Shadowless Night

“What are you doing right now…?”

Ricardis was speechless and just looked at Calyx. The culprit who created this situation jumped up with a relieved look. Ricardis laughed at the absurdity. Both brother and sister like to take turns hitting people over the head. Is it a characteristic of the Radwiell family to confound people?

Calyx raised the corners of his lips coolly and smiled. Isserion had wilted in that short time. Ricardis also spent some time covering his mouth with a grave expression. Perhaps the aftermath of this sudden action was more considerable than expected. Ten minutes passed without a word.

“So, Young Lord… Just now… did you declare that you would become my knight?”

“Yes, that’s right. However, I have no intention of joining the Knights of the White Night.”

“If you don’t have that intention, why did you make this… this… this kind of a ruckus?!”

Isserion was furious. Calyx shrugged his shoulders.

“Well… That… First, I want to show you my determination. I did not join the Knights of the White Night because a human being's value isn't only in their physical strength.

"I can exert the most power as the Radwiell heir and when I fully have the backing of the Radwiell name. Joining the Knights of the White Night doesn’t mean that the Radwiell name will disappear, but wouldn’t it be difficult for the successor’s standing to remain? Just like what happened to Sister. Under this name, I will join forces to help you in any way.”

Ricardis had an expression similar to Calyx's before: dubious and suspicious. He didn't hide it and revealed it so openly that one might suspect he was unaware of the face he made. Ricardis sat down in his chair. Everyone was standing even though there were chairs, but soon they came to their senses and sat down.

“Young Lord Calyx, do you want to know how I feel now?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“It feels like a whole beehive fell when I went to gather some honey.”

“Is that so?”

“Bees are flying around the hive, but there is no need to worry because it is a non-stinging type. All that’s left is to carry a honeycomb full of honey and go.”

Ricardis pretended to trace the bee's trajectory with his fingers. ‘He is a person with a much cuter side than I thought.’ Calyx stifled a laugh.

“Are you laughing in this situation?'

Ricardis wanted to take a peek inside this carefree man's head. ‘Anyway, these dark-haired siblings…’

“Tell me how you came to this conclusion. I'm not nicely asking because you’ve sworn to be my subordinate.” 

Calyx laced his fingers together and tapped his thumbs against each other slowly. He seemed to be pondering something.

“It’s not that I fell in love with His Highness.”

“…I don't want that either.”

Ricardis frowned in disgust. Calyx smirked at his revolted look.

“It’s just that my sister can’t let go of His Highness.”

“Are you trying to take a risky road because of simple family love?”

“Yes,” Calyx answered. 

There was a firm determination in his voice. ‘It's time to do it right.’ Ricardis looked deeply into Calyx's eyes.

He knew well what the person with this expression was thinking, what he would do, and what kind of determination he had. It was a look that reminded him of the old Rosaline. It was the look of someone who could give his life for something. It was the kind of heart that was hardened and not easily broken.

His stomach cramped. There were many similarities between these siblings.

"I'd like to explain how shitty it feels to receive a unilateral sacrifice…”

“…”

“First of all, let’s start with this.”

Ricardis got up and pulled flowers out of the vase at the side of the table. Isserion let out a horrified sound. 

“Those precious flowers…!”

Ricardis took the water from the vase and poured it on Calyx's forehead. Water dripped down his nose, but Calyx, suddenly baptized with water, only blinked.

"Under the brilliance of the glorified Idelavhim, I appoint Calyx Radwiell as a knight of the Laurel of the Snowfield, Ricardis Darius Illavenia."

“Your Highness!” Isserion shouted. 

Despite that, he clapped properly.

“… I honestly didn’t think you would accept me. Do you believe in me?” 

Ricardis wiped his hands on Calyx’s clothes. The look on his face was natural, and you couldn't see the shock within.

“The blunt nature of the Radwiells is well known. You don't have the personality to be vain and become a thug, and, if nothing else, I know that you love your sister terribly. Your hands will never endanger Sir Rosaline. I don't believe in you; I believe in your fears. I believe in fear, which only those who have suffered loss know.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Calyx bowed his head deeply and answered.

***

‘An unknown existence, capable of mimicking… Manipulating magical powers…’

After that, Ricardis talked with Calyx for a while longer. Next to the two men who remained expressionless, Isserion's face turned white as if his blood had been drained away, and then he gradually turned blue.

Whenever information comes and goes, Isserion said, ‘Hoh! Hoh!’ He interrupted the conversation several times by making a sound no one could identify as an exclamation or a scream.

Calyx checked Ricardis' reaction in the meantime. He had a calm attitude as if he had already acquired the information or had guessed in advance. Surprisingly, he seemed to know more about Rosaline than Calyx had expected.

After moistening his throat with tea, Calyx hesitated, playing with his hands.

“…May I ask you one thing, Your Highness?"

“Why are you so reluctant to ask? How incredible is this question?

“That… About my sister… How did you know?”

Calyx rarely spoke nonsense. Ricardis knew exactly what he was trying to say: ‘How did you know that my sister was a completely separate being from before?’ Ricardis burst out laughing.

“…To be honest, isn't it weirder if you don’t notice? A person who could only arm wrestle with apprentice knights until the accident loses her memory and can now beat and subdue the assassins with her bare hands?”

“Did you not think that she’s been hiding her true nature just as my father explained to everyone? Honestly, I think that story is more convincing.”

“Ah,” Ricardis exclaimed. “Come to think of it. Count Radwiell did say that Sir Rosaline has been a mage since the day she was born.”

He smiled as if it was ridiculous and continued.

“Not even for a moment. If Sir Rosaline was a real mage, she would’ve blocked the dangers around Setistia. I didn’t get along very well with her, but she was reliable in that regard because she was that kind of person.”

“Is that so…” Calyx answered with a hoarse voice.

“And, one more thing.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Don't say anything.”

Ricardis meant for him not to tell Rosaline that he knew she wasn’t the same as the ‘Rosaline’ of the past. Calyx closed his mouth and looked into his deep eyes.

He tried to weigh any advantages or disadvantages of Ricardis' command, but he was uncertain as he could not entirely know what the Prince was thinking. Still, he couldn’t imagine Ricardis would do anything to harm his sister.

“I swear on my name.”

On the contrary, Ricardis’ expression changed to one of apprehension.

“That wasn’t the reaction I expected… What…? Do you have that much faith in me?”

When Ricardis raised an eyebrow, Calyx smiled lightly.

“You can think of it that way.”

“It’s such an honor.”

Hearing Ricardis' sarcastic remark, Calyx stood up.

“I wasted too much of a precious person’s time. I'll go away."

“Let me contact you through Chloe. Are you going back to your county?”

“No. I will be staying in the capital for the time being. I have work to do." 

With those words, Calyx bowed his head to Ricardis and left the room.

Ricardis grinned. What a Radwiell. ‘Despite his sister’s death, he is still a hound that runs wild on the battlefield. His work must be quite difficult to deal with…’

Ricardis had a rough idea of what it was.

Ricardis heard from Calyx the story behind Rosaline’s unexpected death— that there was someone with the hand of a beast who followed her.

Based on the stories he heard, he slowly drew a picture of the scene in his mind. The person with the black shadow had an unknown identity. Was it a woman or a man? Their age, position, purpose? Everything was unclear.

Ricardis contemplated. If it were Rosaline, she wouldn't recklessly leave her position, and she wouldn't go in and out of anyone else's tent. Ricardis tapped the table with his index finger.

‘Then there is a high possibility she was on a side mission.'

He didn't hear that Knight Commander Starz gave her a separate mission, so it must have something to do with the deputy commander who died during the hunting competition. Based on Nathan's story, who was the assistant deputy commander at that time, the deputy commander had sent Rosaline out on an errand… Perhaps the target of that errand and Rosaline were close friends.

[She said that in one attack, ‘It' shredded her skin from her left shoulder to her right waist.]

The attack was without hesitation. Relentless pursuit until the prey falls off the cliff— the purpose was to eliminate witnesses rather than a simple killing for pleasure. Having hidden their identity, entering the Imperial Palace would not just be a matter of satisfying curiosity.