Chapter 442: Confrontation
Chapter 442: Confrontation
As a certain prince kicked the metal head of the Iron Queen, ordering the guards to open the door for the intruder, "Princess Veronica" had already made her way to the study, where the old king was reading.
"Hmm?"
Noticing the familiar figure outside the study, the old king, covered in rust stains from head to toe, even his glass eyes tinged with a hint of turbidity, couldn't help but frown.
"Didn't I order you to be confined for a week? Who let you out?"
"Mother released me," she replied.
The princess outside the door gracefully bowed, her green glass eyes filled with gratitude.
"I knocked over a cabinet, making a loud noise. Mother was worried I might have been injured inside, so she ordered my release."
Mother?
After hearing the princess's explanation, the old king's frown deepened instead of relaxing.
"Veronica."
Calling out the princess's name, the old king, basking in the sunlight by the window, placed the book in his hand on his knee. His expression turned stern as he asked,
"What are you really up to?"
"Father?"
The princess outside the study raised her eyebrows in surprise, a hint of confusion in her voice as she replied,
"I have no plans to do anything. Why would you ask such a question?"
"..."
The old king didn't respond immediately. Instead, he waved to the attendant behind him, signaling for his wheelchair to be turned towards the door, facing the princess outside the study.
Then, with his back to the sunlight, the old king lifted his head. On his heavily rusted metal face, two turbid gem-like eyes, like those of a falcon, fixed on the princess. He spoke slowly and deliberately,
"You've never called her 'mother' before!"
"Oh..."
The princess at the door blinked, her clear and bright gem-like eyes meeting the old king's gaze. She smiled and said,
"Things are different now. The next heir can only be Joshua, and I no longer have a chance to inherit the throne. I'm to be married off to a distant land.
For a princess like me, married off to a foreign land, whether my life there is good or bad depends on the attitude of the kingdom towards me. To ensure I don't lose the kingdom's support after I'm married, of course, I need to start currying favor with Mother and Joshua."
"..."
The old king listened to Princess Veronica's response with a frown throughout. The strange feeling in his heart not only didn't disappear but intensified.
The current situation was indeed as Veronica described. A princess married off to a distant land would have a difficult time without the kingdom's support. So, it made sense for her to work on her relationship with the Queen and Joshua. But...
Was this something Veronica would do?
As he questioned her, the princess maintained her smile. Although she looked every bit his daughter, the old king couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
The Veronica he remembered wasn't one to be inflexible, but she was stubborn in many ways, and her temper was much stronger than it seemed.
If she was willing to compromise and improve her situation, why didn't she show this attitude towards him earlier? If she was ready to abandon her trivial thoughts and continue fulfilling her duties as a princess, always putting the royal family first, the throne would undoubtedly be hers, and Joshua wouldn't stand a chance!
"You're not Veronica!"
The old king clenched the armrests of his wheelchair, his eyes narrowing as he demanded,
"Tell me, who are you?"
"Father?"
The "princess" outside the study blinked, bewildered.
"What are you talking about?
How could I not be Veronica? I'm your daughter!"
"No!" The old king immediately refuted without hesitation. "Veronica is far more arrogant than you. Although she always maintains her manners, she has never looked down on the Queen, let alone Joshua. Someone like her, even if she compromises temporarily for her absurd ideals, would never bow down to someone she despises just to have a better life later on!"
"Father, you have misunderstood," the princess at the study door sighed as she looked at the old king, who was full of vigilance.
"People always grow up... I used to be like that, but now I've figured it out. Although Joshua and Mother's abilities are not worth mentioning, they have the support of the Finance Minister and you behind them. I should give them the respect they deserve. So now, I'm not respecting them, but the things that support them... Do you understand what I mean?"
The old king's eyes flickered with hesitation as he listened to Princess Veronica's defense. After a long silence, he seemed convinced, his tense back relaxed slightly, and he leaned back into his wheelchair.
"Unfortunately..." The old king in the wheelchair shook his head slightly, his expression full of weariness. "It's all predetermined now. I think it's too late to change anything... How can Joshua compare to you in terms of ability or character? You've always been my most favored heir. If only you had grown up sooner."
"Father..." Looking at the old king's iron face, which showed genuine regret and sighs, the princess outside the study pursed her lips and then walked into the study with some excitement.
"It's not too late!" Princess Veronica said earnestly, looking at the old king in the wheelchair. "You are the only king of this country. As long as you're willing, it's never too late!"
"I..." The old king, seemingly moved by the princess's words, leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Both you and Joshua are my children. Since I've already promised him... Hmm? Joshua?"
The old king looked towards the door with a shocked expression, as if he had discovered something incredible. "Aren't you in the House meeting? Why did you suddenly come back?"
Joshua is back?
Upon hearing the old king's words, Princess Veronica's expression froze slightly, and she instinctively turned her head to look towards the door.
But just as she turned, the old king, leaning back in his chair, suddenly reached under the wheelchair's seat and pulled out a large-caliber nail gun. He aimed at the metal princess's back of the head and fired without hesitation!
"Bang!" Caught off guard, the metal princess was knocked to the ground by the impact on her head. Before she could get up, the old king behind her aimed and fired again.
Four shots rang out, and the metal princess's right knee joint, shimmering with metal, was first deformed by the impact and then pinned down by four nails. She couldn't get up and knelt back down, completely losing her mobility.
"Guards!" The old king in the wheelchair threw the nail gun to the servant behind him and pointed at the fallen metal princess with his hand, which was covered in rust stains but remained surprisingly steady. "Arrest her! And send someone to Veronica's room... No! Go find the Queen first and see if she's still alive!"
(End of Chapter)
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