“Butler Go, what do you think of the Second Prince’s intention for coming here?” Colt asked from inside the bathroom while taking a shower.
“It could only be for the struggle for the throne. The Second Prince is said to be ambitious and wants the throne for himself.” Butler Go answered while picking Colt’s clothes.
The two had excused themselves so that Colt could make himself presentable for the conversation. They were now using that time they gained to talk about the situation.
Colt ran through his hair as he cleaned himself of blood. A question entered his mind, “Why?”
“What was that, Young Master?” Butler Go failed to understand his question.
“Why is the Second Prince trying to become King? What are his intentions? Why does he want to sit on an uncomfortable chair? Sitting on a sofa is much more comfortable than the throne.”
Colt could not comprehend it. When Colt was young, he once dreamt of becoming a King that ruled over a kingdom. When he grew up and understood it, he questioned why he thought that such a dream would be a good idea.
“Becoming King is nothing but a hassle. They have the power, but they are restricted. They need to lead, the number of responsibilities they carry is nothing to laugh at, so why become a King?”
The Princes of every novel he read were all power-hungry idiots. Colt failed to create a connection to them, and in this novel, he knew not of their intentions. Why-why become a King?
Listening to his Young Master, Butler Go had nothing to say. That’s right, being King was nothing but a gathering of problems.
However, as he collected himself, Butler Go gave him an answer, “The Royals vie for power to get the power of the Kingdom. They will get to rule and control its wealth, it is a lavish life with power…”
Colt wanted to say something otherwise but kept silent about it.
Butler Go didn’t know why Colt grew silent, but an immediate and troublesome thought emerged in his mind, “Young Master, please do not say these words when you go and meet with the Prince or any Royal. It may rub them off the wrong way.”
“…Okay.” Colt finished cleaning up with a mind full of questions.
***
Inside the Tiger Manor study, there sat Trist and Grant while Sera served them tea.
“Do you want some more tea, your highness?” Sera asked as she gracefully lifted the teapot.
“…Yes, I would like some more.” Trist took a pause, for he failed to digest Sera’s presence, “Did you say you are the Young Master Colt’s personal butler?”
“Yes, I have had the pleasure of serving the Young Master as his personal butler.” Sera bowed her head as she answered.
Sera did not eke away in the presence of Royalty. She stood proudly and presented herself with dignity. But unlike Butler Go, she seemed brighter than the elusive shadow that was the aged Butler.
‘Sera, she’s Alchemist Jin’s younger sister and his only remaining family. She used to work as the receptionist for the Apothecary Guild and quit at the same time as Jin. I didn’t think she became Colt Edgeworth’s personal Butler.’
Sera’s presence had always been ignored by Trist. He simply thought Sera was some simple servant or Butler, but he didn’t know she was Jin’s sister.
Sera was beautiful, but Jin was cute. Trist failed to comprehend how Sera became the way she was.
‘It is baffling to see her like this. And a woman for a butler? Young Master Colt, just what kind of ideas run in your mind?’
He glanced at Grant, who sat on the sofa by his side. He sought answers but received nothing more than a passive smile. Even he could not understand what’s going inside Colt’s mind.
“Sera.”
“Yes, your highness?”
“For you, what kind of man is the Young Master of the Edgeworth Family?”
At the moment, Colt was nowhere to be found.
In most times, Trist would not ask such a thing to a butler or anyone else. He would trust his judgment and would show little to no clue as to what kind of background check he did in the shadow.
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However, he pegged Colt to like this kind of approach more welcoming than most. But that was a simple hunch; he no longer knew what to believe.
Sera didn’t need to think that long as she gave an answer, “The Young Master is a kind person. He would stand before a person no one wants to save and pull that person up into the light. He is gentle to everyone, especially to his family, he would sacrifice everything to save them and would do anything to hunt down those who become a threat and devour them whole like a Tiger in a Frenzy.”
“Oh.”
Trist couldn’t help but be left speechless at the stark contrast of Sera’s description of Colt.
He remained silent until Colt returned with Butler Go wearing fresh new clothes. He seemed to have also taken a quick shower to take out any foul odor coming from his body.
All in all, Colt returned to his dashing figure. Together with him was Butler Go. Trist was warry of Butler Go. He knew not what kind of information he could have fed Colt while the two were away.
“I apologize for my insolence, your highness. I tried to make myself presentable as to not stain your sight.” Colt humbly joked.
“You jest, Young Master Colt. I was the one who came here unannounced, I have no right to think badly of you.” Trist answered back.
‘That’s right, you did.’ Colt thought himself as he sat on the sofa across the two.
He held a pleasant smile as Sera poured him tea.
“So, what can this lowly I do for you, your highness?”
Colt didn’t want to open the bag of troubles.
Trist put down the cup of tea with a clink. He looked around and gave hinting eyes to Butler Go and Sera. He wanted to speak with Colt alone.
Colt waved his hand and had them leave the three of them.
The doors closed silently as they left. However, Butler Go remained just outside, eavesdropping on them.
This caused Trist to smile at the slyness of Butler Go. He looked at Grant and asked, “Please, Young Master Grant, I wish to speak with him alone, can you wait out as well?”
“…As you wish, your highness. Young Master Colt, I will be taking my leave.”
When Grant left, he asked Butler Go and Sera to take him to the back garden to look at the scenery. Now that Butler Go had drawn Grant out, only Trist and Colt remained in the room.
Trist cleansed his palate with tea as he stated, “Young Master Colt, join my camp, and I will give you riches and anything you could ever dream of.”
Colt smiled towards the Prince, “I am flattered. However, this lowly one is but a wastrel from the backwaters of the South. I cannot help you, your highness.”
Colt sidestepped the question. Trist did not appreciate his words. However, Trist could not lash out. Nothing will be accomplished if he did so.
“Young Master, if you help with taking the throne, I will reward you with anything, power, higher position, wealth, anything that you could ask, if it is by my power, then I will do it for you.”
Colt could see the desperation in the eyes of this Prince. One could already see how much he was backed into a corner. He truly wanted to say no and get this over with. However, an unpleasant thought entered his mind.
‘The zealous Priests might come knocking on his doors.’ Colt would rather not have that scenario. He could already see an all-out war with the Crown Prince and Trist.
An exasperated sigh escaped Colt, “Your highness, let’s just say I do have the power to assist you, but isn’t the King still alive and well? Why are you already fighting for the position of King? Is it not disrespectful to do so?”
“When the King rose to power ten years back, he was sixty years old, and now, he’s already seventy. The King may be a strong Master-level Warrior, but because of his injuries, he’s already weakened. The King had already informed of us about his impending death.”
Because of him not knowing much if it wasn’t about a villain, Colt failed to recall much about the King other than his good deeds.
However, as he actively tried remembering, the King was already preparing to announce his heir by the time the plot kicked in.
“…are you really supposed to be telling me these?” however, hearing this himself made him fail to make a proper reaction.
“That’s right, the King, my Father, had already announced it, and instead of trying to run from death, he is trying to prepare us, his children, for when he leaves this world. After all, we will be the cornerstone of the Kingdom once he’s gone.”
Trist sounded melancholic as he said those words.
“If that is the case, then, why are you trying to fight with the Crown Prince?” a sudden question from Colt.
“I want the best for the people, I want to create a brighter future for them. I can’t see the Crown Prince giving the people a brighter future.”
“Why so?” Colt was now serious, “Your highness the Prince, let me ask of you, is the Crown Prince incompetent?”
Trist found Colt’s words confusing, but he shook his head in the end, “He’s not.”
“Is the Crown Prince someone greedy who will take the money of his people?”
“…He is not. He is very much someone who likes to keep things at a bare minimum.”
“Is he someone who will mistreat the people? In your eyes, is he a Tyrant in the making?”
“No, of course not, he may be my rival to the throne, but I can say that he is someone honorable despite his flaws.”
Colt stood up and went to grab the wine his father told him that he hid under the study table of his as he asked, “Then, why are you trying to take the Crown from him, your highness? If even you can see that he’s doing well, why are you trying to take away his chance to do what he needs to do?”
Trist failed to answer.
Colt found the jar and bottles hidden under the study table and walked back to the Prince. He handed the Prince a wineglass.
Colt had seen the Second Prince’s mannerisms, and he could very well tell that the Prince had a good head on his shoulders. He was well-mannered and very much someone cool-headed.
Thus, colt probed him with questions regarding the Crown Prince to see how he would react. If the Prince reacts badly, he’ll stop, but Colt would continue what he had in mind if he does not.
And seeing the Second Prince react so well that it prompted Colt to continue. As he poured both of them wine, he sat back down and asked his final question, “Second Prince, what is it that you truly want?”
Colt’s piercing eyes shot made the Second Prince like he was being threatened by a sword. And yet a particular pull gave him the courage to speak of the truth even he couldn’t voice out, “I want to validate my existence.”
Colt looked at the Second Prince and downed the wine he poured himself, ‘Welp, I feel a backstory about to come up. Good thing I prepared the wine.’