As Stephen watched Prince Sam return to normal, the sounds of the crowd around him became audible again. However, this time the crowd was not the ordinary people, but filled with guards and sorcerers. The guards were shouting in unison, "An attempt was made on the crown prince's life!" in panic.
In the background, Stephen heard voices discussing Prince Sam's execution, but he felt completely lost. It was as if he had lost his ability to make decisions and didn't know what to do. He just stared blankly at Prince Sam, his eyes fixed on him. The chaos around him reflected the turmoil within Stephen, as he had no idea how to act or what to do next.
After a few guards took Prince Sam away, Stephen slowly felt the presence of someone approaching him. Albert placed a hand on Stephen's shoulder and asked, "Are you alright, your majesty?" Stephen flinched and replied, "I'm fine," but Albert, sensing the powerful dark energy emanating from the surroundings, doubted this could be true.
The atmosphere was filled with chaos and anxiety. Uncertainty shone in Stephen's eyes as if he was at a point of decision. Albert sensed the presence of someone with a strong resilience amidst the chaos. The uncertainty in his eyes, combined with the dark energy around them, made the atmosphere tense once again.
"Can you please explain what happened?"
When Albert turned to Stephen and asked, the surroundings were still in chaos. Stephen took a deep breath and began to explain. "He called himself the Lord of Hell. He said he needed to kill me because I was the only obstacle to the Lord of Darkness."
Albert's expression changed to a mixture of horror and disbelief. "So Prince Sam was serving the Lord of Darkness?" he asked, feeling like he was facing an unbelievable truth.
Stephen continued, "The Sword of Justice told me not to kill him because he was innocent."
Albert frowned, "But he tried to kill you. Also, I would advise not to always trust the Sword of Justice."
"Why?"
"Because the sword can communicate like a living being, which means it might be controlled by a fairy. And we don't know which fairy is controlling it."
Stephen looked at him with a confused expression, his mind filling with new questions after Albert's explanations. The chaos around him only heightened his inner confusion.
After considering this explanation, Stephen asked, "But the sword chose me. So why do you trust me?"
Albert replied, "Because Peter Peterson, your grandfather, was also chosen by the sword, and he is a folk hero. Despite some doubts among us, this is why we prefer to trust you."
Stephen felt somewhat relieved by Albert's response, but his mind was still muddled. "I'm really confused. Anyway, I didn't kill my uncle, did I?" he asked with a worried expression.
Just like his father, pure and innocent, merciful. I hope this doesn't burden him as it did his father.
Albert responded to Stephen in a calm voice, "Don't worry. He will live. But he will probably be executed. Would you like to return to the castle together?"
"No, I need to clear my head. I'll return once I've collected myself."
"Very well, as you wish."
After parting ways with Albert and the others, Stephen walked home alone. When Annabel opened the door, she was in low spirits, but her face instantly lit up with a smile when she saw her brother. "Brother!" she exclaimed joyfully and hugged him.
Stephen apologized, "I know I'm very late. I'm sorry," combining his smile with sadness. However, seeing her brother upset, Annabel immediately grinned to console him. "What mattered was that you kept your promise. Don't be sad, Brother," she said, her eyes sparkling.
When Stephen realized his sister had forgiven him, he smiled. But he still wanted to ask, "Does this mean you've forgiven me?"
"Yes!" Annabel said, dragging out the last word with a grin.
This exchange reflected the deep bond and love between the siblings. As Stephen felt at peace with Annabel's warmth, he asked, "Well then, let's go inside. Is Dad home too?"
"Yes, he's home, but he's sleeping."
Stephen entered the house after Annabel mentioned their father was home. Annabel left to go somewhere else. As Stephen sat on the couch, his eye caught a book on the coffee table. In the middle of the book was a mysterious purple diamond, adorned with golden patterns around it. The stone's aura contrasted with the uncertainty dominating the room.
When Annabel returned from the kitchen, she had brought tea. Stephen thanked her and took his tea, starting to drink it. "I'm surprised Catherine isn't around. She's usually always here," he murmured, looking around in mild confusion. Then he took another sip of his tea.
The room was filled with silence and mystery. Stephen looked around, trying to suppress the unease within him. Annabel sat quietly beside him.
When Annabel heard Stephen's words, a smile appeared on her face. "Don't ask, brother. She's been through a lot," she said with a tone full of pride.
Stephen, curious, continued, "What happened?"
Annabel took a deep breath and continued, "It turns out Catherine was committing crimes to earn money."
Stephen asked in shock, "So that's where all the jewelry and trinkets came from. How did you find out?"
"Dad confronted her with all that money. It turns out it was right after she had committed another crime. He immediately turned her in. She was making money by helping those who serve the Lord of Darkness."
Upon hearing this news, Stephen anxiously reflected on past events. Again, this man? He won't leave me alone even before he's resurrected. I can't even imagine what will happen if he comes back to life. This thought occupied his mind.
"Are you here, brother?" Annabel called out again, and Stephen struggled to come to himself for a moment.
"Huh?" he mumbled, his mind still filled with thoughts triggered by hearing the Lord of Darkness's name. The revelation of his acquaintances' connections to this dark figure increased his anxiety. But he had come here to relax, so he quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind.
"Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought," he said, turning to Annabel.
"It's okay," replied Annabel, understanding his inner turmoil.
The room remained silent for a while after this conversation. Though Stephen still had concerns about the presence of the Lord of Darkness, Annabel's warmth and the peaceful atmosphere of the house had a calming effect on him. But this time, the silence was broken not by Annabel, but by someone else.
After Annabel's words, Jason came down the stairs and sat on the couch to talk with Stephen. After asking how he was, he brought up another topic.
"So, how did you find your family?" he asked, turning to Stephen.
"Someone whose name was written in the letter helped me," he said.
After hearing the answer, Jason asked, "Good, good. How are their finances?"
Stephen replied, "Very well. I currently have no financial problems," with a relaxed expression.
Jason was somewhat relieved and said, "Oh, thank goodness. I hope it stays that way," sincerely.
Stephen didn't want to reveal to Annabel and Jason that he was a prince. He was worried their attitude would change, so he preferred to keep it a secret. He decided to focus on the book on the table. When he picked it up, he felt the strong magical energy within it. However, he couldn't manage to open the book.
"We've never had a book like this in our house. How long has this book been here?" he asked curiously.
"That was one of Catherine's books. I found it while rummaging through her things. It seemed strange to me too."
Stephen asked, "If you're not going to do anything with the book, can I have it?"
"Of course, you can take it. I hadn't figured out what to do with it either," Jason replied.
Stephen took the book and continued talking about different topics. However, not wanting to keep the people at the castle worried, he bid farewell and left after a while.
⚔️⚔️⚔️
After another grueling day of training, Stephen found himself near the pond. He sat there as if waiting for something, though he wasn't sure what. Today's rest would be different from the others because this time, Stephen intended to question his thoughts.
The calm waters of the pond created a soothing atmosphere around him. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees while birds sang their melodic songs. Stephen was lost in his inner world within this tranquility of nature.
He took the pen and paper he had been holding since morning and began to read the sentences on the paper. The paper was a tool to deepen and question his thoughts. As his eyes wandered among the sentences, different questions arose in his mind. While tracing the marks of the past, he faced many uncertainties about the future. But this time, the paper and pen guided him. The cause of all these complex feelings was a poem.
It was such a day;
Date I fell on.
It came to my eyes suddenly
Have a nice blushing swim.
And my heart burned out,
Sweat rushed my palms.
A busy hive hum
It covered my ears.
I lay down softly to smoke
Yavan contributes to my life.
I died that day, my rose,
I won't die again anymore.
Stephen was filled with a sense of pride and satisfaction at having completed this poem he had been contemplating since morning. The words on the paper reflected his emotions and thoughts. For a first attempt, it's pretty good, he thought, pleased with the poem's completion.
However, as he read the poem, he constantly thought of Alicia. He couldn't understand why he couldn't get this girl out of his mind. Am I in love with her? he wondered. Could someone fall in love this quickly? If he was in love with Alicia, it wasn't a sudden love to him. He had been friends with Alicia for a long time. However, Stephen had generally been cold towards her. This time, things were different. This thing called love seemed very strange to Stephen, a very contradictory feeling. It brought both pain and pleasure.
Stephen was lost in his thoughts, his eyes gazing into the calm waters of the pond. The melodic songs of the birds accompanied his inner world. The complex feelings he had for Alicia pushed him into a deep self-reflection.
Stephen had finally come to terms with his feelings. He must be in love with Alicia, but doubts lingered within him. These doubts likely stemmed from his unfamiliarity with such emotions. So, he tried to push these doubts out of his mind. He thought about confessing his feelings to Alicia when she returned, but he also harbored doubts about her possible return.
He heard a few footsteps behind him. Thinking it might be Alicia, his heart started racing, and he turned around excitedly, only to be disappointed. It was his sister Amber.
Amber sat next to Stephen and quickly began examining the paper in his hand. In a playful and suggestive manner, she said, "Ooh, who are these words for?"
"No one."
"Are you sure? I've been told you met with a servant."
"David sure spread the word quickly," Stephen murmured, slightly irritated.
Noticing his irritation, Amber spoke in a calming tone, "Don't get angry right away. Rest assured, I won't press you on this matter."
"Alright, then. But honestly, even if you did press me, I wouldn't care much," Stephen replied with the same playful and sarcastic tone.
Amber smiled at his response and began eating pastries while watching the pond. The tranquil waters of the pond reflected their inner peace. Amber's presence had softened the atmosphere, easing some of Stephen's tension. Together, they enjoyed a peaceful moment, savoring nature and each other's company.