Harman glanced at him.

“Before making fun of me, don’t forget that I am the son of a mother.”

“Your Highness seems to worry a lot. Are you afraid I’ll make jokes about the noble king in the market square? What a misunderstanding. Apologize to me.”

“My apologies, Viscount Clop.”

“That’s more like it.”

Clop chuckled and opened a small basket, throwing a tiny cookie into his mouth.

“What’s so surprising?”

When Harman asked, one of Clop’s eyebrows moved slightly.

“You’re always weak to Cediloin. It’s nothing new… Honestly, even though I knew about it, I thought His Majesty the King would oppose raising Swan, the son of Lord Glendon. What’s his name?”

“Swan, I suppose.”

“Yeah, Swan. Anyway, I thought His Majesty would oppose raising him. You opposed it too, didn’t you, Harman?”

Harman nodded.

Clop continued, “Honestly, I opposed it too. I didn’t tell Cediloin, but I opposed it. Think about it. A guy who hasn’t even gotten married unexpectedly ends up raising a child. Who would praise that? But I thought His Majesty would at least stop it. Instead, what happened? The child is snuggling up to Cediloin, and Lady Dupré… Harman’s gaze sharpened slightly.

“Watch your mouth.”

Clop shrugged his shoulders with a sound of ‘ah’ and said, “She provided a nice house where he can spend his life comfortably. Three meals a day, a place with strict security. His Majesty collected all the property left by Lord Glendon, liquidated it, and put it into a trust. And what about the hustle?”

Swan’s cousin, Marquis Hustle, faced trial on charges related to the illegal operation of a gambling business. He was not only deprived of his title for tarnishing the dignity of El Bleuën nobles but was also transferred to a strict tower near the border.

“Of course, everyone knows that Hustle was frequenting there. And he did something unspeakable. But to get involved in running a gambling den, what’s the big deal? At most, he’d have haggled and negotiated a little. Can he escape now that His Majesty has stripped him bare? He can only be caught red-handed.”

Harman didn’t respond. Clop ate two cookies at once and said, “And now, you even lend a hand to get rid of an old butler.”

Then, breaking the silence, Harman spoke.

“That woman is the culprit who killed a member of the duke’s family, and His Majesty avoided a public trial for the sake of the Balteminster family’s honor. So, I am going on behalf of His Majesty.”

“I know that too. But isn’t it a fact that His Majesty is unusually fond of Cediloin?”

Harman, showing little interest, pursed his lips at the end.

“Doesn’t he stimulate maternal instincts?”

Clop pretended to vomit at his words.

“Why is it Cediloin, not me, when I’m at least a half-inch smaller? Why not me, but Cediloin?”

“You’re not really serious, are you, Clop? Even if some woman felt the urge to protect you after seeing you, the moment you opened your mouth, instead of protecting you, she would want to tie you upside down to a tree and beat you.”

When Harman sneered sarcastically, Clop chuckled and said, “Well, for all mothers, the image of an angel and the judge of the afterlife coexist.”

Both of them remained silent for a while. The cheerful sound of Clop chewing on a cookie mixed with the sound of the carriage, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Although Clop spoke in an uncouth manner—at least it wasn’t appropriate to mention anything related to the king—it was true and devoid of lies or exaggerations.
After Swan moved to the Balteminster Duchy, the Elmerat King quietly and swiftly dealt with the furious Madame Dupré, who was foaming at the mouth. She had long been suspected of tax evasion and bribery, and using the leniency that had been extended to her, he turned the tables and imprisoned her.

During this process, several nobles who had committed similar crimes to Madame Dupré were also imprisoned, and even the finance officials responsible for managing taxes were afraid for a while.

The Elmerat King didn’t stop there and also imposed punishment on Viscount Hustle.

In the case of Hustle, he might have been slightly less unjust than his mother, Madame Dupré. After his mother was imprisoned, even when he knew that all eyes were on him, he didn’t hesitate to criticize the king…….

When he was arrested at the illegal gambling den, he was intoxicated with alcohol and opium, shouting loudly. Even when stripped of his title and escorted away, he shouted obscenities that were difficult to put into words, ultimately enduring the humiliation of having a bit forced into his mouth.

Harman, thinking about the downfall of the two, turned his gaze out of the window. It was true that the Elmerat King was exceptionally fond of Cediloin, as Clop had mentioned. Sometimes, he seemed to cherish him even more than his own children.

Clop chuckled and amusingly remarked, “I wonder why His Majesty cherishes Cediloin so much? I’ve always been curious. Even if he was pitiable when he was young, considering the same, Verbo should have been… It seems like His Majesty wasn’t as affectionate to her.”