The Stepmother Loves Harems - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

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***

“Whew!”

Eliana put down the report she was reading. Nowhere was there any accurate information about Ulysses Mill. The master who had taught him as a child had written that he was a near genius in all areas. After that, he lived a life that seemed to be and was not. There was no such presence or absence.

Even though he participated in wars and made achievements, he did not seek the King’s attention. He just mingled and exchanged the joys of servitude with his own friends. Was it so that his other brothers would not keep him in check? Or was it really just his personality that has no interest in kingship?

For Eliana, this issue was very important. If it was the former, the more deeply she would be involved, the better, and if it was the latter, she had to cut the appropriate line.

Eliana’s intuition was that Ulysses had finally revealed his purpose. It seemed that he had come to the country of Contino in an attempt to figure out which diplomatic contacts would be useful to him and to make a move in advance.

But then, why did he come to this city next to the capital instead of the capital? Eliana was curious. But the report had no answer.

 Eliana took out the modest dress she had worn before her marriage. A muslin scarf was wrapped around her head and an old cape was draped over her shoulders. It was as if she were a poor commoner.

Eliana stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was unfamiliar with the way she looked, but these were the clothes Eliana had originally worn.

‘Do not forget this moment. Cannot go back.’

Eliana looked at her reflection and made up her mind. It was better now than it had been then, and it would be better in the future. Would Ulysses Mill be her stepping stone?

Eliana hurried to get ready and headed to the city’s royal library. It had far more books than the barony and was open to all. Hoping to find a bit of information about Ulysses Mill there, Eliana quickened her steps.

***

“How can there be no information?”

Ulysses was astonished by the tremendous lack of information on the Rose family. Previously, there was no significant information other than the fact that the family was a family of scholars who had produced a full-time professor at the Royal University. Even that was a long time ago, and now there was no information at all.

The only information he had were the stories about Eliana Rose, but they were all close to rumors. As Ulysses chewed on his apple and worried, Turis bowed down.

”I’m sorry! I’ll look into it again!”

“I haven’t been to the Royal Library yet. I will visit there right away today, since it is said to hold the largest number of books there.”

At Turis’ words, Melburn also bowed . The two of them had been investigating someone’s background for a long time, but they had never seen a family as empty as this.

The words “just another penniless aristocrat’s family” burned up to his throat, but he didn’t speak out. No matter how easygoing Ulysses was, he was still a Prince.

Ulysses took another big bite of his apple and said,

“No. I’ll go to the library. And have a look around outside.”

“I’ll escort you.”

“You two stand out too much. Turis is too big, and Melburn obviously looks like a knight.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Ha, you’ll look smaller if you bend your body?”

Ulysses shook his head. The two knights did not look like ordinary people by any means.

Turis could handle the Claymore, a sword weighing over three kilograms. He was particularly adept at bludgeoning his enemies to death with his sword rather than slashing and stabbing them on the battlefield. His entire body was covered with thick muscles, and no amount of clothing could hide his thick body.

Melburn was such a knight of courtesy that he usually wore all of his plate armors as well. He now wore the clothes worn by the commoners of the Contino country, but his straight and rigid posture indicated to all that he was no ordinary man.

The least suspicious of these people was only Ulysses himself. Although his flamboyant hair color could have attracted attention, carrying one of the lute (a small stringed instrument carried mostly by the minstrels) made him look like a playful traveler.

Ulysses tossed the apple he had eaten into the trash bin and put on his hat and pulled deeply down. It was a brown octagonal hat that was only used by boys delivering newspapers.

“Off I go!”

“What, Prince…no, duke! Duke Norton!”

“Take care of my dear brothers who have been seeking me out.”

Ulysses waved his hand with a bright, boyish smile. Turis and Melburn inevitably bowed and obeyed. Because there was a plan for everything Ulysses did, even his immature behavior.

***

Eliana was certainly glad to come to this library. For she had found a book detailing the situation at the time of Ulysses Mill’s appointment as a candidate for the throne.

At the time, there was a public opinion in Conter over other ambitious princes, asking why Ulysses was a candidate. However, the Cuthbert family, then head of the royal knighthood, and the Norton family, the Chancellor, strongly supported him. At that time, public opinion glossed over Ulysses’ friendship with the eldest sons of the two families.

But the book, in effect, said that he should be noted for having already gained the trust of both families, which were the major pillars of military and financial power.

Ulysses’ next step was to hide that aspect. He deliberately showed up late for the throne nomination ceremony, to fall asleep at parties, and to travel around the country playing his lute. His behavior was completely different from that of his older brothers, who tried to make a mark even if it meant starting a war. Eliana read in detail again the part where his strange behavior was written.

“Knock. Knock.”

Eliana turned around, startled by the sound of someone tapping her on the shoulder, and the sound of his voice. There was Ulysses, who was in the book Eliana had been reading.

He was smiling brightly with a mischievous look on his face as he held his lute. Eliana calmed her startled heart and continued speaking.

“Oliver.”

“We meet again. I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Yes. Your attire doesn’t match the library at all, what’s going on?”

“I want to know about the Rose family.”

Ulysses confided frankly, not hiding it in the slightest. Eliana knew he was not playing a trick or being sarcastic. He really wanted to know about the Rose family.

Eliana smiled and spoke.

“No one knows them better than I do. Would you like to trade information with me?”

“Only if I have the information you want.”

Ulysses said, sounding intrigued. Eliana smiled more wryly.

“I’m sure you have it.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because it’s about Ulysses Mill.”

Ulysses stopped smiling for a moment. With one letter, “Yul,” Eliana quickly found out his real name. He thought she was smart, but he never imagined that she would search the Royal Library.

‘I knew it. A very interesting woman.’

Ulysses took off his hat. His beautiful blonde hair scattered as it spilled out of the hat.

“I didn’t expect you to come here so suddenly.”

“Life is a series of unexpected things. You’re not going to take back what you said once, right? Oliver.”

Eliana said as she put back the book which she had already read. The library was empty, but their voices were low because of the location. Ulysses shrugged his shoulders, sat down idly by the window, and continued.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll only ask you three questions.”

“Only three things you’re curious about?”

“No.”

“Then why three?”

“If I tell you more than that, everything will be revealed.”

“That’s wise.”

Eliana did not hear the compliment to herself. Ulysses raised his hand as if to ask a question first.

“How did the Rose family become poor?”

It was a direct question. Eliana leaned against the bookshelf and answered.

“We were never wealthy to begin with. We were just barely keeping up with our aristocratic name. We only became poor after the previous headmaster was stripped of his professorship at the Royal University. The 28th generation headmaster was caught trying to reveal the president’s wrongdoings and was fired.”

“Oh, really?”

‘After that, the powers at the Royal University began to erase all information about the Rose family. Now my father is the 32nd generation, and no one knows about our family anymore. Thanks to his intelligent brain, he was able to teach private lessons for aristocrats.”

Ulysses nodded at Eliana’s clarification. It was understandable that they were fired trying to reveal the injustice. The dean and the surrounding nobility must have tried to bury the Rose family somehow. Or they might also get hurt.

As it was, the Rose family was actually buried, but it was great that they were continuing from generation to generation even though they were blocked from living.

Ulysses held out his hand as if to say it was Eliana’s turn. It was as if she could ask him anything. Eliana made eye contact with Ulysses.

“Do you want to be king?”

Her question was succinct. But it was a question that gripped and shook Ulysses as a whole. Ulysses looked at Eliana for a moment . There was no sway in Eliana’s eyes. It was as if she already knew the answer. Ulysses spoke plainly, with a smile on his lips.

“Yes.”

Eliana simply nodded at Ulysses’ reply. Then she turned her body half sideways and continued talking.

“Okay. Next question.” (*Eliana meant Ulysses can ask the next question)

“You don’t ask any more questions about me?” (Ulysses)

“Because I already heard the answer I wanted.” (Eliana)

 “Refreshing.” (Ulysses)

“Next question?” 

“Next question.”

Ulysses’ golden eyes sparkled.