Chapter 133
***
Elliot was greatly surprised. By the standards of a boy whose emotions rarely fluctuated, he was practically “stunned.”
The circumstances that led Elliot to be dragged to this temporary command post—set up in the watchtower of the bridge leading to the Royal Castle near Dortes Square—were as follows.
First, the request for a Mepen pass sent in the name of Queen Ianna of Ormance was written in Elliott’s own hand. He had drafted it directly and sent it to the Karman Command without going through Ormance. If there was a mistake, it was that he had failed to consider the time it would typically take for a letter to arrive, given the physical distance. It was enough to arouse the Command’s suspicion.
But could he have imagined that a so-called Commander-in-Chief would treat a messenger bearing an official document from the Ormance royal family like a rat to be hunted down?
“I have now clearly seen, through this incident, just how far Karman’s courtesy toward Ormance extends.”
Elliot, his cheeks flushed, shook off the arms of the knights holding him. The Crown Prince, who had been dragged a considerable distance, grumbled and glared at his captors.
“I came here pondering what kind of rudeness this might be, but I must say, I find it quite understandable, Emperor of Karman.”
It had long been known that the young ruler of Karman was no ordinary man.
Elliot had first seen the Emperor when he was still Crown Prince, at a time when curiosity about the frail and delicate young man—who had emerged into the world after thirteen years—was rampant among the congratulatory delegation, including Ormance.
Because of those preposterous rumors, the foreign envoys failed to recognize the Crown Prince even after he appeared in the hall. Only Elliott, recalling stories he’d heard from his brother who had died a few years earlier, recognized him instinctively.
“He was the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Regardless of gender. For some reason, he seemed so sensitive that he looked more suited to a sword than a brush… but in a way, he seemed like a born artist, didn’t he? He was a kind fellow, though somewhat oblivious; I’m worried to hear his chronic illness has worsened.”
At that time, Elliot had no choice but to doubt the memory of his brother, who was no longer in this world.
Far from being frail, the Crown Prince was more than just a grown man; he was a human being already nearly perfected. His dignified presence, which seemed to have never been marred by illness in his entire life, combined youthful vigor with a flexible authority.
He truly looked like someone destined to rule the vast land of Karman. With clear eyes, impeccable manners, dignity, and even a strikingly superior appearance—he possessed everything without a single flaw. One could certainly look forward to a new era for Karman. That was the impression Elliott had immediately after the coronation banquet had just concluded.
He never even imagined he would see that very man again right here, right now.
There couldn’t possibly be two faces like that in the world, so he must surely be the Emperor—but he arrived here from Karman in just three days?
But the boy soon realized.
“It would be best for Your Highness not to catch his eye.”
He realized the reason why Diana, who had been keeping him in check, had turned ashen.
“Etiquette.”
The man who had emerged from behind the desk perched himself on the corner of it. His tall stature made the gap between their eye levels even wider. His gaze, which seemed to pierce down at an angle, squeezed the life out of Elliot.
“I thought we’d agreed to throw propriety to the wind, starting with the fact that you deceived me and ran rampant on my land. Was I mistaken?”
The man’s voice alone was the most pleasant baritone God had bestowed upon mankind. Yet a strange undertone of sarcasm grated on his nerves.
“Rampant? What on earth…”
But Elliot couldn’t finish his sentence. Following Elliot, Ormance’s spies were dragged in one after another.
Every single one had been exposed. The boy bit his lip hard.
If that was the case, then a significant number of spies dispatched by the Kingdom of Grenia and Delos must have already been exposed or were being tracked down as well. He had sensed that the so-called Commander-in-Chief’s intuition and decisiveness were on par with a beast’s, but he never imagined it would be the Emperor himself!
Felix tore his gaze away from Elliot and scanned the Ormance men kneeling before him.
“I have nothing to say to a child, so go and tell the Queen. She must be cautious, for playing petty tricks could sever the very lifeline of the kingdom.”
“Just because you are the Emperor, insulting the ruler of a nation in such a manner is—”
“It’s not an insult, it’s leniency, little one.”
Little one? Little one? Elliot let out a breath of disbelief.
Was this really the kind of person he was? The content of his words, delivered in such a refined tone, was worse than that of a street thug.
“I see now what aspect of you made Diana shudder.”
“You’d do well not to utter that name, Prince.”
He was spouting nonsense, but it didn’t feel like he was speaking without thinking. The fact that he insisted on calling him “Prince” even though he knew he had been named Crown Prince meant either that he didn’t recognize Elliot as the Crown Prince, or that he was referring to the late boy’s older brother.
The Emperor closed the distance to Elliott in just two strides. Elliott’s skin crawled at the way the Emperor lifted his chin and gave him a half-hearted once-over. There was not even a trace of the basic courtesy and respect one human being shows another.
“I wondered what had bewitched Ormance—it was just a child.”
Felix muttered as if he’d let the air out of a balloon, then dropped the boy as if tossing him aside. Elliott clenched his teeth and snapped back.
“Don’t try to use me to lure Diana out. I can’t believe you’re such a shallow person!”
“A cheap trick?”
Felix burst into a hollow laugh.
“Do I look like I’m in a position to be picky right now?”
Danger. Elliott’s intuition sent a warning.
He was dangerous. Perhaps this very moment was the only chance he’d ever have to speak his mind in front of this man. Elliott spoke urgently.
“The more you oppress her, the further she’ll drift from your grasp. My brother taught me that no one is anyone’s property. Anyone born human has the right to choose the course of their own life. You, having had everything, don’t understand the weight of choice—and you never will…!”
“If Diana has a choice, I’ll be the best one for her.”
The Emperor cut off Elliot’s words with a cold voice. A sense of humiliation welled up at the dry, emotionless gaze that seemed to be appraising an object, but fear soon overwhelmed his thoughts.
The cruelty unique to those who do not see people as people bared its claws like a wolf, targeting Elliot. That must be the true nature of what his dead brother had merely described as an “inexplicable sensitivity.”
In the Emperor’s mind, Elliott’s worth had already been determined.
Felix ordered coldly.
“Take him to the royal castle. Tie him up at the city gates.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Knights grabbed Elliott’s arms and forced him to his feet. The Crown Prince struggled to walk out on his own two feet with dignity, but failed.
Those dark blue eyes, which had stared at him until the very end, would not leave his mind.
***
Diana slept without dreaming.
She had no idea how many days she had been asleep. When she opened her sleepy eyes, Diana found herself floating in the middle of a large spring.
The gently rippling water enveloped her like a cradle.
You can sleep a little longer, Diana.
A spirit wrapped in a soft breeze caressed Diana’s cheek. It felt as if she were still in a dream, and drowsiness washed over her.
But the changed scenery of the spring, different from her memories, caught Diana’s eye. Strange structures were popping up here and there throughout the spring.
“…It’s okay. I guess I should get up now.”
Okay.
The tall blades of grass swayed in unison, gently lifting her to a sitting position. Her whole body relaxed as if she were leaning against the embrace of invisible friends.
Only then did she find the mental clarity to look around carefully.
The Spring was both the same as it had been 13 years ago when it was invaded, and yet different. The last scene she had seen when she fled this place, cradled in her father’s arms as if being chased, was gone, and traces of Dortes Castle were visible everywhere.
The collapsed ceiling, the walls and floor visible beneath the water’s surface, the strangely twisted staircase, and even the waterway now rippled with aquatic plants. It seemed as if half the castle was submerged.
The spot where the Spring had pooled—where Diana had fallen asleep—was the royal audience chamber, where she had been just moments before closing her eyes. The top of the throne’s backrest jutted abruptly out of the water.
It was only after listening to the spirits’ tale that Diana realized the Spring had left its original location and taken up residence here.
***
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