Chapter 213, None or Once (5)

Translator: Lizzz

Editor: Hedge

 

That day, just before night arrived.

 

Around the time when Raven, who was certainly smarter than Marquis Evan Beurisen, was eating carrots grown just for him, and Luci, who had gone to find Hina, managed to obtain well-trimmed dried chicken, and Kyrie, who had been with Hina, tried to pet Luci only to get struck by his long tail.

 

At the moment when Arianneu, who had said she would try mint tea, frowned and angrily questioned why people would even consume such a thing, and Taillan, seeing this, was smiling while savoring the mint aroma.

 

Right around the time when Chase entered Debeullan’s office, and Plants, having finished lunch, was working and working and working.

 

*Clink*

 

With a small sound, Kalian set down his teacup and burst into laughter. Without caring that Dmirea, who sat across from him, was frowning, his loud laughter continued for quite a long time.

 

“Ah… I’m sorry for laughing, Dmirea.”

 

“I reported Marquis Evan Beurisen’s rude words and conduct, yet you find it amusing?”

 

When Dmirea asked this with a serious expression, Kalian, who had been trying to calm down, laughed again. Despite having just apologized, laughter kept bursting out uncontrollably.

 

“Your Highness…”

 

Ian called out to Kalian once, who was laughing so breathlessly it seemed he might choke.

 

If it had been Arsene, or if it had been Plants, instead of directly asking Kalian if he was laughing because it was funny, they would have looked at Ian. Then, confirming that Ian’s face was filled with concern as it was now, they would have quietly closed their mouths.

 

Ian slowly shook his head at Dmirea, who had not experienced much of Kalian’s laughter. Seeing this, Dmirea frowned very slightly before opening her mouth.

 

“I didn’t tell you an amusing story. I only spoke of the unpleasant incident I experienced.”

 

Was this great Lesser Duchess of Siegfried not someone who would care about the prince’s mood or scrutinize every action of the prince?

 

“Ah, I’m sorry. I laughed too much.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Moreover, she was not someone who would hide that she was becoming increasingly displeased as Kalian’s laughter lengthened.

 

“I was laughing because it’s funny that things got twisted.”

 

Dmirea frowned once more.

 

“Not only is it strange that you laugh because things got twisted, but it is also odd to say that it is amusing. I don’t know how to take this.”

 

Dmirea seemed to have given all warmth to Ian and taken all the bluntness that Ian lacked.

 

Even Kyrie, whom Luci particularly avoided, was not such an unpleasant person. Thinking about how someone could be this blunt, Kalian laughed briefly once more before explaining.

 

“I also feel like I’ll never see Marquis Beurisen move cleverly in my lifetime.”

 

After gathering Kalian’s words that flowed out in fragments, Dmirea asked.

 

“Are you saying that because of me, Marquis Beurisen lost the opportunity to move cleverly, and therefore the plan Your Highness had established was disrupted, and you laughed because that was amusing?”

 

“If you say ‘because of,’ it sounds like I’m blaming you. That’s not what I mean.”

 

Kalian shook his head at Dmirea, who had compiled his words through near-miraculous piecing together, and added an explanation.

 

“I’m not blaming your actions in the conference room. If I had been treated that way, I would have drawn my sword immediately, so I think you responded quite calmly. Selling my name was also well done. That’s what the name is there for, so sell it as much as you need. It’s fine.”

 

At these words, Dmirea’s face showed an expression that questioned why he would state something so obvious.

 

“I knew you would not blame me. That’s not the meaning of my words.”

 

Kalian laughed again at Dmirea’s words, which did not let anything pass carelessly.

 

“Right.”

 

Right now, Dmirea had come to Chermil Palace both because Evan had shown his intention to meet Kalian and she felt Kalian should know about it, and also to confirm how things had been resolved afterward, given the atmosphere suggesting Allan would vent his anger at Siegfried.

 

“But did I pay back the cost of the bananas I ate that day?”

 

“Yes. You paid the banana cost.”

 

And before even resolving those two matters, they began seriously calculating together what to deduct to settle the cost of protecting Kalian at the Siegfried residence, having sold his name by mentioning ‘dishonor toward Prince Kalian, my fiancé.’

 

“Then should we consider it settled by deducting my brother’s boarding from that time?”

 

“Are you saying that for using your name once, you would deduct all of the Second Prince’s accommodation costs?”

 

“He didn’t eat much. And didn’t he not sleep properly either? I think that’s about right.”

 

Dmirea chuckled at the attitude of calculating similarly the cost of the bananas that Kalian ate after awakening from his coma and the expenses of Plants, who had his eyes wide open the whole time.

 

“Yes. I will settle it for that amount.”

 

It was generosity born from thinking that she could let this much slide, as there were still plenty of things to collect from Kalian: the cost of the shield she had raised that day, the Knight Order monitored on behalf of Kalian, finding a candidate Count to replace Gray Beurisen, the cost of the tiara she had taken this time, and so on.

 

Ian, who as always sat quietly one seat away whenever Dmirea came, sighed deeply with an expression of resignation. It seemed he found it utterly disagreeable that they conducted transactions with such precise calculations when their flower-like prince deserved everything given without measure if needed, but he showed no intention of interrupting their conversation.

 

“Alright, so that calculation is finished.”

 

Kalian, who smiled once toward Ian, returned to the main topic.

 

“So you don’t know what Marquis Beurisen will say to me?”

 

“No. He only asked me to convey that he wished to meet you.”

 

Meeting Evan was not particularly difficult. The problem was the situation that arose because Evan’s tongue, lighter than Raven’s mane hair, made a slip of the tongue in the conference room.

 

“I’m grateful that HIs Majesty thought of me, but… this is troublesome.”

 

Evan should have tried to eliminate Kalian somehow so that could be used as an excuse to draw a sword, but had not Rmain come out too forcefully?

 

“Without even the trouble I carefully scratched up, the Marquis will likely play it safe again this time.”

 

Like a spring mole that glanced here and there on the ground before quickly disappearing inside.

 

Kalian, who took a sip of carbonated water with lime slices and mint leaves, lowered his eyes and fell into thought for a moment. Then he opened his mouth toward Ian.

 

“Ian. I want to drink something sweet.”

 

Ian rose with a smile.

 

“Wild strawberry syrup came in; shall I bring that?”

 

“No, I’ll just have honey tea. Put lots of honey in it.”

 

When with Dmirea, Kalian tried not to use Ian as an attendant as much as possible. He had never asked for something different while leaving his current tea untouched.

 

“Yes. I’ll bring it for you.”

 

Without asking the reason, Ian readily nodded and went outside.

 

Kalian watched his retreating figure for a moment, then turned his head toward Dmirea only after quite some time had passed since the door closed.

 

“Shall we have a sparring match tomorrow? If your schedule allows. Tonight I need to teach my brother something, and for that I need to conserve my Aura today, so maybe tomorrow.”

 

The originally promised date still had many days remaining.

 

“No. Tomorrow I need to visit older brother Randel and also see the Count. How about the day after tomorrow instead? Dmirea. I’ll teach you many things.”

 

“What are you thinking?”

 

Dmirea asked with a slight frown.

 

Kalian’s attitude of suddenly mentioning sparring first seemed somehow suspicious.

 

“You deliberately sent my brother away, then changed your mind midway and hastily set a schedule. Are you saying such things without even organizing your thoughts?”

 

Kalian only smiled pleasantly without giving a definite answer, then spoke of something else.

 

“Ah, and. Could you find someone to replace the Count’s position a bit faster?”

 

“Prince.”

 

Instead of answering his words, Dmirea called Kalian and took something from her chest pocket and set it down.

 

*Thud!*

 

With a fairly loud sound, it was a beautiful tiara decorated with rubies and diamonds. It was what Kalian had given to make Dmirea appear as the ‘Crown Prince’s fiancée.’

 

“Mm. Dmirea.”

 

Kalian, looking down at the tiara, spoke playfully,

 

“Are we already breaking off the engagement?”

 

“I have no interest in the position of fiancée to someone digging their own grave.”

 

Dmirea, who now realized why Kalian had laughed and why Ian had tried to stop her from being displeased by his laughter, answered this way and continued.

 

“Meeting the Count and deciding on a new Count, and suddenly saying you’ll teach swordsmanship…”

 

Having said this, Dmirea raised her finger and pointed outside the window.

 

“It seems you’re thinking of personally taking Evan Beurisen’s head. But isn’t it too early?”

 

“It’s difficult to explain in detail, but things got tangled, Dmirea. I was going to wait for Marquis Beurisen to dig his own grave, but that won’t work either. And since I can’t just wait because I have to go hunt a big snake, I…”

 

He did not mention the story of asking for help from her father and being refused.

 

“Someone far away is going to hunt a snake, but that person doesn’t know well what kind of snake it is. They say they’ll be careful, but I’m worried they’ll get bitten while lightly lifting it up, so I have to step in. But to do that, I need to first straighten the high-maintenance bamboo shoot bundle that requires a lot of attention. That’s why. The order isn’t important anyway, and things always get twisted, so I’m somewhat used to it now.”

 

Dmirea, giving up on understanding Kalian’s vague words, simply said what she needed to say.

 

“Evan Beurisen is strong. Just because you can see his Aura doesn’t mean you have superiority in swordsmanship. If you touch Evan Beurisen, you will die, Your Highness.”

 

“Ah, that’s what I always used to say.”

 

Kalian laughed again.

 

“I’m not that weak either. And I won’t die.”

 

Even Kalian had never intended to throw himself into blazing flames.

 

“The one who made me like this doesn’t seem to have sent me to die from something like this, so they’ll probably keep me alive this time too. If they were going to erase me, they would have erased me, and I don’t think they would let me die. Anyway, that’s how it is.”

 

Dmirea, who had been looking at Kalian with an expression questioning why he kept making sounds like her puppy brother, tried to stop Kalian once more.

 

“Even if you don’t die, you’ll be seriously injured. Even if you’re not injured, you’ll face consequences for the crime of killing a Marquis.”

 

Kalian already knew this.

 

He had assessed it, prepared for it, and finished calculating that he could handle it.

 

“If I’m not injured, I’ll go catch the snake; if I’m injured, I can’t go to the snake. If I’m confined, I can use that as an excuse not to go to the snake. My brother will take care of the aftermath, so that’s fine too.”

 

Not knowing what that snake was or why he was doing this, she knew she would get no answer if she asked. Realizing that saying anything more would not get through, Dmirea sighed. She had given up on persuading him.

 

“…I’ll come the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. Instead.”

 

Rather than conveying more words of dissuasion that would not get through anyway, Dmirea, her expression hardening, picked up the tiara she had placed on the table and put it back in her bosom. Then with a face full of killing intent, she spoke to Kalian.

 

“If you make my brother go through the same thing again, I will kill you myself, my dear Prince.”

 

“I understand, so don’t speak so frighteningly.” Kalian, waiting for his honey tea, answered gently. “After all, Dmirea. I need to live well. So don’t worry.”

 

* * *

 

Sour green tangerine.

 

The scent that had made his face involuntarily scrunch up, that unforgettable green tangerine scent, he thought he had smelled it.

 

In the forest there had been the deep green scent of grass, but at the tip of his nose was the scent of sour tangerines.

 

‘Only speculate up to that point. Don’t be certain.’

 

Those words, not a single letter forgotten, that he remembered completely.

 

While telling him not to think anymore about what happened during the time he spent alone, while handing him sour tangerines. The words spoken then.

 

‘Plants. Because it had nothing to do with you.’

 

Was not Plants exceptionally sensitive to scents, and also exceptionally quick-witted? So, when Kalian said he would tell him something but absolutely not to speculate about the reason, the scent of sour tangerines immediately came to mind.

 

[Was it because of the same words, or because of the same face?]

 

Plants, who had been examining Kalian’s face with furrowed brows, took a long breath.

 

The tangerine scent still lingered.

 

“I hope you’ll just let it pass this time.”

 

That crazy bastard was planning to shoulder something again. He was asking to let it pass without knowing anything.

 

Whether he should just grant that request or refuse, as he was pondering this, Kalian spoke again.

 

“Instead of a brother who doesn’t listen, I need a good brother who listens well. Right now.”

 

“Bark.”

 

Plants, who gave his habitual retort to the habitual nonsense, looked at Kalian with furrowed brows. Instead of the usual mischievous smile he wore, he had a smile that seemed more fitting for Allan.

 

“My younger brother…”

 

[What are you thinking? What scheme do you have in mind?]

 

“It’s my name, older brother.”

 

Having said this, Kalian smiled and added.

 

“Won’t you call me by my name? That’s more comfortable to hear. Right now.”

 

[Ah. Has this bastard gone mad? Asking me to call his name.]

 

He thought he knew what he was thinking, but he said he shouldn’t know, so he decided not to think in that direction. Anyway, that bastard seemed to have gone mad again today. That was probably why the sour tangerine smell was so strong.

 

This crazy bastard kept barking and barking and going mad, and he seemed to be plotting something that would make him go mad too. If so, wouldn’t going mad together be the proper duty of an older brother?

 

Having finished thinking briefly, Plants looked at Kalian and answered.

 

“No.”

 

Whether that bastard’s patience, which was either nonexistent or singular, hit rock bottom or not.

 

One corner of his lips, the color of Luci’s paw pads, curled up long.