Resetting Lady

Chapter 263

chapter 263

“...wow, this is crazy. does his majesty even know how old the prince is?”

marquis penceir looked at prince lewis with his mouth agape. it had been a long time since he had seen his godson, but his shock left lewis feeling a little embarrassed. the target of penceir’s anger, however, was lewis’s grandfather, the king.

“marquis penceir, please be careful with your words.”

“my words... huh... lewis, do you know who i am?”

“you just said it. you’re my godfather and the marquis of penceir. don’t be so reckless.”

“the last time we met, you called me pancake. now you’re all formal—it feels distant... but more than that, you’ve gotten so thin. are you eating well?”

seeing the marquis flustered, lewis laughed.

“and what’s with that tone? it sounds odd.”

“...at least you haven’t completely lost your senses.”

“marquis, even if his highness is your nephew, he is still a prince. you’re being far too informal.”

marquis penceir sighed, placing his hands on the shoulders of his godson and nephew, prince lewis.

“this is... truly too much of his majesty.”

lewis had grown tall for his age, but his face was pale, devoid of vitality. his young face was marked with fatigue far beyond his years.

the fact that everyone around him was elderly had affected his speech and posture, making him seem older than he was, despite being not even ten years old. if marquis penceir noticed this, it would be even more apparent to other noble children his age.

the marquis understood why the king was doing this.

it was because crown prince gueuze, who was supposed to become king, was going too far. the number of bodies accumulating in his private quarters was increasing, and his days lost to violence and drug-induced stupor were growing longer.

if he had completely degenerated into a ruin of a man, they could at least have deposed him quickly, but that wasn’t the case. instead, gueuze had been selling positions for money, filling key roles with his own lackeys. even noble titles were either stripped away or sold off by the crown prince.

grumblings of discontent were beginning to rise even among the common folk. fifty years ago, such voices could have been ignored, but times had changed. with the advent of railroads, industrialization and commerce, some people among the populace had amassed wealth on par with the royal family and the nobility.

their voices could no longer be ignored, but gueuze was far too lacking to confront these challenges. his vices—murder, drugs, rape—were numerous, and he had almost no capable individuals loyal to him.

“what are you thinking so hard about?”

“i’m thinking about how best to prepare your highness to be king.”

“that’s still a long way off. everyone, from his majesty to you, marquis... you all seem to be rushing things. you all should take it slower.”

marquis penceir looked down at lewis, initially thinking it was just the naive comment of a child. but when he saw the serious expression on the prince’s face, he realized lewis was far more mature than he had anticipated.

“...you understand the situation.”

“how could i not? my teachers constantly hint at it in passing.”

lewis knew that the king was preparing to make him king in place of crown prince gueuze. he wasn’t naïve enough to overlook the implications of skipping a generation for the throne. lewis understood that his father, gueuze, was his enemy and that they could never reconcile. he also knew that his death would only please gueuze. thus, he didn’t have the luxury to act like a child.

“i can’t help but know...”

marquis penceir thought that the prince needed a teacher who could instruct him in the handling of firearms.

* * *

“this is sir raymond. he will be your highness’s shooting instructor. what do you think?”

“it’s an honor, your highness.”

he was a tall and handsome man.

having been surrounded by older men for so long, lewis was struck by the fresh presence of this young man. there were no young people around lewis. even his bodyguards were middle-aged, and marquis penceir was of the same generation as crown prince gueuze.

“nice to meet you, sir raymond.”

lewis extended his hand. the handshake was firm and warm. the young man had a slight resemblance to crown prince gueuze in the jawline and eyes, but he was full of kindness and sincerity. he looked like the very embodiment of an ideal man—healthy, gentle, and strong.

he was everything lewis wanted to be.

/subliminalwayfarer