Chapter 199: I'm Going to Raise a Dog (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: I'm Going to Raise a Dog (6)
He could clearly feel the warm breeze on his skin.
—I’m glad it was of help.
The hood of his white robe, pulled low just moments ago, suddenly felt cumbersome. Chase pushed it back, revealing his face. Above him, the dawn glowed with a light that perfectly matched his eyes. In the sky, the newly rising sun and the not-yet-sunken moon hung together.
—Come to think of it, it’s quite a wondrous sight.
Chase, already mounted on his horse, looked up at the white moon in the twilight and spoke.
—What do you find so wondrous? Calian’s voice echoed in his mind.
Chase smiled gently. It was quite different from the voice he’d heard in his dreams, yet there were still striking similarities.
Once again, Chase had been the one to initiate contact. Although it was early, with both the sun and moon still in the sky, Calian—who surely loved his morning sleep—had replied immediately. He shared what he had discovered thanks to the materials received from Chase a few days prior, expressing his gratitude.
In other words, Calian still couldn’t bring himself to start a conversation, even though he clearly had things to say. It wasn’t reluctance, but rather an inability to take that first step. Not yet.
Sensing this, Chase had used Teilan’s help once more to call upon Calian in the quiet of the dawn, when nothing was likely to happen. After receiving Calian’s thanks, he had brought up the first thing that caught his eye, calling it wondrous.
With his gaze still fixed on the sky, Chase gave a slightly delayed reply.
—That the sun is rising, yet the moon and stars haven’t set. That they can all be seen together.
Waking someone just to say something so trivial. Yet, Calian listened attentively and offered a thoughtful reply.
—Isn’t it because it’s neither fully bright nor fully dark that they can all be seen together?
Because it was neither too bright nor too dark, they could all shine as one. Hearing this, Chase let out a soft chuckle.
—I like it more than I thought. To my eyes, this is much better to look at. It feels… comfortable.
—I’m glad it brings you comfort.
Calian’s voice was filled with warmth. Chase’s comment—that seeing everything together in a dimmer light seemed better—felt like a reflection of his own state of mind. It sounded as though he meant it was better to share a burden, little by little, rather than keep it a perfect secret. Even if that wasn’t his intention, that’s how it sounded.
—Yes. Shining all on one’s own is simply too bright. It makes you squint and take a step back. This is much better. For me, at least.
At this, Chase heard Calian chuckle. Without saying more, Chase rode his horse in silence for a moment.
In the far distance, the faint, black silhouette of a mountain loomed. As he guided his horse toward it, Calian’s cautious voice reached him.
—There is one thing I would like to ask you.
—Go ahead. Anything, anytime.
No matter when the question came or what it was, it would never matter.
—I was wondering if Your Royal Highness remembers why the relationship between Prince Randel and Prince Franz fell apart. I know that after they both became kings, the relationship between our two countries was quite good, but looking at them now, it's a wonder a war hasn't broken out.
He really does ask about anything, Chase thought.
The fact that Calian had opened up enough to ask about his own brothers’ affairs felt gratifying. It would be even better if he could open up just a bit more—enough to initiate the conversation himself.
—Well, I don’t know much about that either. Should I send some birds to your brothers for you?
—No, that’s quite alright.
The immediate refusal to his joke made Chase laugh out loud. Sir Teilan, riding at the head of the group, glanced back with a pleased expression before turning forward again. Chase was certainly laughing more these days, and the frequency with which he reached for wine out of habit had decreased. However, one thing still worried him.
Will he be alright after returning to the palace? That is my concern.
Devlan.
Would Chase be alright after returning to where he was?
Whether he was aware of Teilan’s worry or not, Chase stopped laughing and spoke again.
—No matter how deep the rift, they are not the type to show it outwardly. So we… Secritia wouldn’t have known.
Stopping himself from saying “we,” Chase recalled Randel, who had once said it was better to destroy a rose that grew beyond one’s control.
—With time, won’t you eventually learn what you’re curious about? If you still can’t find out by then, just let me know. I’ll send some birds for you.
—Please, restrain yourself, Calian replied with a laugh.
It was amusing, hearing the Crown Prince of Secritia and a Prince of Kairis talk so casually about sending spies. He also laughed because he knew that if he were to ask, Chase would truly send them without a moment’s hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
—Randel… I don’t know whether to call him young or experienced. What lay within him was neither simple anger nor simple greed. So, what should I call it?
During their brief encounter, Chase had seen through much of Randel’s true nature and had warned him. However, that didn’t mean he could grasp Randel’s past or read his mind, so he was of little help with Calian’s current question.
—He is a complicated man. I actually met him not long ago and offered to help him, and he agreed. So it’s something I’ll find out in time. I just asked out of idle curiosity.
As Calian spoke, he recalled his recent meeting with Randel. The scent of bergamot tea came to mind, along with Randel’s words. That day, Randel had asked if Calian wasn’t worried that Franz would betray him. Calian had replied with Randel’s own potential betrayal in mind.
That it didn’t matter.
—Do you truly intend to embrace everything and carry it all? Chase’s voice was laced with concern.
—Yes. I truly intend to embrace it all. Because that’s the only thing I know how to do.
Calian replied with a smile. He knew that Alan, Chase, Kyrie, Arsen, and even Franz were all worrying about him in their own ways.
He continued.
—I hope you don’t worry too much. I’m not as soft as you might fear, and as you know, I have many people willing to share my burdens. Just recently, Your Royal Highness added another to that list.
I’ve been caught, Chase thought, chuckling. Calian had realized that Chase had intentionally drawn Arsen in to learn his secret.
—I heard you don’t intend to stay in Chermil Palace forever. To leave, you’ll need someone to serve as a stepping stone, won’t you? That’s why I was a bit willful. To gain someone’s complete trust, you must first show them everything.
He meant that he had meddled so Arsen could sincerely help Calian, thereby aiding his journey to Camillon. It was almost frightening to imagine Arsen following Calian with even more sincerity than he already did, but instead of saying that, Calian simply expressed his gratitude.
Having concluded that part of the conversation, Chase looked into the distance.
—Today, in just a little while…
A beautiful mountain, its peaks beginning to blush crimson in the rising sun, came into view.
—…we will arrive.
A place where summers are long and winters are short; where stars fall instead of heavy snow; a land of green mountains and deep valleys. A place where flowers bloom in wide fields and moonlight shines upon the vast sea.
To the truly beautiful Secritia.
—…Yes. You’ve worked hard.
Calian, who had been keeping track of the days, had guessed as much the moment he heard Chase’s voice so early in the morning. Though there was still a considerable distance to the Secritia Royal Palace, crossing the border meant he was truly returning. Regretful, Chase must have called him to hear his reply and soothe his reluctant steps.
—So, what will you do next, Prince Calian? Do you plan to meet the Grand Elder?
—My relationship with the elves went a bit awry last year. Because of that, it seems His Majesty and the Elf Grand Elder will be meeting. I suspect it will be around the beginning of next year, and I’ve asked His Majesty to allow me to be present. To be precise, I asked my Master to convey the message for me.
The beginning of next year.
Repeating the date to himself, Chase nodded and spoke.
—Still, it’s a relief that Sir Manasil is with you, Prince Calian. He seems to be a great source of strength.
—Yes. I am truly grateful for him.
Calian was about to say that he hoped Teilan would become such a person for Chase, but he held his tongue. He felt that if he said such a thing, Chase would make a conscious effort to treat Teilan that way just to satisfy his wish. He wanted Chase to rely on Teilan out of his own need, not out of obligation.
After exchanging a few more words, they ended their conversation. They had spoken for quite a while, and before they knew it, the sun had fully risen.
By the time the sun had climbed halfway up the sky, they took a brief rest and set off again. After some more time had passed…
“You took so long, I thought I’d lost my fiancé.”
A voice rang out, as welcoming as it was bittersweet. It was a voice that welcomed him back to Secritia just as much as he regretted leaving Kairis.
“Arianne.”
Chase smiled, his expression softening.
With a bright smile of her own, Arianne offered her hand to congratulate the Crown Prince on his safe return.
“You’ve worked hard, Your Royal Highness.”
* * *
From this point on, it would be difficult for Chase to control the flow of information.
Therefore, Devlan would undoubtedly receive a report.
That Crown Prince Chase had veered off the path to the royal palace and gone to the sea.
Swoosh…
The sound of waves, evoking a laugh he had heard once before, reached his ears. Not the sound of water crashing on a sandy beach, but the clear sound of small, round pebbles rolling as they were washed by the tide.
The sea, which they reached only after nightfall, was the same as always. Though it was not the small beach he had longed to see, the sea was always peaceful, and that alone was enough.
“You didn’t have to come all this way to meet me. The Marquis must have worried again,” Chase said after deeply inhaling the salty air for a long moment.
“I came because I wanted to see my fiancé, so what does it matter? Besides, if Mother worried about things like this, she would have collapsed long ago.”
Arianne looked up at Chase. Her jewel-like eyes, which seemed to capture the sunset at its most beautiful moment, gazed into his, which held the twilight of dawn.
“Has your mind… become a bit more at ease? You look like it has. Or maybe not? I can’t tell.”
“Arianne.”
“Yes?”
A person who was terrifyingly fierce when angry.
“Arianne.”
“Yes?”
Boundlessly strict when scolding.
“…Arianne.”
“Yes?”
And infinitely tender when worrying about him.
Chase leaned down slightly, resting his forehead against the shoulder of the woman standing before him. He liked the feeling of her long, dark-chocolate curls tickling his skin.
Closing his eyes at the pleasant sensation, a whisper escaped his lips.
“I left something behind.”
Instead of asking what it was, Arianne raised a hand and gently patted his back.
“Should I go find it for you?”
“No. I shouldn’t do that. I had to leave it behind.”
“Is it very important to you?”
“Very.”
“Should I go find it for you?”
At the repeated question, Chase smiled softly, still leaning against her. He smiled because he knew that if he asked, she truly would go find it. Instead of asking, he gave the same answer once more.
“No. I had to leave it behind, so I did.”
“I see.”
Even at these words, which explained nothing, Arianne simply continued to pat his back. After a long moment, Chase spoke quietly again.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“I know. You have to be fine. I’m here, after all.”
Chase smiled.
And with that smile, he began to tell her a story.
The small hand patting his back paused for a moment, then resumed its steady rhythm. It continued until his long story finally came to an end.