Chapter 356: A True Wish (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 356: A True Wish (1)
As the light faded, a chill settled in the air.
It was only natural. Kairisis, the capital of Kairis, was located much further north than Secritia. Even though spring had arrived, the air was far from warm.
The sensation wasn't unfamiliar. Hadn’t he experienced this twice before? Stepping out from a perfectly warm space only to find himself in the middle of the Great Desert, lashed by a flesh-tearing blizzard. The memory of that day, not so long ago, came flooding back.
This time, however, was vastly different. The cold was incomparably milder—in fact, the chill felt almost welcoming. And there was one other thing.
"Welcome back."
There were people waiting to greet them.
After confirming Calian and Franz’s safety and reining in Hina—who had been ready to scold the two reckless princes—Alan had returned to Kairis ahead of them. Then, on the promised day, he had traveled back to Secritia to bring everyone home.
Thanks to him, Lemain, who likely only knew the approximate time of their return, was waiting in front of Arpia Palace. Behind him stood others who had gathered to welcome the princes, their expressions betraying nothing of how long they might have waited.
"I'm relieved to see you've returned safely."
Their departure had been quiet.
Thus, their return was not a grand affair either.
Of course, if one were to ask whether a king personally coming out to greet someone could be considered modest, it would be hard to answer with a straight face. Still, since the welcoming party was smaller than the group that had returned, it felt modest enough.
Calian actually preferred it this way.
He vividly recalled his return to the royal palace after being away for months for Roselita, the prince's coming-of-age ceremony. The streets of Kairisis had been packed with crowds of well-wishers. It wasn’t that he disliked or felt burdened by the welcome, but his body was still exhausted, and he simply wanted a quiet return.
"Your Majesty."
As soon as their vision cleared and they recognized Lemain, Calian and Franz immediately bowed their heads.
Seeing the two standing at the front, Lemain took a step forward. He raised his arms, momentarily recalling how Alan had welcomed Calian back from Roselita, but he froze and let them fall.
It was still too soon.
The distance Lemain had willfully maintained for over a decade could not be erased in an instant just because he wished it so. It would take a long time before they could trade these stiff, formal greetings for a simple, warm welcome. So, to avoid startling them, he took only a single step forward before stopping.
"Yes."
At Lemain’s response, the group straightened.
Noting that Calian seemed to have grown a bit taller, Lemain nodded before turning his gaze to Franz. Instantly, his face went blank, as if he had forgotten everything he was about to say.
As Franz raised his head, a thin silver chain became visible between his collar and the back of his neck. Lemain knew better than anyone what hung at the end of that necklace.
"…I see."
Franz, who could not possibly be ignorant of his father’s thoughts, lowered his gaze without a word. A single locket could not bridge the chasm between them.
Watching the two, Calian turned his eyes to those standing behind Lemain. There was Raul, the chief chamberlain; Ren, the escort knight; three other knights of the Royal Guard; Needlen, the pink-haired mage with a penchant for eating things with salt; and three other division commanders. It had been a long time since he had seen these familiar faces, and he could see the welcoming expressions on their faces.
As Calian scanned the welcoming party, his fingertips traced a small arc in the air.
He was looking for the one person who should have been standing right behind Lemain, in front of Raul and Ren. The one he’d expected wouldn’t show up, and who indeed hadn’t. His other brother.
‘How cold-hearted.’
A new war between brothers—one sure to be even more intense than the Bell Pepper War—was on the horizon. How could he not smile?
"Will you stop by for a moment before you go?" Lemain asked, offering no explanation for Randel's absence.
As Calian's older brother and the Crown Prince of Kairis, Franz could answer for them both without consulting him. He shook his head.
The words that followed utterly dumbfounded Calian.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. My attire is rather untidy. I would prefer to present myself properly at dinner."
Calian's finger, which had been tracing an arc, twitched.
‘His attire is untidy?’
Of all the excuses he could have made, he chose his clothes. Calian never thought he’d hear the words "untidy attire" from Franz—the same Franz who used to wander to breakfast looking like he’d been dressed in the dark. He really, truly hadn’t.
Calian turned his head very slowly.
He stared at the "Crown Prince's formal attire," which Relic had painstakingly prepared since morning. It was so flawless that it was hard to imagine how it could possibly be any tidier.
"Very well. I will see you then."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
And Lemain, ever trusting, bought it completely.
"I hope Viscountess Bern will join us as well."
With those words, Lemain brought up something Calian had been trying to forget on his way back.
Ah. Right.
Our Hina is still engaged to my Crown Prince brother.
Ignoring Arsen, who looked like he was dying to stir the pot but couldn't with the king present, Calian forced a smile.
"We will see you this evening, then."
"Indeed."
Whether Calian was pleased or not, Franz couldn't care less. He bowed to Lemain once more, turned, and mounted Estina. Then, with Relic in tow, he rode leisurely toward Chermil Palace.
To be precise, toward the fifth floor of Chermil Palace.
*
Since he had claimed his attire needed tidying, there was nothing for it.
He had to shed his already immaculate clothes, take a relaxing bath in his favorite black tub, and put on a fresh set of the prince's formal attire.
For the first time in a long while, he received Merlin's assistance. Calian chose his favorite new cuffs and tie ornament from the items Merlin had prepared during his absence. Watching the dark red opal cuffs being fastened, Calian turned his head and spoke to Yan, who was standing nearby.
"Did you contact the Duke's mansion?"
"Yes. I sent a servant."
"What if they don't open the door? They don't exactly like me."
Yan, holding the jacket to be put on next, replied with a small chuckle.
"Duke Siegfried is with them, so that won't be an issue."
"Ah, is Duke Siegfried at the mansion right now?"
"Yes. Both of them arrived a few days ago. It seems they plan to stay for a while, as they even brought Yan with them."
The phrasing was odd, but Calian understood perfectly. The fact that the Siegfrieds' youngest, a fluffy, brown, tail-wagging puppy, shared a name with the Duke's eldest son was a well-known fact, even to Merlin.
"Hina will be happy to hear the puppy is here."
"Dame Bern was quite fond of him."
"Is Hina busy today?"
"Yes. Your Highness is the only one with free time."
"…Right, of course."
The knights who had served as escorts would head to their quarters to rest, but those with official duties could not. Euria had returned straight to the Association, and Rachel had stopped by Wilhelm Hall to briefly meet Veronica before heading to the magic academy. With President Euria busy, Rachel, as the vice-principal, had to handle the backlog of academy work. Arsen and Hina were just as busy.
"I'm not the only one. My brother said he'd go with me."
"His Royal Highness Crown Prince Franz is wrapping up his urgent business quickly before accompanying you."
"Right… I see."
Ever since the day Calian had nearly ended up standing in the Secritia royal palace garden holding a sign written by Hina, Yan had been treating him rather coldly. After all, Calian had promised to teach him the harmonica every day, yet had happily accepted three meals' worth of beef jerky from a brother who seemed to wish for his early demise. It was only natural that Yan had no kind words for him.
Knowing Yan would come around on his own after a day or two of good behavior, Calian just smiled brightly.
"Alright. I'll have to take Hina later, then."
"Please do."
Knock, knock.
Just as Calian finished putting on his cloak, a quiet knock sounded at the door.
"It's Eila."
At Calian's nod, Yan and Merlin bowed and stepped outside. Eila entered. Feeling relaxed, Calian sat on the familiar black sofa and gestured to the seat opposite him.
After a brief greeting, Eila sat down.
"Are you coming from Wilhelm Hall?"
"Yes."
"Is everyone doing well?"
"Yes. It seems so."
In truth, Eila’s stay at Wilhelm Hall had been too brief to check on everyone. She had spent her time solely by Hina's side, so it was difficult for her to gauge their well-being.
Calian, having received her answer to his polite icebreaker, smiled faintly.
"Have you given it some thought?"
"You mean the intelligence organization."
"Yes."
"Before that, there is something I'm curious about."
"Go ahead."
"Until now, intelligence gathering was handled by mages from the Association, correct?"
"That's right."
"But if I take over, that will no longer be the case."
"Mages might offer assistance, but the core will be the people you gather."
"Then… will the organization I lead become another flock of birds?"
"Are you worried I'll use them the way Devlan did? That I'll secretly raise them regardless of their age, send them wherever I please, treat them like tools, and cut them loose when they're no longer useful?"
The conversation had flowed so rapidly that there hadn't even been time to serve tea.
Eila stared down at the empty table for a moment before raising her head. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she chose her words with care.
"…Yes. It's not easy to shake off what you've seen and experienced."
Her words applied as much to Calian as they did to herself. For Calian, who had seen how Devlan used his birds, it would be difficult to avoid his footsteps. For Eila, who had suffered under him, it was just as difficult to ease her anxieties.
Clack.
Instead of answering, Calian pulled something from his breast pocket and set it on the table.
"I couldn't wrap it this time either," he remarked, slightly off-topic.
Looking at the clean table, Eila let out a soft laugh.
"You're giving it to me far too late."
It was a hairpin.
He had not opposed her wish to witness Devlan's end, and in return, he had asked for one favor: that she personally deliver the hairpin she always wore to Devlan. And Eila had done just that, gifting the beautiful hairpin, with its waterdrop beads laced with poison, to Devlan.
Since then, she had worn her hair down.
Even after Devlan died, the year turned, and they returned to Kairis, she let her Secritian sea-colored hair cascade like waves.
"Was I too late?"
"A little. It was quite inconvenient."
"My apologies."
Calian slid the hairpin a bit closer to her.
"I gave it a lot of thought. What to make it out of, what it should look like, what kind of gem to use. Should I include coral or pearls? Adorn it with flowers or butterflies? Platinum or silver? Should I seek out expensive mithril again, like the one I gave Brother Randel? I pondered over it for a long time."
Eila picked up the hairpin.
At the end of the long tin pin was a blue imitation gem made of glass. A single white faux pearl and two crude blue beads hung from the tip, swaying gently.
"But I thought giving you something ordinary would be best."
After all that agonizing, he had bought a simple, unremarkable hairpin.
It wasn't elaborately decorated by a master craftsman or set with real gems, let alone made of gold or silver. Just as he’d done with Yan's harmonica, he had simply bought it from a shop, picking the one he liked best on the spot.
He had bought an ordinary hairpin.
"If you don't like it, you can buy another one yourself, Eila. Anytime, anywhere."
Eila’s blue eyes lingered on Calian for a moment before shifting to the hairpin. As she stared down at the simple pin, made of no precious metal and holding no precious gem—
"I'll put it to good use."
She twisted her hair up on the spot and secured it with the pin.
She loved that it was an ordinary gift. It wasn't a treasure she could never discard or a keepsake she had to cherish until death—another gilded cage. This simple hairpin, one she could replace anytime she wanted, bought with no hidden meaning other than what might suit her, was truly beautiful.
"I'll gather the people I worked with back when I was here. I'll draw up a plan for the organization and report back."
"Alright."
A small smile played on Calian's face.
"Do so, Eila."
Eila, who finally had a hairpin she could proudly show Hina, rose from her seat. She bowed and stepped outside.
She had to move quickly now.
*
Not long after Eila left, a message arrived from Relic.
Franz would head straight from Wilhelm Hall to Lemain's office in Arpia Palace, so Calian should make his own way there. Understanding the clear implication, Calian burst into amused laughter and headed to the small banquet hall for dinner, accompanied only by Yan and Kyrie.
Thanks to Randel—who would easily reject a visit from the Crown Prince when he already rejected the King's dinner invitations—Franz sat with an expressionless face, having failed to catch even a glimpse of his older brother.
Suppressing a sigh at the sight of their Hina sitting beside Franz, Calian took the seat pulled out for him. Soon after, Lemain arrived, and the modest dinner began.
Lemain said nothing about Franz's betrothal to Hina, which had been decided without consulting the royal family. He didn't ask why they had suddenly become engaged, whether they intended to proceed with a state marriage, or if they planned to eventually break it off to pursue their own paths, as Calian and Demirea had.
"Did you face any trouble on your journey back?"
He only asked if they had fared well, if they were sick or injured, or if they needed any help regarding Valkan. Hina calmly answered the questions directed her way, which were no different from those posed to the princes. The conversation continued, with Hina occasionally nodding or gesturing as Calian or Franz translated for her.
"I had a brief meeting with the Crown Prince of Tensil," Franz spoke up once the conversation with Hina concluded. He requested that Crown Prince Serjein of Tensil be allowed to visit Kairis during Lemain's birthday festival.
"I shall consider it," Lemain replied.
If it were a personal favor, he would have agreed immediately, but Serjein's visit was a matter of state, not something he could grant solely because his son asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Franz, who hadn't expected an immediate answer, replied plainly.
As Calian half-listened, cutting into a steak that was slightly less seasoned than those in Secritia, Lemain turned his gaze to him.
"I heard a servant from Chermil Palace went to the Siegfried mansion."
"…You heard about that."
"Indeed. Are you planning on running away again today?"
Looking slightly embarrassed, Calian nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He was certainly honest.
Lemain let out a soft chuckle, his gaze shifting between Calian and Franz.
"Go ahead. Just make sure you don't return too late."
"Yes. I will."
They hadn't even announced the princes' return to the nobles yet. Calian, who had expected Lemain to refuse, looked slightly flustered by the easy permission but gave his promise. With that, they finished dinner and stepped outside.
Calian had Kyrie escort Hina back to Wilhelm Hall. Then, instead of bothering with black robes that would be useless anyway, both princes mounted their horses in their formal attire. Accompanied by Yan and Relic, they left the royal palace, picking up their pace as they headed toward the Siegfried mansion.
Before they entered, Calian paused. He looked at Franz's clothes, which were dotted with white and gray fur, and spoke in a low voice.
"You didn't get to see Brother Randel?"
"They say he's… very ill."
"Are you going to visit him again tomorrow?"
"I will."
"I thought you and Brother Randel were on bad terms."
"We are."
"Then why are you trying so hard to see him?"
Franz closed his eyes slowly before replying.
"Because there's something I need to get from him now, or I never will."
"What is it?"
"…An apology."
"May I ask what kind of apology?"
"No."
"Understood."
Nodding without any lingering curiosity, Calian reached out and channeled his mana. He intended to whisk away the cat fur clinging to the Crown Prince's formal attire before they entered.
"Leave it," Franz stopped him.
His clothes weren't unsightly, but they were far from pristine. The formal attire made it glaringly obvious that he kept cats. Looking down at his clothes for a moment, Franz stared at the massive gates of the Siegfried mansion.
"So he won't be afraid."
The child Evan had intended to raise as his successor.
The child who would no longer grow up to be the head of the House of Marquis Brissen.
After receiving Lemain's letter and speaking with Alan, Franz had thought deeply. He found himself wanting to meet the child he'd once thought he would never see. He had become curious about the boy who was so similar to him, yet so different.
He didn't want the child to be frightened by a flawlessly perfect Crown Prince appearing out of nowhere. That was why he told Calian to leave the cat fur.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
Calian nodded readily and smiled.
Then, he stepped toward the gates of the Siegfried mansion. Franz followed close behind.
Far, far in the distance.
A young child with green hair tied back stood waiting.