Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 254

Even for King Ruben, who always had an impeccably calm expression, it was difficult to keep his face from hardening at the blatant criticism that the Duke threw. He looked at the Duke of Croix with his golden-brown eyes shining fiercely.

“Croix, it seems that you see the king as a jester.” The king, who had been seated in the chair, straightened his posture and looked at him with a menacing smile. “Have you forgotten that the one you are insulting now is the king’s daughter? I have decided to listen to all possible complaints in consideration of your resentful heart... I am about to run out of patience.”

“...I was vexed, and I crossed the line by making an inappropriate comment.” The duke immediately softened his attitude but his eyes still burned with hostility. “However, I can’t believe the princess’s words. Isn’t it a fact that everyone knows that the two of them have a close friendship? Right now, I can’t help but doubt that the princess is lying to help cover up for this man.”

The Duke of Croix spoke mockingly and looked at Max with contempt. “I don’t want to say this about my daughter, but this girl’s intelligence is terrible. Only six seasons have passed since she left Croix Castle, it is impossible that she is already a World Tower wizard, it would be more credible to say that a donkey has turned into a stallion!”

Before finishing his words, Riftan jumped from his seat fiercely showing an angrily distorted face. As if he would be hit at that moment, the duke stepped back out of inertia. Two royal knights stopped him quickly, but Riftan kept casting a murderous glance at the Duke of Croix. As if trying to break the tension, the princess spoke aloud.

“If you cannot believe my words, I will call on the knights who participated in the expedition to Livadon as witnesses. Maximilian not only played a role as a healer in the Allied rear, but also played a decisive role in the final battle. This is a truth known to the soldiers of Livadon, Osyria, and Balto. There are countless people who are willing to testify that she is an outstanding wizard.”

Her father looked at her incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe those words. Max hunched her shoulders, a habit she developed out of fear, but quickly straightened her back. There was no reason for her to be afraid. Secretly, she wiped her cold, sweaty palms on the hem of her skirt and looked directly at her father. He was a skilled man at crushing others with just the look in his eyes and he looked at her with contempt, belittling her with his eyes, and his face immediately grew red with his temper. She had difficulty overcoming his frosty glare, but suddenly Max realized that her father’s height was shorter than she remembered. At the sudden realization, she blinked blankly. She had thought that the Duke of Croix was much, much bigger than her.

‘Whenever I was standing in front of those eyes full of scorn, I felt as small as an ant.’

However, her father’s height was at best a little taller than Princess Agnes, his firm and tall body seemed slimmer than she remembered. Compared to a troll or a werewolf, he looked like a scarecrow. Suddenly, the fear she felt inside her crumbled like sand and she felt a feeling of bewilderment and despondency wash over her. Why was she so afraid of that man? At least after their recent meaning, there was no reason to tremble so much in front of this person. She had the means to defend herself.

‘Didn’t I block an attack by a Remdragon Knight? That was much more threatening than his cane.’

In the midst of her state of liberation, she looked at her father. The horrible monster inside her mind that instilled fear in her shrunk insignificantly.

Max slowly opened her mouth to speak. “It doesn’t matter whether my father believes it or not. I... am a wizard. If my father puts my husband to trial... I will use all possible means to retaliate against it.”

She felt Riftan’s intense gaze prick her cheeks. His eyes were shining dangerously, but he did not say a single word to question what she was on about: although he looked quite annoyed, he seemed to be determined to keep quiet for that moment. While secretly sighing in relief, she heard the shrill voice of the Duke of Croix.

“This ungrateful thing...! Go ahead, let’s see how far you can go! You are spouting all these to cover up for the incident!”

“Are you serious with what you have said?” King Ruben, who was watching the situation with an interested face, sighed deeply.m“Duke of Croix, if the World Tower intervenes, it usually won’t end with only you or me being burdened greatly. Are you aware that you are about to be accused of persecuting a wizard?”

“I didn’t even know that this child was a World Tower wizard! And so how could they say that I persecuted her?”

“It does not matter if you knew that fact or not. What is important is that you inflicted damage on her.”

Princess Agnes coldly refuted. Simon, standing silently next to her, nodded and agreed. “That’s how it is. The sequence of the situation is not so important. The World Tower will only investigate whether there has been abusive behavior or not.”

The Duke of Croix’s face was now red and almost purple. Seeing their situation, King Ruben’s face filled with triumph. “What he said is true, Duke. You know how troublesome the World Tower can be, right? If they turn their backs on you, most wizards will leave the duchy. In the future, the World Tower will no longer want to dispatch wizards for the Duke. Are you saying that you are going to push through with the trial even if you will face all those penalties?”

The duke opened his mouth wide, as if he were about to refute, then closed it again. Even if he was filled with anger from head to toe, it seemed that his judgment as a lord who had jurisdiction over a huge territory for many years made him hesitate to answer. He rolled his eyes in disgust, as if calculating the losses that would result from an unexpected variable.

King Ruben, who was watching him silently, as if driving a wedge into his enemy, spoke again. “If you continue to insist on a trial, you will lose not only the prestige of your family, but also a significant number of high-ranking wizards. It would be a heavy burden to contain Dristan’s men. And that’s not all, if the World Tower exerts pressure on you, even I won’t be able to ignore those charges.”

The complexion of the Duke of Croix was severely hardened. “That means...”

“What it means is that it will be more difficult for you to have the upper hand in a trial.”

“His Majesty has the duty to preserve the prestige of the nobles. Do you mean that it doesn’t matter if his subjects harbor animosity against the royal family?”

“I’m starting to get tired of your threats...” King Ruben’s eyes narrowed chillingly. “My simple wish is to maintain Whedon’s unity and protect the order of the Seven Kingdoms. You shouldn’t try to fulfill your ambitions by using such weaknesses... you make me doubt your loyalty to me.”

“I was threatened with death by a knight who was knighted by His Majesty himself. If the king is not deemed responsible for this, then who the hell am I supposed to complain to?”

“Isn’t that why I’ve been putting up with your whining until now?” King Ruben’s annoyed reply made the Duke of Croix’s mouth turn pale with contempt. When the king saw this, he spoke in a low voice as if to reassure him. “What happened to you, Duke, is unfortunate. Calypse was clearly out of control. But upon hearing the full story of the incident, wasn’t it you who provided the cause in the first place? If the trial continues, many of the nobles will criticize Calypse, but you too will face heavy criticism. And if the World Tower intervenes, it will be a more burdensome issue. What’s so great about making this bigger? If you don’t get the verdict that you want, you will be severely ridiculed.”

The duke’s shoulders shook with fury as if he didn’t know what to do, he was unable to accept that his will was about to be thwarted. His bloodshot eyes fluttered eerily, alternating between Riftan and Max. She was nervous that he would react by yelling insults at her. However, it seemed that the aristocratic coldness etched into his bones barely controlled his explosive anger. The Duke of Croix gritted his teeth and shook his anger in despair.

Then, King Ruben presented them a compromise. “However, since Calypse also did something serious, it would be unfair to just let it slide. Now, how about we do this? If you let this issue pass in silence, I will reduce in half the dowry you had promised to marry Rosetta into the royal family.”

The Duke of Croix was so overwhelmed with containing his anger that even the unconventional proposal seemed not to be heard. The king added threateningly while the duke kept his mouth shut and continued to say nothing.

“But if you’re going to go against my will, there’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to invalidate the engagement. It is impossible for me to have a disloyal subject as a relative.”

Coming this far, even as the Duke of Croix, he couldn’t back down. The duke gripped his cane so tightly with both hands that it was strange that it did not break. He spoke as if he was vomiting blood. “Alright. To bed to His Majesty’s will... I will withdraw the charges.”

Max released the breath she was holding. She couldn’t believe her father had resigned himself, even though she had heard it with her own ears. The duke looked at her as if he was chewing on something stale, then asked the king’s permission and led his vassals out of the room. Only then did it feel that everything had finished. She dropped her shoulders with a sense of relief, but it was too early for her to relax.

As if watching the ridiculous work of a harlequin, Riftan, who was observing the situation in silence, slowly approached her. Max’s body stiffened as he took her arm with one hand and turned his head toward King Ruben.

“This seems to be the end of the meeting, so we shall also take our leave.”

“Do what you please.” The king responded sarcastically, leaning deeply over the chair as if he was exhausted. “I’m not so happy because you tried to kill Croix. This has reduced my lifespan by five years. I don’t want to see your face for a while.”

“In favor of the benevolence of the king, I will not do anything near the capital in the next few years.”

“You’re just like an arrogant brat.” The king shook his head with a crooked smile. “I’m glad this ended without me losing you. This dramatic turn was absolutely thanks to Maximilian.”

Max didn’t know what to do, but quickly bowed to the king. King Ruben shook a hand dryly, as if the gesture was already a norm. Riftan immediately left the meeting room with her, without wasting any more time. Agnes, sensing an unusual atmosphere, followed him cautiously. For a long time they walked in deep silence, then Riftan entered an empty room and finally opened his mouth.

“... Who put that idea in your head?”

Note – LF: I am conflicted. Not so happy this ended with the duke not being bludgeoned to death.