Chapter 231, Whose Son I Am (4)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

Secritia was warm.

 

Cyries, or rather, Cyriesus was cold.

 

Although he could not say he had traveled through all of Secritia, everywhere Kalian went was generally as warm as the Capital Secreta or even hotter. Winter was not particularly cold either. In contrast, Cyriesus was so cold with the biting winds blowing throughout winter that it was difficult to walk with one’s head held high.

 

This was all because of Harts-ara, the origin of all irrationality.

 

In any case, after neatly organizing two sets of memories from the same period and concluding his thoughts by blaming Harts-ara, Kalian turned his head for a moment.

 

A red-hued cloak fluttering in the wind caught his eye. The gemstone powder attached to it increased toward the bottom, until the thick fabric that served as the base was no longer visible at all at the hem. It resembled the image inside a kaleidoscope he had once seen, and also…

 

“It’s truly autumn now. The wind has changed.”

 

“That’s right. It’s autumn already.”

 

Kalian nodded and responded to Ian’s words as he helped him board the waiting carriage.

 

Secritia would still be hot, while Cyries needed to hurry and prepare for winter. It had become autumn in a period that was unfamiliar yet not strange.

 

“It seems both good and regrettable.”

 

“Regrettable, Your Highness?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ian, sitting across from Kalian, widened his round eyes. He had seemed to be suffering internally throughout the past summer and had only recently seemed to shake it off, so what could be regrettable?

 

“You won’t put ice in my mint tea anymore.”

 

Though it was an absurd reason, Kalian was sincere. Ian, who noticed the wind had changed, no longer allowed him to drink mint tea full of ice.

 

Last night he had gone to bed unusually late, and when he asked for cold mint tea to help open his barely opening eyes, he was firmly refused. Afterward, when he secretly used Magic to cool the warm tea he was given, he was caught again and scolded for quite a while. It was really pitiful…

 

The carriage moved at a pace neither slow nor fast as Kalian continued.

 

“Just this morning, for instance. I said it’s not cold yet, but you absolutely won’t listen to me.”

 

Ian, who found it amusing that the person who would probably lead this country in the future was complaining to his attendant in a voice full of resentment about mint tea, Ian finally quietly chuckled in response.

 

“Even if you say that, I won’t give it to you.”

 

At that firm answer, a few more grumbling sounds escaped from Kalian’s mouth.

 

Aside from that regret, he was not entirely displeased that autumn had already arrived. As Ian thought, most of what had troubled him all summer had been resolved. The reason he said ‘most’ was that, being Human, even Kalian found it difficult to fully gauge his own feelings. Still, in any case, it was true that his heart felt much lighter now.

 

Like the wind blowing now.

 

“Still, I think there are more good things than regrettable ones.”

 

“That’s fortunate. That there are more good things.”

 

“Right. Fortunate.”

 

Another reason the approaching autumn was good was that the scent of the wind blowing as if telling him to forget the memories of the hot summer was quite peaceful. And another was that he would see less of the rain that fell persistently as if trying to bind Kalian’s feet.

 

…Or so he thought.

 

“Oh no.”

 

[What ‘oh no’?]

 

As soon as he got off the carriage that had arrived at Siegfried Hall, he heard a low voice as if it had been waiting for Kalian. The moment he heard that voice, he realized once again that it was not only the rain that had bound his feet, and his mood, which had been quite excited by the autumn wind blowing on this fine day, completely sank.

 

“Should I have caught a cold?”

 

It was because he had run into the person he wanted to see as late as possible right in front of Siegfried Hall.

 

‘—I didn’t tell you, big brother, but actually Prince Plants helped me practice speaking a lot. Even though he must have been busy, he listened well without saying anything, so I became familiar with it quickly. Prince Plants is such a good person, so Prince Kalian, please stop tormenting Prince Plants. No matter what, he’s still your older brother.’

 

[Prince Plants is such a good person… Please stop tormenting Prince Plants…]

 

The thunderbolt-like words that came at the end of Hina’s words of gratitude when she visited that evening after drinking warm milk and taking a long nap came back to mind.

 

[How could this be?]

 

Never in his life did he think he would hear their Hina take that grass-head’s side. The sense of emptiness, disappointment, sorrow, and grief that such a day he had never even dreamed of had come too soon all rushed in at once.

 

[Why? Why out of all people not Kyrie, not me, but him?]

 

[Was it really true that you, older brother, were the very first to hear the angel-like voice of their Hina, who seemed ready to bloom a sky full of blue flowers right now? That you heard more often, much more often, that lovely voice like sunlight sparkling on a lake calling your name, like duckweed floating on a lake, before my name? Do you even know, older brother, how much I will suffer from this?]

 

[My heart’s wound was so deep that I thought I would forget all understanding and everything when I saw you, older brother, but still, trying to listen well to our Hina, I endured with the feeling of aging three more years and avoided seeing your face from that day until now. Do you even know that, older brother?]

 

[Well, that grass-head couldn’t possibly understand such delicate feelings.]

 

Kalian suppressed the rising killing intent with desperate patience. In any case, today was a good day, and now Kalian was definitely an adult.

 

“…Greeting older brother.”

 

“You took your time thinking.”

 

“No, I didn’t.”

 

Kalian, who gave a short answer to the comment pointing out that it had taken quite a long time to greet him, recalled Plants’s first words and opened his mouth again.

 

“You don’t need to catch a cold today. Were you waiting outside without going in to confirm that?”

 

“Since I don’t know what kind of trouble my little brother might cause.”

 

“How disappointing. If someone heard that, they’d misunderstand that I always cause trouble.”

 

“You bark well. Today too.”

 

Now he would not stop even if called a barking dog. He knew he would not stop, but still, this was a place where there might be watchful eyes, so he thought he would at least show some restraint, but he didn’t even do that. He seemed not to listen through his ears, let alone the back of his ears, but through his nostrils entirely.

 

While Plants let out a short sigh mixed with resignation, Kalian’s barking continued.

 

“Even though today’s event is supposedly for me, I’m raising a dog while you, older brother, have the modest dream of going outside the Royal Palace to raise a cat and are taking a step closer to that, so how could your delicate and precious body be ill? You must attend well and grace the occasion. Definitely.”

 

“What a disaster. Even dressed well, you still don’t speak like a person.”

 

A pure white cloak with gold embroidered decorations. A long, deep teal jacket and white pants. Plants, dressed in an outfit that seemed to have received much attention from Rerik, including accessories that suited the attire very well, looked at Kalian, who was dressed even more elaborately, and gave an answer full of his true feelings.

 

Kalian smiled slyly.

 

“Even a dressed Luci keeps meowing, so how would I be any different? Syspanian also said that no matter the appearance, one’s essence doesn’t change, so no matter what I wear, I can only consistently bark.”

 

As if he had no intention of responding further to his younger brother’s continued barking while even selling out Luci and Syspanian, Plants, having heard the answer about what he wanted to confirm, tried to move his feet. But Kalian said something out of the blue.

 

“By any chance, is that precious?”

 

Kalian’s finger was pointing at the decorative clasp on Plants’s cloak as he asked this. Something with two large golden feathers and a fairly large piece of emerald attached.

 

In short, a decoration very reminiscent of Beurisen’s Griffin, with its golden body and green eyes.

 

Plants, who had been about to say that he had received it from Evan along with a brief message hoping he would wear it today if possible, remembered his younger brother’s words about his heart hurting and just shook his head. Because there was no way Kalian would not be unaware of that much.

 

“There’s no way such a thing exists.”

 

Did Plants, who still had no greed, have anything precious? The thing he treasured most, Luci, was Kalian’s cat, so what more could be said?

 

“Yes. That works out well.”

 

Kalian, who had asked an incomprehensible question and shown an incomprehensible reaction, extended his arm to point at Siegfried Hall. Since it meant to go in first, Plants went inside without exchanging any more words.

 

So as not to think about what his younger brother’s scheme might be, Plants focused and thought hard. Hard about how the pretty Luci, who had rushed in early in the morning, had jumped onto his chest to wake him up as if to kill him.

 

After Plants went in like that, and a little later, Kalian, confirming that all the Nobles and both Princes had entered, stepped into Siegfried Hall with slow steps.

 

“Prince Kalian Rain Cyries enters.”

 

A familiar introduction. And familiar silence.

 

As if promised, silence descended.

 

Kalian’s finger, thinking that it was also truly contradictory that the place where the one who carried the loudest rumors was always this quiet, drew a small arc today as well.

 

“Pleasure.”

 

Because he had waited so long for today to bring about this most welcome silence.

 

* * *

 

Evan had many thoughts.

 

If Kalian knew, he would surely sneer, but in any case, he had many thoughts.

 

First, he decided not to touch Siegfried anymore. It was obvious that if Rmain really gave a title to that haughty Lesser Duchess sitting in the seat of honor for the Nobles opposing him, it would be troublesome.

 

[First, I need to shake up the Nobles a bit.]

 

Wasn’t this an occasion to elevate a Commoner-born Royal Consort, one who had long been dead, to Queen?

 

[Surely there will be many who are dissatisfied, even if they’re not on Beurisen’s side… First, I should make use of the Baby Wolf I’ve reeled in well this time.]

 

With these thoughts, Evan sent a gift to Plants.

 

It was an accessory conveying the fact that not only was Plants’s relationship with Beurisen still intact, but Plants was the Prince who would stand before Beurisen, and that Beurisen would definitely put Plants on the throne.

 

To ensure the Baby Griffin would be recognized for what it truly was, a lion cub that would one day gain wings and not be mistaken for just a Baby Wolf.

 

Plants, knowing Evan’s intentions but unable to refuse Beurisen’s request, wore the decoration as promised. Seeing the Nobles looking back and forth between Plants and Evan and nodding, what could be more satisfying than this?

 

Plants, who had walked without a word, entered his seat without even looking at Evan.

 

[Is he protesting about being used well? But what of it? The Nobles are not even paying attention to such things.]

 

Evan saw Randel sitting there without exchanging a single word with Plants. Come to think of it, he had briefly heard that someone presumed to be Gray had visited the Royal Palace and met with Randel, which was slightly concerning, but Evan could investigate the details after returning to his mansion.

 

As a result of such various thoughts, Evan was maintaining his satisfaction when…

 

“Prince Kalian Rain Cyries enters.”

 

[Finally, that one came.] Evan, who stood up awkwardly from his seat to show appropriate courtesy, tilted his head. The Nobles who had been murmuring when Plants entered were not saying anything.

 

[What has he done this time?] Evan, who discarded the brief question and raised his head, slowly opened his mouth and then closed it again.

 

A crimson cloak that sparkled endlessly as if sprinkled with jewels. An apricot-colored jacket and white pants. And…

 

Pearl-colored frills covering his wrists and neck.

 

Evan could not sneer that he had dressed up greedily. He could not criticize that the decorations were excessive. No one could think so. Not even Evan.

 

“It’s a pleasure.”

 

A white dress with an apricot-colored overdress on top.

 

Pearl-colored frill decorations fluttering in layers. A beautiful tiara made of all kinds of red-toned gemstones with no mixture of other colors. The vivid crimson hair that the tiara had embraced.

 

Because there would be no one here now who would not recall someone in the portrait hanging in Arpia Palace for all to see, which Kalian had deliberately avoided but the Nobles had not.

 

[Freya Hwiteurin…!]

 

He almost uttered that name out loud.

 

Because of the incredibly bold Prince who appeared with a face exactly like his Mother’s, wearing clothing that seemed to have been transplanted directly from the portrait painted on the day his Mother entered the palace.

 

Things like Plants’s accessories or Beurisen’s prestige would have already been completely forgotten from the Nobles’ minds. Evan was also aghast.

 

Footsteps that could not be ignored echoed through the hall.

 

The sparkling crimson cloak was like Freya Hwiteurin’s hair. Or perhaps like Freya Hwiteurin’s blood that had flowed down long ago.

 

Moving his feet with unusually slow steps, he was…

 

Announcing again whose Son he was.

 

“As long as I remember my Mother, I will never tolerate Beurisen.”

 

Silent words seemed to be heard, giving Evan goosebumps.

 

Kalian’s gaze as he walked slowly also did not turn toward Evan. He only gave a light nod with his eyes when passing in front of his fiancée Dmirea. After that, he only stopped when he went between Randel, who was sitting, and Plants, who was still standing.

 

Just as it seemed he was naturally exchanging a few words between the two…

 

“…!”

 

A viciously sharp energy was felt.

 

Evan, the only one among the Nobles to feel it, involuntarily raised his head.

 

A loud, sharply edged sound rang out.

 

A sound cutting through the silence. The sharp sound of something stronger than a glass cup shattering.

 

Precisely, the sound of hard gemstones breaking into pieces.

 

So, exactly like something such as emerald.

 

Evan glimpsed at Plants, frowning. Kalian, standing facing Plants, turned his head. Kalian, who withdrew the tip of his slender finger that had been over the emerald, finally looked at Evan. He widened his blood-red eyes and smiled prettily, then opened his red lips.

 

“…Oh no.”

 

The shattered emerald, the golden feathers, fell and rolled on the floor.

 

As the clasp that had fastened it disappeared, Kalian lightly caught the white cloak that was about to slip down. A calm voice completely unsuited to that smile followed.

 

“I was trying to examine it briefly, but I have committed a great discourtesy to you, older brother.”

 

‘Because you are wearing something that absolutely does not suit you.’

 

Kalian, who hid those few words and spoke, unfastened the accessory attached to his jacket. While preventing the attendant from coming to help.

 

The sound of a brooch being fastened rang in Evan’s ears.

 

“For now, please wear mine. I will apologize separately later.”

 

Plants, who did not stop it as if conscious of watching eyes, said nothing, and the Nobles could say nothing. Evan, seeing the new brooch that came to rest on Plants’s cloak like that, was at a lost for words.

 

“A cat?”

 

A black cat without any meaning.

 

Though it would have no other meaning than resembling Kalian himself a little, he gifted a black cat with ruby eyes that would now take on a meaning greater than anything else.

 

Kalian to Plants.

 

In front of Evan.

 

“Fortunately… this also suits you well, older brother.”

 

Goosebumps rose.