I, The Janitor! Chapter 159: Right Down the Middle - Novel Cool

Chapter 159: Right Down the Middle

Chapter 159: Right Down the Middle

The new Duke of Lionheart... is quite the... unaristocratic...

Gazing at the distant scene of the elderly steward spitting white foam and carrying a carriage, Leon, a middle-aged noblewoman, couldn't help but pull her lips in utter disbelief.

Although she didn't catch what was said, the steward was somehow infuriated to the point of fainting on the spot. But the earlier "Either... or..." she had vaguely overheard.

At this moment, the only thought in the middle-aged noblewoman's mind was that the Lane family was truly unlucky, having drawn the short straw with this eccentric new Duke. She estimated that the Lane family had entered a countdown to disaster.

Hmm... If that's the case, Princess Veronika is actually not bad.

Although she sometimes lacks decorum and can't help but do outrageous things in private, at least most of the time, she can communicate normally. She listens to advice and won't go to the lengths of exhausting herself like the Duke of Lionheart did to the steward...

...

"Haha, this trip was definitely worth it!"

Unlike the middle-aged noblewoman, who was feeling a bit down, Princess Veronika, after witnessing the commotion up close, quickly retreated into the carriage and forcefully shut the window, letting out a wave of "stormy" laughter.

After a while, once she had laughed her fill, she wiped the tears from her eyes and, through her gown, gently rubbed her flat stomach, complaining:

"Ouch... I laughed so hard my stomach hurts. This new Duke of Lionheart is quite the troublemaker... Hmm... But he's not a bad person."

Looking through the vent at the back of the carriage, she saw the Lane family actually paying compensation and, at the new Duke's request, helping to right the overturned carriage. Princess Veronika couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation in her eyes. She smiled and said to the middle-aged noblewoman:

"Honestly, if he hadn't inherited the Dukedom of Lionheart, but instead held the title of Marquis of the Silver Chalice or the Radiant Shield family, he might have had a chance to become my Prince. What a pity~"

???

Hearing the Princess's words, the middle-aged noblewoman couldn't help but shudder. Her expression stiffened as she replied:

"Your Highness, you... you're not joking with me, are you?"

Seeing the middle-aged noblewoman's fearful expression, Princess Veronika couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head and answered:

"No, I genuinely think he's not bad. Putting aside other things, if I had such a person as my Prince, life would definitely be interesting from then on."

"..."

Interesting... I think it's more like a death sentence! If he becomes your Prince and his penchant for trouble rubs off on you, I'll probably lose at least ten years of my life!

"Your Highness, Princess Veronika!"

Observing the Princess's captivating eyes, the middle-aged noblewoman realized that she seemed genuinely interested in the Duke of Lionheart. To avoid a fate similar to the unfortunate steward, she quickly spoke up:

"He's really not suitable for you! Even if the Lane family becomes an empty shell, they are still the nominal leaders of the old nobility. All the old noble families with marital ties to the Lanes will not tolerate the Lane family getting close to you!"

"Hehe, don't worry. I understand this aspect."

Through the vent on the back of the carriage, she glanced at the lion-adorned carriage with a hint of regret. Seeing the tense expression on the middle-aged noblewoman's face, Princess Veronika smiled and teased:

"Look at you, all tense. Those words were just said in passing. I won't just pick anyone to be my Prince.

Hmm... Speaking of choosing a Prince, my father is actually more inclined to marry me off. Recently, he's suggested several candidates, like the Fourth Prince of the Kingdom of Molnar, the Grand Duke of the Kingdom of Zennan, or perhaps the leader of the Workers' Party in the Kingdom of Olerson.

So, if nothing goes wrong, I'll probably end up choosing one of them... Hehe, to be honest, in terms of conditions, they might not necessarily be better than that Duke.

"..."

Hearing the Princess's words, the middle-aged noblewoman's expression froze, and she fell into a deep silence.

If Princess Veronika were to be married off, she would be leaving her kingdom and home, not to mention that the candidates suggested by His Majesty were all renowned great nobles with exceptional power, but on average, they were nearly forty years old.

The Fourth Prince of Molnar had been married, but his wife died in childbirth. The Grand Duke of Zennan had a limp from a childhood horse-riding accident, and his personality seemed somewhat gloomy. The leader of the Workers' Party of Olerson was also said to be difficult to get along with.

Even with Princess Veronika's capabilities, if she were to marry one of them, she would likely not be at a disadvantage and might even have a good chance of turning the tables, gradually guiding their respective powers to align with the kingdom.

But with such a vast difference in conditions between the two parties, a political marriage based solely on mutual benefit naturally has nothing to do with happiness. So once she's truly married off, the latter half of Her Highness Veronika's life will likely be filled with unhappiness...

...

"Hmm? How come you're suddenly worrying about me?"

Seeing the middle-aged noblewoman's face filled with worry and reluctance, the princess couldn't help but feel a warmth in her eyes. She smiled and spoke comfortingly:

"Don't you know my capabilities? Not only in these neighboring kingdoms, where I can easily borrow power at any time, but even if I go alone, far across the sea, I can still live very freely. Rest assured!"

Yes... You can live well wherever you go, but... will you be happy?

Looking at the princess, whose face was filled with a smile but whose eyes seemed calm and indifferent, the middle-aged noblewoman couldn't help but grit her teeth. She lowered her voice and asked:

"Your Highness, do you really have to marry abroad? Can't you stay? Even if it's the Duke of Lionheart..."

"It's not about whether I want to marry or not. It's about what Father thinks. After all, from the very beginning, this wasn't something I could decide."

Hearing the middle-aged noblewoman's question, the princess couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly. She spoke calmly:

"After failing to take over the Treasury, Father seemed to stop managing affairs and handed over the royal personnel to me. But he never gave up on the idea of completely controlling the kingdom.

To control the kingdom, one needs to focus on legislation, personnel, military power, and financial power. Coincidentally, the Queen, the sister of the Minister of the Treasury, will be in a good position when Joshua grows up. As long as he agrees to let him inherit the throne, there's a high chance that the Minister of the Treasury will side with the royal family.

Moreover, by the time that happens, whether my reforms succeed or fail, they will likely infuriate both the old nobility and the Lower House. Father can directly calm everyone's anger by revoking my right to inherit the throne and marrying me off to a foreign land.

By doing this, not only can I take over most of the power I've seized from the old nobility at a minimal cost, gain strong support from outside the kingdom, and pave the way for Joshua's succession, but I can also make the Minister of the Treasury side with the royal family, thus completely controlling the Treasury.

Haha, just with the failure of the eldest daughter's marriage, so many tangible and intangible benefits can be gained. Knowing Father as I do, he would never let go of such a great opportunity."

"This... How can this be?!"

After hearing the princess's deduction, the middle-aged noblewoman stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with anger. She exclaimed:

"Your Highness, you've done so much for the kingdom all these years! Even if His Majesty doesn't let you inherit the throne in the end, he shouldn't treat you like this! And if someone else were to inherit the throne, it would be fine. But Prince Joshua... Um... This is just too much!"

"It's not a matter of whether it's too much or not."

Princess Veronika shook her head and smiled, saying:

"As the daughter of the king, I directly owned nine-tenths of this nation's dreams even before I was born. But as a price, I would also lose some things.

You don't need to feel sad for me. I've only lost the right to choose my own marriage. Joshua is the pitiful one. Because of Father's excessive indulgence, Joshua has even lost his mind. Isn't he more miserable than me?"

"At a time like this, why are you still making such lighthearted remarks?"

Looking at the princess, who seemed to have accepted her fate and even had the mood to joke with her, the middle-aged noblewoman couldn't help but stomp her foot:

"Your Highness! Why aren't you angry at all? Are you just going to accept this?"

"What else can I do if I don't accept it?"

The princess's eyes flickered, and she calmly asked:

"If I want to reject this future, should I immediately overthrow everything and try to befriend the old nobility? Or should I try to get close to the Prime Minister in the parliament, allowing those so-called 'Economic Bills' that oppress the common people to pass?

Or should I offer a large reward and directly hire someone to assassinate my brother? Or should I launch a coup, leading the Ministry of the Army to storm the royal palace and personally hang my father on the gallows?"

"..."

Looking at the princess, whose expression was calm and indifferent, revealing deep fatigue in her eyes, the middle-aged noblewoman was left speechless. Her nose twitched, and her vision of the princess in front of her suddenly blurred.

She had taken care of the princess for so many years. When she was young, she was a lively child, running around and playing in the royal palace, often covered in dirt. Even when scolded, she wouldn't be sad, and a brilliant smile like the sun always adorned her face.

As she grew up, she still enjoyed smiling, but at some point, her smile had subtly changed. It was a gentle smile, a resigned smile, a self-deprecating smile, a weary smile... It seemed she no longer smiled from the heart as she did when she was young.

When was the last time she had smiled so brightly in her memories? Three years ago? Five years ago? Or longer?

"Oh dear! Look at you! Why are you getting so worked up while talking?"

"All I said was a guess. Even if it happens, it'll be a long time from now. Besides, who knows what other twists and turns might occur in these years?"

As she finished speaking, she noticed the middle-aged lady's eyes were slightly red, and her lips began to quiver uncontrollably. She seemed to want to rush over and embrace the princess, crying on her shoulder. The princess couldn't help but smile, and then she playfully teased:

"For instance, if the Duke of Lionheart were to meet me and become infatuated, defying the pressure from all the related families and proposed to me with the entire Lane Family as a bridal gift, then the situation would be completely turned around.

When the opportunity to fully control the Ministry of Governance and the Military Department arises, Father will probably arrange for Prince Joshua to marry a monkey, and then kick him to the other side of the sea, directly securing the throne on my behind."

"Pfft!"

Hearing the princess's sarcastic remark, the middle-aged lady couldn't help but laugh through her tears. She rarely paid no attention to her demeanor and directly reached out to pinch the princess's waist. Then, she glared at the princess's still-red eyes and complained:

"How can you say that! The Duke of Lionheart isn't even twenty yet, and you're already twenty..."

"Oh dear!"

The middle-aged lady was about to reveal a top-secret of the kingdom, but the princess, who had always appeared calm, finally panicked. She rushed over to cover the middle-aged lady's mouth and then threatened through gritted teeth:

"We agreed not to talk about this! If you dare mention it again, I'll take you with me to marry across the sea! I'll tie you to a fishing rod and use you as bait for sharks!"

"Mmm... I won't mention it again! Can't I just not say it?"

The two women in the carriage seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to avoid discussing the topic of marriage and instead relaxed, engaging in playful banter.

Behind them, the carriage adorned with a lion emblem slowly came to a stop after twenty minutes. It carried a reluctant duke and quickly passed through the path cleared by small merchants, heading towards the end of Redwood Drive and the Lane Manor.

After the extravagant and over-the-top Lionheart carriage left, the two women in the carriage calculated the time until the investiture ceremony and realized they might not make it in time for the opening. So, they took the cargo road and switched to the nobility highway, which was exclusively for the nobility.

With the carriage driver constantly speeding up, the sightseeing carriage raced forward, its wheels almost shaking apart. Just before the sun fully rose, the carriage barely made it through the gates of the Lane Manor.

"It's fine, it's fine! It's just starting over here!"

Stepping down from the carriage, she handed a fake identity invitation to a maid and saw that the main building's doors were still open. The princess, eager to witness the commotion, hurriedly lifted her skirt and ran, despite the middle-aged lady's repeated pleas for her to slow down.

"I'll go ahead! You run faster too!"

"You! Wait for me!"

Watching the princess run ahead without any regard for her demeanor, holding her skirt as she ran, even with her shawl covering her, she still ran with a "stirring and magnificent" presence. The middle-aged lady was so frustrated that she wanted to pull her back and give her a good dozen or so etiquette lessons.

But as she saw Princess Veronika running further away, worried that her identity might be recognized, the middle-aged lady had no choice but to follow along, lifting her skirt and running behind her. As she ran, she reminded the princess breathlessly:

"Ve... Veronica! Your demeanor! Pay attention to your demeanor... Hmm?"

When the princess suddenly stopped at the entrance, the middle-aged lady's heart skipped a beat. She thought Princess Veronika's identity had been exposed and hurried over, wanting to help cover up. However...

"Slap!"

From the main hall inside the building, a loud slap echoed.

When the middle-aged lady reached the princess's side, she was horrified to see that the new duke, who should have been receiving congratulations from guests, had lifted Prince Joshua by the collar and spat on his swollen face. Then, he coldly smiled and said:

"If I can't become this duke, fine! You better make sure you keep your word!"

(End of Chapter)

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