Preservation magic.
If you ask what magic is used as often as âcleanâ in real life, everyone will think of it.
A magic that keeps a 500-year-old building without a trace of rust or damage, and allows the Grand Wizardâs granddaughter to cook lobster in Kairisis, located in the north of a vast land without an ocean. Isnât this the kind of magic that allows the sour tangerines that left from Secretia to still taste sour even when they arrive at the Chermil Palace in Kairisis?
Preservation magic was so widely used and easily accessible that everyone thought of preservation magic after clean. Like a magic lantern that anyone can buy if they just go to the nearest magic goods store.
âI couldnât cast a single preservation spellâ¦â
But I couldnât do it.
It wasnât that easy.
Alan looked at the object in Planzâs hand.
Now, all I had to do was open the door to the office across from me and ask them to cast one spell, but I clicked my tongue for a moment because I knew that I probably wouldnât have thought of it at the time I made it.
Itâs an insignificant object that hasnât had a single preservation spell applied to it.
So, it is a very slightly worn and slightly faded item.
Little rocket. The portrait inside it. The image of young Plants came into view again.
âWere you excited to receive a gift and kept looking at it like this?â
âNo. I didnât know you had something like this.â
ââ¦Did you say thatâ¦â In
fact, even Alan was surprised, even if he wasnât as surprised as Plantz.
There was a mix of expected and unexpected things.
âIsnât it a letter?â
âYes, Master. Your Majesty sent it.â
That evening. I was worried about my son, whom I had not been able to contact for a long time, so I couldnât bear it any longer and went to see Secretia. When I went to the annex, Reric, who had finished organizing the remaining luggage of the crown prince and the prince, reported Calianâs whereabouts.
Along the way, Alan packed his luggage with Relic and came to the Secretia Palace. After waiting for a while in the room under Yanâs guidance, Kalian came back. Since his complexion wasnât that good, I was about to ask him what was wrong or if he was hurt, but Kalyan showed me a letter in his hand.
â Now I know you will take care of it, but Iâm still worried. Please take care of yourself.
They say it was a letter sent from Lemain containing clumsy words of concern.
âAre you saying that His Highness sent a letter?â
âyes. I just met Kirie and I didnât know she had mine, but I guess she sent it along.â
âThen, is His Majesty the Crown Prince still standing outside like that, reading His Majestyâs letter?â
âah. A letter may be a letter, but⦠I donât know.â
After saying that, Kalian turned his head out the window. Planz, who was just looking down at the thing in his hand as if it were nailed to one place, came into view.
âIâm not sure.â
For Bern, his father is a fearful person. People who should not be attacked. A person who always had to face each other and sharpen his blade for the chase behind his back. It was nothing more and nothing less.
âI donât know everything this time either.â
Fatherâs letter. And gifts.
This was something Bern had never experienced before. So I just answered like this.
Alan, who had been looking at Calian for a moment, got up from his seat. And after patting Kalian on the shoulder a few times, he went out to where Plants was. I put off asking what my beautiful son, who is prone to accidents, got hurt and what he was doing.
âItâs surprising. I didnât even know that Your Highness would send something like that to me or that you had something like that in the first place.â
âokay.â
It was not surprising that I had sent a separate letter to Alan without asking him to. It was no surprise that Lemain sent letters to both of his sons. Itâs obvious that both of them are out, so thereâs no way Iâd send a letter to only Calian or Plantz. If one of the two had been Randel, I would have resisted sending him, but that wasnât the case.
However, it was something Alan didnât expect.
A slightly more fundamental problem than predicting whether or not a necklace containing a portrait would be sent together. I didnât expect that Lemain had a separate portrait of his son.
âAre you offended?â
ââ¦â¦ why.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âJust now about starting to send those things.â
âno.â
Plantz, who always came back a little slowly, responded quickly.
No matter what it is, Lemain is a person who has lived his life by doing everything wrong.
But for once, Allen did not curse LeMaine.
Lemainâs personality would not have resulted in only a portrait of Planz being created. Whether in a desk drawer, next to the bed, or in your arms where no one will see. It is obvious that there are two other necklaces with portraits of the two remaining princes that were secretly made without being able to cast a preservation spell somewhere.
I did not blame Lemain for only sending it to Plantes.
Revealing that he had separate portraits of his sons, whom he was not interested in, would only be a new poison for Randel, and would be of no use or inspiration to Calian, who had kept all his feelings for Lemain under wraps. But isnât this the case only for Plants?
It was neither poison nor useless.
Only for Plants.
Even if he doesnât know Randelâs deep feelings or what has changed in Calian, it seems that Lemain now knows at least that much. So, there was no need to blame Lemain this time, as he must have had enough sense to tell Plantz what he couldnât bear to hand to Randel and what he didnât necessarily want to hand to Calian.
âDonât say anything to Your Highness. Itâs not like that.â
âDonât worry. I wonât hurt you.â
Of course, Iâm not saying that I even felt like praising him.
Just because you start trying doesnât mean your past mistakes will be covered up. No matter what anyone says, Lemain has been sinning against his three sons for a very long time.
âThen why are you standing here?â
âItâs my first time. I donât know what to think.â
Just one portrait and one letter.
Because I didnât know what to do with it, I made it stand like that.
I donât know what to do with the gift my father sent me, I donât know how to accept it, and Iâm still too deeply depressed to just feel happy and grateful. After receiving the letter, I was worried because it was Kalian who told me to open it. Nevertheless, I feel glad to see you.
âDid you have to stand here because it was difficult?â
Plantzâs head nodded slowly.
Alan, who watched this for a moment, quietly took a step. And without saying âexcuse meâ, he just held Planz in his arms. Just like I did the day I pulled him out of the sea, I held him tightly this time with both arms instead of just one.
ââ¦Why again?â
Just like that day, a lot of strength goes into Planzâs shoulders. Alan didnât care and just patted Plants on the back. Because Alanâs embrace is still bigger than that of Plants.
âDo you remember how, when we met on the steps of the Chermil Palace, I said harsh words to Prince Planz, saying that he had done something crazy to Prince Calian?â
âI remember.â
âAre you sad about that?â
âno.â
âI scolded you because it was your fault. I scolded you not on behalf of your younger brother, but as someone who saw your mistake. Do you understand that?â
ââ¦â¦ I understand.â
Alan nodded.
And then he opened his mouth again, holding his back that had grown alone without any care.
âItâs like me scolding Your Highness. The old man is scolding you when he sees you doing something that is difficult to see with your eyes open. Thanks to this, the old manâs stomach explodes ten times a day. If I tell you one thing, you will learn that one thing. âArenât you like a cow who canât see anything else?â
The shoulders that had been standing firmly shook for a moment.
Itâs smiling.
âHowever, no matter how much I scold you, it is just an old manâs nonsense. Even if I scold you so much, it is like your mistakes do not go away.â
âI know. That too.â
âIâm telling you because you know too well that itâs a problem. Itâs not your fault that your younger brother left like that. Since you buried it alone, arenât you thinking that itâs only my fault? Because of that thought, I donât care about other things. âIâm worried that you may have given up the will to blame Your Majesty for this. Even if you are at fault, and I am scolding you on behalf of you and the princes, there is no need for you to just forgive everything without being able to say anything to your Majesty.â
â⦠No. I didnât forgive you.â
âYes, you can do that. You can be angry too. You can tell your majesty what you have done to me all this time. It is okay for you to be angry and ask why you are only showing me this now.â
âItâs not like that.â
âItâs okay to be happy too.â
Plantz, who responded that he did not forgive Lemain but did not resent him, did not give any other answer. I didnât even laugh.
âParents are like that in nature. Parents are the ones who you endlessly resent and then lean on endlessly. It was the fatherâs fault for not letting you lean on him, but there is nothing wrong with the child who wanted to lean on you. Itâs all about blaming your parents and looking at them at the same time. âItâs not the childâs fault. Itâs just natural, sir.â
Bern is also difficult to fully assess.
From now on, Kalyan will also learn. Alan, who had told this to Plantz first, spoke softly.
âPlanz. It means itâs not your fault your father left you alone.â
Planzâs shoulders, which had been still for a while, finally lost strength.
âSo, whatever you think of what your father sent, itâs all okay.â
Itâs okay no matter what you think of Lemainâs gift, which is both happy and resentful, and both resentful and happy. The foolish wizard spoke the words of permission that no one else could give.
And then I gently rubbed the back of my head, which was like a new green plant. I gently stroked it so that the warmth that touched my shoulder spread for a long time.
* * *
A white hand moved quietly and lowered the black curtain.
Looking out the window, Kalian, who was a little older than me to feel the feeling of losing his father, smiled, forgetting that he was hungry. And after a while, he opened the door and looked at the glass of water in the hand of the person who came in, and his hungry face came back with a tearful look on his face.
âHina told me to give it to you, so I brought it with you.â
There was no reason to ask Hina to give me a glass of water. As for water, Jan can bring it to you, Kalian can bring it and drink it, or if youâre really thirsty, you can just make water and drink it.
So that is Hinaâs message not to drink anything but water.
âI didnât eat it. For real this time.â
âYes. Well done.â
Calian took a deep breath and pointed to the seat across from him.
It was directed at Kyrie, who although not as strong as Plantz, still felt younger than Calian himself.
âSit down for a moment, Kirie.â
âyes.â
Kyrie briefly bowed her head and sat down in front of Calian.
Hina wasnât the only person who needed to talk to each other, right? Because Kyrie had a talent for not showing anything outside of her face, just as good as Calian or Plantz.
âKiri.â
âyes. Prince.â
âDo you know the name Whitlin?â
âI do.â
Calian nodded. I was
thinking that he at least knew the name, but Kyrie continued.
âIsnât it the queenâs castle?â
â.. â¦. ah. âThat is.â
Calian paused for a moment and moistened his mouth with the water in front of him.
The face of Kyrie, who had said she didnât know my last name, came to mind. I thought I didnât know her last name, but now I know I didnât know her name either.
âItâs the same as your last name.â
â âWhat do you mean?â
âItâs similar to giving my name as your last name. To my mother, Whitlin is.â
Kyrieâs eyes of different colors turned to Calian.
Calian, who was looking into those eyes, let out a scratchy voice.
âItâs your motherâs name. âKiri.â
âIs that so?â
Yes.â
ââ¦â¦ thank you for telling me.â
Kyrie, who had a rough expression like Calianâs voice for a moment, opened her mouth.
âI donât remember when it was, but a tall elf came to visit us. He said he had been looking for us for a while and handed us letters. And⦠Hina Kirie. He told us our names.â
âIt was Siona.â
âYes. I expected it after hearing the princeâs explanation, but I think it was an elf named Siona Hill. What I gave was a letter from my mother and the late queen. When I passed it on, I said that my mother was close to the queen. Thatâs all. âI did. At that time, a long time had passed since the queen passed away, so I think thatâs probably why I didnât talk about it.â
It wouldnât be good if it became known that he was related to the already dead queen.
âYeah. I guess so.â
âAnd the Queen said that she had prepared a place for us to live in Whitlin Estate. She also said that if we wanted to go there, she would take us there.â
â⦠I should have been there.â
âIf I go there, I will never be able to get my revenge. So I thought about sending only Hina, but I couldnât leave Hina alone⦠In the end, I insisted and stayed in Kairisis.â
Calian nodded.
A deep sigh escaped silently.
âIf you have any more questions, Iâll let you know. Thatâs all I know.â
âNo, there is none.â
âDo you mind if I donât know more?â
âYou told me your motherâs name. If you find out your fatherâs name later, please let me know. Other than that, I donât have any further questions.â
âokay.â
âPrince, do you have any questions?â
âNo. Neither do I.â
Kyrie laughed slightly.
I felt once again how bad Calian was at lying.
You will definitely want to ask. Even if you donât ask, youâll be curious.
Do you still feel like taking revenge on Briesen? What about Planz? Because Hina and Kirie were different.
Instead of answering that lie, Kirie said something else.
âWould it be okay if I went back to Duke Siegfriedâs residence?â
This is where Siona is.
This is also where Riri is located.
âIâd like to try sparring.â
âSparring?â
The elf looked at Kyrie with eyes full of worry.
The elf tried to convince me several times that he would go through his pockets, take out all the money he had, hand it over, and take him to Whitlin Manor. The person who did that.
I wanted to show it to that person.
Like I said donât worry.
âI want to let you know that my brother and sister are doing well.â
Calian looked at the glass of water.
Iâm not saying I want to see Lillie or that I have anything to ask Siona, but Iâm just happy to tell her how much sheâs grown. So I nodded without another word.
âOkay. Iâll definitely ask you as soon as I get there.â
âthank you.â
âokay.â
Kirie looked at the tightly closed curtains for a moment, as if to indicate that she was not looking outside, rather than to avoid looking outside, and then searched inside her arms. Then he took out something and handed it to Kalian.
âHis Majesty Plantz told me to tell you this.â
âBrother?â
Calian tilted his head and opened the thing wrapped in paper.
And immediately burst into laughter.
âalso.â
It was jerky.
âGive it to me when your brother wakes up.â
âIsnât it beef jerky?â
âHina wonât let me eat it. Iâm not the type of person who wants to eat my brother. So just give it to me before you make a fuss.â
âWhere did I get thisâ¦â
âRelic brought it. Give me Lucy.â
âAre you giving Lucy to the prince?â
âIt contains salt.â
ââ¦Are you giving the prince something that even Lucy canât eat?â
âI wonât say no.â
Calianâs laughter, hearing what Plants said, leaked out the window.
âlie.â
Relic has finally arrived.
Didnât he go to pack up his belongings that he had left behind as he had to leave the villa in a hurry and arrive with Alan? When on earth would Reric like that bring beef jerky for Lucy? Moreover, there was salt in the beef jerky that Relic brought to give to Lucy. Thereâs no way you could make a mistake like that.
As much as it was salty, I knew that he also wanted to take revenge on Raven for making him eat the same diet.
What can I do?
âPlease keep it a secret from Hina.â
Itâs meat.
I have to eat.
Calian laughed for a long time as he watched Kyrie convey her worries about her son to Plantz and Calian to convey her worries about her younger brother.
Because my older brother shared a secret with Hina and also briefly shared it with my father, I am proud of him. I am proud of Kirie who pretended not to know what Plantz had given to Kalian even though he clearly knew it would be harmful to his body.
Those two are truly amazing.