Chapter 19: I Will Be His Highness’ Person

In the novel, there was also a time when Klaus II lost consciousness.

After regaining consciousness several days later, he abruptly replaced his heir. From Katarina to Royce.

He deposed Katarina as Crown Princess and newly invested Royce as Crown Prince.

Then, to ensure Royce could stably inherit the throne, he purged everyone who had stood by Katarina until the very end. He dismissed them all.

By finding all sorts of faults and overusing the charge of lèse-majesté.

Which meant…

This very moment, when Klaus II has collapsed, just like in the novel.

What if I side with Katarina?

‘It means I’ll get fired automatically without having to do much else.’

The fact that Klaus II favors me exceptionally is a variable, but it doesn’t matter much.

If he doesn’t fire me, Olivia will.

After Klaus II’s death, Royce eventually ascended to the throne as the new king. Since he was still a child, Olivia was the de facto ruler.

The first thing she did with the power she finally held was to repeat what her husband had done.

She finished off the pro-Katarina figures whom Klaus II hadn’t bothered to deal with, either because he didn’t think it necessary or because he hadn’t gotten around to it.

If I become Katarina’s person, I will eventually be fired, whether by Klaus II or by Olivia.

‘However, it bothers me that it might not end with just me getting fired, but could lead to the suppression of my family……’

Klaus II might fire me but probably wouldn’t touch the Rosenfeld family. The problem is Olivia.

She is not one to leave alone those who oppose her, or those associated with them.

Moreover…

I recently rejected Olivia’s offer.

Saying I wouldn’t become anyone’s person.

If I then openly become Katarina’s person?

There’s a high probability she’ll go after not just me, but my family as well.

‘Wait a minute.’

Come to think of it, this might actually be an opportunity.

A chance for my entire family to escape this country at once.

If Katarina is deposed as per the novel after I become her person?

It’s obvious Olivia will severely suppress the family in the future, so I can persuade my family to leave the country before that happens.

My persuasion will likely work without much difficulty.

As a businessman running three companies in trade, construction, and energy, my father would also know through his own intelligence network that the Queen is more than capable of such actions.

And he would eventually decide to immigrate to the Eos Continent.

After all, for a business person, the most important things are maximizing profits and minimizing risks.

If I get fired by Klaus II, we can all go to the Eos Continent together.

If I get fired by Olivia, I can have my family immigrate first, get fired, and then follow them.

‘Why didn’t I think of this method before…!!’

Was it because I firmly believed the mana stone futures investment would fail?

Or was I too shocked by the appearance of Mayu to think straight?

Or was it because it was a long time ago and my memory was hazy?

To think this easy method only occurred to me now….

‘But how do I join Katarina’s faction?’

Actually, on the day I met Queen Olivia, I had thought that Katarina’s side would approach me soon enough.

From the perspective of others who don’t know the inside story, I’m quite a coveted talent.

It was unlikely Katarina wouldn’t covet what Olivia also desired, so I thought Katarina would seek me out soon…

But there was no approach whatsoever.

Even though my value has increased even more since then due to the emergence of Mayu. In fact, I even received a special three-rank promotion.

‘If they don’t approach me, I have to approach them, but how…?’

The deliberation wasn’t long.

I had a good pretext.

‘Ah, right. I’m now the acting Director of the Royal Assets Management Bureau, aren’t I…?’

***

The rear garden of the royal palace.

“Haa……”

Katarina, who had dismissed everyone saying she wanted to be alone and had, as usual, visited the rear garden, suddenly let out a deep sigh and touched her forehead.

A little while ago, according to Thalia’s report.

The news was now spreading uncontrollably far and wide.

People who heard it would wonder.

‘Why did he look for the Queen and the Prince, but not the Crown Princess?’

Then they would harbor this doubt.

‘What did he intend to talk about by summoning only the Queen and the Prince, without the Crown Princess?’

And soon they would think.

‘Wasn’t he trying to change the heir to the Prince?’

As it was, rumors were already openly circulating that the King seemed to want to pass the throne to the Prince rather than the Crown Princess.

With such an event happening in that situation, it was somewhat natural for people to think that way.

Katarina suddenly realized her hand was trembling slightly.

The King had only lost consciousness; he was not yet dead.

He could regain consciousness and wake up again.

If the King, who had sought Prince Royce instead of Crown Princess Katarina just before collapsing, were to wake up.

If the King had indeed sought the Prince to change the heir.

‘I will be deposed, and Royce will become the Crown Prince…’

Katarina had been agonizing day and night with her closest aides on how to overcome this crisis, but no matter how much she thought, there seemed to be no suitable way.

Just then, as Katarina was biting her lip in anxiety.

“Oh my, there you are, Katarina.”

A voice that was annoying just to hear drifted over.

Katarina knew it was Queen Olivia’s voice without even having to turn around.

Why wouldn’t she know? It was the voice she hated most in the world.

As expected.

When she reluctantly turned, Queen Olivia was approaching.

Her face was filled with an unconcealable air of triumph.

Unlike the last time they met in the rear garden, this time she had brought a large retinue of attendants, so Katarina had no choice but to bow her head to her in deference.

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

Watching Katarina greet her while trying hard to maintain composure, Olivia smirked. As if enjoying her demeanor.

“I am on my way from seeing His Majesty. The royal physician says His Majesty’s health is rapidly improving. He says consciousness will return soon as well. Isn’t that truly joyful news?”

Privately, it was, of course, a joyful matter.

Though she had deeply resented him, he was still her father.

But she couldn’t be entirely joyful.

Because if the King woke up, there was a high probability he would depose her.

Katarina felt her heart sink coldly.

Unable to commit the irreverence of showing that emotion outwardly, Katarina tried hard to control her expression, but she couldn’t stop her face from stiffening.

“You must have heard too, haven’t you? That His Majesty anxiously sought me and our Royce just before losing consciousness. Not you.”

Olivia took one step, then two, closer to Katarina.

To admire Katarina’s face, which was about to not just stiffen but crumble, from a close distance.

“What will His Majesty say when he wakes up soon? What will he do? Katarina, you also have an inkling, don’t you? What those words are. What that deed is.”

Katarina clenched her fists and glared at Olivia.

But Olivia continued speaking without batting an eye.

“You are beautiful. Your face, your body. More beautiful than I was in my youth. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Katarina.”

As she spoke, she stroked Katarina’s face, her hair, her shoulders in turn.

Taken purely by the sentences, it was an unadulterated compliment.

But Olivia wouldn’t say such things to Katarina without a reason.

Therefore, Katarina looked at Olivia with eyes asking what on earth she was talking about.

“How could I give such a beautiful woman to a mere human man…. Shouldn’t such outstanding beauty be offered to the Lord, not a mere human?”

Only then did Katarina understand what Olivia was saying.

“How about entering a convent?”

“……!”

“As a child, you were a very devout child. A position serving the Lord would suit you well, I think. Better than the position you currently occupy.”

“Your Majesty the Queen…!”

“Enter the convent, Katarina. Before you are forcibly dragged down from that position, step down yourself.”

Olivia smirked mockingly at Katarina and added.

“What a beautiful sight that would be, wouldn’t it? A princess who renounces the crown to serve the Lord…! Perhaps in a few hundred years, it will even appear in storybooks.”

Katarina clenched her teeth and fists even tighter, barely suppressing her surging anger.

Then, she enunciated each word forcefully.

“It won’t be easy. I won’t just stand by and be defeated.”

At those words, Olivia burst into loud laughter.

“What on earth can you do? There will be no one left by your side. Aren’t people already starting to turn their backs on you?

When His Majesty awakens, if His Majesty tries to drag you down from that position, who will remain by your side? Who indeed will stay with you?”

It was then…

Dark clouds, which had gathered in the sky at some point, began to release raindrops one by one, and soon, heavy rain poured down.

Olivia was quickly sheltered by an umbrella held by her attendants who had followed her.

But Katarina, who had come to the rear garden alone without any attendants, was helplessly soaked by the rain.

One of Olivia’s attendants, unable to bear watching, tried to shelter her with an umbrella too, but was stopped by Olivia and couldn’t carry it out.

Cold rainwater streamed down Katarina’s face.

It felt as if tears would flow down the paths made by the rainwater.

This current appearance, this current situation, felt like a preview of the ‘future where no one is by her side,’ which Olivia had cursed her with.

So, even though Olivia was standing right in front of her. Even though she didn’t want to show any weakness in front of her.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Just as her eyes grew hot enough to blur her vision.

Suddenly, the downpour over Katarina’s head stopped.

Lifting her head, she saw an umbrella held over her.

And the person holding the umbrella behind her was…

“Rosenfeld?”

It was Dominic Rosenfeld.

Towards Katarina, who was looking at him with wavering, disbelieving eyes, Dominic smiled faintly and said.

“I will be by Your Highness’s side.”

At those words, Katarina’s eyes widened.

Conversely, Olivia’s eyes became incomparably sharp.

Dominic glanced at Olivia.

She was glaring at Dominic with an expression of utter disbelief.

Dominic, unconcerned, drove the point home, as if for her to hear.

“Your humble servant, Dominic Rosenfeld. I will become Your Highness’s person.”