0&1 Ch 14

Grey’s Side Story

Grey Cracker, the son of the Prime Minister, entered the palace at the age of ten and became a study companion to the Princes.

It was the Queen who requested Grey’s entry into the palace. His father said that he had to obey her.

“It’s an opportunity to observe the two Princes up close.” Grey replied. He knew that his answer satisfied his father.

His father had high expectations for Grey, and his mother believed in him.

Grey spent his childhood knowing that he had to take responsibility for his actions and that he was capable of doing so.

That was what it meant to be the only son of the Prime Minister. Grey could not fail.

He tried not to feel too much sympathy for Prince Edward or dislike Prince Joffrey. But he couldn’t help feeling what he felt.

The castle felt like a funeral. In fact, it was a funeral. Lady Rosé was not buried in the royal family’s tomb, but the King personally conducted her funeral.

It was foolish to visit the royal palace in such an atmosphere. 

Grey knew that. Thinking it was foolish, he went to Prince Joffrey’s palace.

When Grey said he wanted to see the Prince, the attendant looked uncomfortable but led him to the Prince’s bedroom.

Grey was visiting the Prince in defiance of his father’s orders. His father had told him that it would be best not to attend classes until the matter was settled.

Of course, that didn’t mean he shouldn’t study, but rather that he shouldn’t visit the royal palace.

Grey was a son who usually obeyed his father’s orders. Since the day he was born, he had been told repeatedly to be careful of his words and actions as the heir to his father.

At that age, someone as intelligent as Grey knew that if he didn’t pay attention, he would be in more trouble than just a scolding.

So why was he here?

“The Prince says you may enter.” Prince Joffrey’s servant opened the door. He looked tired, as if he had been up for several nights.

Grey didn’t usually pay attention to the faces of the attendants, but this one looked familiar. He was the attendant who had followed Prince Joffrey when he left the royal palace. He could be described as a loyal confidant.

Did this attendant know about the Prince’s transformation?

Grey entered the bedroom. Prince Joffrey was sitting on a bed so large it seemed to swallow him whole.

Grey thought that this scene looked familiar. He had visited Prince Joffrey once before when he was ill. At that time, Prince Joffrey had been very strange.

Come to think of it, it had been since then.

Prince Joffrey had a tense personality, with no room for error. He would fly into a rage even at Grey’s innocent remarks, and it was exhausting to deal with him. If Grey tried to respond with a roundabout remark, he wouldn’t understand and would get angry.

Why didn’t his parents tell him that dealing with him would be this difficult? Of course, parents with a well-behaved son like Grey would not understand such difficulties.

Grey had once thought the prince was easy to read. His emotions were written plainly on his face. How could he be difficult?

It wasn’t long ago that the Prince became a difficult person to deal with.

“Your Highness.”

Joffrey raised his head. He didn’t bother to stand up straight for Grey.

Even if a third party saw the Prince, they would not think that he was welcoming Grey. How could he not notice?

The Prince wasn’t deliberately being vague or acting superior. He had been like this since that day.

Prince Joffrey had changed. Once he admitted that, he understood. To the Prince, Grey was an unwelcome guest.

Grey felt strange. They weren’t on good terms, but the Prince had always wanted to be friends with him. When Grey spoke to him, he could see the Prince’s shoulders stiffen with anticipation.

“I heard you were waiting for me to wake up. Do you have something to say?” Prince Joffrey asked.

Grey was surprised by how hoarse his voice sounded, as if he had been very ill. Prince Joffrey’s pain was something that had been superficial to Grey.

“You were sick.”
“Yes, I was. I’m sure that’s not what you wanted to ask.”

The Prince looked tired. Grey tried to find a hint of resentment in the Prince’s face, but failed.

“I’m sorry to have disturbed your rest.”
“I can’t pretend that you haven’t.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“I’ll think about it after you tell me what you want.”

“What if I tell you about Prince Edward?” Grey asked impulsively. He wanted to see Prince Joffrey’s expressionless face change. Seeing Joffrey so calm made Grey feel strangely anxious.

“Did you come here to blame me?” Joffrey asked curiously. However, there was no curiosity in his expression. Nor was there any displeasure.

Even if Grey answered yes, Prince Joffrey would probably let him do as he wished.

“What traitor would have such thoughts?”
“Really? I thought you would be the one. Otherwise, what would you say about Edward?”
“What would I gain by accusing you, Your Highness?”

“I don’t know.” Joffrey thought for a moment. “Condemnation?”

Then he fell silent.

Grey’s mouth went dry. He was becoming anxious again, as he always did when he was with Prince Joffrey.

“I just came to ask you a question.”
“What question?”
“I heard a rumor. That you refused to see the Queen for a long time.”

“Are there no secrets in this castle? Why are other people’s family matters becoming rumors?”

The Prince frowned.

“If you wanted it to be a secret, you shouldn’t have left the Queen standing at the door.”
“I didn’t know she was there.”
“Someone other than you stopped the Queen?”

“No. I was sick and lying down. My mother told my servant not to wake me and stood in the hallway for hours.” The prince spoke quietly.

“Do you feel guilty?”
“Yes.”

Prince Joffrey was the Queen’s child. That hadn’t changed.

Grey thought he should feel disappointed. But he was already asking the next question. “And then? Did you let the Queen into your bedroom?”

“Yes.”
“What did the Queen say?”
“Lady Rose’s death was not the Queen’s doing.”
“Do you believe that?”
“I do.”
“Are you sincere?”

The Prince, who had avoided eye contact throughout the conversation, looked at Grey for the first time.

Grey realized that he had been rude. However, instead of pointing that out, the Prince said, “My mother asked me to believe her. I believe that my mother, who loves me, would never do such a thing.”

Grey couldn’t believe it. Prince Joffrey wasn’t stupid. Even Grey’s dim-witted cousins wouldn’t believe the Queen.

She asked him to believe her?

If people were believed just because they asked, there would be no one left in the world who wasn’t trusted.

Grey was about to question him further when he realized that something was strange about what the Prince had said. The Queen had asked him to believe her. The Prince believed her. That meant that the Prince had heard the Queen’s request, or rather, her order.

Prince Joffrey was like an accessory to the Queen. He always acted like the Queen’s puppet.

But if you believe Prince Joffrey’s words, if you think that the Queen begged the Prince to believe her, it means that the Prince had the upper hand in their relationship.

“Did you tell the Queen that too? That you would believe that she wouldn’t do such a thing?” Grey asked in surprise. 

Grey asked in surprise. There was only one reason why the Queen would visit the Prince in the middle of the night and wait for him, begging him.

The Prince also thought that Lady Rose’s accident was the Queen’s doing. That was why he rejected the Queen.

“Yes.”

“The Queen doesn’t want to betray the Prince’s trust, does she?” Grey murmured. “Then… Prince Edward will be safe?”

“I hope so.”

“You’re not Prince Edward’s enemy, are you?” Grey nearly shouted.

Why did he come to the royal palace? Even though he knew it was foolish.

Grey wanted to confirm that he hadn’t misjudged Prince Joffrey, or that he had completely misjudged him.

Prince Joffrey was an easy person to understand. When Edward was in a difficult situation, Grey saw the look on Prince Joffrey’s face and realized that he was the culprit.

The tattletale prince clinging to the Queen’s skirt.

Joffrey had previously told the Queen other things to torment Edward. But compared to this, those were mere pranks.

Joffrey had given Edward Lady Rosé’s locket.

When news broke that Lady Rosé had been found dead near the royal hunting grounds, Grey had immediately thought of Joffrey.

If Lady Rosé was having an affair with the King, who else knew about it besides Joffrey?

Grey Cracker, the Prime Minister’s son, was not supposed to take sides. However, whenever he saw the two Princes, he wondered why the stupid and wicked Prince Joffrey was the Queen’s son. Wouldn’t Edward be a better choice for king than a Prince like that?

His father disliked the influence that the Queen, who came from a foreign country, had over the entire country, but he did not take Edward’s side.

His father must have had a good reason for what he was doing, and Grey planned to find out what it was soon, but for now, he couldn’t understand it. There seemed to be just as many reasons why Joffrey shouldn’t be King as there were reasons why Edward should be.

In history books, foolish Kings ruined their countries. Grey was an excellent student, so he could name more than a dozen such examples. How terrible would it be if Joffrey were to sit on the throne when Grey succeeded his father as Prime Minister.

However, when Grey broke the news of Lady Rosé’s death, Prince Joffrey was genuinely shocked.

“I told you that from the beginning. Are you satisfied now?”
“What is Prince Edward to you?”
“Have you forgotten already? You just called him Prince. He’s my brother.”

Grey couldn’t read Prince Joffrey’s mind at all. The Prince motioned to his servant. 

“If possible, please tell Edward that he has my condolences. I mourn his loss sincerely.”
“I cannot see His Highness Edward either.”
“That’s fine.”

The servant opened the door. Grey hesitated and looked back. The Prince was as pale as the last time he saw him, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Is there anything you want to ask me?”
“No.”
“About His Highness Edward?”
“It’s fine.”

Grey became anxious. He was used to other people approaching him to reevaluate his value and use him for their own purposes. But if Prince Joffrey let him go like this, what would the Prince gain?

“Why did you agree to see me?” 

The Prince did not welcome Grey. Unless his purpose was to win favor with the son of the Prime Minister, the Prince had no reason to welcome Grey.

Grey watched Prince Joffrey fiddle with the blanket. The Prince seemed to be thinking about something, then replied.“Because you were the only one who came to visit Joffrey.”

Before Grey could think about the meaning of those words, the door closed. A servant led Grey to the exit.

“This way, please,” The servant said cheerfully with a tired look on his face. Grey headed toward the exit as if he were being pushed.

Numerous servants and attendants were passing by with their heads bowed. Prince Joffrey’s palace was bustling with people.

Grey remembered Joffrey surrounded by people and sitting alone on a large bed.

Prince Joffrey was the Queen’s son and was as easy to read as the palm of his hand. So Grey tried to think what he was thinking and feeling, as he had done before, but he couldn’t guess.

He knew nothing about Prince Joffrey.