CH. 82 — GUARDIAN OF THE 3RD PRINCE

The conversation about the competition quickly spread across Barossa.

Recently, the atmosphere was so solemn that the New Year’s party could not even be held, so there were many who agreed that it was necessary to soften it to some extent.

Without any disagreement about the talents of the princes to be displayed in the competition, Crown Prince Ascensio thought about displaying his swordsmanship skill, while the 2nd Prince Stoneham would play an instrument.

However, the 3rd Prince Leon, who was still young and without a single nanny to take care of his overall discipline, had difficulty finding something to put forward as his talent.

If there were adults who could represent him, he could be excused from directly competing, however, at the moment, there was no one who could do that in the 2nd Consort’s stead. This meant that he could not refuse to participate by implicit rules.

“Can I ask Sir Rohan for a favor?”

Marie shook her head as Dorian bit her lip.

“That means Sir Rohan will become the ‘adult’ of the 2nd Consort’s Palace. What does becoming an adult of the imperial palace mean?

“Ah…”

It means the man of the consort.

“Unless there is an age difference enough not to be misunderstood, or unless there is a blood relationship that is understandable, then the adult of the 2nd Consort must be a woman.”

“What if the western mage keeps coming?”

Sir Rohan and Mage Georg kept blocking him, but he did not give up. No one knew what his purpose was, but for the members of the 2nd Consort’s Palace, the fact that the 3rd Prince was afraid was enough reason to dislike him.

“The 2nd Consort should come back soon.”

Marie didn’t really have a good way. Everyone was just hanging in there now.

Dorian’s face darkened. The 3rd Prince was young and precious, so of course it was great that he was fine, but she felt different.

She felt deeply guilty about the fact that she had left the 2nd Consort and returned alone. Marie knew it too and warned her a few times, but it didn’t get better.

“Bring some snacks to the 3rd Prince. He especially likes it when you bring it to him.”

She knew these words should make her feel better, but it didn’t work that well.

“Yes.”

Dorian smiled faintly and looked down, and then she went to get some freshly baked cookies and milk.

“Huungh…”

Leon was worried because he wasn’t good at anything.

“Isn’t our prince smart? Swords and musical instruments are mostly played when one gets older, it would be weird if the youngest 3rd Prince does it like them.”

Feeling upset, Jillian stomped her feet.

“But if I can’t do it, people will point fingers at Mother. And they will say that I have no one who can properly discipline me… They said they would find someone to entrust me with without Mother’s permission.”

“Who said that? Ah, 2nd Prince Stoneham when he last came?”

So that was the reason Stoneham, who came with Isabelle to console him, seemed concerned about Leon and dragged him to the corner saying he would play with him.

“Don’t worry, 3rd Prince. Sir Rohan may not be your guardian, but you have the power not to make anyone your guardian.”

Perhaps thinking that he was being a burden again, the little prince’s small head was bent down. Jillian thought it would have been nice to have that mean crown prince at a time like this. She personally didn’t get along well with him, but he loved his younger brother so much. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even step out of the Crown Prince’s Palace these days.

This was because the bad guy with red hair was constantly pushing him.

It might’ve been because of the competition, but there were signs of the crown prince taking part in the affairs of the 2nd Consort and cracking down on it in advance for fear of causing another problem. Why did that red hair hate everything related to the 2nd Consort so much?

That man dislikes this lovely 3rd Prince as well as Sir Rohan so much that even my dull teacher could see it.

“You two, have a conversation while eating this.”

Whether Dorian intentionally gave a lift so as not to make them surprised, she approached with a silver tray.

On top of it were butter cookies and strawberry jam, white milk and juice. Each one was made with high-quality ingredients and tasted good.

Since the 2nd Consort’s Palace was far from being luxurious, Jillian was worried about whether she and her master should go out and earn money, wondering if it would become even more impoverished if the 2nd Consort was not coming back.

But according to the maid Jean-Marie, there were many people who helped, so she didn’t need to worry about that.

“Dorian, sit down, too.”

“Pardon? Me, Your Highness?”

“Yes, what do you think I’m good at, Dorian?”

“Well, everything about you is good.”

“No, no. I mean something that can be shown to people. Something that I’m good at so they can see.”

Like Marie, Leon also paid a lot of attention to Dorian. Leon was worried that Dorian would cry alone. He was fine because he had Rohan, but who would comfort Dorian?

So he talked and laughed more.

Would Dorian be less sad now?

“I know. It’s not fair. What our prince does best is to be loved. It’s such a pity we cannot brag about that.”

Dorian said. Her lips were raised softly. At least, it seemed that Dorian could smile more, so Leon liked it too.

At that time.

“Right!”

With that exclamation, Jillian clapped her hands together.

“What’s the matter?”

When Leon with round blue eyes asked, Jillian shook her head.

“I’ll tell you later. I’ll have to check it out first.”

Thinking nothing bad could happen, he said he understood in reply. He then thought about it for another couple of hours, but he couldn’t find anything that could be called a talent.

***

Two swords were clashing in the training hall.

Chaeeng!

“Again!”

Chaeeng!

“Again!”

The blade stood at Blemir’s voice. Ascensio, who nearly missed the protruding sword, lowered his arm with a tight grip on his hand.

From the tip of his fingertips to his entire arm, he was trembling. Even after being given a handicap of not using mana, his opponent was still the swordmaster and the best sword in the empire.

“Marquis, do we really have to do this?”

“I didn’t know that there would be a day when I cannot understand the Crown Prince’s words.”

“I was only going to visit for a while. Marquis is also worried about the 2nd Consort and pays a lot of attention to the 2nd Consort. Was it all purely because of my request?”

Blemir flinched.

Although the public only knew that it was due to the crown prince’s influence that more power than necessary was exerted to find the whereabouts of the 2nd Consort, he himself, and no one else, knew that this was not the case.

Also, where did that feeling come from?

The emperor might have noticed it, but even though his nephew, the crown prince, asked it without knowing anything, Blemir felt unpleasant as if he had been stabbed in the right place.

“Marquis, you’re my only family left. Can’t I know about this?”

At Ascensio’s expression, Blemir shuddered. Most of the time, he’d step down and relent.

But.

“Your Highness, didn’t you say that until you succeed in attacking or defending once, you will not stop anything?

Blemir hated everything about the 2nd Consort’s Palace. Even the owner of the 2nd Consort’s Palace.

Blemir wanted to erase that title from her. He wanted to remove all the obstacles that held her and brought only her to him.

He wanted to run to the Santiano Empire and the desert at any moment and find her with his own hands. So, if he found her.

If he found her…!

Perhaps seeing an opportunity from the brief distraction, Ascensio launched a sneak attack he wouldn’t have normally done.

Swaeegh!

The tip of the sword narrowed the space and pierced it. Ascensio, who didn’t know if it was going to work, was even more bewildered.

The moment he was about to shout to avoid it.

Blemir, who slipped the attack just by twisting his body a little just before it reached him, started a counterattack unlike before.

Kung!

He took a big step and turned half a turn. Standing next to Ascensio, whose arm was still stretched, not yet having retrieved his sword. Blemir slammed Ascensio’s sword down with the lower part of the handle of his sword.

Kaaang!

Ascensio tried not to let go of his sword, but it went all the way down.

Chaeng-grang!

In the end, he collapsed on the black floor of the training hall and almost bumped his chin on the floor, but Blemir grabbed his back and he barely escaped it.

When Blemir let go of what he was holding, Ascensio stood upright on his feet.

“You have to win the competition. There are many people who will try to lead the situation to their advantage by finding it a flaw that the crown prince is on the side of the 2nd Consort. Do not show any weakness.”

Moving away from the other side, Blemir faced the crown prince.

“Come.”

Said Blemir. Ascensio just stared at him and asked.

“Didn’t you ask me to make you emperor?”

He had. On that young day when he lost his mother, he had asked for help to become an emperor by holding the hand of the young maternal uncle.

Picking up the sword Ascensio had dropped, he kicked the floor and ran. Ascensio’s sword was drawn diagonally down.

Blemir knocked it out and said.

“Again!”

The battle did not end until nightfall.

***

The morning of the competition day was bright.

The competition was held in the garden, which the 1st Consort was proud of. The other day, the 2nd Consort had turned this place into a muddy swamp to test the power of the water spirit.

“Wow, how can it be so beautiful?”

“Isn’t that a flower that only grows in the Phenomin Kingdom?”

“That tree is also a rare species that is cherished even in the distant Zeon Empire. It must be difficult to grow because it is sensitive. I guess it’s  true that one can adjust the temperature by putting mana stones in the garden.”

The garden had changed so much that it was impossible to recall the horrors of the past. With the power of money, it had become more beautiful and splendid than the original.

When referring to the garden of the 1st Consort, the 2nd Consort was no longer mentioned, and all the guests were talking about was today’s competition.

In the center of the garden was an oval podium with a marble floor. It was made to be used as a concert hall for concerts or plays, or to enjoy entertainment like today.

There was a fountain on the other side of the podium, and it was unique in that the fountain, which was usually round, was drawn narrowly and long as if it were wrapping the outer rim of the podium.

The invitees arrived one by one. They were escorted to other places where the podium was well visible.

There were quite a number of tables covered with white cloth here and there, indicating that the scale of today’s event was bigger than rumors.

“Welcome.”

When the 1st Consort, who was greeting the guest, found someone approaching from the other side, her green eyes were filled with light. 

“Your Majesty!”

Isabelle scrambled to her feet and stood in front of Kaiden. Then, when she saw those coming from behind Kaiden, she lowered her gaze for a moment before lifting it up.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you worked so hard on your swordsmanship that even rumors are spreading in Barossa. The younger brothers should imitate the sincerity of Your Highness.”

“They’re young, so just let them do as much as they can. If we push it too much, they may get tired quickly.”

Ascensio responded to the greeting with a greeting. Blemir didn’t pay any attention to them. He stared intently at only the handsome man with black hair standing in front of him.

This amount of time had passed even after he promised to give him an answer. He went to see him once more in the middle, but he didn’t even meet him at all.

When he was checking separately, he received a message telling the Marquis to focus on his own work.

“Let’s go in, Marquis.”

Kaiden treated Blemir as if nothing had ever happened. Blemir thought he was also good at pretending.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Blemir, who answered, moved with him and settled in the seat assigned to him.

As time passed, no one came from the 2nd Consort Palace, and by the time the banquet was about to begin, Georg, known as a mage, and his disciple, arrived with the 3rd Prince. The surrounding noise grew. Even if he was a mage, he was not the owner of the Magic Tower, so the fact that he brought the two children by himself was too eye-catching.

Rohan’s name was mentioned several times and then disappeared. Everyone who knew him knew that he went on a monster hunt.

And everyone was happy and grateful that there was Georg in the 2nd Consort Palace. Georg just smiled and moved on.

“Now that everyone is here, shall we start the competition?”

Isabelle said with red lips full of satisfaction.

Just by the disappearance of the 2nd Consort, who was like a thorn in the eye, it felt as if the damage suffered by moving the Shadow Knights recklessly was not a loss.

Actually, her brother, Raymond, had lost a lot more compared to her.

She was even happy because it seemed like the emperor took her side more. So, she hoped today’s banquet went well according to her wishes.

At Isabelle’s call, the three princes marched in front of everyone.