Chapter 44: Because We've Come Too Far (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44: Because We've Come Too Far (2)
Count Hale Latran looked utterly displeased.
The anger he felt toward Calian refused to subside, and he had spent the entire night grinding his teeth.
"I knew it the moment he returned my gift so blatantly. Arrogant little bastard."
Vulgar curses spilled from his lips.
To Calian’s face, Hale had fawned over him as if he would offer up his own liver and gallbladder, but that was only because he was a prince of Kairis. His true feelings were the complete opposite.
Outsiders might wonder how a mere count with nothing but a single copper mine could have the audacity to look down on a prince, but Hale's confidence didn't come from his mine. It came from the connections he had spent years and vast sums of money building with the central nobles of Kairis.
Naturally, the foremost among them was Marquis Brissen.
He had barely managed to establish a connection by supplying copper to the Brissen Trading Company at a low price, and all the money he earned from his various schemes had gone straight into the Marquis’s pockets. In return, he had recently received a promise that he would be granted a wealthy territory closer to Kairisis.
But then, Silike had to go and mess everything up by poisoning Calian.
Though they had hushed it up with excuses about the prince catching a cold, those in the know were well aware of the truth.
Recalling the incident, Hale cursed Silike under his breath.
"Stupid woman. If you're going to do it, you should have made sure he died."
Because of that incident, the Brissen family was thrown into turmoil, and the fulfillment of his promised territory was pushed far into the future. Not only that, but the massive profits he used to make from the Brissen Trading Company had been cut in half overnight.
Hale now believed that Calian, the one who had provoked Silike in the first place, was the sole reason his path—which should have been paved with flowers—remained a dusty copper field.
And in the midst of all this, that very same Calian had paid him a visit.
Of all days, it had to be the day he was scheduled to meet with the Blue Warbler. That alone was irritating enough, but the moment they met, the prince had insulted him and recklessly cast magic. It was far more than Hale could tolerate, even from a prince.
The way Calian and Yan had treated his butler, Malcolm, only added fuel to his anger.
"It's sickening. He thinks he's conquered the world just because he won over a single mage. Judging by his behavior yesterday, the bastard seems to think he's on the same level as the other princes. He's just a lowborn running wild, completely oblivious to the fact that once one of the others becomes king, he'll be nothing but a helpless little bird with nowhere to go."
As he muttered these treasonous words—any one of which would have cost him his head—Malcolm knocked on the door.
– Knock, knock.
"My Lord. Are you awake?"
"Yes. Come in."
At his command, Malcolm entered with cautious steps. Hale spoke before the door had even fully closed.
"Have you heard back from him?"
He was referring to the Blue Warbler, whom he had missed his scheduled meeting with because of Calian. The butler bowed his head and replied.
"There is no word yet. They are sure to contact us sometime today, so perhaps we can meet again tonight."
At those words, Hale slammed his hand on the table.
"I was a fool to make a former priest like you my butler! There isn't a bigger idiot in the entire world!"
Malcolm's shoulders flinched. Hale tapped sharply on the window, gesturing toward the pouring rain outside.
"With the weather this bad, that commoner's brat is bound to stay another night, isn't he?"
Only then did the butler grasp Hale's meaning and bow his head.
"Should we postpone the meeting, my Lord?"
"Yes. Since it’s come to this, tell them we'll make the deal in peace after the prince leaves."
"Yes, my Lord. I understand."
Hale then glanced at the clothes laid out for him. The color, as gloomy as the sky outside, displeased him.
"Is there no other outfit? Isn't this too plain?"
Even as Hale complained while looking at a jacket adorned with extravagant gold buttons, Malcolm replied meekly.
"I will have them bring another."
"Good. I need to take him down a peg at every turn. Make sure he stays quiet until he leaves."
Soon, maids entered carrying several more outfits. Hale began to hum as he made his selection.
* * *
Once Calian’s morning preparations were complete, Yan brought in a tray with a loaf of bread and cold black tea. He first relayed what the knight, Yuran, had reported.
"Neither Count Latran nor his butler left the estate last night."
Calian had expected as much. He simply nodded, tearing off a piece of bread before Yan could even set the tray down.
"Also, the Count has asked if breakfast could be delayed slightly today."
"Why?" Calian asked, his expression indifferent.
It was Yan who answered, his own face a mask of displeasure. "He claims he is not feeling well due to the rain. What would you like to do?"
"Not feeling well, my foot. He's busy picking out what to wear."
A small chuckle escaped Calian's lips. Hale was staging a petty protest over yesterday's events.
A count was by no means a low-ranking noble. Since Calian had put him to sleep at a whim and ignored his attempts to apologize, Hale was now retaliating.
However, Calian had no favorable opinion of the count either and had no intention of humoring him.
"Tell him no. Tell him to be on time."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will do so."
Calian began tearing the bread in his hand into fingernail-sized pieces, scattering them across the tea table. Instead of clearing the crumbs Calian was intentionally making, Yan simply set down the tea and waited.
– Flutter!
The sound of small wings came from the direction of Calian's bed, and a white pigeon landed on the table. It began to peck at the scattered bread crumbs one by one.
Seeing the remarkably gentle look in Calian's eyes as he watched the bird, Yan asked cautiously, "Do you intend to keep it, Your Highness?"
Calian gently scooped up the bird after it finished eating, then stood and walked toward his bed. "No. I'm just trying to decide when to return it to its owner."
A birdcage sat beside the bed. Arsen had left it when he visited at dawn.
Calian opened the cage and placed the bird inside. Accustomed to human touch, it remained calm in his hands and hopped into the cage on its own.
"I was wondering why there was suddenly a bird here. So it has an owner."
"Indeed," Calian replied. He tore off another piece of bread, placed it inside the cage, and returned to his seat. Yan had been startled to see the birdcage that morning.
Calian had eaten far more of the bread than he had given the bird, but there was still plenty left. The rest of it went straight into his mouth.
Yan's expression clearly asked, Why are you eating that?
"You have breakfast to attend, yet you are filling your stomach with that?" he asked.
Calian stuffed the remaining bread into his mouth all at once and mumbled his reply, a sight one would never witness in the royal palace. "It's good. Besides, I won't be able to eat much at breakfast anyway."
Assuming Calian meant the meal with Hale Latran would be uncomfortable, Yan wiped the table and set down the tea. Afterward, he walked over to the birdcage, observed it for a moment, and pointed at the bird's ankle.
"It's a carrier pigeon?"
He had only just noticed the small tube tied to the bird's leg for carrying messages.
"Yes," Calian replied nonchalantly. "So if I just open the window, it will fly back to its owner."
To the Blue Warbler—who was far more flamboyant, beautiful, and dangerous than this bird.
Calian took a sip of his tea, his eyes fixed on the carrier pigeon that Arsen had caught the previous night while it was trying to deliver a message to the Blue Warbler.
* * *
Hale was once again forcing an overly broad smile.
The butler, Malcolm, kept his head bowed, his face obscured. Meanwhile, Yan’s expression was one of profound doubt.
‘Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be able to eat much?’ his face seemed to say.
Under Yan's disbelieving gaze, Calian was eating with absolute focus. Despite having snatched most of the bread meant for the bird, he was now consuming a remarkably hearty breakfast.
Consequently, Hale was suffering in his own way.
Since the prince was eating in silence, the count across from him couldn't speak either and had to swallow his words. Hale cursed inwardly once more.
Calian glanced at his face, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Hale tried to hide it, but he couldn't completely conceal the fierce glare he had been honing all night. This helped Calian decide exactly how to handle the meal.
"Ah, right. Go ahead and speak," Calian said suddenly, his tone utterly unapologetic. "I forgot I needed to give you permission. I've never dined with someone of lower status before."
Hale forced his smile to widen, fighting to keep his anger from showing. "Is the meal to your liking, Your Highness?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
Calian nodded readily. Since he was eating so heartily, he could hardly claim otherwise.
Hale put on a delighted expression. "Since you rejected the gift I sent previously, I was worried you might find it uncomfortable to face me. It is truly an honor to at least serve you a meal. But if I may be so bold, could I ask why you rejected my gift?"
Hearing this, Calian replied as if it were nothing of importance. "Because I didn't know who you were. It wasn't a name I'd ever heard. It's not as if there are only one or two counts in the kingdom."
It was the ultimate dismissal, treating him like a nameless provincial noble.
Yan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
The corners of Hale's mouth twitched. He struggled to maintain his smile.
"...It is understandable that you did not know me. Still, it is a relief that you know my name now."
As he spoke, Hale clenched his fist tightly under the table.
This little bastard!
Realizing just how little Calian thought of him, Hale resolved to demand an explanation for being put to sleep the night before. He felt he couldn't swallow another bite until he heard an apology.
However, whether it was an act or not, he had made a fool of himself, so he offered an apology first. "In any case, I made a grave mistake yesterday."
"It's fine," Calian replied swiftly, as if he had been waiting for the words.
Hale pressed on. "But, by any chance, did you use magic on me yesterday..."
"I put you to sleep before I could become any more displeased."
Hale's mouth fell open.
Calian wasn't forgiving his drunken behavior; he was saying it was fine because he'd put a stop to it before it could annoy him.
"Ah. I... see."
"So you need not worry about it any longer. I understand the Count has likely never faced royalty like this before, so mistakes can happen. I understand," Calian said with a bright smile and a single nod.
Hale couldn't even protest. He was speechless, unable to argue against the absurd claim that he'd been put to sleep merely to prevent the prince's displeasure.
In the end, Hale failed to voice a single word of complaint. Instead, he had apologized and been forgiven.
It was enough to make his blood boil.
"But why were you so anxious last night?"
At the word "anxious," Hale's grip on his fork tightened again. Calian glanced at his hand, then met his eyes. Faced with those unfamiliar red eyes, Hale instinctively looked away.
"I wished to apologize for my mistake," he said.
Calian nodded with a small chuckle. "I was resting. The investigation into the person who attacked me yesterday was exhausting. But since it happened out of the Count's earnest desire to apologize to me, then that is fine as well."
In an instant, everything became Hale's fault.
Having magnanimously forgiven all, Calian quietly lifted his teacup, took a sip, and spoke again.
"Come to think of it, something strange turned up during the investigation."
Hale's expression stiffened for a split second.
He had desperately tried to find out more about the attacker, Norton, but Calian's twenty knights maintained such a tight guard that he couldn't get anywhere near. As a result, Hale knew no details.
He had not lived a particularly clean life.
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over him, a fear that some connection between Norton and himself might be uncovered. His throat burning with tension, Hale drank some water.
All traces of amusement had vanished from Calian's face. He looked directly at Hale and spoke.
"I once saw a suspicious person in Kairisis who used the name of a bird. And wouldn't you know it, the ones who attacked me are connected to yet another bird. So, I am currently investigating those who carry the names of birds."
Startled, Hale almost spat out his water, hastily covering his mouth with a handkerchief.
A few drops of water fell onto his clothes and hand. When Malcolm quickly stepped forward to wipe it away, Hale irritably brushed him aside.
His mind raced.
A bird? That has to be a spy from Secritia. Don't tell me he knows about the Blue Warbler? Why is he bringing up Secritian spies during an investigation into his attacker? Did a Secritian spy try to kill the bastard? Why?
Calian missed none of it—Malcolm's excessive submissiveness, a strange trait for a former priest, and the brief flicker of panic in Hale's eyes.
Yet, he simply ate his salad as if he had noticed nothing at all.
Hale decided he absolutely had to meet this Norton. He needed to know what was going on to formulate a response.
"Your Highness. In that case, let me assist in the investigation. Is it not a great dishonor that someone who sought to harm Your Highness was here in Latran? Please, allow me to join you."
Calian waved his hand dismissively.
"There is no need for that. Everything confirmed so far has already been sent to the royal palace. The Count need not worry. As long as you are not involved, nothing will happen to you."
For some reason, there was a distinct weight behind his final words.
Hale furrowed his brow without realizing it.