Author: Nikss

 

Fortunately, my dark thoughts were fleeting.

 

After all, I had decided to tell my father and Aaron if my assumptions were correct.

 

‘It’s complicated, but I’d feel better if it came out like this.’

 

Whereas before, I was anxious about what-ifs, now I’m able to face them more calmly.

 

Now I could make a plan based on solid facts.

 

With a sigh, I opened the subspace and inserted the pocket watch. Now that I had what I wanted, I might as well keep the artifact safe.

 

‘…But how do I tell my father and brother?’

 

How would they react if I told them I’d been researching black magic for eight years?

 

Back in the reality of the world, the next problem was how to tell them the truth.

 

‘The Empress is a black magician,’ and I don’t think they’d believe me if I told them.

 

Although I have a feeling that my father and Aaron would probably just believe me…

 

For some reason, since coming to the capital, I have never been able to find a peaceful day.

 

Every few days, I have something to worry about.

 

‘Between the Empress and the Callian’s link to the subspace, …it’s become a bit of a Cold War between me and Yurgen.’

 

We hadn’t spoken to each other since Yurgen’s words. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t, and I didn’t know why he didn’t contact me.

 

‘I can’t tell them the truth, not just Yurgen.’

 

But I knew it wouldn’t comfort him.

 

‘Hah…’ I sighed softly.

 

They say life was a series of trials, and this was definitely one of them.

 

‘That doesn’t mean there won’t be hardships in the future.’

 

I stood there, feeling helpless.

 

Rustling—

 

From behind me, I heard something crumpling.

 

“Who…!”

 

In a moment of panic, I quickly spun around and saw a man in a jet-black uniform standing about ten paces away.

 

Perhaps it was the two cracked branches under his heels that made the noise.

 

But it was something else that caught my attention.

 

A man with neatly slicked-back brown hair, clearly visible through his mask. This was someone I recognized.

 

‘…Callian?’

 

He was a big part of my problem. I bit my lip hard at the sight of Callian, his brown hair as neat as when I met him as Lian.

 

It must be the effect of the brooch on his chest, but I wondered why it had turned brown.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

A short silence passed between him and me. I recognized him, so he must have recognized me.

 

‘What should I do?’

 

Should I avert my gaze and run away as if I hadn’t seen anyone?

 

It’s a masquerade ball, so I could pretend I didn’t know he was the prince, and therefore didn’t greet him.

 

Or I could simply say greet him and walk away as if I were dealing with a stranger.

 

I was torn between the two options.

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

“…”

 

“… Please hold.”

 

Callian’s voice interrupted my deliberations.

 

Looking straight at me, Callian slowly raised his hand. Maybe it was just that he felt I was slow.

 

“… What are you doing?”

 

His next action answered my question. 

 

Thump—

 

With his hand raised, Callian removed the mask that covered his face.

 

And then at that moment.

 

Ding, ding—

 

His familiar face was revealed in all its glory, and the chimes of midnight could be heard faintly from the banquet hall.

 

It was then that his warm brown hair turned a brilliant silver. Perhaps my hair had returned to its original black color.

 

I slowly turned toward Callian and bowed my head in greeting.

 

“…Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

Now that I’d gotten a glimpse of him, I couldn’t choose between the options I’d been considering.

 

I lifted my slightly bowed head and locked gazes with Callian, who looked at me wistfully.

 

He pursed his lips for a moment, then turned to me and asked for permission.

 

“Will you allow me to approach you…?”

 

Callian’s whisper was almost pleading. I made no response to his words, but we both knew it was meant as an affirmation.

 

Thump, thump—

 

Slowly, Callian walked toward me, stopping about three paces away.

 

I didn’t meet his gaze as he drew closer. I couldn’t figure out how to look at him.

 

“There’s something… I want you to hear.”

 

As I stared at the floor, Callian’s plea fell on my head.

 

‘What do you want me to hear?’

 

Perhaps the words I would have said if I hadn’t left the day I realized who Callian was.

 

Raising my wavering eyes, I studied the underside of his jaw.

 

“You can think of it as an excuse, or you can just let it slip… But please don’t think it’s a lie.”

 

Whatever he’s looking at me with now, I don’t know, but his otherwise good-looking lips are pursed as if he’s clenched them.

 

His jaw clenched tightly when he finished speaking, indicating that he was as nervous as I was.

 

“…I’ll hear it.”

 

“…”

 

Another twitch, and I lifted my gaze a little higher, looking straight into his blue eyes.

 

Maybe a part of me was telling him that I didn’t want to be separated from him.

 

“I won’t take it as a lie, Your Majesty.”

 

And with that, I locked eyes with him, and I saw that there was still tenderness within the gaze that glowed with relief at my words.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

In the end, I was able to realize that Callian Lewin Elbert, the Imperial Prince, was no different from the Lian I knew.

 

💫

 

Callian and I sat side by side in front of a large bush, just as we had when we first met so long ago.

 

I knew that if I stayed out this long, my father, and Aaron would find me, but I couldn’t resist Callian’s invitation to sit down for a while.

 

“…Are you not cold?”

 

“No, I’m fine, Your Highness, I’m more concerned for you than I am…”

 

I shook my head at his question and trailed off.

 

He must feel colder in his shirt and vest, for he had laid his uniform jacket under where I would sit.

 

“As long as you’re not cold. I’ll keep this as short as I can, but this isn’t a story that’s going to be over in a minute.”

 

When I stared up at him, speechless, Callian smiled faintly.

 

Furthermore, I felt a tickle in my stomach at the sound of his affectionate voice.

 

After enough time to blink a couple of times. Callian began his story in a gravelly voice.

 

“The first time I met you was eight years ago. It was at the funeral of my mother, the Empress.”

 

I remember the day vividly. For me, it’s a day to never forget.

 

“I remember…”

 

“I thought so.”

 

I replied in a small voice, and he let out a small laugh.

 

“I felt so helpless and pathetic that day, I couldn’t stand it.”

 

“…”

 

“Because I knew my mother’s death wasn’t natural, and I knew who was behind it… But I couldn’t do anything about it.”

 

Listening to him in silence, I was momentarily speechless. I didn’t know how to reach out with sympathy, or even a quick consolation.

 

‘…You knew it.’

 

Even on that day, I never dreamed that Callian would know the full story of the Empress’s death.

 

The way he clenched his fists in front of her coffin and seemed to be fighting back tears, I thought it was just the grief of losing his mother.

 

“Your Highness…”

 

He lifted his head to face me, his expression stoic.

 

“It’s a long time ago now, and I’m not sad about it, so you shouldn’t be either.”

 

Callian seemed to be okay as he soothed me with his rather affectionate voice.

 

So I felt even more sorrowful.

 

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

The question came out of nowhere.

 

— I think there are so many people in the world who are sick and can’t say they need help. Do you know why people do that?

 

This was what a five-year-old child I stayed with at the orphanage asked me one day.

 

I didn’t have an answer for him.

 

Hearing my question, Callian stared at me for a moment and then let out a small laugh.

 

“Maybe it wasn’t okay. But I wasn’t given the time to grieve, and I desperately had to get better.”

 

“…”

 

“And maybe that’s how I came to think of myself as okay.”

 

His expression was calm as he said this. I glanced up at his sideways face for a moment, then lowered my gaze to stroke the bud that had just begun to sprout.

 

I didn’t think I could resist the urge to hug him otherwise.

 

“Anyway, I had to make it a priority to stay alive in the palace, because as I’m sure you know, the Empress treats me like a thorn in her eye.”

 

I was silent, focusing on Callian’s words.

 

“She tried to send me off to war when I was twelve years old.”

 

It was a famous story that the Empress had sent this prince, who hadn’t even left his mother’s womb, off to war.

 

‘…Killing the Empress was not enough, so she tried to kill Callian as well.’

 

Only the highest nobles knew that the empress had originally targeted the twelve-year-old prince, regardless of his age.

 

“It was your father who stopped the Empress at that time.”

 

“…What?”

 

But this was a story I didn’t know.

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