The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 51
Asar had expected his grandfather to scold him again, saying how could the heir to the throne remain merely a widow’s lover. But the words that came were entirely unexpected.
“It’s Marquis Ron.”
“M-Marquis? But he’s even older than you, Grandfather…!”
One of the reasons Asar hadn’t particularly objected when Viscountess Kania told him to stay in Marquis Ron’s good graces was that the Marquis not only held a high title and reputation but was also of such advanced age—far older than the King—that no one knew when he might die. Asar had thought he would just humor the old man.
But… was there some other scheme at play?
“Those who crave power tend to consistently overlook unpleasant conditions. Asar, will you be angry that those two have privately toyed with you? Or would you prefer that I strike them down for your sake?”
The King, who had lately been showing only benevolence, now rendered Asar immobile with words that sent chills down his spine instead of displaying leniency.
“G-Grandfather.”
“For a king who rules a nation, such matters are not even special incidents. They amount to nothing more than a crumpled newspaper, so just listen and move on. Going forward, do not show your awareness and leave those two be.”
However, while that might be possible for a King who had lived long enough, it was difficult for a grandson full of youthful spirit. To be honest, if Asar had been alone, he would have wanted to shout out his frustration against the chapel wall.
To think that he wasn’t the Viscountess Kania’s only lover. Was that why she told him to bow down to that old man, of all people, and to mind his manners?
‘Was she trying to deceive me? How could she do this! She promised to help me devotedly once I returned to court life soon.’
Though it felt like being slapped with ice-cold water, the moment he heard those words, he became even more convinced that he shouldn’t miss this opportunity.
While it pained him deeply that even the Viscountess he trusted had been enjoying herself with another man, what could he do? At least the information he heard today could be directly verified, so he would deal with it immediately—partly to cleanse the tainted feeling.
Asar began to speak with a somewhat grave tone.
“Grandfather, I will forget about the matter of the Viscountess and the Marquis as of today, but there has been an unusual incident in our country.”
“Oh?”
“In a small nameless village bordering the elven nation, there was an incident where a human transformed into a nymph. Isn’t that surprising?”
“……”
The King gazed steadily at his grandson, who was becoming passionately invested in others’ affairs immediately after being heartbroken.
That information had undoubtedly been passed on by the cunning Viscountess Kania—truly a ruthless woman. Not even realizing her own exposure, she dares to try to cause discord?
Unlike what he had told his grandson, it seemed he would need to remove Viscountess Kania before his death. Of course, the King was more than capable of confronting whatever his hot-blooded grandson might impulsively blurt out. At least for now.
“Despite such an extremely rare occurrence, the village headman didn’t even submit a report and quickly sent that woman to Jupiter. Does this make any sense? How could someone take a clear resident of our country away like that?”
“Nymphs have a significantly different ecology from humans, Asar. Currently, we are not associated with elves, nor do we have the ability to care for physically vulnerable nymphs.”
King Devran’s intention was clear. He had no desire to intervene in matters that had moved beyond human hands or to reprimand the village headman. He had considered it fortunate that no one had died and the situation was resolved amicably, and had put the matter to rest.
“But…!”
“The report reached me as well. The headman even personally dug up the nymph’s tree and transferred it. Would you now demand they bring her back? That would be too cruel—all you would gain would be a dead tree and a cold corpse.”
“Th-there is a proper order to all matters. I’m not arguing that it absolutely shouldn’t have happened. Properly, permission should have been obtained from our side first, and no matter how urgent, there should have been a procedure. And what has Jupiter done after taking the nymph? Time has passed, yet they’ve said nothing to our country, simply sweeping it under the rug!”
Asar spoke with true passion, but in the King’s eyes, it was merely the impetuousness of a child, and he no longer wished to continue the conversation.
