Chapter . 57
“Brother Leontes is satisfied with having bought favor that we do not know when will end in exchange for keeping his mouth shut despite knowing where the dragon's egg is due to Imperial Father’s pressure; Marquis Steiner expects that since he formed an alliance with Brother, he will tell him someday; and Brother Maximilian, instead of us all joining forces to persuade Brother Leontes, which would still be insufficient, is only picking fights with this person and that person!”
Cute.
‘I really must be crazy.’
Trying to think a horned dragon is cute even before it comes out of the egg, now I find all sorts of things…….
“Hahahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
“Hahahahaha!”
Laughter burst out, starting with Maximilian. Alexander, and the rest of the knights excluding the Lauderdale knights, all laughed. I alone smiled elegantly.
In fact, Desmond’s words were not wrong. At least in this setting, he openly spoke about the issues we had only been poking at each other about.
It was just that his older brothers were the type of guys who would rather laugh it off and treat him like a fool than be lectured by him.
As for me, I had not merely stolen the dragon's egg but had already contracted with the dragon, and since Imperial Father and the other brothers had not even sensed that fact, I did not care how anyone misunderstood me.
‘Rather, the more such misunderstandings are fueled, the better.’
However, looking at my biological brother and half-brother laughing off Desmond’s words as if competing, their hidden intentions were also understandable.
Let’s assume that, just as they fabricated, I only knew the location of the dragon's egg. If the three brothers had persuaded me together as Desmond said, I might have held their hands instead of Imperial Father’s.
“Do not worry, Desmond. Even if Imperial Father’s favor disappears, did I not say I would protect Prince Leontes?”
Alexander dropped the honorifics, taking advantage of this gap.
“Why do you protect my brother? Anyway, as you form an alliance with me, he will eventually come to form an alliance with me on his own feet.”
However, even if the two older brothers claimed it was to persuade me, they distrusted each other too much to join hands.
‘At the same time, each of them is confident that he alone can persuade me.’
Then I had no choice but to leave them be.
Or perhaps fuel that delusion of theirs even more.
“No matter how cheeky a child’s words may be, he spoke so earnestly in his own way; is it something for older brothers to laugh at like that?”
I delivered a rebuke while pretending to be kind alone, just like Rhiannon’s method, and instead of Desmond, who was blushing at the word ‘child’, I pulled Michelon forward.
“Rather than that, since we are gathered like this, I would like to introduce my new foster brother.”
“It is truly an honor to meet you. Two Princes, Marquis Steiner, and all other knights, I am called Michelon. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”
While the imperial bloodlines were fighting like dogs, Michelon, who had been standing quietly with Sir Rolf in the back, came out and greeted them. Maximilian called him before Alexander could.
“I did hear you picked up some loafer from the street.”
“Michelon, go to Brother.”
Since Michelon had only listened to the conversation between me and my brother, talking to my brother directly might give him a different feeling. Good parenting would be letting him pursue various possibilities as he wished.
As Michelon stepped forward, my brother gestured with his chin, and his two knights grabbed him from both sides and made him kneel. Reinhard, who always stood by my brother’s side, stood behind him. This was the method my brother used when dealing with traitors.
I tried to step in, but Michelon looked up at Maximilian with his back straight even while kneeling without making a sound.
He could handle it alone. I also thought I should not interfere with the first meeting between Michelon and Maximilian. Since he was of imperial blood, he had the right to meet the dragon for the contract anyway.
Above all, as long as Michelon entered the Imperial Palace, it was a verification process he had to go through once. If so, it was better for him to undergo it in a place where I was watching, so I could stop it if it went too far. It is a common tactic to secretly attack those who receive the enemy’s favor behind the enemy’s back.
“I heard you are his foster brother, but it shows that you grew up without parents.”
My brother said while staring at me. Measuring my reaction to Michelon.
“His mother died. As you know, Brother.”
“I remember too. She was a good person.”
“More than you, Brother.”
“Hahaha! When you were young, wasn't that the bosom you ran away to and clung to in order to avoid my discipline? I understand that heart of yours which is still young, of course.”
Then, my brother turned his attention to Michelon.
“Did you say you do not know who your parents are?”
“I do not know.”
“You grew up confined since childhood?”
“That is correct.”
“For a guy who couldn't have met people often, you speak well. Your demeanor is also refined like a prodigal son causing a scene in high society. Regarding that point, it seems there is nothing more to learn from Marquis Steiner here.”
“I spoke with the person who took care of me, but he died not long ago, and those who confined me also spoke to me in the way a jailer treats a prisoner. Also, I was able to read freely.”
“So, you say you do not even know where that place of confinement was? Even though you suddenly appeared in Elan?”
“The day before I left, the food tasted strange so I tried not to eat it, but the captors force-fed me. I fell into a deep sleep after eating it and woke up inside a shaking carriage. The ones moving me were plotting to kill me, so I pretended to be asleep and then counterattacked and escaped.”
“Did you kill them all?”
“Yes. However, there might have been someone who ran away. Since I was also busy fleeing from that spot.”
“And the place where you woke up and killed those trying to kill you was near the Great Temple?”
“That is correct.”
“Hearing the tearful moving story of you and my brother, I investigated that vicinity thoroughly to see if there were any corpses abandoned or hidden by the roadside. But there was not a single one that day. There were no witnesses to the fight either.”
“Most of the fight happened inside the carriage where I was confined, and there happened to be no people nearby. Even if there were witnesses, they might have been too terrified to speak. I do not know about the corpses disappearing. They were merely henchmen. Their mastermind must have cleaned up their bodies upon realizing they botched the job.”
“That is a story that fits together quite perfectly.”
“Because it is the deduction of the wise Prince Leontes. When I told him in detail what happened to me, he said it probably happened that way.”
“Everyone thinks you must be the illegitimate child of someone with high status; is there anyone in particular you want to take as parents?”
“Well, the higher the status, the better. But for now, I am the son of the nanny whom Prince Leontes loves.”
My brother did not ask further and gestured with his hand. Then Reinhard offered a large crystal ball from behind, holding it over Michelon’s head. At this moment, if a traitor raised their head unable to bear the tension and pressure as if an execution block was passing over their head, Reinhard would drop the crystal, which had anti-destruction magic cast on it, onto that head. If Desmond’s Sir Edward was ferocious, my brother’s Reinhard was harsh.
Michelon’s hand was placed on the crystal transported in that manner; if the crystal clouded, it was a lie, and if it remained clear, it was the truth. The more the crystal clouded, the more lies there were, and the opposite meant truthfulness.
The knight still holding Michelon’s arm placed his hand on the crystal. The crystal was as clear as a cloudless sky.
Because I had activated the Portrait Ring. Even though the Crystal of Truth was a rare and powerful artifact, the Portrait Ring nullified even that. There was no need to add my power as I had initially expected.
“My brother followed the nanny who died when he was young very closely, and he still harbors affectionate feelings.”
After removing the crystal, my brother continued.
“It is his weakness.”
“It is my strength. If it were not for the nanny, I would have overturned Brother’s bath and then some when Brother interrogated my foster brother.”
Right, I can just overturn the bath or whatever someday. As expected, Nanny always gives me good ideas.
“Since she wished for me to get along well with Brother, I endure it occasionally. But even so, if you insult the deceased, I will not forgive you.”
At my retort, my brother raised both hands as if to show off, then spoke to Michelon again.
“You saw, right? Even I am below the nanny to him.”
Even a dog is above my brother to me.
“Since she is a dead person, I will tolerate it, but if you use my brother’s heart toward the nanny, I will not leave you be.”
“I am loyal to Prince Leontes. I will never betray him.”
“Then there will be no reason for me to cut off your limbs and hang them at the crossroads.”
“You see me as a weak person who falls for affection. He might point a sword at you, Brother, out of loyalty to me.”
At my words, my brother grinned.
“If that happens, I will hang his corpse outside your prison, not at the crossroads. Make bone-deep atonement before the death of your foster brother.”
On the way back, Michelon asked.
“If your brother is ugly, how do I look in your eyes?”
“Handsome.”
“But you said your brother is ugly?”
“Because he has the most arrogant face in the world. He is obnoxious when he smiles and looks like a madman when he gets angry. Even his posture is arrogant. Since he is always lying down.”
“…Do you think your face is handsome or ugly?”
“Ugly. Since I don’t smile often, and my smiling is particularly awkward.”
Sir Rolf sighed. Other courtiers would have flattered fervently at a time like this. I liked that aspect of him.
“That is not true.”
Michelon said firmly.
“That my brother is handsome?”
“That you are handsome.”
“My smiling is—”
“Smile often, then.”
“If I have to smile often to look handsome, am I really handsome?”
“Don’t nitpick. Since I am handsome, as you admitted, believe my words as a handsome person.”
Because I did not spare encouragement and praise while raising him, Michelon was returning it to me exactly. It was a fresh feeling.
This time I asked.
“My brother really was a dog polymorph, right?”
“…No.”
“Why?”
“Because dogs are good animals.”
“Your words are correct.”
“…From now on, you may think of me as a brother.”
“I am already doing so.”
“Not as a foster brother, but as a replacement for them.”
“I said I am already doing so.”
“…Think harder. Every time you think of them.”
“……”
“Why are you staring like that?”
“It is fascinating because I cannot distinguish whether your face is holding back a sigh or holding back anger.”
“What did you say?”
“Now I can tell at a glance, it’s an angry face.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“Yeah. I wished for a brother I could joke with like this.”
“……”
“It is nice. Joking with a brother.”
“…Do it only once a day.”
“Every day?”
“Every day.”
***
“Before your biological brother cuts off my limbs, your half-brother is trying to beat him to the punch.”
Michelon began receiving knight training under Alexander. He showed tremendous talent, but he could not compete with a Sword Master right away.
So Sir Rolf mostly assisted with the sparring, and both of their skills grew rapidly. If things went well, I might end up commanding two Sword Masters. I would not envy ten cousin knights.
“Prince, this book is interesting. May I read other books too?”
Nanette, for her part, took an interest in studying.
Just when I thought it was time to move to the next stage since the surrounding conditions had stabilized a bit, something unexpected happened.
“You say it is a gift bestowed by Imperial Father?”
“That is correct, Prince Leontes. This is truly a great honor. His Majesty the Emperor does not bestow mages even to direct imperial family members.”
The Chancellor’s words were true. Imperial Father was not someone to give away mages, nor could he. He lost many mages when he tried to turn Ilaves into a human, and even after that, he constantly needed mages to confine Michelon.
And yet, he is bestowing a mage on me?
“His Majesty the Emperor thinks highly of the Prince’s loyalty. He hopes the Prince will continue to be an exemplar for the other brothers. Therefore, he felt it was regrettable that the most filial Prince did not have a mage.”
Saying so, the Chancellor spoke to the mage he brought.
“Show your face.”
Then the mage took off the mask made of silver. A surprisingly beautiful woman.
Charm magic. Although not a permanent effect, one who sees that face loses their mind to that beauty. A beauty trap that the imperial family members, who monopolized magic, used well against enemies but filtered out for themselves by detecting with magic.
In an instant, the Chancellor, Sir Rolf, and Michelon all had their eyes stolen by the mage. I almost did too.
If it were not magic I could recognize.
Unwavering stability, excellent technique, indeed…….
“Convey to Imperial Father that it is truly a great honor.”
It was Imperial Father sending a watcher to bewitch his son under the guise of a reward, but this time I could not help but be truly grateful.
“I will do so, Prince. Then I will see you again next time.”
As the Chancellor left with a pleased smile, I asked the mage sent by Imperial Father.
“Your name?”
“I am called Evelyn.”
“Imperial Father called you that, but I want to call you differently.”
The red-haired mage smiled and said.
“As the Prince wishes.”
But I did not forget those eyes. How wary those eyes, which I had missed so much, were of me right now.