The Third Prince Of Darkness

After the twins left, I took out the book I had written and placed it in an envelope. I then stood up and headed for the door. When I opened it, I experienced a sense of Déjà vu. The woman before me was once again raising her hands and was about to knock on the door, but this time, it was indeed Althea. She was startled to see me and took a few steps back, but then, realizing her retreat, took a few steps forward.

"Althea, I was just looking for you," I said, stepping back inside and signaling for Althea to come in.

"Do you need something, Excellency?" she asked.

"Yes. Send this envelope to the printing house" I said.

Althea took the large and heavy envelope and looked at it carefully. "What’s inside this?" she asked.

"This book I’ve written and the information I need to provide to the printing house" I answered.

Although Althea was surprised by my response, she said nothing and simply replied, "I’ll take care of it."

"I also have one more request," I said.

Althea set the envelope aside carefully and turned back to me. "Of course. What do you need?" she replied.

"Roxanne should be in my room right now, and I want you to get her out without anyone seeing her," I said.

At my words, Althea’s eyes widened, and a jealous expression quickly covered her face. I noticed her hands clenching into fists, and as usual, I realized that this girl’s jealous nature would cause me significant trouble.

"May I ask why that bit-... Ohom Roxanne is in your room?" Althea said with a hatred on her face that even made my skin crawl.

"Because she was with me last night."

Althea’s expression froze for a moment. The wave of jealousy and anger that appeared in her eyes nearly changed the atmosphere in the room to a palpable intensity. I noticed her clenching her fists even tighter; each muscle was trembling as she tried to hide her hatred for Roxanne.

"How... How can you be with her before me?" she whispered, her voice nearly a growl. "How can you do this to me?"

I had been expecting this outburst, even so, I showed no emotion on my face. Staying calm in such situations was the only way to keep Althea under control. "Althea," I said coolly, "I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I am a prince, or rather, a prince with dreams larger than the entire ocean. And as long as I pursue these dreams, there will be many women around me. If you want a place by my side, you’ll have to get used to this situation."

Althea’s anger and disappointment gradually gave way to emptiness. She looked as if she was being crushed under the weight of my words, but she still did not take her eyes off me. I could read her internal struggle from her eyes; deep down, she was searching for a glimmer of hope in response to my harsh words.

"So... Is it my fate to just be one of your women?" she asked, her voice trembling and fragile.

"Althea," I said, looking into her eyes, "This is a reality on the path to my dreams. There will be many people around me, many women. But each of them has a different place, and this applies to you as well."

Althea remained silent for a while, lowering her gaze and sinking into thought. It was always difficult for me to understand her complex emotions. However, I knew how hard this conversation was for her.

After a while, Althea slowly raised her head. Her eyes were filled with mixed emotions; on one hand, disappointment, and on the other, perhaps a hopeful understanding. My words seemed to have had a deep impact on her.

"I understand, Your Excellency," she finally said, her voice soft but firm. "When I'm with you, I'll try to suppress my urge to kill other women, but I can’t make any promises."

This girl really... Why can't I have a normal woman around me? Ah Emilia, how I miss you... I miss your completely normal loving eyes and your non-jealous nature so much... Anyway, although Althea’s words gave me chills, they also led me to a conclusion about Althea and her mother. Althea’s belief that she could so confidently kill my other women definitely shows that she is stronger than I thought.

Althea’s reaction and words clearly revealed her inner conflicts and intense emotions. After her words, my thoughts became complex as well. The fact that Althea harbors such strong and dangerous jealousy indicates that she is not just a servant, but also a quite influential person.

"Althea," I whispered, "If you’re having trouble with this situation, feel free to express it openly. You can always speak clearly with me."

Althea lowered her head and took a deep breath. "I understand, Your Excellency. I will act with this in mind. However, it may take time for me to completely control these feelings inside me."

Her sincere confession seemed to offer her some relief, but I realized how dangerous this situation could be. Althea's powerful emotions and potential danger reminded me that I needed to be cautious with her. After all, this girl was not an ordinary servant, and her mother was nothing like a typical servant. They most likely came from a lesser branch of an important noble house. Althea's and her mother's Kaizer power were undoubtedly higher than I had anticipated.

"Nevertheless, I want to ensure everything is under control. Therefore, I expect you to safely remove Roxanne from my room and make sure this situation is not misunderstood in any way" I said.

Althea nodded and replied, "Of course, your Excellency. I will carry out your wishes." "But I also have a request of my own, your Excellency," she said.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at Althea's dangerous yet beautiful face.

"I want to be your head knight and fill that position," she said.

"What?" I said involuntarily.

"I want to be your head knight" she repeated.

I had not appointed anyone to the head knight position since Emilia's death, but the vacancy was causing some issues. Moreover, when people saw that the position was left empty, it seemed to suggest that I still had feelings for Emilia, which could create a significant problem. Additionally, my father continuously troubled me by sending various knights. Therefore, the more I thought about it, the more logical it seemed for Althea to be my head knight and protector.

One crucial factor was that even if Emilia were to return to life, she would not become my head knight and would need to live a secluded life. After all, if someone who had been dead for years suddenly reappeared, people would undoubtedly react excessively and might even declare Emilia to be a demon.

"Alright," I said, pulling out a piece of paper from the drawer. While Althea’s face lit up with a big smile, I prepared the official document for her appointment to the head knight position. After a few minutes, I finished writing the document, stamped it with my seal, and handed the rolled-up document to Althea.

"Take this to the palace affairs office. If you don't know where it is, go to the outer palace and ask any servant there were the palace affairs office is" I said, watching Althea take the document with a charming smile and a glint in her eyes.

"Now, let's go to my room" I added, walking towards my room without waiting for Althea.

Althea, taking on the head knight position, seemed like the right step to resolve some potential issues. This move was necessary both to solidify the order in the palace and to handle the knights my father had sent. Moreover, Althea's strong and dangerous nature could provide the discipline and power needed for the role.

When I arrived at my room, I opened the door and looked back to see Althea running to catch up. I entered my room and walked toward the bed, but saw no one. Althea was still at the door, issuing orders to the outside servants to ensure Roxanne had left without raising suspicion. After searching the room thoroughly, I couldn’t find Roxanne anywhere. However, I did see her underwear right next to the bed. She had likely hurried out after waking up, even forgetting her underwear in her haste. Imagining her appearance while fleeing, I couldn't help but smile. But the rest of her clothes were missing, only her underwear, which is good. Otherwise I would have thought Roxanne had run away naked.

Well, now Roxanne's underwear was mine, and I would treat it as my most precious treasure. Thinking about her reaction when she remembered she had left the underwear in my room made me chuckle again.

Before leaving, I hid the underwear in my shadow and made sure it was placed in the highest part of the shadow. Then I walked over to Althea and said, "She’s already gone."

Althea looked at me a bit surprised, then nodded and said, "Alright, then I’ll go take care of my business."

"You’ll be with me at the engagement ceremony tonight, so don’t forget to wear your most elaborate armor," I said before Althea left. For some reason, my words seemed to make Althea blush, but she nodded and then left. I could swear she bit her lip before she left.

Does this girl have some sort of fantasy about armor?