“How much do you know about relics?”
“I only know that they exist. Though that was just a guess… not anymore.”
Kaitel nodded as he sat me back down.
Knowing about relics in detail seemed ridiculous. I only knew about the Moon Stone; I had no idea what powers the other relics possessed.
Suddenly, a question popped into my mind: Was the Moon Stone still around?
Since I had used it, it should’ve vanished, but at this time, I hadn’t used it yet.
Had it disappeared, or was it still there? As I was mulling this over, Kaitel spoke up.
“There are texts that say the power of relics could easily take a whole city. I think we absolutely need to acquire them to achieve my goals. What do you think?”
“If we can have them, I’d prefer to take them. But the real question is whether we can actually get them. If it’s a relic related to the Moon, wouldn’t the Order be keeping an eye on it?”
“…If it’s related to the Moon, yes.”
The Crown Prince chuckled softly, then looked around before fixing his gaze on me.
And then, cheerfully, as if tossing out a light topic, he said,
“But the Empire’s relics aren’t related to the Moon. If they were, that’d be a different story.”
“I’m not quite sure what you mean.”
“Think a bit deeper. If it was a relic related to the Moon, why hasn’t the Order been searching for it all this time? They were set on protecting their temple while the South was being devoured, yet they didn’t take any action.”
His words did make sense. If it was something related to the Moon, the Order would be going crazy over it.
Especially since the Saint has appeared now, and they seem to have no interest in the relics, surely something is up.
After thinking for a moment, I swallowed hard at a word that flashed in my mind.
…Could it be?
“If it’s related to the Dead Dragon… they wouldn’t want to find it.”
“Exactly. The Empire’s relics are like that. Because they’re related to the Dead Dragon, no matter how powerful they are, they weren’t used.”
The idea that the relics were associated with the Dead Dragon had never crossed my mind before, so I just blankly listened to Kaitel’s words.
Are you saying that the Moon Stone I used is also a relic of the Dead Dragon?
If I borrowed the power of the Dead Dragon to reincarnate, why on Earth did the Dead Dragon create such relics?
Before I could even resolve those questions, Kaitel pointed to a part of the map and started speaking again.
“I’m planning to use the Residual Thought of the Dead Dragon. If I can control and manipulate it, it could be used beneficially. While it’s still in the experimental stage, I believe we can use it more seriously if you can bring just one relic.”
“If I bring a relic, what happens next?”
“What do you mean, what happens? It will go as I call for it.”
After a brief pause, Kaitel added with a small smile,
“Lord Taylor, should I call you that then?”
#
The notion that the relics were related to the Dead Dragon felt a bit unsettling, but it didn’t seem worth delving into too deeply.
If the Moon Stone’s reincarnation was related to the Dead Dragon, wouldn’t I have been affected long ago?
Putting that aside, when it comes to immediate gains, it means I’ve made contact with the Crown Prince.
The humiliation of simply bending my knees was nothing at all.
For now, Taylor’s Prince is probably feeling pleased just by bowing low to the Crown Prince.
But if the situation flips, I won’t have to bow my head in front of Kaitel.
As I was about to finish my business and leave, I spotted a figure standing in the hallway.
It was easy to recognize her in the same clothes as before.
As I slightly bowed my head, Miragen approached with a bright smile.
“Looks like your talk is over. I didn’t expect to run into you like this while passing by?”
“Is it really a coincidence?”
“It is! You didn’t think I’d wait here until your conversation ended, did you?”
I thought it was completely possible for Miragen to do that, but I shrugged and walked forward.
Perhaps because my conversation with the Crown Prince took quite a while, the sky was now completely dark.
Although the streets were still bright with lanterns, there probably wasn’t enough time to do anything.
Miragen seemed to realize that too, as she didn’t repeat what she said earlier.
If she thought it would benefit her, she’d do anything, but she probably wouldn’t want to hear rumors about hanging out late at night with a man.
So we walked for a while. Both Miragen and I had nothing much to say, and only silence flowed.
Then, perhaps finding the silence boring, Miragen nudged my side with her elbow.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t leave me feeling awkward. Did something upset you earlier?”
“Not at all. But what could I say to Her Highness the Princess? The difference in our statuses makes casual chatter quite impossible.”
“Ugh, do I look like a person who cares about that?”
“…Well, not really.”
If our hearts matched, we’d be able to chat with commoners too.
After all, the reason she became friends with Adrian was precisely because of that; Miragen really hated such formalities.
Still, it was better to draw a line. There were many questions I had about her.
“You can just call me by name. There’s no one around, so why not try calling me Miragen?”
“I’ll just call you Her Highness the Princess. This is only our second meeting, after all.”
“But you’re friends with Adrian. I’m not that uptight with a friend of a friend.”
How could a person change so little?
It’s only natural for Miragen at this point not to change, but her approach was so casual that it strangely stirred my emotions.
The first meeting was at Moon Tower, and this is the second.
It would be odd not to feel awkward and shy, yet as Miragen kept inching closer, I subtly created some distance.
It was much more comfortable to be with Adrian or Adele.
With her coming on so strong, I could hardly brush her off, so I sighed quietly and opened my mouth.
“I think I should get going. It’s late, so you should head in first.”
“…But we’re not even at the main gate yet?”
“Nin deyo?”
“It’s not like it’s good for the princess to set a precedent by coming to the front gate, is it? I don’t mind, but someone might pick a fight about it saying it’s unseemly.”
Maybe worried about my words, Miragen gazed at me for a moment and then nodded slightly.
But she couldn’t hide the twitch at the corners of her mouth, so I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.
I know she’s interested in me.
However, it wasn’t romantic interest, so there was no need to overthink it.
After walking for a while, Miragen seemed to decide it was time to stop following me and halted her steps.
She then gave her chest a few light pats and pulled out the artifact she had given me last time, adding:
“I still have this. Next time, I might ask you something. Don’t ignore it if Adrian contacts you on my behalf.”
“Why would I ignore contact? Whenever you need to reach out, I’ll be available. However, I would appreciate it if you’d refrain from too awkward of requests.”
“Awkward requests? What do you mean?”
“If you bring up the term ‘beloved’ again, I’ll be in quite the predicament. The saintess might misunderstand, no?”
Miragen waved her hand as if to say not to worry, and then quietly bid me farewell with a gentle smile.
As I turned to leave, I saw the princess walking away, clearly indicating she wouldn’t follow anymore.
Well, I guess it’s time for me to go. Even if I return to the ducal residence, I’ve got plenty to do.
It might finally be time to get to work organizing the attendants’ households.
After this task, it would be wise to prepare for a trip to the north.
Going north, and then back down to the south.
Once I’ve gone all the way down south, I’ll finally have solidified my power, and only then will I be ready to bring Yuria down a notch.
As I walked for a while, I suddenly lifted my head at the sound of a carriage coming from afar.
The crest on the carriage that had just arrived near mine was extremely familiar.
After staring blankly at the Taylor family’s carriage for a moment, I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw the woman that stepped out of it.
It was crystal clear why our lady of the house had decided to come all the way here.
“…Robert, you didn’t cause a scene, did you?”
“I didn’t expect you to come see me off. Are you worried about me?”
As I teased her, Yuria frowned as if displeased.
Looking at her furrowed brows, it was apparent what brought her here.
She probably heard I was heading to the imperial palace.
It seemed she wanted to create a connection without her knowing, surely a part of her strategy to keep me in check.
“I did worry you might do something foolish. You know there are things you can’t whine about anymore like before, right?”
“Whining? What a ridiculous metaphor.”
“Just like you did with our mother. I believed the princess would have indulged you. I hope you didn’t do that. Back then, you were just a child, but now you’re a grown adult.”
Coming at me with this attitude despite the last incident was clearly an attempt to provoke me.
Her expression stiffened for a moment, but Yuria smirked and continued speaking.
“I don’t know what brought you to the imperial palace today, but no matter how hard you try, nothing will change. Even the imperial family won’t be able to intervene in the succession of the Taylor family.”
“No matter how hard you try, nothing will change. Even the Imperial Family can’t seriously intervene in Taylor’s succession.”
“Then why are you here? If you didn’t come to keep an eye on someone as insignificant as me?”
“I came to see Her Highness the Princess. I thought I might have misunderstood the last hunt, and I’m here to apologize for your foolish actions.”
“…Do you consider it foolish?”
There’s a limit to foolishness. Seeing them fixated on the idea that my actions were wrong furrowed my brow.
Where should I start to set things right? First, would they even listen to me?
I needed some form of pressure, some ‘evidence’ to show them, yet in the current situation, I didn’t have anything substantial.
At that moment of contemplation, the “evidence” I could show her appeared in an unexpected form.
“Your tone seems quite sharp; is it truly because we are siblings?”
Turning my head at the suddenly heard voice, I saw Miragen walking towards us.
I had no clue how she overheard our conversation. She would probably brush it off as a coincidence if I asked. However, Miragen’s presence tilted the scales in my favor.
When I caught a glimpse of Miragen’s unexpressive face as she passed by me, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
Miragen always wore that expression when she was quite angry.
“I’m not sure if it’s okay to call you Yuria, the Lady of the House of Taylor.”
“…I’m not sure what you need, but if it’s about work, I’ll go first—”
“I’m not here to talk about that. But do you have business with Lord Robert?”
“It was regarding matters related to the family. It will be over soon, so please wait inside, and I will join you shortly.”
It felt like the conversation could have easily ended there, yet Yuria merely nodded, unperturbed.
Seeing her in this light was admirable, but sadly, her wishes had a high probability of not coming true.
Suddenly, Miragen, who had grabbed my arm, narrowed her eyes and gazed at Yuria.
If she had heard the earlier conversation, she might have realized how aggressive my words were.
It was very clear what Miragen would say to me, as she had every right to be hostile.
“Unfortunately, it seems you won’t be able to talk with her today.”
“…What?”
Yuria seemed taken aback by Miragen’s unexpectedly solemn and serious tone, gazing at her with confusion. Unlike her playful tone around me, the well-known voice of the Princess filled the surrounding calmness.
Finally, Yuria managed to respond, but Miragen pulled my arm closer to her body and continued to speak.
With dangerously misleading words that could easily be misinterpreted.
“I’m planning to borrow Lord Robert for the day. Possibly…”
When her spinning eyes finally stopped, I involuntarily let out a chuckle at her words.
“All day long.”
I had no idea how she would handle this statement; she probably blurted it out without thinking.
Yet, the fact that Miragen seemed pleased with having gotten one over on her made it hard for me to say anything against it.
Of course, Yuria’s expression as she blankly stared at Miragen was quite delightful.
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