Chapter 96: Older Brother (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: Older Brother (3)
When Chase, standing before Franz, came to a halt, Alan, who was about to enter Lemain's office, also froze in his tracks.
Alan massaged his temples and muttered, “...Why on earth did he come here?”
The moment Alan realized who the other guest invited to the luncheon was, his face lost its usual composure. He glared at the door to Lemain's office. His beloved, great King of Kairis had just pulled the absolute worst, most idiotic stunt imaginable.
Calian had never mentioned that Chase had visited Kairis in the past. If Calian had known Chase was coming, he wouldn't have happily strolled out of the palace without a care in the world.
And of course, he hadn’t known.
In the timeline Bern had lived, Chase had never done anything as reckless as traveling to a foreign country while holding the title of Crown Prince.
What kind of ripple effect did Bern's absence cause for Chase to come here in person?
Alan, who had no way of knowing who Chase had traveled all this way to meet, could only feel utterly bewildered.
To make matters worse, it seemed Chase and Franz had already crossed paths. Even though neither of them should have any memories related to Bern, the atmosphere between them was incredibly tense.
Alan postponed his visit to Lemain's office and headed outside. He had to get Chase inside before Calian could spot him.
He will be shaken.
Calian would undoubtedly be shaken.
He had to give him time to prepare.
Inside the buildings of Arpia Palace, offensive and teleportation magic were completely unusable. Deeply grateful for Sispanian's foresight in prioritizing the King's safety, Alan quickened his pace.
* * *
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Those were the first words Chase addressed to Franz.
Royalty to royalty.
Normally, their attendants would have made formal introductions. However, Chase had stepped forward far too quickly.
The greeting he offered was incredibly ordinary, nothing out of the usual.
Yet, it was Calian’s way of speaking.
The sudden realization triggered another wave of deep aversion in Franz. Why did this stranger, whom he was meeting for the very first time, reek of his younger brother?
Since he had never once considered who Calian took after, Franz couldn't even comprehend the source of his intense displeasure.
“I understand you are pleased,” Franz said in a low voice, his gaze still locked on Chase.
Chase was, after all, the Crown Prince of another nation.
Furthermore, while Kairis was a great empire, Secritia was not its vassal state, nor were relations between the two kingdoms poor. Even without their attendants' introductions, both already knew who the other was. Therefore, Franz was technically the one who should have shown courtesy first.
Yet, Franz spoke as if he didn't recognize Chase at all.
“How dare you. In which country’s etiquette is it acceptable to hide your face before a prince of the realm?”
The surrounding air turned glacial.
The Second Prince of Kairis.
It was an incredibly arrogant attitude, one that only Franz could pull off.
The attendant, who knew perfectly well that the man inside the robe was Chase, gaped in shock. At the same time, a fierce battle spirit flared from the knight standing behind Chase. The only ones who remained unfazed were Franz himself and Chase.
Beneath the hood, Chase’s lips curved into a small smile.
Dammit.
Even that smirk was identical to Calian’s.
Just as Franz was about to spit out another sharp remark, Chase moved his hand. He gestured for his knight to step back, then slowly raised a hand to pull down his hood.
“Since I have been traveling in this attire…”
His long, silver-blue hair swayed slightly, and his deep violet eyes met Franz’s.
“...I forgot myself for a moment, Prince Franz.”
It was a mere explanation; there was no hint of apology or excuse in his tone.
For a split second, Franz felt a subconscious wave of relief that the face beneath the robe looked nothing like Calian’s. Then, he spoke with casual nonchalance, as if he had only just recognized him.
“Ah, my mistake.”
As he spoke, the corners of Franz’s lips curled upward. This time, at least, both sides of his mouth rose evenly.
He bowed his head just enough to avoid being outright rude, then asked, “To what do we owe the honor of the Crown Prince of Secritia traveling all this way?”
Franz was not the type to offer an apology either.
Though Chase surely knew Franz was being deliberately difficult, he accepted the greeting with an indifferent expression and replied, “I came because there is something to celebrate, and someone I must meet.”
With those words, Chase turned his head slightly.
He looked around the massive royal palace—the same scale that had once left even Calian in awe—and said, “And now that we are having such an unexpected conversation, it is finally sinking in where I am.”
I didn't come to talk to you, so stop marking your territory.
That was how Franz interpreted his words.
Even if Chase hadn’t come to see him, he was the one who had initiated the conversation. Naturally, Franz’s response remained sharp.
“Since you have come all the way to Kairis, is that not only natural? Surely you must have known.”
Of course I'm marking my territory. You knew what you were getting into, so deal with it.
It was a highly aggressive retort.
Although Relic, the attendant, hadn’t been serving Franz for very long, he had spent enough time in the palace to know exactly what happened when Franz's temper flared. Meanwhile, Sir Teilan knew all too well that Chase did not usually act this prickly. Consequently, both of them were in an extremely awkward position.
A conversation between two royals could affect the relationship between their nations.
Intervention was sorely needed, but Relic could not dare interrupt a prince and a crown prince, and Teilan could not go against Chase's silent command to stay back.
“It has been a very long time, Your Royal Highness Chase. And a good morning to you, Prince Franz.”
When a voice suddenly rang out, both attendants felt as if the world had suddenly brightened.
* * *
There was someone else who had noticed the situation unfolding outside Arpia Palace.
It was Duke Suleiman Hon Siegfried, who had visited the palace to pay his respects to Lemain.
“My, my… Lemain. You’ve invited quite an extraordinary guest.”
Even though Suleiman addressed him casually by name, Lemain, who sat opposite him, did not look displeased. In truth, the two were very close. To be precise, it wasn't Lemain and Suleiman who had been best friends, but Lemain's older brother, Asnan, and Suleiman. Because of that bond, Suleiman had become informal with Lemain as well. They had always spoken like this in private, making Suleiman likely the only person in the world who dared call the king by his name to his face.
At Suleiman's remark, which sounded as if he had discovered something fascinating, Lemain asked, “The Crown Prince of Secritia?”
Hearing this, Suleiman burst into a hearty laugh, and the usually quiet office echoed with his boisterous voice.
Suleiman was a man who hadn’t cared much even when he found out what Lemain's son, Calian, was hiding. Moreover, even when his close friend had plotted to take the throne, failed, and ended up locked in a tower, Suleiman had remained steadfast, never forgetting his duty as a pillar of the kingdom.
Would such a man show interest in the Crown Prince of Secritia?
“When have I ever been surprised by royalty? Of course not. I’m talking about the sword.”
The sword that accompanied the Crown Prince. He meant that Teilan Castrin, the First Sword of the Continent, had arrived.
“I heard that when the King of Secritia bestowed the title of Crown Prince upon his son, he assigned Teilan to him as well. It seems he accompanied him all the way here.”
“Is that not a well-known fact?” Lemain replied offhandedly, but then his expression shifted as if he had realized something. “But how did you know Sir Castrin was here from inside this room?”
“Ah, I didn’t feel his aura. I noticed because he’s radiating battle spirit. I wonder if I’ll die before I ever get to see Castrin’s true aura.”
“Why would Sir Castrin be releasing battle spirit here?”
“Perhaps one of your princes is picking a fight with the Crown Prince of Secritia.”
The moment he heard those words, Lemain shot up from his seat.
Suleiman’s massive hand grabbed Lemain's arm and pulled him back down. “For a king, you sure are quick to jump out of your seat. The mage went out; he’ll handle it.”
“There must not be any conflict between a prince and the Crown Prince of Secritia,” Lemain retorted as he stood up once more.
Still, taking Suleiman's advice, he did not go outside himself. Instead, he walked over to the window and began to watch the group in the distance.
He saw Alan approach them and lead Chase into Arpia Palace. Before long, he also saw Franz leave the scene.
“The battle spirit has subsided. See? I told you it was nothing.”
After watching for a while, Lemain returned to his seat. Because he had tuned out Suleiman's words to focus on Chase's entry, he failed to notice someone else standing outside the window.
Far off, near the entrance of the royal palace.
A single black horse, standing as if nailed to the spot.
* * *
Calian laughed softly.
“...So that was why.”
Why his heart had been pounding all morning.
Why he had been so anxious, unable to settle his mind.
It wasn’t because of the sword.
Calian lowered his gaze.
The hand gripping Raven's reins had turned deathly pale.
Raven kept trying to charge forward.
He held the horse back.
He held him back with every ounce of his strength.
* * *
As Calian prepared for the luncheon that day, his complexion was so poor that Yan was deeply worried.
“Perhaps it would be best to cancel the luncheon and rest, Your Highness.”
Normally, Calian would have offered at least a smile in response, but now, his face was a frozen mask as he simply shook his head. He spoke in a low, subdued voice.
“I will take Kyrie with me. I heard Duke Siegfried has entered the palace, so go and meet him.”
Yan wanted to argue that there was no need to go that far, but Calian's expression made it impossible to refuse. Thus, Yan replied that he would do so and went to fetch Kyrie.
Kyrie remained silent on the way to the luncheon. He merely stared at Calian with an expression even more worried than Yan's.
A messenger sent by Alan had delivered a brief message moments ago.
—The Crown Prince of Secritia has arrived in Kairis.
No further explanation was necessary.
He immediately understood why Calian’s smile looked so strained.
Stepping out of the carriage, Calian entered Senyu Hall. He walked down the long corridor and stopped at the entrance of the banquet hall.
Kyrie stopped the knight who was about to open the door. He did so because he knew Calian's footsteps on the way here had been anything but steady.
“Please wait a moment before entering.”
A long breath escaped Calian's lips. Then, he murmured words that could have been for himself or for Kyrie.
“...He won’t know anyway.”
Chase did not know who Calian really was. Even if Calian acted a bit awkward, Chase wouldn't know the truth. Alan would understand, and while Franz might notice the awkwardness, he wouldn't care. It would be fine.
Soon, Calian’s eyes turned to the knights standing before the door.
The doors opened, and Calian's arrival was announced.
Step by step, Calian walked inside.
And finally, he came face-to-face with that man.
…Older brother.