Franz remained dressed in tattered clothes. Within the disheveled upper garment, his bare chest was exposed. Regardless of the country, royalty should never present themselves in such a manner.
Fortunately, the fact that Kallian managed to suppress the urge of thrusting a knife into Franz' throat due to the unprecedented rudeness of such behavior was a relief.
Kallian took a discreet breath, careful not to show any signs of distress.
Randell furrowed his eyebrows slightly at Franz' behavior. However, he soon turned his head as if he hadn't seen anything. Kallian didn't miss this subtle reaction from Randell.
'The First Prince cannot interfere with the Second Prince.'
The reason was obvious. All Three Princes were half-brothers, and the current Queen, Seleque, was the mother of the Second Prince, Franz. Therefore, even though Randell was the First Prince, he couldn't assume authority over Franz.
'The power of the Queen's household was truly formidable.'
While contemplating these thoughts, the room fell silent, and in that moment, well-prepared dishes began to be placed before them one by one.
Fragrant soup, the aroma of freshly baked bread, savory scrambled eggs, thinly sliced ham suitable for breakfastー complemented by a salad bursting with fresh vegetables and an array of fruits.
For Beren, ravaged by the sudden war, could there be a more splendid meal than this? If he was alone, he might have devoured it all without leaving anything behind.
However, he couldn't touch the food. The first reason was his growing concern for Chase, and the second reason was having his lifelong enemy, Franz, in front of him. The chilling atmosphere in the dining hall also contributed to the hesitation.
'It's like treading on thin ice here.'
Though the Three Princes of Kyris were undoubtedly brothers, not a single word was exchanged between them during this meal. Being half-brothers alone couldn't justify the reason for this silence.
Chase and Beren were also half-brothers, yet they were always laughing and chatting, keeping the chef busy reheating their dishes. The voice of Chase, who always looked out for Beren, lingered in his ears.
ーBecoming a knight.. Sure, you are quite trustworthy after all.
ーBeren, don't worry. Don't worry about anything.
In this moment, the thought of his brother Chase, the King of Secretia whom he would give up his life for without regret, became overwhelmingly urgent.
However, in this place, he couldn't inquire about any news regarding his brother or Secretia. Therefore, the worry and longing only intensified. He wanted to rush out and meet with his brother immediately.
At the end of such thoughts, anger towards Franz surged again, and Kallian, with a bitter smile, raised the empty glass, downing it in one go. Just then, a voice filled with mocking laughter echoed.
"Pfft.. How pathetic."
Of all people the voice could've belonged to, it was Franz' voice. The face of a person whose attire couldn't be distinguished between putting them on or taking them off, appeared. Franz lifted one corner of his lips and added,
"You have no dignity at all, you truly resemble your mother."
It was a contemptuous remark aimed at Kallian's commoner-born mother. In the end, Kallian's eyes turned coldー the crimson eyes that were filled to the brim with deep unexpressed hatred for Franz. Franz immediately caught on to Kallian's changed gaze, In an instant, Franz eyes sharpened coldly aswellー making him raise his guard.
Despite the situation, Randell didn't spare a glance at the two and focused on his meal, truly the epitome of a perfect bystander.
Kallian turned his head to look at Randell, maintaining a steady gaze. Then, at that moment, a threatening voice flowed from Franz' lips.
"How dare you.."
Kallian's gaze returned to Franz. Their eyes met, and neither looked away first. When it reached that point, Randell spoke in a calm voice.
"That's enough."
Franz, without shifting his gaze from Kallian, then said,
"Tsk, my appetite is ruined because of those cursed blood-colored eyes. I'll be leaving first."
Randell didn't give permission, yet despite that, Franz promptly rose from his seat and walked straight out.
It was rather a fortunate turn of events as Kallian's patience wasn't sufficient to endure encountering Franz for too long.
"Mind your manners. The celebration for the King's birthday is just around the corner."
Yet, in a calm manner, a voice that diminished Kallian's patience was heard.
It was Randell who spoke with an emotionless expression, not bothering to even spare a glance at Kallian.
'What? How is it my fault? What about the nuisance that just left?'
The audacity of those words made Kallian chuckle bitterly. If it weren't for the unbelievable situation of waking up with a different body the day after facing death, Kallian would undoubtedly not have held back.
Naturally, Randell was unaware of how much effort his brother, who shared the table with him, was exerting to conceal the his emotions. Thus, Randell stood up and left without considering Kallian's feelings.
"Can't just let a day pass by peacefully, can you.."
A quiet mumble from Yan, who was standing behind Kallian's seat, could be heard.
Leaning back in his chair, Kallian took a deep breath to quell his anger. It sounded like the melancholic breath of a tormented younger sibling, and from behind, Yan's sympathy was obviously visible.
Soon, Kallian stood up silently. Yan approached immediately, pulling out the chair and meticulously straightening Kallian's disheveled clothing. Despite witnessing this daily abuse, Yan's touch was remarkably gentle and courteous. Kallian could clearly see that the same level of care wasn't extended to the other two princes.
Kallian saw that on Yan's palm were deeply embedded traces of fingernail marks. Ironically, Yan's eyes seemed even more distorted than Kallian's.
Kalian witnessing such a sight from a slightly older attendant, the negative emotions swirling within him gradually subsided.
"Thank you."
Yan's eyes widened in surprise at those words, as Kallian wasn't silently crying or displaying a pained expression as he usually did.
But that wasn't all. A small smile adorned Kallian's face.
Before Yan could decide how to respond to the first expression of gratitude he had ever received from Kallian, Kallian continued speaking.
"What's the next schedule?"
"..In an hour, Your Highness has a lesson on the Yangshin War."
"I see. I'd like to be alone until then."
Yan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded with a worried expression.
The original Kallian's memories guided him faithfully in his duties. Thanks to them, Kallian could smoothly step outside the Chereumil Palace and stroll along the path next to the artificial lake without any hesitation.
No one else was around. Just Kallian, and Yan following along at a distance away.
"Haa.."
Kallian, walking along the lakeside, released a breath he had been holding as he looked down at the water beneath his feet. Then, a small sculpture placed in the center of the lake caught his attention.
A black dragon spreading its wings towards the sky, with red gemstones embedded in the dragon's eyes.
"Sysphanian, was it?"
It was a sculpture of the Legendary Dragon, Sysphanian. Also known as the Dragon Queen, who was said to be the consort of Kyris' Founding King and the Former Queen of Kyris.
The description of her having black hair like a silent night and eyes infused with sacred flame came to mind. Black hair and red eyes. It was the same as Kallian.
'Cursed blood-colored eyes.'
Franz' voice echoed in his thoughts once again.
Whether it was Kallian's body affecting his mind or vice versa, Kallian chuckled at himself for bringing up such thoughts again.
Beren, the Lone Knight who stood before the castle gate, was not just a knight but also a blade who stood his ground until death.
Just yesterday, didn't he staunchly stop the bleeding of his severed arm, only to wield his sword without hesitation while countless arrows pierced his body?
He needed to keep his composure. The pressing matter at hand wasn't whether to kill or spare Franz in front of him. He had to first understand how he got into this situation in the first place.
Therefore, Kallian closed his eyes for a moment, pushing away the emotions flooding his mind.
Regaining his focus, he recalled what seemed to be the cause of all this.
"..The Axis of Time."
The Axis of Time.
It suddenly appeared in the Secretia Royal Palace one day. Shaped like a large hourglass, it possessed the power to rewind time, but only once.
The Axis of Time was indeed the cause of all this. The war between Secretia and Kyris also erupted due to The Axis of Time.
Prior to the war, Kyris sought The Axis of Time from Secretia. However, Secretia declined, with King Chase strongly opposing it due to the clear danger associated with the artifact. Handing such a powerful artifact to the unpredictable Franz was out of the question.
Upon conveying their harsh dismissal, it seemed as though Kyris had been exepecting Secretia's refusal and soon, an impending onslaught descended onto Secretia.
Negotiations were futile, and they skipped even the official declaration of war. Franz was a man of extraordinary audacity.
In the war that ensued, Secretia ultimately faced defeat, and the current state of affairs reflected the aftermath. His older brother, Chase, must have witnessed his death.
Chase, being the sole survivor, must have witnessed Beren's eventual demise. Therefore, Kallian believed that Chase had used The Axis of Time to rewound time. He didn't anticipate that it would lead to this outcome, but he thought that Chase would have definitely tried to save him.
Kallian spoke softly, almost as if sighing,
"Chase.."
"If the cause of all this is The Axis of Time.. that means there's no going back."
The Axis of Time could only be used once. If time had already been twisted, there was no way to return to the past. Kallian muttered, pondering what to do in the face of an irreparable situation.
If this is not just a dream and what he recalled is accurate, then this is undoubtedly a second chance at life.
Kallian couldn't afford to squander the opportunity Chase had given him. Consequently, he shifted the focus of his thoughts from returning to the past to surviving in his new body. After all, he needed to stay alive to explore other options.
Kallian once again immersed himself in contemplation.
At the young age of 14, Kallian faced imminent death.
Failing in his attempt to poison Queen Seleque and fearing punishment, he resorted to hanging himself.
Of course, no one believed this to be true. Hence, every story that circulated about his 'suicide' was sifted through as an 'assassination.' After all, Seleque was deemed capable of killing Kallian and still remaining a revered figure.
Frieya.
It was all related to Kallian's birth mother. Concubine Frieya, renowned for her beauty, howeverー from common origins. Despite gaining the King's favor and giving birth to Kallian, she passed away shortly after due to 'postnatal complications.'
The story goes that after consuming the tea sent by the Queen, Frieya vomited bubbling black blood and succumbed to the 'postnatal complications.'
This is how Kallian lost his mother. Given such circumstances, the notion of Kallian having a supporter in his murder attempt was unimaginable.
It made no sense for a Prince, who would struggle to obtain even a common poison, to attempt to kill a Queen with greater influence than the King himself.
Moreover, Kallian had to endure the disdain of Queen Seleque and the Second Prince Franz from the moment he was born.
Growing up in such circumstances, the young Kallian likely felt suffocated. ーNo matter how fierce a beast is, if raised on milk from its infancy, it tends to lick its owner's feet and expose its belly.
Therefore, Kallian must have grown up so fragile that he couldn't even fathom the idea of taking someone else's life.
Kallian let out a bitter smile. Rumor had it that, except for his hair color, Kallian closely resembled Frieya. The Queen probably didn't want to be reminded of the deceased Frieya when looking at Kallian's face.
Hence, she must have concocted a tale of Kallian's failed murder attempt, and the King likely chose to turn a blind eye to it since the Queen controlled three of the four royal guard units, excluding the one right under the King.
Kallian was reported to have died a few months before turning 15.
'Since my 15th birthday is just around the corner, about four months from now.. someone would come to kill me soon.'
Kallian, facing the impending death disguised as 'suicide,' had only one to two months left until the fateful moment.
Kallian's crimson eyes that were reflected in the water, emitted a sharp gleam. There was not a trace of willingness in those eyes to just succumb to Seleque's hands.