Crown Prince Claude offered Juls his guards, but he refused, took Adi's sword and left with the count. It was clear on his face that since the residence was the same, there was nothing to worry about, but Adi felt that his thoughts were completely different. Ambiguous. His intentions were difficult to discern.
- Hello, handsome. See you again?
The Crown Prince in front of her was the same. Maybe it was because of the twilight, but the golden hair seemed darker than usual. The cheerfully smiling crown prince bore little resemblance to the generally accepted image of the royal family. Frivolous. If anything, Duke Woodpecker looked more majestic.
There was one knight standing next to the crown prince. Unlike previous times, when he wandered alone. Claude treated the knight as if he did not exist; he approached Adi and whispered in her ear:
“It was hard to pretend that we didn’t know each other.”
He smiled and pulled away.
“It would be easier for you to act as if we knew each other.” After all, in public, it was Your Highness who bestowed the knighthood on me.
- That's right. I didn't think so.
And he added: “For this we had to meet at least once.”
The fact that he conferred the title not personally, but through Count Grimaldi, was an open secret - everyone in the know knew. But Adi did not expect him to say this out loud in the presence of a stranger. She turned her gaze back to the knight, but he also pretended not to notice anything.
It was obvious that the knight and the crown prince did not get along with each other.
Even the word “bad” didn’t fit - everything was so awkward.
- By the way.
Claude stared at Adi with a dissatisfied expression. More precisely, on her belt. On Adi's loosely hanging belt there was only one dagger the length of his forearm.
Everyone saw Adi hand over the long sword to Duke Woodpecker. Claude muttered quietly: “What impudence,” then he looked up and met Adi’s eyes.
- A knight should not give his sword to just anyone.
“Duke Woodpecker is my liege at this time.”
- Currently, yes. But from the beginning you are my knight. I granted you a knighthood. And you gave my sword to Yuls.
“That sword was provided by Palesa.
- And the sword that I gave?
- In the domain of Grimaldi. The sword is valuable.
She had never even seen him. It was intended for Adrian. Adi only assumed that Spencer Grimaldi probably had it. Claude looked at her silently, then spoke:
“We’ll have to give you another sword soon.”
Having finished speaking, Claude turned around. The knight followed. Adi also followed them. Keeping some distance.
The Duke's residence was also luxurious, but the place where the Crown Prince lived defied description. Even the empty galleries were decorated with sculptures and decorative objects, and the passages between them were intricate. Either the servants had been arranged in advance, or for some other reason, but the huge doors swung open exactly in time with Claude's steps.
Only after quite a long journey did the last door open. It was a reception room, but unlike the Duke’s chambers, the windows here were almost tightly closed with dark curtains, and almost no light penetrated inside.
Unless the fabric was thin enough to guess that it was day outside the windows; If it were winter outside and you hung velvet curtains here, it would become completely impossible to distinguish day from night.
The knight stood at the window as usual, and the Crown Prince walked to the center of the reception room and collapsed on the sofa. There was a dull sound. It was as if all the strength had gone out of the person at once. There was no trace left of Claude, who just a moment ago had been striding with deliberate authority.
A servant standing by the wall came up and held out the receiver. It looked like it was already stuffed with tobacco. Then a small light flashed at the servant's fingertips. Mag. Using a rare mage as just a servant for kindling - well, the royal family is the royal family.
Claude took several puffs from his pipe and released a long stream of smoke.
Did he feel Adi's gaze on him - their eyes met, and he grinned.
- Tobacco?
- Thank you, no need, Your Highness.
- Sounds like a proposal?
-...
Relaxed look.
- If that's the order.
It's not like regular tobacco. The servant accepted the pipe from Claude, who was blowing smoke with a blank expression on his face, and handed it to Adi. Adi took the pipe into his mouth, slightly inhaled the smoke and immediately released it.
Claude, watching the thick smoke billowing out, smiled and took a sip of the water brought by the servant. It is not clear why you should drink water after smoking. The servant took the phone back and handed it to the Crown Prince.
- He grew up much more beautiful than I expected. I thought he would be good-looking, but I didn’t expect this.
Claude said.
— I saw the portrait when I was a child. I liked it so much that I asked him to give it to me.
-......
“Not you, sir, but your sister.” Of course, if it weren't for the curse. Why would you willingly bring down a curse and lose your position, right?
As he said this, the Crown Prince chuckled disgustingly, and none of those present showed the slightest reaction. There was a distance between the servants, the knights and the Crown Prince. The atmosphere is completely different from Woodpecker. What lies at the core of their relationship - what to call it.
- Come to Jonad.
Perhaps the closest thing to fear.
- Do you need me?
- Not that it's necessary. Rather, I want to get it.
-......
“I told Count Grimaldi to send you to Ionades, but for some reason he sent you to Palesa.” Maybe he has other intentions?
The situation does not seem to have developed as expected. Adi believed that Spencer Grimaldi, having moved away from the king, was acting to get closer to the Crown Prince. However, the fact that he disobeyed the prince's order suggested that the count had no plans to use the Crown Prince as a replacement.
Maybe he was trying to improve relations with the king? And when that failed, did you decide to join the Crown Prince again? Or was there some kind of deal between them, for which she was called to Palesa?
Spencer specifically told her to remain in the Palais until further orders. What was he up to?
- Forgive my ignorance - I am not given the ability to comprehend Your Highness’s intentions.
Whatever it is.
- Count...
Just to escape the Count's trap.
- ...is now waiting between me and Woodpecker.
Having said this and exhaled a stream of smoke, Claude made a face that seemed to say: “Are you really going to pretend?” Adi did not have any information and therefore was completely sincere, but whether the Crown Prince would believe her is unknown.
“The Count, therefore, does not consider me a suitable candidate?”
“I don’t know my father’s intentions.”
Claude stared at Adi silently. It was clear on his face: “What a loyal subject.” However, no matter how he interpreted it, she was indifferent.
On the other hand, what if you try to turn this to your advantage? She didn't know for sure what exactly Spencer wanted, but if he wanted to go back and forth to Jonad again and intended to join the Crown Prince for this purpose, then...
“Your Highness, do you think that you cannot become King?”
What if we squeeze into this gap?
At Adi’s question, Claude opened his eyes in surprise, and then chuckled and laughed with a belly laugh.
- I?
Claude, lounging on the sofa, motionlessly stared into space. It was impossible to read anything in his eyes. He spoke slowly.
- No, I will become King. Just...
To be honest, Adi didn’t like this Crown Prince.
“My father is too greedy and, it seems, will live a long time.”
This meant that he would never please Spencer Grimaldi.
— Receiving the Throne when you are already completely decrepit is unpleasant, isn’t it?
Spencer Grimaldi, without any doubt, only intends to use the Crown Prince and then throw him away. And if not, well, she didn’t know the exact circumstances, but he would begin to seize the Throne in the same way as he had once placed the current King on the throne.
“That’s why I just suggested that he renounce a little earlier.” But he regarded this as high treason and is now trying to eliminate me - that’s what the current King is like.
And then, without repeating the mistakes of the current King, Grimaldi will bring the new ruler under his control and will turn him around as he wants.
— The King currently does not have a suitable candidate to replace him.
In fact, there was no complete certainty. But for some reason it seemed to her that her father would have done exactly this.
- Oh, although there is still one.
If Adi were in his place, she would have approached the Crown Prince with precisely this goal.
- Girl.
They say you can't fool blood.
“She’s already fifteen.”
She was Grimaldi herself.
- If it was built, then the regency could be carried out. Until my death. Provided that the princess does not die before then, and that the ministers agree to accept the woman.
Claude looked Adi straight in the face and asked. The dark room was filled with whitish smoke, which gave me a headache. Wow, they brought the premises to this state and left it as is.
- Do you also think that it’s wrong if I take my throne a little earlier, knight?
— New wine should be poured into new wineskins.
No, perhaps the room was left this way on purpose. So it’s more convenient to use.
“However, even if I myself wished to go to Jonad, it would be impossible.” The appointment order is not in my power.
— What if I issue a transfer order myself?
Claude said this and made a gesture with his hand. Just a simple wave - but the servant, as if guessing the crown prince’s intention, immediately brought a glass.
- It will be enough to say that I liked you. You’re still doing a good job of guarding Woodpecker, and the knight is mine, right?
Dark wine poured into the glass.
- I give you the title.
The drink—darker than pumpkin, but lighter than tree bark—flowed down the side of the glass goblet, leaving a transparent trail behind it.
Claude raised his glass. Adi also raised hers - there was still some wine left in it.
“Then I’ll see you in Jonada after the Festival.”
Having said this, Claude tilted his glass. Adi also raised the glass to her lips and tilted it, but did not drink.