Chapter 356: Preparations
The Second Prince held his chin as he looked at a blank sheet of paper in his hand. He seemed to be thinking about something.
He didn’t have the habit of writing things down in a plan. He believed that any written record could someday become “deadly evidence.” Rather than trying to destroy the evidence later, it was safer to just never leave any in the first place.
The pen, which still had its cap on, hovered over the blank paper a few times. It seemed like he had come up with some rough ideas.
“Cyan Hawk.”
Eric waved his hand, and the man who had been waiting nearby stepped up to him.
“Your Highness.”
“How’s it going with the Knights?”
“Very well. After all, the Knight Order is part of the national military. The rules are strict, and there are no annoying relationships to deal with. With my current ability, I can keep moving up.”
Compared to those boring social circles, the army was a place where you could rise through the ranks with your own strength. If there were people who only got in because of connections, he could just use strength to make them back off.
The Knight Order had always been a group that stood on the royal side and leaned politically neutral. But the leader’s personal stance often influenced the whole group. So, in the power struggle between the two princes, the Knight Order’s position was very important.
“Hmm...”
Eric nodded slightly, clearly pleased. He stood up, left the desk, and casually tossed the now-wrinkled piece of blank paper into the nearby fireplace. He didn’t even check if it was fully burned, because even if someone pulled it out, it was just a blank sheet anyway.
“Any news about Armand recently?”
“Not long ago, he returned to the Knight Order. I heard from others that he was on leave before.”
“Heh... leave, huh...”
Eric let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with chill.
“In this cold weather, he’s taking leave? Sounds more like he was hiding.”
Winter hadn’t even fully arrived, yet the wind outside was already freezing cold. Eric thought, maybe Armand realized he couldn’t keep hiding anymore, so he forced himself to return to the Knight Order despite the harsh wind.
“That Knight Captain didn’t look very well when he came back this time. I just happened to see him by chance.”
“His good days are over.”
Ever since he learned the truth, Eric often imagined how his mother must have looked when she died. All these years had passed, and her body still hadn’t been found.
Back then... it must’ve been a horrible death.
Did he love his mother? Of course he did.
Was he sad when she died? Yes, very much.
But... that was all.
His feelings toward his mother had always been complicated.
He loved her, but he didn’t go crazy trying to hunt down her killer. Yet if someone said he didn’t love her, that wouldn’t be true either. He often prayed in front of her photo.
Now that he had learned the truth, now that he knew his mother might have died at Armand’s hands, Eric was shocked. But what shocked him wasn’t the cause of death itself. It was Armand’s true identity.
He only thought about himself, how he had failed to kill Armand back then.
Or maybe... he wondered, if those “unexpected events” hadn’t happened, and if Armand had always stood on his side, what would things be like now?
Armand hated the Second Prince. But this hatred came from guilt. His dislike for Eric was really just him taking out his anger on himself.
Eric was probably the same. If they really sat down and had a proper talk over two cups of tea, maybe these two guys could actually find something in common. But right now, whenever they saw each other, they just felt disgusted.
“……”
Forget it, it doesn’t matter.
No matter what he has done, no matter who he really is, the current leader of the Royal Knights must be removed.
He had been sick of that guy for a long time…
…………………………………
On the other side, Crown Prince Solor was still sitting next to the old King’s bed.
The old King looked much better than he did a while ago. The news about him wanting to host the New Year’s party wasn’t just a rumor. He really did feel like his body had recovered enough to take back control of political affairs.
“These past days, have you been the one handling government work?”
After finishing the last sip of medicine, the old King laid back down and let out a soft hum. Even his voice now sounded stronger than before.
“I’ve been handling it together with my younger brother, Father.”
“That’s good. Running a country isn’t something one person should do alone. It’s always better to discuss things with your brother before making decisions.”
“Thank you for the advice, Father.”
These polite phrases were said so often that people got tired of hearing them.
Everyone could see clearly that the old King had always tried to make the two princes hold each other back. If Solor dared to say something that made it seem like he had more power, the old man would definitely start getting ideas.
“The capital has been running well lately, thanks to both of you. I’ve been sick, and it’s been hard for you.”
“It wasn’t hard, Father. This is our duty. We’re still young, and we need more practice. We lack experience, so we’ll need to ask you for more guidance in the future.”
“Haha, of course. There’s no need for such politeness between father and sons. You’re both my own flesh and blood. I’ll make sure to teach you everything I can.”
Solor’s words seemed to please the old King. This usually serious and intimidating old man actually started laughing out loud.
This old man had probably been putting on a show in politics for a long time. The weak and tired look he had while lying in bed just moments ago disappeared in an instant. The atmosphere suddenly turned into a friendly talk between father and son.
But both the old King and Solor knew deep down, everything they were saying was just to make the other let down their guard. If they wanted to know the real truth, they had to find it out on their own.
Of course, the old King had already started looking. While he was still lying in bed, he had sent his trusted men to gather information from the royal palace every day. Once they sorted it, they gave the reports to him.
But the two princes also knew what their father was up to. During that time, when the old King stepped back from power, he couldn’t really control the front palace anymore. Whether it was the part managed by the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, the reports the King received were only half true. If you called them fake, every word in them was actually correct. But if you called them real, they were missing many important details.
The old King had always known that his two sons didn’t get along. According to what he heard, both of them were trying their best to please him, hoping that he would favor them more when choosing the next King.
On the surface, the old King seemed to care about his children and their relationship, but in reality, his words always caused more division. When he met with them separately, he tried to win their hearts, but how could he ever be willing to give up his throne?
As for the two princes, it was true they didn’t get along. But when it came to dealing with the old King, a man who had caused them both to lose many things, the two of them had reached a silent agreement.
In fact, with the way the two brothers were planning things, it was hard to say if this old King would even have a “later” to look forward to.
Even someone as powerful as the King would one day pay the price for all the things he had done. No one can escape that.