A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 20: The Prince’s Secret

Only then, as if realizing how odd his behavior was, the prince’s face went momentarily blank. After taking a breath, he continued with a slightly calmer tone.

“Y-You know that terrible incident yesterday... It seems people have started suspecting I’m behind it.”

His voice still trembled slightly as he spoke.

“First, let me be clear—I’m innocent. But the rumors, the so-called ‘evidence’... it’s all being twisted to implicate me.”

“Hm...”

“Normally, I’d talk it over with my friend Maigongja, but for some reason, I can’t reach him anymore...”

The prince gripped both my shoulders and began lamenting. His explanation was a little disjointed, but it was clear he was sincere.

In short—he was about to be framed for everything without even realizing it.

“It’s only been a few hours, right? Surely you’re overthinking—”

“They said there’s no signal at all, not even a trace through the communication orb!”

“Ahh.”

If even the communication orb was silent, and Maigongja, who was famous for wringing every drop of use out of the prince, had gone dark... it was probably already half-confirmed.

‘So the Emperor doesn’t leave anything to chance.’

Kendrick might’ve been first in the line of succession now, but that was only with the Emperor’s passive approval. If the Emperor had truly intervened this time, it meant his position was about to collapse entirely.

‘It’s unfortunate, Your Highness... but I don’t think there’s anything I can do for you.’

‘Why, Sir Whitney?’

There was nothing I could do. Especially with my father’s intentions aligning with the Emperor, I had no reason to involve myself. I tried to sidestep the issue and move on.

“W-Why are you backing away?”

But when the prince suddenly grabbed my arm and spoke again, I had no choice but to stop walking and smile faintly.

“I... I know, you see. That His Majesty the Emperor has taken a liking to you.”

“...What?”

“Why else would His Majesty have secretly informed me about you?”

What the hell is he talking about now?

“The Emperor told you... about me?”

“Why do you think I paid so much attention to you yesterday? I mean... cared about you? Haha...”

I stared at him, bewildered, then couldn’t help but scoff and shake my head.

‘To think he really is this clueless.’

If what he said was true, then the Emperor had ordered him to spy on me.

But instead of realizing that, he misunderstood everything—and now he was telling me all about it?

No wonder the prince was considered an idiot, in and out of the game.

“I heard you're scheduled for an audience with His Majesty today. Please, put in a good word for me.”

“...Hmm.”

“Please... I promise I’ll reward you. Okay?”

Oddly enough, this might actually work in my favor.

I had no idea why the Emperor was watching me, but I’d figure that out in time.

If I could exploit the prince’s misunderstanding now, I might get something valuable out of it.

‘He’s used to being a pawn for villains. If I can make him our pawn instead, he’ll be incredibly useful.’

Kendrick, with his soft ears and shallow judgment, could turn into an endlessly generous ally if pulled to the right side.

There was a reason Maigongja had worked so hard to cozy up to him.

‘And I doubt the Emperor’s planning to cut him loose just yet.’

As far as I knew, Kendrick had always remained first in the succession line, even if he was only a placeholder.

So if I just made it look like I helped him out here, even slightly...

On top of being the Duke’s daughter’s fiancé and a fabricated ‘hero,’ I’d gain another powerful card to play early on.

“Your Highness, you truly seem to be in a troublesome situation.”

Of course, to do that, I’d have to handle him as skillfully as Maigongja did.

“But don’t worry. I believe I can assist you.”

“Y-You mean it?”

“I already know, Your Highness. The accusations against you are nothing but lies and slander.”

Fortunately, I knew a decent way to control the prince.

“Especially all those vile rumors about your fiancée—clearly baseless nonsense.”

“Sir Whitney...”

As I gently reassured him, his eyes began to waver with hope.

“And this is a secret... but I actually know where your fiancée is.”

“Y-You do?!”

“So don’t worry. It won’t be easy, but if I bring her back, the false accusations will disappear with her return.”

“If that’s true...!”

I was giving him a sliver of truth—just enough to draw him in.

“But I ask just one thing in return, Your Highness.”

“Huh?”

“If I give something, I expect something in return, don’t you agree?”

I lowered my tone and carefully tossed out the bait.

“What do you mean...?”

“I want you to share the secret information only Maigongja knew.”

The moment I said that, the prince froze, his mouth slightly open.

‘So there really is a secret... Was it meant to be revealed in a DLC later on?’

All I knew was that Maigongja had been able to manipulate the prince thanks to some secret.

And that later in the game, when that secret came to light, Kendrick would lose his claim to the throne and fall into ruin.

If the prince took the bait I just laid out, I could replace the villainous Maigongja and make him my pawn instead.

“My apologies, but I wish to be your friend—just like you and Maigongja.”

“...Gasp.”

“If it’s too much, you can refuse, of course.”

I did feel a little guilty. This was like offering poison and then asking for payment.

But who cared?

It’s not like I was going to abuse and discard him the way Maigongja did.

“Since the information I hold is also extremely sensitive, I think it’s only fair to ask for something of equal value—even from Your Highness.”

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about...”

“Your voice.”

“Sir?”

“Lower your voice, Your Highness.”

I’m only trying to do a co-op playthrough with you, that’s all.

“What if someone overhears?”

“Hmph... Sir Whitney. I have no secrets to hide.”

Still, he seemed reluctant to join me in this shady bargain.

“Haha, Your Highness...”

In that case, I’d just have to press a little harder.

“To be honest, I already know some of your secret.”

“...What?!”

There were too many things coming up—the Candidate Selection Tournament, for one—that would go much more smoothly with his help.

“If I didn’t, how would I have realized Maigongja knew your secret?”

“In fact, I’m offering you a bad deal—one where I’m the one at a disadvantage.”

And at this point, Kendrick had no other choice.

“If Your Highness confirms the secret I suspect, I’ll share my own vital information in return.”

“The information I hold... is just a sign of how much I trust you.”

Right now, I was the only person capable of clearing the prince’s name.

“Still...”

“Think about it, Your Highness. If only I know your secret, that makes me a threat to you.”

But if we both knew each other’s secrets—

“That makes us friends who can’t betray each other.”

“F-Friends...”

“Are you going to give up the chance to replace Maigongja—the guy who threw you away the moment he learned your secret—with a new right-hand man?”

After all, I’m not some hidden villain lurking in the shadows.

“So what will it be, Your Highness?”

“I... I...”

“Take your time. Haha.”

***

How much time had passed since then?

“Huh?”

Having reached the entrance of the Imperial Palace under the guise of a royal escort—but in truth, under strict surveillance—Meredia could hardly believe her eyes at the scene in front of her.

“S-Sir Whitney! My eternal friend!”

“Haha, Your Highness. I appreciate the welcome, but I don’t think it’s necessary to hug me just because we’ve arrived.”

Anyone who saw the Crown Prince awkwardly trying to embrace her fiancé—who should already be inside the palace—would’ve been shocked, not just Meredia.

“I-I’m forever in your debt now.”

“Well, that’s business, isn’t it?”

“H-How could I ever repay this favor...”

As expected, even the 1st Knight Division, unsure how to react due to the difference in rank, stood awkwardly off to the side with stunned expressions on their faces.

“In return, Your Highness must trust and support me fully.”

“O-Of course! I’ll do my best!”

“No, no.”

The Crown Prince, noticeably shaken, flinched at Whitney’s calm and unsettling tone.

“Not just your best—you’ll have to go above and beyond that.”

“U-Uhh?”

“You’re more than capable when you decide to commit, aren’t you, Your Highness?”

Whitney gently patted the prince’s shoulder like an old friend, flashing a cheerful smile.

“I-Is that so?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

And to Meredia, who was watching this unfold, the scene was uncannily similar to the image of Maigongja burned into her memory.

“Ah, Lady Meredia!”

“...You’ve arrived?”

Just then, Whitney waved to her with a bright smile, catching her attention as her expression turned grim.

“His Highness, you see... apparently, he has something he’d like to say to you.”

“To me...?”

Meredia raised a questioning eyebrow—but only for a moment.

“M-My apologies.”

“...?”

“I—I’ve misunderstood you this whole time.”

The prince, glancing nervously at Whitney, stepped forward and confessed in a trembling voice. A flicker of confusion passed across her face.

“I apologize for the many discourtesies I’ve shown.”

“What are you talking about—”

“I-I foolishly assumed you were in love with me. I’m sorry.”

Not once had Meredia imagined the prince would admit fault and apologize of his own accord.

“...Heh. Sir Whitney?”

The atmosphere fell into a hush—not just for Meredia, but for everyone nearby—until the prince leaned toward Whitney and whispered.

“D-Did I do well?”

“Yes. That was very well done.”

Whitney nodded softly, and at his response, the prince visibly relaxed.

“Just keep doing that from now on.”

“R-Right...”

But at Whitney’s signature eerie smile, the prince flinched once more.

“T-Then I-I hope you enjoy your time with Lady Meredia.”

“Aha, of course.”

“I-I need to use the restroom now, excuse me!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

And with that, wearing an extremely tense expression, the prince rushed off toward the garden at the back of the palace and disappeared.

“...What in the world did you say to him? He left wagging his tail like he found a new master.”

“Nothing much.”

Still staring in disbelief at his retreating figure, Meredia finally turned to Whitney and asked, her voice dry. He met her gaze and answered nonchalantly.

“I simply told him the location of his fiancée and shared my plans moving forward.”

“...You weren’t lying, were you?”

“I told him, plainly and honestly, that she’s currently staying at our estate.”

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

“...You insane...”

Despite his calm demeanor, the content of his answer was far from ordinary.

“Don’t worry. Lady Meredia, you had no involvement in this. I couldn’t possibly put someone soon to be by my side in harm’s way.”

“You’re clearly misunderstanding something.”

Noticing her darkening expression, Whitney quickly tried to add an explanation, but Meredia spoke first, her face now twisted with irritation.

“We’re practically one and the same now.”

“If something happens to you, it affects my status too—wait, what was that last thing you said?”

Whitney, briefly scowling, suddenly smirked. At that, Meredia paused, narrowing her eyes.

“So you’ve decided to move forward with the engagement contract after all?”

“...Thank goodness. After what I pulled at the engagement ceremony, I really thought you were going to cancel it.”

At his teasing grin and remark, Meredia fell silent and began to glare at him intently.

“So? What are you planning to do, now that you’ve ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) dragged in that useless idiot?”

Truthfully, Whitney’s scheme wasn’t something even she could easily counter, and she wasn’t inclined to give him the answer he wanted. So instead, she averted her gaze and changed the subject.

“Well, I agree with some of what His Highness said, but...”

“Then why...”

“I believe people can change, Lady Meredia.”

She turned back to him sharply, narrowing her eyes.

“Only those who still qualify as ‘people,’ of course.”

Whitney’s whisper was surprisingly sincere.

“But how can you guarantee he’ll keep this secret forever?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”

She looked at him skeptically, but he just smiled again and lowered his voice.

“Because I now know the prince’s greatest secret.”

And with that, Whitney's usual lazy air gave way to something openly wicked.

“...Though, I didn’t know until just a little while ago myself.”

Meredia, now visibly unsettled, missed his faintly amused mutter.

“You’re starting to scare me.”

“Haha. Don’t say such ridiculous things.”

“That wasn’t a joke, you know.”

When Whitney’s face fell into a show of mock sadness, Meredia snorted softly, then looked away and shifted the conversation.

“Anyway, if you’re done with the prince, it’s time to answer my question.”

“What would you like to know? We should head inside soon.”

“The handkerchief you tied around my hand yesterday.”

As Whitney said, the knights behind them were beginning to look nervous. But Meredia didn’t care and continued speaking.

“What exactly did you do...”

“His Majesty the Emperor?”

“...What?”

A voice came from the front, interrupting them. It was quiet—but urgent.

“The Emperor... is here right now?”

Surprised by what she heard, Meredia unconsciously stepped closer to Whitney and whispered.

“He’s on his deathbed... how?”

“Rumors—”

Just then, another voice spoke—this one cold, detached, and unmistakably noble. The kind of voice that struck fear into any aristocrat’s heart.

“Are often exaggerated.”

This was no shrill minister. It was something else entirely.

“Follow me.”

“...Yes, Your Majesty!”

“A place has been prepared in the garden for the discussion.”

Lilith Winter Clouds—the most exalted being in the Empire’s history—spoke without looking back, her voice smooth and steady, leaving the bowing ministers in silence behind her.

***

At that very moment—

Sniff.

Having slipped away to avoid the crowd, the Crown Prince had rushed into a restroom in the palace garden and shut the door behind her in a panic.

“B-Breast binder... It’s still tight...”

Hunched over the toilet, she lifted her outer coat and muttered with tearful eyes.

“H-How... How did he figure it out...”

Not as the Crown Prince Kendrick Winter Clouds—whose image had been public since birth—

But as the true identity only a handful in the Empire knew:

Princess Katarina Winter Clouds.