Chapter 194

A white teacup richly decorated with gold leaf.

My eyes are drawn to the red car inside.

Since he couldn’t feel the scent and couldn’t even tell the taste, Chase smiled softly, thinking only of the eyes that resembled the light of that tea.

The person sitting across from me let out a hoarse voice.

“Talk to me.”

Even my ‘only’ son couldn’t believe it and kept it from him, saying it was just an old cold, but Chase knew why his voice was cracking so much. Chase already knew why his coughing had increased so much since that day. Of course, the person sitting in front said it was also a cold.

“It appears that there are no special problems at the gathering of the Northwestern nobles…”

“Isn’t Baron Nerund a great person who would attend the gathering without any special issues?”

doubt.

“Didn’t you already cut off all of the Baron’s forces last month? At this meeting, the only thing the Baron requested when meeting other nobles was food support. Because the damage was severe due to this typhoon…” “Chase.

”

The habit of not listening to the other person’s story until the end still persists. It’s natural because I have no intention of fixing it.

Chase, who had already become accustomed to the call, stopped talking and answered quietly.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A loud cough echoes through the office.

– Other nobles in the northwest also suffered damage from the typhoon. Did they really only talk about food when they met?

It’s already been over a month since I was trapped in this stuffy place again.

The color of the tea, which was redder than the August sun, made Chase feel the burning heat even more, but his head felt infinitely colder.

“Other nobles in the northwest also suffered damage from the typhoon. I wonder if the only thing they talked about when they met was food.”

The same words followed as I remembered from a while ago.

Suspicion without reason.

Words of doubt that will never end until it’s over.

Chase, who thought for a moment about what answer I should have given at that time, gave the same answer as he did in his memory.

“I’ll check again, Your Highness.”

Now, the person sitting in front of you will not be able to answer and will only cough and wave his hands. After that, just stand up quietly, pay your respects, and leave the office.

The person who was wearing the same clothes and coughing with the same appearance as I had imagined waved his hand. Chase stood up, bowed with the same image he had in his head, and left the office.

– This

is where Kirie, sometime in the distant future and distant past, entered with her head bowed. The large door there closed with a small sound.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

I counted my steps and put aside other thoughts. Twenty steps and thirty steps forward, with the same peaceful face as always and the same gentle smile as always.

So as not to be suspicious.

Just the same as always.

When he returned to his office, concentrating all his attention on his steps, Teylan came in with him and tried to close the door.

“Lowering.”

“no.”

Almost at the same time, Chase interrupted Teylan. And in an even quieter voice, he gave his answer to the words that had not even come out.

“I never did that, Lord Castrin.”

After leaving the King’s office and returning to the Crown Prince’s office, I never had a private conversation with anyone immediately.

“So stay out.”

Now Chase was doing things that matched his memories without changing them.

Vern was not there, and Teilan was by his side.

The current Chase knows how to use a sword and recently went to Kairis.

So, everything couldn’t be exactly the same, and there were many days that I couldn’t remember. However, as long as the same thing was repeated, everything possible was done in the same way.

This was to prevent Devlan’s suspicious gaze from reaching Chase, and to prevent the ‘future’ that Chase remembered from being greatly distorted.

“Your Majesty.”

Teilan, who had been restrained in this way several times before, gave a simple answer, showed respect, and then went out. He probably wouldn’t come back in until Chase called.

The office door closed again, leaving Chase completely alone, and he finally let out a long sigh. After that, I closed my eyes for a moment due to the fatigue that came from paying too much attention. The conversation I had with Devlan a moment ago replayed in my head.

What I remembered and what happened today were exactly the same.

– Didn’t you already cut off all of the Baron’s forces last month?

These were also words spoken by Chase from the ‘past’ in his memory. Chase gritted his molars because of one thing it taught him.

‘There was no need to send Bern.’

Right now, it was unknown who was operating as Devlan’s sword. It was clearly one of Devlan’s guard knights, but there was no need to find out that. Because that wasn’t the important thing.

Even though there was no Bern, the people being pruned in the past and now were exactly the same. The people who disappeared, the date of their disappearance, even the method and Devlan’s reaction to it were all the same.

That means soon.

This is tantamount to saying that there was no need for Bern to step forward in the past.

Now that Vern is gone, someone else who has taken his place may have blood on their hands, but at least that person isn’t a fourteen-year-old child who hasn’t even grown up yet.

‘why.’

I wanted to run back to the office with that huge door right away and ask. Now Devlan doesn’t even know who Vern is, but he still wanted to ask.

why.

your son.

Did you just use it as a blade?

I held back what I wanted to ask as if I was coughing up blood.

I was suppressing the feeling of my fingertips and toes being cut off. Since returning to this royal palace, I have endured every minute and every second without letting go of my mind even for a single moment. As I endured it, I searched through my memories and made everything the same without a single discrepancy.

–

Chase, who was sitting leaning on the sofa and swallowing the words he couldn’t say, quietly opened his eyes.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m going in.”

Words spoken directly without even being communicated from beginning to end.

A comfortable tone of voice that flows out regardless of whether it is in front of anyone other than Devlan.

Chase didn’t tell them not to come in.

In fact, there was no time to refuse. Behind the voice that seemed to inform me, the door opened and a long, curly hair came into view.

“Arianne.”

Of course it was Arianne.

“What are you doing?”

I’m going through my head and putting together a puzzle.

I’m checking to see if anything is disorganized and connecting the pieces to make sure nothing is missing.

– mate!

Chase, who was continuing his unspeakable answer, stopped thinking. Arianne clapped loudly in front of Chase’s eyes and bent down to meet his gaze.

After that, he raised his hand and placed his warm palm on his cool forehead. Arianne, who made eye contact with Chase for a while, opened her mouth.

“do not do that.”

As if he had read Chase’s thoughts and knew what he was doing this for.

“Don’t move like in the picture, just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s okay though.”

It wasn’t okay.

“Everything should work the same, Arianne. At least until this winter.”

Chase quietly opened his mouth and answered:

“Only then will the healer come here on the same day and ‘disappear’ without a problem.”

Only then will you be able to inherit the crown in a quiet, peaceful, and completely natural way. Absolutely natural, without any problems.

So that Calian’s plan to move early next year so as not to affect any other countries goes awry…

“I know the laws of Secretia better than you. I will never allow anyone to break them. .”

I will never allow the blood of traitors to enter the land of Secretia. It doesn’t matter what Devlan promises, who he deals with, or what he does, when and where he calls Tensil’s healer.

I will make sure that Devlan, who stands alone on the graves of countless people, can never break one law.

“So you can breathe, Chase.”

Arianne, who once again interrupted Chase’s thoughts with these words, smiled brightly.

* * *

A black silk dress with a hidden red glow.

It was created at the special request of Shatin, the royal costumer, to reveal a slight red glow whenever it moves under the bright magic lantern of Siegfried’s coffin. Shatin, well aware of how much the wearer of the dress hates flashy decorations, embroidered the unique black silk with black thread of a different material.

There was no need for a corset or a whalebone petticoat to puff out the skirt. The black dress that stretched from under her chin to her toes was already perfect enough.

“gift.”

Calian walked over to Demirea and handed her a packed box.

He was wearing black robes over a red shirt and a bright red cloak with black embroidery that had the same pattern as Demirea.

Calian’s robes have a color that perfectly contrasts with that of Demirea, right down to the diamond cape joint decoration added on top. It all came together nicely and was too flashy, but it wasn’t excessive at all for today, which comes only one day a year.

today. August 16th.

The birthday of Kalian, the third prince of Kairis.

So today’s Kalian had to be extravagant and extravagant than anyone else’s.

“Shouldn’t I give you a gift?”

“It’s okay. It’s not a good day to receive gifts.”

Calian responded lightly to Demirea, who spoke with a small smile, and gestured with his hand. It meant that you should quickly accept the gift that was still in your hand.

Before going to the prince’s birthday celebration, Demirea received the handoff from her fiancé, who was to sit side by side, as if to show their continued alliance, and unwrapped it with unhurried hands.

And immediately frowned.

It wasn’t because it was flashy.

Although I dislike decoration, I wasn’t immune to accessories. Since I had to sit next to Kalyan who was celebrating his birthday, it wasn’t difficult to get at least one accessory that would fit the occasion.

However, the problem was ‘what’ the ornament was decorated with and ‘what kind of thing’ it was.

“…Prince. Are you declaring war on me?”

Demirea, who immediately understood the meaning, asked this, and Calian nodded with an expression that seemed like it was no big deal.

“huh.”

Demirea, who was speechless at the answer given without hiding it, chuckled. Then he asked Calian in a low voice.

“To what extent do you plan to use my name?”

The tone of voice was so rude that Jan, who was with Calian, frowned even though he knew it was coming from his younger brother’s mouth. However, Calian, who knew full well that it was he who was thinking of selling Dmirea’s name again without prior agreement, just smiled slightly and opened his mouth.

“Just do that and come out, and I’ll spar with you for a week.”

In an attempt to use the world’s Siegfried name in some way, the only thing they offer is a week’s worth of sparring. Of course, Demirea could learn countless things in that week, but isn’t that too much?

“Full moon.”

It should be 15 days.

Anyway, Dmirea is Dmirea. It’s not Siegfried’s Demirea for nothing. He was planning to teach Calian’s sword skills properly in exchange for an accessory.

“Okay, fifteen days.”

In the end, Calian nodded and accepted the deal.

Demirea, who had never made a losing deal, seemed satisfied.

“Then I’ll see you at the banquet hall, Prince.”

“Do that. By all means.”

“yes.”

Calian eventually burst out in a happy laugh at the sight of Demirea placing more value on a fortnight’s worth of sparring, not least knowing the meaning behind that single accessory.

* * *

Siegfried’s coffin, gorgeous as always.

Magic lanterns were lit at the place, which was like a gem in itself, and musicians began playing.

It is Kalyan’s birthday and no one else’s. Therefore, more nobles than ever visited Siegfried’s coffin. Numerous nobles were waiting for the protagonist’s entrance with both eyes and ears open to see what Calian would say today and who he would be with.

“The 3rd prince, Prince Calian Lane Kairis, is eating it!”

So today. Calian finally walked to this place where so many nobles were gathered.

Calian, who entered like that, greeted all the nobles by saying ‘nice to meet you’ as usual, and then leisurely walked to his seat and sat down.

“You look frustrated.”

And after that, he only spoke to the second prince, Plantz, and no one else.

“very.”

Plantz, well-dressed in black robes and beige cloak-like accessories, gave an appropriate answer.

Looking at Plants like that, Calian continued speaking in a relaxed manner.

“Brother Randel said he couldn’t come, but I’m worried he’s in a lot of pain.”

Plantz just nodded without answering.

It was because I was trying to tell whether I was really sick and couldn’t come, or whether I was just deciding to catch a cold today because my younger brother asked me if I could be sick today like he did once.

There’s no way he wouldn’t know that this was an extension of his warning to Tensil, who had taken a hand in what Randel had done, and to let people know that he was still in a good relationship with Plantz.

When several insignificant, show-like conversations continued.

“This is the position of Duke Dmirea Siegfried.”

With those words, the nobles’ eyes once again turned to the entrance of Siegfried’s coffin. And the nobles took turns looking at the faces of Calian and Demirea, who were showing a very good relationship with Plants. A commotion continued.

When Planz saw Demirea like that, one corner of his mouth curled up.

“I have a cold too.”

Calian laughed at the low, languid voice spoken like this.

“Oh my. Is that so?”

Soon, Plantz, who had caught a cold from Randel, who wasn’t even here, stood up. And then he hurried out of the banquet hall without another word.

Demirea’s Accessory To be precise, I saw a round hair ornament that was designed to hang slightly over the forehead.

Decorated with rubies that anyone would associate with Calian and diamonds that would be perfect for thinking of Siegfried, it had a shape that was clearly reminiscent of a tiara, although it was very thin and small.

A tiara, a small crown.

Even if it wasn’t a real tiara, it was natural that such an accessory would be reminiscent of a tiara, but it was not something the prince’s fiancée could wear.

At least yes.

I don’t know if it’s the crown prince’s fiancé.

So, a little while ago, Calian gave Demirea an accessory that would have been worn by the crown prince’s betrothed. Quite intentionally and as planned in advance.

It was not meant as a marriage proposal to Demirea.

It was to show who the person standing next to the person wearing the jewelry that a ‘Crown’s fiancée’ would wear would really be.

And Planz, who knew the meaning, realized that it was time to play the role of ‘the second brother who turned his back again because he was angry at the unexpected antics of the third prince’ and left the banquet hall.

Calian stood up and walked in front of Demirea. He opened his mouth with a smile that anyone could admire.

“Welcome, fiancé.”

Getting ready to raise a dog.

Calian’s fingers, which very blatantly revealed his greed for the three sons, drew a round curve in the air.