Alfonso had requested to see both of his parents at the same time, but he was unable to meet King Leo III that day. King Leo III had plans to spend time with the Countess Rubina, who was celebrating her birthday.
“No matter how much you are a prince, today of all days…”
The Secretary of King Leo III, Sir Delfino, bowed his head deeply.
“I apologize, Your Highness.”
Alfonso sighed and leaned back his head.
“It’s not your fault. I understand, first, I will consult with my mother and later, I will speak with my father.”
‘So today is Countess Rubina’s birthday.’
Cesare would have been unable to forget Queen Marguerite’s birthday, but Alfonso did not remember Countess Rubina’s birthday. It was the luxury of a redblooded man.
However, it was an inevitable limit that a prince could not see his father, who was spending private time with the queen.
Alfonso decided to visit his mother instead. He intended to spend some time with his mother, who had been deprived of her husband by the queen, and he headed to the temporary residence of the queen, set up in the winter palace of Taranto.
“Mother.”
Unlike the King’s residence, Prince Alfonso was free to enter the Queen’s Palace at any time without an appointment. It was a bond between the prince and his mother.
Like an ordinary motherson relationship, whenever a child reached out, she would always hold his hand.
“Has our Alfonso arrived? I was worried because I heard you were not well.”
“No, Mother. You don’t need to worry.”
Alfonso sat down next to Queen Marguerite, who was warming herself by the fireplace. She continued to sip warm water with lemon slices, as if her throat was burning.
“Mother, I wasn’t sick, I went to San Carlo.”
“What? You?”
Queen Marguerite was taken aback. She estimated the date when her son had not been seen and asked.
“Could you have gone and come back so quickly?”
Alfonso smiled.
“Yes, Mother. Your son is not ashamed of his status and responsibilities, he is said to be the best jockey in San Carlo.”
“Amazing, Alfonso.”
Queen Marguerite had a faint premonition of why her son had gone to San Carlo. It was the same kind of thing that the prince’s secretary, Bernardino, had felt.
However, instead of speaking first, she waited for her son to start the conversation. She had a vain hope that it would be harder for her son to start the conversation, hoping that he would give up before he started talking.
But her son said it too easily, clearly and lucidly.
“Mother. I want to reject the marriage proposal with the Kingdom of Gallico.”
Queen Marguerite remained silent for a moment. Finally, she opened her mouth and asked.
“Is it because of that girl?”
Her son replied without hesitation this time as well.
“Yes.”
“Alfonso, we’ve already finished talking about this.”
“Yes, I do want to welcome Ariadne as a princess. However, the thought of not wanting to establish a marriage alliance with Gallico is not just because of Ariadne.”
“Then?”
Alfonso took a deep breath and replied.
“Peace obtained by begging for mercy is bound to break.”
Queen Marguerite, who thought her son would disparage the benevolence of Princess Lariessa, looked at Prince Alfonso with a surprised expression.
In fact, to Queen Marguerite, Lariessa was arrogant, reckless, and at the same time, foolish and dull, different from her first impression.
“Oh?”
“Even if we beg the Kingdom of Gallico for cannons and gunpowder, it is nothing more than the generosity they give when they can afford to. For example, isn’t the mixing formula for gunpowder still classified information?”
The prince looked straight at his mother.
“If we try to resist the Kingdom of Gallico with that cannon, they will immediately cut off the supply of gunpowder. Even if we have trained troops, if we can’t supply gunpowder, where would we use it? It’s just a waste of money. That’s all, isn’t it?”
Alfonso finished his speech.
“Even if we declare war on Asereto, not the Gallico Kingdom, with those cannons, if Gallico Kingdom doesn’t like the situation or the trend of events, they will cut off the supply of gunpowder at any time. Whether then or now, the situation where we can’t pressure with military power and have to rely on diplomacy does not change.”
The prince complained to his mother.
“I can’t believe both mother and father had a lot of worries. However, as far as I can see, this is nothing more than changing the practice of depending on others for national defense from Condoliero to the Gallico Kingdom. Etruscan must go the way of selfstrength.”
“But Alfonso. Even selfstrength requires technology.”
This was what Alfonso had been waiting for. Life returned to the prince’s face.
“I stopped by San Carlo and received the results of what I had ordered my people to do.”
Alfonso took out a bundle of parchment from his bosom and handed it to his mother. It was a detailed report. Queen Margrit took out a magnifying glass and began to look at the report, and the prince added an explanation next to her.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
