Chapter 391: Obsession
“Ugh, w-well, that is…”
Florence had offered to settle things by force if that was what he wanted.
However, the king’s expression turned bitter at her words.
Then, as if the momentum from when he had stood up earlier had vanished, he spoke.
“N-No matter how intolerable this is, I cannot do something that would harm you, a daughter of the Duke Florence family. Th-therefore, I will refrain.”
“…I see.”
With that reply, Florence removed her hand from the hilt of her rapier.
From his earlier expression, she understood that his reasoning was nothing more than a pretense,
But seeing no benefit in continuing the exchange, she said,
“In that case, please take your leave.”
“Guh…! …Despite being in a position where you could even marry into a ducal house, or even royalty, if you choose some man from a count’s family, you will surely regret it someday…”
“Please leave.”
“Guh! Ngh…!!”
If Florence had been powerless, the king might have resorted to force right then and there,
But since she was anything but powerless, he restrained himself, stepped back, and left the reception room.
“…With this, the only role left for me in this matter is to use the full power of the Duke Florence family to support the three princesses.”
And all of that, too, was for Lux’s sake.
“…Tomorrow is a day off, isn’t it.”
Having accomplished one major thing she needed to do for Lux, Florence was now filled with the urge to tell him of her love and hold him in her arms.
Normally, she would have gone to Lux’s estate as soon as tomorrow and done just that,
But now that she had openly opposed the king like this, she couldn’t carelessly visit Lux’s residence until this matter was resolved.
“Lux-sama… at all times, I love you with all my heart.”
Even so, she couldn’t suppress those feelings,
And Florence voiced her love for Lux aloud.
King’s Side
After leaving the Duke Florence estate,
Inside the carriage heading back to the royal castle, the king shouted in anger.
“That Florence…! To make a fool of me, the king…! What is this nonsense about some man from a count’s family!? I don’t know who he is, but why are they all being misled by a mere count’s son!?”
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, the king could do nothing but shout in confusion,
But through his obsession with not losing to the three princesses, he somehow regained his composure.
“Though I can no longer expect the cooperation of the Duke Florence family, it can’t be helped… in that case, I’ll simply bring the other ducal houses under my control one by one.”
Even if he couldn’t secure the Duke Florence family,
If he could win over the other ducal houses, that alone would surely make his victory over the three princesses unquestionable.
“It’s not as if there are many nobles like Florence who would fall for a man from a count’s family.”
The king believed this failure was only because his opponent had been an exception,
And that under normal circumstances, if he personally went and made a request, there was no way he would be refused.
“Then I’ll show them just how easily I can bring the ducal houses under my control, and make Rezamiliana, Elizalina, Felisiana, and Florence all regret ever defying me!”
Convinced that this time there would be no mistake,
The king smiled within the carriage, firmly believing that he was the one who held this country in his grasp.
However,
As for who truly held this country in their control,
The moment when the king would come to understand that truth was drawing very near…