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Edward dropped the pen he was holding at the sudden report.
"Mariabelle is engaged to the Crown Prince of the Empire...?"
The rolling pen stopped when it hit the shoe of the vice ambassador who had hurriedly returned from the Gallerian Empire to report the news.
Edward didn't notice it and just stared dumbfounded at the vice ambassador's face.
"No way, you must be joking..."
The vice ambassador bent down to pick up the pen and tried to hand it back to Edward, but when he did not respond, he had no choice but to place it on his desk.
The documents there have been piling up high ever since Edward broke off his engagement with Mariabelle.
Mariabelle used to help Edward with his work in between the queen's education, but his new fiancée, Annette, couldn't understand the difficult phrases, so it was of no use.
The stacks of papers that kept piling up day after day were getting taller and taller.
"No, I am not joking. The official engagement documents of Crown Prince Renato of the Gallerian Empire and Mariabelle Berkeley will be delivered to the Kingdom in a few days."
"That's strange. I thought that His Majesty's permission is required for a nobleman of the Kingdom to marry someone from outside the Kingdom."
Percy Coleridge, Edward's aide and future prime minister, questioned the vice ambassador's explanation.
"That is correct," he said.
"But..."
The vice ambassador nodded before continuing.
"The Marquise of Berkeley, who was in the Empire, explained that His Majesty the King had given his approval... We had not heard anything about it and were surprised. I thought I would return to the kingdom immediately to find out what was going on, but His Majesty is not feeling well, so I have come to ask His Highness about it."
The deputy ambassador then added anxiously, "How is His Majesty's condition?"
"He seems to have just been a little tired, so there is no need to worry."
"I am relieved to hear that."
The vice ambassador, relieved by Edward's words, looked at Edward with a look that said, "What should I do now?"
But since Edward did not answer, he turned his attention to his aides.
They, too, stood there with troubled looks on their faces.
The vice ambassador, realizing that he would not be able to find out any more details if he stayed there any longer, gave up and left the room.
"Your Highness."
"I wonder if this story is true..."
Percy called out to Edward, who remained standing still.
"Shall I go and find out?"
"Yes, please do."
"We'll get the information for you, sir."
"I'm sure you will."
After watching Percy and his entourage leave, Edward watched their backs for a moment and then returned to his desk, looking absent-minded.
He picked up a pen to continue his paperwork, but he couldn't get his mind around what he had written.
His brother Simon, the only one left, couldn't bear to look at Edward and asked, "Your Highness, why don't you take a short break?"
"Yes, Simon," Edward said.
"I will go and prepare some tea."
While he was calling the maids of honor to prepare tea, Edward wondered why Mariabelle got engaged to the Crown Prince of the Gallerian Empire.
He had heard that marquise de Berkeley was very upset that his daughter had been neglected.
Then, did he proceed with the marriage with the empire out of revenge?
But the Crown Prince of the Empire must have had a fiancée.
So, would Mariabelle be married as the Crown Prince's concubine...?
She was originally supposed to be the queen, but she may be in a difficult position because she has found her true love.
When I think of this, I begin to feel sorry for Mariabelle.
The Marquis de Berkeley is a man who is very much attached to his power, as is evident from the fact that he has been strongly pushing for his daughter to be the queen.
This marriage was probably initiated by Marquise de Berkeley.
Does Mariabelle want this matchmaking? I think she probably doesn't want it.
The thought of it made Edward's heart ache.
He wanted to do something about it, but he didn't know what to do.
"Your highness, please take this."
Simon, who was in front of Edward with a cup of tea prepared by a maid, looked at him through his long bangs with concern.
Simon had a particularly bad pockmark on his forehead, which he covered with his long bangs.
"You're worried about Mariabelle, aren't you?"
"It's... Well, we've been together for a long time."
Edward, who was only with Simon at the moment, was honest enough to reveal his feelings.
"If it makes Mariabelle happy, that's fine, but..."
"If she was forced to enter into an engagement, perhaps I, as the crown prince, could help her."
Edward wondered what he could do for Mariabelle.
Then Simon's quiet voice called out to him.
"Perhaps Lady Mariabelle would like to get away from His Highness."
"She must hate me very much then."
Edward was shocked by Simon's words, but Simon shook his head.
"It is precisely because she loves you that she couldn't bear to see you and Annette spending time together."
"Mariabelle loves me..."
Edward's eyes widened when he was told something he had not expected.
"I think she certainly liked me."
"I've been around the two of you for a long time, and I know what you're going through. I was going to ask Miss Mariabelle to marry me so that she could at least be close to His Highness, but I could not get the Marquise de Berkeley to arrange it."
"I didn't realize that..."
"But even if you think it best to stay away now, I'm sure you'll regret it."
"Is that it..."
"I know, so... Let's get Mariabelle back."
Simon's voice was tinged with darkness as he whispered this to Edward.