Chapter 195, Because I Cannot Lie (2)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

It had become a habit.

 

If a habit could be easily abandoned, why would we bother giving it a separate name and calling it a habit? The word ‘habit’ must have come into existence precisely because it cannot be easily discarded.

 

‘Is something wrong?’

 

And so it had become Hina’s habit as well.

 

She would hesitantly touch the door a few times with very small sounds, then knock with progressively louder sounds—*knock knock knock.* The small sounds varied in their intervals and number each time, but the progressively louder sounds were always exactly three times.

 

It had become Plants’ habit to say “come in” instead of asking who it was or telling them to go away when he heard that distinctive habitual knock. Like unconsciously taking an uncomfortable position so that Luci could lie more comfortably when it climbed onto his legs, it was that kind of habit. The same habit as immediately saying “come in” upon hearing the knock that followed the hesitation.

 

“Come in.”

 

At the habitual knock, he gave his habitual response, and Hina entered. After looking around at the disheveled scene in the office, she habitually showed concern and asked what was wrong.

 

So Plants explained in his own way that there would be no reason for him to be sitting here looking at documents with an irritated face unless it was because of Arsene.

 

“You know.”

 

Could there be anyone in Valkan who didn’t know about the relationship between Plants and Arsene? It was his way of saying not to bother asking what didn’t need to be asked. And as always, he set aside what he was doing and looked at Hina, asking why she had come.

 

After posing a silent question, Hina smiled softly as she looked at Plants, who was prepared to hear a silent answer. Then she began gathering Plants’ clothes that were scattered on the sofa and neatly organizing them.

 

It was a kindness that could either be a remnant of her habit as a maid, or simply her taking care of him like she would Luci. Watching Hina, Plants frowned and said:

 

“Leave it.”

 

Rerik would come soon anyway and take care of it on his own. By now, he would have noticed that Plants had disappeared from the banquet hall.

 

Even at these words, Hina smiled with a face that said she had no hands free to answer and would just do as she pleased, and began organizing as she wished. She carefully untangled the tie that had become tangled from being thrown about haphazardly and rolled it up neatly, placed the shirt pins on the table, and hung the vest and jacket on a hanger. Then she folded the cloak, which seemed even larger than her own height, and placed it on one side of the sofa before moving her hands while looking at Plants.

 

‘Why are you here?’

 

While fighting with Arsene was nothing new, judging by the scattered items, this was clearly formal attire. So, she couldn’t help but wonder why the Second Prince, who should be at Kalian’s birthday celebration banquet right now, was here looking at documents instead.

 

At Hina’s words, Plants closed his mouth for a moment.

 

In fact, wasn’t it usually that way?

 

When the person asking where it hurts is a healer, one unconsciously points out this place and that place. If they were just acquaintances, one wouldn’t readily reveal where it hurt, but Hina was a healer.

 

Therefore, like everyone else, Plants unconsciously gave a sincere answer.

 

“…A cold.”

 

Of course, a sincere answer was not necessarily an honest one.

 

Unless he had been left standing in the Great Dunes of the north for about thirty minutes. On this summer day, and Plants of all people, having a cold?

 

Fortunately, Hina didn’t make a face asking what nonsense that was. However, she didn’t meekly accept it either.

 

After thinking about something for a moment, Hina’s hands moved gently.

 

‘Don’t go, just stay here for a bit.’

 

Plants didn’t answer immediately.

 

It was because he wondered if he needed to bother saying that he had nowhere particular to go today anyway.

 

He didn’t want to go to Siegfried Hall, which would be in an uproar thanks to Dmirea’s tiara, and get caught up in it together.

 

Whether it was Rmain’s consideration, Allan’s meddling, or a request from that certain bastard who was spending the day in the form of someone who didn’t exist in this world, he didn’t want to return to Chermil, which was decorated entirely with red paper flowers without a single Raphtania real flower.

 

Even training with Kyrie, who would be at the training ground with the Knights by now, didn’t interest him much today.

 

In the end, instead of explaining all these things, Plants simply nodded without another word and turned his eyes back to the documents. Hina, who still had a smiling face, went out for a moment and then came back in.

 

What was held in Hina’s remaining hand, as she struggled to carry Luci in one arm, was ice cream.

 

Seeing it, Plants opened his mouth as if dumbfounded.

 

“I said I have a cold.”

 

Without another word, Hina put Luci down and handed him the strawberry ice cream with a pretty smile.

 

Plants chuckled.

 

It was because the color of that ice cream was exactly the same as Luci’s paw pads.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, Lord Bern.”

 

Arsene, wearing a pure white robe with the Valkan Deputy Commander insignia, was trudging out of Wilhelm Hall when he spotted Kyrie leaving the training ground and spoke.

 

Kyrie, who was now allowed to carry his sword even outside Chermil Palace, finished adjusting the position of the leather belt connected to his scabbard, then bowed to Arsene and asked:

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Looking at the gloomy face with dark circles hanging heavily, he wondered if he might be going not just somewhere but to some very distant place, but for now he only asked that much.

 

“Do you happen to feel like drinking?”

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

“I do.”

 

Undeterred by the quick refusal to his quick drinking invitation, Arsene continued with a grin toward Kyrie, who was looking at him with an expression asking what he was supposed to do about that.

 

“I’ve lost my place to go. So, what can I do? I’ll just have to drink.”

 

Anyone listening would think he drank an enormous amount.

 

Kyrie, who had unwillingly learned of Arsene’s tearful drinking capacity on the day he learned Kalian’s secret, made an extremely reluctant expression and tried to step back. His face said it would be better to go back inside and spar with the Knights one more time. Or run around the training ground again.

 

“Why don’t you have a place to go? You’re someone with lots to do.”

 

“I was kicked out. By His Highness Deputy Commander.”

 

And it was actually his office, but Plants suddenly came in, took off everything he was wearing, and then told him to leave. He did not know where else in the world this kind of thing happens. But, it did.

 

Muttering like this, Arsene explained to Kyrie roughly what had happened.

 

Earlier, Arsene had pretended to secretly join hands with Gray, and thanks to that, Gray was preparing to return to the Capital. And Evan had brought out Lannen in preparation for Gray’s entry into the Capital.

 

But Plants did not know any of these facts.

 

“By now, our Prince must be stirring everything up quite excitedly, and Marquis Beurisen won’t just sit and watch.”

 

And Arsene knew together with what Plants did not know.

 

“But His Highness Deputy Commander shouldn’t get tangled up with Beurisen, and he seems worried in his own way, so I understand that he kicked me out to take back Valkan, which our Prince had handed over entirely, and give it back to our Prince on his own, but the thing is I can’t go there. I also can’t explain to our Prince why I shouldn’t go and take his side. And if I hang around here and run into the Deputy Commander, won’t it all be exposed? Why is his intuition so sharp for no reason?”

 

Because of the matter with Count Gray, he couldn’t step forward in front of Beurisen, he couldn’t explain to Plants why he couldn’t, and if he tried to make up excuses and evade, Plants would surely notice, so for now he just came out as he was told.

 

For that reason, he had avoided the situation for now, but having nowhere to go, he was asking Kyrie to take on the role of drinking companion once again.

 

“I have nowhere to stand, our Prince has nothing in his hands, and His Highness Deputy Commander seems to have no one to openly look after him and no one to accept what might be birthday congratulations or an apology. So, let’s just get together as two sidekicks and have a drink that might be celebratory or consoling.”

 

When this wretched guy who could really only drink one glass was bringing up all sorts of reasons just to have one drink, what could he do?

 

Kyrie could not refuse any further and nodded.

 

* * *

 

Occasionally, he recalls a dream.

 

A dream he had not long after he came to live this life that no one who knows Kalian could call a miracle or good fortune.

 

The child he met for the first and last time, completely separated from, yet met every day in the mirror.

 

Calling it punishment in his stead seemed too grandiose, and not knowing at all whether he truly had the right to do so, Kalian decided to simply name what he would do from now on as venting his anger.

 

Whether it took days and nights or months.

 

Whether it was his own venting or venting in place of him, without thinking difficult thoughts, he would just vent his anger.

 

“You have received an excessive gift, Your Highness.”

 

Evan, who resembled someone but acknowledging that resemblance seemed like it would be terribly wrong to that bastard, spoke with such a sneer on his lips.

 

It was said while taking advantage of the brief commotion around them as they cleaned up the glass Kalian had broken.

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

Looking at Evan, Kalian gave a short answer and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he released one of the spells he had maintained like a habit more important than breathing.

 

As that binding-like power that required greater Mana as his Aura grew was released, Kalian felt refreshed and took a breath, then exhaled very slowly.

 

Just two years ago, or actually on a day even longer ago than that.

 

He remembered that very day when he had breathed in and out deeply as if filling his heart with the fishy smell of the salt-filled sea. It was not as cleansing a feeling as that day, but still, the considerably lighter air was not so bad.

 

After taking such a deep breath, his back, which one would have thought couldn’t be any straighter, stood even more uprightly with added confidence.

 

After quietly opening his eyes, Kalian looked at Evan with his head tilted just slightly enough not to be noticed by others and spoke.

 

“It still doesn’t seem visible. Am I right?”

 

Feeling somehow that Kalian, who spoke like this, was deeply examining his features, Evan said with a displeased face:

 

“What is it that you say is not visible?”

 

[I can see yours, but you can’t see mine.]

 

Convinced of this, Kalian slightly lowered his eyes. In an even better mood than when he had watched the red that had been tightly trapped in the champagne glass scatter in all directions, he pondered for a moment how to deal with that bastard in front of him.

 

“Whatever you see or fail to see, look to your own future. Rash greed invites calamity, Prince Kalian.”

 

And Evan, who clearly intended to properly ruin that mood, barked like this.

 

“I’m looking at it, actually.”

 

Kalian readily nodded and answered.

 

The red eyes beneath his long eyelashes were indeed looking at the future. It was just that it was not Kalian’s own future but the future where Evan’s neck would fall clean off.

 

Evan, who wouldn’t know in his dreams what Kalian was looking at, tried to speak again while looking at the Prince standing before him giving such a nonchalant answer.

 

“I’m excitedly looking at it.”

 

Kalian interrupted Evan’s words and spoke first, opening his eyes.

 

[Just how fast will your sword be? How heavy will it be? How sharp and how fierce will it be? What thoughts will be contained in it, what memories of what people will be contained in it? When will that day come when all of it, every last bit, will be revealed to me? When exactly will that day come when I can vent my anger?]

 

“I’m also thinking about when that day will be.”

 

Hearing the tone that had become even more impertinent than that day they met in spring, Evan frowned. With a Commoner-born Royal Consort was to become Queen, the Third Prince standing before him continued to provoke Evan as if he had already ascended to the position of Crown Prince.

 

“Do not defile the Royal Family with the Bloodline of someone insignificant, Your Highness.”

 

People don’t know, but Evan does.

 

Kalian currently has nothing in his hands.

 

Just having legitimacy alone was not enough to obtain that position, right?

 

The atmosphere around them, which had been briefly noisy while the scattered glass shards were being cleaned up, quietly settled down. Although they couldn’t hear what Evan and Kalian were talking about, everyone maintained silence of their own accord because they wanted to hear it somehow.

 

Before they knew it, all the glass shards scattered on the floor had already been cleaned up and all the red champagne had disappeared. Looking at the floor that had returned to complete cleanliness, Evan raised his finger to point at that spot and said in a very small voice that no one but Kalian could hear:

 

“The day may come when you are cleared away without a trace like that.”

 

Kalian didn’t look at what Evan’s hand was pointing to.

 

“More than that…”

 

Instead of getting angry together at Evan, who was threatening the Prince’s safety unable to contain his anger, he opened his mouth with a relaxed face.

 

Kalian’s voice was not small.

 

Like ice cubes in pomegranate juice, a chilling coldness tinged his clear, transparent voice.

 

“When do you plan to show proper respect toward me?”

 

[I will continue to live properly even after I finish my venting. Don’t think you’ll just give a warning and move on like you always have. Prepare yourself properly Marquis, and get angry too. That way I can properly take everything away.]

 

“Bow down, Marquis.”

 

His bright red lips drew a long arc.