The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 50: Servant Cedric (16). Sibling Affection

After Cedric left—

The garden fell into a hellish silence.

The Marquess of Redvell stood still, immersed in thought.

The retainers, quietly exchanging glances while gauging his mood, finally had one bold enough to speak up.

“Milord... should that man not be punished for his insolence?”

The Marquess was one of the top three powers in the kingdom. Even princes treaded carefully around him.

And yet, what had that mere servant dared to say?

Even if one allowed for the noble virtue of tolerating the ignorance of the unrefined, Cedric had gone far beyond any tolerable line.

If not for the Marquess’s well-known hatred for subordinates who act on his behalf without orders, someone likely would’ve already stepped in and disciplined Cedric for him.

“Insolence, yes... he was quite outrageously cheeky.”

“Then, shall we—?”

“Forget it. Let him be.”

“...Pardon?”

The Marquess smirked mischievously at the wide-eyed retainer.

“I’ve got the feeling we’d only end up worse off if we laid a hand on him. Leave him be.”

“......”

Not just the one who had spoken, but the other retainers as well now wore visibly conflicted expressions.

There was much they wanted to say, but with the Marquess’s decision made, all they could do was stew in silence.

Coming from the famously composed retainers of the Redvell main house, such visible unease was rare.

‘It’s true—this doesn’t really feel like something I’d usually do.’

Still, the Marquess had no doubts about his judgment.

‘I had a vague suspicion even before I met him, but... that one’s no ordinary commoner.’

The vocabulary he used, the accent in his pronunciation, the natural way he handled eye contact, and his confident demeanor—all of it was veiled in jokes and casual remarks, but the signs were unmistakable.

They screamed of someone who had been rigorously educated.

‘Magic is advanced knowledge. Sure, even lowly adventurers can mimic spells they come across, but modifying techniques—especially a family’s secret arts—into new forms? That requires a very specific and structured foundation.’

If what Cedric said about the blood beast modifications was true—even if it only worked at half the described level—the Marquess would be willing to pay a fortune for it.

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Having powerful guards equivalent to knights was tempting, but compared to an entire national security infrastructure? Not even close.

If a single person had truly created that system, then that person was a once-in-a-century genius. But if it came from a collective effort? Then that group held influence rivaling even House Redvell.

The Marquess believed the latter.

He was a rational, intelligent man—there was no way he would ever accept the idea that “the overworked crown prince of the Eizern Empire came here to play servant under his youngest daughter as a hobby and casually modified secret magic techniques as a creative gift.”

If he had reached that conclusion, it would’ve been less deduction and more divine revelation—and it would’ve been unfair to call him incompetent for missing it.

Unaware of his own misinterpretation, the Marquess began drafting his next move.

And the first piece he played...

***

“...The Marquess regrets that he’s feeling unwell, and asks that you postpone any further meetings. You are free to return to your lands at dawn.”

The butler’s polite statement left the four Redvell siblings wearing expressions of disbelief.

They had been summoned all the way to the main house under the pretense of a rare family gathering... only to be told they could go home now?

Everyone knew the “illness” was an excuse.

The most troubled among them was the eldest son, Armin.

He had intended to use this “family reunion” as a pretext to keep Claudia here at the estate.

Unlike Claudia, who had few allies in the capital, Armin merely needed to keep her occupied. The Second Prince would handle the engagement details himself.

Even if Claudia tried to resist later, by then it would already be too late. That was Armin’s plan.

And there was no way the Marquess hadn’t seen through it.

For him to let it unravel like this, after having allowed it up until now?

‘...He’s changed his mind.’

Armin’s expression hardened.

The Marquess hadn’t openly taken Claudia’s side. If anything, his stance still looked like one of neutral indifference.

But even a passive withdrawal of support was enough to shatter Armin’s plans.

The man who had been poised for a guaranteed victory now had to acknowledge a faint, uncertain possibility of defeat.

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And Armin hated uncertainty.

‘Should I call it off...?’

It wasn’t an easy decision.

If the plan had been his alone, it might be doable—but the royal family was involved. Backing out now would mean owing a significant debt to the Second Prince.

After much thought, Armin made his decision.

‘No. I’ll push forward.’

It wasn’t fear of political losses that drove him.

Armin was someone who could tolerate and endure any number of obstacles, as long as he achieved ultimate victory.

But the fact that the Marquess had shown even the faintest sign of favor toward Claudia? That was unacceptable.

This time, the balance had merely been tipped back to neutral.

But next time?

There was no guarantee he wouldn’t side with her outright.

And Armin knew exactly what kind of man his father was.

No matter how many achievements Armin racked up—if Claudia offered even greater potential, the Marquess wouldn’t hesitate to discard him.

Armin’s eyes grew cold.

To him, Claudia was no longer a lesser, troublesome little sister.

She was a true rival.

***

"The royal family for legitimacy, House Redvell for wealth, and House Sarnos for military might. These are the three dominant powers that lead the Kingdom of Birka."

Some time later—

Inside the estate office of Eched, Cedric’s exclusive lecture for Claudia was in session.

“The royal family, however, is plagued with issues. With the king aging, a new heir must soon be ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ selected. But the original crown prince was struck by a terrible fever and became a simpleton. House Sarnos supports a capable younger prince, while House Redvell backs the second prince.”

It was an utterly bizarre scene—a mere servant referring to the monarch not as His Majesty or His Highness, but flatly as “the king,” while offering a full political breakdown of the kingdom’s factions. Yet Claudia made no effort to correct him. They were far past such trivialities now.

“To be frank, in terms of pure power politics, Redvell currently holds the upper hand. Count Sarnos may have military strength, but he’s no match for the Marquess when it comes to political maneuvering. Still, Redvell has its own critical weakness: relatively lacking military power.”

“While Sarnos trails behind Redvell in terms of governance, their military strength is overwhelming. Redvell does have the capital to recruit forces, but in terms of the quality of commanders and knights, they simply can't compete. This is a serious problem not only for House Redvell, but also for the second prince who relies on their support.”

“To make up for this, the second prince is trying to secure an additional ally—House Belliar. While not quite in the top three, they’re firmly within the top ten in national influence. Their military is formidable, and geographically, they sit perfectly between Redvell and Sarnos. It’s a strategic position.”

“If you were to marry into House Belliar, it would shore up the second prince’s and Redvell’s military shortfall and provide a critical defensive buffer. And since you’re of both Redvell blood and royal lineage, there would be little fear of imbalance in the alliance. It’s a proposal that satisfies both parties.”

“Moreover, House Belliar’s treasury is slowly drying up. Without funding from either the royal family or Redvell, they may soon be unable to sustain even their prized military. That gives both houses a leash around Belliar’s neck. And if you marry in? That leash becomes yours.”

Cedric’s chalk came to a stop against the board.

He looked to Claudia, as if silently asking, Are you following so far?

She scowled, but nodded.

“So, basically, they’re offering me up as a sacrifice so the second prince and Redvell can live it up? That’s hilarious.”

“A blunt summary, but yes, that’s accurate.”

“So. What next? I’m not getting sold off without my say. Every time I hear rumors outside about my engagement being handled behind my back, it gives me chills.”

Her tone was snappy, but her voice trembled with desperate earnestness.

Cedric looked at her, then replied calmly.

“Of course. There is a way.”

“There is!? I knew you’d have something, Cedric! So? What is it?”

“Stab the second prince in the back.”

A long silence passed.

Claudia tapped her ears with both hands, then asked again.

“Sorry, I must’ve misheard. Could you say that again?”

“Certainly, my lady.”

With a gentle, almost puppy-like expression, Cedric replied without a trace of hesitation:

“Bring the other prince into your camp—and stab the second prince in the back.”

Claudia stared at him in blank disbelief.

His eyes were perfectly clear, glinting with an unsettling light.

Timidly, she asked, “Um, but didn’t you say earlier that the second prince was our ally, and the other prince was the enemy?”

“The second prince is Redvell’s ally. Not yours, my lady. If he were your ally, he wouldn’t move forward with this plan without consulting you. On the other hand, the other prince—if this engagement succeeds—stands to lose the most. With aligned interests, allies and enemies can easily trade places in politics.”

“And if I support my brother’s rival and stab him in the back, you think the second prince will just sit quietly?”

“My lady,” Cedric said, in the gentlest, most soothing voice she’d ever heard.

“That’s a matter for your dear brother to handle. Surely you can trust your family to take care of it?”

“...You’re right!”

Claudia let go of all hesitation.

And with that, a profound peace settled in her heart.

Family trust truly was a beautiful thing.