The Villainess Wants to Make Her Husband Slim Down

CHAPTER 112

6 – 2

After the sun had set, the only thing that lit up the front porch of the Montchat estate was a small manastone lamp.

Without stepping foot inside, the envoys from the royal capital, who had arrived in the middle of the night and called for an audience with Alois, announced the purpose of their visit.

"Return Camilla to the royal capital... you say...?"

Alois looked stunned as he stared at the two envoys.

As if unable to resist the tense atmosphere, some of the servants of the house had gathered to watch. Alois was certain that somewhere in that crowd of onlookers, Camilla had to be there. But, Alois didn't have the time to look over his shoulder to see.

Both entrance doors had been opened in the wake of the envoys. Judging by their uniforms, they seemed to be military attaches to the royal palace. Both of them stood at attention, seemingly not worried about the myriad of eyes that watched them from inside.

"Exactly. This is a royal decree. It would be unthinkable to leave the daughter of Count Storm in Mohnton, when a civil war is brewing and the land could become a battlefield at any moment. We are to escort her back to the capital as soon as possible."

With that, the other envoy held out a letter to Alois. After receiving it, Alois quickly untied the string that bound the paper and unrolled it.

The letter unmistakeably bore the royal seal. The letters were written in a hasty cursive. At the bottom of the letter, a signature in red ink. Just as the messenger had said, the letter was a decree for Camilla to return to the royal capital.

"...The handwriting is wrong."

He had received letters from the King several times in the past. He couldn't deny that the quality of the paper, the stamped seal and even the colour of string that tied the letter in a roll were what he had come to expect of royal decrees

However, he hadn't seen this handwriting before.

"Even though this bears the King's emblem, this was not written by his hand. Why is that?"

"It was His Highness, Prince Julian who penned this letter. His Majesty is currently bedridden, so the Second Prince sent out this order in his stead."

"Bedridden? This is the first I've heard of it."

Alois looked up from the letter. He often received letters and reports from the royal capital, but this was the first he had heard of the King being ill. But even if the King had recently taken very ill, could it really be possible for Prince Julian to have enough power to send royal decrees already?

"In the first place, what of the First Prince, His Highness Prince Eckhart? If anyone were to substitute for His Majesty, surely it would be the heir apparent?"

Eckhart, the firstborn prince, was the first in line for the throne. Even if the King was unable to rise from bed, there was no reason for the Second Prince, Julian, to take the reins of power.

But, the messenger didn't answer that question. Standing tall, he palmed away Alois' inquiry.

"That is a confidential matter, not something to be discussed in such a place. The fact that this decree represents His Majesty the King's will is unalterable, however."

A decree bearing the mark of the King was as good as receiving the King's order in person. Even though they were a branch family of the royal house, a decree from the King was an immutable command for the Montchat family. He couldn't go against it.

That being said, Alois wasn't so eager to meekly accept the King's – or rather, Prince Julian's – command so easily.

"...He had her exiled, why is it that he's demanding her return now?"