Chapter 185: Not Yet, But... (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Not Yet, But... (2)
Calian lowered his head.
His lips parted, a shaky breath escaping. His shoulders trembled, and then, unable to hold it back, a sound slipped out—a quiet, choked noise that was almost a sob.
And then, he burst into laughter.
A man long since driven mad, who had only ever known a world where sanity was a liability, laughed until he was breathless, his eyes fixed on the one person who must never break.
He laughed because his long-hidden madness had finally been discovered. He laughed because this new life was so absurdly tragic it brought tears to his eyes.
Why.
Am I.
Like this right now?
He swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
The laughter was a violent, unstoppable eruption, as if he were finally vomiting up everything he had swallowed for so long.
* * *
—It is Lennon Brissen, Your Highness.
Those were the words Calian had swallowed.
The words that had begun Melfir’s story when he had visited Calian just moments before.
A year ago, Calian had informed Evan that Lennon was backing Randel and demanded that Evan deal with his son personally. In exchange, Calian had offered to buy out the debt-ridden Brissen Trading Company.
Now that Lennon’s name had come up again, Calian demanded a more detailed explanation. As he did, a Silent barrier formed around them.
After confirming the translucent shield, which was invisible to anyone outside it, Melfir spoke.
"A few days ago, rumors began circulating that Marquis Brissen is inquiring about the whereabouts of Viscount Lennon Brissen. Now, there's talk that Lennon is alive and may soon return."
It was a false rumor.
There was no reason for Evan Brissen to be searching for Lennon, whom he had personally imprisoned in the basement of his own mansion. This meant Evan was spreading this nonsense for some ulterior motive.
"Does this affect the trading company?" Calian asked, probing for Evan’s intentions.
Melfir nodded slightly. "Yes, Your Highness. Because of the possibility of Lennon Brissen’s return, the nobles who had been forced to use the Polun Trading Company are now hesitating, waiting to see what happens."
In other words, the trading company’s profits were beginning to fall.
This wasn’t just a problem for the company. It also meant that the nobles who had been cautiously distancing themselves from the Brissens might flock back to their side.
But something felt off.
"Evan isn't the type to pull a stunt like this just to win back a few nobles who were on the fence."
Evan couldn't reveal the truth of why and where Lennon had disappeared. He had shared a Seal of Oath with Alan, who had brokered the deal at the time.
Of course, the seal was meant to keep Silike from finding Lennon, so as long as neither side revealed the truth, there wouldn't be a problem.
But no matter how secure that contract was…
Could it be safer than keeping Lennon locked in his own basement?
"And even if he brings Lennon back and reestablishes the trading company, it won't bring any immediate benefit to Marquis Brissen."
Not only would it bring no benefit, but Evan had never approved of Lennon's business in the first place. He had always complained that a trading company was unbefitting a family of knights. Despite his greed, Evan had sold the company in an instant, which showed just how much of an eyesore he considered it.
"What reason could he have to drag Lennon out now?" Calian muttered, sinking into thought. A moment later, a soft "Ah" escaped him as he looked back at Melfir.
"Baron Polun, continue as you have been. Pay the rumors no mind."
Though his expression showed he had figured it out, Calian didn't elaborate. There was no need for Melfir to know about his recent schemes.
He knows Gray is coming.
Evan had learned that Gray was returning to the capital.
It made sense. Evan was a man who trusted his own children least of all. If he had planted spies in Margrave Brissen's territory, especially close to Gray, obtaining that information wouldn't have been difficult.
Because Gray had hidden the truth himself, Evan was still unaware that his son was no longer a Sword Master. Therefore, if Evan had heard that the Vice-Commander of Valkan had joined forces with Gray, a Sword Master, spreading such a rumor was a plausible countermove.
If he named Lennon—his "precious son, finally found after a year"—as the new young lord of the Brissen family, Gray wouldn't be able to rally any support when he returned to the capital.
Calian clicked his tongue.
Evan’s behavior was utterly infuriating.
He’s not even considering that this could end his family line.
Wasn't Evan the one who, terrified that Gray might turn his sword on him, had sent his son far away as a Margrave rather than keeping him close to teach him the family's swordsmanship? This time would be no different.
"If I'm right, even if Marquis Brissen brings the Viscount back, he won't set up the trading company for him again. It won't pose a major problem for the Polun Trading Company, so let's just wait and see. I will inform you if anything changes."
Though he didn't fully understand, Melfir had no reason to object. He expressed his gratitude and departed.
After he left, Calian remained standing in the same spot for a long time, his brow furrowed despite the reassurance he had given Melfir.
Still, I never thought he’d actually consider bringing Lennon Brissen back out.
It was a mixture of surprise and annoyance. Evan was even more reckless than he had anticipated.
Like father, like son. Gray was no different.
All they had ever known was greed.
There was no way Gray would stand by while Evan made Lennon the young lord. It could easily devolve into a three-way battle between the father and his two sons over a single marquisate.
Of course, Calian had no reason to oppose the three of them tearing each other apart. However, the one who survived had to be Gray Brissen.
Until Franz turned twenty and could leave the palace, Gray had to support the House of Marquis Brissen as the "Sword Master" succeeding Evan. For that reason, Gray had to stay alive for now.
Calian had already asked Arsen to send a letter, warning Gray not to act rashly. But there was no guarantee Gray would listen.
I might have to move up the timeline.
To resolve this decisively, he had to get rid of Evan quickly. But to do that, one other thing had to be dealt with first.
Zeon.
They had struck the moment Euria left Kairisis, as if they had been waiting. He couldn't commit his full strength to dealing with Evan while leaving those bastards at his back. To prevent the country from descending into chaos in the aftermath of Evan's sudden death, he had to prepare for Zeon as well.
To save Franz, he had to eliminate Evan. To eliminate Evan, he needed Gray. To stop Evan from killing Gray, he had to move up the timeline. And to do that, he had to figure out Zeon.
That was why he was in such a hurry.
That was why he had tried to find Chase.
He wasn't ignorant of Chase's situation. He had simply deemed the information necessary despite it. It was a choice made by weighing Franz's heart against Chase's, a decision that felt like gouging out his own rotting core all over again.
* * *
The laughter stopped.
Silence fell. Not a sound came from Calian or Franz. Kyrie couldn't tell if Calian had noticed his approach and cast Silent, or if they were both simply quiet. He only knew one thing: he shouldn't go to Calian right now.
Standing in the hallway, Kyrie lowered the hand he had raised to knock and turned around. He spoke to Yan, whose face was pale with alarm from Calian's sudden outburst.
"I think it would be best if we pretend we didn't hear anything."
It was a request not to ask what was said, and a suggestion not to dwell on what was happening inside.
Hearing this, Yan spoke quietly.
"Kyrie."
"Yes."
Kyrie's expression was grim. He worried Yan would ask about the laughter, as he couldn't share the details about Chase.
Fortunately, Yan was not one to pry into matters Calian kept private. This time was no exception.
"Do you remember the servant named Relic? Prince Franz's senior servant."
"Yes, I know of him."
Yan nodded a few times and let out a long sigh. He gestured toward the large, ornate door. "Relic told me today that Prince Franz lowered his window curtains. He said the prince is eating well, training diligently again, and checking on the knights every day. He was so happy, so relieved."
Though spoken like a monologue, Kyrie understood perfectly. A small doubt formed in his mind. He didn't understand why Yan, after hearing that chilling laughter, was bringing up Franz's recovery.
"But I couldn't bring myself to say it was good news. The words wouldn't come out."
It wasn't that he disliked Franz's improvement or Calian's decision to reach out to him. Yan would follow Calian's lead, no matter how he chose to treat Franz. His inability to share Relic's joy stemmed from something else.
"Until last year, our prince couldn't even look the other princes in the eye. But then he made some kind of resolution and changed overnight. It happened suddenly, not long before you arrived. He looked in the mirror, cut his bangs, and began to carry himself with confidence. That was the beginning of the man he is today. But… seeing him change like this now makes me so anxious."
Kyrie didn't know what to say. If Yan had doubted Calian, Kyrie would have made any excuse necessary, but that wasn't it at all.
"He seems more precarious than ever. More than the year before, more than I've ever seen him. I don't know what to do."
It was as if a single misstep would send him plunging into a bottomless abyss.
Calian never showed weakness, especially not to Yan. What Yan described was purely his own intuition. And since Yan could read Calian's inner state better than anyone, he was probably right.
"Just as the prince once said, it feels like he's barely standing on the edge of a blade. I can't just be happy about this. I want to feel relieved like Relic, but I just can't."
He had known instantly that the laughter from behind the door was not born of joy. He didn't know what had caused such an emotional outburst, but the reason didn't matter to Yan. He was simply worried.
"Today's matter is the same," Yan said, recalling what had happened after Melfir left. "The very first thing the prince said after his conversation with Baron Polun ended keeps weighing on my mind."
Kyrie nodded.
—There will be rumors about Marquis Brissen. Make sure those stories do not reach my brother's ears. Absolutely not.
It was an order to keep Relic quiet.
Royalty heard the rumors of Astrisha Street through their servants. Calian himself learned much from Yan—not out of curiosity, but for survival. Relic would naturally be doing the same for Franz. The devious Evan would never speak of such matters to Franz, but Relic would.
That was why Yan had met with Relic and, without knowing the full reason, had vaguely persuaded him: "It's for Prince Franz's sake, so please cooperate." Relic had agreed simply because it was Calian's request, saying he trusted Calian would never harm Franz. He had added that he was incredibly happy lately, as Franz had changed so much thanks to Calian.
And that was why Yan couldn't share his joy.
"He will be fine," Kyrie said, his voice more of a wish than a statement. It meant that since Calian had chosen this path himself, he would hold on without falling.
Realizing this, the baby elephant nodded quietly. "Since he insists on walking such a path, we have no choice but to believe in him, do we?"
Having seen firsthand what Calian had sacrificed to protect Franz, Kyrie had also put aside his own complicated feelings. "Yes," he said. "We do."