Chapter 135
“Brother-in-law!”
Bain froze at my ridiculously embarrassing address, a whole ten years ahead of its time.
“Brother-in-law? What on earth….”
“Please! I’m begging you. Look kindly on me. Sob, sob.”
“Lady, let go. And stand up. The floor is filthy—what are you doing?”
“I’ll die without him!”
“You’ve only been dating for a month!”
“But I chased him for two years! Doesn’t that count?!”
“You… ha!”
“Please!”
He could easily have pried me off, but maybe he couldn’t bring himself to lay hands on a young lady, so he just stiffened his leg.
“Hrrng!”
I won’t let go! I can’t let go!
And so the ridiculous scene dragged on.
Bain struggled to shake me off, while I clung to his leg like glue, practically mopping the office floor with my dress.
“Sob, sob… I really love him. I can’t break up….”
“Hahh… hahh.”
“Brother-in-law, I’ll do anything. I’ll prove my sincerity, however lacking I am!”
“…Haa.”
“I’ll even be your spy if I must! For his sake, I’d betray my own family! Please!”
“All right, all right—just let go already.”
“…All right in what sense?”
“All right. I understand. I see how sincere you are.”
And the gentle Crown Prince finally lifted me up.
He even handed me a handkerchief to dry my tears, and kindly dusted off my dress, now filthy from sweeping the floor.
He really was a good person.
At the time, I didn’t even feel ashamed.
The fact that Bain had withdrawn his demand that we break up was enough.
Only when I returned home and lay in bed did the shame crash down on me, and I beat my pillow half to death.
Then I swore to myself:
Never again.
Never again would I behave so disgracefully, so without dignity.
***
…And yet, here I was, doing it again!
With the very same man!
Sitting across from the Crown Prince’s unchanged, handsome face, I wanted to turn into dust and vanish.
All I’d wanted was to create a chance to talk to him.
Instead, I’d ruined it.
What should have been a beautiful first meeting—
I’d rammed into him, fallen flat, and bawled like a child.
I could only hope he’d never, ever learn the truth:
that inside this thirteen-year-old body was the mind of an adult woman.
‘You okay?’
Ryan gave me a look from the side.
‘No. Not okay at all.’
I answered with the most miserable expression I could manage, then gave him a look of encouragement.
‘It’s your turn now. I’ve done my part.’
Ryan was stunned.
Sitting right across from him was the pillar of the Empire itself: the Crown Prince.
Earlier, in the garden, when asked if he was Ryan Belzer, he had admitted it. And the Crown Prince had immediately revealed his own identity—then suggested they talk.
Of course Ryan couldn’t refuse.
And now, here they sat in the Academy’s main building, in the VIP guest room.
In front of him, the Crown Prince Bain Valencié.
To his left, Bania. To his right, Alex.
All thanks to Bania recognizing him and recklessly throwing herself away to make this chance.
Ryan couldn’t waste it.
I can do this!
There’d been no time to plot with Bania, so he had to handle the conversation alone.
At least he had some background information—he’d heard it from Bania so often it was drilled into his ears.
Name: Bain Valencié.
Age: twenty-eight.
Personality: gentle and polite, but unlike the Third Prince, not someone you could take lightly.
“Ah, so unlike the pushover Third Prince who’ll hand you his liver and gall if you sweet-talk him, the Crown Prince is tough—”
“What are you saying?! He’s not a pushover! He’s just not easy to manipulate!”
Anyway, unlike young, soft-hearted Niké, Bain was a seasoned politician. Kind, but capable of being cold when necessary.
And most importantly—
He despised the corrupt Barzenberg clan’s Ability-users.
And Ryan, though disowned long ago, was still one of them.
“First of all, I must apologize for bestowing you with a title without prior notice,” Bain said.
Ryan thought he really did resemble Niké, and answered carefully, “Not at all. It was an honor.”
“I’ve heard you suffered for it.”
Well, yes.
His father had sent assassins, his older brother had attacked him, his face had even been smashed in—all thanks to that sudden title!
“I considered arranging a meeting with you then, but thought it would cause too many complications.”
Wise decision.
Ryan hadn’t achieved enough to warrant such a private audience, and Bain meeting him without clear reason would have only drawn suspicion from Barzenberg.
“Thank you for your foresight. May I ask one thing, Your Highness?”
“Go on.”
Ryan took a breath. “Why exactly did you grant me a title?”
“The official reason was that you saved a royal life on the battlefield. But I suppose you mean my true intent?”
Bain’s eyes sharpened.
“Politics.”
Oh…
“As you know, the Crown both relies on Ability-users and is constrained by them. I need leverage against them.”
He was openly saying he’d used Ryan as a chess piece against Barzenberg!
Ryan’s skin prickled.
He glanced at Bania for reassurance—but she just looked like a clueless thirteen-year-old.
‘Great. I’m the only adult here….’
He had no choice but to face this alone.
“So… by giving a title to me, a so-called criminal, you meant to suggest that the true culprit of the Conrad Massacre was someone else in Barzenberg?”
“…Yes. I wanted outsiders to start questioning. The real culprit was another Ability-user of Barzenberg.”
Ryan’s heart thumped wildly.
This man was blunt.
‘I’ve never met anyone who pushes harder than me. And on our first meeting, no less!’
Still, it wasn’t information that needed hiding—his father surely knew the truth of Bain’s move anyway.
“Then… do you truly believe I wasn’t the one behind the massacre?”
“The Third Prince vouched for you. If he judged so, I trusted his reason.”
Ryan blinked. So… a little bit of a pushover after all?
He had asked Niké for help explaining himself, but he hadn’t expected Bain to believe his brother’s words so completely.
“And… you’re here about your son’s admission to the Academy, correct?” Bain suddenly asked, looking at Alex.
“Ah, yes.”
“I intended to handle that beforehand, but state affairs delayed me. The admissions office will contact you soon. Your son’s enrollment will be approved without issue.”
“…What?”
Ryan blinked.
There was only one way to interpret those words:
I intended to arrange it → I planned to make sure he was admitted.
I came here today for that reason → I’m here now to finalize it.
His admission will be fine → I’ve already smoothed things over.
Ryan shot to his feet in shock.
The Crown Prince looked up at him, puzzled.
“Forgive me,” Ryan said quickly, sitting back down.
“But… how… how did Your Highness even know our situation…?”
Did Bain live next door or something? How could he possibly know about Alex’s application?
Then—
Ah!
Ryan remembered.
He had once spoken with Niké.
“Please think of Alex as powerless,” he’d said. “He’s young and kind. I don’t want him to suffer—I’ll let him do what he wants. He wishes to attend the Academy, so I’ll send him.”
That was it!
And Niké, curious about Bania and Alex, must have passed the word on to Bain!
“Yes. The Third Prince told me you planned to send your son to the Academy.”
Of course.
Niké had foreseen this and asked Bain for help, just in case.
Ryan glanced at Bania. She looked just as stunned.
Alex too—his eyes shone, joy breaking through his attempt at calm.
Third Prince….
Who dared ever call Niké a pushover again?
Bang!
Ryan executed his past self on the spot.
No more slander.
‘Amazing….’
He could cry from gratitude. He pictured Niké’s face and whispered in his heart:
Thank you. Third Prince… no.
My son-in-law.
Thank you, truly….
NOT THE SON IN LAW
XD