Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes Volume 1 Chapter 3-3

3-3 The Royal Audience
 

Before the audience, I officially made the orphans my attendants.
 
I couldn’t risk having them taken away on the king’s whim.
 
Even if they became official attendants, they’d still have to obey royal orders. But upgrading them from candidates to attendants might offer some resistance.
 
Since I couldn’t dispose of the dogs anymore, there was no point in keeping them as candidates.
 
When I officially made them attendants, Richard and the others cried.
 
I’m not sure why, but perhaps the assassin training methods were effective.
 
As expected, the wisdom of our predecessors is invaluable.
 
I needed to teach my attendants proper etiquette for meeting the king, but this was quickly resolved. Alice, who had been reading documents, had already mastered the etiquette perfectly. The other five learned it easily after being taught just once by her.
 
It seems I no longer need to suspend them for studying. It’s a bit sad to think I can’t tie them up and kick them down anymore.
 

 
And so, the day of our audience with the king arrived.
 
“You’re no longer attendant candidates, so you don’t need to say ‘Sir’ anymore. You’re free to speak normally.”
 
“Sir, yes sir!”
 
…I’m not sure if they don’t understand or if it’s become a habit. Well, they’ll get used to it eventually.
 
However, if they respond like that in the castle, it might be a bit embarrassing.
 
I headed to the castle with my six attendants and six dogs to have an audience with the king.
 


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Although I had been to the castle many times in my previous life, the atmosphere was different this time.
 
Somehow, I felt oddly scrutinized. It’s impossible not to stand out when a young duchess, despite her rank, brings six attendants, each with their own dog. Curious gazes were directed not only at me but also at my attendants.
 
Nobles probably find attendants from orphan backgrounds uninteresting. Thanks to Father walking ahead of us, no one is saying anything strange, but if I were to come alone, who knows what they might say.
 
As for my attendants, they’re walking confidently through the castle’s long corridors with their dogs. They’re so composed that it’s making me nervous. Why are they so calm in a castle they’ve never been to before?
 
Even I was nervous the first time I came to the castle in my previous life, but they show no fear, like heroes who’ve seen hell. They seem to say, “There’s nothing else to fear,” but where did they acquire such courage?
 
The dogs are also well-behaved, not making a sound as they strut through the castle as if they own the place. To think they were once strays.
 
Guided by the king’s chamberlains, we entered the audience chamber.
 
I thought only the king would be there, but the queen and Crown Prince Edward were also present.
 
I wasn’t supposed to meet Prince Edward until later, but here’s another difference from my previous life.
 
With Father in the lead, we walked down the red carpet and knelt about ten paces from the king’s throne.
 
The attendants and dogs stopped in perfect unison and knelt beautifully. The dogs took a lying position, almost appearing to kneel.
 
“Impressive,”
 
the king said admiringly.
 
“Thank you, Your Majesty,”
 
Father replied, keeping his head bowed.
 
“Rise,”
 
the king permitted, and everyone slowly raised their heads. The dogs also transitioned from lying down to sitting.
 
…How on earth can dogs be trained to that extent? Isn’t that a bit too skillful?
 
“Hmm, the duke’s daughter is beautiful, but her attendants don’t look like they came from orphanages. The dogs are also well-trained. I’ve never seen dogs so well-disciplined. Duchess Selina, I hear you educated these orphans and stray dogs yourself. How did you raise them?”
 
The king’s face, which I hadn’t seen in a while, looked surprisingly benevolent. I feel like he was a colder person the last time I saw him in my previous life.
 
“Yes, Your Majesty. I instructed the orphans and stray dogs to live together, encouraging them to form a bond. I told them to build relationships like siblings or parent and child. As the dogs grew, the orphans also grew as humans. The orphans developed the qualities suitable for attendants, and the dogs learned to understand human speech.”
 
Of course, I couldn’t say that the attendants were actually sacrifices for training excellent assassins, so I made up a plausible explanation.
 
“Oh, I see. So you created a synergistic effect by educating them simultaneously?”
 
“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
 
Synergistic effect? I wasn’t aiming for anything like that since I originally planned to kill them, but I’ll go along with that explanation.
 
“However, these dogs are exceptionally well-trained. I’d like to have such dogs myself, but…”
 
“I’ll give them to you, all six of them,”
 
I replied without hesitation. If he’d take the dogs, it would be perfect. I’d be freed from the dogs, and the king would be grateful to me. Nothing but benefits.
 
My attendants seemed a bit upset, but there’s nothing they can do against a royal order. They’ll have to endure it.
 
“…No, I won’t tear apart those who have grown up like siblings. Of course, I appreciate your loyalty in offering the dogs without hesitation.”
 
(I don’t need your appreciation; I want you to take the dogs.)
 
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud,
 
“Your words are too kind.”
 
so I replied,
 
“Well then, Duke. What do you say to engaging your daughter to Edward?”
 
Eh?
 
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty. But what does Prince Edward think?”
 
“Of course, I have no objections. I’m delighted to be engaged to such a wonderful lady.”
 
Prince Edward smiled at me. It was a completely different, gentle expression from when he broke off our engagement in my previous life.
 
That face I had wished would smile at me again.
 
However…
 
Looking closely, he’s not that handsome. Wouldn’t Oscar be somewhat better?
 
I’m well over thirty in terms of my mental age. Maybe that’s why I don’t feel the same excitement for Prince Edward as I did in my previous life. He seems somewhat unreliable. Compared to my attendants, he’s not trained at all. Wait, was he always like this?
 
“Selina, what do you think?”
 
the king suddenly asked me.
 
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty. There is no greater privilege. If you’ll have me, I’d be delighted.”
 
I responded reflexively, even managing to blush. It’s the result of constantly practicing the act I learned from Eleanor.
 
Although an engagement with Prince Edward was already a predetermined future, it’s much earlier than in my previous life.
 
“Well, now that you’re engaged, please bring those dogs with you next time. I’d love to play with them in the castle courtyard,”
 
the queen said, gazing at the dogs dreamily.
 
“Yes, I’d like to interact with those dogs too,”
 
Prince Edward added, looking at the dogs with passionate eyes.
 
…I don’t think I’ve ever been looked at like that in my previous life.
 
Could this engagement be just for the dogs? Am I just an extra that comes with the dogs?
 
“Actually, my wife, Edward, and I all love dogs. We’ve kept it a secret because if we made it public, our subjects might send us too many dogs as gifts. But if Selina likes dogs too, that’s different. Feel free to bring the dogs whenever you come to the castle.”
 
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
 
Wait a minute. I think I told Prince Edward in my previous life that I disliked dogs. Could it be that Prince Edward was hiding his love for dogs in front of me?
 
On the other hand, I remember Eleanor liked dogs and often fed strays.
 
Could dogs have been one of the reasons for the broken engagement? Is it because of the dogs?

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