Chapter 154: Your Knight is Still Missing a Mount

The ministers' bickering was beginning to give Francesco a headache. Today was my birthday, for goodness' sake—did you all really have to bring up the most sensitive topics?

How nice it would be to just chat about family matters, yet you insist on bringing this up today.

Some of the parliamentarians even started fighting mid-conversation, tearing off each other's wigs and ruining shoes and silk stockings, plunging the scene into total chaos. Right next to the dance floor was a veritable battleground.

Both sides did their own thing, neither interfering with the other in the slightest.

Francesco called out several times to no avail, rubbed his temples, and stood up from his seat. He walked over to his "nephew's" side. Ironically, even with the main guest of honor leaving, the ministers below continued playing their game. Not a single person cared where the King above had gone. Only Crowley quietly followed behind him.

Seeing his "father" approach with Crowley, Auxicely was terrified. She assumed her father wanted to talk to her about the Nafa people. She whispered to Louis, "If my father says anything later, you have to cover for me."

Louis blinked.

At that moment, "Your Majesty Yige" had already walked over, and Louis offered a slight bow.

After chatting for a bit, Francesco curiously asked about Louis's study abroad experiences. Auxicely cleverly jumped in with a long-winded explanation, all the while clutching Louis's arm intimately.

This affectionate display caused Francesco to shoot Louis that specific look once more, seemingly confirming his suspicion yet again—it appeared this "little god" was indeed summoned by his daughter.

Francesco asked a subtle question, his words carrying an undertone of "Why did you run so far away?"

Louis pondered for a moment, then gave Francesco a slight, solemn bow and said gravely, "Your Majesty, things have come to this, so I will no longer conceal the truth." Weighing his words carefully, Louis continued, "I came here entirely because of Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Auxicely's heart skipped a beat—what on earth does that mean?

I asked you to cover for me, but you surely wouldn't... you wouldn't...

You're not going to propose to me in public, are you?!

Louis glanced at Auxicely beside him and said, "As you know, because I..."

"Because I am her Dragon Knight!" Auxicely interrupted, clutching Louis's arm tightly as if terrified he might drop to one knee. "A perfectly proper, ordinary Dragon Knight, Father. A knight assigned to me by Mother."

"Uh..." Louis opened his mouth, stunned for a moment. A proper Dragon Knight?

Could there be dragons knights in this world who were anything *other* than proper?

Still, she wasn't wrong; he was quite proper indeed.

Francesco looked somewhat enlightened now, which made Louis breathe a sigh of relief. He figured that, proper or not, the purpose of whitewashing his identity had been achieved. Even if he acted overly pretentious in front of Francesco from now on, everyone would simply take it for granted.

"This nephew pays his respects," Louis gave a slight bow.

"Ah, let's dispense with calling yourself my nephew. Many years ago, when the Queen and I set sail, we once visited the North Sea." At this, Francesco sighed with a touch of nostalgia. "We were hosted by His Majesty 'Staying Up Late'—he is my elder, so you and I shall address each other as peers."

Louis opened his mouth, looked at the smiling Count Crowley and Francesco, and then at the utterly blank-faced Auxicely. He wanted to say something, but it ultimately boiled down to four words:

"Fair enough..."

The two elder in-laws exchanged a glance and laughed. Beside them, Auxicely's eyes glazed over slightly—my student just became my uncle?

Amidst Auxicely's utter bewilderment, her two "uncles" chatted with her father for a long while.

During the conversation, the older mother-in-law repeatedly glanced down at her own leg with a puzzled expression, leaving Louis profoundly awkward.

"Oh, that's just my wand," Louis said with a smile.

Francesco shot Louis that look again—is that wand of yours even proper?

Before Louis could offer any further explanation, he noticed a trace of blood on his mother-in-law's trousers.

Louis was dumbfounded.

[The Old Witch Doctor has discovered some special traces—you have triggered the special quest 'Look, Ask, Smell, and Touch'.]

[The mystery surrounding Her Majesty Queen Francesco may be right before your eyes.]

[A. 'Give it a sniff'
Completion reward: Francesco's tight slap * 1, Auxicely's shock and tight slap * 1, Dumbfounded older brother Count Crowley * 1, Iron fists of nobles and sorcerers * 1, Unexplainable World BOSS seat * 1, Mana + 10]

[B. 'Ask about it': Is this... yours, or did Her Majesty the Queen accidentally get it on you?
Completion reward: "What nonsense are you talking about, Louis! Of course this belongs to the Queen, hurry up and apologize to His Majesty!" * 1, Count Auxicely's favorability - 20, Francesco's favorability - 50, EXP + 50]

[C. 'Give it a touch': Aha!~ Stealing the peach!~
Completion reward: Tag-team beating from both mothers-in-law plus the young wife * 1, Corpse run * 1, All attributes + 3]

Seeing Louis standing there with his mouth open, staring blankly at her trousers, Francesco was momentarily stunned as well.

"Oh, I got some ketchup on it," Francesco said with a smile to Louis, the Count, and his daughter.

Louis shot Francesco that look—your ketchup... Before Louis could fully convey the look, he noticed Francesco narrowing her eyes slightly, prompting him to quickly put on a polite, harmless smile.

Whether it was out of consideration for her little brother's discomfort from constantly hunching over, or because she felt having ketchup stains on her was lacking in decorum, Francesco—having lost any interest in lingering at the banquet—soon took her daughter and Louis and retired from the scene.

From afar, Princess Nafa, having achieved total victory in her verbal battles against the scholars, shot a triumphant look toward the group retreating in conversation, only to feel as though her chest had been struck by a heavy hammer. Her eyes instantly blazed with raging fury and murderous intent.

Upon leaving the banquet, Louis felt his entire body growing hotter and his head increasingly dizzy. He wanted to head back early to whip up an antidote or something.

However, Auxicely seemed to have things on her mind and insisted on dragging Louis off to her palace. Watching Auxicely strut ahead like a proud swan, holding her head high with a catwalk stride, Louis felt even more miserable.

Louis pleaded, Your Highness, perhaps we shouldn't go to your place. I suffered a minor injury today and took the wrong medicine by mistake, so I'm not feeling entirely well. I'd like to head back early to brew an antidote.

Auxicely looked at Louis's limping figure, suddenly remembered something, and confidently declared that it was no big deal—she would take a look and fix him right up in a moment, claiming her custom-brewed antidotes were definitely better than his.

Louis fell into deep contemplation and put on an expression of 'Oh, how embarrassing this is.'

Auxicely haughtily shot back a look—there's nothing to be embarrassed about, I am your teacher after all.

Louis thought it over carefully and decided the teacher's logic seemed quite sound, so he dutifully trotted along behind her backside like a good boy.

After weaving through numerous corridors, the Princess led Louis to a very proper location within her bedchambers—this grand hall actually featured a miniature throne. However, this throne was clearly distinct from the King's, adorned with distinct fairy-tale aesthetics, looking precisely like a throne belonging exclusively to a princess in her wildest dreams.

While it might be somewhat understandable for a princess to place a monarch-style seat within her own duchy, setting up a throne specifically to play with inside the royal palace—even if purely for amusement—was stepping dangerously close to a taboo.

Yet neither the "King" nor even the little stepmother had ever uttered a word about such behavior, a testament to just how deeply Francesco doted on his daughter. It also reflected the deep-seated subconscious fantasies Auxicely had harbored since childhood: *I am the future Queen of the Solrendo United Kingdom!*

As Auxicely sat there with furrowed brows deep in thought, Louis suddenly understood why Delphinia and Auxicely usually loved holding their heads high like swans and wearing stern poker faces.

Delphinia acted that way because she was currently the Witch Queen, the sovereign of sorcerers, a ruler in her own right, and the Queen of Solrendo. Although there was still a supreme ruler above her, she harbored an intense yearning for the true throne and viewed herself as her mother's rightful successor, hence her swan-like haughtiness.

As for Auxicely, she had been educated by her mother and father with notions like: *My child Auxicely, the moment you were born, the very mountains whispered your name...*

Combined with Francesco's current indulgence, these two girls were just like children who grew up convinced they would certainly become president one day—in every movement and gesture from childhood onward, they modeled and demanded of themselves the demeanor of future queens of the Solrendo Empire. No matter what they were doing, they always maintained a solemn, deadpan expression.

It was terribly pretentious.

And yet... it also looked quite impressive.

At least the legs were very long...

Noticing that her student's eyes were reddening as he stubbornly stared at her legs, the teacher felt a slight flicker of displeasure and adjusted her skirt.

This student of hers was becoming increasingly unruly. Not only had he fabricated so many stories today, but... but he had actually intended to drop to one knee and propose to her in public!

Auxicely suddenly raised her chin, feeling that the two of them needed to have a serious talk about their relationship—they were simply impossible.

[‘Perhaps my prince is actually my student—even though he wasn’t summoned by me, how well he fits the description! This must be destined by fate.’]

[The romantic literary maiden had always yearned for a poignant, tragic romance, and today’s series of events with the knight in the arena, coupled with the sudden discovery that he was her 'brother-in-law', thoroughly fulfilled her fantasies of a 'tragic romance between a princess and a prince that could never bear fruit'.]

[She was moved to the verge of tears by her own imagination once again—we are impossible...]

[Her mind wandered wildly once more, and you decide to...]

[A. "Stop rambling, your brother-in-law is about to kick the bucket, let's treat this illness quickly!"
Completion reward: Auxicely's shock and disbelief * 1, Sweating profusely Auxicely * 1, A very proper potion * 1, Mana + 1]

[B. Change the subject and brush past this awkward conversation, for example: "Your Royal Highness, your Dragon Knight is still lacking a mount."
Completion reward: Auxicely's joyful consent * 1, Mount + 1, EXP + 50]

[C. It's all a misunderstanding, properly explain everything to her.
Completion reward: Unexpectedly gained friend * 1, Secret * 2, Bizarre battle * 1, Random attribute + 1]

......