Chapter 357: A True Wish (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 357: A True Wish (2)
Arsen looked slightly flustered.
"Meow!"
"Mew!"
Lucy, her pure white tail stretched straight toward the sky with a slight curl at the tip, and Anne, her fluffy grey tail arching over her back like a feather duster, stood before him.
"The Crown Prince—who was briefly the Commander, then became the Vice-Commander again, and who knows when he might suddenly go back to being just a prince—is not here right now."
Of course, the two cats being in front of him wasn't a rare occurrence, so that wasn't why he was flustered.
"So, what I'm trying to say is, could you two step aside for a moment?" Arsen pleaded, his voice strained.
Lucy had planted her front paws majestically on top of his documents. Watching Anne climb onto the adjacent pile of papers to copy her, Arsen made his difficult request.
"Myaong!"
That probably meant no.
Arsen stared at the two cats, helpless.
"Achoo!"
He let out a massive sneeze.
His cat allergy was slowly flaring up. It wasn't severe enough to trigger a reaction from stray fur floating in the air, but his eyes would swell and he would sneeze whenever he was under the weather or spent too much time in close proximity to the cats.
Unconsciously rubbing his eyes, Arsen opened his mouth to plead with them once more, only to be cut off by another sneeze. The sudden shift from a warm place to a cold one had clearly taken a toll on his condition, and his allergies were worse than usual. In times like these, using Clean magic to sweep away the fur was useless. How could it work when two fluffy culprits were sitting right in front of him?
On a day like this, he found himself in the rare position of needing the silent, ill-mannered, and unsociable Crown Prince, who would usually walk over without a sound and scoop up the two cats. But of course, on a day like today, he was nowhere to be found. After quickly processing a few urgent documents, Franz had left for an evening banquet with Lemain and had yet to return.
"I don't mean to ruin your fun, but I really need to look at those documents. If you could just move aside for a second, I'll quickly… A-achoo!"
"Myaong!"
"Mew!"
They weren't budging.
Not only did they refuse to move, but Lucy even lay flat on her belly right over the papers. With a tearful expression, Arsen flung the office door open and moved toward the window for some fresh air. Just then, a savior appeared.
"Lucy, Anne. Yes, yes, good girls… Oh, aren't you precious?"
One cat in each arm.
The person strode into the open office, skillfully scooped up both cats while supporting their hindquarters, and walked over to Franz's desk. After pulling some unsalted jerky from his pocket and giving a piece to each of them, he walked back.
Meanwhile, Arsen, who had conjured a small block of ice to rub over his bloodshot eyes, spoke to his savior.
"I'll buy you a drink later."
"I thought you were quitting drinking for a while to focus on training."
"Just because I quit drinking doesn't mean I can't buy you one, does it?"
Talking about quitting made him sound like a heavy drinker, but Arsen's tolerance was still exactly three cups of beer. He hadn't reached the 6th Circle yet, after all.
In any case, Arsen expressed his deep gratitude to the person who had suddenly appeared and provided immense help: Needlen, the pink-haired mage who preferred his food salted. Barely acknowledging the thanks, Needlen scanned Arsen's desk, cleared away all the cat hair with Clean magic, then split the stacked pile of documents and picked up half.
"Why are you taking those?"
"To help you."
"Are you done with your own work?"
"Unlike some people, I didn't go anywhere. I have enough time to help the Vice-Commander."
"Then I'll buy you an expensive drink later."
"Why do you keep offering to buy things when you don't even have a salary?"
"Actually, I do. I got a salary."
"Right. Three florins. Congra-tu-lations."
It seemed the news of Arsen's eventful salary had already spread.
"Don't waste it on useless things. Save it well. Who knows when that salary might disappear again?"
Arsen's salary was less than half of the lowest wage paid to a royal palace worker. However, the mages and knights of Wilhelm Hall didn't tease him because his pay was small. Needlen, for one, still remembered that when his younger sibling first opened a cafe, they had earned less than one florin a month. It would be more accurate to say he spoke to Arsen this way because he knew exactly why his salary had vanished in the first place.
"It's fine. I won't be getting drunk and making a scene in front of the Commander anymore."
"But you'll still go and smash something if Prince Calian tells you to, won't you?"
"Well, of course. I don't mind my salary getting docked for that."
"Would you do it if His Majesty or the Commander told you to?"
"If it's worth smashing, I will. If not, I won't."
"But you'll just do whatever Prince Calian orders?"
"Naturally. That's what a lackey is for."
"You're really something else."
"It's our Prince who is amazing."
Needlen let out a soft chuckle. He thought to himself that this blue-haired mage was probably the only person in the world who would be so proud of being someone's lackey.
"Meow…"
Lucy, who had climbed onto Franz's desk at some point, let her tail dangle over the edge, swishing it gently. Anne, fascinated by the movement, stood on her hind legs beneath the desk, swiping her front paws in the air to catch it. Then, using the grooves of the desk's engraved pattern as a foothold, she leaped up.
Thud!
As Anne landed, her hind paw caught on something.
A nameplate, a pen and ink, a notepad, piles of documents, and a small clock. On the spacious, unadorned desk, one object stood out.
A large conch shell.
The shell, a gift from the members of Valkan when Franz saw the sea for the first time, was caught by Anne's paw, pushed to the edge, and sent tumbling off the desk.
Needlen quickly conjured a gust of wind, catching the conch before it could shatter. He stood up and picked up the shell, which had landed safely. As he did, the dry, rolling sound of sand echoed from within.
"I guess there was sand inside."
When they first gave it to him, it hadn't made a sound because it wasn't completely dry. Now, the moisture had evaporated, and the sand that had been stuck inside had crumbled loose.
Mana gathered at Needlen's fingertips as he muttered. Seeing that he intended to empty the sand, Arsen quickly stopped him.
"No, leave it."
"I'm just trying to get the sand out."
"Our Prince tried to empty that sand before, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince—our Vice-Commander—told him to leave it be."
"The sand?"
"That's what I said."
Answering as if he didn't want to explain further, Arsen sat back down. Flipping through a document, he spoke.
"…You all gave it to him, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's right."
"So don't touch it. Just put it back."
Hearing this, Needlen shook the conch shell a few times. A rustling, rolling sound followed. After listening for a moment to the noise, which would surely grate on the ears of anyone trying to listen for the waves, Needlen nodded.
"Alright, I'll leave it."
A gentle smile played on his lips.
*
He likes cats, but cats don't seem to like him.
He also likes children, but children used to be terrified of him. Then again, Calian hadn't come here to meet a child in the first place.
He likes cats a lot, and cats follow him everywhere.
Having never dealt with children, he doesn't know what they are like. He never imagined he would come all this way just to meet one.
Children are different from cats, and these were two people who had never interacted casually with a child before.
"You said you wanted to meet her," Calian said.
"I did."
"Then why aren't you going?"
They couldn't take another step. In the distance, a young child faced Demirea on the training ground, a wooden sword in hand. Neither of them could bring themselves to approach.
Instead, Yan, Relic, and one of the estate's knights went ahead to announce their arrival to Demirea. Calian, who had dismounted but stopped short of the training ground, spoke again to the silent Franz.
"When you meet her, you must see her alone, Brother."
"Why?"
"Did you expect me to go with you?"
"I thought you liked kids."
"I meant kids around Yan and Hina's age."
Since when are Yan and Hina kids? They're older than you, Franz thought. Wait. Then what on earth do you usually see me as? Is that why you speak so casually to me all the time?
Swallowing his many questions, Franz shifted his gaze to Demirea, who had noticed their early arrival and was now looking their way.
"If I don't know what to do, my younger brother will surely guide me."
"Is there really a special way to deal with children? Besides, that's not something I should be teaching you. And that child will probably be more afraid of me than you, Brother."
"Why…?"
Franz, about to argue that anyone would find the constantly smiling Calian less intimidating, shut his mouth. In any other case, that might be true, but it could be different for the child standing over there.
She had seen Calian clashing swords with Evan. She had witnessed exactly where the sword in Evan's hand had pierced.
"Right."
"So why don't you go ahead? I'll be talking with Siona."
"Alright."
"With children, you just…" Calian began, watching as Demirea drew closer, the young child following while tightly holding her hand. "…need to meet them at eye level."
"Alright."
"And don't speak so bluntly."
"Alright."
"And don't look down on her with such sharp eyes. You'll make her cry. Instead of walking around covered in cat hair, you should smile brightly all the time like me so she won't be scared. Be cheerful, beam at her, and look pretty."
"…Keep barking."
Calian, who hadn't missed the chance to "bark," smiled brightly just as he had described. Then, bowing slightly to Franz, he followed the Duke's head butler into the mansion. He was leaving before the child could get any closer and see him clearly.
Wiping the annoyance from his face, Franz turned back. He saw the child stop in her tracks upon spotting him in the distance. Demirea, who was holding her hand, stopped as well. After exchanging a few words with the child, she passed the girl's hand to a nearby servant.
Soon, holding the servant's hand, the child went inside the mansion.
She had not spoken to or greeted Franz.
What did they talk about? Did she say she didn't want to meet me? That she was scared? Was she reluctant?
As Franz quietly pondered, Demirea came and stood before him. After offering a polite bow, she spoke.
"She said her clothes weren't pretty."
Not because she didn't want to meet him.
Not because she was scared or reluctant.
"She said she wanted to change into her newly bought clothes first," Demirea explained. The child had worried that he might dislike her, thinking she was dirty if he saw her in dusty clothes from training. Just as Franz had worried that his flawless Crown Prince attire might seem intimidating to her.
"…I see."
"Let us go inside together. I will escort you."
Nodding, Franz entered the mansion, following the path Calian had taken.
*
Siona was not there. Furthermore, Suleiman and Serie were not there either.
"Dame Hill was slightly injured during a duel with my father, so they all went to Schrintz a few days ago. His Majesty permitted them to use the royal villa."
The Schrintz territory, famous for its hot springs. Lemain, knowing Siona had been injured because of Suleiman while Calian and Alan were away, had granted them the use of the villa. It was less a courtesy to a Duke complaining of aching joints and more a special privilege for a Sword Master.
"His Majesty didn't mention that at the banquet," Calian remarked.
"There was no real need for him to, was there?"
"True. He probably didn't expect me to come here to meet Siona. Though he might have guessed my brother would come to meet that child."
"Yes."
"Even though Duke Siegfried wasn't here, you still opened the gates for us. I thought I'd be broken up with the moment I arrived, Demirea."
"Actually, I was just about to bring that up."
"Oh dear… I don't want to break off my engagement with my fiancée just yet. Can't you let it slide this once?"
"Your Highness is of very little help to me. You haven't kept a single promise you made."
"But isn't it pleasing just to look at me by your side?"
"There is nothing pleasing about it."
What was the point of smiling so brightly and cheerfully? It didn't even work on his fiancée, let alone children.
The younger brother, desperately trying to avoid having his engagement broken off, ultimately went back outside for a quick duel. Though Calian wasn't fully recovered, he could still handle Demirea's sword, so Franz didn't worry much. Instead, it was Yan—who had learned of the duel late because he was caught up in the joy of his reunion as "puppy Yan"—who turned pale and hurried after them.
Thanks to them, the drawing room became very quiet. Franz had finished about half his tea, which was infused with dried oranges and strawberries, when a soft knock sounded at the door.
Knock, knock.
It was a gentle sound, as if someone had taken a very long time to gather their courage.
When Franz nodded, Relic, who was standing behind him, walked over and opened the door.
The child, who had knocked herself instead of letting a servant do it, walked in cautiously behind Relic. The white lace at the hem of her bright yellow dress fluttered prettily with her small steps.
Franz's light green eyes turned toward her.
The portrait inside the locket still hanging around her neck. The child in it was around the same age as Franz.
"Greetings, Your Royal Highness. My name is Ririe Brissen."
The young child, Ririe, clasped her small hands and bowed politely, speaking in a tone that didn't quite suit her age. Franz stared at her for a long moment, holding his breath before letting it out. Then, he spoke.
"…Franz."
It was something he had never once uttered since he was born. He gave her his name, which he had been called his entire life but felt incredibly foreign now that he was saying it himself. He dropped his middle name, dropped his grand last name, and gave her just his first.
Whether she understood his intention or not, Ririe offered a tiny smile and nodded. Then, she sat down opposite him, just as Franz indicated.
She didn't look as much like him as he had thought.
She was much smaller than he had imagined.
Franz looked at Ririe, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them.
He had no more words to offer. He had completely forgotten what he had come to say, what he had insisted on confirming by following Calian all this way. If he had known it would be like this, he would have just waited in the hallway on the fifth floor for Randel to come out, or climbed up to the terrace of Randel's room. He probably would have had more to say to him.
"I like it here. I like Demirea," Ririe was the first to speak.
Hearing this, Franz's face stiffened slightly.
"…Ah."
Only then did he realize what he had forgotten.
That a child's eye level was too low to notice the cat hair on his clothes. That no matter how clever she was, she wasn't old enough to notice such a thing at first glance.
You just need to meet them at eye level.
Finally recalling his brother's words, Franz spoke.
"No… that's not it."
And don't speak so bluntly.
Only now did he understand.
She hadn't changed into pretty clothes to show him her best side. She had done it because she was afraid he would dislike her even more if she wore dusty clothes—afraid he would detest a child he already found to be a nuisance. That was why.
No matter how ignorant of the world she was, she must have seen how Evan treated Franz. If Evan treated Franz that way, would she have thought Franz would be any different? It was obvious she believed Franz wouldn't look kindly on Evan either. He only now realized she had been thinking he would never willingly accept a child raised by Evan.
He had come too hastily.
"I came because I was worried," he said. "To see if you were doing well. Because I was worried about you."
No.
He should have come a long time ago.
He, of all people, knew better than anyone how it felt to believe the entire world hated you. Yet he had simply set his mind at ease, thinking she would grow up fine on her own since Demirea was treating her well.
"I don't dislike you."
He didn't shorten his words out of annoyance, nor did he hide his true meaning. He said everything exactly as it was. He showed her something a mere speck of cat hair could never convey.
The words that the Franz of the past had needed most.
The words someone should have said to the Franz of the past.
But words that had never been delivered.
"I don't hate you either. So it's alright."
Ririe looked up at Franz. Her green eyes, brimming with the color of fresh leaves, stared for a long time into his light green eyes, which were only now beginning to bloom.
"What a relief…" she whispered softly.
Finally relieved to hear the words delivered before it was too late. Finally letting go of the deep terror she had harbored.