sun is rising.
In the carriage, which was better than the VIP room of a lordâs castle, the prince was sleeping, and the duckling, who had been kicked out for a while when the prince entered, was sleeping in the arms of his blue-haired mother, and the purple-haired wizard who was talking wildly across from his mother was also sleeping. slept. The swordsman from Sejak, who had been wary of the purple-haired wizard all the way here, had already fallen asleep.
âI heard that you couldnât sleep during your last trip. Wouldnât it be better to get some sleep?â
âWhy arenât you sleeping?â
âNo, I woke up early.â
âWasnât it cold?â
âYes. It was okay thanks to Siren Siren and Lord Hertz for their hard work.â
âokay.â
Dawn sky.
A morning fog, laden with early morning moisture, hung over the mountainside.
Calian, who had asked people to be careful not to get cold while sleeping at the top of the mountain, but spent the night outside of the magic range, looked into the distance and opened his mouth.
âYesterday I could see down there and the sea. But now I canât see much.â
âYou will see it when the sun rises. Have you been waiting for that?â
âNo, rather than thatâ¦â
Calian, who was sitting on the back of Raven, who had fallen asleep on her stomach like one day, smiled slightly. And then I accepted the teacup handed to me by Kirie. The pleasant mint scent was always present.
âIf I sit like this, every time Raven breathes, she moves up and down with me, and I like that, so I just kept sitting.â
Kyrie nodded and looked at where Calian was looking.
Calianâs small voice settled on the rocky mountain immersed in darkness, pale sunlight, and morning fog.
âTeylan Castrin. He was my swordsmanship teacher. Did you say something like that?â
âYes. You did it once.â
âYes. He said he wanted to build another wall around that time, but I thought it wasnât necessary, so I put it off. There was already a wall at the entrance, and there were too many other things to do, so I decided to put it off for a while, but ended up not being able to build it. I did it.â
Watching the clouds of fog moving in the quiet wind made me feel like I was standing on water.
âAnd over there is the Margrave of Haysard. The Margrave asked for funding.â
Calian continued, thinking to himself that there might be another margrave now.
âAnyway. There were some different opinions about increasing the Margraveâs strength. I was against it, and Arianne was in favor. Ah, Arianne is a talented daughter of a marquis, and she was also my friend and Chaseâs fiancée, so the three of us had the same opinion. âWe often discussed this. Anyway, Brother Chase sided with my opinion. I was worried that the Margrave might revolt.â
âIs that so?â
âYes. Thatâs right, but as soon as they found out that the Kairis army had appeared on this road, the first thing they did was try to block this road. Even though they knew that the strong barrier they saw as they passed by was too easy to break through, they led a group of knights without a wizard to block the area down there. âWell⦠it was completely destroyed. Like a barrier, in an instant.â
Calianâs laughter was heard for a moment.
Kalian, who had been laughing for a while because it was not a funny story at all, let out a humorous voice.
âThat was quite a shame. We should have built a wall. We should have provided support to the Margrave.â
Kyrie smelled the tea in her hand without saying a word. The nice mint flavor that comes from tea brewed at just the right temperature felt a little bitter.
âIf I had gotten rid of my regrets like that, one by one, I wonder if I would have lasted one more day. If I had gained just one more day, everything would have changed a little bit.â
day.
Just one day.
Even if itâs only for one day, wouldnât the world have changed if there had been one more day? I spent the whole night lost in thoughts of this and that. So that the late rising moon rises to the sky and the sunlight spreads.
ââ¦Did you spend the night with those memories?â
âIâm just saying I remembered it. Itâs not like I regret it now or anything.â
Kyrie nodded.
âBut now that I think about it, Iâve already earned my day.â
Calian held the teacup with both hands and, uncharacteristically, cooled the tea and took a sip, making a slurping sound. After that, he looked down at the fog that was slowly disappearing and opened his mouth.
âA lot of refugees came to Tensil after the flood. We couldnât just accept them all, so we detained all the refugees we saw coming across the steep mountain. I went there to see the situation and come up with a solution, but there was a lot that caught my eye. There was one guy that stood out. He was a tall, skinny guy who looked like he was going to kill them all if he got the chance. So I took that guy with me and went back to the palace.â
A small smile appeared on Kirieâs face.
I donât know anything about it, but strangely enough, I feel like Iâm hearing a story from the past.
âWhile I was picking up that one, Brother Chase decided to take in all the refugees, and King Secretia told him to do so.â
âI thought you would say that you didnât accept it because you donât have a good relationship with Tensil.â
âNo. King Secretia has always been generous to Brother Chase. Since Brother Chase said so, we all responded that we would do the same. Instead, some time later, a large fire broke out in the place where refugees had gathered for a while, and strangely enough, they all died. No one could escape. .â
As the backstory continued, which was too strange to be called a memory, Kyrieâs head turned towards Calian.
Calian continued speaking after drinking mint tea with a look on his face as he once again let go of an insignificant memory.
âOn the night the news reached the palace, the guy I picked up came into my room with a knife. I knew he had good ears, but I didnât know he would use it to come to my room.â
Calian, who said this, smiled slightly.
Itâs a story you shouldnât laugh at, but the reason it makes you laugh is because the refugees from Tensil didnât come to Secretia this time. Kairis provided adequate support, and despite this, all refugees who came to Kairis were received. Unlike in the past, they were not executed.
I laughed because now it was just a memory left alone.
âAnyway, I asked what I was thinking when I came here, and he asked me if I did it. I said yes. Even back then, I wasnât good at lying, so I told him and tried to kill him. Neither I nor he was crazy. But the guy who heard my answer âWhat he said was truly outrageous.â
âWhat did you say?â
âI asked where your fatherâs bedroom was.â
In the end, a laugh came out of Kirieâs mouth.
âReally. He acted like he was going to take that knife and go find it right away. I managed to stop him from doing that and made him sit in front of me, and he said that. From now on, you can say whatever you want to say. In exchange for learning how to use a knife, he will listen to everything. Heâs good at listening. âThatâs it.â
Raven tossed and turned for a moment in her sleep. Calian, who was almost crushed by the huge head, patted Raven back to sleep and continued talking.
âI survived thanks to you, Kirie. For listening to everything.â
Thanks to that guy who listened to me silently without asking anything, even though I went crazy, I somehow got back on track.
I didnât say that he was the one who bought me one last day. I feel like I know it without having to say it out loud.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAre you going to tell me where it is this time?â
âKing Secretiaâs bedroom?â
âyes.â
âIsnât that why you went to my brother and told him you would go with him?â
Kirie, who had said she would go with Planz who was waiting for Calian outside the palace, said nothing. Calian, who had been looking at where Secreta was for a moment, opened his mouth in a rustling voice.
âIâm the one who brought up the old story, but Iâm sleepy.â
âGet some sleep. Iâll be there.â
âI guess soâ¦â
Calian, who could only get drunk in peace in front of his teacher, closed his eyes with Kyrie, the only person who could sleep in peace, by his side.
âIâll tell you where it is. Now that I have a good sword, I want to have nice dreams too.â
The words that came out just before I fell asleep.
Calianâs good sword looked at the good sword that Calian handed over and nodded.
* * *
What comes first?
Not long after I stood still and thought about it, I heard a small cough. Chase, who heard the sound, slowly closed his eyes and opened them.
This is because we have repeatedly confirmed that the coughing sound, which had been gradually worsening, has remained the same since one day. After Louise stopped sleeping, she would no longer be addicted, so the progression of the disease would have slowed down.
Moreover, Devlan doesnât even drink water carelessly anymore.
He was so suspicious of the poison he had told him to create with his mouth that he was not doing anything. Nothing you eat, drink, wear, touch, or breathe would be safe for Devlan.
He didnât even call Chase into the office anymore. They donât believe what Chase, who knows how to use a sword, will do in an enclosed space.
As I was thinking about that, I suddenly became curious.
Will it come first for you to die of illness or to bury yourself in the tomb of doubt and go crazy? Or will it be the first thing that comes first, that I canât bear it in the end and that my sword gets your blood on it?
âI called you because I have something to tell you.â
one hour.
This time too, they made me wait for an hour.
The difference is that on the first day, he was left sitting silently in the office, but now he is standing in the middle of the royal garden.
Even though it doesnât snow and the sharp wind doesnât blow, it is still cold in Secreta. It was difficult to block the chilly wind with just the jacket I wore to meet Devlan indoors.
Devlan, who was wearing a coat so thick that Chaseâs fingertips were frozen bright red, didnât even look at him as he stood alone among Devlanâs guards who wouldnât tell anyone what was going on.
âYes, Your Highness.â
So how far are you planning to drag me down? I wonder if, at some point in the past, he didnât guard against pettiness like this and trampled on my younger brother.
âPlease speak.â
Devlan continued speaking to Chase, who gave a calm answer even though it was only an hour later.
âIt was the second prince who wanted to see the sea of this country for his birthday, but I started thinking about why all the people who came with him were the third princeâs people.â
I understood that the two princes went side by side to meet the elven leader Narzan. Many Balkan people escorted the place, and the place they visited was also a city of elves allied with Kairis.
But this was Secretia.
âThe two princes have been trying to control the nobles by joining hands so many times to gain mutual advantage. There is nothing like that in this case, is there?â
I knew long ago that my stubbornness for my birthday was an excuse.
Since they did such a thing as soon as they returned to the elf city, it is an obvious play that makes it even more difficult not to notice that it was just a blindfold to blindly come to Secretia. Since it was for the sake of justification anyway, Calian probably didnât care much whether Devlan knew the truth or not.
âWhat will the 2nd prince gain from this? What did the 2nd prince believe in on a journey that was only dangerous, and what did he agree to do for the 3rd princeâs cause without anyone of his own?â
The problem is its members.
Isnât this the perfect situation for Calian to cut off Plantzâs head right now and then frame the accusation that âDeblan, who heard insulting remarks from Lemain, didnât know what to say and attacked the group, resulting in Plantzâs death?â
For Kalyan, this is the most reliable and good method. I would be able to push Devlan, who had doubts about him, in front of Lemainâs sword and cut down one of his competitors with my sword.
The second prince went to such a place without anyone of his own.
âThen, is the Second Prince so reckless as to fall for the treacherous suggestion that we should just go see the sea? Is the Third Prince so stupid that he doesnât know that itâs dangerous to bring only his own people and go on the escort road? Otherwise, are you foolish enough to make up the cause of your younger brother
, whom you risked your life to protect?â The prince had a fierce temper and was always close to drinking. The
prince blocked Silike, who was trying to attack Calian, and kicked his mother away with his own hand.
Of the two , Which one is the real one? Or,
âIf not all of them, then⦠is it all a lie?â
Devlan took his gaze away from the red begonia flowers that had not yet bloomed and continued.
âThe one you recommended me to meet in person the other day. I finally understand why. Even the companion is hiding so much, but the Third Prince himself must be hiding something amazing. The more I think about it, the more it makes me curious about many things, so how can I not be happy about this?â
Soon, Devlan moved leisurely and took out a pocket watch from his pocket. After checking the time for a moment, he looked at the tips of Chaseâs fingers, which were as red as begonias, and then opened his mouth again. .
âAs much as the welcome is great, I should also show an appropriate response. So you go out. Go and greet him warmly and bring him here.â
Hearing Devlanâs words, Chaseâs fingertips gained strength.
Chase closed and opened his eyes once again and said,
âThe distance is long, so it is difficult to leave the palace and welcome him in person. Send someoneâ¦â
âDirectly. Come back. Chase.â
Devlan smiled leisurely.
âForgetting about the things you left in the palace for a moment and getting some fresh air will be of great help to you as well.â
Arianne, Marquis of Lynn, and Louise.
All of that in this palace that is like your arms. I left it there, so please leave the room for a while and come back. In the meantime, I will take care of the things I left in the palace so that you donât worry about them, so donât worry and come back. Then, he said, âItâs okay if you donât do that.â A cold, subdued, unfamiliar voice
chimed
in
. I heard.
Turning to look in the direction of the sound, Devlanâs eyebrows moved slightly.
The guests who had arrived very quickly thanks to the power of the wizard Rachel Grace, who had been hidden by the names of Euria and Arsene and whom no one paid attention to, were standing there. The speed of movement was too fast. The birds with the report were eager to spread the news, and the Chase birds were eager to shoot the birds. Of course, the shot was a human, and the one that was pierced was a pigeon. â Togak Togak. Following the unfamiliar voice, the sound of familiar shoes, which were always quiet, came from the red
begonia
. He approached the garden. It was Concubine Louise.
âWhile Her Majesty was away, I received a call that a distinguished guest had arrived. So I hurried to greet them.â
Louise, with a calm voice, finished explaining the situation briefly, and then two princes slowly approached. Long
red cloaks and black suits.
They wore the same princeâs uniform, but their faces and expressions were completely different. This catches my eye:
âWhy are you dressed like this in this cold weather? Itâs as if Iâm being punished by someone.â
Calianâs words, as if filled with the scent of begonia, continued, wondering if it was the same person who had spoken so coldly a moment ago. âWhat are you going to do if you catch a cold?
â
A long, white finger moves.
Calian leans on one shoulder. He unwrapped his thick cloak, which was redder than the begonia with its rich black fur decoration, and walked behind Chase, covered the cloak with his own hands, and slowly returned to where he originally stood. â
⦠âBrother Chase.â
His voice is softer than ever.
He frowns, saying that the scent of red begonias is annoying. A long line was drawn at the corner of Plantzâs mouth when he heard those words. The clear emblem of the Kairis royal family engraved on the red cloak was visible for a moment
. It swayed in the wind.