show his pleasure.
Rather, he trembled in fear.
Tremble tremble tremble!
Lord Loren’s hands shook.
He felt a truly terrifying pressure from Grand Duke Guntram sitting across from him, causing him to tremble with fear without realizing it.
If Grand Duke Guntram were to lose his reason, he knew all too well that not only himself but even the Crown Prince would lose their heads.
“I hope Your Grace will clear up this misunderstanding.”
The Crown Prince also trembled with fear inside, but outwardly spoke as if nothing was wrong.
‘Anyway, Sigmund is nothing more than a chained lion. There’s no need to be afraid. They wouldn’t dare oppose the royal family.’
As the Crown Prince expected, Grand Duke Guntram did not show his anger.
“Dekaron accepts the will of the royal family.”
Grand Duke Guntram rose from his seat and knelt on one knee toward the Crown Prince.
Smirk, a smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s lips.
“Lord Loren.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Congratulations on clearing your unjust accusations.”
“Your grace is overwhelming.”
Lord Loren also knelt on one knee toward the Crown Prince.
“Now that this misunderstanding has been cleared, I hope both family heads will put aside any hard feelings.”
“We accept the royal family’s command.”
Grand Duke Guntram and the head of the Loren Family answered in unison.
“Lord Loren.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Please command me.”
“Recently, Dekaron has been having considerable difficulties with magic stone mining operations. Could the Loren Family help us?”
“How could there be any question?”
Though he said that, Lord Loren’s expression was half-rotten.
The royal family taking the Loren Family’s side was merely a pretext.
It was nothing more than a scheme to save face for House Sigmund by pretending to support the Loren Family, while ultimately benefiting the royal family.
“Could you dispatch at least 30,000 troops to the Blood-Soaked Land of Kuberin by this winter?”
“That, that is.”
“You would only need to help until this winter, so I hope you won’t feel burdened.”
“I accept… the royal family’s command.”
“Furthermore, tax increases seem inevitable for the time being, so I hope the Loren Family will also participate. This is also for the prosperity of our United Kingdom, so I ask for your cooperation.”
“…”
In the end, it meant they would extract 30,000 or more troops and additional taxes as the price for clearing the charges.
In that case, while House Sigmund might feel somewhat bad, only the Loren Family would suffer actual losses.
Of course, all the resulting benefits would go to the royal family, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Crown Prince was the true winner.
‘Yes, I expected as much.’
A cold smile appeared on Carlisle’s lips.
The Crown Prince’s statement was exactly as he had anticipated.
Regardless of what happened to other families, the royal family’s true purpose was ultimately to line their own pockets.
‘Enjoy it while you can. Those days won’t last much longer.’
Carlisle thought this as he slipped out of the banquet hall.
Even feeling countless gazes directed at his back, Carlisle didn’t stop walking.
* * *
On the way back to his room.
As Carlisle was walking, he came face to face with Alicia walking from the opposite direction.
“Why are you leaving already?”
“It was boring.”
“I heard you were obsessed with wine, women, and gambling?”
“I told you. I quit.”
“You think you can just quit like that?”
Alicia spoke as if it was ridiculous.
If wine, women, and gambling were so easy to quit, why would alcoholics and gambling addicts exist, and why would there be cheaters?
“Mind your own business.”
Carlisle said curtly as he brushed past Alicia.
“Then why are you wandering around outside?”
“…That’s.”
“You came here claiming to be a diplomatic mission but haven’t achieved any results, so you can’t show your face?”
“Sh, shut up.”
Alicia growled.
“What do you know to be spouting off? You’re just a good-for-nothing.”
“If such a good-for-nothing can read your inner thoughts, I’d say the succession structure is already ruined.”
“What?!”
“You have no face to show Lord Loren, and even though you want to stick close to the Crown Prince to get information about magic stone prices, Caldor has already secured his position so even that isn’t easy. Am I wrong?”
“…”
“Want me to give you some advice?”
Carlisle said as if doing her a favor.
“Forget it. Who do you think you are to give advice to whom, you good-for-nothing?”
“Fine, never mind then.”
“W, wait.”
When Carlisle started walking away as if there was nothing more to see, Alicia suddenly felt anxious and hurriedly blocked his path.
“Go ahead and try. I’ll listen and then decide.”
“I don’t want to.”
“You just said you’d give me advice.”
“You said who am I to give advice to whom.”
“…”
Alicia became speechless and shut her mouth tight.
“I, I’m sorry about that. It’s because your reputation is so bad. My pride was a bit hurt too.”
“Hmm.”
“Go ahead, give me the advice. I’ll listen and decide whether to follow it or not.”
“The Crown Prince just requested troops from your family. He asked you to send at least 30,000 troops to the Blood-Soaked Land to help with magic stone mining.”
“I see…”
“Volunteer to be the commander there.”
“Are you telling me to go roll around on the battlefield?”
“Why, don’t you want to?”
“I’m already dying from headaches over Caldor and the succession issue, and you want me to leave my position? You call that advice?”
“Tsk.”
Carlisle clicked his tongue.
“As I thought, you’re hopeless.”
“What do you mean?”
“How do you expect to beat Caldor when your head doesn’t work like that?”
“Are you saying I’m stupid?”
“You have a massive force of 30,000 troops coming right into your hands, and you won’t take it? Hah.”
“…!”
“If needed, you could use the barbarians to create chaos at the border, and if you seize the opportunity well, you could lead troops and advance into the heart of the territory, couldn’t you?”
“Are you telling me to commit treason?”
“When your life is on the line, what does that matter? Do you think Caldor will leave you and your mother alone once he wins the succession struggle?”
“Th-that’s…”
“I heard those who inherited the blood of the Loren Family stop at nothing to achieve what they want. I guess you’re different.”
“….”
“That’s all I have to say to you, so think it over carefully. Whether you follow my advice or not is up to you.”
After Carlisle left.
“The dirty blood that flows in me… I didn’t want to live like that…”
Alicia couldn’t shake off her unease for a while and couldn’t return to the banquet hall.
“What are you thinking, Carlisle van Sigmund? What exactly are you? Have you been acting like a scoundrel all this time?”
Alicia thought that she, that the world, might have been thoroughly deceived by the person called Carlisle van Sigmund.
Otherwise, there was no way someone called the Northern Scoundrel could be so clever.
* * *
The next morning.
The Crown Prince left Dekaron early and headed for the capital.
Grand Duke Guntram went to his office immediately after seeing off the Crown Prince to handle his backlogged work.
Since he had barely been able to handle administrative work during the few days the Crown Prince stayed, the piled-up documents were truly like a mountain.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
“Ah, Sir Maranello.”
“Could you spare some time?”
“What is it?”
“Your second son says he has something urgent to tell you.”
“That boy?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then he should come directly. Why is he relaying the message through you?”
“It seems to be a very important matter, so please spare just a moment of your time, Your Grace.”
“Hmm.”
Grand Duke Guntram found it puzzling but readily agreed to make time.
It was very rare for Carlisle to want a conversation…
“This isn’t the spire.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“That boy asked to meet me here?”
Grand Duke Guntram couldn’t quite understand why the meeting place was the highest spire in the inner castle.
What reason could there be for meeting at the spire?
Moreover, the spire also served as a watchtower, making it a very important place militarily.
“You came.”
“What’s your reason for calling me all the way to the spire?”
“I wanted to show you something interesting.”
“Something interesting…?”
“Would you look over there?”
Carlisle pointed to the southeast.
In the distance, the Crown Prince’s carriage and the knights escorting him could be seen moving at high speed.
It was a distance of almost several dozen kilometers, but since the spire was positioned at such a high place, the view was clear enough to see the Crown Prince’s procession.
“Isn’t that the Crown Prince’s procession?”
“That’s right.”
“But why?”
“An accident is about to happen.”
“An accident…?”
“Yes. A very unfortunate accident.”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…”
Right at that moment.
Boom!
A faint explosion sound was heard, and simultaneously, a massive blast engulfed the Crown Prince’s procession.
“…!”
Grand Duke Guntram doubted his own eyes.
“Wh-what is this!”
It was utterly unbelievable.
The carriage the Crown Prince was riding in, the royal carriage, was caught in a sudden explosion and shot high into the sky.
It was such a distant location, dozens of kilometers away, that not being able to see the details clearly was almost regrettable.
“D-did I see that correctly? Sir Maranello?”
Grand Duke Guntram asked Maranello with a trembling voice.
“This old man saw it clearly as well.”
“How did this happen? How could the royal carriage explode?”
It was unimaginable.
The royal family were those who could foresee everything through prophetic power, so for them, ‘accidents’ simply couldn’t exist in the first place.
“What an unfortunate accident.”
Carlisle said with a demonic smile.
“How tragic. To think the carriage His Highness the Crown Prince was riding in exploded. With that scale, at least a hundred knights from the royal guard must have died.”
“Don’t tell me… was this your doing?”
“How could that be?”
Carlisle shrugged as if he knew nothing about it.
“How could a scoundrel like me blow up the carriage His Highness the Crown Prince was riding in? Say something that makes sense.”
“Don’t play word games with me.”
Grand Duke Guntram glared at Carlisle with truly terrifying eyes.
“I have no intention of joking around with you. Tell me the truth. This is an order I’m giving not as your father, but as the lord of Dekaron.”
“I told you. I don’t know anything about it.”
Carlisle still played dumb as he spoke.
“Well… the barbarians must have planted magic stone traps along the route the Crown Prince’s carriage would take. Just like how those bought by the barbarians disguised themselves as Loren Family spies to try to kill me.”
“That means…”
“I guarantee the royal family will thoroughly cover up this incident. And internally, they’ll think it was the barbarians’ doing.”
“Why do you think they’ll do that?”
“Well…”
Carlisle said with a twisted, sinister smile.
“Because the royal family has no prophetic ability.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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