. And workshop.
What Devlan wants to protect.
What Kalyan wants to take away.
What Devlan wants to take away.
What Kalian wants to protect.
A conversation continued between the person trying to take it away and the person trying to protect it.
âYes, thatâs right. Thereâs no way you didnât know that. You must have been curious about me just as much as I was, so thereâs no way you didnât know.â
Devlan laughed softly.
Calian moved his mouth and gave a long smile.
âIt feels strange to meet you in person. The things people say about you were very different from what they are now.â
âAh⦠thatâs for publicity purposes. Itâll probably be a lot different. Just like your highness.â
As soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, Devlan started coughing because he talked too much. Calian watched the scene without any particular expression.
âAh, I understand what you mean. This⦠Isnât this a truly interesting person to talk to? Itâs so much fun that it makes me regret that my remaining days are numbered.â
âIâm glad to hear that you like it more.â
Devlan is not the type of person who would feel angry at words like this.
If I had thought that Devlan would get angry and leave Kalyan, I would have shouted and gotten angry on purpose, but I know very well that that would not be the case, so I never get angry.
One day, when Count Aizen Aprin gave her rye cookies, even if it was meant to mock Freya, wasnât Calian who thought she would have been interested in the count? The same goes for Devlan. Calian knew very well that Devlan was truly happy right now.
âBut shouldnât you give up your great greed?â
âDoes it seem like greed to want to set foot on my land a little more?â
âItâs greed. Wherever your feet touch, the smell of blood lingers, so what else can you call it other than greed when you say you want to stay in a place like that? Itâs too much to bear and watch from the side, so I hope you get your feet wet for now.â
âNo. No. Itâs not greed.â
âThen are you afraid?â
âThatâs right. Wouldnât it be fitting if you called me that? Iâm a greedy person by nature and Iâm also very timid, so Iâm too scared to let go of what I have. What can I do when Iâm so scared of leaving the place Iâve lived my whole life? âI guess there is no way. I have no choice but to make an effort not to lose my footing.â
After saying this, Devlan picked up coffee to quench his dry throat in an attempt to overcome his cough. The voice seemed to be hoarse for a moment, but soon returned to its original state.
âAnyway, Iâm sorry. I was so intoxicated by the sweet scent of talking to you that I forgot what I wanted to say.â
âItâs okay. Thatâs the way poison is.â
If someone were to see them from afar, they would have no doubt that they were having a really friendly conversation. The warm atmosphere continued as if a flower would bloom at any moment.
âDonât worry, go back to what you wanted to say. I will listen.â
âYes. You should do it. They say Iâm counting down the days until I die, so I donât want to be late if I donât take it out when the opportunity comes.â
âYes. That is correct.â
However, Devlan could not come up with the question right away.
Calian opened his mouth after watching Devlan cough a few times without hiding it.
âYou look like youâre tired, so why donât you just sit down for now? We can talk later.â
âIs that possible? As you said, we donât know how long it will last, so we shouldnât put it off when the opportunity presents itself. Besides, what Iâm going to ask from now on is my real question.â
Calian nodded slowly and Devlan continued speaking.
âMy bird⦠No, Aila. Yes, Aila. I listened with interest because she told me so many interesting stories, and the story about you was especially worth listening to. At first, my birds gave me a heart. You said you were going to find a poison that would stop it and use the swords of the knights here, and then you would become an Auror overnight. I was familiar with the sight of you solidifying your position in quite a clever way, so I became interested.â
âIs that so?â
âI heard a story about you from Aila. When I think about it, itâs really strange. Why did I hear that story from Aila? There were so many of my birds there.â
Devlan paused for a moment and looked at Calian.
It seemed as if he was asking for an opinion, so Calian answered in a light voice.
âIsnât it because the birds stopped at the hand that was passing by?â
As if it was the answer he wanted, Devlan opened his mouth again with a satisfied look on his face.
âYes, thatâs right. Since I didnât watch the birds sent to Kairisis, the Crown Prince who was watching the birds on my behalf probably didnât tell me those words. So I paid a little more attention. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince briefly visited Kairisis. He said he would go, so I told him to do so. Then, when he went to Kairisis, he dropped many of my birds and destroyed them. So, what was the reason?â
âItâs because Brother Chase cares for me so much. Is there a special reason for him too?â
âNo. Thatâs special. Why does the Crown Prince care about you so much?â
And Calian answered with a look on his face that said it was nothing.
âWho wouldnât want to cherish me when they see me?â
Arenât there so many people who care about Calian, including Alan, Jan, Kyrie, Arsene, Lemain nearby, and Slayman far away? Even Sispanian and Mother Tree are generous to him, so thereâs no way itâs unusual for Chase to act like that.
To be honest, the prince is very capable, rich, honest, and understanding, but his mother is an elf and his father is a king, so he has a special bloodline and is now patient, so who wouldnât care for him?
ah. Except Demirea and the brothers who live upstairs from me.
âIs that just the reason?â
A smile appeared on Calianâs lips.
âIf I had to look for more reasons, there would be one more.â
Calian, who looked at Devlan for a moment, raised his finger and pointed at himself and continued speaking.
âMaybe itâs because when you look at me, you feel like youâve found your lost brother.â
Devlan looked at Calian for a moment and buried his back on the sofa.
âYou are my lost younger brother⦠Then should I feel like I am seeing my son when I look at you?â
âAh⦠I told you my name, but youâve already forgotten it.â
Kalian shook his head once with a smile still remaining on his face and gave the rest of his answer.
âDonât speak carelessly. Iâm very worried that my father will be disappointed.â
Devlan let out a small laugh.
âIs that what happens?â
âThatâs right.â
Devlan nodded calmly, as if that wasnât an unpleasant answer either. Then he moved his body and took another sip of coffee, then leaned back on the sofa and opened his mouth.
âThen can I ask one more question?â
âIf you say you donât like it, you wonât ask.â
âI wouldnât do that.â
âYes. Ask. I will answer.â
Devlan coughed a few times for a moment and then opened his mouth again.
âThe Crown Prince cares about you so much. Then, who do you care about so much? Iâm curious.â
Raven.
Kalian was about to say this, but he recalled his brotherâs words once again to be honest in the conversation without hiding anything and opened his mouth.
âHis Majesty cares most about the healer he was looking for, Hina.â
âThatâs right. If itâs so important, I think Iâd invite the healer here. What do you think?â
âItâs okay if you donât bother.â
Calian, who said this, smiled and answered.
âI will be attending Brother Chaseâs coronation ceremony anyway.â
Devlan burst into laughter again.
âYou are truly an interesting person. I really enjoy talking with you to the point where I donât know if this is the first sincere conversation we have had in some time. So what should I do again?â
Regardless of whether he was coughing or not, he smiled as if he was truly in a good mood. After a while, Devlan barely stopped laughing and smiled softly at Calian.
âLooking at it, I think I would be very disappointed if I had to send this happy person back.â
And then he finally took out his fangs.
* * *
Yes. I did say that.
They said they would fix it. I did say that.
He said he would take care of things, but he didnât say he would start a war.
ââ¦â¦ under.â
Looking at Calian, who was smiling brightly because he did as he was told, Plantz sighed deeply and pointed to the table.
âokay.â
Okay, so I meant to keep eating what I was eating.
Either eat it or eat it, whatever.
âDid you eat today, brother? You only eat grass again.â
ate.
I pretended.
Today, let alone lunch, I was hungry for breakfast. I didnât really think about lunch, so I just ate a salad. After that, I didnât have anything special in mind for dinner, so I just ate salad and soup.
Because I didnât eat properly and just pretended, the power of blessing didnât move this time either. However, since it was impossible to tell him why he behaved, Plantz, who turns out to be gentle, simply nodded his head without saying another word.
And after finishing his private talk with Devlan, he didnât come out of his room all day, so he opened his mouth to Calian, whom he only met in the evening.
âEat. Keep going.â
âyes.â
Calian nodded willingly and began to delicately use the fork and knife again.
Salad and white bread full of olive flavor.
A soft soup made with ground beef and white mushrooms. Lobster and mussels grilled in butter and garlic. Veal steak served on a creamy sauce with fragrant truffles. Tomato stew with squid and shrimp, and raw oysters with lemon.
Even if time passes, people change, and the place you stay changes, your appetite remains the same.
In a way, Planz, who had been staring at Calian for a while as he calmly reduced the number of items in front of him with a lot of meat, seafood, and raw oysters prepared by a place that could prepare a menu that best suited his taste, sighed once again.
If this continues, I think Iâll be older before I know that guyâs age.
Plantz, who was recalling in his head the numerous details that Calian had barked at Devlan with a truly complex face, turned his head.
âBlue-haired wizard.â
â⦠Yes, Prince Planz.â
Arsene, unable to say anything, reluctantly answered, and Plantz opened his mouth again.
âSiren Sir Grace. Call me.â
The president of the association is Lord Siren and Lord Grace is Lord Grace, so why am I a blue-haired wizard, green-haired Prince Plants?
ââ¦â¦ Yes, Prince Planz.â
Arsene, whose face was clearly holding back what he wanted to say, nodded that he understood and stood up. Anyway, the meal was already over and I was watching the raw oysters fall into Kalianâs mouth, so there was no point in sitting down any longer.
âDonât contact Kairis.â
âI wonât.â
I grumbled my answer as I looked at Plantz, who had added a word just in case that crazy wizard told me to prepare for a real war. And then I walked outside.
Afterwards, Planz sliced the soft meat, covered it with a lot of cream sauce, put it in his mouth, and turned his head to his younger brother, Nom, who had the most satisfied expression in the world.
I always feel it though.
Iâm eating well. Iâm really eating well.
Anyway, I knew very well that my brotherâs stomach was upset when he was upset, so Planz came barking and stayed in the room all day, so I just continued to leave my younger brother alone.
And after a while, Arsene summoned two wizards.
Plantz, who went outside for a moment to talk with the two wizards, returned to where Calian was alone and found Calian putting down the fork and knife in his hands. at las.
âItâs been a while since I ate well.â
I think you forgot how well you ate just yesterday.
âokay.â
Calian, who was sipping a very small amount of wine mixed with tangerine, lime, and carbonated water, turned his head and looked at Plants.
âYou donât sit down and you donât go away. What are you doing there?â
âwait.â
âWhy am I waiting?â
âTo go out.â
âWhere?â
âoutside.â
âYouâre not talking outside the palace.â
âThatâs right.â
There was a clattering sound from the ice that was filled with carbonated water. Calian made an icy sound as if clicking his tongue and then opened his mouth again.
âWhere are you going.â
âocean.â
I really will never see that damn sea for the rest of my life. Bro, why do you keep asking me about the sea?
Calian, whose face had these thoughts in mind, spoke more politely.
âBrother, when will puberty end?â
And Plantz didnât care.
âIf youâre going to bark, go ahead and bark. Letâs go.â
âWhy are you going there? Now. Itâs almost night.â
âIt will be your birthday by the time you reach the sea.â
âAre you saying that since itâs my birthday, I should go see the sea? Even though itâs clear that itâs dangerous.â
Plantz nodded.
Calian, who had been staring at Planz for a while, quietly nodded. And then he stood up.
âYes. Letâs go.â
The corners of Plantzâs mouth rose slightly as he looked at Calian, who was ahead of him after saying that.
Thatâs what I said to Chase. I wonât be the bait.
I didnât say I had no intention of throwing my younger brother as bait.