Chapter 114: The Decisive Blow (4)

The announcement of an imperial audience sent ripples of excitement throughout the palace. Most had not yet heard the news of Crown Princess Page’s return the previous day.

The king, leaning back in his chair, let out a soft sigh and waved dismissively. “Tell them I’m unavailable now; they should come another time.”

His attendant hastily bowed and exited the hall to deliver the message. However, he quickly returned with a perplexed expression on his face and lowered his head before the king once more.

“Your Majesty…”

“What is it?”

“That… Princess Page insists she must see you immediately…”

A slight stiffness crossed the king’s features. As he was about to refuse again, Levans suddenly interjected.

“It’s been a while since the crown princess has graced us with her presence,” Levans interjected. “I was just about to arrange a gathering anyway. Why not let our young ministers become acquainted with Her Highness? Escort them here.”

Levans didn’t bother asking for permission from the king; he simply issued orders. The attendant wasted no time in noticing who held sway—he moved immediately upon hearing Levans’ command.

It was hard to tell who was the sovereign and who his subject at this point. The king had grown immune to such situations by now, but still, his eyes betrayed his weariness.

Meanwhile, the doors of the hall swung open. Two figures slowly stepped inside: Page and Pablo, both dressed formally in crisp attire. They approached the king, bowed respectfully, and greeted him.

“Did you rest well through the night?”

The king’s face remained stony despite his daughter’s courteous inquiry. His voice came out stiff as he asked,

“What brings you here so early?”

His tone was frosty, clearly displeased.

Despite this, Page managed a faint smile. She knew well that his words weren’t genuine. If the king showed any kindness towards her now, there was no telling how Levans might react. The king needed to treat her with cold indifference and ignore her completely. Only then would the princess be safe even after Page’s death.

Wiping the smile from her face, she calmly spoke up. “I have something important to discuss with you.”

“Is it necessary to speak now?” the king asked, glancing at Levans. “If not, come back later.”

Unexpectedly, Pablo interjected. “Your Highness.”

”…Ah yes, you’re Pablo, aren’t you?”

“I am, Your Highness.”

“I was planning to meet with you about compensation matters anyway. But now is not the time. Come back later.”

The king seemed uncomfortable being observed by his ministers as he faced Page, continually trying to change the subject.

But once again, the prime minister interjected abruptly:

“No, Your Majesty. Count Pablo is a hero who has protected you and this kingdom. Is there any occasion more appropriate than this to discuss such merits? Let us consider what rewards should be bestowed upon him right now.”

”…”

“We shouldn’t detain a busy man for too long,” Levans added, acting contrary to the king’s attempts to dismiss both Page and Pablo.

The king glared at Levans.

Their standoff left all present ministers speechless.

Meanwhile, Page’s gaze towards Levans was icy cold.

“I shouldn’t keep a busy man like you here for too long…”

Those words were filled with Levans’s true intentions.

I guess he wants to get rid of me as quickly as possible.

That explained why they were rushing through everything so hastily. The transparent scheme brought a wry smile to Page’s face.

This time, things won’t go your way, Levans.

She glanced at Pablo out of the corner of her eye. Sensing her gaze on him, he swallowed hard.

C-calm down…

His heart raced wildly as he prepared to speak before such a large crowd. However, more frightening than the dozens of eyes around him was the king’s stare right in front of him.

How must a groom feel when seeking his future father-in-law’s approval for marriage?

No, I’m actually doing that right now.

Pablo forced himself to calm down before taking another step forward.

“Your Highness,” he said formally, “I have something important to discuss with you.”

”…What is it?”

“You asked me yesterday to tell you what I desired, did you not?”

“I recall.”

“I do indeed have a request.”

”…Let us hear it.”

Both the king and the prime minister were hanging on Pablo’s every word.

To some, he was a hero who had saved the king’s life. To others, he was an interloper who had disrupted their plans. Everyone wondered what this giant of unknown origin would demand next. All eyes were fixed intently on him.

Pablo took a deep breath as he felt all eyes on him.

Whew…

He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and declaring firmly:

“Give me your daughter!”

”…?!”

Gi-veme-your-daugh-teeeer! Pablo’s voice echoed throughout the hall.

Those present were rendered speechless by this proclamation. The king, along with even the usually composed premier, found their faces frozen in shock.

The king was the first to regain his composure and stammered out a question.

“W-wh-what did you just say?”

“I love Crown Princess Page,” Pablo declared, taking her hand as he spoke.

Page’s cheeks flushed slightly at these words.

Unfazed by the king’s scrutinizing gaze, Pablo boldly declared his aspirations:

“Your Majesty asked me for my heart’s desire. What I seek is your permission—to marry Princess Page!”

”…”

At a loss for words, the king stared blankly at Pablo before stammering, “M-might I inquire about your lineage?”

“I must humbly admit, sire, that I come from no illustrious family.”

Of course, he had no such background. Instead, he was descended from a foul-tempered dragon. But with Louis’ assurance still ringing in his ears, Pablo stood tall—though the eyes around him grew increasingly judgmental of this revelation.

“You mean… he is of common birth?”

“That is correct, your Excellency.”

The Premier erupted at Pablo’s response. “I-incredible! Even if you’re a hero who saved His Highness’s life, this request is preposterous! For a mere commoner to presume to become royalty…”

Page swiftly cut off the Premier’s words. “Such talk seems unworthy from one who rose from common status to become Prime Minister yourself. Our king values talent above all else. As someone who has most benefited from His Highness disregarding social standing… surely you wouldn’t deny that, would you?”

The barb hit its mark, flushing the Premier’s face with embarrassment and anger.

Ignoring Levans’ discomfort, the king turned his attention to Page.

“What in blazes is this? You too… do you share his sentiments?”

“I also…” Page hesitated before continuing, feeling Pablo’s rough hands clasping hers tightly.

“I-I love him. We’re already engaged.”

”…?!”

A second shockwave reverberated through the hall.

The one and only heir to the throne had returned after twenty years—and she hadn’t come alone. She’d brought back a commoner no one had ever heard of as her fiancé.

Yet they couldn’t dismiss it. If he weren’t Page’s betrothed, the king would have met his demise beneath the rubble of his palace by now. A king might be a mere figurehead, but he was still the king. As both the savior of Han and Page’s fiancé—regardless of where their engagement had been arranged—it could not be ignored so easily.

“Hmph…” The prime minister grunted, clearly displeased with the turn of events.

The king pressed his fingers against his temples as if suffering from a headache. After a long moment, he raised his head and spoke.

“I refuse.”

No sooner had he uttered these words than the prime minister interjected.

“T-that is correct. This is preposterous, Your Highness.”

“Why do you find it so unreasonable?”

“The marriage of a royal must not be decided so casually.”

“But I wish to marry the person I love. Why do you speak thusly, Prime Minister?”

“Your Highness’s marriage should serve greater purposes! Not like this!”

Levans was right. Ever since their birth as heirs to the throne, their marriages were used for strategic alliances. It was an inescapable fate for all members of the royal family.

“I believe our union would indeed be valuable”.

“Hmph! Frustrating! Absolutely maddening!” Ha exclaimed, pacing back and forth restlessly.

Page and Levans glared at each other.

The king’s eyes held a hint of bitterness as he looked upon his daughter. He addressed both Page and Pablo together:

“I won’t force you two apart, but don’t mistake that for my approval of your engagement!”

“Your Highness…”

“And I will not permit marriage either! If you disobey me…” A flicker of regret crossed the king’s face before it was replaced by unwavering resolve. “I shall disinherit Princess Page and exile her permanently from the royal family.”

Permanent exile—it was indeed a harsh punishment, yet Page understood all too well why such measures were necessary. Her mind raced back to yesterday’s conversation with Louis in their underground hideout.

“Pablo, Page, you two will visit the king tomorrow. Try to go when it’s busy; even better if the prime minister is there.”

“What should we do once we’re there?”

“What else can you do? You’ll have to ask your future father-in-law for his daughter’s hand in marriage.”

“My future father-in-law?! T-that’s preposterous!” Pablo waved off the idea with both hands dramatically.

Seeing Louis wince at Pablo’s dismissive gesture, I realized he must secretly relish being called a potential father-in-law.

As Louis glared disapprovingly at Pablo’s antics,

“Hmm… But here’s something to consider,” came a grizzled voice from across the table.

All eyes turned towards Greg, who had been deep in thought before finally opening his mouth.

“I understand your plan, but… there’s one thing you’re overlooking.”

“What might that be?”

“If His Majesty were to refuse this marriage, what then? From what I know of him… he seems unlikely to give his consent.”

“Hmm…” Page nodded grimly.

The king’s unwavering trust in Levans had blinded him, ultimately leading to their downfall. Yet, up until then, he had been a wise ruler. Indeed, if he had been foolish from the start, he never would have endured over twenty years standing against the prime minister. Such a man couldn’t possibly be unaware of the significance behind Page’s betrothal. If the king rejected the union between Page and Pablo, it could jeopardize their entire scheme before it even began.

“What should we do…?”

“I don’t know either. I hadn’t considered that possibility. His Majesty is so stubborn; he won’t allow it unless there’s a compelling reason…”

“Isn’t there any way around this?”

As everyone looked worried,

Louis scratched his ear and interrupted them.

“Oh, come on! You’re making such a fuss over nothing.”

“…?” All eyes turned toward Louis again.

He grinned widely at them.

“No need to worry. There’s one surefire solution to take care of these problems once and for all.”

“How so?”

“Heh-heh, let me tell you—” As Louis explained his “surefire solution,” both Page and Pablo blushed furiously.

As his reminiscence of yesterday came to an end,

Page let out a soft sigh.

“Phew…”

Indeed, the king had rejected his marriage proposal. This was also as expected. The resolute determination in the king’s eyes made it clear that he would never consent to such a union.

Hadn’t Louis taught him this maneuver for just such an occasion? Yet despite this knowledge, Page couldn’t help but hesitate slightly.

In that moment, the king waved his hand dismissively.

“Leave now. I do not wish to hear any more about this matter.”

It was an order to be dismissed. If Page were to retreat now, meeting with the king again would become increasingly difficult.

Seeing Levans’ relieved expression beside her, Page’s determination and courage surged with her stubbornness.

That’s right, this is all I have left!

Page made up her mind and looked at the king squarely.

“Your Highness… no, Dad…” This was the first time she had called him “Dad” since she was very young.

The king flinched; it had been a long time since he heard that word from his daughter.

His eyes widened as soon as he processed what she said next:

“Dad, I’m pregnant.”

”…?!”

Louis’s revelation hit both the king and the prime minister like a heavy blow to their backsides.