Chapter 27
Sullivan laughed heartily. Carl, standing behind Sian, smiled contentedly at the praise.
“I heard there was a small altercation on the day of the group contract. We were so surprised to see such a fiery temper beneath that elegant appearance. We thought His Highness had changed his appearance and returned.”
Sian and Carl couldn’t hide their startled feelings at Sullivan’s words. Sian barely restrained herself from turning to look at Carl.
“I heard His Highness was as gentle as a saint.”
Carl, who had pushed the task of responding onto Sian, interjected with a voice two octaves higher.
“Oh my, don’t even mention it. A saint? Pardon me for saying this in his absence, but even a passing dog would laugh at that.”
Hahaha, Sullivan burst into laughter, clapping his hands as if he had heard an amusing joke. Sian finally couldn’t resist and turned to look at Carl.
Just what… kind of person were you?
Carl’s eyes wavered greatly, as if stung by Sian’s gaze.
“Having grown up only in the imperial palace, his standards are so high and his tastes so picky. There isn’t a single place in this castle that His Highness hasn’t touched, but even without knowing it, every brick in the castle walls is of the highest imperial quality. I thought I would die trying to procure materials to match His Highness’s tastes.”
“I see.”
Suddenly, the chandelier in the reception room came to mind. That extravagantly luxurious chandelier, supposedly crafted by some descendant of dwarves who had processed each crystal one by one.
He must have been scammed by the middleman merchant.
It was clear without even seeing it how much the middlemen merchants must have profited during the castle’s construction.
“This Ivarid Castle is our pride, but when I think about working while catering to his… whims, oh my…”
Sullivan grimaced and shuddered. It was natural for Carl’s eyes to narrow behind Sian at this.
“You must have had a hard time.”
For a moment, Sian suspected that Sullivan might know Karen was Prince Carlston and was just pretending not to know, but that wasn’t the case. If Sullivan had noticed that Karen was the Prince, he couldn’t have openly gossiped like this right in front of him.
Sian, somewhat relieved, willingly listened to Sullivan’s hardships.
“Still, not knowing where he is or what dangerous situation he might be in… We’re just full of worry now.”
“He’ll be fine.”
Sian tried to comfort Sullivan’s voice full of concern. Even Carl, who had been growling behind Sian just loud enough for her to hear, soon fell silent at Sullivan’s worried voice.
“I hope so. I shouldn’t be saying this to you ladies as third parties, but given how he disappeared in such a dangerous manner, my heart is very heavy.”
Sullivan lowered his voice, staring into the distant void as if longing for a first love.
“Since we’re on the topic, I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince attacked directly with a dragon. Have there been any threats since then?”
“No. Strengthening our defenses is just a precaution against any unforeseen situations. You might have seen it too, Lady, since you were in Ivarid, but His Highness’s dragon has shown itself recently.”
“Ah, yes. I saw it too.”
Although she had seen Idelin closer than anyone else, Sian pretended as if she was hearing about this for the first time.
“I’m not sure what kind of danger he might be exposed to, but in any case, Idelin moving directly is not a situation to be taken lightly…”
Sullivan’s face hardened, not even dreaming that it had been a trap to infiltrate the castle.
“We’re preparing for any possible situation. In His Highness’s absence, if the Crown Prince comes again, we have no choice but to follow His Highness’s orders.”
“…I see.”
Sian nodded. Unlike Sullivan, who was steeped in excessive worry, what Sian wanted to know was whether the Crown Prince had come again despite Carlston’s absence.
According to Sullivan’s words, it meant that at least for now, the Crown Prince hadn’t set his sights on Ivarid. However, it wasn’t reassuring enough for Carl to reveal himself, despite having gone to the trouble of infiltrating in women’s clothing.
“I apologize for asking this, but… His Highness was accused of killing the Emperor’s dragon, wasn’t he?”
Intending to probe Sullivan a bit more, Sian opened her mouth. Before Sian could finish speaking, Sullivan jumped in surprise, waving both hands.
“It’s a false accusation. A complete false accusation. His Highness had no reason to harm the Dragon King, nor did he ever do such a thing.”
“But surely His Highness the Crown Prince wouldn’t have attacked His Highness’s territory without any evidence?”
“We’re puzzled by that too, but in any case, we believe it’s a complete false accusation and someone’s plot to put His Highness in danger.”
“A plot…”
Sian murmured, following Sullivan’s words, and glanced back. Carl had half his face covered with the wig. Under the long black hair, his turquoise eyes shone darkly, filled with complex emotions.
“His Highness needs to return to prove it’s a false accusation, but it’s just frustrating that there are people misunderstanding like you, Lady.”
In any case, it meant that the people of Ivarid firmly believed in their Prince.
“With the Administrator’s sincere feelings like this, things will work out well.”
It was Carl, who had been silent until now, who spoke. Although he used a fake voice, due to his subdued emotions, it sounded very similar to the Prince’s natural voice.
“I’m sure His Highness is doing his best somewhere in his own way. Soon, he’ll clear his name and return proudly, just as you and others wish, Administrator.”
Sullivan stared at Carl with round eyes for a moment. Soon, he gave a gentle smile as if he had received encouragement from the Prince himself.
“Hearing such words from a Lady who resembles His Highness so closely gives me strength. Thank you for your comfort.”
Sullivan politely bowed his head towards Carl. Sian looked back and forth between Sullivan and Carl, secretly wrinkling her nose.
…Is he really certain that he doesn’t know Carl’s true identity?
She wondered, but it wasn’t something she could ask outright. As Sian closed her mouth, a calm wind, like the calm before a storm, gently enveloped the three of them once.
* * *
Night fell.
“The skirt is still too short. When I return, I’ll have to reform the uniforms first.”
Seeing Sian in the maid’s uniform, Carl narrowed his eyes, full of dissatisfaction.
While her appearance might be one thing, her uncommon platinum blonde hair posed a risk of identifying her later. So Sian had tied her hair up high, securing it with hair ornaments, and sprinkled black powder over it to darken her bright platinum blonde hair as much as possible.
“There’s definitely some discomfort. How on earth do they work in clothes like these…”
Sian clicked her tongue, smoothing down her skirt to adjust her appearance.
“Hmm… Carl, you make an excellent thief.”
Sian said, looking at Carl. With his naturally black hair, Carl was perfectly dressed as a thief who could easily blend into the shadows with just a black mask, without any special disguise.
Carl, who had thrown off the heavy wig after a long time, grinned.
“Even as a thief, I’m top-tier.”
Whether his brazenness was contagious or if he was originally like this, Sian wasn’t sure.
Sian pouted her lips at Carl, who was smiling confidently with his finger on his chin.
He had only pulled the mask down to his chin, not properly wearing it yet, so his features were visible. His distinct features were too noble to be mistaken for a thief.
“Enough self-praise. Weapons, luggage, you’ve packed everything without missing anything, right?”
“Perfect. What about you, Sister?”
At some point, Carl had started alternating between calling her ‘Sister’ and ‘Lady’. It was rather strange that the title ‘Sister’ coming from the Prince’s mouth didn’t sound awkward at all.
Sian lightly shook the apron over her maid’s uniform.
“Of course, it’s perfect. Who do you think I am? Sleeping powder, sleeping needles, and even weapons for any unexpected situations.”
Sian slightly lifted the hem of her skirt. She had a dagger strapped above her knee, hidden by the skirt. She meant to show off her perfect preparation, but far from being impressed, Carl narrowed his eyes.
“Tsk tsk… It’s good to pack weapons, but why there of all places?”
Then he muttered like an old man. Sian’s expression turned incredulous.
“What are you saying? Hiding weapons inside the skirt is a long-standing tradition.”
“What if you’re taking out your weapon and other guys see things they shouldn’t!”
“My goodness? Someone might misunderstand if they heard you. It’s just showing a bit above the knee, what’s wrong with that? …No, besides, what are you to me? Why are you managing my attire?”
“Anyway, since I confessed, I have a stake in you, Sister.”
Carl raised his chin proudly and spouted nonsense.
“…What a strange way of calculation.”
Sian let out a hollow laugh.
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s move. The shift change time is approaching.”
Sian took out her pocket watch one last time to check the time. Three-thirty in the morning, with no moon in sight.
It was an ambiguous time when late sleepers would be going to bed, and early risers hadn’t yet woken up.
Carl’s expression showed that he was far from satisfied, let alone convinced by Sian’s rebuke. But they weren’t in a position to waste time on unnecessary things. At Sian’s words, Carl nodded and pulled up his mask.
The darkness would conceal his turquoise eyes, reminiscent of aquamarine, and the black mask would hide his naturally princely, striking features.
“I’ll go to the third-floor stairs through the servant-only passage. Sister, move naturally.”
“Understood.”
This was all according to plan. Sian nodded lightly at Carl’s statement, which seemed more like a review.
And they moved. The maid’s quarters had already been tidied up as if no one had ever used them. Sian opened the door very carefully to avoid the sound of creaking hinges and stepped out into the hallway.
Candles lit by the lamplighters cast dark shadows on the tiled floor of the corridor. As expected, there were no servants passing by.
Carl followed Sian out, and he too closed the door carefully. The two briefly made eye contact and then parted ways.
Although born as a prince who had likely never done any rough work, Carl’s movements were natural and quick.
Dressed in black mask, black clothes, and black shoes – an outfit perfectly suited to blend into the darkness – Carl disappeared silently into a corner beyond the corridor. He had already vanished into the servant-only passages that crisscrossed the vast castle like a maze for quick movement.
He’s doing at least one thing right.
Sian was secretly satisfied with Carl’s shrewd movements, efficiently going where he needed to without needing to discuss it separately. She then crossed the corridor with normal steps, not muffling her footsteps.
