Chapter 309: As If Bereft of Reason (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 309: As If Bereft of Reason (5)
Poison had seeped throughout his entire body.
The damage to his internal organs was the most severe, followed by the torn flesh at his waist. The slash across his back was the least of his worries.
Consequently, the power of blessing healed Calian in that exact order. Hina, who also had to treat Louise, focused her efforts on repairing his organs and knitting his flesh back together first, rather than trying to heal all his wounds at once.
As a result, a long, bright red scar—looking as if blood were still seeping through—remained across his otherwise flawless back.
"He's going to cry."
He definitely would.
The moment Yan saw this, he would burst into tears. Calian could guarantee it.
Kyrie, who was thinking the exact same thing, spoke up as he helped him dress.
"Are you referring to Young Master Yan?"
"Yes. If my baby elephant cries, my betrothed won't let it slide. What am I to do?"
He looked incredibly relaxed on the outside, but he was suppressing the urge to storm out and turn everything upside down. Knowing this, Kyrie simply offered a silent smile. While Calian was holding back his temper, Kyrie was suppressing his own murderous intent upon seeing the scar. What else could he do but smile along?
"Don't tell my brother, just in case."
"Understood, Your Highness."
"And don't tell Yan how I got hurt, either."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Kyrie replied as he fastened the ruby cufflinks onto the sleeves of Calian's black shirt. He then pinned a gold ornament set with a small ruby to the collar.
"Go get some rest. You probably haven't slept."
"I will."
Kyrie, who had just helped him into a black jacket adorned with black embroidery, nodded. Knowing he needed to rest when he could to avoid straining himself later, he went to his room to sleep without another word.
Fully dressed, Calian stared into the mirror for a brief moment before stepping out.
* * *
In the dead of winter, even the wind in Kairis carried a bite of ice.
Yet, in midwinter Secritia, flowers still bloomed.
Of course, most flowers that required the warmth of spring through autumn had withered away, but there were still those that bloomed regardless. It was a world apart from the winter of Kairis, where a harsh, relentless wind blew as if determined to snuff out not just the flowers, but every living thing.
What was difficult to understand, however, was that while the people of Kairis endured such a brutal winter, it was the Secritians who were considered far more relentless.
Like the wildflowers blooming all winter long, or the sinasta that bloomed once more under the moonlight even after withering, the people of Secritia were said to be incredibly stubborn. Some said it was because they resembled the Great King of Secritia, who had taken his own life; others claimed it was because they spent their entire lives steeped in the salty scent of the sea. With no way to prove either, they remained mere rumors.
No one knew why the people who made their home in such a beautiful land possessed such a fierce, unyielding nature.
Thus, Franz did not bother trying to understand.
"You certainly eat well."
Specifically, why his younger brother's stomach was as vast as the Secritian sea.
Just as he had given up trying to understand countless things about Calian before, Franz comfortably gave up today as well. He simply chalked it up to Calian having the soul of a Secritian, which must have made his stomach equally relentless.
It wasn't as if Franz hadn't seen Calian eat heartily before. He had even witnessed the rare spectacle of Calian devouring several bunches of bananas in one sitting. Yet, this was the first time Franz had actually commented on his appetite. That was how monstrously he had eaten—or rather, was still eating.
"It's been a while, so it tastes especially good."
"…I see."
When Franz had visited upon hearing that Calian had woken up, a whole bunch of bananas had already been reduced to a pile of peels.
After that, Calian had elegantly emptied a bowl of finely pureed corn and onion soup, then politely polished off two plates of lamb steak. Next, he silently popped three fist-sized white buns into his mouth before proceeding to devour three plates of garlic-roasted sea mussels, oysters, and shrimp with refined poise.
Ah, and a roasted lobster the size of Calian's forearm had also vanished into that noble stomach. Franz couldn't even be bothered to recall what had been on the smaller plates that had disappeared in between.
"Isn't it just that you eat so little, Brother, which makes it look like I'm eating a lot?"
Don't make me laugh.
He would sooner believe that Hina had grown taller.
Franz knew all too well that if he replied with that, his brother would claim he was paying him back for the knife thrown last year and demonstrate a professional's knife-throwing skills. So, Franz merely looked down at his own empty steak and salad plates, and the half-eaten piece of bread.
Having finished his meal, Calian drained two glasses of sparkling water with mint leaves as if satisfying a deep craving. He then looked at Franz, who had come to check on him and ended up sharing a meal. Just as Calian was about to ask something, Franz spoke first.
"How is your body?"
"I'm fine."
He didn't mean he was completely healed. He meant he could move, use his head, and draw his sword if necessary.
"Did you sleep?"
"I'm fine."
He didn't mean he had slept peacefully.
"I see."
A simple "I'm fine" couldn't erase the feeling of piercing a man's heart with his own hands. Since Calian wouldn't have drawn his sword without understanding that reality in the first place, Franz simply gave a brief reply.
"I don't know how many days have passed."
"Three days."
"I slept for a long time. How is Mother?"
"Her condition isn't worsening, but… not yet."
It meant that while she hadn't taken a turn for the worse, she had yet to regain consciousness. It was only natural; she lacked the power of blessing, and there was no one else in this world as tenacious as Calian.
"Since Hina is here, at least we don't have to worry about her condition deteriorating again."
Calian nodded, staring at Franz for a moment before speaking again.
"You took my rings and bracelets, Brother, and Yan isn't here. Kyrie has been by my side the entire time, so I don't even know what I need to be aware of."
"Nothing much happened."
"If you keep lying like that, Brother, you won't grow any taller."
"Keep barking."
"Tell me before I bark some more."
Calian replied with a bright, beaming smile.
Judging by his attire, the boy had absolutely no intention of resting further. A short sigh escaped Franz's lips, followed by a long explanation.
"Hina is treating her, and your new subordinate has taken over guard duty. The President of the Secritian Mage Association was arrested, and Marquis Lin was released. Marquis Manasil contacted Libern, while Sir Seiren and Sir Grace are busy sorting things out at the Mage Association. I saw that crazy blue-haired mage raising ducks in the garden, and Lady Lin seems angry with you. That's about it."
"…Hmm."
It was confusing.
What on earth had happened over the last three days?
Things that made sense, things that didn't, things that should have happened, things that shouldn't have, and things whose origins were completely baffling were all tangled together in a chaotic mess.
Grasping at the edge of his confusion, Calian asked a question that barely sounded like one.
"Why is Arianne…?"
"Because your new subordinate knocked her out."
There was only one way Eila would knock someone out.
"Don't tell me Eila hit Arianne."
"She was trying to get some documents."
Franz explained a bit more, looking thoroughly annoyed.
Guessing what had transpired, Calian lowered his head. He tried to suppress the feeling—one he hadn't felt in a very long time—but failed, bursting into a hearty laugh.
A prince's subordinate had knocked out the daughter of a foreign marquis, and he found it amusing.
"Shouldn't you warn her to be more careful with her hands?"
"She probably did it because it was necessary."
"Lady Lin didn't seem to fully trust us."
"It would be stranger if she did. Arianne isn't that naive."
"What if Marquis Lin or Devlan make an issue of it?"
"Brother Chase will handle that. It'll be fine."
Recalling Chase, who had seemed completely wrapped around Arianne's finger, Franz furrowed his brow. It was clear he didn't believe Calian's words.
"The reason Devlan arranged Arianne's betrothal was because he knew Marquis Lin, concerned for her safety, would be forced to keep quiet. Since Arianne and her betrothed were close to begin with, neither of them objected. But in truth, royal matches are usually made for other reasons. As you well know, Brother."
He was talking about seemingly random things again.
Sensing Franz's thoughts, Calian laughed a bit more before continuing.
"When there are two brothers, and one is betrothed to someone from a prominent family, people pay close attention to the other brother's partner. After all, a clash between families over the throne could erupt. But if that other brother has absolutely no interest in the throne, he might choose an aspiring knight as his betrothed—someone with no family or backing, whom he isn't even particularly close to and rarely sees. A political statement."
Franz was not so slow as to miss who that aspiring knight was.
Franz, who was rarely surprised by Calian's words, seemed slightly taken aback. The hand lifting his cup paused for a moment before setting it back down.
"So, Brother Chase won't make an issue of anything. You don't need to worry."
"…I see."
"More importantly, could you return my rings and bracelets now?"
Deciding to get the full story from Chase or Alan instead, Calian spoke.
The request flowed so naturally that Franz, whose mind had been briefly tangled in political calculations, forgot his resolve to never return the items until Calian was fully healed. He pulled them out and placed them on the table.
Calian smirked.
Franz was clever, but Calian was experienced.
* * *
And that was as far as his good mood went.
He had opened his eyes after a long time and dressed in clothes he liked. He had eaten bananas and had a proper meal. The moment Alan saw him, he wrapped him in a warm embrace and began to pat him reassuringly. But just as Calian's mood was softening, buoyed by the undeserved warmth and his significantly improved physical condition, he felt himself plunging into a pitch-black abyss.
Stepping back from Alan's embrace, Calian spoke in a chilling voice, his head lowered.
"My brother personally checked if the tea was poisoned…"
He realized that Franz hadn't acted recklessly in front of Devlan out of sheer confidence; it had been a calculated move to confirm whether the enemy knew he was now the Crown Prince.
He decided to have another talk with Franz later about his recklessness. For now, another matter infuriated him.
"Are you saying the poisoned tea went to you, Master?"
The target of Franz's test, Meilin Lonz, the President of the Secritian Mage Association, had not handed the poisoned tea to Franz. Had she stopped there, Calian might have let it go with a sigh of relief. But Meilin had not. She had switched her target from Franz to Alan.
Of all people, she had handed poison to Alan.
"I am perfectly fine, so you need not worry."
Your body might be, but…
Swallowing his words, a cold aura swirled around Calian, threatening to tear apart every flower blooming outside the window before it settled.
Although Calian had expected Alan to be unharmed by poison, he had never tried to confirm it. He had feared it would force Alan to recall a horrific what-if: that if he, rather than his son Ronil, had simply drunk the sweet wine gifted from Libern, no one would have died.
"I will make sure no one ever does such a thing to you again, Master."
"Do not blame yourself."
Alan was telling him not to think this had happened because he had drunk poison in front of Silike, because Louise had found out, or because Calian hadn't pierced Devlan's heart when he had the chance.
"I won't."
"Then that is enough."
Replying with feigned nonchalance, Alan gestured toward the sofa.
"Let us stop this dull conversation and sit down."
Furrowing his brow slightly before smoothing it out, Calian reluctantly nodded and took a seat. Alan watched him with a calm expression before speaking.
"Marquis Lin has been released."
"Yes, I heard. But I don't know the exact details."
Alan finished recounting how he had arrested Meilin Lonz, then added, "A massive investigation into the Mage Association is underway, so there is an immense amount of work to be done. Thanks to that, Marquis Lin was finally released. Furthermore, since this matter involves not only the Mage Association but also Zeon, I have contacted Elinne. She mentioned she would send a trustworthy person from their Mage Association to investigate, so please keep that in mind."
"Understood."
Calian nodded. Then, he brought up a name he loathed to utter.
"What is… Devlan doing now?"
"He is quiet."
"No signs of his illness worsening or anything else?"
"No. He is simply quiet."
"That is concerning. He isn't the type to lay low just because you are here, Master."
Alan had delivered a proper warning to Devlan, who had ignored the forces infiltrating his country to stretch his insidious hands toward Calian. He had warned him that Alan Manasil, a Baron of Secritia, would change either the map of Secritia or its master—but he would change something.
"Isn't he someone who would move rashly?"
"If it were Evan, he would have held his breath and observed the situation upon hearing that. But Devlan is not that kind of person. He is not someone who would waste three days doing nothing."
Hearing Calian's wary words, Alan replied with a faint smile.
"It probably wasn't meaningless."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The day you fell unconscious was Crown Prince Franz's birthday, was it not?"
"Yes, that's right."
Come to think of it, it's a good thing I gave him his present early, Calian thought. Otherwise, he would have been resented for a long time as the younger brother who dragged him all the way here using his birthday as an excuse, only to sleep through it without even giving him a gift.
"That night, Crown Prince Franz went outside the royal palace."
"…Again?"
"He dragged Sir Hertz, Sir Seiren, and a whole train of others along with him, so you don't need to scold him for that."
"What did he do with such a large entourage?"
"I saw very clearly what our prince has taught the Crown Prince."
"What did I teach him?"
Recalling the incident, Alan's face filled with suppressed laughter. Just as Calian, growing anxious, furrowed his brow—
"When a person gets drunk, they tend to lose their sense of time and place, do they not?"
Saying this, Alan finally burst into laughter and recounted the events of that night.
That night, in the dead-silent residential district of the nobles.
—Today, I was attacked at dawn and almost drank poison in the morning, yet I am still alive. Surely, we must celebrate.
—Could you not receive your congratulations inside the royal palace, Crown Prince Franz?
In that quiet place, they had bickered quite loudly, with Franz asking if there wasn't a single Secritian noble willing to offer a toast to the Crown Prince of Kairis.
—Blue-haired mage.
—Yes, Your Highness.
With his pale face, dressed in luxurious garments, and riding a pure white horse, Franz had led the blue-haired mage and the purple-haired mage—who had just returned from half-destroying the Mage Association—and… personally spread the rumors everywhere.
—They say His Highness here is gravely ill, and the royal concubine collapsed after drinking the very poison I narrowly avoided. Yet you tell me to celebrate inside the palace? Your way of thinking is just like a Brissen's. No wonder you lost your position as vice-commander.
—I'd rather you just curse at me. I'm only saying this because it's dangerous.
—Today. On the day of my birth. I wish to celebrate. But since my one and only younger brother lies injured and bedridden, shouldn't I look for someone else to celebrate with?
That the King of Secritia was gravely ill.
That Louise had collapsed after drinking poison.
That someone had dared to attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince and Prince of Kairis. That Franz and Brissen were on bad terms. That Franz and Calian were on good terms.
"…Ha."
Calian stood up from his seat.
This was no time to sit around.
"He learned very well indeed."
Calian's reflection appeared in the mirror once more.
His entirely black attire was reminiscent of elegant mourning clothes.
Looking like that didn't seem so bad.