Chapter 245: That Heart (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 245: That Heart (5)
Whispers.
After his lunch invitation was flatly rejected, Calian returned from stuffing himself with the meat pies and cookies Alan had provided. Afterward, he met with Arsen for a long conversation.
That evening, someone who was unmistakably Gray Brissen sneaked into the palace to meet with Randel.
After parting with Randel, Gray boarded his carriage, but it remained stationary for a long while. The carriage door opened and closed, though no one got in or out. But in the grand scheme of things, no one paid much attention to such a minor detail, let alone why the carriage didn't depart immediately.
The news of Gray's secret visit merely threw the House of Marquis Brissen into an uproar; it was not enough to set Astrisha Street, packed with nobles, ablaze with gossip.
For Astrisha was currently buzzing with far more exciting news than that.
– Now that the Queen's rank has truly been demoted…
– The attire worn by the 'Black Cat' at the memorial ceremony was…
– And on that day, 'that brooch' was given to the 2nd Prince…
The mere fact that Freya's memorial event had taken place would have been enough to set tongues wagging, but Calian's actions during the ceremony created a massive wave that swept through the city. And before the fever surrounding the Black Cat could even cool, another rumor—one massive enough to be called a typhoon—swept through the populace.
– But I hear the cat has been visiting the elephant's house quite often lately.
The repercussions were far too great to be dismissed as a mere romantic rumor.
This carried a significance far beyond presenting an ornament resembling a tiara, entering a banquet hall together, or tacitly confirming engagement rumors by refusing to deny them.
– It means there's absolutely no room to doubt their alliance.
– If that's the case, then inevitably…
– Yes. Inevitably.
– The Black Cat will break the wings of the Golden Griffin.
Even though the Crown Prince had not been announced, and even though neither side had ever officially confirmed their betrothal, Siegfried had somehow become Calian's staunch supporter, an unquestionable ally.
So, had Calian really continued to visit the Duke's mansion solely to play the role of ‘delicious bait’?
"I am here to see the 3rd Prince."
Having finished her contemplation on that very question, Demirea visited the royal palace.
– Right now, the kind Prince is teaching magic.
Hina, whom she met at Chermil Palace, relayed a message from Merlin. To be precise, it was less about teaching magic and more about supervising mana manipulation.
When Demirea replied that she would wait, Hina nodded and signed:
– Then, while we wait, let's take a walk together. I figured the Young Duchess has been shuttling between the training ground and the study again.
With that, she dragged the troubled Demirea out to a small path in the rear garden of Chermil Palace. Though Demirea would have preferred to stroll by the lake, she couldn't head that way, as Calian's presence was required to access it.
– Summer flowers are filled with sunlight, but I like how autumn flowers seem to hold the wind.
Hina, smiling brightly at the sight of blooming orange wildflowers swaying back and forth, looked up at Demirea.
"Is that so?"
Demirea, who had lived her life thinking that seasons simply changed when they changed, flowers bloomed when they bloomed, and withered when they withered, merely nodded with a stoic expression.
Whether or not she knew that Demirea had come to the palace with the firm intention of calling off the engagement, Hina, who had spoken so peacefully of flowers holding sunlight and wind, smiled brightly and moved her hands again.
– Cheer up. It's such a lovely day, why do you look so angry?
At the gentle question, Demirea revealed her inner thoughts.
"Rather than being angry, I am concerned that Siegfried has begun to be swayed by the Prince's will, moving exactly as he desires. I have reached the limit of what I can do to assist, so I came to tell him to stop here. What our family offered the Prince was a shield, not a sword."
Instead of pointing out that the Prince was someone who would turn anything he held into a weapon—likely using even a single flower as a sword, let alone a shield—Hina signed something else.
– If he unilaterally broke his promise, then the kind Prince is indeed in the wrong. But, Young Duchess, aside from the circumstances between the two of you, there was something I wanted to tell you.
Hina's black eyes shone clearly.
– I don't know much about politics. But while I think being dragged around is bad, I don't think swaying is necessarily a bad thing.
Saying so, Hina pointed to a single flower and continued.
– This flower isn't being dragged by the wind; it sways with it to bear its fruit. Because bearing fruit is the most important thing for this flower.
Swaying in the wind to scatter its pollen, and thus bearing fruit. To send its pollen further, it doesn't stand rigidly against the wind but sways with it. It does so because the very purpose of its blooming is the fruit.
– If it had another important purpose besides bearing fruit, it would be fine for this flower not to sway. But if it forgets to bear fruit, and without knowing what else it wants, blindly resists just to avoid swaying, this flower will only wither away without any meaning.
With a gentle smile, Hina looked at Demirea.
– Swaying for a reason, or standing firm for a reason—neither is wrong. But I believe it's wrong to resist swaying for its own sake, without ever considering why you shouldn't. That's just a habit.
Stagnant water rots.
The horseshoes of a horse that has stopped running rust.
– Young Duchess, have you ever thought about why you must not sway?
The steadfast conviction maintained for five hundred years was grand, but it had stagnated. It had stagnated to the point where they could no longer distinguish the reason for that steadfastness, or if they had simply remained steadfast for the sake of being steadfast.
– It is fine if you choose not to move, and it is fine if you walk toward a place you have never been before. But I hope you will first think about what it is that you want.
Why must Siegfried not move?
For what reason were they trying not to sway?
Hina was suggesting that it was time to think about those questions.
* * *
– Did you think everything in the world would go your way?
Calian's smile deepened.
Franz's brow furrowed.
– Do not forget. There will always be variables.
The voice of someone who had left him with just as many things to remember as reasons to hate echoed in his mind. Calian paused and lowered his eyes.
"What is it?" Franz asked, looking at Calian, who had fallen deep into thought the moment they finished training.
Calian didn't seem to hear him, standing frozen as if nailed to the spot. Having practically memorized Calian's expressions, Franz knew exactly what kind of reaction he showed when remembering a certain someone. He let out a short sigh.
"Why is my dear brother thinking about that snake again?"
What on earth was he remembering?
Realizing that Franz had read his mind, Calian finally raised his head. Knowing that trying to hide it would only fuel unnecessary speculation, he answered honestly.
"Because I need it."
"Need what?"
"Possibilities."
"Honorifics."
"Possibilities, brother."
Calian, who had casually slipped into informal speech and then corrected himself without a shred of remorse, smiled faintly.
"I was calculating the various possibilities that might arise in the future, and he came to mind. After all, I've survived this long on what I learned from that snake; I can't very well forget it, can I?"
There was no telling how far Franz's thoughts reached, just as there was no telling how far Calian's thoughts spread. Calian, who had recalled Devlan's warning about variables while weighing every single possibility of his current plans, spoke as if it were nothing.
"It's nothing you need to worry about. It's not a memory I want to avoid, but a necessary one."
"Honorifics."
"A necessary one, brother."
Sighing once more at his younger brother, who became exceptionally insolent whenever he drew upon the knowledge of that Secritian royal brother, Franz began to walk.
"Have you decided on a name for the cat?"
"Not yet."
"It's been a week."
"Lucy took longer."
As in, Lucy had gone without a name for much longer.
"You told me not to show favoritism." At the response, which implied he was taking his time because Lucy might feel left out if he hastily named the kitten, Franz let out a small laugh.
"I suppose so. You use Lucy as an excuse, but since this is the very first precious thing that belongs solely to 'my brother,' it must be a difficult decision."
"I thought you wouldn't bark, since you're playing the cat."
"Since you won't even name a cat carelessly… how incredibly meticulous my brother is."
"…I'm not."
"If it's too difficult, shall I name it for you? How about Nabi?"
"No."
Cutting Calian off without hesitation, Franz turned his head. He looked straight at Calian and said, "Don't bark uselessly to distract me."
"Did I do that?"
"You don't have to."
"Understood."
Knowing that Franz's warning was his way of telling him he didn't need to force himself to be a distraction from his thoughts of Devlan, Calian answered obediently. Yet, unable to suppress a sudden curiosity, he spoke up.
"Then how about I bark usefully?"
"Ha."
As if deeming it unworthy of a reply, Franz simply walked out of the training ground. Smiling again at the sight of his youthful back, Calian began to seriously ponder whether he had ever barked usefully before.
Thanks to that, the memories of Devlan that had filled his mind slowly drifted away.
* * *
Receiving a cup of lemon tea with plenty of honey, Calian smiled.
"Am I still deep in thought?"
Though it was an odd question, Yan nodded without hesitation. "Yes. You still look like you have a lot on your mind."
"I should reflect on that."
"Lea was like that too, and now even you look so preoccupied, Your Highness. It makes me worry."
"Did you meet Demirea?"
"Yes. But it seems she didn't come to see you, Your Highness. She only met with the healer, Sir Bern, and left."
Late in the evening, Calian had been trying to enjoy a moment of leisure after finishing his daily routine. Hearing the unexpected news, he spoke. "I see. I don't know what Hina said to her, but it is indeed time for Demirea to sort out her thoughts."
Having roughly guessed why Demirea had come and why she had turned back, Calian wore an enigmatic smile. Then, nodding, he opened his mouth to speak.
"Once this matter is settled, I should—!"
But his sentence was cut short.
A variable.
An unpredictable event.
Something whose nature and timing could not be foreseen.
Such an event had occurred.
Thump!
His heart lurched violently.
Calian stopped speaking and bolted upright. A cold, sharp edge gleamed in his red eyes.
In the brief moment it took for Yan's head to snap up toward him—
Crash!
The sound of shattering glass.
"Your Highness!" Relic's frantic shout.
Patter, patter!
And the sound of someone running echoed simultaneously.
Before the sounds could even fade, Calian, already standing on the terrace railing, shot a dark red light from his fingertips. A sharp blade, looking as if a chunk of a sword had been sheared off, precisely severed an intruder's leg.
A short, sharp scream rang out.
"Kyrie. Pick up what fell outside," a freezing voice commanded.
It was directed at Kyrie, who must have felt the killing intent just as Calian had and would be listening for his voice with absolute focus.
Yan sprang from his seat, but Calian was already gone.
A sudden disturbance had invaded the place that should have been quieter and safer than anywhere else—a disturbance that neither the escort knights nor Calian had noticed beforehand. For Calian was already stepping onto the very place where the commotion had originated, the spot he habitually climbed to catch his breath.
Thump!
His heart beat.
His gaze shifted.
"The escort knight… That knight from Kaera came in. He delivered some words to the Prince, and the Prince suddenly collapsed…!"
A variable.
Kaera.
Some words.
Assess the situation later.
There was no need to know who the bastard was or what he had said right now.
Only, anger flared.
Because he never expected to see this bastard collapsed on the floor again.
Thump!
His heart beat.
Knowing what that meant only made his anger flare hotter.
Standing on the terrace, looking down at his brother collapsed in the room, Calian spoke to Relic, whose hands were trembling violently.
"Pull yourself together and listen to me carefully."
Relic nodded.
"Don't stay here. Take him to Wilhelm Pavilion. Take only Kyrie and Yan. Trust no one but my master and Valkan. Trust absolutely no one."
Do not betray Brissen.
Once out of the palace, live while raising a cat.
Live while helping Calian ascend the throne.
Thump!
The two seals of oath had not canceled each other out.
"He must not think any further. Make sure he doesn't wake up until I return. Bring Hina here and tell her to keep a constant watch over him."
"Y-Yes, sir."
"Summon Sir Hertz and have him guard his side. Send Yan to my master and tell him to keep Kaera away and stay by His Highness's side."
Relic nodded, asking through his tears, "But why is our Prince like this? Why is he suddenly…?"
Do not betray Brissen.
Become the Marquis of Brissen and help Calian.
While raising a cat, while helping Calian.
"Because he wants to live."
Live.
He must stay alive until then.
Thump!
Calian's eyes turned toward Franz.
A variable had arisen.
He wasn't angry because the traps and bait he had worked so hard to set had all gone to waste.
"Hold onto that heart of yours tightly."
He was angry because he knew that this crazy bastard had collapsed instead of dying, desperately wanting to live just to keep his contract.
"…I will go and learn just one swordsmanship technique."
Calian's feet kicked off into the darkness.