The Unwanted Princess Becomes Loved in the Werewolf Kingdom and Becomes Queen!

Chapter 63: Fox and Raccoon 1

Engeberg stood in front of a door.

The thought of facing the owner of this room made his heart cold, but since he had been called, he couldn’t ignore it.

After taking a deep breath and knocking, he received an immediate response. Engeberg wiped the tension from his expression and entered the room.

There, Shenka’s Prime Minister, Johan Orzif Slezak, was waiting. As soon as he saw Engeberg, he smiled and gestured for her to sit on the fur rug.

“Welcome, Count Engeberg. I apologize for summoning you.”

“It’s no problem, Your Excellency. If you’ll excuse me.”

Engeberg felt uncomfortable sitting directly on the floor, realizing that he had come to a country with a completely different cultural background. He knelt as usual, while Johan sat cross-legged in a relaxed manner, exchanging glances with him.

The Prime Minister has called his secretary to make tea. There was nothing particularly unusual about his demeanor; he was covered in courtesy towards guests from foreign countries.

However, Engeberg is convinced that someone who previously snuck into the room and searched around is a lackey of the Prime Minister.

“It’s been two months since you arrived. Is there anything troubling you?”

Engeberg’s heart rate increased even more at the neat smile that spoke of social niceties. That’s right, it’s been almost two months since he came to this country. In other words, this summons is happening two weeks after the “Queen’s replacement.”

“Oh no, Your Excellency. Thanks to you, it has been very easy to spend the time here.”

“That’s good. Since you are our first guest from the western continent, I was worried that you might have some trouble with things here.”

“Oh no, no, I have no problems at all. The food here is delicious. I always end up overeating.”

“Oh, Count, you’re knowledgeable about spices, too. Then please come to my house next time. I’ll prepare homemade liquor for you.”

“Wow! I’m honored to be invited. I’m looking forward to it.”

The conversation continued smoothly on the surface. However, the intense tension between the two made the secretary who brought the tea shrivel up.

Engeberg had been an ambassador since the time when the majority opposed the alliance and had battled with this talented young man ever since. It was clear from the scenes of this shrewd young man cutting down cunning politicians that if he handed over the initiative, it would be the end of the story.

“It’s good to hear that you enjoyed the meal. I hope that My Queen did not find it too much to her taste.

The conversation naturally turned to the queen, and Engeberg felt his heart pounding. However, he didn’t show any sign of agitation and casually took a sip of the tea that was served to him.

“She didn’t ask about it specifically.”

“Oh, is that so? Actually, I’ve heard from the cooks that My Queen has been having a small appetite lately.”

It was completely news to him. Apparently, Ermengard was having trouble getting used to the taste of this country. Engeberg knew very well that the substitute queen was less demanding than the real queen.

“I can only imagine, but it’s probably because His Majesty the King went to battle and she’s worried about him.”

“I suppose that’s a fair point. They are a very affectionate couple.”

“Yes, it’s really wonderful. That’s why, personally, I hope King Ivan returns safely. The situation seems to be in their favor, which is great.”

Engeberg wanted to change the topic now. He wondered if he could somehow divert the conversation to the topic of the war and avoid talking about the queen.

“Count Engeberg, actually, the reason I called for you today was because I wanted to hear your thoughts on My Queen.”

Engeberg had to desperately hold himself back from clutching his chest as his heart raced uncontrollably.

He carefully chose a roundabout topic and skillfully pulled the conversation in their direction at just the right moment. Thanks to this conversational skill of controlling the rhythm, countless Bral nobles had been subdued.

There was no doubt that Johan was aware of something. He could not reveal his hand yet and needed to confirm how much information Johan had obtained.

“Is this about My Queen? What would you like to ask me?”

“As I mentioned earlier, My Queen has been acting strangely these days.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Johan brazenly crossed his arms. There was no need for him to ponder about things at this point.

“Well, she seems more confident than before. I suppose you could say her atmosphere has changed. And, recently, she’s been seen drawing pictures.”

Despite having asked her repeatedly to refrain from drawing for a while, Engeberg couldn’t get Ermengard to stop.

However, Johan remained unfazed with a carefree smile on his face.

Engeberg wondered how much the man could have guessed. Perhaps he knew everything and was just waiting for the other person’s self-destruction.

If that were the case, it would be terrible, but if the truth were to reveal itself, it would be the end if he showed any signs of distress.

“Ermengard-sama has always loved drawing. She has become accustomed to living here and has regained some composure, which is why she decided to start again.”

“Well, that’s new to me. I’d love to see her work.”

Johan’s smiling face shows no sign of irritation at the ambassador’s reluctance to reveal the truth.

Engeberg’s heart was pounding and he lowered his eyebrows, putting on a sad expression.

“I’m also concerned about the change in atmosphere. I’m sure she must miss His Majesty’s departure.”

And with that, he dropped a line that implied he knew nothing. If he went so far as to express his worries, it would be difficult for anyone to refute him.

Behind his seemingly composed behavior, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. The silence that fell between the two strong individuals was broken in an instant, and Johan also let out a sigh with a troubled expression.

“So Count Engeberg thinks the same way. Yes, I understand. It would be best to inform the ladies-in-waiting to support My Queen as much as possible.”

“I would be grateful if you could do that.”

He somehow managed to get through it. Engeberg breathed a sigh of relief in silence.

“Count Engeberg, do you like birds?”

“Birds? I think they are beautiful creatures.”

As soon as he reflexively answered, Johan’s mouth turned up at the corners, causing Engeberg’s blood to run cold. His eyes were covered by the reflections in his glasses at that moment, and it was impossible to discern what emotions they held.

What’s wrong? What did I do wrong?

“It seems like Count is fond of birds. However, you won’t see many around here, unfortunately. They hardly come to the city. Wolves and birds don’t mix well.”

The sharp Prime Minister, Johan, tilting his head with interest. Engeberg, who had never heard of this fact before, lost color in his face, but Johan showed no mercy.

“However, strange things have been happening recently. It seems that a subordinate was attacked by a pigeon while on duty. It’s strange where it could have come from… If it’s a brave pigeon like that, wouldn’t you want to tame it, given your love for birds?”

The presence of a mysterious spy sticking around the queen had been noticed by Engeberg for some time now.

That’s why, during the queen’s replacement, he had sent messenger pigeons to attack, for the purpose of blinding the spy. It was a risky move, but it was the only way to keep them from knowing that they knew.

It was clear that the subordinate referred to by Johan was the spy. The reason behind choosing this topic was unclear.

“Well, well. What happened to the subordinate? Are they alright?”

“Well, thanks to you. You went easy on him, didn’t you?”

“A mere pigeon cannot do such a thing. You have a surprisingly good sense of humor.”

“Oh my, that’s a terrible thing to say. Even I can make a joke or two.”

Between the two of them, there was an intense game of cat and mouse, accompanied by a smile.

It was as if they were carrying a fierce beast behind them, and the secretary who came to refill their tea was frozen to the point of being unable to move.

“Well then, Prime Minister, I’ll be taking my leave. I have a meeting with a private entrepreneur about trade today.”

“Yes, thank you for your time. Please assist us with the trade as well.”

After shaking hands one last time, Engeberg crawled out of the devil’s den.

Suddenly, all the strength drained from him, and he felt the urge to sit down, but he managed to resist and started walking slowly.

There was no doubt. Johan suspected the Queen with great confidence.

Seeing that they weren’t caught on the spot, they couldn’t be sure of the truth. The twin princesses were so identical, even Engeberg couldn’t tell them apart, and with the ridiculous truth of a doppelganger, it was only natural.

However, this peace may only last for a matter of time. After such a blockade, Johan will have been looking into the situation in Bral. If the spy found out the truth and returned, no excuse would be acceptable.

Should he give instructions to eliminate the spy through a carrier pigeon? However, if the existence of the pigeon was discovered, there was a high probability of being exposed as soon as it was used. Besides, taking action here might be what the Prime Minister is after.

“…He wasn’t a wolf, but a fox. Truly, he is a frightening person.”

If he had this much talent, couldn’t they spare at least one person?

Engeberg muttered quietly and decided to return to his natural destination, his own room.