Chapter 89. Thanks to a useful face (4)
His track record is as impressive as his abilities.
Not long after he came to live in a new place, he chopped off the waist of a popular margrave. After a birthday party for his biological father, who seemed to have inherited nothing from him except his hair color, he destroyed a palace. He had the Marquis’ gambling house devastated, and even cut off the lives of the Marquis and his son. Even so, he often appears in front of nobles and threatens that he will own this country.
Is it not only that?
I often complain about Sispanian. He poured out his life towards Serenti. He cut off Danu’s roots and carved deep scars on his trunk. The Arnigel, which is said to be the most feared by Secretia’s sailors, is called the blue-backed fish. I got into a huge argument with Silestian, the crazy man crouching in the great desert.
At this point, I’m just screwed.
He is a fool who has strayed even into the human realm.
“I’m weak-hearted again. You’re so kind.”
Sispanian.
I can somehow stop that bastard.
Let me understand my fiancé.
– Kaaaaang!
A heavy blade full of understanding that may be narrower than that of the Sispanian, but at least wider than that of the Great Sea, struck the red sword. A dull and even sharp roar resonates throughout the training room.
But unfortunately, the sword he swung with all his might stopped without being able to block the red sword.
The person who blocked the attack without much difficulty. A rare bastard that was created by Devlan Durahan Secretia, created by Planz Rurun Kairis and Arsene Hertz, and completed by Serenti.
“Wow. You’ve gotten stronger, my fiance.”
Calian Lane Kyris said with a bright smile.
– Taaat!
– Boo!
The extremely heavy silver blade swings towards that smile.
Kalian, who easily let go of the next heavy attack by crossing his dazzling sword at an angle, took a step forward. Then, Dmirea rotated her sword with her center of gravity downward and her own body, and struck her sword in a completely different direction from where she had been exchanging attacks and defense.
– Kaaaaang!
A short exclamation is heard after the roar of the blade.
This is because it was an attack that was swung knowing exactly which direction Calian, who had disappeared before his eyes, would attack.
Demirea, not concerned about such reactions, raised her sword this time. The silver sword body sparkled and reflected the light of the magic lanterns that filled the walls of the training hall.
So, of course this situation is a sparring match. One side sees it as a place to gauge the other person’s performance and provide help, while the other side seems to think that they are in a life-and-death duel with an enemy they will never meet again in their lives, but it is a sparring anyway.
– Boo! Kaang!
– Kang kagagang kwaang!
okay. It’s definitely a sparring match. Nevertheless, there is a reason why the tip of Demirea’s sword is so different from usual.
To explain why, let’s go back in time for a moment.
Until the waning red sunlight cast its long shadow inside the wide, tall window of a villa located in Whitlin.
Exactly
– …… Tuk.
Right around the time when a pure white rose was placed on top of a pile of documents to be handed to Hina Bern, who had replaced Dmirea, who had been representing Navia, the lord of Whitlin’s representative, Navia, who had left to visit Fabian.
-Sweet!
The person who was about to close the document that had just been signed heard the sound of a flower being placed, and before his blue-grey eyes moved toward the direction of the sound, the scent caught him first.
Between the scent of mahogany wood wafting from the desk, the scent of black ink on the paper in my hand, the scent of roasted almonds on the table, and the scent of strong coffee sitting next to it, I can feel the scent of unfamiliar flowers.
“What is it?”
A low, calm voice came from behind without even leaving a trace, let alone a rumor, and was directed at the person who had put down the flowers.
Only then did the visitor who walked next to the desk, making the sound of footsteps twice at the latest, much later at the latest, emit a voice that was pleasant to hear.
“Pretty thing.”
Would it be fair to say that the flower, which bloomed beautifully enough to be used as a corsage to top off a stylish wedding dress, gave off the scent of the most extravagant breeze of the time?
Demirea, who had been silently looking at a white rose blooming as beautifully as its scent, raised her head. Then Kalian, who was standing there smiling brightly, added to her words.
“I’m having more fun than my brother, so I’m asking you to hold my hand instead of my brother. I’m the kind of person who knows how to bring things like this to my fiancé.”
“Are you here to have fun?”
“Yeah. We haven’t even seen the flowers yet.”
He must have picked the prettiest roses from among the roses that filled the garden of Lord Whitlin Castle. Aren’t you the kind of person who does everything with sincerity?
Demirea picked up a flawless white rose and smiled slightly. She said as she placed a flower in a new water glass that was placed along with the coffee cup.
“Next time, please cut off the thorn and bring it to me.”
“If I bring it to you next time, will you accept it?”
“What should I do with the flowers that have already been picked? I have to receive them.”
The most extravagant, wind-like smile of this era spreads across the face of the prince who brought spring with him.
“Next time, I’ll remove the thorns and bring them back.”
“How is your brother?”
“I’m fine.”
“Yeongju Castle will be noisy.”
“I will always make sure my baby elephant is well, no matter what he hears. Don’t worry.”
The saying that the 3 princes are fake.
It is said that he is a strange person who disguises himself as a third prince.
Such words spread widely among the people of Yeongju Castle. The story, which Whitlin believed and Navia and the nobles doubted, was not entirely believed by other people in the lord’s castle, although they thought it was interesting. How can one imitate Sispanian’s blessing? Moreover, Calian, disguised as Plants, kicked in the door of the conference room and caused such a fuss, so what more suspicion would there be?
Regardless of each person’s reaction, Yan, who inevitably heard the rumor, said he was not shocked or angry.
With a very serious face, he said, ‘I knew that word would eventually spread,’ and he was worried about Kalian. He said he thought that one day there would be someone who would talk about why our prince has changed so much without even knowing why.
Dmirea sighed as she thought about Jan, who trusted Calian without a trace of doubt.
“I don’t know if it’s right not to tell my brother the truth about the prince.”
“I don’t want to be dead to Jan.”
Calian, who was looking at the soft white rose, answered.
“I don’t want to be left behind as a child who died after leaving behind a will that told me not to cross the line I set. Whether it’s right or wrong in other people’s eyes to continue like this, I just want to live without compromising on that one thing.”
Is that the will of the old Calian or the will of the current Calian? Calian, who conveyed his sincerity, which he himself was no longer aware of, walked a few steps again. And he sat down on the sofa in the center of the study.
“If that’s the case, why don’t you just get caught? It seems like there’s no one in Zeon who doesn’t know the truth.”
“That’s not what caught me.”
Calian laughed brightly.
“Then. Do you know that the story about the prince has spread to the streets of Astricia without the prince’s knowledge?”
“Not about you and your brother, but about me?”
“Yes. That thing about the prince being fake.”
I didn’t know.
“Popularity is good. Nothing goes quietly.”
Kalian shook his head and frowned. Then Demirea, who quietly walked over and sat across from Calian, spoke.
“It’s a rumor from my father.”
“…Did Lord Siegfried start a rumor that I was a fake?”
“yes.”
“Why me… ah.”
Smile.
Nod.
Kalian smiled contentedly and nodded his head.
“Well, it’s better to spread rumors while they are just rumors.”
“Yes. It has to be a joke that everyone already knows so Briesen and they don’t try to use it as a weapon.”
Slayman actually spread the rumor that Kalian was a fake.
If it’s an absurd rumor, it has to spread widely so that Brisen or Zeon can’t use it as a weapon. If it is a story that everyone has already heard and passed over, it will not receive attention and die down even if the same words come out of someone’s mouth later.
“I don’t know what your Majesty will think of the rumor. Just in case, you shouldn’t believe it.”
“I believe it. Your Majesty told me to tell the prince to prepare to go to Camilon when he returns to the palace.”
Demirea took a sip of the coffee she brought from her desk and spoke calmly.
Cesarwi.
It was Lemain’s solution that would put an end to the vicious rumors spouted by Whitlin and spread by Slayman at once.
“Then… where should I get a great desert dog…?”
Words of deep concern quietly flowed from Calian’s mouth.
“Have you finally decided what to grow?”
“There was no need to worry. I had already thought about it since I was young.”
When was that childhood? Who was the person who wanted to raise a dog in the Great Desert? Demirea, who understood very well without saying another word, nodded her head.
“Then, think about it yourself and bring the second dog.”
Calian let out a small laugh.
“I guess so. I guess one of them would be too bored.”
“Yes. I also have two cats.”
“Yes, I will, Demirea.”
“Don’t tell me you brought in a black jaguar cub somewhere and found a dog that matches the personality of the prince.”
“…… ah.”
“It’s not possible.”
“…… Yes.”
“Why did you come here?”
Demirea seemed to be unable to let go of her regrets, so she asked as if to divert her words. Then, Calian, who could not completely erase his expression of disappointment, answered.
“I met Whitlin.”
Demirea’s hand, which tried to lift the teacup again, returned empty. Dmirea, who raised her head and looked at Calian, asked softly.
“Is that why your face is like that?”
“My face?”
“Yes. The prince’s face.”
“Why the face?”
“I thought you had a fight with me again. You looked bad.”
“I didn’t fight. I got scolded. Anyway, it was because of Whitlin, because of old memories… and because of that. This and that.”
The thing that Kalyan himself calls ‘life’.
Calian smiled slightly as he pointed to the clock on the wall.
“Do you not like my complexion?”
“It’s not very good.”
“For some reason, Jan gave you honey tea and you accepted flowers without a second thought.”
“Onii-sama, I would have given you honey tea to think of the prince, but I just got the flowers. They were pretty.”
“Wow. I said I wasn’t pretty, but the flowers were pretty.”
“Because a flower is a flower.”
“I am.”
“Just a prince with a bad personality.”
“Wow. That’s too much.”
Kalian let out a small laugh and stretched out his hand.
Then, the coffee cup that had been placed in front of Demirea was brought in front of me.
Calian frowned as he stole a sip of the coffee Dmirea was drinking instead of telling him to give me some since he didn’t have his own tea because he came in secretly.
“write.”
Because the coffee I drank after such a long time was still bitter and fragrant.
“I heard you don’t drink coffee. I’ll ask you to bring tea.”
“No. Don’t drink any more. I’ll be gone soon.”
Calian waved his hand and looked at Dmirea. Without saying a word, I looked at the clock for a while, as if I was looking at the waves of Secretia.
“They say it’s because of Devlan.”
He smiled faintly as he said what he was saying.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Whitlin. It was Devlan’s bird. I didn’t know, but Brother Chase didn’t know either.”
Demirea frowned her eyes.
“When I heard that Whitlin pretended to be dead in front of Kyrie. There was also a medicine that made it possible for the secretaries of Secretia, and there was already a medicine like the one I took in front of Silike, so I thought about it for a moment, but there are many similar medicines anyway. “I didn’t suspect it. I didn’t… They said it was true that Whitlin also took the same medicine I took.”
“You have to tell me in detail so I can understand.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
Knock knock knock.
Calian’s fingertips stopped tapping the table.
“A long time ago… Long before I was even born, Whitlin saw Serenti waking up. I don’t know if it was a premonition or a dream of the past.”
“yes.”
“Using what he found out at that time, he went to the Serenti Temple in Secretia to see if he could get something helpful to the elves of Bridget Forest. Then, he met Devlan through the high priest there.”
“Did the late King of Secretia believe that?”
“That can’t be true. Devlan… my father. He doesn’t trust people. Instead, he probably believed in the good abilities of an elf called Whitlin.”
“Did the late King of Secretia have Whitlin as his hand and foot?”
“huh.”
‘so.’
‘He showed no interest in Serenti’s second coming. Instead, they asked me what abilities I had and I didn’t hide them.’
‘Devlan must have been very greedy.’
‘……Brigit Forest’s village was held hostage and threatened. So, at first, I had no choice but to help a few times, and as time went by, my new life got better and we continued to work together.’
‘Are you saying you joined hands with Devlan?’
‘yes.’
‘What did you do?’
‘What would you have done?’
I did some pruning.
Whitlin eliminated the forces that were interfering with Devlan’s ascension to the throne.
‘…… so.’
‘Then I got stepped on by the tail and had to take refuge in Kairis. I settled down in Kairis and lived quietly without any other work for quite some time. I got married, had children, and lived like that.’
‘however.’
‘Then I received a call from Devlan again. He said he would give me another job.’
‘What happened.’
‘Kairis’ former queen Aisha.’
Rattling.
The coffee cup that Calian pushed back made a noise. It was the sound made by Demirea as she picked it up.
‘It seems like there was a rumor going around Devlan about the people who died without a word. So it seems that Devlan thought he would turn their eyes away. The best target for that is…….’
‘It must be an external war.’
‘yes. If Tensil’s princess Aisha dies, the relationship between Kairis and Tensil, which had improved somewhat due to the marriage of Gray Brisen and Selena Heidern, will deteriorate again, and if the King of Tensil starts a war with Kairis, Tensil will ultimately be greatly shaken, so Secretia’s position is There was nothing bad about Esau.’
‘Keep talking.’
‘I quietly visited Evan and got to know Silike Brissen.’
“Then perhaps it was Whitlin, not Brisen, who caused the death of Lord Verne’s father?”
“No, that’s not true.”
‘It was Gray Briesen who killed her husband. It is said that her husband died after Aisha’s death, but in reality it was before.’
‘Why Gray Brisen?’
‘It was to threaten me and make me stop working. It was obvious that if Aisha died, Silike would enter her royal palace. Gray thought that once Silike entered the palace, the Marquis of Briesen would finally come to an end.’
‘why.’
‘……My mother. ‘She didn’t want the Marquess of Briesen or her queen.’
“Are you saying that Silike wanted her throne?”
“huh.”
Silike did not want blood on his hands.
He didn’t even want to stay under anyone.
So she became queen. She did not become queen because she wanted to live as queen, but she did so because she thought it would be better in every way to be handed the position after putting Plants on the throne than to rebel. did.
If that happens, there will be only one her.
All I have to do is get Plantz’s blood on my hands.
“… So.”
“Grey interfered, but Aisha died anyway. Because of Gray’s continued interference, Whitlin could not come forward, but Sillike came forward herself.”
“After that happened, she became Queen Freya.”
“huh.”
“Then no way… Queen Freya too.”
“No. Her mother was not Devlan’s bird. Instead, her mother made her deal with Devlan.”
Whitlin did what Devlan told him to do and wrote a letter, making up a crisis situation. He sent it to Freya. Even if Whitlin were to fall to Gray Briesen’s side, he created evidence that Whitlin was harmed so that Gray could not use the incident as an excuse to threaten Secretia.
Freya received it.
And instead of worrying about Whitlin, Freya went to see Devlan.
“I will enter the palace first before Silike becomes queen. So, if you do something good for Secretia, I ask you not to use Whitlin any more. After that, how did your mother enter the palace? “Even Whitlin doesn’t know what happened.”
“What happened to Whitlin?”
“After faking my death, I went to Tensil. I went to see King Tensil. To capture Gray Brisen.”
‘then. Why did you name Kirie and Hina like that? ‘Are you trying to become a priest?’
‘Do you know Selena Heidern?’
‘know.’
‘The Marquis came to see me, and his husband, who was working at Briseen at the time, heard him mumbling those words. He said that he had learned a good-sounding word, so he decided to name Kirie after it and that when her second child was born, he would name her Hina. I told you.’
‘Why don’t you name the children?’
‘If Serenti really opens her eyes, wouldn’t she at least take care of children with that name? I thought. At least until then, I was also a mother.’
“Then the elves’ mother tree and Zeon. How are you related to them?”
“It is said that while Whitlin was living in Tensil, he took the side of Selena Heidern, who returned to Tensil. Rather than killing Gray Brissen right away, he thought it would be better to join hands with Selena and eliminate all of Brissen. That is how he gradually entered Xeon. “They say I helped them create the first stone and plant it in the heart. Now, someone else is doing it, but I don’t seem to know who it is.”
“And then you came back to Kairis?”
“I guess I found out that Freyr gathered the elves of Bridget Forest and settled in Freyja’s territory. If there was an elf healer among them, they came to Kairis with the intention of appeasing him, but there was a conflict of opinion with Freyr, so he killed Freyr and pretended to be that person. “That’s it. I think Selena changed her plans. I got the disguise necklace from Devlan a long time ago.”
“…So, Whitlin is still related to Xeon?”
“huh.”
“When Lord Hertz came looking for him, he killed Xeon.”
“It was not Zeon, but the wolves of the Great Desert. Wolves like Siona who did not belong to Zeon. The wolves who came to assassinate Whitlin were tricked into thinking they were Zeon.”
Demirea let out her long breath.
Kalian, who was looking at Demirea like that, opened her mouth.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Demirea.”
“What are you asking?”
“I need to find an elf, but in the current situation, it is difficult to move the Vulcan or Wizard Union. That’s because I don’t know when Brisen or Zeon will attack the capital again. So, I would like to borrow Siegfried’s personnel.”
“I’m looking for an elf.”
“Yes. Young elf.”
‘In the future I saw, there were two mother trees. With that, I helped threaten Danu into allowing him to use the forest path. And I found the mother tree, which was still young.’
‘… I hope you don’t say that I did something I don’t like. Whitlin.’
‘I didn’t. Not yet. However, we were in constant contact. There has been no response from the young mother tree for some time now.’
‘Since when.’
‘Ever since Rashid Briesen left here.’
“Are you asking me to find and protect a young elf in this wide land of Kairis?”
“Sispanian will know. Meet Sispanian, find Sia, and protect her. If Zeon is involved, I will step forward. However, if that is not the case and there is just no response, please take charge of Siegfried’s command for a while.”
“I am not related to Danu. That’s why I have to do that.”
“You’re young. You’re just a child, Demirea.”
It is clear that she knows that Demirea cannot refuse that one word. Isn’t Kalyan really good at persuading, cajoling, and threatening?
“…… All right.”
Demirea finally nodded her head.
Calian smiled brightly at that and opened her mouth.
“I’ll take care of you, Demirea.”
“I understand.”
“Yes. That flower too. You have to take good care of it so it doesn’t wither, Demirea.”
“yes.”
“Me too. I also found out the secret from Adelia, but you can’t kill her, Demirea.”
– Whaaah!
As soon as the last words were finished, I was in a rush to live.
Calian, smiling brightly, jumped out of the study window.
– …… Cooung.
Demirea chased after it.
That’s how sparring began.
* * *
Trudging.
Raven’s steps are heavy, as if she knew that her master’s heart was empty.
Plantz frowned as he looked at his younger brother, Nom, who returned to the lord’s castle while riding on Raven’s saddle.
“you.”
“I didn’t lose.”
“What.”
“The scars that came from coming back alive after almost being killed by her lover alone.”
“Did she tell Adelia that she got caught?”
“How did you know?”
“There’s something else.”
I have nothing to say.
Thanks to that, Kalian, who smiled slightly and nodded her head, handed Raven’s reins over to the servant. And she opened her mouth as she walked out of the rose-scented garden.
“Why are you looking at roses?”
“I’m trying not to hate it.”
“Have you grown up?”
“I don’t want to take on Renieri.”
After finishing the conversation with Whitlin, Planz asked Calian, who was worried that he might have been pickled again, to just leave.
Calian, who had a face that only reminded her of Silike, nodded her head. And she herself went to see Demi Lea to fill in her complicated feelings.
Instead of comforting her, she came back with only a long scar on her left forearm. Because I did something wrong.
“I thought that if the scent of a rose smelled like a rose, it wouldn’t be the scent of Renieri.”
“So you were with me?”
“okay.”
“What did it smell like?”
“Brother Randel’s scent.”
Kalian burst into laughter at her irritated words.
She opened her mouth to say something when Calian nodded again at her words, not knowing whether she was glad or not.
“I apologized.”
But Plantz’s words were heard first.
To be exact, he didn’t say an apology, but he did apologize.
“I borrowed Hina’s earrings from Brother Randel.”
“Is that so?”
“okay.”
“Good job.”
“sorry.”
I complimented her and she apologized in return.
Calian, who was blinking at the inexplicable apology, heard Randel’s unique low voice, a little heavier than Plantz’s.
“Because I’m angry.”
I guess he’s talking about something that made him angry during the day.
Kalian burst into laughter again.
“I’m sorry too.”
And then there was the reconciliation that was already unnecessary.
Oh, by the way, she couldn’t boast that she was bigger than a pea.
While thinking like this.