Chapter 123: If Such a Day Comes (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 123: If Such a Day Comes (1)
Calian’s brow furrowed.
He had stayed put for two days without complaint. He had even decided to accept the indefinite house arrest. But wasn’t this a bit much?
“An escort knight, of all things.”
Lemain had sent escort knights to all three princes, breaking the royal rule that princes were not to be assigned personal escorts.
Of course, it was hard to call it an overreaction.
With his sons taking turns coughing up blood as if it were an annual tradition, Lemain could be seen as exercising considerable restraint by merely dispatching knights from Kaera. Frankly, Alan had been worried the King might replace all the guards of Chermil Palace with members of Kaera.
The Brissen family was unexpectedly quiet about it, likely because they were worried that Randel, having failed in his attempt on Brissen, might turn his blade toward Franz next.
The problem was that, to Calian, these knights were nothing more than a lock on his door.
“I told you, I’m just going for a short walk.”
“That is not permitted, Your Highness.”
He wanted to watch Valkan's training and meet with Arsen, but these stubbornly loyal knights refused to let him out. They explained that he would not be allowed to step outside until the full seven days recommended by Hina had passed.
“Should I challenge them to a fight?”
I’ll tell them I’ll listen if they can beat me.
Calian spoke the terrifying words with a glint in his eyes, causing Yan, who was standing nearby, to startle and try to soothe him in a hushed voice.
“What if you get hurt again?”
Hurt? Who’s going to get hurt?
Calian stared at Yan with that exact thought in his eyes.
In any case, Yan was always consistently Yan.
“You must rest. You can’t have Sir Kyrie carry you back on his back again. I will go fetch Sir Hertz myself.”
With a deep sigh, Calian finally headed toward the terrace.
For a split second, Yan wondered if Calian might leap over the railing and run away, but fortunately, the prince just sat down quietly in a terrace chair.
“I won’t run off, so just bring me a cup of tea.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll bring it right away.”
Relieved that Calian had given up on going out, Yan smiled and quickly left. Listening to the door close behind him, Calian spoke quietly to himself.
“This is stifling. I have a mountain of work to do, yet here I am, cooped up inside.”
Even Alan hadn't visited. Knowing that his presence would inevitably create more work, Alan was intentionally staying away to ensure Calian got some proper rest.
Of course, that didn't mean Calian wouldn't find a way to make work for himself. He wasn’t the type to just sit around wondering if life was even worth living when it was this boring.
First, I'll meet with Sir Hertz, then call Demirea for a brief chat. After that…
As Calian tapped his fingertips on the table, organizing the tasks he could manage while confined to his room—
“Meow!”
—a cat flew in from the terrace, instantly dispelling his boredom.
* * *
A sweet aroma wafted from the oatmeal cookies baked with raspberry jam.
Alan, chewing on a whole cookie, was listening to a story that was just as sweet.
A rumor was circulating about the relationship between the third prince of Kairis and the Young Duchess of Siegfried. It suggested that Calian and Demirea were betrothed, or at the very least, that their relationship was far from ordinary.
After swallowing, Alan took a sip of coffee and spoke slowly.
“Isn’t it only natural for such rumors to spread?”
Not only had they entered the ball together, but they had also sat apart from the others, conversing throughout the entire event. On top of that, Demirea had even detained Franz, protesting to the Brissen family that Calian had gone missing. Considering their status and abilities, it would be difficult to find a better match for either of them, and they were the exact same age.
It would be stranger if the gossip-loving nobles didn't start whispering.
“I am thinking of leaving it be without offering any clarification.”
“You intend to let the rumors stand, as if they are indeed betrothed?”
If the royal family showed no reaction, the nobles would undoubtedly accept it as fact.
“That is my thought. Though, of course, I must ask for Calian’s opinion first.”
“I shall pay Prince Calian a visit. But tell me, is this Your Majesty’s own greed, or is it for the prince’s sake?” Alan asked, a faint smile on his lips.
“You’re testing me again. Every time a topic like this arises, you look at me as if I were Calian’s rival.”
“I ask because I am curious whether you wish to increase your own power by making the House of Siegfried your in-laws, or if you intend to solidify Prince Calian’s position.”
Lemain replied calmly, showing no particular reaction. “Do not worry. I have no intention of using Siegfried for my own sake.”
Soon, Lemain took off his glasses, placed them on the table, and continued, “Thanks to those rumors, the useless chatter about Calian’s disappearance has died down, has it not? It is rather fortunate, especially when Marquis Brissen is being so tiresome about the matter.”
Alan nodded at this. He chewed and swallowed another oatmeal cookie before replying.
“If the narrative solidifies into what Marquis Brissen wants—that ‘Calian, overwhelmed by his duties as a prince, fled the capital and was dragged back’—it could become a massive flaw for Prince Calian in the future.”
“Thus, I would rather the nobles lose interest in the matter entirely. A rumor of betrothal is far better than having the prince’s prestige tarnished.”
Evan, who had been thoroughly played by Demirea, was desperate to blow the incident out of proportion. He demanded that the truth of what happened that day be brought to light to restore Brissen’s fallen honor and to determine whether Calian truly possessed the qualities of a prince.
“And if it actually leads to a state marriage, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either,” Lemain added.
Alan’s smile deepened. Calian would certainly be conscious of the actual age difference with Demirea, but more importantly, Demirea was not the type of person to abandon her ducal succession just to enter the royal palace.
“That will never happen, so don’t get your hopes up. The Young Duchess is not someone who would abandon Siegfried to play the role of a prince’s consort or a queen. Unless, of course, you plan to send your third son to the land of elephants—in which case, you might indeed look forward to a state marriage.”
“...Forget I said anything.”
“Are there no marriage proposals being discussed for Prince Randel?”
While Calian and Franz were not yet of age, Randel was about to turn nineteen. It was high time for talk of betrothal to surface.
“Of course there are. In fact, I am about to look into them. They have increased significantly since the news broke that Tensil and the Great Desert have joined hands.”
Lemain turned his head and pointed to a stack of scrolls on his desk. For a moment, Alan barely held back from asking for the list of names.
By law, a prince born to a foreign royal was strictly required to marry a domestic noble. In other words, Randel, who carried the blood of Tensil, could not marry someone from Tensil. If he did, the kingdom would undoubtedly fall into Tensil’s grasp.
This meant that the names on those scrolls were all Kairis nobles who supported Randel. It was only natural that Alan wanted to take this opportunity to confirm exactly who they were.
Noticing his interest, Lemain chuckled. “No.”
“I know.”
The selection of a prince’s consort was the exclusive prerogative of the King and Queen. Since there was no Queen, it was a matter for Lemain to decide entirely on his own, so Alan could not interfere.
Thus, upon being told the list was off-limits, Alan nodded in disappointed acceptance and popped another oatmeal cookie into his mouth.
“Instead, regarding the knight order we discussed last time—I will permit Count Aprin’s knights to be stationed at the Siegfried estate.”
“Yes. I shall deliver the news to Prince Calian when I ask him about the betrothal rumors.”
“I have always wondered,” Lemain said in a somewhat subdued voice, staring at Alan for a long moment. As Alan sat quietly, inviting him to speak, Lemain posed his question. “You said it would be interesting if a prince who resembled Sispanian knew how to use magic. That is what you said, correct?”
“Are you referring to when I first came to the royal palace?”
“Yes. The words you spoke when you offered to become Calian’s magic teacher. Do you remember?”
“How could I possibly forget?”
“...In that case, how far can I trust you?”
At those words, Alan’s expression shifted subtly.
“You certainly took your time asking that. You once asked me to take Prince Calian and flee if your own neck ever felt a bit too light, yet you ask me this only now?”
“At the time, I merely thought the bond between master and disciple was strong.” Saying this, Lemain set down his teacup. The soft clink of the cup echoed briefly in the office. “I did not realize it was strong enough to employ spies from Secritia to aid the prince.”
It seemed he had discovered that Secritian spies had assisted in Calian’s affairs. Whether he was unaware or simply choosing to feign ignorance, Lemain did not mention that there was also a spy among those who had attacked Calian.
“How did you find out?”
“I am not without ears. Of course, since they acted to help Calian, I will not bring any harm to the Crown Prince of Secritia. However, I wish to know the real reason you are helping Calian to this extent. Just how far can I trust you?”
“He is a disciple who is lovely and pitiable in every way. What other reason could there be? This old man is raising him as if he were my own blood, so do not worry,” Alan said, a smile gracing his lips. Then, he voiced the words he had always kept in his heart.
“Should Your Majesty ever try to block Prince Calian’s path, I might just choke the life out of you. But I will never stand against the prince.”
“...I see. That is a relief.”
Lemain, whose life had now been threatened by the mage sitting before him, nodded with an expression as if he had just heard the most reassuring words in the world.
* * *
He had said he disliked a boring life.
But he had never once wished to see the absurd sight of a cat falling from the sky.
“So…” Calian began, stroking the feline that had just landed on him—a cat that practically had ‘I am Prince Calian’s cat, but I prefer Prince Franz’ written on its forehead. “Why… the cat?”
Franz did not answer for a moment.
To be precise, Franz had intended to visit Calian’s room, but he had no intention of bringing the cat. He wasn’t that kind of person, nor did he have the leisure to carefully carry a cat down to the lower floor. It was broad daylight, after all.
When he heard Calian’s voice from the terrace below, he had set the cat down and jumped over the railing.
And the cat had jumped with him.
Recalling the sequence of events, Franz looked at Calian, who had caught the cat with effortless grace, and offered a perfect summary of the situation.
“It just happened.”
Taking that unfriendly response to mean, ‘I didn’t bring it on purpose, but unavoidable circumstances led to us coming together,’ Calian simply nodded.
“I understand. Please, sit.”
As Franz nodded and sat down, the cat—which was definitely Calian’s but preferred Franz—climbed onto his lap. No one would ever know how hard Calian struggled to hold back his laughter as he watched Franz naturally rest a hand on the cat.
“Now then, cat aside, why did you come, brother? And through the window again, at that.”
The reason for coming via the terrace in broad daylight was obvious. He was avoiding Lemain’s escort knights. This meant he had something to say that Lemain must not find out.
Franz’s light green eyes turned to Calian, who had just cast a Silent spell.
“Are you planning to bring in a knight order soon?”
“Which knight order do you mean?”
“The Count I summoned to Wilhelm Pavilion for you. It seemed he was forming a knight order for you to use.”
Calian’s eyes curved into a thin smile.
He had personally told Franz during last autumn’s hunting competition that he would be meeting with knightly families, including Aizen’s. Quite some time had passed since then, and he hadn't provided an update. As Franz said, he had merely arranged the meeting between Calian and Aizen during Lemain’s birthday festival.
“As expected, you’re very sharp, brother.”
“Spare me.”
Calian chuckled and nodded. “Yes. I plan to bring Count Aprin’s knight order into the capital soon. I thought it would be best to keep them inside the royal palace to keep Karen and Raon in check. Why do you ask?”
“Karen and Raon. I intend to take them.”
The two royal knight orders, Karen and Raon.
Franz, who had been choosing his words carefully, continued, “If I do, there’s no need to tie down a new knight order inside the palace, is there?”
“Not if you can properly control both of them, no.”
“I will. So I want you to have the new knight order for yourself.”
A strange light gleamed in Calian’s eyes.
This meant that instead of stationing the knight order he had worked so hard to gather inside the palace to counter the possibility of Karen and Raon turning on Lemain, he could simply make Aizen’s knight order his own personal force.
“Are you already preparing to raise a cat in Brissen? I did say I would give you Brissen, but I didn’t expect you to take action so quickly.”
“You told me to just raise a cat.”
“It seems I’ve received my own knight order as a gift in exchange for giving you Valkan. Very well. It is indeed better for me to have something directly in my hands rather than relying solely on the alliance with Siegfried. I shall do as you say.”
Saying this, Calian grinned and asked, “Shall I say it?”
“No need.”
And once again, the words of gratitude were omitted.