Chapter 65. There is one more (4)
There is silence.
Kirie was the one blocking the door, and Yan was standing in front of the still open window.
“yarn.”
Yan immediately nodded at the low voice.
“Yes, my prince.”
“How many people did you say? I forgot how many nobles are on the Marquis of Briesen’s side.”
“There are 64 counts whose names the Prince knows. There are also Counts of Hanji whose names the Prince does not know, Counts without fiefdoms, nobles connected to those Counts, and vassals and lower-level nobles of those Counts. Even viscounts and barons have their names. “If you think about the vassals and knights, it’s hard to estimate the number. They’re probably still increasing.”
“okay.”
“Yes. Thanks to Evan’s death, the number of nobles who follow him has decreased by more than half, and even though Marquis Briesen is living quietly for now, there are still no other nobles with as much influence as the Marquis of Manasil or the wizards of the Counts of Siren or Counts of Eifrin who are on the side of Prince Siegfried. . Even if you think about it all, you can’t win the power struggle. Unless you take the Balkans and destroy them all, you can’t win right now.”
“That’s right. That’s why I just left them alone. There were too many of them for me to kill them all, so I just left them alone.”
“Yes. So please stay still. Don’t go out. The prince will get hurt.”
So, a little while ago.
Jan came into Kalian’s room, where he was checking out something interesting on the terrace. It was to remove empty teacups. Through the open door, I could see Kyrie, who had come to visit after hearing the news that Calian had returned.
‘Kyrie.’
‘Prince. ‘Is it okay if I don’t tell you?’
Kyrie, who knew very well what Calian was curious about, was the first to ask this question. However, in the end, he was unable to break Calian’s stubbornness and told him the full story of the interesting conversation he had heard while coming here.
‘ah. I think Marquis Briesen has gone crazy.’
And Kalyan said:
I’m jealous. I can’t believe I have a good younger brother…unlike myself.
The intention may have been just to talk about silique, but how did he say such exquisite words? How could I say something like that, where the smell of strawberries, mint, and Renieri was evenly distributed and gave off a rotten smell?
Unless you go crazy.
‘I guess I’m really crazy. I must have turned around.’
Kyrie stopped Calian, who was laughing. Yan stood behind Kalian. And Kalian’s questions began.
Gray Brisen.
Why can’t I just kill that guy now? Why do I have to endure it? To convince myself.
“You brought such shame to the Marquis of Briesen in full view of everyone else, and you are leaving again. ‘If I had seen that with my own eyes, I would have been so shocked that the entire conference hall would have been burned, but our prince is as steadfast as ever,’” he said. The Marquis scared him. His Highness replied, ‘That’s because the youngest has a deep mind.’ Don’t you know that he forced the nobles to silence him like that?”
Kalyan knows too.
Allen and Lemain, who felt that it would be difficult to keep the nobles’ dissatisfaction from growing if they reprimanded Calian’s actions, took action. I felt like if I denied Alan’s words, I would be denied the rest of my life, so in the end, everyone in the room nodded together.
“If I hadn’t stopped you like that, the prince would have never been able to come to the palace. Now, since you are not the crown prince, everyone just ignored it. No matter how scared you are, you will not become king, so they think that Emperor Plantz will become king. But he Before I forget, if the prince touches the Marquis of Briesen again, the prince will not be able to go to Arfia or even Camilon. People consider what happened once to be a mistake, but if it happens twice in a row, I’m sure it will happen a third time. No matter what happens, “I won’t forget the second. No one will want to put the prince on top.”
It doesn’t matter. Later work.
I’m so angry right now.
I closed my mouth to say those words. I know that Jan’s story is not wrong at all. I already endured it once in the conference room, but I know I have to endure it again.
“I think the same thing. Just leave it alone.”
Kyrie opened her mouth to Calian, who was standing silently.
“For how long will the prince be angry on our behalf and take care of us for us? Isn’t that what we were trying to do so that even if we are not there in the future… Even if His Majesty the Crown Prince ends up moving out of the palace in the future, he can live on his own?”
At Yan’s surprised look, Kyrie changed the meaning of ‘even without’ slightly and looked at Calian.
“Your Majesty the Crown Prince must have had his own thoughts. He must have tolerated it for a reason. Even if that wasn’t the case, it’s not something the prince should step up to. Teach him how to express his anger and resolve it himself. That’s how he lives.”
You need to know how to express your anger and resolve it yourself.
In the end, those words caught Calian’s feet.
Just for 30 minutes.
* * *
It’s not there anymore.
As soon as I returned to the palace, I headed to Wilhelm’s coffin, so I thought he would be buried in documents with his soulless face as always.
“Vice Commander Hertz just left to see Coco.”
That duck.
I went to see the duck that quacked noisily just like me. I don’t even wonder if I went to see the duck or the duck’s co-caretaker.
“Coco said he would take a quick look, have a quick meal, and then come back right away.”
“…… okay.”
“If there is something urgent, I will go out and come find you right away.”
Instead of the crazy blue-haired wizard, the pink-haired wizard who ate things with salt quickly opened his mouth. Somehow, I noticed that his face was more depressed than usual.
Meeting cats and meeting ducks probably feel similar. After thinking about it, Planz shook his head. No matter how you look at it, it is true that that is more important than work.
“Leave it.”
“Your Majesty, Vice Commander.”
Where on earth did that funny nickname come from?
Shortly after returning from Secretia as crown prince, I visited Siegfried’s Territory. Thanks to that, I didn’t have time to talk to Needlen separately, so I just heard him call me that.
Is it the influence of the crazy blue-haired wizard, or the influence of the younger brother who calls him ‘your brother’? In any case, Plantz opened his mouth quietly at the name that was clearly strange.
“just one.”
“yes?”
“Name. Just call me one. Because it’s strange.”
“Ah yes.”
Needlen said after thinking for a moment.
“Then, since this is the Wilhelm Pavilion, I will just call you Vice Commander as usual.”
“okay.”
“Yes, Vice Commander.”
Plantz, who knew Arsene’s whereabouts, had no time for a casual conversation with Needlen, and did not feel like putting anyone in front of him, tried to tell him to leave.
– smart.
But then there was a knock on the door.
“Sir, a meal has arrived from Chermil Palace… would you like to eat it?”
Relic’s voice came along. Normally, I would have asked something like, ‘Should I come in now?’ but today’s question is a little different. Of course it’s because of gray. On days when I smelled Renieri scent, I used to skip meals. Even if it’s getting better, not yet.
Because of this, Plantz, who was about to tell her to eat dinner again because he had not thought about it, swallowed his words again and kept his mouth shut.
– Grumble.
Because of the clear sound that resonated in the quiet office at the right time.
“Ah. I’m sorry, Vice Commander.”
Needlen looked down at his stomach, which loudly showed off its presence while talking about the meal, and smiled awkwardly and handed him an apple.
Light green eyes turned to Needlen.
I just looked at it like that.
“Bring it in.”
He said that he would just eat the food, which was made for the royal family, so if it was sent back, no one could eat it and it would just be thrown away.
White bread that hasn’t been baked in a long time and is still steaming. Warm soup made with spinach and cheese. Four types of thinly sliced ham. Salad without bell peppers and onions. Grilled cheese. Fried egg cooked just enough so that the yolk does not run. And fruit and milk.
After setting up a simple dinner filled with only things that weren’t flashy but wouldn’t offend Plants on the large table in the center of the office, Reric went out again with a polite greeting. As a result, Needlen missed the time when he should have said hello and left, so he ended up standing next to him.
“What are you doing.”
Planz, who walked to the table and sat down, glanced at Needlen and asked. Needlen, who heard this as a congratulatory message, was about to quickly bow, but Plantz’s voice followed.
“sit down.”
“…… yes?”
“He said he was hungry.”
I didn’t say that!
Needlen, who had a very guilty look on his face, stood still, unable to do anything. Of course, there were many times when I ate with Plants while camping outside. Even when we went to the elf city, there were many times when we all sat together and ate together. But it wasn’t a private party, was it? How can you sit across from the royal family and the crown prince and have dinner…
– Grumble!
ah.
Why is spinach soup my favorite?
“thank you.”
I don’t know.
Because this is the Wilhelm Pavilion. Because I have eaten with Arsene many times. You can think of it as a place to have a meal with the vice commander in charge of the knights.
Needlen, who was sitting in front of Plantz with his eyes closed, started eating as Plantz put a spoonful of soup into his mouth.
it’s good.
It’s super delicious. It’s just as delicious as what my brother made.
It is said that the meals served in the royal palace were eaten twice a day, but they did not taste this good. Therefore, Needlen, who gave a silent thank you to the chef of Chermil Palace, finished the plate of soup and started eating bread and ham. Be careful not to make a loud noise.
Then suddenly I raised my head. And then I saw it.
“Vice Commander, why aren’t you eating?”
Dinner with royalty.
Although they had been talking until just before, Plantz did not say anything after the meal started, so Needlen also had to remain silent. I ignored it and asked a question to the Crown Prince, who seemed to have finished his dinner with a spoonful of soup.
Plantz, who had no intention of teaching Needlen useless etiquette, opened his mouth without showing any sign.
“I have no idea.”
“Are you saying you will eat because of me?”
“Okay. Eat.”
Needlen put down his fork and knife as he looked at the young deputy commander who did not know how to say something embarrassing. Then, after emptying his mouth with the carbonated water that was placed next to the milk, he spoke.
“Has anything bad happened?”
“why.”
“I think so.”
“not really.”
“I heard that Gray Brisen went towards Chermil Palace. Did you happen to run into him?”
Isn’t defending the royal palace also Balkan’s job? Among the nobles entering and leaving, those who needed to be watched were all reported to the superiors. Therefore, Needlen, who was at the edge of the ‘upper level’, heard the news of Gray entering the palace and knew about it.
Planz looked at Needlen’s worried eyes for a moment at the bubbles rising from the carbonated water and the steam rising from the soup and bread, then opened his mouth.
“I have a question.”
“Yes. Please speak, Vice Commander.”
“What do you do when you encounter someone you can’t hit or fight with?”
“I’m killing you.”
Needlen, who gave a terrifying answer like a feather, grinned.
“Wizards don’t do things that cause trouble just because of unnecessary recognition, Vice Commander. If you’re someone who won’t hit and fight, you won’t have to put up with it in the first place, and you can’t hit or fight with him, so if you just leave him alone, he’s bound to cause problems in the future, isn’t he? So, I just kill him.”
“If he is someone who shouldn’t be killed.”
“I kill him.”
The answer was the same.
“What are you doing living a difficult life? Someone is bound to fill the dead guy’s place anyway.”
“If he’s someone I can’t kill.”
“If he’s stronger than me, I’ll die, so that doesn’t matter either. Doesn’t it seem like we’ll never see each other again?”
After losing his snack to Lucy, he sat down on the corner of the stairs and ate a sandwich with salt in it, or a conch shell. Even if he was just someone who picked up conch shells and said he would give it to him, he was a Balkan wizard. A man who didn’t know how to fight was the commander of a Balkan division. There was no way he would let him sit there.
“… Yes.”
Plantz, who could not hear the answer to his question and was only reminded of how extreme the wizard’s way of thinking was, answered softly. Then Needlen’s mouth opened again. .
“Shall I kill Gray Brisen?”
He doesn’t know yet that Gray is no longer a sword master.
Still, he says this. Even though he can’t deal with Siona Hill, let alone Calian.
“If you can’t take it anymore or feel like it’s okay to kill him, please tell me. I will go out as much as I can and kill as many people as I want.”
Needlen, who had an empty soup plate in front of him that was the most delicious in the world, continued with a serious face.
“The entire Balkan is on your side, so why are you putting up with it so much? There is no need to be so generous as to just let a guy like that live.” A
very capable wizard who could definitely live up to his reputation said this to the bastard crown prince who was not worthy of his reputation. ”
Okay.”
“Then shall I kill him?”
“Leave it.”
“Should we just leave it at that?”
“…… For now.”
“Okay. “I’ll let you live for now.”
He said he would turn a blind eye for the moment out of great generosity.
It was an answer that seemed to be comforting and soothing someone younger than me, not the Crown Prince or the Vice Commander. It was
several times more intense than usual, to the point where I couldn’t tell if it was a painting, a doll, or a person. Color changed to the more expressionless face. It was hard to tell unless you looked closely, but he still laughed. Niedlen, who saw that, smiled as if he was glad. Planz brought the white bread he was trying not to eat to his mouth and said, “Save
me
. Leave it and eat it. Work.”
Stop saying you’re going to kill someone and just eat and work.
“Do I have to work instead of getting off work, Vice Commander?”
“The cost of the meal.”
“… The cost of the meal.”
If you’ve earned it, you have to work.
Oh my god . It’s not free, my fiancé said.
* * *
My back, which should have been fully cured now, is a bit stiff.
‘I’m sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I sent someone to the Marquis’s residence a little while ago, but it seems our paths diverged.’
He was on his way to the palace to visit Randel and persuade him to marry the daughter of Margrave Libret, who had ties to Briesen. He wanted to talk about whether he would continue to live alone without any other background when his two younger brothers already had wealthy fiancés.
‘Prince Randel said he was very tired today and would not meet anyone. I will check the schedule for another day and contact you again.’
However, I came to visit and waited for a long time, but without any result,
I was turned away at the door. I guess I was treated like that by the first prince, who wouldn’t be surprised if he disappeared right now without a word, and my back was hurting because I was treated the same way by the same prince, Calian. Gray, who was leaving Remil Palace, turned his gaze again.
“How did they all grow up to that level?”
The 1st Prince, who broke his promise to the Marquis without even showing his face, and the 3rd Prince, who went on a rampage, thinking that everything could be solved as long as he had strong military power. The prince.
The crown prince who turns his back on his own family as if he lives alone in the world.
– Didn’t the Marquis say that too? If the crown prince ascends to the throne like that, Brisen will disappear. The crown prince has already sprouted from the day the third prince collapsed after drinking poisoned tea. He’s the one who showed it. Not only did he get stabbed with a sword instead of the 3rd prince who pushed his mother to the cliff, but you can’t tell from the fact that he still holds the 3rd prince’s hand without any hesitation and won’t let go. Unless he risked his life to find a way out because he thought Silike’s position was weakened. What would it be? After abandoning even his mother.
Late the night before.
The voice that was delivered full of ridicule lingers in my ears.
– If you want to know the Crown Prince’s intentions for sure, meet him tomorrow on your way to the palace and eat a Silike. Look up. Your expression won’t change at all.
As if to prove that what you said is exactly right.
‘Thank you.’
Even though Silike was mentioned openly, Planz was not disturbed at all.
Like his mother, he answered without showing a single expression on his face, which seemed as if someone had drawn it, with no trace of life, and then walked as if he was alone under the sky. Look at the way he left his seat.
“… You damn bastard.”
Gray’s mouth opened as he glared at the 4th floor window, where the lights had long since been turned off. Even if you can’t handle Aurors, you don’t know if there are ears around you or not. I now have the ability to observe. That’s why I spoke without any worries.
“If you deny it like that, that blood won’t go anywhere.”
In the end, I couldn’t win in the power struggle with Evan, and after becoming the margrave, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I went to the palace to ask them to call me to the capital. The day I heard about it. Silike answered that it was too sharp to hold in my hand and was useless and turned away coldly. What could there be about the difference between Silike back then and the guy from before? They looked exactly alike, even ignoring their own blood. That is.
– The only way for the Marquis to live is with Prince 1. Because of what happened in the conference hall, Prince 3 can no longer touch the Marquis. And we will gradually take care of Alan Manasil and Prince 3. Without Prince 3, the Crown Prince will only have pride. Isn’t he just a child? So, without worrying about anything else, the Marquis should prepare to place a crown on the first prince’s head. He will make him the second Lemain and use it as he pleases. That is correct. There is nothing wrong with that. It is the same for
him
. Just to show the end, let’s endure the humiliation suffered by Randel today. It’s nothing compared to enduring what happened to Calian. After a
long thought, Gray made up his mind and turned back. If
Brissen disappears right now, it won’t happen. Calian, who knows best that he will never touch Gray, has no other worries. “You act like you
have everything in the world without knowing that in the end, you will end up like your mother.”
“Do you see it that way? In your eyes.”
By the way.
That’s how it was.
– Kwaaang!
That’s how I thought of it.
“I wish I could see that person acting like he’s got the whole world. Me too.”
The darkness splits.
Light flashes. A pain so severe that not even a scream can escape comes. There is nothing constricting my throat, but I can’t breathe. I’m suffocating. I thought I would never face it right now. The
two
. I thought I never wanted to face this again.
“Okay. As expected, I will keep you alive without causing even the slightest scratch.”
“Prince Kal Lian.”
Two bright red eyes tighten Gray’s heart.
– Kwasik!
I lowered my gaze.
A pitch-black sword that seemed to be buried in the shadows split the darkness. I could feel that cold sword piercing my neck and sinking into the thick wall of the corridor on the outskirts of Chermil Palace. My breath was suffocating. There was no wound. My heart was beating steadily. It felt like it was going to jump out at any moment on the sword stuck in my neck. My heart is pounding. It’s cold. I’m suffocating.
Fear is overtaking me.
It’s more like a nightmare. My
hands are shaking.
I’m suffocating.
“… Just keep barking at me.”
As if singing. The lips that whispered drew a beautiful smile that seemed to own the whole world.
“Woof.”
