Chapter 144 |
“Marriage proposals?
Initially, a million thoughts raced through his mind. Is this insane? Is this even real?
…It turns out, it was.
‘It’s really happening.’
Ting-ting, ting-ting.
In the quiet late evening of downtown Imperial capital, a luxurious carriage rolled along. Inside, Raciel let out a deep sigh. His gaze was fixed on the dozens of marriage proposal letters spread out before him.
He reminisced about the moment he received them from the Emperor. He had felt how absurd it was back then. He even suspected that the Emperor was playing some kind of cruel trick on him.
‘That guy always tries to test me and fails, so now he’s desperate. He must be trying to provoke me even more.’
The Emperor was someone who constantly tested his successors. Raciel assumed that these unexpected proposals were just another one of those tests.
“Marriage proposals, understood.”
…He answered with composure. He accepted the bundle of proposals, completed the formalities, bowed, and retreated. For a moment, he felt relieved that today’s ordeal was over.
But now.
As he checked the proposals on his way back to the palace, his heart sank. They were real. Not fake letters for testing from the Emperor, nor cruel pranks.
They were just undeniably real!
‘This is certain.’
Raciel’s gaze moved to the topmost envelope. The royal crest engraved on it caught his attention. It wasn’t a mere design; it was a magical seal, meaning it couldn’t be forged.
All the remaining envelopes were the same, adorned with various designs and crests from numerous royal and noble families. This surreal scene of dozens of passionate “love calls” felt almost unreal.
“….”
It was unbelievable.
A blessing to his life, which had been perpetually single? At first, he was honestly a bit excited, wondering if this was how extremely popular, good-looking guys felt. But upon further reflection… this was not good news!
“Your Highness, what is that?”
Sitting across from him in the carriage, Demian asked. Perhaps it was because Raciel looked serious; Demian’s eyes also sharpened.
Raciel shrugged.
“Marriage proposals.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Just received them from His Majesty.”
“From His Majesty?”
“Yes. They have been pouring in recently from various royal families and prestigious nobles. All of them wanting to marry me.”
“Isn’t that good news?”
“Does it seem that way?”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be the case.”
“…Why?”
Perplexed, Demian tilted his head, and Gardin, who had been silently listening, joined the conversation.
“Is Your Highness trying to decide whom to choose?” Gardin asked.
Gardin appeared serious yet somewhat excited. Raciel immediately understood why. He had heard about Gardin’s extravagant love life. In other words, Gardin was eager to offer romantic advice.
Unfortunately, Gardin was heading in the wrong direction this time. Raciel gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“Choosing whom to pick? No, not that.”
“…Huh?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what’s on your mind…?”
“I’m contemplating how to reject all of these at once.”
“…What?”
Gardin’s eyes widened in surprise, and Demian also raised his eyebrows. It was a reaction of confusion, which was understandable. Raciel sent them a slightly deeper sarcastic smile.
“Most likely, those who have sent the marriage proposals haven’t sent them to me, ‘Raciel,’ but to the crown prince who will become the emperor of the empire. Both in terms of social status and future prospects, I’m the self-proclaimed number one groom on the continent, aren’t I?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Gardin quickly nodded, eliciting another sarcastic smile.
“So.”
“So… what do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Why did no one send marriage proposals before, and why are they suddenly pouring in now?”
“Ah.”
Did he finally understand his point? A glint of understanding flashed in Gardin’s eyes.
“It’s because of Your Highness’s achievements in Anbouaz, which have spread all over the continent. Am I correct?”
“Correct.”
Exactly.
Raciel said as he picked up one of the envelopes containing the marriage proposal.
“Before, everyone must have seen me as useless. A sickly crown prince. Someone bound to die soon. Therefore, they probably thought I had no chance of becoming the next emperor. Wasn’t I treated like a rotten fruit?”
In reality, everyone did think that way. It was easy to guess even with a little thought. There were even rumors from the palace suggesting that secret marriage proposals were more often sent to the second prince.
‘Of course. If I die, the second prince would inherit the crown prince’s position and eventually ascend the throne smoothly.’
But the second prince had rejected all such marriage proposals. Apparently, he had reasons like, ‘My elder brother should be the first,’ or ‘That is the proper order.’
‘Now, things have changed because of what I’ve done in Anbouaz.’
Out of nowhere, revealing my identity in the middle of the battlefield. Even defeating Swordmaster Javillon. None of it was planned or anticipated.
Anyway, thanks to that, his capability(?) has been widely, widely spread across the continent. Of course, this has also swept away the skeptical looks aimed at him.
“Now, everyone sees my value suddenly surge… No, everyone has finally realized the value of the number one groom that I originally had. Afraid of losing me to others, they must have sent their marriage proposals competitively.”
In other words, at this point, he has become the best lottery ticket on the continent. It was natural that everyone sent marriage proposals so eagerly.
But… that’s the problem!
‘Why? Because I have no intention of becoming the emperor!’
That was his honest sentiment. Becoming an emperor was something he didn’t want to do. He didn’t want to live a stressful life burdened with numerous chores. He simply wanted to enjoy a leisurely landlord’s life while benefiting from his royal status.
‘The reason I competed for the crown prince’s position against the second prince was to prepare for a potential major war.’
But now, with Javillon defeated, the threat of a major war has vanished as well. So, if a few more issues are resolved? He was planning to pass the throne to the second prince.
“Therefore, I can’t accept this marriage proposal!”
Raciel firmly decided.
Gardin, looking puzzled, inquired, “But Your Highness, isn’t it odd? Everyone is finally recognizing Your Highness’s abilities and potential, so why turn down the marriage proposals?”
“Don’t you understand?”
“No. I was wondering if you are upset because you weren’t acknowledged before.”
“Tch.”
“I… apologize.”
Gardin was taken aback instantly.
To clarify, he wasn’t upset. Absolutely not. The reason he couldn’t accept the marriage proposal was clear. If he did, it would be a fraudulent marriage.
‘They sent the proposal thinking I would become the emperor, but I have no intention of becoming one.’
In simple terms, those who sent the marriage proposals were staking their family’s future and the bride’s life on him. But if he unilaterally decided not to become the emperor, then the person who became his wife would be a victim of deception.
He didn’t want that.
He didn’t want to live like that.
‘But… Tch. How can I reject all these marriage proposals?’
Suddenly, the image of the emperor handing him the marriage proposals came to mind. He vaguely recalled it. There was a faint glimmer of expectation in the emperor’s eyes. He probably thoroughly enjoyed this flood of marriage proposals.
But could he unconditionally reject the marriage proposals without a valid reason?
‘No, absolutely not.’
It was impossible.
The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed. It continued until the carriage arrived at the palace. He couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse to decline them. No clear justification came to mind. His head was pounding.
‘Shall I take a walk?’
The palace garden greeted him with its tranquil night air after several months away. It was a serene and beautiful sight. He felt like taking a walk to clear his head.
He walked slowly, having just finished a duel with the Emperor. Perhaps it was too much, considering he hadn’t fully recovered from fatigue. Or maybe the night air was colder than he anticipated.
Ding-dong!
[Your organs condemn your irresponsible act of overworking.]
[Heart: Hey! Cut it out with the overtime!]
[Lung: I just want to… rest now… ha…]
[Large Intestine: Guys, what’s quicker to make this human rush to the bathroom, loosening the sphincter or tying it into a bow?]
[Liver: Can’t we try both?]
[Stomach: What if it snaps… LOL]
[Kidneys: We rule!]
“…”
At first, he thought they were simply complaining, so he intended to disregard their chatter. But then it happened.
…Gurgle?
“Huh?”
Suddenly, his stomach churned, and a sharp pain shot through him. This was…
Ding-dong!
[Large intestine: Oops, did we really loosen it? Hehe.]
[Your lower abdomen signals an impending disaster.]
…Gurgle?
“Ugh.”
Raciel involuntarily gasped and clutched his lower abdomen. This was… an emergency! He exclaimed in his mind.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
[Heart: Are you asking us?]
His heart responded, filled with complaints.
[Heart: Do you know how much work we do for you every day? Your heart beats, you breathe, you digest food. Shouldn’t we get a proper break in the evening? At least give us a hearty late-night snack.]
“No, I understand that, but…”
[Heart: It’s almost every day.]
“Ugh, enough! I’m really serious now.”
Frustrated, Raciel spoke. His head was already throbbing from the timely complaints. He wanted to shift the blame onto someone else if he could.
“Just wait a minute.”
As Raciel conversed with his heart, a clue flashed into his mind. He seized onto it, connecting the scattered thoughts.
And slowly, the big picture emerged.
“If I handle this right…”
It could work. He saw the potential to neatly address the marriage proposals and lay a solid foundation for his future.
“So, Intestine, stop it!”
[Large Intestine: I don’t want to…]
“What if I fast for 15 days? Can you handle that?”
[Large Intestine: Gulp.]
Gurgle…
The sound of the intestine relenting was heard, and the intense pain in his lower abdomen vanished instantly. With renewed confidence, Raciel looked up and addressed Demian, who was trailing behind him.
“Demian, prepare the carriage we sent earlier.”
“Excuse me?”
Confused, Demian tilted his head.
“We need to go to the Second Prince’s palace.”
“At this late hour?”
“Yes.”
He had to go immediately. To put the big picture into action and deal with the marriage proposals, that place was the most appropriate.
‘When you think about it, those who sent the proposals are essentially sending them not to me but to the future Emperor. So, I can pass these proposals to the one who will actually become the Emperor.’
Precisely.
It’s a win-win situation.
Everyone will be satisfied.
Raciel climbed into the carriage, now with the grand plan of ‘Redirecting Marriage Proposals to the Second Prince’ in mind. The carriage set off for the Second Prince’s palace without hesitation.
(To be Continued)
To read ahead 👇
Patreon Subscription Tiers
$5/month8 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$30/month30 chap ahead + 6 chap/week