The autumn sky is exceptionally clear.
The summer breeze smelled like swaying water, but the fall breeze smelled like fallen leaves.
There was a faint, rustling smell containing the many memories of newly blooming, growing, retaining water, surviving, and finally falling at the end of its life. Even so, the tree I was caring for gave off a light, fluttering scent, knowing that it would survive the winter and have a good next year.
Even though the leaves had not yet turned, Calian laughed softly at the smell of fallen leaves rustling and fluttering in the wind blowing by the lake.
âI guess itâs because theyâre similar.â
Old Kalyan and Bern are just like fallen leaves.
I am like a fallen leaf knowing that Kalian, who passed the winter-like summer with so many memories, will continue his life again.
âThe wind smells good and Iâm fine.â
So Calian briefly said something pleasant, not knowing to whom he was speaking. One day in the past, when I spent the day as multiple people, it wasnât actually okay, but today, when I spent the day as multiple sons, it was really okay.
Somehow, I feel like Iâm talking to myself a little more, but what can I say? Anyone will listen somehow.
And one more person.
Isnât there someone who will listen to anything at any time?
Kalian, who was waiting for an answer from such a person and briefly faced the clear autumn wind filled with the scent of fallen leaves, closed his eyes without saying a word.
â Prince Calianâ¦?
The wind blowing along the lakeside is unusually clear.
It is so clear that it cannot be compared to the day we waited for Demirea.
It was only with that clear wind that I finally made up my mind. So finally.
â yes. youâre right.
We finally made contact.
It was a good day, so I contacted them.
â Is there something going on?
Even though he had been hoping for a call from Calian, he would have rather stayed without any contact for fear that something might have happened. The scent of a clear breeze was also present in his voice.
Rather than being happy about the contact Iâve been waiting for so long, I worry first. Calian, who smiled brightly at the thought of how Chase-like this reaction was, answered.
-Nothing happened. Just⦠yes. I contacted you for no reason.
Calian was sitting on a rock by the lake, wearing his robes that were as heavy and discreet as they were cumbersome. If Shatin found out that clothes that were made with such difficulty were treated like this, she might be a little disappointed, but whatever.
No matter what you do, itâs just a good fall.
â May I congratulate you? Prince Calian.
â Did you know?
â Even if more birds are unable to fly, I am still capable.
Even though he had said that it wasnât cold, Kalianâs smile became a little brighter as he played with the warm blanket that Jan had given him.
â yes. Please congratulate me. Iâd like to receive it.
â congratulations. sincerely.
Even on Chaseâs birthday, I got to hear the congratulatory words I couldnât bear to say. About being free from the constraints that must have been unfamiliar to me because I had never experienced it before and becoming the queenâs son again.
â thank you. Thank you for your congratulations.
â Fortunately, the. It looks like itâs finally back to its original place.
It was just a few short words.
How did I know that summer was over and fall was here?
Calian, who felt as grateful as he was amazed, unconsciously nodded, but then stopped and answered.
â yes. Thanks to you.
â All I can think of is how I led Prince Calian off the road, so I donât think it was thanks to me. Who is it thanks to?
â no. Could that be possible?
â It sounds like a lie.
â I canât lie. You know this better than anyone else.
I heard Chase laugh.
â Still, I canât believe it. Even if you donât think itâs my fault, I wonât feel sorry.
Chase, who decided to walk between stubbornness and compromise, said this.
I know that it is not my fault that Calian captured his heart, but I will not be sorry for suddenly appearing in front of Calian and causing him to shake from the foundation, for not being able to hide Serentiâs antics, and for the many past mistakes. . Calian said what he most wanted.
â I hope itâs not a lie.
â Do I say such things when I know better than anyone else that I am not easy?
â Well, thatâs right.
â Itâs not a lie, donât worry. Prince Calian.
Devlan, which was all over their heads right now, was put aside and they contacted each other for no reason, so they only exchanged light jokes for no reason. I told Chase that as well. Iâm okay now, so I hope Chase gets better too.
-Thank you for letting me know. really.
Chase understood it.
â yes.
Calian gave a short answer filled with hope that fall would soon come to Secretia.
The sky was high and the wind was cool.
It was truly a happy fall.
* * *
â Knock knock knock.
Before I know it, Iâve developed a habit of placing my fingertips on the edge of the bathtub.
I still had to think a lot in order to continue my life, so my worries continued even in short moments.
âIt is said that Baron Fallun sent a gift to the Queen in the early morning to congratulate her on her work.â
âIâll check when Iâm ready.â
âyes. And during the night, I received a call from my family. From my father.â
A little while ago, it was around dawn when Calian had just opened his eyes.
While the bathtub was being filled with water, Jan Ani Siroian, who had come to meet Merlin, said this and handed over a letter.
â There are no suspicious factors or missing persons in the mansion. It was confirmed that the birds staying in the compound had already left.
Since all the contents of the letter delivered to the prince are confirmed first by the senior servant, Janâs face darkened a little as he saw the contents of Slayman before Kalian.
âDid you have any other problems during Rosellita?â
Jan also knew that Calian was tracking down the group that had attacked him for a long time. Calian, who read the contents and burned them, smiled slightly and shook his head. It was always Kalianâs job to reassure the baby elephant, who was very worried and had a lot of problems.
âno. They said there was no problem. donât worry.â
âIf there is any problem related to the prince and my family, please let me know. âIâll help you.â
âYes, I will definitely tell you. thank you.â
It was fortunate for Siegfried that there were no problems, although it was a bit disappointing for Calian.
â Knock knock knock.
After sending Jan out, I laid down my entire body in the water at a good temperature and continued to think.
The person who gave Devlan the information that would allow him to guess Calianâs identity. The person who saw Calianâs swordsmanship. I had a suspicion that such a person might be among the knights or servants of Siegfriedâs mansion.
And Sleiman reported that there were no such people.
âIâm saying there really isnât anything suspicious since they didnât do a quick investigation.â
No matter how much Slayman is, he is the one who leads Siegfried. Although he was a great man who would leave Secretiaâs Sejak alone no matter what he did in hiding, he was not a person who could not understand Sejakâs presence. Because it was different from Evan.
âThen where is it?â
Even though I knew I wouldnât get an answer, I tried to keep thinking like that. Then, I realized how much I had spent and heard the sound of the temperature control device operating. It feels like the outside of the window has become completely brighter.
Calian, who was quietly watching a ray of sunlight coming down through the curtains, chuckled.
âYou were getting impatient again.â
Isnât there still time?
Devlan would not think that Calian would respond through a falcon. He must have known that Calian needed time to organize his thoughts. I may be saddened by the loss of life each day, but I am not the type of person who will rush and ruin things because of that.
Until Calian, who was cornered, thought about it and decided on an answer. There is still time, as the bird with the letter with the answer written on its leg will wait a little while until it comes to find you.
âIn order. Evan first.â
All you have to do is solve Evanâs problem and meet the elf.
Originally, I was going to leave Evan behind to guard against Zeon, but Devlan intervened. So, letâs solve it first, Evan, and if any problems arise, thatâs okay. I have to trust Arsene. You assured me that you couldnât protect me, so now I have to trust you and leave it to you. What is the crown prince of Tensil? If you clean up Evan, Pea will take care of it.
Now I have to trust that side too.
* * *
No.
What on earth is that person thinking?
Calian covered his face with his palms.
As soon as her shoulders shook, the heads of Merlin and the other maids standing nearby turned towards Jan.
âAre you by any chance angry?â
Their eyes were full of this meaning.
Therefore, for now, Yan left Calian alone and shook his head with a carefree expression. Then he looked at everyone with a slightly reprimanding expression.
âOur flower-like prince is such a kind and gentle person, but I donât know why everyone keeps asking why heâs angry. And why canât you figure out whether youâre happy or angry? It stands out like that.â
I really canât understand.
Except for Kyrie, who learned how to understand Calianâs mood by listening to whether Calianâs breathing has changed with his good ears, why donât you think that you are so special that you can find out the truth of that smile that not even Alan can properly recognize? Why donât you know that if everyone around you seems strange, itâs just that you are strange?
Merlin, who wanted to say this but couldnât, put on a relieved face because he said he wasnât smiling in bad mood. Even though Calian never treated his subordinates badly when he was angry, he was somewhat sensitive to them.
âNo, whyâ¦â
Calian opened his mouth quietly, unaware that a lot of unspoken words were being exchanged around him in the brief moment his face was covered.
Calian had barely suppressed his laughter when the little life held in his other arm made a pleasant sound.
âMeow!â
do.
Melphyrâs gifts have always been a mystery.
There wasnât always Kalyanâs and it usually made sense.
This time, Calian thought of Melfir, the owner of the Fallun Merchant Marine, who had sent him a gift that seemed not to be his. He realized what Melfir had in mind when he sent the gift, and said that he would accept it gratefully.
And then he burst into laughter again.
The little life in my arms made a sound once more.
âIâm sorry. Iâm sorry for startling you.â
Dark gray hair.
Amber eyes, almost golden.
It was definitely not Lucy.
* * *
I donât get tired even though Iâve been laughing like that since morning.
Calian, who was laughing as if he couldnât even finish speaking, finally stopped laughing. And barked.
âBrother, what color clothes are you wearing now?â
while doing.
Planz, who was quietly looking down at the two animals having an inexplicable conversation on his lap saying âmeow, meow, meow, meowâ with a truly complicated face, opened his mouth.
âI wish at least one of the three would speak.â
The large black animal that was making the most noise on the noisy fourth floor grinned. It means you donât like it.
Calian, who was looking at Planz, who was holding back the urge to kick him out right away because he knew that he would find peace if that one animal disappeared, followed the personâs words.
âLucy, you wear bright clothes because of the fur, but Iâm really curious what youâll do if you get the gray fur, too. They say that when you grow up, your fur will be longer than Lucyâs.â
Calian, who came to the dinner table a while ago and suddenly put down a dark gray cat, started laughing as soon as he sat down at the table. Thatâs the annoying
part.
Why is he smiling? Itâs not that he doesnât understand.
âI thought Lucy was particularly fond of you, but thatâs not true.â â
Thatâs all.â As
soon as Calian put it down, the gray cat ran over and hurled itself at Plantsâ legs. He hugged me and said hello.
âIt seems like all the cats in the world are following you.â
If you tell him to shut up, it is not the mouth of Alan, who won the glory of Serenti. If you tell him to stop, it is not the mouth of Alanâs son. I guess itâs a mouth.
Of course I donât stop.
âSo what is it?â
âA cat.â
âYouâre asking what kind of cat it is.â
âA kitten.â
Ha, I heard a voice losing patience.
So Calian took the green butter full of herbs. He slowly chewed and swallowed a bite of the beef steak topped with beef. He then pointed to the planz steak sprinkled with black salt and no herb butter with an elegant gesture. âPlease eat first
. Iâll explain later.â
Eventually, Planz gave up and picked up his fork and knife and a quiet meal continued.
After a while,
Planz finished his meal with grilled duck leg and pumpkin and topped with snowflake-like white cheese. Even after seeing that it was finished, Calian still did not explain.
When the strawberry-filled milk pudding and the âvery warmâ orange tea were placed, surprisingly, Plantzâs mouth opened first. However, Plantz replaced the cat, who did not seem to have any intention of explaining yet. He asked.
âWhen are you going to do it?â
Apology.
I can tolerate handling a broom, but Iâm not good at handling canvas.
âI gave it to you already.â
Planzâs eyes fell on the gray cat on his lap as he looked at Calian, who answered with a smile.
Fallun Melfir, who is not only the owner of the upper chamber but also runs a magic academy with a deep connection to Balkan, knew that the 2nd and 3rd princes had not turned their backs on each other. They had often visited Chermil Palace to meet Calian. He knew who Lucy followed more.
Therefore, as soon as Melphyr heard about what happened at the Chusung Ceremony, he sent a cat to Calian. So that Calian would not have to open his mouth and apologize. I am sorry for treating him like a canvas, but he is not greedy at all. Calian, who was a bit annoyed by Melfirâs attitude and decided to follow Melfirâs wishes, did not say sorry, but instead gave only a gift to Plantz as an apology. âThere is something I want you to learn before the magic of removing cat hair.â And
Mel
. Instead of apologizing, Pir gave another unintentional reason:
âBut donât discriminate against Lucy. Lucy is my cat, but she was a gift to Hina, so I canât give it to you.â
Kalian, who said something pointless even though he knew it couldnât happen, took a sip of the fragrant orange tea and continued.
âItâs alive, breathing, and has a beating heart. Itâs small and weak. You never know when you might get sick again. Someday, I will live my life before you.â
I donât know about people, but as long as you donât sell your heart again, you will most likely live longer than the cat.
âInstead of being curious and greedy and running around together. I hope you learn to protect as well.â
It cannot be said that it was always right to live only to protect, but it also could not be said to be in vain. I hope that people learn that even that is a way to continue their lives. The faint sound of a cat crying is heard
. Lucy, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes. Then, she hugged the kitten as if comforting her.
Little Lucy also knew how to protect something weaker than me. Plantz, who was quietly watching her,
answered
. â¦â¦Okay.â
Plantz received an apology.
Plantzâs cat let out a small meow.
It was just a good fall to live in no matter what.