Chapter 180

Calian bowed his head.

The lips parted and the sound of wind escaped.

My shoulders shook slightly, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer and made a noise. I couldn’t help but let out a small sound and eventually let it out like a sob.

So much laughter erupted.

I laughed until I couldn’t breathe when I saw the guy who had already turned away because he had only lived in a world where he couldn’t survive without going crazy, and who shouldn’t have turned around.

I burst out laughing because it was so funny that I found out that he had been around for a long time. When I tried to live again, I burst out laughing because the world was so funny that it made me cry.

I.

now.

Why are you doing this?

I swallowed back the words I couldn’t bear to say.

There was so much I had swallowed that I couldn’t stop laughing as if I was pretending to vomit.

* * *

– This is Lennon Brissen, Prince.

The words Kalian swallowed.

Those words started from the story of Melfir, who came to Calian a while ago.

A year ago, Kalian informed Evan that Lennon supported Randel and asked him to take care of Lennon. He said that if he did so, he would buy the Brissen Merchant Marine, which was suffering from serious losses and accumulating debt.

When Lennon’s name was mentioned again, Calian asked for further explanation. At the same time, a silent curtain surrounded the two.

Melfir opened his mouth after checking the translucent membrane that would not be visible to those standing outside.

“A few days ago, there was suddenly a rumor going around that the Marquess of Briessen was inquiring about the whereabouts of Viscount Lennon Briessen, and there were rumors that Lennon was alive and might come back soon.”

It’s a false rumor.

It doesn’t make sense that Evan Brissen is interrogating Lennon, who was locked in the basement of his mansion. So, it meant that Evan was spreading such rumors for some reason.

“Is there an impact at the top?”

Calian asked this to figure out why Evan was planning such a thing, and Melfir nodded slightly and answered.

“Yes, Prince. Since Lennon Brisen disappeared, the nobles who had no choice but to do business with the Fallun Merchants began to take notice little by little.”

This meant that profits at the top were starting to decrease.

It wasn’t just a problem at the top. It also meant that the nobles who had been trying to retreat while watching Briseen’s attention might stick to Briseen again.

But there was something a little strange.

“Brisen wouldn’t be the kind of person who would do something like that to change the minds of the nobles who were paying attention.”

Evan can’t say anything about the truth of why Lennon disappeared and where he disappeared to. Didn’t you sign an oath with Alan, who was leading the deal at the time?

Of course, the reason I had Alan share the oath at that time was to prevent Silike from finding Lennon, so as long as both sides didn’t reveal the truth, there wouldn’t be much of a problem.

But no matter how safe the contract is.

Would it be as safe as keeping Lennon locked in the basement of the mansion?

“Bringing Lennon in to reorganize the top will not bring immediate benefits to the Marquis of Briesen.”

It may not have been beneficial, but Evan didn’t like Lennon’s superiors in the first place. Wasn’t Evan always dissatisfied, saying that a knightly family didn’t fit in with the top rank? Evan had regarded Lennon’s business as a thorn in his eyes, to the extent that he sold the business right away without considering anything, even though he revealed the money.

“Is there any reason to go to such lengths to bring out Lennon?”

Calian, who was mumbling, thought in silence for a while. And before long, he made a short ‘ah’ sound and looked at Melfir.

“Baron Fallun, just do what you do. Don’t worry about the rumors.”

He had a look on his face that made him understand why Evan was acting like that, but he didn’t go into detail about it. There was no need for Melfir to know what Calian had planned a while ago.

‘I knew Gray would come.’

Evan realized that Gray would come to the capital again.

Isn’t Evan the one who trusts his children the least?

If he had planted his own people in the Margrave of Gray Briesen, and at a fairly close distance from Gray, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to find out that fact.

Thanks to Gray hiding it, Evan also didn’t know that he was no longer the Sword Master. So, if Evan had heard that the Vulcan vice-corps commander and sword master Gray had joined hands, it would have been enough to spread such a rumor.

If you give the yet-to-be-determined position of head of Brisen’s household to ‘Lennon, your precious son who has barely been found after a year’, even if Gray comes to the capital, he will not be able to join his side.

Calian clicked his tongue without realizing it.

It was because Evan’s behavior was extremely frustrating.

‘I never thought that the family line would be cut off.’

Isn’t Evan so worried about when Gray would turn on him that he kept Gray by his side and couldn’t even think of fully teaching him the family sword, so he made him a margrave and sent him far away? It was clear that this time would be no different.

“If what I think is correct, even if the Marquis of Briesen presents the Viscount again, he will not pack up the upper class. It will not be a big problem for the Fallun upper class, so let’s wait and see. If there is anything else, I will tell you the details.”

I didn’t understand it properly because there was no detailed explanation, but there was no reason to object to the suggestion to wait and see. Therefore, Melfir left the scene after saying thank you.

After that, Kalian stood in the same spot for a while.

Aside from reassuring Melfir, his brows were slightly frowned.

‘Anyway, I never thought you’d think of bringing up Lennon Brissen.’

It was because of surprise and irritation that Evan was more thoughtless than expected.

It’s Evan and Gray.

The only thing I saw and learned was greed.

There’s no way Gray would stay still when Evan turns Lennon into a cowboy. In the end, the three rich men might end up fighting over the title of marquis.

Of course, there was no reason for Calian to dislike the three of them biting each other and destroying each other. However, the one who survived in the end had to be Gray Briesen.

Until Plants turned 20 and left the palace, he had to support the Marquess of Briesen without any problems as the ‘Swordmaster’ who succeeded Evan. Therefore, Gray had to be alive first.

Therefore, Calian asked Arsene to send a letter to Gray asking him to make sure he does not act recklessly. But I couldn’t be sure whether Gray would hear those words or not.

‘The timing may need to be brought forward.’

So, in order to definitely resolve the matter, wouldn’t we have no choice but to get rid of Evan quickly? However, in order to do so, there was one thing that had to be done first.

It is ‘Xeon’.

They attacked Euria as if they were waiting for her to leave Kairisis. I couldn’t invest all my energy into dealing with Evan with those guys at my back. In order for nothing to happen to the country, which was in chaos for a while after Evan’s sudden death, preparations for ‘Zeon’ had to be made.

If we want to save Plants, we have to get rid of Evan. We need Gray to get rid of Evan. We need to speed up the time to eliminate Evan so that he doesn’t kill Gray. To do that, we need to understand Xeon.

That’s why I was anxious.

That’s why I tried to find Chase.

It wasn’t because he didn’t know what Chase’s situation was, but because he felt the information was necessary nonetheless.

As a result of the choice I made after weighing Plantz’s heart and Chase’s heart, I felt like cutting out my rotting heart once again.

* * *

No more laughter escaped.

Neither Calian’s voice nor Plantz’s response could be heard. They couldn’t tell if Calian had noticed their presence and had used Silent, or if they were both keeping their mouths shut. All I knew was that I shouldn’t go see Calian now.

Kyrie, who was standing in the hallway trying to knock on Calian’s room door, let go and quietly turned back. Then he spoke to Jan, who looked surprised by Calian’s sudden laughter.

“I hope we leave it at that we haven’t heard.”

It was a request not to ask what was going on inside, and it was also a request to not pay attention to what was happening inside.

Yan, who heard those words, quietly opened his mouth.

“Kiri.”

“yes.”

Kirie’s expression was not very bright as she gave a short answer. It was because I was worried that someone might ask what was being said inside. Because I couldn’t tell Jan about Chase.

Fortunately or not, Jan was the type of person who did not pry into things that Calian did not tell him about, and it was the same this time as well.

“Do you remember the servant named Relic? He is Prince Plants’ senior servant.”

“Yeah, I know.”

After hearing the answer, Yan nodded several times and let out a long sigh. He then said, pointing to a large door with a golden ornate pattern engraved on it. I did this while thinking of someone who would be with Calian beyond that door.

“What Reric said today is that Prince Planz closed the window curtains. Now he eats well, goes to the training center again, and tours the knights’ guild every day. He said he was very happy about that.”

The words were whispered as if they were talking to oneself, but Kirie had no problem understanding them. So Kirie had a small question.

This was because Jan, who had heard the sound of laughter coming from Kalian’s room and then suddenly cut off, did not yet understand why he was talking about Planz’s change.

“But I couldn’t reply that everything went well when Reric said it. Because I didn’t come up with an answer readily.”

It wasn’t because he didn’t like that Plantz was changing for the better, and it wasn’t because he didn’t like that Calian was burying Plantz’s past and reaching out. No matter how he treated Plants, if that was Calian’s decision, Jan also planned to follow it somehow.

So, it wasn’t that he couldn’t answer because Relic, who he likes, was upset that Planz had changed. It was for another reason.

“Until last year, our prince couldn’t even look at the other princes properly, but no matter what resolution he made, he suddenly changed. Not long before Kirie came here, he suddenly looked in the mirror and cut his bangs. And then he stood proudly in front of the other princes. “You came to this point by stepping forward. But… it wasn’t like that at first, but now I’m so anxious that you’re changing like that.”

Kirie couldn’t answer.

If he was suspicious of Calian’s change or thought it was strange, he would do whatever it took to make an excuse, but Jan didn’t think so.

“It looks more and more precarious. No more than the year before last. It looks more precarious than ever before, and I don’t know what to do.”

It’s like if you take even one wrong step, you’ll fall into the distance.

No matter who he stood in front of, Calian did not show any signs of weakness. This was especially true in front of Jan. So what Yan is saying now is that it only appears that way through Yan’s eyes.

Since Jan was able to see Calian’s true feelings more accurately than anyone else, he was probably not wrong.

“Just like the prince once said, there are many times when I feel like I’m barely standing on a thin blade, so I don’t think it’s just a good thing. I also want to feel safe and like it like Reric, but that’s not possible.”

I immediately knew that the sound of Calian’s laughter coming out of the door was not because he was really happy or happy. I didn’t know why he sounded so emotional, but the reason wasn’t important to Jan, so I wasn’t curious. I’m just worried.

“It’s the same with just today’s work.”

Jan, who pondered for a moment what happened after Melfir left, spoke again.

“As soon as the conversation with Baron Fallun ended, the first thing the prince said kept getting on my mind.”

Kyrie nodded.

– There will be rumors related to the Marquis of Briesen. Please don’t let that talk into my brother’s ears. never.

It was a request to stop Relic from joining.

Is there any other way for the royal family to hear rumors circulating in the streets of Astricia other than through word of mouth? In fact, Kalian was also hearing various rumors through Jan. Not because it was interesting, but because it was necessary for everyday life.

Therefore, Reric must also have been telling Plantz various things about them.

Evan, who was suspicious, would not tell Plantz about the incident, but Relic did not, so he asked him to stop it.

Therefore, Jan met Reric and, without knowing the reason, began to persuade Reric with random words such as ‘Anyway, this is for Prince Planz’s sake, so please cooperate.’ And Reric accepted because it was Calian’s request. He said that he believed that Calian would not do anything that would harm Plants, and that he was very happy these days because Plants had changed a lot thanks to Calian.

That’s why they said they couldn’t be happy together.

“You’ll be okay.”

It means that you will persevere well without falling because you have chosen the path yourself.

The baby elephant, sensing that Kirie’s words contained more hope than faith, nodded quietly.

“Since you said you would go down that path, I have no choice but to believe you.”

Kyrie, who had put aside her complicated feelings about Plants after realizing what Calian had put aside to protect Plants, said this.