I! Cleaner!

"Have you already gone to my bedroom to get the documents?"

Upon hearing the Chancellor of the Exchequer's words, the princess, who was just moments ago both shocked and angry, gradually calmed down and turned her gaze to the old King seated at the main position.

If modifying the succession decree or even hoping Joshua would replace her might be something the Queen and the Chancellor of the Exchequer decided on their own, then ordering someone directly to her bedroom to retrieve the proposal document must have been done with her father's tacit approval.

No, possibly more than just tacit approval.

Looking at the old King sitting in the wheelchair directly under the crystal chandelier, with half his face hidden in the shadows, Princess Veronica took a deep breath, then sat back in her chair and asked calmly:

"Father, is this your intention?"

"Yes."

After the slightly lax eyelids opened and closed, the old King, whose face was emaciated to an unbecoming degree compared to the photos in the princess's bedroom, with only the tear troughs still faintly recognizable, replied in a faint voice:

"I have already arranged this matter for you. In three days, Joshua will return from the Kingdom of Morna and take over for you in attending the Upper House parliament meeting.

You are at the age to marry. These affairs will eventually need to be handed over to Joshua. Rather than wait until you marry into the Kingdom of Heisen and then have Joshua take over, it would be better to let him start getting more exposure now."

Until I marry into the Kingdom of Heisen...

Upon hearing this, the princess pursed her lips, staring expressionlessly at the increasingly unfamiliar father, and asked,

"What about Leon? The engagement between him and me..."

"There is no need to fulfill that kind of engagement."

The old King interrupted the princess with a forceful thump on the floor, his prominent-jointed hand gripping the scepter. Despite his illness having left him thin and weak, his glare remained intense and menacing as he rasped:

"The valuable aspects of the Ryan Family are no more than the positions in the Ministry of War and the Department of Transportation. Over this past month, you have consolidated most of the Ryan Family's inheritance. The parts you cannot consolidate can be treated coldly for the time being, and gradually replaced with our own people later,

Except for that deputy speaker seat of the Upper House and some properties that cannot be easily liquidated in the short term, the Ryan Family serves no purpose. It's not worth using your marriage to win them over. The lame Grand Duke of the Kingdom of Heisen is indeed your destination."

"You know he is the lame Grand Duke?"

Looking at her father who planned her future without any emotional fluctuation, the princess smirked with a hint of sarcasm and said:

"Never mind that he's nearly twenty years older than I am, even the pirates of the Kingdom of Saio have heard of the infamous reputation of that lame Grand Duke—temperamental and ominous. Are you sure such a person will be my destination?"

"..."

After hearing the princess's words, the old King fell silent for a while, then slightly bowed his head, avoiding her gaze.

"As a princess, you should repay what you've enjoyed from the Kingdom."

"You are indeed correct."

Princess Veronica nodded with indifference in her eyes and said:

"This is what you've taught me since childhood. I've always remembered it and have been doing it all along. But have you done it, Father?"

Hearing this, the old King frowned slightly and asked blankly:

"Veronica, what are you trying to say?"

"What I mean is, you're a terrible king, truly a disappointment to this country."

Upon hearing the princess's words, the expression of the Chancellor of the Exchequer sitting opposite turned involuntarily pale, and the Queen opened her mouth in shock, nearly falling from her chair.

As if shedding an incredibly heavy burden, the princess let out a long sigh, then calmly said to the old King:

"To be honest, I initially wanted to speak to you with many arguments.

For example, it's not the royal family that supports me, but those ordinary people who toil day and night, and I should repay them; for instance, although you value the royal family more, when the Kingdom decays, the royal family will sooner or later cease to exist;

Or that whether the royal family controls absolute power is not so important. As long as we can make the Kingdom stronger, or even just give everyone a glimmer of hope, you can achieve what you want..."

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Under the gaze of the old King, Princess Veronica smiled, yet her expression carried some helplessness as she said:

"But after thinking it over, I decided not to speak.

Since mother's death, your heart has been completely filled by the royal family and the throne, with nothing else able to fit, not even me as your daughter. No matter what I say, it won't change your decision, will it?"

"..."

"Are you done?"

The old King, whose bright eyes seemed incompatible with his sickly body, stared unblinkingly at the princess and said calmly:

"If you are done venting, write a letter to the Duke of Lionheart, telling him that you aren't feeling well and cannot attend the bicameral parliament in two days, and ask him, out of regard for you, to use his position as deputy speaker in the Upper House to assist Joshua."

"Hehe, you really haven't changed; you always want to squeeze every bit of value out of anything you can use."

After sarcastically mocking him face-to-face, the princess said with indifference:

"If I'm not mistaken, the person who went to my bedroom to fetch the proposal documents should have already seized my seal and even found someone who can imitate my handwriting, so even if I refuse to help, this letter will still be sent, right?"

"Yes."

After a simple acknowledgement, the old King, half of whose body was shrouded in shadow, asked:

"So will you write it yourself, or do you want me to find someone to help you?"

"Since the result is the same, I might as well write it myself."

After saying this, the princess turned around, looked at the Queen opposite her who was full of joy, and slightly curled her lips as she spoke:

"Congratulations. With Leon's great help, Joshua's experience representing the royal family at the bicameral parliament this time will definitely be quite unforgettable."

...

Three days later at five in the morning, in the uptown area of the capital city, outside the parliament hall in Xihousen Palace.

Before the sun had a chance to rise in the sky, the neighs of horses and the roar of boilers tore apart the night, and numerous exquisite and lavish steam carriages filed through a specially created expressway, parking in the open space outside the building.

Following closely, one after another, members of parliament wearing robes and top hats, with coronet crests on their chest, stepped down from the carriages. They tipped their hats to acquaintances, then gathered in small groups to enter the main hall, waiting for the commencement of the Upper House parliament.

As the Kingdom's most important overt power organ, the bicameral parliament did not convene at the same time. The Upper House parliament met relatively earlier and normally included members of the royal family, even having an annual opening ceremony where reigning Kings or Queens delivered a throne speech.

However, with the old King growing more grievously ill and immobile, he refused to attend the opening ceremony for three consecutive years, and the associated cumbersome rituals were temporarily suspended, replaced by a brief speech given by a royal family member.

"Almost everyone is here."

After pushing aside the curtain hanging in front of the seats and checking the attendees within the venue, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, dressed in a dark gray robe, nodded with satisfaction and then turned to the Freckled Prince beside him in splendid attire, smiling as he asked:

"It's your first time participating in the bicameral parliament, and you have to perform the throne speech representing the royal family. Are you feeling nervous?"

"A little..."

After adjusting the somewhat tight collar, Joshua looked through the gap in the curtain at the main hall where nearly a thousand people were seated. He then said uneasily:

"I see many of Veronica's people outside—without her presence today, will they cooperate with me?"

"Hehe, there's no need to worry about that. They are Veronica's people but also members of the royal family, so they are naturally expected to follow your will."

After comforting his nephew, the Chancellor of the Exchequer smiled and said:

"Moreover, your mother and I have even prepared a helper for you in advance. If anything goes awry, he will help you manage the situation."

"That's reassuring..."

Relieved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's words, the Freckled Prince curiously asked:

"Uncle, who is this helper that you and mother arranged for me?"

"It's the deputy speaker of the Upper House, the current Duke of Lionheart."

Oh, it's the Duke of...

Who? Who did you arrange for me?