It had been a really strange day for him.
He vaguely wondered if he would wake up in Secritia the next day, or perhaps in the afterlife. However, the ringing of Yan's bell shattered any expectations of that. Nothing had changed.
"Did you have sweet dreams, Prince?"
Yan greeted him warmly.
Callian then sat up and savored the morning tea. It was only after he handed back the empty cup and washed his face in the basin, that he said to Yan,
"I want to cut my hair."
Yan's eyes widened and he blinked in shock, he looked doubtful, as if he had misheard. Seeing that expression, Callian repeated,
"My hair. I'll cut it."
He motioned with two fingers and pretended to cut his bangs. In fact, Yan had heard it correctly the first time. Once he came out of the shock, he responded,
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll make the preparations right away."
Soon, the royal hairdresser arrived at Callian's room. He held his scissors cautiously and asked Calian once more,
"Are you sure you want me to cut it, Your Highness?"
Callian frowned.
As a knight that he had been, he was the kind of person who didn't like to repeat himself. Especially for such a trivial matter as a haircut.
'Why do I have to say it three times?'
Callian pointed at the scissors and spoke,
"Do I have to cut it myself?"
"No, Your Highness. My apologies."
Finally, the scissors were put to work.
After several careful snips, Callian freed himself from the black hair that annoyingly covered half of his face.
Callian opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. For the first time, he could see his face properly.
'Hoo!'
A smile appeared on his lips.
It was no lie that he resembled his mother Freya, who was said to be the reincarnation of a goddess.
'Isn't this face a wonderful legacy left behind by Freya?'
Callian nodded with satisfaction.
"You look very handsome, Your Highness. It suits you well."
Yan also liked his new look. However, Yan's voice turned subdued due to a sudden unease.
"But I don't know if Prince Planche will turn a blind eye."
"He lost his temper over a simple eye contact with me, he surely won't turn a blind eye."
"That's why I'm worried. I'm afraid of how he might react today at breakfast to your change."
Yan worried for Callian as he remembered how disproportionate Planche's reaction had been yesterday. Callian stood up from his chair and smiled brightly,
"I won't live forever like a fool just for the pleasure of those who hate me."
Yan smiled slightly. He was surprised by his young master's uncharacteristic behavior and words.
Callian showed a self-confidence that Yan had never seen before. He was uneasy at this sudden change in Callian. Of course, it wasn't that the confidence he now had was bad, but that Yan was worried that Planche would become even more hostile.
Callian, who noticed Yan's nervousness all the way to the dining room, tried to reassure his attendant.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of things."
Once he entered the dining room, he took his seat. It wasn't long before Planche showed up. He came in with his characteristic arrogance. First he looked at Randell's empty chair, then he turned to Callian.
Those thin, light-green eyes stared down at Callian's red ones. Calian did not avoid his gaze. He looked straight at Planche with his face no longer covered by his bangs.
Planche laughed with evident disdain, then looked away. Yan quickly concealed his astonishment.
'That's it? He won't do anything but that disdainful laugh?'
Incredibly, Planche sat down in his seat without saying a word. He no longer paid attention to Callian.
Callian frowned slightly. He had the same thoughts as Yan.
For some reason, the crazy prince remained seated in silence. It was completely unexpected.
The quiet tension seemed to stretch on for decades until Randell walked into the room that looked like it was in the dead of winter.
He took his usual seat with a brief look at Calian's face. The meal was served, and the three focused on their own food.
Yan hoped that breakfast would end smoothly.
"… Hey."
However, it wasn't meant to be.
There was only one person at the table that Planche would address so rudely. That person acted as if he couldn't hear him, and continued to eat with perfect decorum.
Of course, there was no way he wouldn't have heard Planche's voice in this quiet room.
At Callian's indifference, Planche pursed his lips sternly. This was a sign that his temper was about to explode.
Yan shuddered and his heart pounded.
But Callian, who was the person involved, had a completely calm expression. He didn't seem to care in the least.
"Hey, bloody eyes."
Planche spat.
Callian considered ignoring him again, but finally glanced up at Planche. When Planche was about to say something, he interrupted,
"Callian."
Callian, who spoke his own name quietly, took a piece of sliced bread with his fork and continued in the same voice,
"… That's my name."
Randell was the first to react to this remark. Both of his hands, which were moving in silence, stopped. Randell raised his head and turned to look at his brother Callian, whose attitude seemed to have changed overnight. But that was all. Randell wasn't the kind of person who would meddle. He soon moved his hands again and resumed his meal.
"Ah."
Planche's mouth twisted up. He closed his eyes briefly and wondered for a moment how he should react to what he had heard. Then he glanced at the knife near his right hand,
"So you want me to call you that. By your name."
"Yes."
Callian answered without hesitation.
While Callian drank some water, Planche tapped his fingers against the knife on the table loudly.
The color left Yan's face.
'Is this what you meant when you said you would take care of things yourself, Your Highness? What are you really trying to do?'
Planche laughed once more. A childlike smile spread on his face, making him look more eerie.
In a blink, Planche hurled the knife in his right hand toward Yan.
–Wooooosh