44 – The Room You Can’t Leave Unless You Make a Baby

“Prince Siegfried, second in line to the throne, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Crown Prince Brad!” 

“It’s not my fault! Brad set me up! Everyone saw it! He’s the one behind all this!” 

Siegfried’s desperate shouts echoed as the guards restrained him, cuffing both his hands and feet, and dragged him away.

“I even went as far as to let my foolish brother claim my accomplishments, and he still managed to ruin everything. I’m at a loss for words,” I muttered under my breath, casting one last look at Siegfried before he was hauled off.

If only he’d been honest when Bismarck VIII caught wind of his lies… If we had both come clean, maybe Bismarck would have been moved by the idea of brotherly love, praising us both for our cooperation. Instead, Siegfried tried to steal the glory for himself, and now nothing can be done to fix it. Watching him get dragged away, I could only shake my head.

Bismarck VIII, the king, then turned to me with a serious yet fatherly tone.

“Brad, I understand you care for your brother, but you’ve been too lenient. Siegfried never once thanked you for your help and had the audacity to claim those achievements as his own.”

I was just as puzzled by Siegfried’s behavior.

In Fortune Engage, Siegfried was supposed to be more sharp and level-headed. How did he turn out like this?

He’s basically just unsorted trash at this point.

Maybe it’s because I’ve completely shattered the storyline, especially the flags between Siegfried and Freesia.

After the incident, I was summoned to the king’s office, where I found myself alone with Bismarck for a private conversation.

“Father, what’s Siegfried’s punishment going to be?”

Bismarck sighed, leaning back in his chair—a medieval-looking piece with intricate carvings—gazing up at the ceiling. His arms were crossed, his expression troubled.

“Hmm… according to our kingdom’s laws, anyone guilty of attempting to kill a member of the royal family is automatically sentenced to the guillotine…”

Despite Siegfried’s foolishness, he was still Bismarck’s son. The thought of sending his own child to the guillotine clearly weighed heavily on him.

“I wasn’t actually killed by Siegfried, was I?” I pointed out, not really intending to defend him, but more because I couldn’t help but think that if Siegfried were executed, Freesia wouldn’t get her reverse harem ending.

“You mean to say you’d forgive a brother who tried to kill you!?”

“It’s not about forgiveness. It’s a brother’s job to crush such challenges completely and teach the younger sibling their place. If Siegfried pulls another stunt, I’ll be there to remind him again.”

“My lack of strength has caused you so much trouble, Brad…” 

Bismarck’s voice cracked as he took my hand, tears welling up in his eyes. Even as a king, he was still just a father at heart.

A few days later, Bismarck made the official announcement.

“Siegfried’s right to the throne is hereby revoked! He will be demoted by two ranks and exiled to the remote land of Winterland!”

It was the second harshest punishment after execution. Bismarck had spared Siegfried’s life, but only just.

As I refused any rewards for my role in the matter, Omonel and the others were summoned by Bismarck. They had been called in to discuss the fallout of the incident, while I quietly watched from the sidelines.

“How could you possibly think I could accept a reward when Prince Brad is refusing his?”

“The reward should go to the prince!”

“Bofuu, I would love to get a bit of what the prince leaves behind!”

I had been planning to give all the glory to Siegfried, but since he messed everything up, the rewards were now in limbo. Omonel and the others also refused to accept any reward unless I did so first.

“Such troublesome people! Fine, I have no choice. Father, I’ll accept the reward. But only if it can be split into four equal parts!”

“Understood, I’ll have it prepared,” Bismarck agreed.

Omonel and the others protested, saying it was too much for them, but considering they were the ones who did most of the work, it was only fair.

The next day, I returned to the academy.

Freesia, who usually visited my room to the point of being annoying, was unusually quiet today.

————Freesia POV

Finally, I succeeded in acquiring that skill. 

The special skill that only the Saintess possesses: 【Love Prison】!

Ahh…I’ll be locked in a room with Brad-sama and a holy scar will be carved upon me . Brad-sama and I will finally cross the line and be united!

And if we don’t, we will never be able to get out!

(TL: hehe, the title was kinda a clickbait)