Chapter 7. The roses would bloom soon (2)
It was cloudy all day, and the next day it rained heavily.
Calian woke up at dawn to the sound of rain and wind hitting the window. When Jan visited Calian’s room to greet him in the morning, Calian, who was sitting with his back against the head of the bed, waved his hand and greeted him.
“Did you have a good dream?”
Jan, who had always asked for the morning greeting, received Calian’s greeting with an awkward expression.
“Yes, my prince. Did you have a good dream?”
Calian nodded and held out his hand. He asked for a car. Calian took the tea handed to him with a nonchalant expression and took a sip of it.
Then, for a moment, he slightly lifted his mouth from the teacup.
‘different.’
There was a subtle difference. It was such a small difference that I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t been paying close attention, but it was clear.
It wasn’t difficult to realize why. I knew it instinctively. That Silike increased the poison.
Calian put his lips to the glass again and smiled slightly.
‘Silike. ‘The poison has risen.’
During the festival, I tried to turn my insides upside down, but it seems that my reason also turned inside out. Because the nobles’ reaction to Calian was very good.
‘Are you going to drink like you don’t know this time? Or will you get bitten?’
After a moment of contemplation, Kalian drank the remaining tea and returned it to Yan.
‘If you don’t increase the amount to the point where you die right away, there won’t be any major problems until Tuesday.’
Calian said to Jan, who sent the maids away after finishing preparing breakfast without knowing this fact.
“Two people will be visiting on Wednesday. Don’t be surprised because they are half-elf siblings.”
While listening to those words, Yan said as if it was a welcome sound.
“Is this the escort you were talking about?”
“Yes. My older brother is Kirie, and my younger sister is Hina. Kirie is a guard. But I don’t know her last name, so I can’t confirm her identity. So I’d like to ask you a favor.”
Yan smiled slightly as if he understood what was being said. In order to work at the royal palace, one must verify one’s identity, but for the two, this was not possible.
“Are you talking about identity verification?”
“Yes. I think there will be no problem if Siegfried guarantees that there is no problem with my identity.”
Jan shook his head.
“In that case, I think Lord Manasil’s guarantee would be better than our family’s. If the Lord said the children were brought from Riverne, then even if they don’t have a last name, it wouldn’t be a big problem. If it’s not possible because they are from a foreign country, then my family will also guarantee them. “Then no one will be able to say anything different.”
Calian looked at Jan as if he had seen him again.
“You seem like a capable person now.”
Yan, whose expression had turned sour at those words, chuckled and fixed his face again. Then, after straightening Calian’s shirt pin, he walked away and asked.
“I heard that sometimes elves use healing powers other than divine power. Don’t those siblings have that ability?”
Calian responded by patting his chest.
“Even if it has healing powers, it doesn’t necessarily help me. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Well, I guess that’s because it has the power of blessing.”
Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the window and thunder boomed. The rain was getting heavier. Calian said while looking out the window.
“The only plan today was hunting, right?”
“Yes. After breakfast, there will be a hunting contest… only.”
“It’s going to be cancelled.”
It was a little disappointing.
“Except for the first day of the festival, I haven’t been able to appear in front of the nobles, so I was planning to make a mark one more time before the period expires. It’s a shame.”
“Yes. I think today will be difficult.”
Calian said, taking his eyes off the window as if he had no choice.
“Please come visit Master for a moment today. It doesn’t matter when you go.”
“Yes, my prince. What shall I tell you?”
“Please ask your Majesty to delay Tuesday’s meeting by just 10 minutes.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back as soon as you finish breakfast.”
It may have been difficult to understand his intention, but Jan nodded without asking anything else.
Calian responded by nodding his head, finished getting ready without saying anything else, and went to the restaurant.
* * *
Plantz did not appear.
After listening to the story, it seemed that Planz also did not go to breakfast after the festival.
‘It actually went well. ‘I don’t want Plants to ruin this place from now until Tuesday.’
Kalian, who was watching the rain falling down the window, heard the sound of Randel getting up from his seat after finishing his meal.
Calian opened his mouth without looking out the window.
“The roses will bloom soon.”
It was a first time.
It was a normal conversation here, but it was also the first time Calian spoke to Randel first.
Because of this, Randel stopped and turned around.
And then he looked at Calian with those deep eyes.
Calian also turned his head to face Randel.
Somehow, I felt like I was seeing those eyes properly for the first time. It feels different from when I encountered it in the rose garden earlier.
Blue eyes that try to look into the bottom of a person.
Calian seemed to know why he was looking at me like that, so he smiled comfortably and opened his mouth again.
“Yesterday I went for a walk and saw roses. I suddenly remembered the ones that Brother Randel used to take care of, so I told you that. There is no other meaning.”
Of course, there was no intention.
It was said with the intention of telling me to look at myself now. Only then will Randel be able to help Kalian on Tuesday.
Randel showed no particular reaction.
“okay.”
Just as I had done in the garden, I left the restaurant after saying only a few words.
There was the sound of Jan taking a breath.
When he looked back, Jan had an expression on his face as if he had seen the moon split in two. Soon after finishing the meal, Kalian was leaving the restaurant when Jan approached him and made a small fuss.
“A rose, my prince!”
Calian responded with a naturally virtuous face.
“Why roses?”
“For the first time since I was born, I said this to Prince Randel. I said something that didn’t even mean that roses would bloom!”
“dog……?”
Calian’s expression hardened. Yan, surprised by my words, hurriedly raised his hand and covered his mouth. Calian moved his eyes to Jan.
“You keep being mischievous these days.”
“I’m sorry, prince.”
So why on earth is someone like you doing this here? Calian laughed as he thought about that.
Then suddenly I started coughing.
– Cough!
Yan’s expression, which had been crying as if it were a joke, completely changed. Jan looked at Calian with eyes filled with anxiety.
“Nothing.”
“…… Prince.”
“I slept with the window open last night. I didn’t know it was going to rain.”
Calian lowered his eyes for a moment at the fishy scent rising up his throat.
* * *
The rain, which seemed to have no intention of stopping, stopped pouring only on Monday afternoon. Behind it, there was flawless sunlight, as if it had never rained before.
In the welcome sunshine that I had seen for the first time in a long time, wet clothes were piled up on the clotheslines running between buildings.
In Kairis, where the winter was particularly harsh, a wind that felt completely warm was now blowing. Clothes of various colors swayed like flower petals in the wind. It was a spring day that made me feel drowsy just looking at it.
Hina, who was sitting with her chin resting by the window and quietly looking down at the waving clothes, motioned to Kirie who was sitting next to her. It was sign language.
– Glitter.
Kirie, who was carefully cleaning the sword on the table, was already looking into Hina’s eyes and hands from the moment she raised her head. The sense of movement was good, but since I tried not to miss a word of what my younger brother said, it became a habit to look at Hina even if she moved even slightly.
“Hina. Is the sunlight shining?”
Hina shook her head and moved her hand again.
– no. people. It looks shiny and cheerful.
People are sparkling. Kyrie smiled as if he couldn’t see it. Even so, it was a smile that was only seen in front of Hina. Hina saw that and pointed to Kirie.
-Your brother too.
At those words, Kirie turned her gaze toward the royal palace in the distance. When I met Calian, my injured face had already healed completely after receiving treatment. So Kirie nodded with a much better look on her face than that day.
“Right. Good.”
– The palace is tomorrow.
Hina looked very excited.
When Kalyan said, ‘Come back in five days,’ his intention was clearly Wednesday. This is because it was Friday morning when I met these siblings. Kirie also understood it that way, but Hina was different.
After meeting Kalian, he was particularly stubborn about going to the palace on Tuesday, saying that since Friday morning had dawned, he would have to wait a day for Friday as well.
So, the two eventually reached an agreement to go to the palace during the middle of the day, that is, on Tuesday evening.
Since then, Hina has been looking forward to the day she can go to the palace. Kirie asked as she put the polished sword into its sheath.
“Hina. I have to go back to work. Are you okay?”
Hina nodded her head up and down eagerly. And then he smiled brighter than the sunlight that shined for the first time in three days.
– I want to see the prince.
Kirie’s expression stiffened slightly after hearing those words. Then Hina smiled and added a few more movements.
– Handsome. More than my brother. Much more. many.
Every time the younger sister’s hand made more words, which didn’t hurt even when she looked at them, Kirie’s hand holding the sword became slightly stronger. Hina, who saw that, made a playful face.
In fact, Hina knew well that Kirie was waiting for the day to go to the palace more than she was. This is because whenever he had time, he swung the sword in the back yard of the inn and cleaned it repeatedly to the point where he thought it might be worn out. Soon, Hina’s hand pointed to the sword in front of Kirie.
– How do I get the knife?
Of course, you could not enter the palace with weapons. It was Calian’s mistake, as he was lost in old memories, he only thought about buying the sword, but did not think about how he would carry it into the palace. Kirie smiled and nodded.
“You must have thought of everything.”
Kirie was already overflowing with faith in Calian. Somehow it seemed a bit excessive, but Hina didn’t bother to point it out. There was something more important to do.
– Buy me another ice cream. it was tasty.
Thinking about the ice cream filled with spring strawberries that she had eaten for the first time yesterday, Hina made a happy face and asked like this. Kirie readily stood up and nodded. Because there was still a lot of money left over from Calian.
“Let’s go. I’ll buy it for you.”
Hina stood up, smiling like a spring flower. A small smile appeared on Kirie’s face as she looked at her younger brother who shined more brightly than anything else in the world.
* * *
The opening ceremony of the Royal Museum of Art in Astrisha was postponed by a week as the final landscaping work was not completed due to heavy rain that lasted for three days.
Thanks to this, he should have been able to afford that amount of time, but Lemain did not have that luxury. It was because of a wizard who came without warning.
“Please take a look.”
Lemain stared at the stack of documents in front of him. LeMaine, who saw that it was just over a span in thickness, asked in a low voice.
“Are you still dissatisfied with me?”
Alan’s sharp-lined eyes softened.
“Is that possible? Just think of it as a leisurely old man who has found some pastimes.”
He wasn’t old enough to begin with, and he didn’t have the appearance to say such things. As if there was nothing he could do,
Lemain lowered the document he had been holding to his side. I placed it. Alan, who glanced at it, opened his mouth.
“Eline doesn’t look at things like that, but you’re eager.” “
I see.”
It could have been said as sarcastic, but I could tell that it wasn’t that intention. On the day I first met Alan, I had said the same thing. After being criticized a lot, the comparison was made.
Lemain, who had been thinking about the King of Riverne for a moment, got up from his chair.
“I’m not as carefree as that woman.”
Soon, he went to the sofa holding a bundle of Alan’s documents. Lemain walked over, put on his glasses, and said,
“Sit down.”
Alan nodded and sat down across from Lemain. Soon, the chamberlain came in, put down two cups of tea and dessert, and left. Lemain savored the scent of the tea. He put it in his mouth, swallowed it, and said,
“I stayed out overnight.”
“I asked you to look after some work, and you said Prince Calian.” “
I’m worried.”
“You’re at an age where you want to go out for a while.”
“It’s okay to do that .” Is this the condition?”
Alan, who understood that he was asking if he was free of the poison, shook his head. However, since he could not give specific details, he simply gave a simple answer. “It is being maintained to the extent that it is not dangerous
. Since the prince has a very cautious personality, we are keeping an eye on him first.”
“Are you saying he drinks it knowing that it is poisonous?”
Lemain’s voice rose slightly, and Alan said as if to calm down.
“We are also taking medicine, so he is not in immediate danger. It seems like he has an idea, so let’s wait and see.”
“……Kalian, whom I hear about through sutras, always puzzles me. It’s so different from what others have told me.”
Alan answered with a light face.
“Is that so?”
Then, as if Alan was thinking of admonishing him again for saying ‘I heard it’, Lemain added more.
“Now, plan . Similar to Tsu, but smaller than Randel. I know that it comes down to below my shoulders.”
Calian’s height.
It meant that he was trying to get attention.
Lemain put down the teacup he had been holding for a while. A small clicking sound was heard.
“So….. “I hope I won’t have to blame myself again for the caution you’re talking about.”
Alan nodded without answering. Then, he took out another bundle of documents from his bag and handed them to Lemain.
“What kind of paper is in that thin bag? It seems like a lot of work goes into it.”
LeMaine chuckled as the workload seemed to keep increasing. If anyone had seen him, he would have been very surprised, but Alan didn’t know how expressionless LeMaine was. So he thought it was just that and opened his mouth. “When it’s free, I do it for free
. Please read it.”
“What else?”
“I collected it to see if I could temporarily fold the griffin’s wings.”
It was a document summarizing the details of my research on Silike. It was the same one I had given to Calian, and I looked through a few pages. Lemain put it down on the side of the road. A self-deprecating voice came out.
“I did something useless.”
“I guess you already know this.”
Alan picked up the tea cup and took a sip.
Because of the taste of the tea. I don’t know if it was LeMaine’s voice, but I could clearly feel the bitter taste.
The sound of Alan setting down the glass clattered loudly.
“I don’t know if you want to keep talking like that in the future.”
Alan picked up a piece of chocolate and put it in his mouth. I put it in. Because my mouth was bitter, the sweet taste came out this time. Alan’s finger pointed to the document lying on Lemain’s lap. “If not, why don’t you turn it over now?” Whether it’s the document or
this
country
.
LeMaine, who had decided to ignore the rude tone, began to turn over the documents. Soon, his face changed noticeably. When the chocolate had all melted and disappeared in
Alan’s mouth, LeMaine’s slightly trembling voice came out. .
“……Wizards.”
“Do you like it?”
It was a tongue-in-cheek remark. Even after hearing from Calian that Lemaine was already thinking about the same thing, he was making up his mind.
“Whose idea was this?”
“Not me. I’m just a very useful teacher.”
“Was that child thinking the same thing as me?”
A strange thing appeared in Lemain’s eyes.
LeMaine began flipping through documents again and exchanging opinions with Alan. Their conversation continued as the night deepened and the light came again.
