The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 363



363 – Wolfgang and Desmond -4-

Inside the peaceful reception room of the Imperial Palace.

Wolfgang Louis, with a stern expression, was waiting for the Crown Prince in the reception room with a complicated expression.

‘The rumor must have reached the Crown Prince…’

Because there had been an unfortunate incident.

Wolfgang thought the Crown Prince’s attitude would change. He even thought today’s audience might have been canceled, and he kept his eyes tightly closed, maintaining a silent stillness.

“Damn…”

The sea in the West had frozen.

The largest trade route of the Empire, the canal in the West, where tens of millions of gold moved daily.

The frozen canal still showed no signs of thawing, and the damage was beyond imagination as time passed.

The cries of the merchants, for whom time was money, reached beyond the West to the capital, and even to ‘me,’ who was responsible for the canal.

Although he had to go up to the West as soon as possible to find a solution, Louis, who was about to have an audience with the Crown Prince, could only let out a dry sigh.

‘It must be Desmond… There’s no other family that could pull off such a stunt…’

Although he wanted to take revenge immediately, the promise with the future Emperor was a promise that couldn’t be easily made even for a fortune, so Louis was not rushing towards revenge.

Although he was impatient and his thoughts were not clear right now, he had to keep his mind together in moments like this. Only then could he take revenge on Desmond.

‘Just wait… I will definitely repay this humiliation.’

“Whew…”

Louis brushed his hair back, thinking of a breakthrough for the current bleak situation.

Revenge on Desmond.

And a way to avoid responsibility.

No matter what people said, public sentiment would eventually return over time. The commoners of the West were on Wolfgang’s side, so a few charitable projects would solve the problem.

The current concern was that the Crown Prince knew about the situation in the West. For the Crown Prince, who was looking for a family to support the royal power, the incident in the West was nothing more than a delicious prey.

-Creak.

As his head was aching from complicated thoughts, Louis’s eyes widened as he saw someone opening the door to the reception room without knocking.

‘He’s here…’

The future Emperor of the Empire was walking slowly towards Louis with a graceful smile.

Louis hurriedly stood up and bowed his head in respect towards the Crown Prince.

“The Gatekeeper of the West, Wolfgang Louis, greets the Empire’s little sun.”

The Crown Prince lightly acknowledged Louis’s greeting with a nod.

“It’s been a while.”

The teacup brought by the maid was densely adorned with golden patterns. In contrast, his own teacup had no patterns at all. The stark difference, as if to strongly prove that in this place, the subordinate was not him but you, made Wolfgang grit his teeth slightly.

‘He knows.’

Until the incident in the West, Louis had tried to speak on equal terms with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince must have been aware that his power was weakening.

No matter how much the principle of primogeniture was upheld in the royal family, the Emperor had to bear the consequences after becoming king.

From the moment the steadfast Emperor appointed the Crown Prince as the next Emperor, the position of the next Emperor was fixed, but in a situation where other princes were rapidly expanding their power, the Crown Prince must have known that if he became king, he would not escape being a puppet.

Perhaps the problem would only grow bigger after becoming the next Emperor.

So, he tried to stand on equal footing in this place… but everything went wrong because of the incident in the West.

Louis, with an awkward smile, greeted the Crown Prince again.

“Ahaha… I misspoke. The Gatekeeper of the West, Wolfgang Louis, greets the Empire’s sun.”

“Puhaha!! Not even an Emperor yet, and already a sun, it seems the Marquis has already decided on the Emperor in his heart.”

The Crown Prince’s golden eyes, smiling kindly, sparkled brightly.

“…”

The eyes that distinguished truth from lies coiled like a snake to see into his heart.

‘Hoo…’

Wolfgang took a deep breath and thought coldly.

The stronger he had to come out in times like this.

After all, the Crown Prince had arranged this meeting because he needed something from him, so Wolfgang decided to focus on this deal without complicated thoughts.

Wolfgang for the advancement to the capital.

And the Crown Prince for solidifying his power after becoming Emperor.

Seeing Wolfgang Louis calmly taking a breath, the Crown Prince grasped his teacup and spoke in a low voice.

“I heard there was an incident in the West, are you alright, Marquis?”

“It’s nothing serious.”

“From the rumors, it doesn’t seem like a small matter, shouldn’t you be there now?”

“…I will make sure there is nothing for you to worry about, Your Highness.”

“Hmm. It doesn’t seem like a lie.”

The Crown Prince muttered to himself as if he found it interesting.

“If you ask the royal family to send a wizard, they can support you… Do you need any support?”

Wolfgang clenched his fist and thought about the Crown Prince’s words. He believed the Crown Prince was testing him. Wolfgang thought that if he grabbed the hand extended by the Crown Prince, he might end up being devoured. So, he forced a smile and shook his head.

“No, the matters in the West can be resolved sufficiently within the West. Just the fact that Your Highness is concerned about the peace of the West will help overcome the challenges we face.”

The Crown Prince smiled satisfactorily and nodded.

“If that is your wish, I understand.”

“…Thank you for understanding.”

“Hmm… I see…”

He felt breathless.

Louis had thought the Crown Prince was an ignorant idler, but seeing the Crown Prince’s eloquence, throwing bait like an old serpent, he changed his evaluation of the Crown Prince in his heart. He thought of him as a lifeline that must be grasped to climb higher.

Louis placed his hand on his chest and spoke to the Crown Prince.

“Wolfgang always respects Your Highness, who thinks of the prosperity of the Empire. Leave the matters of the West to Wolfgang and focus on maintaining your health for the prosperity of the Empire, which is the glory of the West.”

The Crown Prince, sipping his tea, spoke to Louis.

“In that case, you should trust me more closely. Don’t you think so?”

A smile formed.

The doubt that this conversation would go well was turning into certainty.

The Crown Prince slightly bent his waist and suggested changing the subject.

“Now… let’s stop the boring talk and move on to something constructive.”

Louis smiled and cautiously reached for the teacup.

“Alright.”

The Crown Prince’s lips began to utter the words Louis wanted to hear. He started talking about the issues of the West and what the West desired, as if scratching an itch.

“I have a good view of the West. Unlike other nobles, you don’t covet other territories and stay put.”

“A dog that guards the house well is the kind of material that can be loved by its master, isn’t it?”

“Hahaha…! The Marquis has a way with words, doesn’t he? According to the Marquis, Wolfgang is like a guard dog.”

“If the master who provides warm food and sustenance asks me to be a dog, wouldn’t I naturally be a dog?”

“That’s why I like the Marquis.”

With a smile on his lips, the Crown Prince sneered and spoke to Wolfgang.

“So… how are things in the West?”

“Always peaceful and striving for the prosperity of the Empire.”

“Marquis. I want to make a fine dog mine as soon as possible.”

Wolfgang clenched his fist at the Crown Prince’s words, feeling a surge of joy. A good sign was coming his way.

Louis, who had thought he would lose both bone and flesh, hid his true feelings and spoke in a calm voice to the Crown Prince, who was treating him more amicably than expected. He spoke in a tone that suggested he was really fine, but would accept help if offered.

“I didn’t want to distract Your Highness, who is concerned with state affairs, but we cannot defeat nature.”

“Indeed. Who can defeat nature? Even the great wizards of the world cannot overcome nature.”

“That’s right.”

“So, what is most needed right now? If the canal is frozen, the damage must be considerable.”

“The canal can be restored within ten days. The only thing that bothers me is that a loyal dog has been hurt by someone’s hand.”

The Crown Prince listened to Wolfgang’s words and smiled faintly.

“Desmond, is it?”

“You knew.”

“I have many eyes in the capital. But if it’s Desmond… we need evidence to catch him.”

“…”

The Crown Prince observed Louis’s stiffening expression and smiled as if to reassure him.

“Don’t make that face. I’ll take care of Desmond.”

“…How will you handle Desmond?”

“If there’s no evidence, we can create it, can’t we?”

“Your Highness…! I didn’t hear anything.”

“The Marquis’s face, saying such things, is full of life.”

The Crown Prince looked at Louis’s face and said.

“I’ll ask my father to include Desmond in the party that will subdue the beast in the west.”

“…That means.”

“They say the beast is really strong, don’t they?”

“…Yes.”

“Then it’s possible for a great wizard to die in a tragedy.”

“That’s right.”

Louis asked the Crown Prince with a trembling heart.

“I don’t think Desmond will follow orders willingly.”

“If it’s the Emperor’s command, the dogs must follow. Just offer him a suitable position and coax him.”

“…”

“Leave that part to me.”

The crown prince looked leisurely at the enormous mansion outside the window. It was a mansion so large that it was almost absurd to call it a noble’s residence.

“A dog that bites its owner must be put down.”

“…”

“Don’t you agree, Marquis?”

“Of course.”

*

The same beginning.

Olivia was picking her nose while looking at Ricardo.

“Ricardooo.”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing?”

“Ah…”

Ricardo answered with a smile.

“Would you like to go on a trip?”

“Huh?”

“I suddenly want to see a girl in a bikini.”

He said with a face full of lust.