Chapter 37
Before Sian could say anything, Max pushed her back. Sian looked at Max with a reluctant face. Max, with an incredibly gentle expression, made quite a determined gesture with his eyes, though it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Hey, you clueless idiot.
Sian unconsciously bared her teeth. Was he unaware that he was pushing Sian into a storm, or did he know and intend to trap her?
“Please come with me. I’m begging you.”
Despite her dissatisfaction, Sian couldn’t bring herself to refuse Carl’s face as he held her hand tightly and pleaded quite desperately.
…This is driving me crazy…
Where does this storm lead?
Sian had the ominous thought that perhaps that simple trip she had taken to bathe might have been a predetermined fate.
She could only hope that this fate wouldn’t lead to a tragic ending.
* * *
Michael, standing by the window where a warm breeze was blowing in, turned his head at the sound of the door opening.
Along with the noise of the door opening, what appeared was black hair and blue-green eyes. It was the Third Prince Carlston Klaus, much taller than Michael last remembered him.
Contrary to the Crown Prince’s concerns and Michael’s worries, Carl had arrived at the temple without a scratch, looking impeccable.
“May the dragon’s blessing reach the heavens. Michael Chaplin, knight of the Imperial Knights, greets His Highness Prince Carlston Klaus of the glorious Empire of Igrion, Lord of Ivarid.”
Michael, relieved to see the prince in good health, immediately knelt on one knee from where he stood.
“Rise.”
Carl said as he approached Michael. Michael bowed his head deeply once and then stood up.
It was the next moment that Michael noticed the woman who had entered behind Carl. He had already heard from the priestess that the prince had a companion, but he hadn’t imagined it would be a woman.
A look of bewilderment crossed Michael’s face as he discovered Sian.
“Your Highness, that lady…”
“She is the savior of my life.”
“Please don’t mind me and continue your conversation.”
Carl tried to explain Sian with a rather proud expression for some reason. However, Sian maintained her distance with a cold expression, her lips curled in a smile.
Although she had reluctantly come this far, her intention not to get involved any deeper was quite blatant.
Carl turned his head to briefly observe Sian’s cool face, then approached Michael. He then made a gesture with his finger, indicating for Michael to lend him his ear. Michael, who had been looking back and forth between Carl and Sian, leaned his ear towards Carl.
Carl then put his lips to Michael’s ear and whispered something.
What kind of trick is he playing now?
Sian narrowed her eyes and focused her ears and eyes on Carl, but Carl was cautious. The whispering sound was inaudible, and because he covered his mouth with his hand, she couldn’t even read his lip movements.
“Ah!”
Whatever he had said, Michael’s eyes widened greatly.
“It is an honor to meet you, my lady. May the dragon’s blessing reach the heavens.”
And with that, Michael’s attitude, which had seemed wary, changed completely in an instant. Huh? Sian’s eyebrow twitched as she stood with her arms crossed.
“Sit down, sit down. Sister, come here and sit too.”
“I’m fine, I’ll stand.”
Despite her earnest wish, she had an ominous feeling.
“Don’t be like that, sit down.”
“Please sit, my lady. It’s difficult to speak plainly when such a beautiful person is standing.”
With Carl and Michael insisting, Sian pressed her lips together, showing her displeasure.
…Well, I suppose it might be uncomfortable for men if a pretty woman like me is standing…
“I’m sitting down only because you two are uncomfortable. I won’t be participating in the conversation.”
Flattered by Michael’s empty words, Sian sat down decisively, maintaining her distance and taking a seat far from Carl and Michael.
“I’m glad to see you’re safe, Your Highness.”
Michael, after politely ensuring that Sian was seated, finally turned his attention to Carl. It was unclear what Carl had said to persuade him, given that Sian’s presence should have been concerning.
“Everyone must have known I was alive anyway.”
“Of course, but what’s important is how healthy you appear.”
Michael said.
“For now, I’ll overlook your impolite attitude, but considering that you sent someone here first, and your current demeanor… it doesn’t seem appropriate for someone who first launched a surprise attack on my domain.”
“First, His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to clear up any misunderstandings. He said that if you were safe, you must surely be misunderstanding His Highness’s intentions.”
“So, are you saying that day’s battle was a misunderstanding?”
The conversation between Carl, who had come prepared, and Michael, who had indeed brought a message from the Crown Prince, was direct and without concealment.
Although Sian had declared she wouldn’t get involved, she became a bit interested as the conversation between the two progressed faster than she had expected.
“Originally, His Highness had no intention of engaging in battle. However, given that it was related to the major incident of the Dragon King’s assassination, he had set out with caution.”
“Caution? The dragon’s breath fell in the middle of the night when we were defenseless, as if they had been waiting for it.”
Although Carl knew well that the Crown Prince had sent someone with good intentions, he couldn’t help but feel on edge as he recalled that shocking night when he had nearly died.
“Thanks to that, I rushed out without even proper armor, let alone clothes, and almost died in confusion.”
Michael lowered his gaze to the table, as if he felt ashamed, as though he had been the one who caused the incident.
“Regarding that, I have nothing to say. It seems the border guards of Ivarid were startled by the approaching dragons and shot arrows, which in turn startled Sir Antonio’s Brita, causing her to release the dragon’s breath.”
…Antonio again.
Given that all the currently existing dragons in the empire had gathered there, it was unavoidable, but that name seemed to pop up more often than others in various places.
It can’t be a coincidence.
While Sian was processing the situation with a blank expression, Carl briefly glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
“Antonio was the one who stabbed me… Antonio was also the one who started that horrific battle for me.”
Carl snorted derisively.
“This isn’t like my brother. He’s not the type to evade responsibility like this.”
“It’s not evasion of responsibility, it’s simply the truth. Dragon Knight Sir Antonio has received a punishment of a one-year pay cut and a three-month ban on dragon contact.”
“Even cutting off his head wouldn’t be enough.”
“Of course, I fully sympathize with your feelings, Your Highness.”
As Carl spoke, narrowing the space between his eyebrows, Michael once again lowered his gaze and bowed his head deeply.
“However, given that there is an order and system to royal punishments…”
Carl cut off Michael’s words with a cold chuckle.
“So, is that why my brother sent you all the way to this remote place? To tell me it was all a misunderstanding?”
“Of course not.”
Michael answered Carl’s question.
To anyone watching, it was clear that Carl was dominating the conversation. Of course, given the difference in their status, and the fact that the Crown Prince’s side bore responsibility for attacking Ivarid without warning under the pretext of the Dragon King’s assassination, this might be expected.
Still, this is quite new…
Sian observed Carl facing Michael with disinterested eyes.
It seemed they had become quite personally close during that time. Seeing how awkward Carl looked in his position as a prince.
Although his hair, face, and attire were no different from what she had seen before, with just a change in his tone and attitude, the Carl who had called her “sister” was no longer the “Carl” she knew, but Prince Carlston Klaus III.
A dignity that wasn’t arrogant naturally made the person facing him lower their head. Although he had occasionally changed his tone to show his princely side before, seeing him face-to-face with an imperial knight made it even more striking.
It’s not the prince who can’t handle this, it’s me.
Sian forcibly swallowed the bitter feeling. Michael opened his mouth.
“Although His Highness did say to first confirm your safety and relay the message about the attack on Ivarid if you were safe and surely at the temple, what he emphasized as more important is this.”
Michael raised his hand. He was wearing a ring with a large purple gem on his middle finger, from which the dragon’s magical energy was faintly emanating.
“A message?”
As Michael lightly grasped the gem of the ring with his fingertip, the purple magical energy visualized into a halo of light that floated around the room. Soon, a figure with long purple hair gradually appeared at the side of the table.
…Nathan. Sian immediately realized that this was the Crown Prince’s dragon, materialized like Idelin.
Nathan was female in form. Like Idelin whom she had seen before, a woman with long hair reaching to her feet slowly opened her eyes, revealing clear golden pupils.
“Carl.”
As the dragon’s lips moved, barely discernible in form, the voice that flowed out was that of a deep male.
“…Brother.”
