Chapter 73

“The prince needs to enter an indissoluble marriage with a respectable
lady under God’s witness. The king has selected several suitable candidates for
you,” Brune pulled out a deep red envelope hidden in his clothes and
placed it on the small table between them, “At the ball in a month’s time,
he hopes you will take one of these ladies’ hands.”

“Additionally, while the church in Esburg is indeed impressive, their
new priest is too young and inexperienced. The king supports your renewed faith
and has written to Bishop Enoch, inviting him to return to the capital to
baptize you.”

Brune conveyed the king’s wishes, then stood up, placing a hand over his
chest in a knightly gesture. “Your Highness, Lecy eagerly awaits your
return.”

Randes remained unmoved, a cold smirk playing at his lips. “If I choose
not to marry and not to believe in God, then this anticipation ceases to exist,
wouldn’t you agree?”

Brune said, “Lecy needs a king who is steadfast in faith and values
family. Your Highness, this isn’t just about your personal happiness. This is
advice from your uncle, not the captain of the guard, Randes. You need someone
to love you, and you need to love someone.”

“Thank you,” Randes raised his palm in what seemed like a salute
or a dismissive gesture, “Before your reminder, I always thought at least
my father and uncle still loved me, and I loved you both. Now I understand, my
respected father and uncle have already devoted their best love to Lecy, just
as I have devoted my highest love to brandy.”

His expression was filled with sharp irony and self-deprecation, giving him
a charm that made him seem effortlessly manipulative, simultaneously
infuriating and embarrassing.

Brune’s thick, loyal lips moved, “Randes, you know I didn’t mean it
like that.”

“No need to explain. I understand the intentions of you and the king
perfectly well, without any doubt.”

Randes stood up, hand on his cane. Though he was a natural cripple, his tall
and sturdy frame made him no less imposing than the captain of the palace
guards. He lacked the aristocratic melancholy; instead, a powerful spirit like
steel clung to his soul. He might not be noble, but he was certainly not weak.

“Luckily, someone just told me they love me today,” Randes smirked
sarcastically, “See, we’ve solved half of our problems already.”

Brune froze, immediately asking, “Who? Randes, is it a lady from Oss or
a lady from the capital?”

“A lady from the capital…” Randes grinned mischievously,
“That description is quite accurate.”

Randes called for Bill to see Brune off. Poor Captain Brune was escorted out
by the faithful attendant, constantly turning back to shout at Randes, who was
laughing somewhat maliciously, “Randes, tell me, who’s the lady—”

Lady?

Experienced Bill knew the prince was teasing again, “Captain, please
hurry. The palace can’t be without your guard.”

It had been quite a while since they came out. Presumably, the king was
still waiting for his reply. As he walked downstairs, Brune asked Bill,
“Did Randes meet any lady?”

Bill suppressed a smile, “Perhaps. You should know, Captain, the prince
doesn’t reveal his little secrets to us. He’s a shy gentleman.”

As soon as Brune left, Bill quickly returned. Randes had unbuttoned most of
his shirt, revealing smooth muscle lines with scars from childhood faintly
visible. He looked rather displeased, “There’s no bathroom in this
room.”

Bill said, “Just wait a moment, Your Highness.”

Turning towards the door, Bill kept his shoulders facing the room, smiling,
“Your Highness, the captain always cares about you. Don’t tease him. He’s
a stubborn knight who takes your jokes seriously.”

Randes glanced at his loyal servant, “If you can’t solve the bathroom
problem within five minutes, I’ll shave you bald and send you back to the
sheepfold in Oss. I swear this isn’t a joke.”

Bill immediately hurried off.

Though their prince loved to make incredibly headache-inducing jokes, most
of the time, he was absolutely decisive in his actions.

It only took two minutes for the capable Bill to solve the problem.

“The monastery has a communal bath not far from here, and a monk is
willing to show us the way.”

This proposal was vetoed, Randes didn’t outright refuse but instead used the
contraction of his arms and chest muscles to answer Bill. Bill immediately
offered a second plan to appease the prince’s anger, “Of course, Your
Highness, how could you possibly use a public bath? Luckily, Father Eugene’s
room has a private bath. By the way, I just went upstairs to ask, and he has
agreed to let you use it.”

Bill shrugged, “If you’re still not satisfied with this, I can only
suggest you return to the palace. The palace baths are as large as a horse
arena.”

Randes bent over to pick up his clothes from the luggage, and walked past
Bill with a gust of wind, “Thanks for the suggestion. When I return to
Oss, I’ll make sure to build you a special sheep pen.”

Bill caught up, not to fight for his future living conditions but to shout,
“Mind your manners in your attire, don’t be rude to Father Eugene
again!”

Randes waved his hand dismissively, replying loudly, “Don’t worry, he’s
blind—”

Bill covered his face as the prince’s roar echoed through the entire
priest’s building like a lion’s roar. He felt genuinely sorry for the kind
priest. Drawing a cross on his chest, he silently prayed, hoping the prince
would hurry up and get baptized and then leave!

The door upstairs was half-open, as was the window. The stuffy room had only
a hint of breeze. As Randes stepped into the room, he unexpectedly found the
young priest kneeling by the window’s niche.

The black cassock usually hung straight down, but now it dipped deeply
behind the priest’s waist, concealing his shapely rear.

Randes paused, and it seemed the young priest heard his footsteps. His face
tilted slightly to the right, and his soft blond hair brushed gently against
his neck. “The bathroom is in my bedroom.”

Randes snapped out of his trance, offering a sardonic smile. “Thanks
for your generosity.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” the priest said, bowing slightly.
“I like to help those I can within my means.”

Taking a hefty fee, Randes silently quipped. He entered the bedroom to the
right with firm strides.

The milky white bathtub was filled with water, obviously not something Bill
could accomplish in such a short time. The only possibility was that the priest
had just prepared to bathe, and Bill arrived shortly after.

Of course, there was another possibility.

Frowning, Randes stood by the bathtub for a moment before tentatively
dipping his hand into the water. It was warm. He lifted his damp fingers to his
nose.

Thank God, it only smelled of clean water.

He sighed in relief and undressed, removing his copper belt. Quickly
stripping, he left his cane aside and stepped into the bathtub, causing the
water to ripple.

The hot water was comforting and relaxing. Randes still furrowed his brows,
thinking about the two “suggestions” conveyed by Brune. Objectively,
they were appropriate and helpful for him.

Accepting a noblewoman’s hand and receiving baptism from the cardinal would
make his future much smoother.

Though the nobility loathed his ugliness and the clergy despised his
impudence, they still had to hold their noses and help him.

Help…

A mocking smile played on Randes’ lips.

He thought of what the greedy priest’s expression might be like when he
realized his position was about to be taken by the cardinal, and his extortion
would fail.

A familiar evil thought rose within Randes.

It excited him.

Randes quickly finished bathing. Unlike the nobles in the palace who used a
plethora of essential oils, he simply dried himself off and put on fresh
clothes. His hair was still damp, but he didn’t care. Holding his cane, he left
the priest’s bedroom.

The priest still knelt before the icon, hands clasped, head slightly bowed,
long eyelashes shading his eyes. He looked so devout.

For a blind person, what’s the difference between having their eyes closed
and open?

A pretentious fellow.

The cane fell beside the priest, who lifted his face as if he could ‘see’ Randes.

After bathing, the prince, now free of the smell of sweat, smelled fresh and
clean, like a rain-washed oak. Morin said casually, “Prince, was the bath
to your liking?”

“Excellent.”

The prince’s tone sounded gentle. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“That’s nothing,” the priest replied, also gently. “If you
need anything, feel free to come anytime.”

“Father, forgive my initial rudeness. You indeed, as you said, love me
like God and are willing to help me. However, I regret to inform you that I no
longer need your assistance,” Randes bent slightly to observe the priest’s
reaction, “Bishop Enoch is returning to the capital to baptize me.”

Unfortunately, there was no change in the priest’s expression. He appeared
so calm that Randes thought he might already be aware of this. Perhaps the
palace had informed him beforehand, dissuading this lowly priest from the idea
of baptizing a noble prince?

“No,” the priest’s light lips moved with determination, “I
cannot allow it.”

Randes’s smile prepared to enjoy the spectacle, froze on his face.

The young priest raised his face slightly. “My lord, God sent me to
guide you on the path of faith. Since the day you wrote to me, I have accepted
the task God gave me. Bishop Enoch is a devout and respectable man, but he
cannot lead you on the right path. Only I can fulfill this task.”

Randes smirked, scrutinizing the priest before him who spoke boldly, and
whispered, “Only you?”

“Yes, only me.”

The priest stood up, shorter than the prince, his expression naturally calm.
“Though my eyes cannot see, my senses are sharper than anyone else’s. My
lord, Bishop Enoch may be fooled by you. He may be deceived into believing that
your vows represent your loyalty to God, but you cannot deceive me.”

The priest turned his face toward the prince’s chest, his nose twitched
slightly.

Randes scoffed, “Dear Father, your sense of smell is not much better
than my hunting hounds. Tell me, what do you smell? Hopefully something more
interesting than a wounded deer.”

There was no hint of offense on the priest’s face. He calmly said,
“Respected Prince, from you, I smell hatred, anger, sadness… Of course,
these scents cannot mask the strongest scent on you. I believe that scent
should be called ‘conquest.’ You want to conquer this continent.”

“You mean I want to be king?”

Randes sounded indifferent.

“No, I mean the Oston continent.”

Even though he knew the priest in front of him couldn’t see, Randes managed
to control his surprised expression.

This young priest actually saw through his thoughts—his father, uncles, and
even his closest attendants knew nothing about his almost whimsical ambition!

The Oston continent had been divided for over two hundred years. There were
powerful countries and self-righteous monarchs who dreamed of reunifying it,
but all had failed. Lecy was a declining country, he was a lame and ugly
prince, but under his broken body, there brewed such great ambition, and he was
not afraid. He was confident.

I was born for this, to unify and rule this entire continent.

Randes believed this firmly.

Every person who accomplishes great deeds never boasts excessively before
the deed is truly done, so Randes had never revealed his ambitions to anyone.

How did the priest in front of him perceive it?

Randes stared closely at that beautiful face and felt a hint of threat.

“My lord,” the priest said, “this continent, lost for over
two hundred years, needs a great monarch.” He made the sign of the cross
with one hand, lifted his face as pure as an angel’s, and his lake-green eyes
were filled with as much intense ambition as the prince’s. “At the same
time, it also needs a pope.”