Inside the palace hall, candlelight shone brightly, and the velvet carpet absorbed all footsteps.
Rodney XVIII personally led Yuriko through the corridor and into a private reception room.
A servant brought hot tea and fruit. The two brothers sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries about their journey and the course of the war. The atmosphere remained warm and friendly.
But Yurico clearly had no interest in discussing these matters. Before he had even finished his tea, he put down his cup, his face darkening, and his tone abruptly turning indignant:
"My dear brother, there is something I must tell you."
Rodney looked up, his expression calm: "Go on."
Yuriko took a deep breath, his voice trembling with suppressed anger: "Paul Gleman's men... are utterly arrogant! They don't respect me, a prince, at all!"
Seeing that Rodney remained unmoved, he continued, his speech becoming increasingly rapid:
"When I was in Storm's End, I wanted to do something big—to hold a banquet and invite the surrendered orc generals to drink the oath of alliance. I wanted to use this to prove to everyone that humans and orcs can live in peace, that hatred can be resolved, and that the royal family is the architect of this peace."
His tone revealed a hint of idealistic enthusiasm, which quickly turned to anger: "But just as the banquet was about to begin, Gleman's men suddenly burst in! They said that the 'bad elements' among the prisoners were about to riot and had to be dealt with immediately!"
Yuriko slammed his hand on the armrest, his eyes blazing with fury: "But what did they do? Without any investigation, they slaughtered all the orc generals right in front of me—those who had laid down their weapons, removed their armor, and were only dressed in their ceremonial robes for the banquet! Not a single one was spared!"
His voice trembled, as if the scene were still vivid in his mind: "Blood splattered on the carpet, wine glasses overturned, and those people didn't even have time to defend themselves... before being taken by bullets and bayonets. And I was just standing there, and they didn't even ask for my opinion before barging in, committing the violence, and then leaving as if nothing had happened!"
He stared intently at Rodney, his voice low and suppressed:
"This isn't dealing with a rebellion...this is slapping me in the face! This is slapping the royal family in the face!"
The hall was completely silent.
Rodney XVIII listened quietly, his face not immediately showing any emotion. He simply put down his teacup and looked at the flickering candlelight.
The king's expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with complex thoughts.
He was naturally displeased and even somewhat angry—Yuriko was his younger brother and one of the symbols of the royal family. To be so blatantly disregarded and forcibly executed at a formal banquet hosted by the prince was not only an insult to Yuriko but also a challenge to the authority of the royal family.
"They...didn't even report it?" he finally spoke, his voice low.
"No!" Yurico responded immediately, his eyes still burning with anger. "They stormed in like they were in enemy territory, without saying a word, they just started attacking! I didn't even have a chance to stop them!"
Rodney closed his eyes and gently rubbed his temples.
He understood his brother's anger; if he were in his brother's shoes, he would have felt utterly humiliated.
But in fact, he already knew about it.
A few days earlier, he received a report from the front lines—co-signed by Harrison and Paul.
The report detailed intelligence prior to the banquet: some orc prisoners were indeed secretly conspiring to create chaos in the city and incite the remaining prisoners to riot. The Orc army intercepted the information in advance and immediately took preventative measures.
"Given the urgency of the situation, waiting for reports to be relayed up the chain of command before taking action could lead to unforeseen consequences," the report stated.
Harrison was his trusted general, and his loyalty was beyond question. Paul Gleman, the Marquess who was always cautious and knew how to conduct himself, also signed the report, which meant that he personally took responsibility for the political consequences of this operation.
The handwriting was steady and powerful, yet carried a hint of heaviness. He knew Paul wasn't shirking responsibility, but rather saying: I understand this will anger the royal family, but I have no choice but to do it.
Rodney opened his eyes and looked at his excited brother, feeling a mix of emotions.
He felt emotionally inclined to punish Paul's men, who were too forceful and rude to act in such a manner before the prince.
But rationally he knew that if the riots were to succeed, that would be the real disaster.
He spoke slowly, his tone calm but tinged with weariness: "Yuriko, I understand your anger. This matter... they certainly didn't handle it properly."
"But if they really have evidence of rioting, and their actions are to protect you and the safety of local residents... then their motives may not be malicious."
Yuriko was about to argue when Rodney raised his hand to stop him. "I will investigate this matter," the king said calmly. "But until then, I hope you will remain calm."
He neither said he supported anyone nor blamed anyone.
Yuriko's anger did not subside despite the king's attempts to appease him. He stared at his brother, a flicker of grievance and resentment flashing in his eyes. His voice lowered, yet grew even heavier:
"Brother…you've not only been misled by those generals, but even Catherine—our sister—has completely taken the surname Glyman."
Rodney frowned slightly but did not interrupt.
Yuriko took a deep breath, his voice filled with the pain of betrayal:
"I told her about it, and I thought she would be on our side, after all, she is also a Rodney daughter, but do you know what she said?"
He sneered and shook his head: "She said those soldiers did the right thing. If they hadn't acted decisively back then, you might be dead already!"
He mimicked Catherine's calm tone, but his eyes grew increasingly resentful: "Just that one light sentence suppressed all my anger and all my dignity. She didn't even ask how I felt at the time, didn't say 'You were wronged'!"
Yurico's voice trembled slightly: "She was my sister... but at that moment, I felt she was just Paul's wife. Her heart had completely turned to Lakeside, to the Glyman family."
The candlelight in the hall flickered gently, illuminating the complex expression on Yuriko's face—anger, disappointment, and a hint of indescribable loneliness.
He had thought there was at least an unspoken alliance among the royal bloodline, but now Catherine had sided with the other side.
Rodney listened quietly, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, without responding immediately. He knew Catherine's character—rational, resolute, and always prioritizing the greater good. Although she hadn't relinquished her royal status after marrying Paul, her fate was already inextricably linked to her husband's.
In fact, Yuriko's complaints just now were not only about his dissatisfaction with Catherine, but also about his fear of being isolated—it was one thing for Catherine, after all, she was a cousin, but his own brother hadn't even reprimanded Grylls immediately.
It seems that he is the only one in the entire royal family speaking out for "dignity".
He was openly criticizing Catherine, but he was also criticizing Rodney Eighteen.