Chapter 30: The Roses Will Bloom Soon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: The Roses Will Bloom Soon (2)
After a day of overcast skies, rain began to pour the next morning.
The sound of rain and wind battering the window woke Calian at the crack of dawn. When Yan entered the room for his morning duties, Calian, already sitting up against the headboard, greeted him with a wave.
"Sleep well?"
Hearing the familiar morning greeting, Yan returned it with an awkward expression.
"Yes, Your Highness. Did you sleep well?"
Calian nodded and held out his hand, gesturing for his tea. Taking the cup from Yan’s reluctant grasp, Calian took a sip.
Then, he immediately pulled his lips from the teacup.
It’s different.
There was a subtle difference. It was a discrepancy so minute he might have missed it if his senses weren’t on high alert, but it was undeniably there.
It wasn't hard to guess why. He knew instinctively: Silike had increased the dosage of the poison.
Calian brought the cup back to his lips and smiled faintly.
Silike. You’ve gotten quite bold.
He had only meant to give her a stomachache during the festival; it seemed he’d rattled her sanity as well. The nobles' reaction to him had been far too positive, after all.
Should I drink it and feign ignorance again? Or should I send it back?
After a moment’s deliberation, Calian drank the rest of the tea and handed the empty cup back to Yan.
As long as she hasn’t increased the dose enough to kill me instantly, there shouldn’t be any major problems before Tuesday.
After the maids had finished their morning preparations and were dismissed, Calian spoke to an oblivious Yan.
"Two people will be visiting on Wednesday. They're half-elf siblings, so don't be surprised."
At those words, Yan’s face lit up as if he’d just heard the best news in ages.
"Are they the guards you mentioned?"
"Yes. The older brother is Kyrie, and the younger sister is Hina. Kyrie will be my escort. But I don’t even know their family name, so their identities can't be verified. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you."
Yan smiled slightly, understanding his meaning. To work in the royal palace, one’s identity had to be thoroughly vetted, which was impossible for the two of them.
"You mean you need someone to act as their guarantor?"
"Yes. I was thinking that if the Siegfried family vouched for them, it would be fine."
Yan shook his head.
"In that case, Sir Manasil's guarantee would carry more weight than my family's. If he claims he brought the children with him from Libern, it won't be an issue even if they don't have a family name. If anyone objects because they are foreigners, then our family can step in to guarantee them as well. If we do that, no one will be able to say a word."
Calian looked at Yan with newfound appreciation.
"That was surprisingly competent of you."
A wide grin spread across Yan’s face at the compliment, but he quickly cleared his throat and composed himself. After straightening Calian’s crooked shirt pin, he stepped back and asked,
"I've heard that some elves possess healing abilities that aren't derived from divine power. Do those siblings have such an ability?"
Calian tapped his chest and replied, "Even if they did, it wouldn't be much help to me. Besides, I haven't heard anything of the sort."
"True. With the Power of Blessing, that makes sense."
Just then, lightning flashed outside, followed by a low rumble of thunder. The rain was growing heavier. Looking out the window, Calian spoke.
"The only thing on the schedule today is the hunt, right?"
"Yes. There is a hunting competition after breakfast… however…"
"It will be canceled."
It was a shame.
"Aside from the first day of the festival, I haven't made an appearance before the nobles. I was planning to make one last impression on them before it ended. What a pity."
"Yes. It seems unlikely today."
Calian turned his gaze from the window with a resigned sigh. "Pay a visit to my teacher today. It doesn't matter when."
"Yes, Your Highness. What message should I convey?"
"Ask him to request that His Majesty delay Tuesday's meeting by about ten minutes."
"Understood. I will go right after breakfast."
Though the motive was unclear, Yan nodded without question.
Calian acknowledged his response with a nod, finished his preparations in silence, and headed to the dining hall.
*
Franz was not present.
From what Calian had heard, Franz hadn't attended breakfast once since the festival began.
This is for the best. Franz needs to stay out of trouble between now and Tuesday.
As Calian watched the rain streak down the windowpane, the sound of Randel rising from his seat after finishing his meal reached him.
Without taking his eyes off the window, Calian spoke.
"The roses… it seems they will bloom soon."
This was a first.
Not only was it a normal conversation at this table, but Calian had also been the one to initiate it with Randel.
Because of this, Randel stopped in his tracks and turned around.
He stared at Calian with his deep, dark eyes.
In response, Calian also turned his head toward Randel.
Somehow, it felt as if he were truly looking into those eyes for the first time. It was different from when they had crossed paths in the rose garden.
Blue eyes that seemed to peer into the very depths of a person.
Understanding, perhaps, why Randel was staring at him so intently, Calian offered a relaxed smile and spoke again.
"I took a walk yesterday and saw the roses. I suddenly remembered the ones you were tending to, Brother Randel, so I thought I would mention it. I have no other intentions."
Of course, that wasn’t entirely true.
He’d brought it up to make Randel finally see him. Only then might Randel lend him his strength on Tuesday.
Randel showed no particular reaction.
"I see."
Just as he had in the garden, he left only that brief response behind and walked out of the dining hall.
Yan let out a sharp intake of breath.
When Calian glanced back, Yan wore an expression as if he had just witnessed the moon splitting in two. As Calian finished his meal and left the dining hall, Yan quickly hurried after him, making a quiet fuss.
"Roses, Your Highness?!"
Calian replied with an innocent look.
"What about them?"
"That was the first time in your life you've ever spoken to Prince Randel first! And about roses blooming, of all things—a completely pointless remark that doesn't mean a dog's turd!"
"A dog's…?"
Calian's expression stiffened. Startled by his own words, Yan hastily slapped a hand over his mouth. Calian’s gaze shifted to him.
"You've grown quite insolent lately."
"My apologies, Your Highness."
Calian smiled, thinking, Seriously, why is someone like him even working here?
Then, suddenly, he coughed.
—Cough!
Yan’s playfully tearful expression vanished instantly. He stared at Calian with eyes filled with deep anxiety.
"It's nothing."
"...Your Highness."
"I slept with the window open last night. I didn't realize it was going to rain."
Feeling a metallic, bloody taste rise in his throat, Calian briefly lowered his gaze.
*
The rain, which had seemed relentless, finally stopped on Monday afternoon. In its wake, brilliant sunlight broke through the clouds, as if it had never rained at all.
To welcome the long-awaited sunshine, laundry was hung in abundance on clotheslines strung between the buildings.
In Kairis, where winters were exceptionally harsh, a breeze now blew with a distinct warmth. Riding the wind, clothes of various colors fluttered like flower petals. It was the kind of spring day that made one drowsy just by watching.
Hina, who was sitting by the window with her chin propped on her hand, quietly watching the swaying clothes, gestured to Kyrie, who sat beside her. It was sign language.
—Sparkle, sparkle.
Kyrie, who was meticulously polishing the sword on the table, had been watching Hina’s eyes and hands from the moment she lifted her head. His senses were sharp enough to detect any movement, but his desire not to miss a single word from his sister had trained him to watch her at the slightest twitch.
"Hina. Is the sunlight sparkling?"
Hina shook her head and moved her hands again.
—No. The people. Sparkle, sparkle, they look happy.
People sparkling. Kyrie let out a barely perceptible smile, one he only ever showed in front of Hina. Seeing this, Hina’s hand pointed at Kyrie.
—You too, Brother.
At those words, Kyrie turned his gaze toward the distant royal palace. The injuries on his face from his encounter with Calian had already healed cleanly. With a much healthier complexion than that day, Kyrie nodded.
"You're right. I am."
—The palace, tomorrow.
Hina looked incredibly excited.
Calian's intention when he said "come in five days" was clearly Wednesday, as they had met the siblings before dawn on Friday. Kyrie had understood it that way, but Hina was different.
She stubbornly insisted that since they met him before dawn on Friday, Friday itself counted as the first day. That meant they had to go to the palace on Tuesday.
In the end, the two had compromised: they would go to the palace on Tuesday evening.
Since then, Hina had been counting down the days. Kyrie asked as he sheathed his fully polished sword, "Hina. Once we go, you'll have to work again. Are you okay with that?"
Hina nodded her head vigorously. Then, she smiled brighter than the sunlight that had broken through after three days.
—I want to see the Prince.
Hearing that, Kyrie's expression stiffened slightly. At this, Hina grinned and added a few more gestures.
—He's handsome. More than you, Brother. Way, way more.
With every word formed by his precious little sister’s hands, Kyrie's grip on his sword tightened ever so slightly. Seeing this, Hina wore a mischievous look.
In truth, Hina knew very well that Kyrie was looking forward to going to the palace even more than she was. Whenever he had a spare moment, he was in the inn's backyard, swinging his sword or polishing it repeatedly, as if worried it might wear out from disuse. Soon, Hina's hand pointed to the sword in front of Kyrie.
—The sword, how will you bring it?
Naturally, weapons were not allowed inside the royal palace. It was a mistake on Calian's part; swept up in old memories, he had only thought of buying the sword, without considering how Kyrie would bring it into the palace. Kyrie smiled and nodded.
"He must have a plan."
Kyrie was already filled with an immense trust for Calian. Though it seemed a bit excessive, Hina didn't bother pointing it out. There was something more important.
—Buy me ice cream again. It was delicious.
Remembering the strawberry ice cream she’d tried for the first time yesterday, Hina begged with a blissful expression. Kyrie readily stood up and nodded. The money Calian had given them was still plentiful.
"Let's go. I'll buy you some."
Hina stood up, smiling like a spring flower. Looking at his sister, who sparkled brighter than anything else in the world, a small smile bloomed on Kyrie's face once more.
*
Due to the heavy rain that had persisted for three days, the final landscaping work could not be completed, delaying the opening ceremony of the Royal Art Museum in Astrisha by a week.
Although this should have granted him some free time, Lemain could not enjoy such a luxury, all thanks to a certain mage who had arrived without warning.
"Please take a look at this."
Lemain stared blankly at the stack of documents placed before him. Gauging the thickness—easily a handspan—Lemain asked in a low voice, "Do you perhaps still bear a grudge against me?"
Alan's sharp eyes curved gently.
"How could I? Just think of it as a leisurely old man finding a new pastime."
He was hardly at an age to be called old, nor did his appearance suit such a description.
Resigned, Lemain set aside the documents he had been holding. Glancing at them, Alan spoke.
"Elinne doesn't seem to look into such things, yet you are quite diligent."
"Is that so?"
It was a remark that could easily sound sarcastic, but Lemain knew it wasn't intended that way. Having been subjected to so much of Alan's sarcasm on their first meeting, he could now tell the difference.
Briefly recalling the Queen of Libern, Lemain rose from his chair.
"I am not of a temperament as easygoing as that woman."
Soon, he walked over to the sofa while holding Alan's stack of documents, put on his glasses, and said, "Sit."
Alan nodded and sat opposite him. The chief chamberlain entered, set down two cups of tea and some dessert, and left. Lemain held the tea in his mouth as if savoring its aroma, swallowed, and then spoke.
"I heard you stayed out overnight."
"I ask you to look over my work, and you bring up Prince Calian?"
"I ask out of concern."
"Isn't he at an age where he'd naturally want to go outside?"
"Is he in a state where he is fit to do so?"
Understanding that Lemain was asking whether Calian was free from the poison, Alan shook his head. Since he could not relay the specific details, he simply gave a brief reply.
"We are keeping it at a level that is not life-threatening. The Prince has a cautious personality, so we are simply observing for now."
"You mean he drinks it knowing it contains poison?"
At Lemain's slightly raised voice, Alan spoke as if to calm him. "He is taking an antidote alongside it, so there is no immediate danger. He seems to have a plan, so let us wait and see."
"...The Calian you describe always confounds me. He is so different from what I have heard from others."
Alan replied with a casual expression.
"Is that so?"
Fearing Alan might lecture him again on the phrase "heard from others," Lemain quickly added, "I know that he is now similar in height to Franz, shorter than Randel, and comes up to just below my shoulder."
Calian's height.
It was a sign that he was beginning to make an effort to show interest.
Lemain set down the teacup he had been holding. A soft clink echoed.
"So… I hope that the caution you speak of does not lead to another reason for me to blame myself."
Alan nodded without a word. Then, he pulled another stack of documents from his bag and handed it to Lemain.
"I wonder how you fit so many documents in such a thin bag."
Lemain let out a dry chuckle as his workload seemed to grow ever larger. Anyone else would have been shocked to see him express anything at all, but Alan did not know how expressionless Lemain usually was. Thus, he simply took it in stride and spoke.
"Please read through it when you are bored."
"What is it this time?"
"I gathered some information, thinking we might be able to temporarily clip the griffin's wings."
It was a document summarizing the investigation into Silike—the same one he had given to Calian. After flipping through a few pages, Lemain set it back down beside him. A self-deprecating voice escaped his lips.
"You have wasted your efforts."
"I suppose you already know the contents."
Alan lifted his teacup and took a sip.
Whether from the tea or Lemain's words, a sharp bitterness washed over Alan.
The clatter of his cup hitting the saucer rang out loudly.
"If you intend to keep spouting such nonsense, then fine."
Alan picked up a piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. The bitterness was instantly replaced by a rush of sweetness. His finger pointed to the documents resting on Lemain's lap.
"But if you do not, how about we turn things upside down now?"
Whether it be these documents…
…or this kingdom.
Choosing to ignore the rude tone, Lemain began flipping through the documents. Soon, his expression changed visibly.
Around the time the chocolate had completely melted in Alan's mouth, Lemain's faintly trembling voice drifted out.
"…The Mage Corps."
"Do you like it?"
It was a sly question. He was probing Lemain's intentions, despite already knowing from Calian that Lemain was considering the very same thing.
"Whose idea is this?"
"Not mine. I am merely a highly useful teacher."
"Was that boy thinking the same thing I was?"
A strange gleam flashed in Lemain's eyes.
Lemain began flipping through the documents again, exchanging opinions with Alan. Their conversation continued deep into the night, lasting until the first light of dawn.