WALTER...
WHAT IS ALL THIS?
IT'S SO EXTRAVAGANT.
DRAGGED HERE WITHOUT WARNING
YOUR MAJESTY.
PROVOKING SOMEONE LIKE THAT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
DUKE WHEATON IS FAR MORE CUNNING THAN HE APPEARS.
IT WASN'T A WISE CHOICE TO MAKE HIM YOUR ENEMY.
COULD IT BE?
IS HE HERE TO SCOLD HIS CHILDISH QUEEN?
ENTRUSTING THE ENTIRE DUCHY TO RUTHERFORD WHILE GRANTING WHEATON THE TITLE OF ROYAL PRECEPTOR...
...MUST HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY HUMILIATING FOR HIM.
AH, WELL...
AFTER BEING PUBLICLY DISGRACED LIKE THAT, HE'LL SURELY HARBOR IMMENSE HOSTILITY TOWARD YOU.
WELL... I DO HAVE MY REASONS FOR DOING THAT.
THIS IS BAD.
HE'S ANGRY.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THIS NOW?
YOU SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED ME BEFOREHAND.
OKAY, I GET IT.
STOP DOING THIS! IF YOU'RE ANGRY, THEN JUST YELL AT ME OR SOMETHING!
AH, I FEEL A BIT BETTER NOW.
I PROVOKED DUKE WHEATON ON PURPOSE.
I FIGURED IT WOULD TAKE THAT MUCH TO MOVE HIM.
MOVE HIM? HOW SO? AND WHY?
WELL...
THE THING IS...
WHY DID I PROVOKE VAUGHN WHEATON?
BECAUSE IN EVERY LIFE I'VE LIVED,
HE'S BETRAYED PHARNAS IN FAVOR OF THE EMPIRE.
A MAN WHO BETRAYED HIS HOMELAND THREE TIMES ISN'T GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THE FOURTH.
STILL, I CAN'T PUNISH HIM FOR A CRIME HE HASN'T COMMITTED YET.
Port Fortmeier
SO INSTEAD, I TOSSED OUT BAIT HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RESIST.
NOW THE QUESTION IS... WHAT WILL THE ENRAGED DUKE WHEATON DO?
WILL HE SWEAR LOYALTY TO ME OR TURN AGAINST ME?
HOW...
...DO I CONVEY ALL OF THIS TO HIM?
UM, WELL, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN...
I CAN'T JUST BLURT OUT THAT THIS IS MY FOURTH LIFE!
BUT I CAN'T IGNORE HIS QUESTION EITHER...
NO, NO.
WHAT DO I SAY?
HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS?
THIS MIGHT SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT WILL YOU BELIEVE ME?
YES.
THERE'S A CHANCE THAT VAUGHN WHEATON IS AN IMPERIAL SPY.
YOU SAY THAT WITH SUCH CERTAINTY... DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION I'M UNAWARE OF?
NO,
IT'S A GUT FEELING.
I-I CAN'T LOSE STEAM NOW. THE MORE ABSURD MY REASON IS, THE MORE CERTAIN I MUST BE!
WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE THIS, MY INTUITION RARELY FAILS ME.
KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON WHEATON FROM NOW ON.
YOUR... MAJESTY...
SINCE YOU SPEAK WITH SUCH CONVICTION, I WILL TRUST YOU FOR NOW.
OOH...!
CRISIS AVERTED...
I SHOULD START MAKING PREPARATIONS.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS,
WE'LL HANDLE IT WITH FULL FORCE.
Episode 23
TSK.
HOW ANNOYING.
BLONDE HAIR AND THE GARB OF THE WESTERN DESERT...
HAH,
SHE'S JUST LIKE THAT CRAZY WENCH.
WITH A MOTHER LIKE THAT, IT'S NO WONDER THE DAUGHTER TURNED OUT THE SAME.
THE APPLE NEVER FALLS FAR FROM THE TREE.
THE COMMANDER MUST HAVE BEEN SEDUCED BY WHAT'S BETWEEN HER LEGS!
P-PLEASE CALM DOWN, YOUR GRACE.
DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN BE CALM RIGHT NOW?!
I ALREADY WASN'T FOND OF IT WHEN SHE STARTED CONSPIRING WITH RUTHERFORD,
AND NOW SHE HUMILIATES ME LIKE THIS...!
ROYAL PRECEPTOR?
HA!
WHO WOULD WANT TO MENTOR THE CHILD OF SOME LOWBORN HARLOT?
I WAS WILLING TO HELP HER ASCEND TO THE THRONE.
SHE'S JUST A NAIVE LITTLE GIRL WHO HAS NO IDEA HOW THE WORLD WORKS.
I THOUGHT I'D PLAY THE ROLE OF LOYAL RETAINER FOR A WHILE, THEN MARRY INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT.
I'M A BACHELOR, AND I'M ONLY 43 YEARS OLD.
HER BACKGROUND IS UNFORTUNATE, BUT SHE'S PRETTY ENOUGH THAT I COULD TOLERATE IT.
BUT NOW...
THAT DAMNED WOMAN THINKS SHE CAN TREAT ME LIKE THIS?!
DUKE KIEL, THE ONLY MAN TRULY WORTHY OF THE THRONE, HAS FALLEN INTO RUIN.
AND THAT OLD PIG, RUTHERFORD, CAN BARELY MANAGE HER OWN LANDS.
AND COUNT BOUVEHAL? THAT GEEZER WILL PROBABLY CROAK BEFORE THE CORONATION.
NO ONE IN THIS COUNTRY IS WORTHY OF THE THRONE.
PHARNAS HAS NO FUTURE.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STAY ABOARD A SINKING SHIP.
YOU SAID THE EMPIRE CONTACTED US A FEW DAYS AGO, DIDN'T YOU?
YES, YOUR GRACE. THEY REACHED OUT UNDER THE PRETENSE OF INSPECTING A BRIDGE,
BUT GIVEN THAT THE PERSON WHO MADE CONTACT WAS CLOSE TO THE CROWN PRINCE, IT APPEARED THEY HAD ANOTHER MOTIVE.
ARRANGE A MEETING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YES, YOUR GRACE.
AND...
BRING THAT BLONDE GIRL...
...TO THE ESTATE.
SHE RESEMBLES THAT WOMAN ENOUGH TO BE THE PERFECT OUTLET FOR MY STRESS.
CLEAN HER UP AND BRING HER TO MY BEDROOM.
When the Queen admits she deliberately humiliated and provoked Duke Wheaton, Walter becomes furious. The Queen says she knows Wheaton betrays Pharnas for the Empire in every life, and that she threw out bait to force him into action. She hides the truth, claims her instincts are strong, and asks for Wheaton to be watched. The enraged Wheaton hurls insults and arranges a meeting with the Empire.
