“Open your ears and listen well, Lionel.”
“Mm-hmm.”
At Cesare’s face turning scary, I hurriedly nodded my head vigorously. About three expected answers?
Even if it’s a joke, don’t imagine marrying me. It’s annoying.
Don’t show such perverted tendencies anywhere. It’s embarrassing.
Stop showing off and get lost.
But his answer exceeded my expectations.
“Even if by any chance you and I… became a thing… it would be father-in-law, not father-in-law.”
“Right, right. Not father-in-law but father-in… what?”
I unconsciously repeated his answer and was blankly staring at his chin when Cesare suddenly got angry and turned his head away sharply.
“Good grief. Do I have to teach you even that? Are you really some 5-year-old kid?”
Only after seeing Cesare’s slightly reddened earlobe did I realize what he was talking about. At the same time, my face also turned red and heated up.
‘C-crazy. I haven’t even thought that far yet…. Cesare is surprisingly fast….’
When I glanced at him while covering my red face, Cesare kept coughing and grumbling as if something displeased him. Mitche, playing on my forehead, tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.
You don’t need to know such things, cutie.
“Stupid thing. Hmm, ahem. Whether you’re pretending to be stupid. Or doing it knowing. How dare you climb up with your status. Kheum! Just sleep! This is so annoying I could die.”
Thud—Cesare’s palm covered my eyes.
Mmm. Not father-in-law but father-in-law…. The inside of the carriage was unnecessarily hot and quiet the whole way.
* * *
Before crossing over to Ilbrun, the largest city in the Taitus Principality, our tour group stayed overnight at an inn.
It was called an inn, but both the exterior and interior were quite luxurious. It seemed the principality had put effort into various aspects upon hearing that students from the Imperial Academy were coming from the Empire.
Since even Crown Prince Cedric was participating in the event, it would be a place with excellent facilities and security. Having changed into comfortable clothes in the guest room given until dinner time, I wandered around looking at the exotically designed grounds.
‘It looks like they repaired and provided a place like a noble’s villa. The natural wood interior is modest but not shabby and has dignity. Is the pillar style Sauer style?’
Having lived surrounded by merchant guild people since childhood, I couldn’t help but be interested when seeing new things.
‘If we make a resort in the Empire with principality style, would people like it? I should watch the kids’ reactions while eating dinner later.’
The Taitus Principality had mixed opinions within the Empire in many ways. Because it was a confederation of various northern lords, the culture was very different, and the pro-Empire and anti-Empire factions were divided and causing quite a bit of friction with us lately.
This tour group was actually coming as a sign of friendship because Princess Françoise, who had the largest territory in the principality, was engaged to Cedric. That’s why even though Cedric was attacked at Homecoming, they couldn’t carelessly cancel this schedule. From the imperial family’s position, they had to keep promoting that relations between the Empire and the principality were good.
“Oh, is this the refreshment room? How unique to make a greenhouse like this.”
When I opened the glass door leading to the indoor greenhouse, warm air heated by magic flowed out along with a fragrant flower scent. I was heading toward where white iron chairs and tables were placed when I heard someone already seated inside talking.
“Isn’t it almost time for dinner, senpai?”
“I’ll eat just one more, Jayden. You’re troublesome with your nagging.”
‘Gasp. It’s Cedric and Jayden.’
Of all people to run into, why these people?
I hadn’t seen Cedric once since seeing him in the library before falling. If it were me, if such a big scandal happened, I would have immediately chased after him, grabbed him by the collar and shaken him hard to make a bigger commotion, but waiting quietly for the rumor to die down seemed very Cedric-like.
They seemed not to have noticed me yet and were talking among themselves. Since there were many clichés of trying to leave forcibly at times like this, making noise by falling over with a crash and getting caught, I decided to just wait quietly behind a large statue.
“We need to go to the dining room soon, so could you go ahead and save some seats?”
“Of course, senpai.”
“Thanks. I’m reassured with you here.”
“It’s an honor!”
Sure enough, Jayden left the greenhouse with an excited expression and I could see Cedric cleaning up his spot too. I was about to let out a sigh of relief when Cedric suddenly said quietly.
“Won’t your legs get numb if you keep hiding there?”
“……!”
“You’re not planning to run away screaming this time too, are you? Mellans.”
I was quiet, so why was I caught? I just rolled my eyeballs and stamped my feet. When I didn’t reveal myself, Cedric eventually approached the statue and said gently.
“I heard everything from Priest Heiss. I heard it was because taboo restrictions were placed on you—are you feeling better now?”
“Uh… ah. Yes…. I think so. H-how did you know I was here….”
I hesitantly poked my head out just slightly and gave a silent bow. Cedric smiled brightly and waved his hand for me to come closer.
“Well, I heard the sound of someone coming in but not going out. Jayden didn’t notice, but I’ve been sensitively on edge since Homecoming. Plus, this pretty color of blonde hair isn’t common.”
Looking now, there was a large hole at the top of the statue so the other side was visible. It seemed my hair was visible through here.
I bowed my head deeply and offered an apology to Cedric.
“I’m sorry. About last time, I mean about the fall—I heard you were very troubled by it.”
“…It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”
“I really didn’t know such a rumor would spread. Because Cesare hid it from me…. If I had known right away, I would have gone to apologize. I’m ashamed.”
“Why bring up what’s not even good news? The truth will be revealed someday. We’re upright and innocent, so there’s no need for us to shrink back.”
Pat, pat—at Cedric’s touch patting my shoulder, I was deeply moved.
They say one word repays a thousand nyang debt—if it were Cesare, he would have fired off harsh words like ‘keeping your mouth shut is much better than making a big fuss with stupid actions.’ A magnanimous personality that contrasts with Cesare from one to ten.
“But it’s true that I suffered mentally. Enough to want compensation.”
Suddenly Cedric giggled and crossed his arms. I was startled and raised my head at those words. Meeting his purple eyes directly, I avoided his gaze for no reason even though I had nothing to feel guilty about.
I unavoidably lowered my head to his chest area, but unlike usual, something I often saw wasn’t there. The silver wing-shaped brooch.
‘The artifact isn’t there?’
I widened my eyes and stared intently at Cedric’s upper chest area, but the brooch was nowhere to be found.
“Um, Mellans?”
“Ah, yes yes!”
At Cedric’s call, I snapped to attention and took a straight posture again. Cedric awkwardly touched his upper chest and asked.
“Did I get something… on here?”
“No! No! Th-that brooch you always wore isn’t there. The silver wing-shaped brooch.”
At my words, Cedric burst into an embarrassed laugh.
“Haha! So you were looking at the brooch usually! I thought! Since you always stared here, I thought like other people you were looking at my chest!”
Of course I looked at your chest too. Hehe. Yeah. It looked good today too. Though Mitche seems to prefer Cesare’s chest.
“It’s not a boast, but my chest is a bit bigger than others’… I do feel self-conscious and cover it, but I can’t help people’s gazes. I heard Abamama’s side of the family has naturally large builds.”
Mm-hmm. So the reason the chest is amazing is genetics~. The Divine One must have been so impressed that even Ju Shinyoung described it brilliantly in the original. Anyway, leaving behind the magnificent chest today too, I asked about the brooch.
“Could I know where you got that brooch? I want one too.”
“Ah, that belongs to Omamama.”
“The Empress’s?”
Half with the Duke of Yanox, half with the Empress—an artifact? This smelled like a makjang drama somehow.
“I usually use it to fasten my uniform cape, but I can’t wear the uniform during break period, so I took it off temporarily.”
“Isn’t there anywhere I could buy something exactly like that?”
“Hmm. Well. It’s an old item, so I don’t really know which workshop it’s from….”
I immediately guessed from the phrase “workshop item” that Cedric didn’t know this was an artifact.
“Then could you ask the Empress where it came from?”
“Well….”
Unlike him, Cedric trailed off and looked away uncomfortably. Seizing the opportunity there, I took the bait.
“Actually, there was a brooch exactly like that that my late mother had too.”
This is a method Cesare often uses when gathering information from friends. Throwing it out first without knowing anything and testing the waters. I decided to fully utilize that.
“What?”
“Did you know that originally the wings weren’t just one side but a pair? There’s another half of a wing.”
“That can’t be…. This belongs to Omamama.”
As expected. Cedric’s face clouded slightly at my question. He seemed to know nothing.
Anyway, if the Empress gave it, it didn’t seem like he would easily give it to me. Since he wasn’t someone who could be bought with money, in that case it was best to just insist it was mine. Moreover, for reasons unknown, Cedric didn’t even seem to be in a situation where communication with the Empress was possible.
“I’m certain it’s exactly like the other half at our main house.”
“Hmm.”
“After my parents passed away in a fire accident, the household was in disorder for a while. People trespassed into the burned mansion and stole mother’s jewelry and anything worth money.”
I made a sad expression and tried to shed tears.
“My parents passed away so suddenly… I didn’t even have time to gather memorable items. When I met Cedric-senpai and saw that brooch, I was certain it was the other half… but I couldn’t dare ask senpai for it, so I could only stare at it….”
“…Me, Mellans?”
“Since the Empress gave it to you…. If you treasured it…. Heuk!”
Drip.
Finally, a tear fell from my eye.
