He then looked down at Rovine, who was kneeling at his feet.
âInstead of Koyorâs military support, we will borrow their academic knowledge. For starters, Iâm going to lend my knight guards here to Koyor. And the fire sparks that just erupted in the sky will prove that the Koyol Kingdom has technology that is unknown to our country.â
Arnoldâs voice was calm, but with a definite air of authority.
âDo you understand? We are about to enter into a new alliance, so you are not to interfere with it with such scandals.â
âBut Your Highness, Arnoldâ¦â
âIâm not in the mood to listen. Withdraw this instant.â
His blue eyes blurred with a clear warning.
âIf you make any more noise, my father may hear about it.â
!
Arnoldâs remark startled Rishe inwardly.
But she didnât let it show on her face.
After a momentary silence, Rovine remained in his kneeling position and bowed deeply to Kyle.
âYour Highness, Prince Kyle, I apologize for my reprehensible discourtesy. It was all my fault for acting imprudently. If you will forgive me, I would be willing to devote my head to Your Highness.â
âNonsense. Please raise your head, Count Rovine. It seems that Michelâs words and actions caused a misunderstanding. Iâm very sorry for the great deal of inconvenience.â
Kyle replied sincerely.
She didnât think Kyle himself heard the report that was delivered to Arnold. As usual, he supposed that Michel carried out an ill-placed research and caused a commotion.
âBefore we cause any further embarrassment, weâll withdraw from this place. Your Highnesses Kyle, Your Highness Arnold, I beg your pardon once more.â
After another bow, Rovine quietly stood up and looked at Rishe.
He gave her the same polite bow. Rishe plucked at the hem of her dress and bowed her head. Then, Theodore approached her gently.
âSister-in-law. It looks like weâve got this situation under control, so Iâm going to slip out for a bit and check out the city.â
Theodore left the garden before Rishe could thank him. She couldnât thank him enough, but sheâd have to return the favor with something proper at a later date.
Many knight guards also resigned at Arnoldâs command.
All who were left were Rishe, ARnold, Kyle, and Michel.
âNow then, Michelâ¦â
Kyle cleared his throat and began scolding Michel, who was older than him, like a child.
ââ¦What the hell were you doing?! I was very surprised when I saw the flower fire sparks scattered in the sky. Is that your new invention?!â
âKyle â¦â
It was a nostalgic sight for Rishe. If there was one thing that was unusual, it was the way Michel dropped his lashes and expressed his regret.
âIâm glad youâre helping us with the alliance, but can you tell me about it in advance? That way, I can present the results of your studies to Garkhain in a less inconvenient way.â
âNo, Kyle. I really should use my life to atone for thisâ¦â
âTeacher Michel!â
â!â
When Rishe called out his name, Michel looked exasperated.
But confessing everything under the circumstances wasnât a good idea.
Once Kyle heard the truth, he would have to answer to Garkhain as the prince of Koyor.
âBe quiet for now and let Prince Kyle vent his anger.â
ââ¦â
When she smiled, Michel lowered his head deeper, looking at a loss.
But eventually, he spoke up.
Iâm sorry, Kyle. Iâm sorry, Rishe.â
ââ¦Michel?â
âI wonât do it again. I now understand for sure that my theory was a big mistake.â
Michel then clutched the hem of his lab coat tightly.
ââ¦I promise, it wonât happen again.â
His words sounded sincere and innocent, akin to a child trying his best to utter an oath.
Kyle swallowed in surprise, but on the other hand, Rishe was relieved. She looked up at Arnold again and met his blue eyes.
âLet me tell you, Iâm not warming up to you.â
Arnold said with a somewhat chilly gaze.
âIf the knightâs report is true, then itâs obvious that Michel Evan was planning to do something nefarious. However, if we treat him as a criminal publicly, Father Emperor will hear about it. In order to avoid that, I used the measures you had in place.â
ââ¦Yes, thank you very much.â
Arnold also seemed to be aware that the fireworks were Risheâs work.
The report that he received from the knight must have been fragmentary.
And yet, the âevent to show off Koyolâs technologyâ that Arnold told Rovine about was the very persuasion that Rishe was trying to use on Arnold.
Besides, from the start, as long as she could get through this, the rest was going to be a straightforward confession.
âI was going to tell Your Highness Arnold all about what Teacher Michel tried to do later.â
Even though it was an attempt, it would have been a mortal crime if it succeeded. Although we concealed it, we couldnât completely exonerate him.
âIâll leave it to Your Highness to decide what to do.â
âOh, how laudable.â
Arnold grinned with a wicked look.
âYou were trying to keep this man away from me and even got Theodore involved.â
He noticed!!!