Chapter 279
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 279
Chapter Title: 77. The Real Gift Was Something Else (3)
The boy, who had been staring at me blankly, suddenly whipped his head away.
A nod.
As she nodded, the boy's eyes widened.
"Lo-long live the Leonberger Kingdom. Long live the Leonberger royal family."
A beat late, the boy's knees hit the floor.
"Christopher Bayern of the Bayern family greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
There wasn't a single flaw to pick at in his bowing form.
"Hm."
But I saw it clear as day.
In that fleeting moment just before he knelt, the flicker of emotion in those green eyes.
It was unmistakable hostility. Hatred.
Adelia's brother, Christopher, clearly didn't like me one bit.
To be honest, I'd half-expected it.
I was the one who'd covered her body—her only sister's body—in countless wounds.
They'd all vanished without a trace once she achieved completion, but that didn't erase the sins of the past.
In other words, I was the villain who'd abused his sister.
Even if I'd changed my attitude afterward and shown her affection, that wouldn't wipe away the lingering resentment in his heart.
It would've been weirder if he'd treated me kindly.
I knew it all along, but it still didn't sit right.
Staring down someone with hatred and resentment wasn't a new experience for me.
But those eyes, so like Anne's, brimming with hatred and resentment...
I let out a quiet sigh to myself when I suddenly felt a gaze on me.
It was Adelia.
Our eyes met, and she beamed at me.
A smile utterly pure and gentle, without a trace of resentment.
Watching that unchanging expression of hers, as always, lifted my mood as if nothing had happened.
So I smiled back at her.
"Ahem."
Kals cleared his throat and gave a pointed glance toward Christopher.
"Ah. You can get up now."
Only then did I realize he'd been kneeling for quite a while, and I hurriedly told him to rise.
"Thank you."
Christopher stood, offering polite thanks in a voice that rang utterly insincere.
"I've been wanting to meet you. Nice to finally see you."
Even my attempt at a friendly greeting got no real reaction from him.
He just bowed his head as if overwhelmed.
A clear wall stood out in his perfunctory attitude, even without a single welcoming word.
It was another burden I had to bear, so I kept chatting amiably afterward.
But Christopher remained cold to me throughout.
Unable to watch any longer, Adelia stepped in.
"Chris."
Christopher looked at his sister.
Her eyes seemed to say she'd done her part, and he shouldn't expect more.
"Chris."
Adelia called her brother again.
Resentment and grievance flashed across Chris's face.
She wasn't blind to it, yet she just fixed him with a stern gaze.
"Come on now."
That stern look and tone were so severe, I found myself shrinking back a little too.
"...It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
Christopher, who'd stubbornly kept his mouth shut, finally spoke after a long pause.
Adelia watched him with that same stern expression.
"Adelia."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You're strict at home, huh."
Her face, rigid with tension, flushed red at my words.
It was the usual Adelia I'd always seen.
But that everyday sight for me apparently wasn't for everyone else.
"S-Sis?"
Christopher stared at his sister in utter shock.
Then he turned to me, his eyes brimming with massive resentment.
Like he was glaring at a thief.
"Chris."
Adelia caught that look in an instant and shot him another stern glance.
Christopher's head drooped with a thud.
Watching that, it hit me naturally.
The reason this boy disliked me wasn't just the past sins.
And I thought to myself:
The day he comes to like me probably won't ever come.
As expected.
My time at Adelia's home wasn't long.
And throughout it, Christopher showed open hostility toward me.
Subtly enough that his sister wouldn't notice, slyly enough that no one could call him out on it.
"So, what is it you want to do?"
"Nothing yet."
"Nothing I can help with?"
"No."
Even with his half-hearted attitude, I kept the conversation going.
He was just a seventeen-year-old boy at most—still young and impulsive. I didn't want to stoop to his level.
But.
"How about moving into the palace? It'd be nice to live close to your sister."
"I'm fine."
My patience wore thin at the perfunctory reply.
"What do you like?"
"Nothing."
His tone grated on me, anger bubbling up.
And in the end.
"Gah, this brat acts like he owns the world."
I exploded.
"When an adult talks to you, at least pretend to listen properly. What? You have nothing you want to do? Does that even make sense? Aren't you having your coming-of-age ceremony next year?"
Once the pent-up irritation burst out, I couldn't hold it back.
"Your sister was already slaving away as a palace maid at your age, feeding the whole family through hell and back. And here you are at seventeen, still clueless about your future?"
Christopher's mouth fell open.
"You planning to hide in your sister's shadow forever?"
"Th-that's not..."
"What do you mean not? She finds you a house. Earns the money. You've got no worries, so you just roll through life. Must be bliss, huh?"
Seeing his dumbfounded face felt damn good—like a weight off my chest.
I went ahead and settled Adelia's family's living arrangements too.
"Forget all that. Aunt's away? Then pack up as soon as she gets back and move into the palace. Kals."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"There are spare rooms in my palace, right?"
"We have a few unused ones."
"Good. Live there. I'll get you a spot in the Prime Minister's office—learn the ropes running errands."
Christopher yammered something, but I ignored him.
"Don't wanna hear it, so shut up. Why? You hate it? Tough luck. This isn't a suggestion or request—it's an order. No refusing. What? Got complaints? Earn the right to complain by climbing that high. Too bad, I'm the Crown Prince of this kingdom. You won't even get to speak to me unless you're top-tier. Maybe a Prime Minister could voice some gripes. But you? A brat like you?"
Christopher, dazed by my words, looked to his sister for help.
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."
But instead of siding with him, Adelia thanked me.
"S-Sis!"
The panicked boy called to her, but all he got was a stern stare.
"What are you doing, Chris? Thank His Highness properly."
Her tone left no room for argument, and Christopher bowed his head.
"Th-thank you."
"If you're grateful, learn hard, earn your keep, and stop making your sister work herself to death."
The brat didn't reply. He just trembled with frustration and injustice.
Watching him, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Should've done this sooner.
But my punishment for the arrogant brat wasn't over yet.
"Adelia."
"Yes, Your Highness."
I pulled Adelia into my arms right in front of the brat.
Of course, she didn't resist.
"Your Highness?"
She just tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden affection.
"S-Sis?"
The boy's face, which had been frustrated yet trying to act mature, finally matched his age.
On the verge of tears.
I smirked at him pointedly.
Felt like I was flying.
Kals Yulihi let out a sigh.
The Crown Prince, hands on hips, strutting and laughing smugly in front of a boy five years younger—who hadn't even had his coming-of-age yet—was downright embarrassing.
But if he thought about it, it wasn't anything new.
The Crown Prince was the perfect knight on the battlefield, but otherwise, he did whatever he pleased.
Childish when childish, stubborn beyond reason when he got going.
Lately, with His Highness's health so poor, pity had overshadowed everything, making him forget that side.
This was the real Crown Prince.
Once he saw it that way, even the childish antics he could barely watch became less embarrassing.
It was a relief to see the formerly listless prince acting like his old self, even if just a bit.
Even if it was immature boasting of his power to a seventeen-year-old, or absurdly showing off to a brother that he was most important to his sister.
It all just made him glad.
A bit awkward for an adult lesson from such immaturity? Not a big deal.
"Anyway, I'll be watching you from now on. Remember that. Make your sister cry, and I'll ship you north. Got it?"
So Kals Yulihi, who would've normally stepped in by now, just watched with a pleased smile.
Which meant he noticed the fatigue on the prince's face too late.
A yawn.
The prince, who'd been talking nonstop, yawned and blinked sleepily.
Then started dozing off on his feet.
"Sir Kals."
Adelia Bayern gave a quiet glance just then.
Kals carefully hoisted the prince onto his back.
"What're you doing."
"I'll escort you to the palace."
"No need. I'll walk. I'm not a kid."
Despite his words, the prince didn't shrug him off.
He just went limp and closed his eyes.
The breathing on Kals's back soon turned steady and rhythmic.
"His Highness must be exhausted."
"Walking the capital all day, plus that commotion at the tavern—he deserves the rest."
Exchanging words with Adelia Bayern, he turned and headed out first.
A consideration to give the siblings time alone if needed.
Waiting outside, Adelia soon appeared.
"Didn't you need more time with your brother?"
"I scolded him good. He won't act like today toward His Highness again."
"Not why I stepped out, but okay."
Shaking his head at her unwavering strictness, he gave a quiet order.
"Escort formation."
"Yes, sir."
The knights murmured assent and surrounded him.
"Let's go."
And so he headed to the palace.
The prince on his back felt incredibly light.
Not large to begin with, and lately he'd grown even thinner.
But his own steps felt heavy.
"With His Highness asleep like this, hiding the outing will be tough. Trouble ahead."
The palace would be in an uproar. Maybe already was.
He'd braced for it long ago, but now that return loomed, worry gnawed at him.
What if the prince faced severe punishment?
But spending the night outside wasn't an option, so he dragged his reluctant feet onward.
Soon, the palace was in sight.
Just around that corner, the gates would appear.
"Hm?"
Sighing as he eyed the corner, Kals's eyes went wide.
A group of figures stood in the alley shadows.
"Northern Protector?"
The young duke and his rangers.
"Partied so hard he needs carrying home."
The young duke clicked his tongue at the sight of the prince on Kals's back.
"Northern Protector..."
"No need to explain. His Highness threw a tantrum, as usual."
The Northern Protector tsked again, then draped his cloak over the prince.
"Follow me."
He led the way to the palace gates.
"Excellency?"
"Forgot something."
"At this hour..."
"Side gate's fine."
"If you say so."
The gate knight opened the side door without suspicion.
"Move."
The rangers and northern knights poured through noisily.
"Working late, eh? Good on you."
"Shame we can't chat with the royal knights sometime."
"All-nighter? If shift's ending soon, join me for a drink on the way out?"
The barrage left the gate knight flustered.
In the chaos, Kals slipped through to the palace.
Finally, they reached the Crown Prince's palace.
Kals gently laid the prince in bed and turned to the duke.
"Northern Protector. About this..."
"Spare me the thanks. I know the score."
The duke, staring fixedly at the prince without turning, added offhandedly.
"If it happens again, send word discreetly. Can't have His Majesty flying into a rage, right."
Meaning he'd cover for him, impersonation or not.
"Though it'd be better if you kept him from going at all."
Not expecting that much, the grumbling duke turned away.
"Don't tell His Highness we met. He'd try to devour me for avoiding him, no thanks."
With that, the duke left the room.
Quiet for so long, and here he was like a kid needing watching by the water. When will he grow up...
The grumbles faded beyond the door.
"Time to change His Highness's clothes."
"Ah, got it. I'll head out."
Kals lingered a moment, watching the sleeping prince, then left.
The prince slumbered on, oblivious to the world.
The next day, and the day after, the Crown Prince slipped out of the palace again.
Unlike the first day, he didn't roam till sunset, but for the palace knights, ignorant of when the king's wrath might fall, every day felt like walking on thin ice.
But it wasn't all anxiety and peril.
Seeing the vibrant prince was enjoyable for the palace knights too.
Each day felt fresh.
His curiosity about everything mirrored a child discovering the world.
Yet that excessive energy and curiosity, seeming endless, gradually waned over time.
The knights welcomed it, yet oddly felt a pang of loss.
Like watching a child grow into an adult in a blink.
Two weeks passed.
Now the prince was in the stormy throes of adolescence.
Emotions shifted several times a day. Outbursts over nothing, giggling all day at trifles, staring blankly at the sky for hours.
The changes were so wild and extreme, even the steadfast palace knights groaned at his whims.
More time passed.
The wild swings settled back to normal.
"Maybe next time, out into the capital proper."
He'd spout grand ideas now and then, but days were mostly calm.
Exactly three weeks into wandering the capital.
As the prince bantered with merchant friends he'd made in the market, a fully armed Royal Knight Order appeared before him.
Shamelessly, he feigned ignorance and tried to bolt.
Clack.
But knights had already blocked his rear escape.
"Well, I didn't mess with the main palace, so no order broken."
Even cornered, the prince stayed nonchalant.
"His Majesty commands the Crown Prince to proceed immediately to the throne room!"
He remained cool hearing the king's decree, and even before the king.
Utterly composed.
At least until that "guest" in the throne room removed his hood.