Chapter 13: The Crown Prince and His Unlucky Knight
With the knights urging him, “Captain, the carriage is ready!”
Armand climbed into the royal carriage he didn’t even like, all while wondering when he could finally retire for good.
Even though he disliked it, Armand still had to sit quietly in that carriage marked with flashy royal symbols.
The carriage rocked and swayed as it moved, almost lulling him to sleep. But even while yawning, he had to stay alert. Sure, it was rare for anyone to attack in the middle of the capital, but if some lunatic suddenly shot an arrow from a blind spot, it would still be a serious problem.
If he were on horseback, he probably would’ve arrived already. But due to royal protocol, he couldn’t just ride his beloved horse through the busy city streets. So, here he was, sitting in what felt more like a moving cradle than a proper vehicle.
“Yaaawn…”
After who knows how many yawns, Armand finally arrived at the royal palace gates. At the guards’ signal, he fixed the wrinkles in his uniform and stepped into the royal courtyard.
Though he was someone who never parted with his sword, entering the Crown Prince’s room meant he had to hand over his weapon to the guards at the door. But since the entire Royal Knights were under his command, the guards stationed at the Crown Prince’s door were actually his own men. They had already cleared things in advance with the Crown Prince. While Armand handed over his most visible sword, he still carried other weapons hidden on him, just in case.
This was a sign of the Crown Prince’s trust. Armand was the only one allowed to carry hidden weapons while meeting with him in private.
“Armand, you’re finally here.”
As he pushed open the door, he was greeted by the Crown Prince, Solor Cleia, sitting behind his desk. In terms of age, Armand and the prince were the same, both 26 years old. But in terms of status, the difference was like heaven and earth. After all, a master and his dog are never seen as equals.
“Phew… Your Highness, what did you call me here for this time?”
After the servant poured tea and quietly left, Armand didn’t bother with formalities and flopped down onto the guest couch. The Crown Prince didn’t mind. He stepped out from behind his desk, which was covered in paperwork, and sat across from Armand.
“Nothing special, just wanted to chat. Are you happy with the estate I gave you?”
Unlike Armand's casual attitude, the Crown Prince was naturally elegant. His short golden hair made him look like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. He inherited all the best features from his mother, handsome eyebrows and bright eyes, with a scholarly and graceful air. If it weren’t for his blood-red eyes and his perfectly controlled, emotionless expressions, he might’ve been seen as too gentle, easy prey for the old court officials.
However, at least when it came to Armand, he still spoke and laughed freely. This was because, apart from his own wife, the Crown Princess, the only person he could truly let his guard down with was Armand, who had been with him for over a decade.
“If you gave that estate to one of those guys who love to show off, they’d be over the moon,” Armand replied. “But for me, it’s a bit too flashy. I already draw enough attention. You dump something that big on me, and it’s basically a death sentence.”
Armand didn’t like standing out. Back when he was a quiet, withdrawn boy rescued by the Crown Prince and made his personal guard, he had barely spoken at all. If it weren’t for the prince giving him that “you’re the only one I can trust” look, as if placing all his hope on Armand, he probably wouldn’t have agreed to stay by his side.
Yet somehow, from that moment on, he went from a low-ranking guard all the way up to becoming the captain of the Royal Knights before even turning thirty.
When Armand was first promoted to this position, rumors were flying everywhere. Those who had long coveted the role, people with minds like Evelia’s, all whispered that maybe the Crown Prince had... unusual tastes, and that he had only promoted Armand because of his looks. Some even sent formal complaints, saying things like “beauty is ruining the nation.”
It wasn’t until Armand proved his worth with real achievements, and after the Crown Prince married the daughter of a duke, that those rumors finally died down.
Still, once the Crown Prince got married, Armand was no longer his only trusted companion, just one of two.
Even so, Armand had never wanted the role of Royal Knights’ captain in the first place. He only took it because the prince practically forced it on him. But one thing he would never accept was a noble title. Jobs you can quit, but titles stay with you forever. He didn’t want to finally step down as captain one day, only to be trapped by some useless title.
He’d even saved up some money for retirement and picked out a peaceful place to grow old. Now all he needed was the Crown Prince’s stamp of approval on his retirement papers.
“I know you gave me that huge estate because you think highly of me,” Armand said, “but did you really have to build it that fancy?”
The Crown Prince replied, “You just came back from winning a battle. Of course I wanted to show the ministers how much I value you. If they see how close we are, they’ll also understand who really holds military power. That way those old fools won’t keep thinking they can push me around like I’m some naive kid.”
“Sigh… Why don’t you become the captain of the knights? That way you’d have real power in your own hands.”
“To those old geezers, military power should belong to the Royal Family, not the Crown Prince. That’s why it’s called the Royal Knights and not the Crown Prince’s Knights. Even though they all know you’re my guy, they won’t say anything outright. At most, they’ll gossip that I’m flattering you or complain behind closed doors. But if anyone questions it openly, I can still say you work for the royal family. And no one can deny you earned the title with real merit, your medals outnumber their spit.”
Even though Armand had a good relationship with the Crown Prince, it still left a sour taste when the prince treated him like a chess piece on a board.
That said, at least the Crown Prince was honest about it. He never sugarcoated anything, if there was a trap ahead, he’d tell Armand how deep the pit was and how bad it would hurt. Better to be prepared for the pain than fall in blindly and break your bones.
The Crown Prince did treat him like a friend… but he also didn’t hesitate to “sell” him like a brother. Still, at least the prince offered full “after-sales support.” If Armand ever did break his leg, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone to patch it up.
“But Armand, you’d better be extra careful these days,” the Crown Prince said seriously.
“Hm?” Hearing the sudden change in tone, Armand's expression also turned serious.
“Ever since you returned to the capital, we haven’t heard a single thing from ‘Red Crow.’ Our people have no leads on him at all.”
Armand fell silent. His fingers started tapping the couch again.
That guy, “Red Crow”, either does nothing or causes big trouble. When he disappears, it means something serious is brewing. They were in the open, and he was in the shadows. No one could tell what that second prince’s top agent might be planning.
And based on yesterday’s intel, Armand already suspected that someone from the Second Prince’s camp was close to him. The most suspicious person was obviously Evelia. But... Evelia was clearly a woman. And according to their previous investigation, Red Crow was definitely a man.
So how could they be the same person?
Right now, all Armand had was a vague suspicion. He couldn’t just randomly connect Evelia to Red Crow. Maybe that powerful figure wasn’t even interested in him and had gone off to do something else.
“You look like you've found a clue?” the Crown Prince noticed the strange look on Armand's face. “Tell me.”
“I... maybe, maybe not. I need to figure it out first before I say anything. Otherwise, it would just be misleading.”
Armand hesitated. In the end, he didn’t share the theory that even he thought sounded ridiculous.
Sigh, he couldn’t exactly strip Evelia naked just to check, could he?