The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

Side Story 1: Who Will Be the Winner of the Retirement Battle? (5)

Despite being a princess of the principality, she independently rose to the position of a Merchant Leader among the Top 10 in the Empire through her own abilities.

She grew rapidly and was a woman whose name was known at least in the Upper Layers.

If she continued to grow at this pace, she would soon rank not just among the Top 10 in the Empire, but the Top 10 in the World.

What kind of deal is she proposing?

“Please marry me. Then I will actively push forward with what Your Majesty has planned.”

“What I’m planning…”

With a look that seemed to say, “Go on,” Aila smiled brightly and spoke.

“After this Selection Ceremony, you will place His Highness the Crown Prince on the throne, right?”

“…So?”

While it was surprising that she knew his plan, this was something leaders with just a bit of information could easily guess.

“You’re probably thinking you’ll be gone for a while after the marriage, right?”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll help with that.”

It was common knowledge for those who knew Kariel that he would use his honeymoon and family visits as an excuse to pass work onto Rufiel.

Of course, Aila could only speculate this far; she didn’t know about his deeper plans.

However, she also had something prepared on her end.

“What is it?”

“Coincidentally, some important deals have come up in my trade network.”

The moment Aila said this, Kariel’s eyes widened.

“Are you planning to visit those places during your honeymoon?”

“If Your Majesty permits, I would like to do that.”

Hearing Aila’s words, Kariel’s mouth curled into a smile.

“Interesting.”

“And I’ve prepared one more gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yes. Since I know Your Majesty always thinks about the Empire, I would like to share part of our trade network that we developed independently with the Empire.”

Aila, who seemed to have a clear understanding of Kariel, knew exactly what he wanted, having watched him for so long from the Empire’s top ranks.

Not only had she brought solutions to the issues Kariel faced, she had also brought gifts.

“Is there a better condition than this for Your Majesty, who is more interested in retirement and the Empire than romantic affairs?”

With her confident words, Kariel tilted his head.

“I like romance too, you know?”

“…Excuse me?”

Aila, once bold, now looked surprised at Kariel’s answer.

“Is there a lady you’re interested in…?”

“Ah! No, there isn’t. They all seem too busy running away.”

As Kariel chuckled bitterly, Aila finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing her, Kariel quietly asked with a grin.

“May I ask just one thing?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

As Aila bowed her head, Kariel stared deeply into her eyes.

“Don’t you have any interest in my younger siblings?”

Kariel recalled what he had said when leaving the principality.

As Aila remembered this, her gaze trembled.

“Ah… no.”

“Hmm~ Is that so?”

“Yes. I think I’ve gotten my hopes too high from only seeing Your Majesty.”

Sticking out her tongue while speaking made Kariel chuckle.

“For now… I’ll think positively.”

“Pardon?”

Aila wore a mixed expression of surprise and anxiety, perhaps expecting her proposal to be accepted on the spot.

Seeing her, Kariel smiled and said, “I should listen to other proposals as well, shouldn’t I?”

“Ah…”

Finally grasping his intention, Aila smiled again.

“Please skip over Merchant Leader Marnié.”

“Oh… are you trying to sow discord?”

“Hmph! Rather, she seems to have feelings for someone else.”

“Someone else… Who?”

“Lord Glen.”

Kariel tilted his head at her words.

“Did Lord Glen and Merchant Leader Marnié have a connection?”

“They happened to meet during the Iron Civil War.”

“Oh…”

“After that, they met a few times, but…”

“He couldn’t confess, huh!”

Kariel said with an amused smile.

Exhausted from Glen, who had no interest beyond swords, Marnié had indulged herself in her trade, leading to the rapid blooming of her genius.

Her heart, frozen by Glen’s obsession with swords, earned her the nickname of the cold-hearted Merchant Leader.

“Hmph… Lord Glen is indeed careless. Now that I know, I must help them connect.”

With that, Kariel turned to Aila and asked, “Then the remaining one is the Saint of Rundia? Why, does she have someone she likes too?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting. Is it someone I know this time?”

“It’s someone you know quite well. It’s none other than Commander Seriel.”

With an unexpected individual revealed, Kariel tilted his head again.

“Seriel? No way.”

“Commander Seriel likely doesn’t know.”

“Ah…”

With Aila’s words, Kariel nodded as if he understood.

Seriel had an unsuspecting side to him.

Being smart in public but oblivious about his own feelings, it would be tough for him to notice unless it was made painfully obvious.

“By the way, if she likes Seriel, why the Selection Ceremony…?”

“She said Commander Seriel is too dull, so she half gave up. That’s why she turned her sights elsewhere.”

“Unlike me and Rufiel?”

At Kariel’s question, Aila silently smiled.

Seeing the absurd expression on Kariel’s face, she felt certain.

‘Competitor elimination complete!’

With a triumphant expression, Aila smiled, prompting Kariel to nod lightly.

“You’ve won.”

Caught in a moment of excitement, Aila let out a cheer before hurriedly covering her mouth with both hands.

Watching her, Kariel smiled before suddenly remembering something and asking, “But how did you arrive here first? There must have been many competitors.”

“Ah… I was lucky.”

Aila then recounted the events that had taken place at the banquet.

After all the women who had jumped in, targeting any gap, fell out, the others didn’t dare follow after Kariel had retreated.

Aila seized that opening.

Competitors like Marnié and the Saint of Rundia, who were powerful candidates, got a bit delayed after catching sight of Seriel and Glen, respectively.

“Congratulations.”

Aila beamed at Kariel’s words.

“There’s one thing I find regretful.”

“Regretful?”

“Yes. While it’s nice not to have competitors, the chances are high that the Empress will be filled by people I don’t know.”

As a Top Merchant Leader, Aila was familiar with figures like Marnié and the Saint of Rundia, having developed a strong rapport with them.

Originally, one of them would have become the Empress, and the others would become consorts.

Now, it seemed the chances of completely unfamiliar people becoming consorts were high, which made her disappointed.

“Hmph… I never planned to bring in an Empress, you know?”

“Pardon?”

“I only need one for marriage. What good would it do for me to have multiple consorts when I’m stepping down from the throne?”

“Ah….”

Aila looked surprised at Kariel’s unexpected response.

Based on his image until now, she had assumed he would arrange politically motivated marriages and gather a harem of consorts.

“Anyway, thank you for providing such valuable information. I must go link up my foolish subordinates now.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll see you later in the Imperial Palace.”

Aila smiled brightly at the invitation to the palace.

After saying goodbye to her, Kariel moved on to look for matches for his foolish subordinates.

The first target was Glen.

“Lord Glen.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Take a seat here.”

Kariel forcibly sat Glen at one end of the table, then called for Merchant Leader Marnié.

“One hour. During this time, the two of you should have a chat. By the way, this is an order.”

Kariel used Glen, who had been standing around awkwardly, to engage with Merchant Leader Marnié, then he linked Seriel and the Saint of Rundia together as well.

“Brother, I—”

“Don’t regret this later and obediently listen to your brother. If you keep this up, you might not end up getting married for the rest of your life.”

“No…”

“Since he’s dull, just take that into account and talk to him. I’m sorry for having such a foolish younger brother.”

“Ah… it’s not like that.”

Having speedily matched the Saint of Rundia with Seriel, the crowd began to buzz.

The two strong candidates for the Empress found themselves paired with unexpected people.

Once the two out of the Empress candidates disappeared, those targeting the opening knew it was already over.

“Aila has become the Merchant Leader now.”

“Indeed.”

While Marquis Chardonnay remained, those who knew realized there was little chance of her pairing with Kariel.

Especially among the high-ranking officials, most were aware that new couples would be born from this banquet.

“Marquis Chardonnay!”

“Yes! Your Majesty.”

The woman who rushed in at Kariel’s call was breathtakingly beautiful, earning her the nickname of the world’s most beautiful woman.

Just looking at her was almost suffocatingly beautiful.

Looking at her, Kariel subtly glanced at one corner.

Someone who didn’t seem to be a problem but was nevertheless on his mind.

“Tsk tsk! Lord Salvatore! Stop hesitating over there and come out to confess boldly.”

“…Pardon?”

Salvatore, known as one of the most handsome men in the continent.

He was renowned as Iron’s top sword.

Everyone in the military high ranks knew he liked Chardonnay.

The reason Salvatore fell for Chardonnay was simple.

“I had never seen anyone more beautiful than her.”

This simple reason.

At first, it was for this reason, but as they fought together in war, his feelings had only grown stronger, and he had started to show clumsy signs of affection—so much so that the military had gotten wind of it.

“Marquis Chardonnay.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you have someone you like?”

“No.”

“Then let’s meet once. It’s pitiful to see you standing there like that for years.”

Upon Kariel’s words, Chardonnay turned her attention towards Salvatore.

Having solely focused on her duties, she hadn’t really felt any particular feelings for the fidgety Salvatore.

“… If it’s an order…”

“Tsk! Yes, it is indeed an order. Starting from today until the Selection Ceremony concludes, you two will date every day. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

Chardonnay reluctantly lowered her head at Kariel’s command.

Then, Kariel continued to seek suitable matches for the unfortunate individuals who had been busy with their work.

As a result, the Selection Ceremony turned into a matchmaking event, leading to numerous couples being formed.

As these couples, born amidst confusion and shock, rallied, Kariel finally declared, “Oh! By the way, I’ve decided on Aila as the Empress candidate. Now, everyone, enjoy yourselves.”

Those who had anticipated this nodded in agreement, but those caught off guard were wide-eyed, wondering when Aila had met with him.

As the astonishing banquet came to an end, news articles swiftly spread across the capital.

“Aila the Merchant Leader! Sole Candidate!”

“Former Empress candidates have all found partners?”

“The Emperor as a matchmaker?”

Taking advantage of midnight, numerous articles were published, and by the next morning, the news spread across the entire continent.

Since the spot for Empress was anticipated, it wasn’t shocking news.

However, Kariel’s declaration made the dozens of women who had aimed for the consort position feel disheartened.

“I only need one Empress.”

A short declaration, but one that disappointed many.

Yet, the women who participated in the Selection Ceremony were not deeply disheartened.

They instead gained solid husbands.

Thanks to the Emperor personally setting them up, none of the women left the capital right after the Selection Ceremony concluded.

Couples roamed the capital on dates with their newly formed partners.

Was it because many couples were born in the banquet hall?

A wave of romance unexpectedly swept through the capital.

At various parties, couples began to sprout, and perhaps to keep the atmosphere alive, Kariel declared a festival lasting several days.

Simultaneously, he opened the Imperial Palace for further feasts.

“You’ve worked hard until now, so it’s time for marriage and romance.”

When Kariel said this, a few ministers who attended the meeting cleared their throats and spoke.

“Hem hem! Your Majesty, marriage isn’t always… a good thing.”

At the Minister of Finance’s words, other ministers nodded in agreement.

They argued that dating and married life were different, and having never experienced either in this life or the previous, Kariel reluctantly nodded.

“Well… I guess they can handle it. What’s the next plan?”

“Everything is perfectly prepared. We plan to announce it in the military tomorrow.”

Kariel smiled brightly at the Minister of Military’s words.

And the next day, an article confirming Rufiel’s defeat was published in the morning edition.