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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Special Gift
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His eyes, so full of confidence no matter the situation, were fascinating. The way he forged his own path regardless of his surroundings was almost wondrous to behold.
“Hmm?”
How could I refuse when someone like that was showing me a softer, almost pleading side?
“Don't go. Let's talk here.”
Darcy smiled gently at my words, as if I were placating a child.
“But I have to go. I have something to discuss with my little brother.”
I could hear Ryan scoff beside us, but Darcy still didn't give him an ounce of his attention.
“I swear, it's not what you think. I'll be back once you've had something to eat inside. I'll explain everything then, so just wait for me.”
The way he was acting, I had no choice but to believe there was something going on between him and Ryan.
I decided to trust the Darcy I had come to know.
“Alright, then. Go talk to him. And don't forget that you have House Etoile behind you.”
No matter what Ryan did, he wouldn't be able to kill Darcy outright. That would give me a chance to actively defend him.
This seemed like the most fitting course of action in the current situation.
Darcy's eyes widened at my words before he broke into a grin.
“That's reassuring. Make sure you eat well. For the record, I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I had them prepare everything.”
…A laugh escaped me at his tone, as if he'd prepared the meal himself. I nodded, telling him I understood.
Darcy gripped the blade with his hand and jutted his chin.
“Shall we?”
It was just a short phrase, but a tremendous battle of wills erupted between them. Just watching gave me a headache.
Ryan, who had been glaring at Darcy, let out a deep breath and muttered.
“Follow me.”
Darcy led the way, and the two men left the room.
*Creeak.* The door closed.
I was dumbfounded.
What in the world was happening?
Meanwhile, the servants began to diligently bring in the food. My jaw dropped at the endless parade of dishes.
“…I think the table legs are going to break.”
It was far too much food for two people. The number of dishes was staggering, and salads and desserts were brought out without any particular order.
It was just as Darcy had said. As if he had ordered it all.
Right, Darcy will sort this out somehow. Just like how he always delivered the magic tools right on time.
I picked up my fork and put a piece of meat in my mouth. My worries melted away with the tender beef.
Knowing it was prepared for me made it taste even better.
“When was the last time someone did something so thoughtful for me?”
Consideration is an act that can only come from thinking of another person, so I was always grateful for it, no matter how small.
…Could Darcy really be a prince?
A prince, when he never even appeared in the book? It was the most important role after the Crown Prince, yet I hadn't even run into him until recently.
I recalled Darcy's earlier words.
“You saved me, after all.”
Darcy would explain what that meant later. All I had to do was wait for him.
Come to think of it, he had never once shown a lack of confidence. He was someone who knew how to properly utilize his abilities.
I'd have to start by asking how someone who had supposedly left was back here.
The Darcy I saw today felt like a complete stranger.
*It's strange how close we've become.*
I took a spoonful of soup. It warmed my throat. The soup was so delicious that it made me smile again.
Next, I ate a macaron.
The imperial chefs and pâtissiers were masters of their craft, and their skills were renowned.
The macaron's filling was delicate, perfectly sweet, and its smooth texture created a perfect harmony. This was the happiest I had been since coming to the imperial palace.
To think my mood could improve just from eating something sweet... I really am a simple person.
How nice would it be if I could live all my days so simply?
Letting out a breath, I gazed at the well-brewed tea and recalled a conversation I'd had with Letty not long ago.
The desserts Letty prepared for me were delicious.
*I should buy Letty a box of macarons when I get back.*
I had nearly finished my meal, but Darcy still hadn't appeared.
Now that I was done eating, and with a fair bit of time having passed, I slowly began to worry about Darcy.
What worried me most was the possibility of him being injured. There was no way he could fight Ryan and come out unscathed.
Knowing Darcy's personality, he would probably enter the dining room without showing any sign of injury, even if he was hurt.
After pondering my options, I made a decision.
I'll wait in the hallway and catch him off guard. He wouldn't be able to hide his pain even in the hall. That way, I'll know even if he doesn't say anything.
I've eaten a lot, so standing around will help me digest. Killing two birds with one stone, right?
And then I can eat with Darcy when he has his meal later.
My mind made up, I stood from my seat. If he didn't appear after I waited in the hallway for a while, I planned to ask a servant.
***
With a cool expression, Darcy stood at a slight angle and spoke dismissively.
“I can guess how you're feeling, but let's talk inside a room. A sword fight in the hallway would be a bit much, don't you think?”
“Watch your tone, first. It's utterly disrespectful.”
“Unfortunately, I can't do that. Thanks to someone, I have a pathological hatred for formal speech.”
It was a complete reversal from when he had openly asked Marso if she preferred formal speech.
Darcy opened the door to the room right next to them.
The way he grasped the doorknob and entered was quite familiar. In fact, Ryan was taken aback by how at home he seemed in the imperial palace. His instincts screamed danger.
Regardless, he needed to hear the meaning behind Darcy's earlier chatter about 'older brother' and 'younger brother.' Ryan narrowed his eyes and followed him into the room.
“To commemorate the first time we meet as blood relatives, I've prepared a very special gift for you.”
I've brought your little pawn.
Darcy tightened the rope in his hand and smiled. Ryan’s gaze slowly followed the rope until it landed on a collapsed woman.
“…How.”
There, tied up tightly, was Letty.
Ryan was genuinely stunned.
Why was she collapsed here? Who did this to her? Or could it be that Marso found out—
“Do you like it, little brother?”
Darcy asked in a chilling voice, his chin held high. His expression was menacing as he looked at Ryan.
Ryan considered his options. Should he deny knowing Letty? But Darcy had already captured her.
Seeing the confidence with which Darcy spoke, it would be better to start by being honest and trying to make a deal.
Above all, he couldn't just abandon one of his own people.
Ryan admitted it readily.
“How did you find out?”
“I found out while digging into the source of that pathetic rumor you were about to spread. For a prince, you should be utterly ashamed.”
…The scandal he was about to spread to prevent his engagement to Marso Etoile. The fact that this man even knew of its existence made his identity all the more suspicious.
“It's about time she woke up, too.”
He pulled the rope taut, and Letty groaned, stirring awake. When she spotted Ryan, Letty gritted her teeth.
She spoke in a dry, whisper-like voice.
“Forgive me, Your Highness. I never thought I would be discovered like this.”
“No… it's alright.”
“I hear you cherish your subordinates. If you care so much, why don't you come closer and untie her?”
Darcy muttered nonchalantly, holding the rope.
The man's features, visible between the strands of his loose hair, were fierce, but the gentle curve of his eyes offset the impression.
His beauty, so out of place in the room's tense atmosphere, created a strange ambiance.
“As for me, you'll hear my story from the Emperor's own lips tomorrow. No need for me to waste my breath, right? It's a pain.”
Darcy, opening a window for ventilation, muttered as if in passing.
“Now, then. What will our great prince choose?”
It was clearly a demand for Ryan to act.
Ryan was conflicted.
This was a trap. Darcy's hostility toward him was so obvious it needed no explanation.
He'd captured Letty; there was no way he would let this go easily.
Besides, hadn't he been the one to press a sword to this man's throat first?
But despite his suspicions, the man named Darcy was completely defenseless.
The clothes he wore were a high-quality uniform, but he carried no weapons.
His left hand held the rope, and his right hand was completely empty.
*Is it a trap?*
*Clink.* The moment he stepped closer and swung his sword to cut the rope, something was pressed against his head. Something cold touched his forehead.
Ryan was horrified.
*…What is this?*
“The problem with brainwashing is the lack of visual terror. It's over with just a few words, so it's useless for threats. That's why I prepared something else.”
“…”
“It's my favorite weapon.”
A *click* was heard.
“Father was ecstatic about it. What about you, little brother? Do you like it?"
“…Where in the world did you come from?”
“Shall I give you a little taste?”
Darcy twisted the gun pressed to the center of Ryan's forehead, then suddenly leaned in close and muttered, as if chewing his words.
“The dog who lived in the abandoned palace for Kies's sake. The true nature of the Saisen Palace you ignored—that's me.”
His face, filled with bone-deep hatred, was ferocious. Ryan's eyes flew open.
*The Saisen Palace.*
Wasn't that the forbidden space he was set to inherit soon?
“…Are you the one Father was hiding?”
He had always thought something was being hidden in the Saisen Palace.
He just never imagined it was a prince like this.
Darcy pressed the muzzle of the gun harder and spoke in a low voice. Their eyes met.
“You don't even appreciate that I spared you when we were children.”
“What are you…”
“Ryan Stregen. That was the last mercy I ever showed you.”
“Mercy?”
Darcy's gaze relentlessly pursued him.
In a fleeting moment, Ryan recalled a memory from his childhood.
A memory he didn't even know why he'd forgotten returned in an instant.
As a child, Ryan had fearlessly entered the Saisen Palace. He had wanted to uncover its secrets.
And there, he had met this man.
…Yes. He had met this man before.
