Chapter 11 (2/2)

“What?”

“The first time you called my name.”

Eric clenched his hands into fists.

He tightened his fists so strongly that his fingernails dug into his palms, but he stood still without saying anything.

He stood there and only stared at Chloe.

She was lying sick in bed, yet she maintained her dignity even at this moment. Even as she held herself in this way, it just made her look even more pitiful.

Chloe spoke first.

“But… I hate doctors. So please… Please send him back. I want to rest alone.”

He could see her blue eyes tearing up. Unlike her dry face, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

“You’re busy. Please go back.”

Busy.

That’s right. He’s terribly busy.

He was so busy that just being here was an incredible waste of time.

It was a waste.

Eric picked up the forgotten towel and placed it back on her forehead.

That’s all.

There was nothing else he could do.

There’s nothing else that he could say.

“…I’ll be back tomorrow.”

So he left the room like that, trying to force himself forward even as his steps were heavy.

“I don’t know what that person is thinking.”

Eric muttered and set down the screwdriver he had in his hand.

He couldn’t concentrate on work at all today. What could it be, it was even like he didn’t feel motivated enough to focus on his tasks.

Chloe’s face kept surfacing in his mind, her struggling with her fever, her crying. It was on a loop in his head, never going away.

What’s wrong with him?

Eric wrinkled his forehead and pressed two fingers over his eyebrows.

“Pardon? Who? His Highness the Prince?”

Daniel asked him, his head tilted to the side.

Eric hesitated for a moment, but he soon nodded slowly.

“Yes. The prince.”

“What, why would you worry about his thoughts? He’s a simple man who’s confident that His Majesty will give the throne to him if he successfully marries the princess with Your Excellency.”

Daniel spoke without a single ounce of respect for the royal family.

“As if everything could be solved that way. How laughable, right? The royal family can’t be saved at this point anyway.”

Only then did Eric nod, a smirk on his lips. Thinking about the desolate situation of the royal family made his mood better again.

He leaned back with his hands behind his head. He looked up at the ceiling.

The downfall of the royal family.

This has been true for a long time.

The incompetent king, who failed to expand his territory and incurred a huge debt due to the war, lost the people’s trust.

The lower nobility were the first to turn away from the king, and half of the upper nobility criticized the king.

During this situation, the bourgeoisie that rose to nobility were those who brought with them innovation, and they were the ones who laid the groundwork.

The bourgeoisie attracted most of the aristocrats to their side due to their enormous capital and amazing inventions, and thanks to this, they grew in power and overwhelmed the parliament.

Everyone thought that the royal family had no chance of lasting any longer because of this.

But the royal family was still standing.

Ironically, this was due to Eric Aslan, the man at the center of the bourgeoisie.

“If Your Excellency had thrown your weight around in parliament, the King would have raised the white flag by now. Then those princes wouldn’t be able to act so carelessly.”

Daniel continued complaining.

And he was right.

If Eric wholeheartedly joined forces with the parliament, the royal family would truly be just a toothless lion.

But Eric couldn’t do that. He had joined hands with the king. He had saved the king and had given him money.

Was it because he was loyal to the king?

No.

A commoner like him, who lived worse lives than a street dog, had no such notion as loyalty.

All Eric wanted was one thing.

“Maybe so, but if I did that, wouldn’t it be impossible for me to hold the King by his neck just as I do now?”

To reign over those on the throne.

All the money that goes into the king’s pocket was something that Eric decided. And Eric was someone who confirmed all the policies that the king decides on before they’re passed.

He, who once lived in the bottom, was now standing high above the person who supposedly held the highest position in this hierarchy.

What else did he need if not this?

Eric had no intention of double-crossing the king.

‘For now.’

“Indeed. The King is the one who’ll rush in the middle of the night if Your Excellency calls him. He has to live a long and healthy life.”

Tsk. Daniel clicked his tongue.

“But I think he’s going to die soon.”

“I know.”

“Do you have a plan when it happens, sire?”

In the first place, it wasn’t a question that was asked to get Eric’s answer. Daniel immediately asked another question.

“What about marrying the princess? You’ll be able to control the royal family completely like that.”