"Oh, Your Majesty, Your Majesty. This is a mistake. Why should your loyal subject, Vladimir Danzel, suffer such a disgrace? What in the world have I done?"
The Duke of Danzel, who had been swearing, suddenly changed his stout demeanour as soon as he saw Frederick III on the throne and complained pitifully in a high-pitched voice.
Duke Danzel, who walked with a swaying body, wore the most extravagant costume than anyone else in this place, and had many rings with large jewels on his fingers.
His hands were tied behind his back with a rope, and a strong knight held the rope in his hand, making him look like a criminal.
"What are you saying? Don't you know your own crimes?"
Frederick III looked down at the Duke of Danzel with an emotionless voice.
Mariabelle noticed that the king's fingers had turned white as he gripped the armrests of his throne. He must be exerting too much force in his anger.
"My sin, you say? What did I do... wait? Isn't that Berkeley's daughter? Why on earth is she here...? Oh, I see, it was you who spoke ill of me to His Majesty."
The Duke of Danzel tried to lunge at Mariabelle, but the knight held him firmly by the rope and he was unable to move from the spot.
Still, Mariabelle almost flinched at the sight of the Duke, who was spitting and ranting.
But the warmth of Renato's arms enveloping her gave Mariabelle courage.
"No, I have done nothing. But His Majesty knows all your sins."
"What a joke you are... Your Majesty, you must not believe the words of the daughter of such a traitor. She tried to sell our lands to the Empire."
Then Duke Danzel noticed Renato hugging Mariabelle from behind.
Black hair and eyes as blue as the sea. The unmistakable air of supremacy clearly showed that he was no ordinary man.
"Perhaps you are... the Crown Prince of the Empire?"
Renato raised the edge of his lips at Duke Danzel, who seemed to see something unbelievable.
"What if I say I am..."
"Nonsense. Why is there a Crown Prince here? Is the Republic good enough?"
"Of course my imperial troops are there to intercept him. Even if I don't go, I have a good commander."
"...So you left your country and came here for the sake of a woman. Hmph. You are not as smart as they say. An Imperial army without the Crown Prince is no match for the Republic. Perhaps you have no country to return to by now."
"You have underestimated them. Both of my brothers are very good, especially the younger one, who has mastered every tactic in the history books. The Republic is no match for them."
"Catching the enemy off guard. It's a common tactic in battle, isn't it?"
Renato nodded to Cedric, who unintentionally admired and put it into words.
Cedric bowed his head and said he was sorry for interrupting the conversation, to which Renato responded with a look that said he needn't worry about it.
Then he continued in a lighter tone.
"How did you know that the Republic was going to invade the Empire?"
Renato cast a stern look at Duke Danzel, who was at a loss for words after receiving an unexpected question.
"Vladimir Danzel... from the name, probably his mother or grandmother is from the Republic. If he married into the Duke's family, he must be from one of the Five Grand Elders' families. But judging by the recent developments, the Romonts are the only family I can think of."
The Duke of Danzel stuttered after Renato was able to guess his origin.
Renato was right, the Duke of Danzel's great-grandmother was from the family of Romont in the Republic.
However, because of the change of heads of state, he is often thought to have come from the moderate House of Asher.
He may have joined hands with the Republic and tried to disrupt and disturb the Empire from the Kingdom's side, but alas, the Empire was not such a weak place. The Empire would not be defeated by such a poor attempt.
"Damn. Why are you here...? Yes, that's right. Where is the proof that you are the Crown Prince? If you can't prove it, then you are nothing more than a traitor who plotted with the girl and tried to kill the king. Your Majesty, it is not I who should be arrested, but this infidel who claims to be the Crown Prince of the Empire!"
"Don't play your tricks on me anymore, Danzel. We already have the evidence... Cedric."
"Yes, sir."
Cedric stepped forward when Frederick III called his name. Kane followed behind him.
"You know what to do?"
"Yes, sir."
Cedric opened the box he had received from Kane and showed its contents to the king. It was a stalk of Black Death Barley.
"You know what it is, don't you, Danzel?"
The Duke of Danzel, asked by Frederick III, glanced at the contents of the box and immediately looked away.
"I don't recognize it at all," he said.
"That is strange. It belonged to one of Duke Danzel's subordinates, but you really don't recognize it?"
"Why would my servant be in possession of Black Death Barley? This is a false accusation. Your Highness, this is completely untrue. His Highness Cedric must be mistaken."
The Duke of Danzel, his crippled body bound with a rope, twisted and pleaded earnestly.
"But..." he said.
"Danzel. Why did you recognize it as Black Death Barley at first sight? You wouldn't normally think of it as wheat because it's bigger, blacker and more ominous than wheat. Let alone Black Death Barley."
Frederick III's lips quivered with anger.
"Answer me, Danzel!"
Frederick III's voice echoed through the throne room, as if he were not recovering from an illness.