Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Crown Prince's Sudden Departure
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We all turned to look at Bamper, the source of the sound.
Bamper seemed oblivious to it at first, but as we stared at him, he appeared to notice the vibration.
He pulled a small pendant from the inner pocket of his outer robe. Buzz. It was humming.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Bamper's face.
"Sorry, kids. Something urgent came up. I have to go."
"Brother? What's wrong?"
"Don't worry about it. Have fun and head home."
Bamper stood up from his seat.
The situation felt so abrupt that I grabbed his robe without thinking.
He turned to leave but looked down at me.
Bamper smiled brightly with his usual composed expression.
"See you later, White Flame."
"...Yeah, see you."
Bamper's back vanished completely through the noisy crowd in the shop.
Pop—bang bang!
Just then, vibrant fireworks exploded outside one after another.
I stared blankly at the door Bamper had pushed open, jolting in surprise and shrinking my shoulders.
Waaah—!
The people inside the shop rushed to the windows, cheering.
It seemed the blessing procession had arrived in Denpider.
I gazed at the red glass left on the spot where Bamper had been sitting. The feel of his robe still lingered in my hand.
"Sigh."
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Anyway, the author of [Saint Flo Mang] was utterly ruthless.
Of all people, it was Bamper. Bamper Leydin Orelot, the crown prince said to bring prosperity to this land, ensuring even the poorest didn't starve.
Yet the backstory they gave him was that he himself was consumed by madness, craving only human blood and flesh...
A glutton who desires what he must not consume. Bamper Orelot, the sinner of gluttony.
That label didn't suit him at all.
His deep emerald eyes flashed red.
Bamper relaxed his arm.
With a calm face, he watched the red blood dripping down.
Drip. Drip.
Blood from Bamper's wrist stained the bed.
Bamper reached out with his other hand and stroked the head of his young brother, who was clutching and weeping against his arm.
"It's okay, Bandahen. Nothing can hurt you."
"......"
"And you won't hurt anyone either. Don't worry."
The fierce light in Bandahen's jade-green eyes didn't fade, but his jaw trembled as he held onto Bamper's arm.
Bamper gave Bandahen time, waiting patiently.
He kept reassuring him as Bandahen fought his impulses. It's okay, it's okay.
Finally, Bandahen spat out Bamper's arm with a ragged breath.
He scrambled away in one leap to the far corner of the bed, by the headboard, as if throwing himself there.
Bamper tried to approach the huddled, sobbing Bandahen.
"Don't come!"
Bamper froze. Remembering the blood scent might provoke his brother, he hid his arm behind his back.
His brother's back, starved for years without proper food, was so gaunt it seemed it might crumble.
Bamper gazed at his brother's retreating figure with eyes sunk in helplessness.
"Hey... bring the medicine... the medicine..."
When Bandahen finally choked out the words in his trembling voice, Bamper said he would.
Click.
As Bamper closed the door and left, Bandahen slammed his head against the headboard.
Having driven back the impulse with pain, Bandahen muttered through his dazed mind,
"...Sorry... sorry, brother..."
The fishy blood scent lingering in his mouth tasted sweeter, and tears wouldn't stop flowing from Bandahen's eyes.
Bamper, now outside the room, let out a soft sigh.
He wiped the flowing blood as he walked down the quiet hallway, empty of people.
Bandahen's illness was something no one else could know about.
That's why the medicine Mayches made was always hidden away in inaccessible places, taken out only when needed.
The Orelot imperial treasury, storing the world's rarest treasures.
Bandahen's lifeline was now kept there as well.
With Mayches's medicine, Bandahen could drink water instead of blood.
He could swallow soft bread and soup instead of human flesh.
But Mayches had said,
'This medicine is only temporary. And it won't heal Bandahen's weary heart.'
What had I replied back then?
Boom, boom.
Cheers rang dully in my ears as the drumbeats vibrated the ground.
The resonance through the air heightened the festive mood even more.
Waaah—!
People who had been watching something pointed at the sky, gasping in awe.
A swarm of butterflies was on the move.
The glowing Amanelia butterflies formed a colony, stretching like an aurora and brightly illuminating the tree-lined street.
It was a beautiful, dazzling sight, like stars afloat on the ground.
"The carriages are here!"
Someone shouted from afar, piercing the heated air.
Sure enough, eleven grand parade carriages soon appeared in procession along the tree-lined path. The drums grew fiercer. Boom, boom, boom, boom.
"It's Count Rudelriz!"
At the front of the slowly advancing carriage train sat a familiar face.
The gathered onlookers cheered wildly, reaching out toward Mayches.
"Can you see well enough from here?"
"Yeah, thank you!"
I craned my neck from my wheelchair to get a better look at Mayches, and Calipan kindly lifted my wheelchair up.
Thanks to him, I could take in Mayches without missing a thing.
Crossing the glowing tree-lined street, Mayches's face looked pretty cool even to me.
To think my Mayches had grown so tall already...
Watching him stand so tall and proud made my heart swell with warmth and emotion.
There was just one thing that nagged at me.
"Seriously, that blank expression changes his whole vibe."
Yan asked.
"What's wrong with Mayches being expressionless?"
"It makes him look like he'd be misunderstood as having a bad personality. Sigh, I'm worried."
"Ah, misunderstood..."
I wanted to nag him to stop moping around in dull clothes, to smile more and brighten up—but instead, I waved like everyone else.
Yeah, what does it matter? I'm just grateful he's grown up healthy and kind...
"Huh?"
As I waved, I flinched.
"...Huh......"
Did our eyes just meet? No, impossible.
Even if they did, there was no way he could pick me out from the crowd of thousands, robed and all.
It'd be as absurd as a fisherman spotting his buddy anchovy in a net full of tens of thousands and going, 'Hey, that's my pal!'
But as if neatly resolving my confusion, Mayches suddenly beamed straight toward me and waved enthusiastically.
He was too far to hear, but his lips clearly formed the words.
"Aiel~."
I'd been worrying about his blank face moments ago, but now I fretted he'd get taken advantage of somewhere.
With all these eyes on you, don't act so innocently! Better to keep that aloof, world-weary look from before!
Oblivious to my anxious heart, Mayches twisted his body to wave at me.
"Aiel~!"
By then, people started turning toward me.
Sweating coldly, I whipped around too, pretending they weren't looking for me.
Fortunately, my reaction seemed natural, and the people behind me turned as well, becoming innocent meerkats.
Seeing the aimless wave ripple all the way back, I tapped under the wheelchair to signal Calipan.
"P-put me down... q-quickly...!"
Thankfully, before anyone spotted me, Calipan lowered the wheelchair and tucked me into the crowd.
Glancing at his face belatedly, he was chuckling like it was hilarious.
This guy... he definitely did that on purpose!
The carriages trailing Mayches held pilgrims, each one covering their mouths like they'd seen a ghost.
"Why are the pilgrims like that?"
"Did something happen?"
That sparked a chain reaction, confusing even the onlookers reaching for the pilgrims. Total chaos...
I desperately wanted to believe this whole mess was some unrelated parade performance.
Please say it was just the planners' misguided attempt at friendliness...
As I pressed my hand to my racing heart to calm it, Daluh said something sensible: "It's fine. Worst case, we sell Calipan and run."