Chapter 289: For Public Relations (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: For Public Relations (2)
Surprise, joy, or relief.
That was what I should have felt.
But all I felt was sorrow.
How she knew me, how long she had known, why she had done nothing but wait all this time—I couldn’t bring myself to ask a single one of those questions. I was just so, so sorry.
Her words, “I missed you,” filled me with nothing but guilt.
While she had spent all that time missing me, I had lived on, having forgotten her completely. I had used my own suffering as an excuse to forget her pain, never once even wondering if she was well, only to feel a simple gladness upon finally seeing her face again.
I was so deeply sorry for that.
I was too ashamed to even lift my head.
Mother.
Resting my forehead on her small, narrow shoulders, I simply offered my silent apologies for a long, long time.
– Click.
Green maple leaf tea is sour.
Red maple leaf tea is sweet.
It was a tea that was neither mint nor coffee.
In the pale, almost transparent brown liquid, maple leaves that were neither green nor red floated gently.
This tea, tinged with orange and yellow, held a medley of flavors. It was intriguing. It wasn’t purely sour or purely sweet, and there was even a hint of bitterness that, for some reason, brought grapefruit to mind. The thought just drifted in.
When I return, I should go see Prince Randel.
I needed to soothe Prince Randel’s heart, a task I had postponed to come here. I shouldn’t just look after the one who’s like a budding pea; I need to care for the one who’s as fragile as a dry reed, too. When I return.
Yes.
When I return.
It was a relief to have such thoughts.
It was a relief that the maple leaf tea reminded me of grapefruit, and that grapefruit reminded me of Randel. A true relief.
Otherwise, I might have mistaken this country, this palace, for the place I belonged. For a brief moment, I had almost forgotten that I had a new brother and a new father, that I was merely passing through this land and had to return to my own.
I had almost forgotten and settled down.
“Bern.”
Because that tiny, faint voice had rooted my feet to the spot.
* * *
Kyrie heard nothing.
He had heard every word exchanged in the room after Louise entered, yet he had heard nothing.
At some point, Calian had started casting Silent magic to include the spot where Kyrie stood whenever he was nearby. Even during conversations others shouldn't overhear, he allowed Kyrie to listen, a consideration to prevent him from feeling like he was eavesdropping with his keen ears.
This time was no different.
Calian had extended the Silent barrier to where Kyrie was. Therefore, Kyrie had heard nothing.
He had heard everything, but he would pretend he hadn’t. He had heard that she’d been dreaming of drowning in unfamiliar memories for about a month, but he would pretend he hadn’t heard that either.
—Bern.
He would also pretend he hadn’t heard someone call Calian by that name. Calian himself would never have expected to hear it. Had he known, he wouldn’t have extended the Silent barrier to let Kyrie listen.
Was that name not the clearest proof that she had recovered her memories on her own, rather than being told by Chase? Calian knew that if Kyrie learned someone besides Chase had regained their memories, he would inevitably wish for the same. And Calian did not want Kyrie to remember.
If Kyrie were to regain his memories of Bern, he would also learn the full truth of what happened to Hina. Kyrie knew Calian wasn’t the kind of person who would want him to bear such memories again.
So, Kyrie pretended he had heard nothing.
After a long while, Louise emerged. Kyrie bowed his head deeply in a long, respectful greeting, just as he would have for Alan or Lemain.
“I heard you were there. With your lovely younger sister.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“I only realized today that since it has become your name, I must not call that child by it. The Crown Prince did not share that piece of news.”
Louise’s memories had reportedly returned around the time the first cold winds blew in Kairis. But because Chase had been by her side this time, they said she hadn’t suffered from illness for long.
Kyrie didn’t know Louise, but Louise knew Kyrie. It made sense, of course. Since Kyrie had never left Bern’s side, Louise must have seen him often.
“Yes. It is truly a relief and something to be grateful for.”
And Louise said the exact same thing as Calian.
Kyrie figured Calian’s foolish habit of calculation—always failing to account for the one person who had vanished in exchange for Hina being by his side—must have been inherited from Louise.
“The Crown Prince repeatedly implored me not to come, yet I made the trip anyway. However, while the princes’ delegation remains, I will have no other occasion to offer my thanks, nor will I make the mistake of calling that child by that name again. So, should you happen to see me outside, do not greet me in this manner.”
“Yes. I will do so.”
There would be no other chance to speak privately like this. Thus, Kyrie also had to show no sign of recognition. He had to be careful not to treat Louise as Calian’s mother.
Soon, the Silent barrier around Kyrie vanished. Louise could say no more.
She wanted to ask Kyrie all the questions she couldn’t bring herself to ask Calian. Did he still have trouble sleeping, as he did back then? Did he still fall asleep at dawn and wake late in the morning? Was he eating well and smiling often? Was his life in that distant place difficult? Did the people there treat him well? Had any trouble arisen after he was discovered in so many places? And would he be able to live well, without falling ill, in the future?
Since she couldn’t ask, Louise simply nodded and turned away. The many unspoken words could be said later.
– Tap, tap.
The sound of small, composed footsteps drifted away.
– Step, step.
The sound of boots, belonging to one who had no need to hide, drew closer.
– Tap.
Louise’s footsteps stopped.
– Step.
Franz’s footsteps stopped.
Kyrie drew a sharp breath. In front of others, Louise had shown no particular reaction to Franz. But he worried that might not be the case now, alone in the hall. He briefly debated whether he should follow her and stand between them.
– Tap, tap.
– Step, step.
But the footsteps moved again, one pair receding, the other approaching.
Louise, maintaining her composure, left the annex with quiet steps. Franz, hiding nothing, entered. Just like that, one walked out, and another walked in.
And so, the day passed, and the night arrived.
* * *
It was always like this.
He simply, truly could not understand.
Whether it was because the scope of his brother’s thinking was as vast as the sea before the elf city, or deep enough to embrace the entire world, it was always like this.
“Brother, are you afraid of heights, by any chance?”
He should have known the moment the bastard asked something like that.
Having momentarily forgotten that his younger brother’s conceptual framework was truly extraordinary, Franz had answered without much thought.
“No.”
Just like that.
There was nowhere particularly high in the Kairis Royal Palace, but the residence of Grand Elder Narzan in the elf city had been quite high. He hadn’t felt any particular ‘fear’ even when they’d climbed to the peak of a rocky mountain on their way here, so he had answered honestly.
“Okay.”
If the clever Franz had known that Calian’s brief reply contained a meaning along the lines of, ‘Great. It’ll be boring to go alone, and if I bring Kyrie, I’ll probably feel like drinking, so I should just go with you, Brother,’ he would have definitely lied. He would have said he was terrified of heights.
Of course, he knew the result would have been the same.
The bastard was terrible at lying but exceptionally good at spotting lies. Even if Franz had lied, Calian would have wrapped him up in a robe and dragged him up to this high place anyway. Even so, Franz would have lied. I’m not going with my crazy brother, so go by yourself.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“You know I haven’t been in my right mind for more than a day or two. Why bring it up now?”
Think about it logically, Franz thought.
How could he even think of bringing me to a place like this? Setting aside whether he was crazy or not, if he were human, wouldn’t he be incapable of such a thought?
Left utterly speechless, the perfectly sane Franz walked over to the spire’s railing and looked out into the distance.
“I heard. You asked Brother Chase to let us come here.”
“Because you kept staring.”
Climbing the capital’s spire didn’t offer any particularly special views. While Calian, who commanded birds, had memorized every street and nesting spot in Kairisis, Franz had memorized the map of Secreta even without that ability. Besides, any bookstore on Astrisha Street sold maps of Secritia and Secreta. The same was true in Secritia. Both kingdoms had existed for far too long for such things to be considered state secrets.
Thus, it wouldn’t be a major issue even if Devlan found out the two princes were atop the spire right now. They were scheduled to tour the palace tomorrow anyway under the pretext of a royal visit.
“Yes. That’s why I suggested we come together. I wondered if you were curious too, Brother.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Still, it’s nice. Coming here after so long.”
Having accepted the goodwill of his two older brothers without hesitation, Calian grinned down at the capital of Secritia sprawling beneath his feet. He seemed to have resolved not to look at Franz’s heavily scowling face at all.
“I couldn’t come with Brother Chase. There are too many eyes watching, and we have another place we promised to go once everything is settled. And as for Kyrie… I haven’t been able to bring myself to climb up here with him yet.”
Pausing to catch his breath against the wind, Calian spoke again.
“…with him, I mean.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I thought you would.”
“Informal speech.”
“……I mean, I thought you would.”
The wind was quite cold, but it didn’t feel chilly. Calian was impervious to both heat and cold, and while Franz was highly sensitive to both, he was fine. The bluish-purple cloak Alan had given him for his birthday kept the cold at bay.
“Since you went out of your way to pull that stunt and draw Devlan’s attention, it would be strange if only I came to see this place,” Calian said, raising a finger and drawing a long arc in front of Franz’s eyes.
Calian had seen through it, just as Chase had.
He knew who Franz had been imitating, and why.
In short, if Calian had come up to a place like this alone to act all melancholy after they had agreed to deceive Devlan together, it would have immediately exposed who had been mimicking whom. So he had simply brought Franz along. It was a very plausible excuse.
“Speak. Don’t hide it.”
“What else is there to say?”
“My younger brother’s former mother paid a visit.”
“……My brother is both smart and quick-witted, I see.”
“Speak. Don’t just bark.”
Franz had also seen Louise visit.
He had seen her walk away without being able to utter a single word to him. Whether she had heard the story, dreamed it, or simply sensed it, Franz knew that Louise hadn’t come just to thank Calian.
“She remembered my old name. It’s been so long since I heard it, but it didn’t feel unfamiliar at all. I almost answered ‘Yes’ without thinking.”
So, in the end, Calian had brought Franz along so he wouldn’t forget.
“I thought my younger brother’s name was Calian. Was it not?”
He had brought him because Franz was the kind of person who would shamelessly and consistently remind him of that fact. To a place like this.
“You are right. It is Calian.”
Franz sat on the edge of the spire, opposite where Calian was standing.
Since Kyrie had seen Louise, Calian would know that Franz had seen her too. Franz knew Calian had brought him up here so they could both catch their breath. He knew this was Calian’s way of showing consideration, of telling him not to worry because he was truly fine.
So Franz decided not to worry either. Since Calian said he was fine, Franz didn’t need to feel uncomfortable being dragged to a place he had no memory of.
“The wind is strong.”
“I’m sure you’ll catch me if I fall.”
Calian laughed.
Soon, he began rambling about all sorts of things—how it had been a long time since he’d been up here sober, how you could see incredibly far on a clear day, and how he and Kyrie had once gotten scolded by Chase after they both fell asleep up here drunk.
Listening to the rambling stories, Franz felt he couldn’t just let it go.
“Later,” he said, cutting off Calian’s chatter.
He thought that once Calian became king and Franz went to Brissen to raise cats, after fulfilling the promise bound to his heart, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Calian to return.
“Come and live here. Back here.”
“Do you mean me?”
Who else? Me? Why on earth would I come here? To worry myself to death?
“I’ll hand you over to that crazy blue-haired mage, so come and live here. I know now that there are plenty of places to catch your breath in the Kairis Royal Palace, too.”
“I don’t want to.”
As Franz swallowed the retort that Calian had learned his stubbornness from him, he heard Calian’s laughter.
“I’m just going to live raising dogs, so you go ahead and raise cats, Brother.”
“……Why?”
Here, there was Chase, Arianne, Louise, and Secritia. But there, there was his dad, Yan, his two high-maintenance older brothers, his father whose neck was on the line, and Kairis.
“Because I’m Calian,” Calian said with a smile.
Franz thought about pointing out that the bastard was speaking informally again, but decided to let it slide.
Since they wouldn’t be the same age in a couple of days, he decided to play the role of the generous, broad-minded older brother and show some leniency until then.
* * *
The moon is bright, and the stars are many.
—Is something wrong?
—No, just because.
As the night deepened, the moon was bright and the stars were many.
He had come to Secritia and met Louise.
Her words, calling it a relief, lingered in his mind. Perhaps that was why he wanted to hear Hina’s voice.
—Were you sleeping, Hina?
—No. I wasn’t sleeping.
Talking to Kyrie was always a joy.
She liked that she could speak without putting down what was in her hands, and that it felt as if Kyrie was right beside her, anytime, anywhere.
Hina spoke as she brought a fork to the plate in her hand.
—I was a bit hungry even though I had dinner, and it seems everyone here felt the same. We were all eating cake and cookies together.
It brought to mind a young rainbow appearing by a sunlit window after the rain. Sweet whipped cream was packed between layers of rainbow-colored bread. Stepping out onto the terrace with a generous slice of cake, Hina spoke with her mouth full.
—Brother. The moon is so bright and there are so many stars tonight.
Amazingly, Hina said those exact words.
She said the very thing Kyrie had been thinking.
Standing in the garden filled with the scent of begonias, Kyrie looked up at the sky for a long time before replying with a smile.
—Indeed. The moon is bright, and the stars are many.
—Yeah. They’re sparkling just like Tunteuni.
Uh… right.
He had thought, surely, she would have a prettier name for it in her heart. But she didn’t.
Thinking of the grand horse Calian had given her as a birthday present, Kyrie chuckled softly.
—Why? Did something funny happen?
—No, nothing like that. I’m just happy.
—Did something good happen?
She was precious.
Suddenly, Hina felt so precious that a smile bloomed on his lips.
This time, I will protect her well.
I will protect her dearly.
—I smiled because there are so many stars. Because they’re sparkling, Hina.
A red star and a blue star in the sky.
Watching the countless silver stars guarding them, Kyrie smiled.