Chapter 84
“Turns out Dylan was the smart one for quitting early.”
“Exactly. After everything the crown prince did to him, he still had the nerve to offer Dylan a position as his personal knight? Shameless.”
The three father and sons spoke with one voice, openly criticizing the crown prince’s outrageous behavior.
Meanwhile, Asil slipped over to Briden and Lilibet, both frozen stiff in confusion, and whispered to them.
“They’re really good people. They’ll be kind to you too, both of you.”
Asil promises.
If they ever bully you like Duke Skya did, Asil will run over and beat them up for you!
Asil held out her pinky.
Lilibet stared at that tiny finger, her own eyes trembling. Then she murmured,
“You’re… like a guardian angel.”
“Guardian angel?”
“Mm. You suddenly showed up out of nowhere, helped us, saved our lives… and even brought people who knew Mom…”
Lilibet rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
“You really are like a guardian angel.”
“……”
“I’ve decided something. They say the master of a divine beast can become head of a ducal household, right? I’ll study really hard and become the head of the ducal house. Then I’ll protect you forever, Asil.”
“I still don’t really know if we can trust those people.”
Briden, far more cautious than Lilibet, cast a wary glance toward the three Feyrunt men.
“But if it’s just the three of us… we’ll always end up relying on your help.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do mind. You said friends help each other, right? I want to help you too. So I’ll go with them and become someone much better than I am now.”
“Great. And after that, you can marry Asil.”
“W-what?”
“What?!”
Asil and Briden shouted at the same time, startled by Lilibet’s completely random declaration.
Lilibet, unfazed, replied casually,
“Then we’ll all become family.”
“What’s so great about being family?!”
Briden, overwhelmed and red as a beet, practically yelled.
“Did you even like your father?”
“No. But I know that wasn’t what a normal family is supposed to be.”
For a moment, Lilibet sounded older than her years.
She glanced at the Feyrunt father and sons, who looked so close and affectionate.
“A family is people who care for one another and cherish each other. That’s what I read in a book. And Brother, you care for me and look after me. So I’ll care for Asil and look after her too.”
“S-still! Marriage?!”
Briden, completely malfunctioning, pointed a shaking finger at Asil.
“She likes the Duke of Munrefe!”
“Asili likes Brother too.”
“……!”
She meant as a friend, of course. But Briden was in no state to interpret anything correctly.
His face turned alarmingly red. With trembling hands he jabbed a finger at Asil again and stammered,
“Y-you—you can’t just go around saying you like anyone!”
“Perfect. Then you two can get married.”
“I—I—I don’t want that! I won’t! I can’t marry her!”
Drowning in embarrassment, Briden bolted out of the room.
The three Feyrunt men stared wide-eyed after him.
Asil and Lilibet looked at each other and burst into bright, bubbling laughter.
Some time later.
A bolt of shocking news struck the crown prince’s palace.
“What do you mean Sir Rain is leaving? What nonsense is that?”
He was already irritated that Count Feyrunt had given up searching for the twins—and now Rain, too, was leaving the imperial service?
For a crown prince who considered everything within the palace his personal property, the news was an earthquake.
“I must see Sir Rain immediately.”
Unlike the current knight-commander, who had seized his position through connections, Rain had risen to vice-commander purely through skill.
He was far too valuable to lose. The crown prince leapt to his feet.
But the attendant’s next words froze him in place.
“Well… he already left at dawn after submitting his resignation.”
“…What? And why am I hearing this only
now?!”
“He asked us to inform Your Highness as late as possible… so as not to cause you distress—”
“That doesn’t even make sense!”
Bang!
The crown prince slammed the table, trembling with rage.
The attendant flinched—such violent behavior was unheard of from the supposedly gentle-tempered crown prince.
“A knight of the imperial order can’t just quit whenever he pleases! There are rules—procedures!”
“W-well… His mother strongly requested it, so she personally petitioned His Majesty the Emperor… and so, er… exceptions were made…”
Everyone knew how devoted the three Feyrunt brothers were to their mother, the countess, who was always said to be on the brink of death.
That was why the crown prince had even brought her up while trying to coax Dylan.
“Rain’s mother wanted it, did she?”
Some of the crown prince’s fury ebbed.
He assumed Rain had simply gone home to care for her, and once the sickly countess passed away, he’d naturally return.
With a magnanimous expression, he said,
“I see. A long journey will tire him. Prepare plenty of fine medicinal herbs for his mother.”
“Pardon? What do you…?”
“……?”
The attendant’s baffled reaction made the crown prince sit up straight.
“He’s returning to the borderlands, isn’t he?”
“Ah… well…”
The attendant faltered, bowing deeply.
“He said he was going to the Monlepe ducal house.”
“What?”
The crown prince shot to his feet.
“Why in the world would he go there?!”
“I-I am not sure, Your Highness. When I asked, he only said his mother wished it…”
“That cursed mother! Mother, mother, mother!”
Bang!
Objects on the table rattled violently.
He didn’t spare a thought for the fact that he himself had tried to use Rain’s mother to manipulate Dylan.
After fuming for a long while, he barked at the attendant,
“Summon Count Feyrunt. I must speak with him personally!”
Even if they weren’t the real twins, the crown prince intended to demand that, as gratitude for all the trouble he’d gone through sending them out, the Feyrunt family contribute troops to the war against the beastfolk.
The terrified attendant rushed out.
And soon returned with yet more bad news.
“Count Feyrunt has already returned to his territory. He also said an important family matter has arisen, so it may be difficult for him to come to the capital for the time being…”
“Then summon Sir Basian! As acting head of the family, he should still be in the capital!”
At this, the attendant squeezed his eyes shut.
He trembled like a shivering leaf, then confessed the last truth he had:
“……Sir Basian also departed for the Monlepe ducal house…”
Crash!
Unable to contain his rage, the crown prince hurled an ink bottle at the attendant.
Thankfully, it missed—but the ink splattered everywhere, leaving the attendant pale and speechless.
“Get out,” the crown prince growled.
“…Your Highness?”
“I said get out!”
The attendant fled in terror.
“Count Feyrunt…”
The crown prince ground his teeth.
Leaving without even paying him respect—this was no different from openly rebuking him for sending so many fake twins.
In other words, relations with the Feyrunt family were now completely broken.
He had invested time and effort sending the children and forging fake pendants—only to gain nothing.
He had tried to ensnare Basian and Dylan, yet he had only lost Laine… and the Feyrunt family would never join the war effort now.
“Aaaaaargh!!!”
The crown prince screamed, unable to bear his fury.
That damned Monlepe ducal house—just what trick had they used to steal Count Feyrunt’s loyalty?!
“Your Highness… I bring a message…”
At that moment, the chief attendant—who had come to deliver a decree from the emperor—stopped short, eyes wide at the sight of the crown prince’s rampage.
Not long after, whispers began circulating through the palace:
The crown prince did not possess the makings of a wise ruler… but of a tyrant.
Meanwhile, the crown prince’s palace wasn’t the only place overturned.
Recently, the Skya ducal estate blazed with lights late into the night.
“Where in blazes have those brats gone?!”
Duke Skya roared, throwing noble dignity aside as he shouted himself hoarse.
Without the children—especially Briden, the master of the divine beast—he could not summon the creature.
The duel with the Monlepe ducal house loomed ahead. Yet another catastrophe had struck.
“You incompetent fools! I said find them immediately—no matter what it takes!”
He raged wildly, tormenting the poor knights with groundless fury.
Then, spotting his belatedly summoned son, his eyes flashed.
“Caron!”
“Yes!”
“On the day the children disappeared, they say Lady Erzébet of the Count’s household came here!”
