Author: greyrani

Genre: romance, angst

DAY 300

It seemed I wasn’t given time to grief over my broken proposal to you.

Father collapsed.

I had to take the lead for all governmental affairs. Reviewing reports, engaging public audiences, holding meetings… I was grateful I got the distractions I needed.

Since that day in the cottage, I hadn’t visited you, using the jobs as my excuse.

Keito noticed my uneasiness, though. Yet, when I told him what happened, he only sighed then telling me that it was what he was worried about. He reminded me again not to get attached to you. Getting along was fine, but getting attached was not.

I remembered clearly each advice given to me by Keito and other senior advisors. They told me that your place was beside me, not within my heart. They told me to keep an eye on you for there was possibility that your family would gain advantage through your position.

I did have my people kept an eye on you, and the recent reports they submitted informed me you’d been engaging contact with your family a lot. I didn’t really see it as a problem until I examined your spending report.

Money allocation for us was decided by the Royal Treasury officer which needed to be approved by my father. I knew how much allowance each of us got every month, yet I just didn’t expect that you left not even a single penny. If it’s for providing you with more jewelries or dresses, I would understand, but you sent most of your allowance to your family. Well, I didn’t get it. Your family was rich enough to live as comfortable as royals, so why should you send them your money? Why not use it for buying more dresses so you would look more extravagant so that those ladies would envy you? Or perhaps buying some horses since you love that beast?

While I was wondering about that, suddenly a guard came delivering order that Father summoned me to his chamber.

It was night, and Father had emptied the chamber so that he could talk with only me.

“I need to tell you a secret, Ryosuke,” his weak voice reached my ears.

I put all attention on what father was about to tell me.

“Your marriage with Mirai wasn’t what I planned for you.’

“I knew that it should be her sister, Father,” I mustered a smile for him.

“That’s not what I mean, son,” he shook his head once. “I didn’t plan to let you marry a Shida. They have been targeting the throne since long, and I didn’t want to give them a chance.”

“Then why you let me marry her?”

“It’s because I failed in executing my plan,” he answered. “I failed to kill their main strength.”

“What do you mean, Father?”

“Shida Toru, your father in law. He is the brain of Shida family. If he is erased, we’ll be able to rule in peace.”

“But why? Can’t we just get along with them?”

“Don’t be naïve Ryosuke,” Father’s vo