He Who Covets the Abandoned Bride - Chapter 27

The moment the king received the two contracts, Reynold’s hands trembled violently.

Reynold had also returned to his room and looked over the contracts again, but the terms were so unfavorable to Millay that it was impossible to understand why they were written this way.

The price of the ships was lowered to two-thirds of the fair price Reynold had originally intended to sell them for, and the interest rate was close to half the average.

Honestly speaking, even if Millay had presented these terms while in his right mind, Reynold would have signed them.

But after being beaten to a pulp, Reynold wondered why Millay had presented such terms.

‘It was a trap……’

It was impossible to know where Millay’s scheme began and ended.

No, if it was a scheme, it must have started from the moment Crown Prince Raines of the Harkin Empire had infiltrated under the guise of Duke Millay.

However, Reynold was utterly confused by the situation itself. Currently, the Harkin Empire and the Kingdom of Wessex were on the brink of war, practically sworn enemies. Wessex had even openly denounced the defeated Harkin as a tyrannical nation.

Yet the Crown Prince of the Harkin Empire had personally come to save the princess of such a kingdom, Wessex……? Could there be anything more contradictory in this world?

The moment Reynold looked at Millay with wavering eyes, a cold rebuke flowed from the king, who had skimmed over the contracts.

“Reynold? Is everything that has happened so far true?”

“Of course not. Absolutely not!”

“Then are you claiming that both the First Prince and the Princess of Wessex are lying? Moreover, what reason would Duke Millay and the servant who has served you for a lifetime have to falsely accuse you?”

“That, that’s……”

Reynold was at a loss for words.

By cleverly mixing in the truth, it was too difficult to break Millay’s trap. In reality, among the four people, the only one who had uttered a lie was Millay.

However, accusing the rest of being liars would be self-defeating. Especially if he pointed to the First Prince as a liar, even if he could avoid the immediate threat, it would not be so in the future.

Reynold could only stand there blankly with his mouth open, vividly imagining a future where his head would be separated from his body and his corpse would be rolling somewhere.

The king clicked his tongue slightly at the stupid appearance of his seventh son.

As if there was nothing more to see, he returned the contracts to the First Prince and continued to interrogate Reynold.

“Do you have any evidence of your innocence? Duke Millay has grounds for his claims, so you should also present yours, shouldn’t you?”

“Father……”

“Why is there no answer?”

Reynold bit his lip. Now that it had come to this, he decided to reveal Millay’s true identity and finally knelt before the king.

Reynold placed his trembling hands on his chest as if swearing an oath.

“Your Majesty, I am truly being wronged! Father, you are being deceived!”

Now with tears welling up in his reddened eyes, he turned to look at Millay, pointing his finger at him as well.

“Duke Millay is actually…!”

Adrian Pinter Raines.

Before he could finish his words, Millay’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed, revealing a sharp aura.

“……!”

And Reynold had no choice but to swallow the words he was about to utter back into his throat.

It was due to the dizziness that shook his body and mind. Layla staggered from the momentary vibration that grazed the building, and a candlestick on the podium nearly fell over.

Someone hurriedly grabbed the candlestick with their hand, barely preventing the fire from spreading, but the guests who had been watching the situation in hushed silence began to murmur again.

“What, could it be another earthquake?”

“The building is shaking……”

Fortunately, this time the tremor ended after just one occurrence.

However, Reynold realized that it was a warning from Millay directed at him, and even his jaw stiffened.

Seeing the agitated people in front of him, the king shouted again.

“Now, silence! The tremor has stopped, so it seems there will be no major issues.”

Then he turned his gaze to Layla. Layla, knowing that the King of Filmer would make an appropriate judgment on this matter, met his gaze.

“Princess of Wessex, I sincerely apologize for the discourtesy my unworthy son has shown you.”

“…… I accept Your Majesty’s heartfelt apology.”

Layla offered a smile as she gave the customary response. The King of Filmer was relieved for a moment, but Layla, who had no intention of withdrawing without any action, added:

“However, as this matter also concerns the honor of our Wessex, I will return to my homeland and send an official letter of protest regarding the actions of Your Highness’s 7th Prince, Reynold Filmer.”

“Princess……”

The King of Filmer showed a troubled expression. That was because Layla’s words not only implied the dissolution of the engagement but also served as an official declaration that the relationship between the two countries would not be smooth in the future.

After observing the king’s reaction, Layla quietly asked.

“Does Your Majesty think my action is excessive?”

The King of Filmer also carefully chose his words and cautiously offered his opinion in a manner that would not displease Layla.

“…… Such a measure may be appropriate. However, I believe the princess also does not wish for the exchange between our Filmer and Wessex to be severed.”

“Then?”

“If there is severe punishment for the person who has committed the wrongdoing, will the princess’s heart be appeased?”

The moment the king finished speaking, the gazes of everyone in the ceremony hall turned to Reynold, and he, who had been kneeling in a daze, abruptly raised his head.

Reynold’s face was already a mess with tears. It was only natural after falling from grace in front of the nobles.

From now on, every person he met would mention this incident and mock him.

And to make matters worse, he was on the verge of receiving an official declaration of distrust from the king.

Reynold couldn’t believe he had ended up in this state in less than 30 minutes. They say when you’re too dumbfounded, no words come out, and that was exactly the case now.

He just looked up at his father with his mouth open, dazed.

Layla looked down at Reynold’s appearance, not feeling relieved but not finding him pitiful either.

She averted her gaze from Reynold and nodded once.

“If Your Majesty insists to that extent, I think I can return to Wessex with a lighter heart.”

In the end, it meant she wanted to break off the engagement, so the King of Filmer’s expression darkened, but for now, this seemed to be an adequate compromise.

The king looked down at Reynold and made his final declaration.

“First, the ships that 7th Prince Reynold Filmer acquired through this incident will be confiscated and become the property of the royal family. And as a sign of reflection, he is to return to his room and be confined for a month.”

The thought of having the ownership of the ships confiscated, which he didn’t even want to obtain in the first place, made Reynold feel completely hopeless. Even if confiscated, the debt would likely fall entirely on his shoulders.

Moreover, Reynold’s original room was burnt and in a mess, so ordering him to be confined there for a month was no different from sending him to prison.

As a deflated Reynold lowered his head, the king added one more thing.

“This engagement ceremony can no longer proceed. It is only shameful to have distinguished guests gathered here, and my unworthy son has caused this situation.”

Afterwards, the king stepped down from the stage and nodded to his attendants. The attendants, realizing it was an order to quickly drag Reynold out, hastily lifted him up.

Reynold, who had been running a fever since morning due to his broken ribs, was dragged out of the ceremony hall with a flushed face.

With that, the royal family members left their seats first, and the guests who had attended began to disperse, chattering about the day’s events.

Standing in the middle of the ceremony hall, the 1st Prince turned his body and showed a smile full of satisfaction to Layla.

“You’ve done well, Princess of Wessex. And you too, Lord Millay.”

Finishing his words, he directed his gaze to Millay and offered a handshake first. Millay then grasped it a beat later and replied in a dry voice.

“I am merely grateful for your assistance.”

“No, it’s because our interests align. Isn’t that right?”

As Millay nodded a few times in agreement, the 1st Prince moved closer to him and whispered in his ear.

“So, I was wondering, the amount of money you lent to Reynold this time is quite substantial…… I’m curious about the extent of your financial power.”

Layla, who was right next to them, heard part of the conversation, but for now, she pretended not to know and stepped back.

She judged that from here on, it was not a matter for her to be involved in.

“Then I will take my leave now, Your Highness.”

“Ah, Princess. You must be tired, so I’ll instruct them to prepare a place for you to catch your breath.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Layla replied and turned her heel together with her maid who had approached her. On the way out, she noticed that Lilburn, Millay’s subordinate, was still at his post.

Discovering him staring intently at his lord with an inexplicably stiff expression, Layla checked on Millay one last time before leaving.

Although his posture seemed relaxed with his hands tucked into his pants, somehow his face looked much paler than it had been in front of the ceremony hall.