42. Because Your Majesty Is Someone Who Can Do That

He had rejected all the plausible excuses. That was his honest feeling.

The words, though uncool, made his face flush. To cool down his heat, he drank a fruit juice that he had deliberately asked to be chilled with ice.

“I see,”

Surprisingly, the voice that came back was soft. Blanche answered calmly, without mocking or appearing hurt.

“In that case, I won’t receive private lessons from Her Majesty the Empress.”

Melchizedek, who had made such a straightforward statement, was actually surprised. He hastily put down his juice glass and tried to dissuade Blanche.

“What? That’s not necessary. I only told you the reason because I thought you should know; I wasn’t pressuring you to quit.”

“But you don’t want it, do you?”

Faced with that frank truth, Melchizedek hesitated. He couldn’t change his words in an instant.

It was true. He disliked that Blanche relied on someone else before turning to him when she wanted something.

If she was to seek someone else, he wished it would be for something he couldn’t grant. Of course, since there was no wish the Crown Prince Melchizedek couldn’t fulfill, there was no real need for that.

“But you wanted it, didn’t you?”

The reward promised publicly by the Empress of the Empire. There could have been many more useful ways to use it: establishing a research wing for scholars she so dearly cherished, expanding beyond the palace, or even making requests for the Lamore Kingdom.

Yet what Blanche wanted was private lessons from Liana. And Melchizedek was simply going to give up on that just because he disliked it?

Melchizedek was confident that Blanche’s priority was himself. But that meant he believed he was her first priority, not that he was overwhelmingly number one.

Yet now Blanche acted as if she didn’t care about Melchizedek’s thoughts at all. Rather than feeling pleased, Melchizedek was bewildered and desperately tried to change her mind.

“Aren’t you upset?”

“Not at all.”

“Why?”

Blanche blinked once. Her black pupils, almost indistinguishable from her irises, stared straight at Melchizedek.

Those eyes were familiar.

“Because Your Majesty is someone who can do that.”

Blanche was right. As Berken had mentioned, Grand Duke Randolph, Melchizedek the Crown Prince, was a person who could get away with such selfishness.

He was someone who could arbitrarily push people away even knowing it would block their path, simply because it upset him. Someone who could throw away others’ precious opportunities just because he wasn’t inclined.

To Melchizedek, even if Blanche was not his first priority, Blanche had to consider Melchizedek as her first priority.

Melchizedek understood what Berken meant. He understood Blanche’s choice.

But he thought he didn’t like Blanche’s choice. More than asking someone else to do what he could do, what bothered him was that she so easily gave up what he wanted simply because he was the kind of person who could do that.

And what bothered him even more was that Blanche showed no sign of sadness, as if she had already completely resigned herself.

Because the person Melchizedek projected onto Blanche was just like that.

That person would question any reason to receive something but would not hesitate to give something to others.

Melchizedek disliked that but also always softened because of it.

Both with that person and now with Blanche.

“…Forget it.”

“Huh?”

“Forget what I just said.”

So Melchizedek changed his mind.

“I said I’d do anything if you want.”

“Yes.”

“Then I will decide how to handle this matter and notify you. Just wait. Don’t even think about saying you won’t take lessons from your sister-in-law.”

Blanche might return to Jasper Palace annoyed, calling the Duke capricious. But it didn’t matter. If she was someone who could be swayed so easily by his word, then he might as well manipulate her completely.

“Tomorrow is our usual tea time, right? I’ll come to Jasper Palace, so keep that time free.”

She might inwardly complain, but outwardly she nodded quietly, showing no dissatisfaction.

“My time is always reserved for Your Grace.”

“Then there’s no need to prepare anything else today, you may leave.”

After dismissing her, Melchizedek checked the clock. It was exactly time for dinner, the time to meet Liana and Berken.

He briefly worried what face Berken would show after Melchizedek changed his mind in just an hour, but then recalled Berken already misunderstood him as jealous. Well, at least fickleness was less unsightly than jealousy.

“The Grand Duke is here.”

With the servant’s announcement, Berken and Liana’s eyes turned to him. Though usual, today Liana’s eyes sparkled with a different light, and Melchizedek sighed inwardly.

He had no idea how much Berken had embellished the story before telling her.

“You’re late, Melki.”

“I was talking with Princess Blanche for a bit.”

If she had high expectations, it was better to fulfill them quickly and proceed with the conversation. Sitting down and unfolding a napkin, he spoke, prompting a faint cheer from Liana.

“So Berken’s story was true?”

“You sound like you doubted your brother’s word.”

She must have already trusted him completely.

Despite Melchizedek’s sarcastic remark, Liana’s excitement did not wane.

“So, do you want me to step back or do you want to take fencing lessons with me?”

Melchizedek thought for a moment. Neither option was appealing. The political issues would be resolved either way, but he knew how strict Liana was, and he had no real interest in swordsmanship.

“Neither.”

“Then?”

Liana’s already large eyes grew even wider. Melchizedek took a sip of water and briefly replied.

“Please proceed as originally promised. I’ve already finished talking with Princess Blanche.”

“Did that princess convince you in such a short time?”

Berken’s voice interrupted excitedly. Seeing his eyes nearly as large as Liana’s, his interest in Blanche had clearly increased.

“Let’s just say yes.”

Melchizedek didn’t want to explain — it was troublesome and pointless to try to convince Berken and Liana anyway.

“Actually, Princess Blanche came to me after my birthday.”

She certainly acted quickly.

“Really? What did she say?”

“She said her body wasn’t conditioned, so she wanted to start with physical training first. She asked if someone could help her with that, and I said yes.”

A very wise choice. Preparing to receive lessons from Liana would take at least a few years.

“So should we just follow what was agreed with Princess Blanche? Help her build her body first and keep an eye on her, and later teach her fencing when she’s ready? If Melki wants the promise fulfilled immediately, I can design the curriculum myself.”

Melchizedek quickly weighed Liana’s schedule and the reputational benefits of her designing the training program. He concluded it was better not to have Liana intervene directly, at least not now.

“No, please assign a training instructor. But bring someone from a private family.”

“Jealousy or whatever, and now you want to assign the Kaibrahan family to Princess Blanche? Isn’t that too luxurious?”

Berken exclaimed incredulously. Melchizedek replied not by denying jealousy — since his brother brought it up first — but by saying:

“Everyone already knows my sister-in-law favors Princess Blanche, so it’s not such a big difference. Besides, Blanche suffered losses because of my mistakes. I need to make up for that.”

Though it was just a stir for now, losses were losses. Melchizedek intended to compensate. Blanche might not care much, but precisely because of that…

“Alright, got it. I’ll contact someone and prepare a suitable instructor. Probably the one who helped me train is still not retired. That person should do.”

Whether the Kaibrahan family would agree to be a part of Princess Blanche’s influence was uncertain, but Berken thought it best to keep quiet since Liana and Melchizedek seemed satisfied. What Liana’s family thought was none of his business.

Originally, the only time the Duke and the Emperor’s family spent together was dinner, since Melchizedek was still young and went to bed early.

But today was different. They had to finalize details on how to support Blanche going forward. After a month’s gap, the royal family needed to show Blanche how much they cared as soon as possible.