Chapter 41. Whose son am I? (5)
A black cat with red eyes.
‘When I met Your Highness, you said you wanted to raise a cat.’
‘yes. I told you so. He said he would raise a good red-eyed cat and place him on the throne.’
‘It’s a cat. I like it. It’s been meaningless so far, so now I’ll have to write about it.’
At first, it was just that.
I thought I needed a symbol that would not be reminiscent of Sispanian but would represent Calian entirely, so I asked Shatin to make a cat-shaped ornament. Until then, I had no intention of handing it over to Plantz.
However, a slightly more useful use has emerged.
So I broke the emerald.
It was the smallest thing that had been destroyed so far, but in terms of meaning, it was bigger than the Heisia Palace, and without a single thought, it was destroyed very well.
In order to upset Marquis Evan Briesen, I would remind the nobles of Freyja, and send a warning message to them to choose carefully where they step if they do not want their relationship with Briesen to be destroyed, since the 2nd prince is in my hands anyway.
And more than anything, it was done to replace the contents of the second contract, which was tied to the heart of an immature coffee bean, with something with proper meaning.
When you do something big, you have to gain more than one benefit.
– A gap where the seals of the oath do not collide with each other.
Didn’t Alan say that?
Look for gaps where the seals of the oath can have opposing meanings without conflicting with each other.
‘Master. Is it true that once an oath is made, it cannot be undone?’
‘Until one of them dies, that is. So, shouldn’t I just watch as the prince prepares the day for Evan to draw his sword?’
‘Then the seal of the oath will remain valid even if circumstances change after it has been made.’
‘As far as is known, yes.’
So I just thought.
The only thing Cispanians don’t understand is contradiction. A trivial way to establish that contradiction.
If you can’t sign an oath in a contradictory situation, wouldn’t it be okay to create a contradictory situation after signing the oath?
“I’m glad you seem to fit in.”
Just say that green peppers are delicious.
Do you really think this ridiculous cat brooch suits me? Are you even going crazy now? By the way, why are you so strong? You threatened me so much because I wasn’t tall, but somehow, you picked it up and kept growing the same way, so I’ve been eating meat for a while. Plantz, whose eyes were asking if everyone had turned into Aurors and lived, spoke in a low, low voice.
Of course, Calian was the only one who took in the various swear words in those eyes, and most of the nobles in the still quiet Siegfried Pavilion only listened to Planz’s kind words.
However, contrary to the words spoken and the swear words in his eyes, Plantz was not that surprised. Even though I didn’t know what I would do the moment Calian asked if the decoration was valuable, I was mentally prepared.
And Calian broke it down.
I handed it over after that.
‘Red-eyed black cat.’
Right now, this evening, it will soon be considered Kalyan by everyone. It didn’t take long for something that wasn’t special to become a symbol and an expression with great meaning, and surprisingly, it didn’t take that much effort. Like a black butterfly or a griffin.
And Plantz clearly recognized Calian’s other meaning.
Wasn’t it written in the oath with the oath seal as if he would later go to the Marquis of Briesen’s residence and buy cat food if he raised a cat like Lucy?
‘I didn’t know it was that cat.’
Who would have thought that it meant helping Calian ascend to the throne with the power of Brisen and that Calian would work hard to live up to Plantz?
This is why you shouldn’t take what wizards say literally. I also learned very well this time that you should not make contracts with wizards carelessly.
‘I can’t help it.’
However, you cannot cancel a contract that has already been concluded.
I guess I have to keep my promise.
… Even if it goes against the will of ‘the family’.
“But I’ll accept your apology later.”
One corner of Planz’s mouth rose slightly.
To others, it might sound like an apology for arbitrarily destroying the emerald, but it had nothing to do with it. His intentions were different from Evan’s, so he wouldn’t be angry, but he meant that he would receive an apology for using himself as a canvas to draw and display a large picture.
Calian also smiled visibly.
“yes.”
Anyway, he looked like he wasn’t really listening to what I was saying.
Even though he must have understood the true intention written in the oath seal, his face showed no particular sentiment.
‘It is unclear what the outcome will be if Prince Plantz helped the prince and thus acted against the contract with the Marquis of Briesen, thus conflicting with the seal of the oath. ‘You don’t know whether the two forces will cancel out or whether the impact will send an aftereffect to your heart.’
‘yes. I have this in mind. Still, it would be better to have even the slightest possibility than to have your heart strangled just in case. It may not be a complete safety measure for the seal of the original oath.’
‘If you think so, try it.’
At this point, I committed a task to engrave a meaningful symbol representing Calian in the nobles’ minds and to use it as a precaution against pea hearts.
Nevertheless, I’m wondering if my stomach will explode or not because I’m wearing an expression that shows my heart is clearly showing that I’m thinking things like, ‘My talented brother will take care of me and save me.’
“Thank you for understanding, brother.”
Calian, with his mouth smiling and his eyes not smiling, answered quietly.
Evan, who was angry and understood Calian’s actions just as intended, and the nobles, who put off understanding the situation for a while and focused on listening to the conversation between the two, are pouring in their eyes. Once again, we see the political quality full of the fiancé’s personality. Demirea’s facial expression was not paying attention to Randel, who seemed to have no interest in the heartwarming friendship that was being made between the two younger brothers.
* * *
Confusion in silence.
In the suffocating silence that invaded Siegfried’s coffin, all kinds of confusion raged in all directions like a fierce wind blowing over the Seine River in the middle of winter.
Today, as always, in the peaceful Wilhelm Pavilion, Arsene, who no longer tries to drive out the dark circles and has decided to accept them peacefully, sits down with Hina, who is sure to bring peace wherever she is, and makes blueberry juice and lemon. I was sipping tea.
– Blueberries and lemon are said to be good for recovering from fatigue. Don’t leave anything behind, just eat it all. I can’t cure your fatigue either.
While Hina was enjoying the snack filled with fluffy cream puffs inside a fluffy pie, the blue-haired wizard, who preferred salty foods to sour or sweet foods, but who had to listen carefully to what Hina said, nodded and looked at what had just been handed to her.
“I was wondering when I would see it, but I ended up seeing it sooner than I thought.”
– They say you can’t bring weapons or magic tools into the banquet hall. Still, my brother was a kind prince and knight, so he went in with a sword.
Kirie, who went into Siegfried’s coffin as Kalian’s escort, left the bracelet with Hina for a while, and since it was a day with many outsiders, Hina had come to Arsene’s office for security reasons.
Arsene nodded his head in response and looked at the bracelet for a moment.
It was something so precious that it could not be called a simple gift.
It is clear that even if you exchange words every day for the rest of your life, you will not run out of magical power. So it was difficult for even the wizard Arsene to guess how valuable the magic stone was, but he did not say such a thing.
There was no need to burden Hina and Kirie since they were already very grateful.
“Even if it was a gift from the prince for self-defense, I think the knight Sir Bern would have liked it a lot.”
After Arsene finished examining the magic stone, he put the bracelet on his wrist and Hina naturally spoke.
– My brother didn’t show much that he liked me. Prince Calian just took it for granted and didn’t like it very much.
Hearing Hina’s voice in his head made him feel better for a moment. Arsene smiled without realizing it and opened his mouth to answer.
“That’s surprising. I thought Lord Verne would be very happy to hear what you had to say.”
– If you like it too much, you probably won’t show it because you might worry about me. If you like it so much when you see it talking, it means that you feel bad for not being able to talk for a while. He probably thought I wouldn’t like that, so he just acted calm. My brother is that kind of person. Still, I think he definitely liked it more than I did. Maybe even Prince Kalyan.
Whether the reason Kalian didn’t like it very much was because of Hina’s words or because of the same reason as Kirie, only he, who was struggling to avoid going to the 4th floor right away, would know.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I said something short.”
– no. I know that it is natural for you to think like the Vice Commander, and I also know that you and Prince Calian are exceptional. The Vice Commander has nothing to be sorry about.
Surprisingly, Hina tended to give long answers.
Arsene thought about how frustrated Hina must have been, but quickly shook his head in case Hina heard it. Even though I apologized just now, I made the same mistake again.
– And with this, I think I can feel a little safer even if I really end up going to Secretia. You may need to speak well, but it would be uncomfortable to write it down and show it one by one.
“Secritia? I think the prince said he would think of another way, didn’t he?”
– You never know. Still, if it’s okay with my brother and the Vice Commander, the Siren Association President will also come, so I won’t worry.
“Okay. I’m glad you don’t have to worry.”
Arsene, who was answering like that, suddenly made a rather fierce face.
An important name just came up in the story, and I felt like I forgot something important, but I couldn’t remember what it was.
“…Whether you go or not, it’s good to have something useful. Still, there shouldn’t be a situation where it gets used for something you’re worried about, so when you go outside the Wilhelm Museum or Chermil Palace, never go alone.”
– i know. I know I’m bothering you and the vice commander, but I won’t go there alone.
I remembered what happened when Lucy had just arrived at Chermil Palace. I went into the rose garden alone to look for the missing Lucy and almost ended up in danger. Hina smiled as she briefly remembered the back of Plants, whom she had seen up close for the first time, and continued speaking.
– But it’s useful and good, but I actually felt a little sorry. You said it was a magic stone taken from a harpy egg fossil, but the harpy no longer exists. It must be very precious, but you gave it to me like this….
“There is no need to think so. The prince and the commander of the Manasil Corps are the ones who will go out and catch a sea dragon right away if you need it. And if it is a harpy egg, it is precious. ….. It’s precious… but… Ah!”
egg!
right. egg.
I had forgotten the egg!
Arsene’s face turned pale.
– Why are you doing that? Where are you hurting?
“No. It doesn’t hurt.”
Arsene, who was smiling calmly, opened his mouth to explain. However, I had no idea how to explain to young Hina that it was not her body that was hurting, but her lifeline, so I just slapped her and shut her mouth, and after a while, I asked a question.
“Lord Verne, do you know where there is a good grocery store outside the palace? I guess I should go out and buy some eggs after your escort is over.”
– Eggs? I’ve never tried cooking before and I don’t go out much, so Veronica probably knows. He said he liked visiting the market and cooking.
Hina suddenly wondered if that was some kind of wizard thing, but she answered anyway, and Arsene smiled helplessly with the eyes of someone who was about to die.
I thought I should buy him eggs and alcohol. Of course, if the great messenger of noon doesn’t fry the kid who forgot his promise before that.
“Please tell me if there is a place that sells good eggs.”
Really good eggs.
With eggs so good they taste second only to those in the palace of King Kairis.
* * *
Perhaps it was because Kalian had sprayed too much before the ceremony even started, but the memorial service, which was held immediately after LeMaine entered, proceeded without any problems.
He placed the queen’s crown for Freya next to Lemaine’s crown and declared that he would give Freya the title of queen. And after performing several ceremonies, the ceremony ended with the new queen’s coffin, which had never been worn, placed in the place where the treasures of the deceased king’s family were stored.
Afterwards, everyone returned to Siegfried’s pavilion and a grand banquet was held to commemorate the day.
Randel, who no longer had any reason to stay in his seat, and Pea, who was very annoyed by the black cat brooch, went home not long after the banquet started.
-Queen Freya.
A place to remember him.
And a seat for his son Kalyan.
Calian, who was overwhelmed by the continuous greetings and formal conversations of the nobles, could not easily move on until the banquet was over. Thanks to this, I couldn’t even say a proper hello to Lemain, who was talking to Alan from afar, and Alan, who was only focused on Calian all day.
Although he couldn’t approach the king first, he wasn’t the prince, so there were surprisingly many people trying to impress Calian at this point.
“Prince.”
“Ah, Kirie.”
In the end, after the banquet was over, Lemain came up first, said hello to everyone for their hard work, and left. Kyrie approached Calian, who was watching the nobles leaving the banquet hall one by one.
“how is it.”
“Everyone is cautious about what they say. However, there were a few people.”
Unfortunately, what I needed today were Kirie’s ears rather than her sword. Kirie, who would be happy to use anything for Calian, whether it be a sword or ears, quietly shared the names of the few nobles. It was a list of people believed to be on Brisen’s side.
Calian nodded without another answer and looked away. This is because the person who has been constantly watching where and what they are doing from the beginning to the present has finally come to visit.
“Do you have something to say to me, Marquis?”
Calian, who held Kyrie back, asked Evan. I was thinking about lowering it like last time, but I held back until then. Still, he’s still a marquis.
“Now that I think about it, I came to see you because I didn’t congratulate you.”
“How can I greet you? I have no heart.”
“Why are you saying such sad things?”
Calian, who had been looking at Evan for a moment as he turned away, slightly raised his head.
“I don’t think it’s time to talk about something that won’t lead to anything worthwhile. I’m also tired.”
“I don’t know about anyone else, but what if you say something like that in front of me? A person who walks the path of the sword.”
“ah.”
Calian smiled softly.
“I’m always tired from looking at you.”
Evan closed his mouth for a moment.
The apologetic eyes, similar to Planz’s, moved quietly as if recalling the events of today.
“Don’t continue to live like that without any distinction between top and bottom, Third Prince.”
Evan smiled similar to Calian.
“Haha. It’s an honor that I don’t know how long it will last, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to continue to enjoy it. But I’m worried that if that happens, it won’t end well.”
Calian opened his palm and slightly turned it back. Regardless of what Evan was worried about, Calian was worried that Kyrie might attack him.
“Is there really such a thing as a beautiful end? That beautiful Silike fell to the same thing as my mother, but is it any different just because she is the leader of Brissen, who is good at wielding a sword?”
A poison that is painful for an unusually long time.
Now I know why Lemain gave it to Silique.
Calian took a step toward Evan.
Hoping that Freya’s bloody cloak would bring back old memories.
Calian, who today proved with all his might that he is Freya’s son, spoke.
“Anyway. I thought I warned you today. I guess your brain doesn’t even understand that. It seems like my older brother doesn’t resemble your brain, so I should be thankful to Serenti for that.”
Calian finally spoke and sighed as if he was sorry.
Please don’t think too deeply, don’t be shy, and just do what you normally do, without making a fuss.
I ended my speech with the message that you should be caught in a wonderful trap that you can create with your own hands.
“Don’t forget whose son I am. That’s what I warned you. I am you.”
The end of Evan’s lips, which seemed to be glaring at Calian for a while, trembled. Evan answered with a smile that he barely managed to make.
“… How could I not understand that?”
Evan’s breathtaking killing power, which no one else could notice, flowed out only towards Calian.
When he smiled happily at the chilling feeling he had received for the first time in a long time, Evan opened his mouth as if he was trying to completely crush Calian.
“I won’t forget you one bit, so just wait. I’ll see you again soon.”
Evan, who spat out his words, turned around and walked out without waiting for a response. The greeting was also arbitrarily omitted.
Calian, who was looking at Evan’s back, quietly opened his mouth.
“Okay…Evan.”
The only one who possessed Devlan’s meticulousness, received Lemaine’s bloodline, learned Alan’s wisdom, and never forgot Freya’s wishes.
At this moment, the red lips of Kalian, the son of them all, drew a long line.
okay.
It should have come out like that a long time ago.
