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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Meeting Prince Idis (2)
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Chapter 5 Meeting Prince Idis (2)
“By the way, brother.”
“Hm?”
“What kind of accident did I have?”
“What?”
“I’m asking what kind of accident caused me to lose my memory.”
“...!”
Sei-an, walking outside with Lucian, suddenly remembered something he was curious about and posed the question.
He realized he still didn't know the cause of the accident that led to his collapse and death, allowing him to enter this place.
“...”
“...?”
At his question, however, Lucian's expression hardened slightly, and he remained silent for a long time.
“...There’s no good in recalling memories of the accident. Don’t dwell on it.”
“...?”
Then Lucian, without giving a proper answer, told him there was no need to remember or know about it.
“...”
Sei-an, too, decided there was no need to know and didn't press the matter further.
‘It must not have been an accident worth knowing about.’
Seeing Lucian’s hardened expression, he merely guessed it wasn't a simple accident and let it go.
***
“A friend?”
“Yes.”
“Prince Idis’s?”
“His Majesty is very worried about Prince Idis, who has no one to confide in, no true friend.”
“...”
Sei-an and Lucian, having sought out Count Shurayton, heard the words Behitz had left a few days prior during his visit.
‘He’s not a child; does someone else really need to find him a friend?’
Hearing Count Shurayton’s words, Sei-an clicked his tongue inwardly in disapproval.
It seemed a bit pathetic for an adult to choose and pick a friend for someone who wasn't a one or two-year-old child.
Of course, this was a thought only Sei-an could have, as he was unaware of Prince Idis’s personality or his detailed circumstances.
But that thought was fleeting; he dismissed it as something completely unrelated to him, listening to Count Shurayton with one ear and letting it out the other, simply sipping the tea in front of him.
“But why did he say that to Father?”
“...He wanted Sei-an to do it.”
“What?”
“Pfft!”
However, at Count Shurayton’s next words, Sei-an involuntarily spat out the tea he was drinking.
“...What are you talking about? Me?”
“Yes.”
Sei-an quickly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, looking at Count Shurayton with a bewildered expression.
He then asked again, making sure his ears hadn't deceived him.
“You mean he singled me out? That old man?”
“That’s right, he singled you out.”
“...”
Seeing Count Shurayton give the same answer to his repeated questions, Sei-an let out a short sigh.
‘Did that old man go senile after getting presbyopia? Of all the people, why me?’
Sei-an couldn't understand Behitz’s actions, wondering why he would designate him as the one to be the Prince’s friend, given how little they knew each other.
“No, absolutely not.”
“Lucian.”
“Absolutely not.”
A moment later, Sei-an, who was about to voice his opinion, thinking he wanted to decline such a troublesome task, missed his chance as Lucian expressed his opposition even more forcefully.
“Are you really going to send a child who lost his memory in an accident to Prince Idis now?”
Lucian had also already heard about Prince Idis. There was no one in the Empire who didn't know the rumors that he had a fiery temper and tolerated no small mistakes.
Even he, who usually paid little attention to worldly affairs, was well aware of such rumors about Prince Idis.
“It’s not a bad thing for the family either.”
“Father!”
“Lord Behitz must have had something in mind to choose Sei-an.”
“I’ll go.”
“You cannot.”
“Father!”
“Alright, I’ll go then.”
“Yes, go... Hm?”
“...!”
The two, who had been bickering back and forth for a while, arguing as if a big fight was about to break out, suddenly flinched and stopped their quarrel at the calm voice coming from beside them.
“Sei-an.”
It was Sei-an’s voice.
“It’s not like I’ll be with him all day, and it’s not hard to just drop by occasionally to keep him company. I’ll do it.”
“...”
“...”
Sei-an, stopping the two from pointlessly arguing over such a minor matter, finished his words and quickly rose from his seat.
“It’s not something to be taken so lightly.”
“It doesn’t seem like something to be taken so seriously either, though.”
“Sei-an...”
Lucian wanted to stop this. He was worried that Sei-an might do something to displease Prince Idis and cause trouble.
It wasn’t that he worried about harm coming to the family; he feared something might happen to Sei-an.
Sei-an was still young and had lost his memory in the accident, so it seemed he didn't know how terrifying Prince Idis, or rather, the Imperial Palace, truly was.
That the Imperial Palace was a place full of conspiracies, betrayals, and all sorts of dirty struggles for power.
“Think carefully. It’s not a decision to make lightly.”
“...”
Following Lucian, Count Shurayton also offered words of caution to Sei-an.
Although he had brought up the matter first and said it would benefit the family, Count Shurayton was not without worry for Sei-an.
Even though Sei-an had caused all sorts of trouble that gave him headaches until now, no matter what anyone said, Sei-an was still his son.
“Thinking about it harder won’t change anything, will it?”
“...”
Sei-an, who was heading outside, paused for a moment, uttered those words, then let out a small laugh and began walking again.
“They say I’ve been called a ‘little devil’ and only caused trouble until now, so it might be good to do something, even if small, to help the family this time.”
*Thud!*
“Sei-an!”
At the sight of Sei-an closing the door and walking out after those words, Lucian also quickly rose from his seat and followed him.
“...”
Count Shurayton, left alone, let out a long sigh, his expression hardened.
Even though it was for the family, pushing Sei-an, who could still be considered young, into the Imperial Palace, a place rife with all sorts of schemes, did not sit well with him either.
“A ‘little devil’...”
Then, recalling Sei-an's bitter smile as he referred to himself that way, Count Shurayton let out another long sigh and closed his eyes tightly. He couldn't quite understand why those words pained his heart so much today.
***
“Brother.”
“...”
*This guy, he was subtly holding a grudge.*
A few days later, as Sei-an headed to the Imperial Palace with Count Shurayton, he tried to greet Lucian. But seeing Lucian's hardened expression, refusing even to meet his gaze, Sei-an had to click his tongue inwardly.
He looked at Lucian with a slightly absurd gaze, wondering if he could really hold a grudge despite his appearance.
‘*Whew...*’
Still, knowing that Lucian was truly worried about him, Sei-an let out a short sigh inwardly and approached him.
In the past, whenever Jushia got severely sulky, he had a certain way of cheering her up.
Of course, Jushia herself had taught him that this was how one should act in such situations.
“...!”
Sei-an approached Lucian and lightly wrapped his arms around his waist.
When he was Kai, who was tall, he used to hug Jushia to comfort her, but Lucian was taller than him, so he could only hug him like this.
“Brother, I’ll be back.”
“...”
At Sei-an’s action, Lucian’s eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't utter a single word. The others nearby were likewise stunned.
Since Sei-an usually harbored strong resentment towards his brother, he had never once affectionately hugged Lucian like that before.
“...Yes, have a safe trip.”
Lucian, who had been momentarily flustered and speechless, soon patted Sei-an’s head lightly, almost a tap, and offered a faint smile.
“Yes.”
Only then, thinking his brother’s anger had subsided, Sei-an simply replied to his words, turned around, and approached Count Shurayton, who was standing there, staring blankly at him like everyone else.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“Hm? Oh, yes, we should go.”
Only then did Count Shurayton regain his composure and quickly boarded the carriage with Sei-an.
“...”
“...? Is something on my face?”
“...No.”
As the carriage departed for the Imperial Palace, Count Shurayton sat in his seat and quietly watched Sei-an for a long time.
‘*Can someone really change so suddenly like that?*’
*Do people change like this when they lose their memories?*
Thinking how truly different he was from before, Count Shurayton found it hard to tear his eyes away from Sei-an.
‘*It’s not bad, though.*’
Of course, the change was by no means bad. Although he had heard from the butler that Sei-an and Lucian seemed to be getting along better recently, seeing it with his own eyes filled him with an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
‘*Jushia was right.*’
Meanwhile, Sei-an realized that the method Jushia had taught him worked for others too, and he let out a small sigh.
Of course, if Jushia had seen that moment, she would have taught him again that the method only worked for women, and specifically for herself, who had loved Kai. But it was already too late for Sei-an to realize that.
*Rumble... rumble...*
Thus, the carriage, carrying those lost in their own thoughts, quickly made its way towards the Chezaros Imperial Palace.
***
“Haha! It’s good to see you again.”
“...I suppose I don’t have to be equally pleased.”
“Still the same, eh?”
“How long has it been since we last met for you to expect me to change?”
As Sei-an and Count Shurayton arrived at the Imperial Palace, Behitz came out to greet them warmly.
Of course, no pleasant words came from Sei-an, who had been burdened with this troublesome task.
“Sei-an! What insolent talk is that?!”
“Haha! It’s quite alright, quite alright. Still, I’m grateful. For granting my request.”
Behitz chuckled softly, stopping Count Shurayton from scolding Sei-an.
Behitz, who had already sensed upon their first meeting that Sei-an wasn't one to easily grant favors, was simply grateful that Sei-an had accepted this task more readily than expected.
“Aren’t you old enough to know that what a superior calls a ‘request’ a subordinate perceives as a ‘command’?”
“...”
However, hearing Sei-an’s words, casually tossed out in response to his own, Behitz was momentarily speechless.
“Sei-an!”
Instead, Count Shurayton, flustered, had to urgently call Sei-an’s name again, loudly.
“No, no. The boy is right. I hadn’t considered how you might perceive my words.”
“Oh, no, Lord Behitz.”
This time too, Behitz stopped the flustered Count Shurayton and instead offered an apology to him.
“...”
Behitz gazed at Sei-an with renewed interest.
Not only was this the first time someone spoke to him so mockingly, but he was also likely the only one who could maintain such a poker face even in front of the Imperial Palace, whose grandeur alone was enough to make one feel intimidated.
‘*I still have a good eye for people, it seems.*’
Feeling that his choice was indeed not wrong, Behitz let out a small laugh.
He thought that if Prince Idis built a friendship with this boy, it would only be beneficial later, with no downside.
