Chapter 43: A Thrilling First Encounter, A Reunion Known Only to One part 1
The problem was that Raphael had already flapped his lips to someone else. Not to his own family, his subordinates, or even the noble ladies he frequently associated with, but still…
“…Has Prince Astein accompanied you?”
Kassel’s demeanor remained courteous, yet his crimson eyes, fixed sharply on Raphael, were filled with a chilling intensity.
It was already unpalatable enough to bring Raphael along, yet he had come with a companion? And not just any ordinary person! How could he shamelessly bring the prince along like this?! And on the very day, without even giving prior notice!
His gaze nearly seemed to issue a challenge to a duel.
Sensing the tension in the air, Astein quickly offered an explanation.
“Sir Kassel, please don’t blame Sir Raphael. I was the one who pestered him to let me see a Drakan Rider, and he simply couldn’t refuse my request, so he found a way to make it happen.”
“…What?”
The young prince wore an apologetic expression.
“…Since that Drakan Rider is directly under the Crown Prince, it would have been highly controversial if I had requested a private audience within the palace. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“…”
“If my request was unreasonable, I apologize. If necessary, let’s pretend this never happened…”
Kassel struggled to keep his eyes from tightly shutting in exasperation.
“No, it’s fine. Since it was an arranged meeting, I will escort you. However, please be aware that I have no choice but to report this to the Crown Prince afterward.”
Currently, everyone who knew Drakan Rider Fay regarded her as someone connected to the Crown Prince. While she hadn’t been officially granted a title or position…
That matter would likely be settled at next year’s first spring ball.
Therefore, as someone who personally valued Fay, Kassel had to adhere to protocol and report the event.
“Really? Understood!”
Astein’s face brightened considerably, as if he had expected rejection. For a fleeting moment, his smile resembled Raphael’s radiant, full-moon-like grin, though their appearances were otherwise starkly different.
Could someone in his position afford to smile so freely, leaving himself so vulnerable? Instead of pursuing perfection and flawlessness, could he withstand offering a seat beside him to others?
Kassel wasn’t certain. After all, Duke Klein had never raised him to be a man who could smile so carelessly.
That said, he refrained from making hasty judgments about a life he did not know.
Understanding Raphael’s behavior on an emotional level might remain an impossible task, but that didn’t mean he would ever look down on him. What he failed to realize, however, was that Raphael reserved his unguarded smiles for one person alone – Fay, whom they were about to meet.
“Let’s go.”
Prince Astein spoke with a bright smile.
“I’ve already received the Queen’s permission!”
Queen Rania.
Well, it was only natural that she was informed beforehand since her son was leaving the palace. But at this point…
‘It seems word has already spread. The Emperor and the Crown Prince must be aware as well.’
The situation was growing larger by the minute.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Kassel escorted the two men, both of whom had stated their desire to meet Fay privately, rendering their social status irrelevant to the Mizhuang Hotel.
— — —
Upon reaching the top floor, Fay, who was supposed to be waiting for them, was nowhere in sight.
“Miss Fay?”
Given the high level of confidentiality ensured here, the space was vast, with multiple separate rooms. Kassel searched further, but she was neither in the reception room nor the adjoining lounge.
At that moment, the presence of Raphael and Astein faded from his mind. His voice rang sharply through the air.
“Miss Fay!”
She was supposed to be here, but she had vanished without a trace? Had word leaked that Prince Astein and Raphael were meeting her? Where had she gone? Had someone with ill intentions taken advantage of the situation…?
Regardless of her abilities, Kassel always carried a poignant memory of her in his heart:
A quiet young girl, crouched behind a bowing coachman, unable to hide her curiosity as she peeked out.
She must have been trembling before the armored knights, yet she had stepped forward with courage, requesting to be taken to the Magic Tower. She had remained steadfast and dignified in a situation where fear would have been justified.
No matter how brilliantly she had grown since then, Kassel could never forget that moment.
The sloping path down which they had ridden together, the slightly cool summer breeze, the damp air and weak sunlight, the faint pressure of her arms around his waist – he remembered it all.
Fay!
His tenuous grip on reason was about to snap.
Ding—
A clear, high-pitched piano note.
Realizing there was a grand piano in the large room at the end of the top floor, Kassel headed in that direction.
The smooth progression from high notes to the mid-range, where the player sat, soothed his impatience.
So this is where she was.
Words of greeting, which should have come easily, caught in his throat. To disturb her at this moment, he would rather die.
A cheerful melody, unmistakably the beginner’s piece <The Little Lady’s Errand>, soon filled the air. The performer’s skill, however, was utterly unremarkable, so much so that it hardly warranted attention.
Fay’s fingers pressed the keys earnestly, yet there was no discernible dynamic control, no musical interpretation whatsoever. The rhythm was so precise that knights could have used it to march in perfect formation.
But what did that matter? The player was what truly mattered.
Standing in silence, Kassel simply observed the small hands moving across the keys.
If this brought her happiness, that was all that mattered.
