The nominal father still wanted to struggle, saying, "How can we simply hand over the foundation laid by our ancestors to others?" Even the First Prince looked at his own father with the expression one might reserve for an idiot. If they didn’t hand it over, could they hold onto it themselves? Before he knew the true depth of things, he still harbored a few illusions, but now, the First Prince had completely lost any desire to compete with his nominal 18th brother.
The Imperial Advisor spoke with profound meaning: "You don't understand. The divination cast by the old Imperial Advisor years ago might not have been interpreted correctly. Being told you were a man of great fortune might have little to do with you personally. You were told to go to the Mie Kingdom to pay tribute and seek a marriage with a princess; though you didn't get a princess, you did get a maid. It seems now that woman was merely a foil, and perhaps it was this 18th Prince you were meant to 'marry' into your life."
"Noble Consort Ya was very likely pregnant with an Innate child. Don't forget, she was only eleven when she gave birth to him. Many girls haven't even developed by that age. Therefore, this child couldn't possibly belong to the Mie Kingdom. Even if such an exceptional child were from the Mie Imperial Dynasty, they wouldn't covet our meager assets, because it wouldn't be worth the effort. From all indications, this 18th Prince has no ties to them."
Chapter 275