AWDC Chapter 29
by VolareTzukira’s mother was born of low nobility, and with the power of her relatives, there was no hope for her future. Moreover, as the eighth son, he could not succeed to the throne unless all his elder brothers died.
When he was a child, he could still dream. He imagined himself assisting his father, the King, and becoming a beloved figure to the people.
However, as he approached adulthood, he realized it was an impossible dream. As long as his elder brothers were alive, he could not participate in state affairs. If it was something unattainable, he wouldn’t even think about such a dream.
Upon reaching adulthood, Tzukira immediately turned his attention to women.
While he was womanizing, he saw a young woman about to board a carriage in front of a merchant’s store. It was Riyuki.
“Ah!” He involuntarily exclaimed when he first saw Riyuki. Among all the women he had seen, she had a lovely and pure aura, and he felt she was the most beautiful. It was love at first sight.
He would obtain that girl by any means necessary.
He used his retainers to discover that Riyuki was the daughter of a merchant, and he demanded that the merchant hand over his daughter.
But the merchant flatly refused. This made Tzukira furious. How dare a mere merchant make a fool of him, a Prince? He would never forgive him.
“Why won’t you give me your daughter?” He directly went to the merchant’s house and demanded the daughter.
“I cannot give my daughter as a concubine to Your Highness. I will give her as a wife.”
The merchant Zorgi, with his fat body and flushed face, was not at all perturbed. Even though he was a Prince, as the eighth son, his power was limited. He subtly hinted that if unreasonable demands were made, he would resist.
“Hmm.” Prince Tzukira had been convinced that if he went himself, the lowly merchant would be intimidated and offer his daughter. But he was told that he would not hand over his daughter unless it was as a wife.
Even though he was a merchant, he was backed by the guild and connected to influential nobles. If he tried to forcibly take her, a scandal would spread, and his position as a Prince would be damaged. Though dissatisfied, he had no choice but to accept.
It was decided that the daughter would become the adopted daughter of a local noble and be welcomed as his wife.
“Your Highness, you are scheduled to report your marriage to His Majesty the King in six days. I think it would be best not to touch Riyuki until then.”
Zorgi whispered when he greeted Prince Tzukira for his daughter’s wedding.
“What does that mean!” (What does he mean by not letting me have the girl I finally got?) The Prince became agitated.
“This audience is to receive the King’s approval for the marriage, isn’t it? I wonder if it would be wise to touch her before receiving approval.”
Even if they said they would get approval for the marriage, it was just a formality, a post-facto report. Some of Tzukira’s brothers had even brought pregnant wives to receive marriage approval. He looked puzzled as to why he should be concerned about such a thing.
“His Majesty the King has a weakness for beautiful women. Even if they are married or widowed.”
“Are you saying the King will set his eyes on Riyuki? Then all the more reason to make Riyuki mine as soon as possible!”
“The women His Majesty takes notice of, he takes them regardless of whether they are married or widowed.”
At that point, Tzukira realized. If the King set his eyes on her, he couldn’t prevent her from being taken, even if she was his own wife.
“If you were to offer a defiled woman, what would Your Highness’s reputation be?”
Zorgi said, as if adding insult to injury.
Even after welcoming Riyuki as his wife, many maids continued to share Tzukira’s bed at night. Riyuki was not called.
The subsequent events were all as described.
Prince Tzukira took a position in the Department of State Affairs and welcomed Salié.
Salié had two daughters (the Prince’s stepsisters), and he decided to take them in and raise them as his own daughters.
“My lord, how do you view your work in the Department of State Affairs?”
On the day Salié came as a bride, the Prince was asked something unexpected.
“It’s just tedious work, organizing documents.”
(If I were to become one, I wanted to be the Minister of Finance or the Minister of War. Midland and Gregg are both gone, and those positions are vacant now. Why didn’t they give me either of those two roles? There’s no point in offering Riyuki at this rate.)
“No, that is not the case at all. The Department of State Affairs is deeply involved in personnel matters of the government.
Right now, all the nobles except for the heirs are desperately searching for jobs.
If they could get a position through my lord’s influence, they wouldn’t hesitate to offer money or goods.”
“Are you saying I should take bribes?”
“People are weak to money and power. People gather around money. If people gather, you can have power and reach high positions.”
“You’re saying I should use my position in the Department of State Affairs effectively.”
“My lord offered Riyuki to His Majesty, didn’t he? Don’t you think that was because His Majesty deemed the Department of State Affairs to be of equal value to that beautiful Riyuki?”
Saying that, Salié smiled sweetly, showing the mature beauty of a grown woman.
(Is this woman seeing through my heart?)
“No, you are quite beautiful as well.”
Looking at her again, Salié was also beautiful, and she possessed intelligence and elegance that Riyuki lacked.
“Oh ho ho, you flatter me.”
Tzukira was increasingly captivated by Salié’s charm.
An unprecedented event was occurring in the Department of State Affairs.
The new Director, Prince Tzukira, had rejected a document.
The previous directors had rubber-stamped all the documents submitted by their subordinates and never raised any objections.
But this new director had rejected it.
“I haven’t heard about this personnel change.”
That’s right, they had never consulted the director about personnel matters before. But without the director’s approval, the government office couldn’t function. This personnel change would also be stopped. The official attached to the director turned pale.
“Your Highness, please reconsider.” It was a desperate plea.
“I am the Director of the Department of State Affairs. Stop calling me Your Highness.”
All the officials present turned blue.
“The internal affairs are quite involved. I can’t know if these people are capable of the job unless I interview them directly.”
Normally, the personnel decisions of the government office are made by the middle management and passed up to the upper levels, where they are finalized.
But the director was saying that he would make the decision. The Department of State Affairs was in an uproar.
That night, a man entered Prince Tzukira’s residence.
He was one of the officials whose personnel change had been stopped during the day.
“My lord is currently resting. What is the matter?”
The lady who appeared to receive him had a look of disapproval.
“It is truly rude of me to disturb the Department of State Affairs when you are tired. I have come to inquire about my lord’s well-being.
This is just a small compensation for the trouble I have caused.”
Saying that, he presented something wrapped in a beautiful cloth.
“That is a very admirable gesture. I will be sure to convey it to my lord.”
The lady, judging the weight of the money she received, said with a smile.
Prince Tzukira accepted the money. The rumor spread among the officials that night.
If personnel matters and policies were decided by bribes, the administration would be controlled by money.
The powerful who receive the bribes would become very wealthy, and those who offer the bribes would secure positions.
And for those who have obtained positions and titles, it is only natural to try to recoup the money they spent.
It did not take long for corruption to spread throughout the capital.