Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 185

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Silence descended upon the reception room.
Prince Antonio gazed down at his clenched fist before slowly uncurling it. His palm lay empty.

He realized something about himself.

He had merely asked for a conversation, yet why had he assumed Kale Heniatus would demand a transaction, that he would covet power?

Prince Antonio seemed to see a mask reflected in his empty palm—the mask of nobility. He too wore the guise of an aristocrat.
His lips parted.

“What do you mean by opening a door?”

Tension emanated from Prince Antonio as he sought clarification.

Open the door to the Empire whenever the Kingdom desires it.
Misunderstood, it was a dangerously provocative statement—one that could be interpreted as the unremarkable Roan Kingdom drawing its blade against the Empire itself.

“Prince Antonio.”

Yet Kale turned the question back upon him instead.

“Are you worried that the Crown Prince’s desire might be to wage war against the Empire or another nation?”

Precisely.
He feared the Crown Prince’s ambition might be war with the Empire or foreign powers. That was what troubled him.
Prince Antonio caught the slight upward curve of his counterpart’s lips.

“I was quite clear.”

Kale repeated what he had already said.

“Whenever the Kingdom desires it.”

Not when the Crown Prince desires it, but when the Kingdom desires it.
The distinction between the two carried considerable weight.

Prince Antonio grasped the difference at last. Seeing his comprehension, Kale added one more word.

“If the Gyre Duchy works for the kingdom, you would understand what I mean, wouldn’t you?”

For the kingdom.
Antonio felt those words strike deep within him. Simultaneously, his expression grew grave.

A situation where the entire kingdom might open a door leading toward the Empire.
That meant the Roan Kingdom had committed a grave transgression that the Empire could not simply overlook.

Because the entire kingdom contained the Royal Family, the nobility, and the people—all of them.

‘…What has the Empire done?’

The Gyre Duchy, which ruled the Southwest Region closest to the Empire. Despite being the heir to that duchy, Antonio could not fathom what the Empire might have done.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, his lips immediately called out to Kale.

“Lord Kale—”
“Discover it yourself.”

Antonio, who had been about to ask what the Empire had done, found himself silenced by the decisive response. There was no way to refute it.
It was an irrefutable statement.

Currently holding weaknesses over him, Antonio was in a position where he should comply with demands without complaint. Moreover, if this concerned the Empire and the kingdom, it was only right that the Gyre Duchy investigate it themselves.

Either through direct investigation, or otherwise.

“…I shall inquire with the Crown Prince.”

He would have to ask the Royal Family, who stood above the duchy.
Watching Kale regard his answer as natural, Antonio resolved to conduct a discreet investigation into the Empire and review the defenses of the Southwest Region once more.

And that reaction was precisely what Kale had desired.

Vigilance takes root.
Along with it, a covert watch over the Empire. Simultaneously, interest in the currents flowing through the entire kingdom, not merely power.

When a noble house wielding power in one region of the kingdom adopted such an attitude, it benefited Kale. I pushed myself away from the table I had been leaning against and faced Antonio.

“Then I hope you will consider carefully and make the right decision.”

Kale found further conversation tedious.
He preferred to keep his demands brief and direct.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten the threat either.

“The documents I provided are copies. The originals remain in my possession, so I trust you’ll make your decision with the understanding that you are in a compromised position.”

Ha.
Antonio let out a soft laugh.
At that reaction, Kale’s brow furrowed. He had just threatened the man, yet he was smiling.

‘…That’s strange.’

He had clearly understood the threat, yet Antonio’s face remained serene, his smile refreshingly genuine—no sign of distress whatsoever.

Why was he smiling?
As Kale wrestled with this question, Antonio, conversely, felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

‘Grandmother’s words weren’t entirely correct after all.’

A true nobleman was one who wielded leverage and made demands solely for the kingdom’s benefit. Meeting such a nobleman, Antonio felt as though something that had long been blocked within him had finally opened.

“You are a true nobleman, Prince Kale.”
“That should be obvious.”

Kale could discern that his words had struck their mark with Antonio.

‘It seems I’ve exceeded his standards.’

For someone like Antonio, who judged people with such exacting criteria, to call him a “nobleman” meant he had been evaluated favorably.

‘The Crown Prince will handle the rest on his own.’

Once he handed over his documents, the Crown Prince would seize Antonio by the throat with that leverage and manipulate him into proper compliance.
Kale felt satisfied as his plan unfolded exactly as intended.

However, there was one detail that deviated slightly from the plan.

“You must be busy, so I shall take my leave now.”

As Kale turned to leave the reception room, Antonio’s voice reached him.

“Thank you, Prince Kale.”
“…What?”

Kale stopped and turned back in surprise.

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done.”

An inexplicable vitality emanated from Antonio, who wore a clean smile. Watching him appear unexpectedly pleased, contrary to my expectations, I felt an odd displeasure settle over me.

‘…I should have properly extorted something from him.’

Playing the magnanimous nobleman, I hadn’t demanded even trivial treasures from the Gyre Duchy. A faint regret crept in, but I forced an awkward smile at the grinning Antonio before leaving the reception room.

For now, today’s tasks were essentially complete.

Of course, one task remained.
However, that task could only be handled the following day, in the early morning hours after midnight.
In the largest of the guest rooms, I reclined against the plush bed of my assigned bedroom and gazed at the communication crystal.

-Connected!

A soft chime sounded.
An image appeared above the communication crystal, and Raon flew toward the corner where On and Hong were gathered. Before the three children huddled together lay an abundance of food.
I watched Raon quietly gnawing on meat before shifting my gaze to the communication screen.

-Prince Kale.

Naturally, Crown Prince Albert’s face appeared.
The final remaining task was to report to the Crown Prince. Surely one reports after the chaos has settled.

Crown Prince Albert’s expression was stern.
I understood Alberu’s displeasure with my audacious posture against the bed. He had worked until dawn and barely managed to squeeze in time for this communication, yet here I was, a mere noble’s son, lounging comfortably in bed—no wonder he was irritated.

Satisfied and at ease, I understood the Crown Prince’s frustration well enough.
So I spoke first.

“Your Highness—”

But before he could finish, Alberu’s voice resonated through the bedroom. His face was deeply furrowed, his tone laden with anguish.

-You are not merely a star of this kingdom, but its very light itself.

…What?
My expression hardened.
Regardless, Alberu’s tongue had grown silver-smooth for the first time in ages.

-With a light such as you, the darkness upon this Roan land would hold no terror. You are not a rising star—you are the most radiant star this kingdom has ever known.

…Why is he doing this?
My stomach was full and my back was warm, yet my mood had soured.

“Your Highness, shall I rise?”

I attempted to straighten myself from the bed’s backrest where I had been leaning.

-No need for that. I heard everything.

Alberu’s face bloomed with a radiant smile, as though his anguish had never existed. One might have thought he had come to visit a flower field.
Yet Alberu’s heart was in a place far more pleasant than any flower field.

-So you nearly coughed blood and collapsed while capturing human traffickers in the Gyre Territory?
“…Well, that is true, but…”

I hadn’t actually coughed blood or nearly collapsed.

-And with tremendous charisma, you apprehended the traffickers, shattered their building with a silver shield, and rescued the kingdom’s citizens held captive within?
“…That is correct?”

Well, that much is true.
Though it seems somewhat exaggerated.

-You deliberately ordered alcohol as a disguise, watched the traffickers’ movements from a restaurant window, and then boldly confronted them alone, accompanied by only a single knight?
“…Enough, please?”

Finally, I furrowed my brow, and Alberu’s smile turned sinister. Despite his exhausted appearance, he looked remarkably refreshed.
From his expression, I realized that Crown Prince Alberu required no detailed report from me.

“It seems word has spread quite thoroughly.”

I knew there would be a Royal Family informant stationed in the Gyre Territory.
The Crown Prince was no fool, after all.
What I hadn’t anticipated was how rapidly such detailed—if slightly exaggerated—information would reach us.

-That’s right. Through my informants, I’ve heard the rumors currently spreading throughout the territory.

Just as Alberu had said, rumors were propagating swiftly through the Gyre Territory. Rumors were something the Duchy couldn’t suppress—they were beyond their control.
And Crown Prince Alberu had rendered his judgment on this entire affair.

-A madman with good taste.

Alberu found Kale’s smirk distasteful.
According to intelligence beyond mere rumor, he hadn’t coughed up blood, but had coughed up blood-tinged phlegm.

Which explained why he was lying in bed now.
He could have rested and reported this morning, but his unnecessary diligence had him waiting here until dawn.

Despite his distaste, Alberu found this man most convenient.
He was too similar to himself.

-What’s your report?

He wasn’t cruel enough to detain a sick man longer than necessary. Besides, this man would soon need to work on his behalf at the Caro Kingdom auction house.

“A brief report, Your Highness. I’ll send the documents shortly, but the merchant guild that conducted business with the Marquis Krish family is of Imperial origin, and I have evidence that the Marquis Krish family previously commissioned the Assassination Guild to kidnap children.”

A sudden headache struck Alberu.

-Is that what you call a brief report?
“Yes. The Gyre Duchy will contact you shortly. I’ve placed the leash—now you may grasp it and use it as you see fit.”
-…I’m suddenly exhausted.

Despite his words, Kale could see Alberu brimming with vitality. When one observed carefully, the Crown Prince seemed happiest when he had someone to command.

-Grip that leash firmly and pull it taut.
“Of course, Your Highness. As the Kingdom’s brightest star, you shall surely accomplish anything with such discernment.”

After finishing his explanation, Kale sensed something peculiar. The reason soon became clear to him.

Despite having concluded the main discussion and even offered flattery, Alberu had not disconnected the video communication. Kale’s expression hardened as he wondered if the Crown Prince had something more to say.

‘Is he going to give me another task?’

The satisfaction I had felt from entrusting the cleanup of the Gyre Duchy Family to the Crown Prince gradually faded away.
Then, the Crown Prince’s voice reached me.

-Get some proper rest.

Click.
The video communication disconnected.
The Crown Prince ended the call with an expression as if he had been forced to eat something he thoroughly despised.

‘That’s unsettling.’

Kale quickly set the communication device aside.
Then I asked Raon for a favor and collapsed onto the bed.

“Raon.”
“What is it, human? Just get some rest like the Crown Prince said!”
“Yeah, I will. And ignore any incoming calls from the Crown Prince for a while.”
“Got it!”

Watching Raon’s front paws tuck the blanket up to my neck, I resolved to ignore the Crown Prince’s calls for the time being.
I made the decision once more.

‘Before the year ends—no, by next year—I’ll deal with the North and the Empire, then rest at the villa.’

With such a modest wish, Kale drifted into sleep. In one corner, the nine-year-olds continued their conversation without him.

“We only saw the desert in Caro Kingdom last time! This time we’ll see everything!”
“Traveling really does seem wonderful!”

On quietly consumed her cakes while listening intently to her younger siblings’ conversation. Raon and Hong made no effort to conceal their excitement about the next destination.

“Our home is nice, but traveling is nice too!”
“Right! It’s so nice traveling together like this all the time!”
“Exactly! I’m curious about the Eastern Continent too. Let’s visit everywhere! We’re great, so we can do it!”

These were the kinds of stories that would have shocked Kale Heniatus if he’d heard them. On glanced at the sleeping Kale and shook her head, but since she wanted to fulfill her younger siblings’ wishes, she kept her mouth firmly shut.

In On’s silence, Hong and Raon’s tales of world travel unfolded.

And that night, Kale Heniatus had a nightmare.

* * *

“Young Master, you don’t look well.”
“I had a nightmare.”

Kale Heniatus shuddered involuntarily as the terrible nightmare came back to him.
The dream of traveling around the world while dragging along those burdensome fools was truly horrific. His vitality of spirit could not overcome the mental damage, and for the first time in a long while, Kale Heniatus looked pale.

“…Young Master.”

The one who had come to see Kale Heniatus after a long time spoke carefully upon seeing his pallid complexion.

“The Paerne Capital was a nightmare, wasn’t it?”

Bilos, the illegitimate son of the Flynn Merchant Guild. He could see that Kale Heniatus, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, had briefly smiled at his words before erasing it.

Bago, the capital of the Paern Kingdom. The Lake of God’s Tears, a place steeped in legend.
That lake still hadn’t extinguished its flames, and within the capital, people spoke of divine wrath and divine revelation.

Though no one had been injured by the fire, nor had anyone suffered losses, anxiety continued to seep deeper into the Paerne Capital.
Bilos was half-convinced that this was Kale Heniatus’s doing.

“The fire still hasn’t been put out?”

And with those words just now, he was certain.
Young Master Kale Heniatus had caused another major incident!

“Young Master, what exactly have you done?”
“Why?”

Bilos grew increasingly exasperated at Kale’s composed response.

“The North is in complete chaos, utter pandemonium! It’s an absolute mess!”
“Excellent.”
“Sigh. Unbelievable.”

For the first time, Bilos let out an audible sigh in front of Kale. Kale dismissed it lightly and climbed into the carriage.

“Bilos, head straight to the Caro Kingdom.”

I needed to go to the auction house and secure a person instead of participating in the auction itself.
Of course, I’d be taking some money as a bonus.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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