Chapter 332: Please (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: Please (3)
A buzz of activity filled the temple.
Spectators were scrambling to follow Chase as he began his procession out to the square. The guests from Kairis, however, had decided against going for safety reasons. They planned to remain in the temple a while longer before heading to the royal palace.
After Chase had departed, Calian slowly surveyed their surroundings.
“He really came,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “To this place.”
His gaze was fixed on the VIP box directly opposite theirs. Franz followed his brother’s line of sight to find a royal from Tensil staring back at them, making no effort to hide his scrutiny.
“Is that the Crown Prince of Tensil?” Franz asked.
“I’m seeing him for the first time myself, but judging by his attire, it seems so. I was so focused on Brother Chase that I didn’t notice anything else until just now.”
But who could blame them? Calian’s attention had been riveted on Chase as he walked to the throne and placed the crown upon his head. Franz, meanwhile, had been too lost in his own complicated thoughts to look around.
After all, this was the first coronation he had ever witnessed. The thought that some other version of himself must have gone through this very ceremony made his neatly tied cravat feel like a pair of hands tightening around his throat.
Come to think of it, he wondered if Chase had anticipated his state of mind and deliberately teased him before leaving. Of course, Chase might have genuinely wanted to hear Franz address him formally, but it felt like something more. It was as if Chase was showing him that wearing a crown didn’t fundamentally change who he was—other than earning him the formal address of a neighboring crown prince. Perhaps he’d done it on behalf of Calian, who wasn’t in a position to look after Franz at that moment.
Franz let out a soft chuckle, perhaps reading too much into the gesture. Calian, who hadn’t noticed, cast a small Silent barrier that enveloped them, excluding the two servants and Hina who stood at a distance.
“Anyway, that man must be quite something,” Calian said. “I never expected the Crown Prince himself to come.”
“It seems like the perfect time to forge a peace treaty,” Franz noted.
“Yes, especially since the throne has just changed hands. Still, it was Brother Chase, not Devlan, who banished all of Tensil’s priests. I thought their animosity would have deepened. He seems surprisingly broad-minded.”
His words were a mix of jest and sincerity. Indeed, the purpose of the visit, stated in the RSVP to Chase’s coronation, had been quite telling.
– The Crown Prince of Tensil?
– He said he wishes to visit in person to offer his congratulations, hoping that the relationship between Secritia and Tensil will develop in a more positive direction.
– A positive direction? It’s a miracle it hasn’t worsened.
– I, too, believe he has an ulterior motive. I can’t help but think it’s because you are here.
The two countries had always been on terrible terms. They hadn’t gone to war, but they regarded each other as mortal enemies. Yet, one of the first things Chase had done after dealing with Devlan was to ban Tensil’s priests from setting foot on Secritian soil. For Tensil to suddenly mention friendship under these circumstances made it impossible not to question their true intentions.
– So, I want your opinion. Should we permit the Crown Prince of Tensil’s visit or reject it?
– There’s no reason to block him and drive our countries further apart. Besides, it’s about time I turned my attention that way.
– Very well. I shall permit his entry.
– Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.
Calian had been told about this beforehand, but seeing the man in person still felt strange.
“The Crown Prince of Tensil is taking an interest in you, Prince Calian,” Kyrie had reported, his ears always open. “He also mentioned that Crown Prince Franz’s ascension must be a deception, though he didn’t state his reasoning.”
“Anything else?”
“No. He watched the coronation in silence. Only when Prince Chase looked this way did he say, ‘Crown Prince Franz’s ascension is a deception. Therefore, we must keep a closer eye on Prince Calian.’ That was all.”
“He knows how to think,” Franz said with a slight nod. Since he had suddenly become Crown Prince right after being attacked, it wasn’t difficult for anyone capable of assessing the situation to guess the truth.
“Do you plan to meet him right away?”
“I wonder what I should do… To ease whatever is weighing on Brother Randel’s heart and to look into matters concerning Zeon, it would be best to meet him. Before he ends up dying in a carriage accident or something.”
Serjein was said to be four years older than Randel. He had blonde hair, much shorter than Randel’s, and golden eyes with a faint brownish tint, a shade different from Siona’s. With a handsome face that strongly resembled Queen Aisha’s portraits, he was unmistakably of Tensil royal blood. Seeing him now, Calian could clearly see that same blood flowing through Randel.
For now, that was the extent of his impression. The fact that the Crown Prince was interested in him, had deduced the truth of Franz’s ascension, or was fated to die in a carriage accident before the year’s end didn’t seem particularly important. At least, not yet.
“What do you think, Brother?”
“You said his actions are different from the past.”
“Yes. The information Sir Seiren confirmed for me was very different from my memories.”
“If he really came because of you, he’ll ask to meet you.”
“Probably.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait for him to make the first move?”
“You think so?”
“We haven’t properly considered why he’s acting differently. Rather than meeting him hastily, it seems wiser to observe the situation.”
“Understood. We still have time, after all.”
King Lemain’s Birthday Festival was in May. They only needed to be back in Kairis a month before it began, so they had plenty of time to spare.
“The weather has warmed up, so why don’t we take it easy? Eat some cod, look at the sea, and wander around. Let’s indulge in a bit more leisure.”
“Alright.”
“By the way, Brother, have you ever been on a boat? Even on the Senyu River?”
“Never.”
“I was thinking of riding one for the first time in a while. Would you like to come?”
“I have no desire to see Arnayzel.”
“…Where did you learn that expression?”
“Sir Seiren.”
Riding a boat caused motion sickness. One’s head would spin, one’s stomach would churn. Secritians had an expression for it—when the sickness made your body feel as limp as a waterlogged sponge, they called it ‘seeing the Sea Dragon Arnayzel.’ In short, it meant feeling like you were about to die. They also used the phrase to describe a terrible hangover. Euria, having overheard it in a tavern, had taught the amusing expression to Franz, who figured that as long as he stayed off boats, he’d never have to see Arnayzel.
Calian clicked his tongue inwardly at their lack of filter around a child and forced a smile.
“Still, if we’re lucky, we might see a whale instead of Arnayzel.”
At this, Franz blinked slowly and nodded.
“…Alright.”
“Yes.”
Smiling brightly, Calian turned his head toward the distant Crown Prince of Tensil.
Serjein Arielli, the Crown Prince of Tensil, who had been staring at Calian without a single change in expression, finally rose from his seat. He then walked out the back of the box and disappeared from view.
* * *
“Boats are nice. The sea is nice, too.”
The Crown Prince of Tensil had arrived. The nobles of Secritia still hadn’t forgotten Calian’s fury, so as a precaution, Arianne had joined the Kairis party at their table in the coronation banquet hall. Her presence was a clear signal that Kairis held no grudges against Secritia and a warning to Tensil not to make any hasty moves during the transition of power.
She would only stay until Chase arrived with Louise after the Sacred Relic Enshrinement Ceremony, but even that brief time would convey the intended message.
“By the way, does the Crown Prince of Kairis swim well?”
“Neither my brother nor I can swim. And we aren’t going there to swim, Arianne.”
“I know. But it’s dangerous. What if Tensil or Zeon tries something?”
“I’m feeling greedy, though. I haven’t been on a boat since I was a child, but I think I’ll be fine now. Once we return to Kairis, I doubt we’ll have many chances for such leisurely travel. In any case, I’m going to ask my Master to come along, so whether it’s Tensil or anyone else, they won’t be able to touch us so easily… Brother, that’s rabbit meat. They won’t.”
Calian, who had been speaking with Arianne, paused to stop Franz from reaching for a piece of well-cooked meat, steering him away from the heavily spiced mutton. He finished his sentence as he watched Franz shift his hand toward a piece of beef instead.
Since Devlan’s matter was resolved, Louise had visited the villa several times on behalf of Calian, who couldn’t go to the palace. It was partly so she could speak with him, but more importantly, it was so she could receive treatment from Hina. Since the impossibly busy Chase couldn’t visit often, Arianne had taken on the task, and thanks to that, she and Calian had started speaking comfortably again.
“If Baron Manasil is going, should we come along too? It’s about time His Highness took a break as well.”
“Sure, why not? I’d love that. If we leave Sir Castrin at the palace, nothing much can happen in a single day.”
“I’ll talk to him after the banquet.”
Calian popped the piece of rabbit meat Franz had avoided into his mouth and nodded. Meanwhile, Arianne, who had poured a glass of ruby-colored wine and shared a drink with Euria, spoke up.
“What is your fiancée like? I’ve seen the Crown Prince’s fiancée plenty of times, so I know about her, but I’m suddenly curious about yours.”
For a fleeting moment, Franz’s gaze drifted toward Eila, who was oblivious as she chatted with Rachel. He quickly looked away, picking up some salad topped with strawberry dressing.
“A strong person,” Calian answered for him. “Someone cool, who is also good with a sword.”
Calian wore a look that said he knew exactly why Arianne was asking. Then, in a voice so quiet it was nearly lost in the music and chatter of the banquet, he continued, speaking to her.
“They fought a lot, but they always made up right away. Sometimes you apologized first, and other times Brother Chase did. And then you’d get along well again. On and on, forever.”
“That’s no different from how it is now,” Arianne said.
“It isn’t.”
“But Mother said… it might have been fine back then, but this time might be different. I think so too. Don’t we have to have a State Marriage this time?”
Since Chase had received a great deal of help from Marquis Legian Lin to secure the throne, the nobles’ attention was now intensely focused on Legian. For a smooth transition, the best path forward was for Chase and Arianne to proceed with the State Marriage as planned.
“Even in the past, many people pushed for a State Marriage. But because he knew you didn’t want it, Brother Chase never once brought it up with you. The situation is different now, but if you say you don’t want to, it will be the same.”
Arianne let out a short sigh.
“You can do whatever you want. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to, Arianne.”
“How can I do that? I know I live as I please, but I’m not that selfish.”
“Why do you feel the need to accommodate him? You don’t have to.”
After a brief thought of his own wonderful fiancée, Calian spoke.
“My fiancée says she won’t enter a State Marriage with me.”
An amused laugh escaped Arianne. “You actually asked her that?”
“Of course I did. I asked if she wasn’t going to marry me. Do you know what she said?”
“I have no idea.”
“She said she’d marry me if I threw away my title and came to her. Since she’s the one who will become the Duke.”
Chuckling, Arianne took another sip of her wine. “How cool. I’d love to meet her.”
“I told you, she’s cool. You’ll meet her later if the opportunity arises. Anyway, the same goes for you. Whether you bring your younger brother to the capital and become Queen, or simply become the Marquis yourself—do as you wish. You don’t have to force yourself. There are plenty of ways to maintain good relations with the nobles. Brother Chase is a highly capable king, after all.”
Arianne nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.”
Just as their conversation concluded, the knights at the entrance announced the arrival of the Crown Prince of Tensil. It was unclear if he had remained at the Serenti Temple or had been elsewhere, but he was only just entering, right around the time Chase was expected to arrive.
After staring at the entrance for a moment, Calian turned his head. He looked past Franz and began explaining to Hina just how massive a whale was. He told her it was the largest and quietest creature in the world and that there was no beast more beautiful.
– Then, what about Dragons?
Hina’s remark was a dangerous one.
“They aren’t beasts, so please exclude them, Hina.”
“I’m just joking,” Hina said, her smile so bright it seemed to illuminate the entire hall. Feeling as though the world had lit up, Calian smiled back. But just then—
Step.
A shadow fell over the light Hina had brought to their table. Someone had walked up behind Calian, blocking the brilliant glow of the chandelier. It was obvious who it was without looking. Calian shot Franz a surprised glance, and then the person spoke.
“I believe this is our first time meeting, Prince Calian.”
Arsen, who was raising his water glass, furrowed his brow. Not only Relic but even Yan frowned. In fact, everyone’s expression stiffened, except for Calian and Franz.
Franz lowered his eyes as if it were no big deal. Calian, however, wore a face that said it was a very big deal. Which is to say, he smiled as beautifully as a flower blooming out of season.
Tap, tap, tap.
Calian tapped the table for a moment as if processing the situation, then turned his head.
“I heard Tensil joined forces with the Wolves of the Great Desert,” Calian began. “Did you spend so much time among beasts that you forgot where a man’s eyes should land first?”
He wanted to say: No matter how unassuming my brother is, he’s not so invisible that you’d just overlook him. Where in the hell did you leave your manners, you grapefruit-scented bastard, that you greet me before His Highness, the Crown Prince?
But he filtered his thoughts before speaking. He could feel Franz letting out a silent sigh.
Arsen’s eyes were undoubtedly sparkling. Now that Calian had spoken, one person was calculating when to intervene, while the other was simply getting ready to enjoy the show.
Not that Calian cared.
– Something is… a bit strange, kind Prince.
But then, Hina’s voice entered his mind.
– That person is not a man.
An incomprehensible statement about Serjein, who was known to all as a man.
– She is a woman.
The tip of Calian’s finger, which had been tapping, traced a long, slow arc on the table.
“If you wish to greet me,” he said, his voice dangerously smooth, “apologize first.”
Not that he cared about any of that either.
“To Crown Prince Franz.”
For now.