Rosie's Games

Chapter 178: An Annoyed Prince

Prince Baltazar asked Loyd to announce his arrival the moment his carriage entered the front of the estate. In response, the knight yelled his name out loud, making sure that even the birds sleeping on the trees nearby would acknowledge the Prince and Crown Princess's arrival.

With a gentle smile on his face, Baltazar walked out of the carriage, expecting to see Lucas. However, he could not really say that Lucas's absence surprised him. He lifted his chin and strolled towards the Countess who clearly looked distressed.

"Your Highness," the Countess curtsied. Next to her was Leonardo, the heir to the estate. "Welcome—" the Countess added.

While annoyed, the crown prince nodded without saying a word. They then waited for the princess to finish the formal greetings before they walked inside the house of the Count and Countess as if they owned it.

In Lonyth, the ones who rank higher would always walk first, unless of course, they told the one with the lower rank to guide them. In instances where the one with higher rank did not tell any maid or the owner of the house to walk before them, then the Prince could walk ahead of everyone else without earning a reaction.

"Tell me about the current situation," the Prince said. He understood that the Count was currently dying because of the curse. All he wanted to ask was if the Duke was still there, but he could not really do it in front of other people.

"Currently, the Duke and his men are guarding the Count in his quarters. They are refusing everyone…" the Countess started sobbing. "They are refusing anyone from seeing the Count."

"The Duke of Wugari has no right to prevent the Countess from seeing the Count," the Crown Princess said. "Let me accompany you to the drawing room. His Highness and the rest will talk to the Duke."

The Countess nodded and the two of them left the Prince. Seeing this, the Prince looked at Leonardo.

"I heard that you insist on allowing them heal your father?" Prince Baltazar asked. "The physician already said that they could not heal the Count. Instead of spending the last few days by your father's side, you asked a stranger to heal him. Leonardo, I know that you are still thirteen but that is not an excuse to act like this." They started ascending the stairs.

He was not surprised when Leonardo said nothing and just lowered his head. Everyone knew that the Count's only son and heir was a coward. He did not know how to use a sword, but always showed some potential in management. The Prince thought that he could use people like that by his side once he ascended the throne.

There was just one little problem.

The Duke of Wugari.

It was no secret that the Wugarian Duchy has always been close with the Caldarera Household. This was because of some treaty that the two families had in the past. Until now, their descendants would still honor the treaty that was made hundreds of years ago.

"You must spend time with your father. I will help you and the Countess arrange the funeral and—"

"Funeral?"

The Prince flinched when he heard a familiar voice. He lifted his gaze and looked at the man standing at the topmost step of the wooden staircase. It was none other than the Duke of Wugari.

"Your Grace, what a surprised," the crown prince remarked with a gentle smile on his face. "I was not expecting you to be here since you were not with the Countess when I arrived."

His words were very clear. The Duke did not welcome him. He disrespected the Prince of this Kingdom!

"There were rules about proper etiquette and then there were rules about… cursed diseases and objects. I did not think that the prince wouldn't know about rules like that."

The smile on the prince's face vanished. The Duke was talking about rules that concerned security. It stated that a security concern involving cursed diseases, objects, and demonic animals shall excuse anyone from following any of the protocols that the kingdom had set. For instance, one did not need to knock on the King's study when faced with a security concern about a beast or cursed objects.

"There is no need to worry. I have no intention of telling your father about this," the Duke sounded as if he was teaching the Prince a lesson. Baltazar gritted his teeth in annoyance yet he could not really say a word to refute him.

He continued walking until he arrived in front of the Duke.

"The Countess informed me that the Duke is preventing her from seeing her dying husband. Is she telling the truth?"

"Dying husband?" the Duke snorted. "It seems that the Countess is so eager to see her husband's dead body. I will make sure to inform Count Caldarera about this matter."

Again, the Prince said nothing. The Duke was well known not just because of his temper but because of how sharp his tongue was. Arguing with him was such a waste of time as there was simply no winning against him. josei

"I am certain that the Duke knows what I mean," the Prince said.

"I certainly do not," the Duke beamed. It was an obvious lie, yet the man said it without even batting his eyelids. Prince Baltazar tried to compose himself.

"Since it is like this, then why don't we visit the Count's room together? Surely—"

"Of course." The Duke's answer surprised him. He was prepared for the Duke to refuse his request. In fact, he was hoping that the Duke would do just that so he would have a reason to ask the knights to intervene.

Prince Baltazar frowned as he wondered what this man was up to!

"It seems that the Prince had heard something frightening," the Duke chided. "Did you perhaps expect me to stop you from talking to a noble from the Lonyth Kingdom?"

"You—"

The Duke smirked at him.

"Oh, it seems that the Prince has forgotten who he was talking to," the Duke said as he turned his back and started walking towards the Count's quarters. When the Prince did not follow him, the Duke stopped and turned his head, showing his smiling side profile. "What are you waiting for, Your Highness? Aren't you here to see the Count? Let me take you to him."

4/5