19
“How did this happen?”
“Lord Hagen, please forgive my rudeness. How could I possibly refuse when he is a guest of the royal family?”
Count Waluer openly displayed his discomfort and shook his head.
Ricardo Hagen had yet to leave the Waluer residence. The Marquis of Hagen, who had his chance to take Eliza snatched away right before his eyes, wore an unusually hardened expression.
“According to Lady Waluer, she was going to meet His Highness the Crown Prince. Is that really true?”
“Eliza told you that much? Oh, then this should go quickly. In fact, His Highness is already inside the residence.”
“Then, inside there…….”
“That is correct.”
Ricardo followed the direction indicated by the Count and looked up toward the drawing room window.
He had also heard the recent rumors. Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had met Eliza in a public place, people had been discreetly investigating whether he had finally taken an interest in a woman.
Magnus was a man who had maintained a spotless reputation without a single scandal commonly associated with him.
Could someone who had so perfectly embodied the image of the Crown Prince suddenly take an interest in a woman?
‘Too coincidental to be mere chance. Has the royal family noticed something about Eliza?’
To an evil being, the more suffering a holy person endured, the greater the joy. Ricardo had been searching for a Saintess behind the scenes for that very purpose.
However, no Saintess had appeared in the kingdom for several hundred years, and as a result, clues about one were nothing more than the stuff of urban legends.
Based solely on the fact that the Saintesses of history had possessed bright features, they had searched every woman with light-colored hair.
Those who possessed holy power generally had pale pigmentation. And Ricardo had been watching Eliza, who possessed rare silver hair even among the nobility, from an early stage.
Only one who knows suffering can become a Saintess. And in Ricardo’s eyes, the abuse she suffered at home was more than sufficient qualification.
“Count Waluer. I believe it is fair to say that our relationship has lasted for quite some time now. I have always held my friendship with you in high regard.”
“It is sudden, but it is certainly pleasant to hear. I, too, have always been grateful to Lord Hagen.”
“If this relationship is to extend beyond merely our generation, surely it must not be severed so suddenly? I hope you will not be blinded by greed beyond your station and make the mistake of abandoning the relationship we have maintained.”
“Wh-what do you mean? Of course not. It has been so long since we betrothed Eliza and Leopold. Haha, haha…….”
Ricardo, who had always acted benevolently, spoke with subtle pressure, and Count Waluer immediately began watching his words.
When the expression disappeared from his usually smiling face, the Marquis unexpectedly looked sharp.
“Leopold truly likes Lady Eliza.”
“Is that so?”
“I was the one who stopped him from wanting to marry her immediately. I wanted him to receive a little more education and take a wife once he had matured, but it seems I may have been mistaken.”
Seeing Leopold fawn over Eliza often left him dumbfounded.
Seeing how much he liked her, he too wanted to bring Eliza to Hagen quickly, but the reason he had waited was that Leopold was still too immature.
However, judging by the Crown Prince’s behavior, he could not even know whether Eliza was showing signs of awakening as a Saintess.
He could not allow the royal family to take away the Saintess he had found. Ricardo smiled gently to reassure the Count.
“What do you think, Count?”
“What do you mean by think……?”
“I mean your thoughts on the engagement between Leopold and Eliza.”
“Hmm……. Their ages are certainly sufficient, but she is still an immature daughter…….”
Unaware that he was lying, Count Waluer grew anxious.
Why was he bringing up the marriage that had never come to pass precisely when Eliza had formed a connection with the Crown Prince?
“Leopold would love Lady Eliza regardless of what she looked like.”
In truth, he had always taken great pleasure in watching his son whimper as though Eliza had him on a leash.
And he had discovered something. The clumsy song a child had sung out of kindness when Vannessa had called Eliza out under the pretext of feeling lonely. The instinctive revulsion he had felt the moment he heard that song.
There had clearly been a certain aura around Eliza, something he had only sensed when visiting the temple. She was undoubtedly the perfect sacrifice!
‘I had prepared everything for him. Tsk.’
It would be difficult to smuggle a person who had truly become a Saintess out of the temple, so he had to carry out the ritual now.
Ricardo had already activated the ritual, and once Eliza set foot inside, everything would be complete.
But this foolish Count had interfered at the very last moment.
“A union between families is not formed solely through personal affection, is it? Let us ask the parties involved for their opinions first.”
Ricardo continued to look at the Count, who was making excuses, with a smile on his face.
He truly was a shameless man. Considering how much money Ricardo had lent him over the years, he was now greedy for something even greater.
Then again, it was precisely because he was a man who had so easily sold off his daughter that things had proceeded so smoothly until now.
“The party in question seems to be coming this way.”
Just then, Eliza was personally seeing the royal guests off.
On the way to the main entrance, Eliza came across them and stopped.
“Marquis, you are still here.”
Eliza blinked innocently as she looked at Ricardo. When he smiled warmly at her, the smile that returned in response trembled slightly.
‘This girl has been acting strangely lately, too. She couldn’t possibly know her own usefulness. Could she really have fallen for the Crown Prince?’
Ricardo approached Eliza and naturally spoke to her.
“I was just about to leave. I heard an esteemed guest had arrived, so won’t you introduce him to me as well?”
“Ah, well…….”
Eliza turned toward the Crown Prince and asked for his wishes with a glance.
Seeing Eliza readily obey him filled Ricardo’s heart with satisfaction. As expected, Eliza Waluer was still in the palm of his hand.
“I permit you to pay your respects.”
“Ricardo Hagen greets His Highness the Crown Prince. May you enjoy everlasting glory.”
Ricardo wore a mild expression on the surface. Then he asked confidently,
“Is His Majesty the King in good health?”
The Crown Prince might not know it, but Hagen’s work was already being carried out with the royal family’s permission. It was all for the purpose of creating the perfect weapon for the royal family.
Of course, if that being truly descended, no mere human would dare control it, but Ricardo had deceived the King into believing that it was possible.
Therefore, Ricardo thought there was no way the royal family would interfere with him, and that the ignorant Crown Prince was simply becoming a nuisance.
“His Majesty remains as he has always been.”
“It is the blessing of this kingdom that His Majesty remains healthy and steadfast in his position. And Your Highness has grown so much as well…….”
“The Count behind you should greet him as well.”
“Oh, what an honor. Francis, head of the House of Waluer, greets His Highness the First Prince. May you receive eternal blessings.”
When Magnus cut off the Marquis’s words and demanded it, Count Waluer hurriedly offered his greeting.
Ricardo assessed the situation before gently adding,
“I had a prior appointment with Lady Waluer, but perhaps she has finished her business…….”
“Lady Waluer is going out with me.”
Once again, Magnus answered before the Marquis had even finished speaking.
Eliza had never made such an arrangement, but she quietly folded her hands and lowered her gaze.
It seemed the Crown Prince intended to prevent her from being taken to Hagen.
“I see. Eliza, please do visit the Hagen residence soon. Leopold has been waiting for you.”
Noticing Magnus’s attitude, Ricardo quickly changed whom he was addressing.
‘After going to such lengths to hurry things along, I cannot let her slip away now.’
Eliza wondered whether his mentioning Leopold was truly something they had agreed upon, then smiled brightly.
“I will. He has been waiting since yesterday, so I am sorry things turned out this way. If there is something urgent, would you leave me a letter? It seems that would be faster than meeting in person.”
“That is a good idea.”
Unable to glare at Magnus for agreeing with the woman’s words in a way unlike him, Ricardo had to leave the Waluer residence while maintaining his smile until the very end.
“I will tell Leopold that you will be visiting soon.”
Eliza found herself disliking the Marquis a little more for mentioning his name until the very end.
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