Chapter 4: Sparks of Jealousy and Unexpected Encounters
In the warmth of a morning in the Kingdom of Felixia...
Felix and Franz sat down to a breakfast hearty enough for two: a jar of sweet jam, toasted bread neatly stacked on a large platter, fried eggs, and their well-known turnip salad. Yet, as they began to enjoy their delicious meal, someone suddenly interrupted them.
It was Romeo!! And with him was a young lady.
From his very first impression of the King of the Hearts during their visit to Verona, Franz had harbored a deep irritation toward him and his King. Franz muttered to himself, highly annoyed: "What on earth brought him here? This is hardly the time for a visit."
Nevertheless, Felix welcomed him warmly: "Good morning! Please, join us for breakfast."
The King of Hearts politely declined the invitation for his Jack. Felix then turned to Franz and suggested: "Why don't you show the young lady around our kingdom? We wish to speak in private."
Obeying his King—who was also his friend—Franz complied.
As they walked far away from the King of Hearts and his Jack, Franz broke the silence, trying to sound polite: "A beautiful day, isn't it, milady?" He then added, "I have a group of friends from various kingdoms whom we shall visit later, if you agree."
"I agree," she replied instantly.
Her quick compliance seemed to confirm the submissive reputation of Verona's women; however, this was no ordinary girl. She was highly intelligent, and tricks did not easily fool her.
By afternoon, Franz escorted the lady to where Kuron’s carriage had just arrived, with Aru riding inside. As they met, a brief exchange took place. Looking at her with a mix of excitement and malice, Aru smirked: "Such a beautiful girl... today is going to be wonderful."
She shot him a cold, defiant look and retorted: "Who do you think you are? In your dreams!"
On their way to Sukhavati, Franz thought to himself with a smirk: "These people will be of great help to me in the future, heheh."
Just then, Leto stepped out of Sukhavati and climbed into the carriage, which Kuron himself was driving.
As they traveled, Kuron noticed a group of individuals clad in purple garments. They were none other than the spies of the Spade Empire! It was the flock dispatched to Zontopia for the espionage mission. None of the spies had noticed that they were missing one of their men.
Seeing them, one of the carriage passengers waved, and Kuron even whistled at them. The spies' cover was blown, and their punishment would surely be severe. But suddenly, it became clear that the missing spy had no intention of sending his group back to the Emperor. Instead, he simply approached Kuron's carriage and began asking casual questions: "Who are you? Where are you from?"
The spy was so entirely absorbed by Franz and his foreign companions that he hadn't even noticed his own group marching away and leaving him behind.
"Pleasure to meet you," the spy said coolly.
Silence fell over the carriage. No one answered until the young lady finally shattered the quiet wall between them: "And I as well. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The spy smiled casually, "Why don't we chat for a bit?"
At that moment, a sharp pang of jealousy hit Franz. He had never felt jealous of anyone in his entire life—but this time, he was envious of a complete stranger. The spy wasn't even remarkably handsome; it was his sheer, effortless personality that had drawn the girl in. She was gazing at him with deep admiration, which only fueled Franz's burning jealousy.
Determined to put him in his place, Franz threatened to report him: "I shall complain about you to the Emperor immediately!"
The spy merely shrugged with absolute indifference: "The Emperor is busy. He has no time for such trivialities."
Unyielding, Franz snapped at Kuron: "Kuron, drive!"
Kuron instantly obeyed, prompting the carriage forward.
"Wait!! Wait!" the spy called out behind them.
Franz ignored him completely, while the young lady kept staring back at the spy as he faded into the distance. "He is so spontaneous," she murmured, "and very handsome."
Franz countered with a sarcastic sneer, "Handsomer than your own Prince?"
The lady bristled at his sharp remark, but she quickly added, "He is kind and has good intentions. He might actually be someone important to the Emperor."
Franz’s opportunistic mind instantly believed her words. He shouted frantically to the driver: "Kuron, speed up!!!!"
Meanwhile, the spy watched them go from afar. Completely forgetting about his fellow spies, he didn't care about their departure in the slightest. He turned around and walked away, casually setting off to complete his mission.
Leto finally realized the truth: Franz only sought the companionship of those who stood close to kings.
Moreover, Franz himself had been utterly captivated by the spy's intriguing personality. Despite his jealousy, he deeply wanted to know him better and make this spy his closest friend.
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