Just for that day, Kenneth's pace slowed down slightly as he returned to his palace on foot. The prince's brows did not stop furrowing the entire time. Although Kenneth had decided to kill the monster, the prince had no plans to enter the notoriously dangerous Audoran Forest without a plan.
Kenneth was not like his other brothers, who could use their money and connections to pave the way to the Audoran Forest. He only had himself and the fighting skills he had honed while studying in the palace.
Kenneth needed sufficient provisions to reach the Audoran Forest, which is located on the border between the Lucano Kingdom and other kingdoms. Having to sleep in the open space was still okay for Kenneth. But the problem was Kenneth knew he had to prepare enough money for his daily meals.
Setting aside money for his trip while ensuring that his palace did not run out of money while he was away was difficult. Kenneth unconsciously let out a long breath. If only he had not been in a race against time, he would have been able to find a job first to raise enough money for his trip.
"Kenneth!"
"Please be careful, Mrs. Emma!"
Kenneth's stopped daydreaming as he heard his mother's voice in the distance. Even if Kenneth came home late at night, Emma was still wearing her best dress and had yet to remove the makeup on her beautiful face. Kenneth unconsciously smiled bitterly as he looked at his mother. Even now, his mother still hoped that King Ducan would come to visit her once again.
Nonetheless, unlike the blank stare that Emma usually gave to her son, Emma looked so alive as she smiled and then hugged her son tightly. It would be a lie if Kenneth were not surprised to see his mother's condition suddenly improve. Once Kenneth felt the warm embrace of his mother, the prince finally realized that it had been a long time since he had been hugged by his mother.
"Mother...."
"Kenneth, the one who came earlier, was a royal knight, right? Did your father finally remember us again? What did he talk to you about?"
The small smile that almost formed on Kenneth's face disappeared again when he heard his mother's questions. Kenneth released their embrace with a heavy heart. The prince tried to put on his best smile, although Kenneth was disappointed that Emma only thought of King Ducan in this situation.
"He summoned all the princes, then announced that anyone could become the crown prince as long as they killed the monster that guarded the Audoran Forest. Mother, I plan to leave as soon as possible to carry out that mission. If I go... can you at least pray for my safe return?"
"The king is giving you that chance?! Well done, Kenneth! I'm so proud of you!"
Emma had no intention of listening to all of Kenneth's words and only heard what she wanted to hear. The woman hugged Kenneth one more time. For Emma, there was nothing happier than hearing that her son could become the next Crown Prince of the Lucano Kingdom.
"Mother...."
"You must be able to kill the monster before anyone else, Kenneth! We have been waiting for this opportunity for many years, haven't we? Your father loves you because he knows that you will be his successor. Who cares even if I am a servant before? Among his children, you are the most talented and look the most like him."
Since childhood, Kenneth loved his mother's gentle touch. Even if Kenneth's life had been difficult since he was a child, the prince always persevered because he loved his mother so much. Kenneth would do anything if it meant he could feel his mother's touch again. But if his mother touched him while saying something that only existed in his mind, Kenneth could no longer feel happy because of that touch.
His feelings hurt. Kenneth smiled, but who knew how chaotic the storm raging inside his heart was?
"I will fight, Mother. Therefore, will you wait for me at Ruby Palace? I want you to listen to what Uri said in my absence."
"I understand. But in exchange, you must return as a crown prince."
Kenneth gave a nod while ignoring Uri, who seemed to disagree with his decision. The prince invited his mother to enter Ruby Palace. Since Emma did not look disappointed even though King Ducan did not visit her, Kenneth could be sure that his mother would be fine the next morning.
"Your Highness, what do you mean by you are going out alone? If you leave the palace, I have to accompany and protect you out there."
"Then, do we have to leave my mother alone in this place? Uri, you're the only one I trust in this palace. Princess Abigail is under house arrest because of His Majesty. Other than you, who else can protect my mother from those who try to harm her in my absence?"
Uri looked dissatisfied with that answer. But deep in his heart, Uri knew what Kenneth said was true. They could not possibly leave a woman who sometimes could not distinguish between reality and delusion alone. Especially now that Kenneth had the same chance to become a crown prince, the others must be getting impatient to eliminate Kenneth and his mother at any cost.
"Not to mention, our palace does not have enough money to travel for two. I apologize, Uri. But as usual, I may have to leave you in this palace."
"No, no. It's not your fault, Your Highness."
In the end, Uri could only reply like that. What happened to them was not Kenneth's fault. Uri knew how hard Kenneth had worked to keep them alive when almost everyone in the palace was their enemy.
"Then, can we at least exchange letters? That way, I can find out about your situation while you can find out about the situation in the palace during your absence. Your Highness, to be honest, I feel that exchanging letters is not enough for me to ascertain your state. But given our current circumstances, although this request sounds shameless, I hope Your Highness is willing to grant it."
"Very well. We will continue to exchange letters while I am away, Uri."
Uri had been with Kenneth since the prince was young. During their time together, Kenneth could tell that Uri was an honest man who was exceptionally loyal to him. Instead of thinking of him as a servant, Kenneth preferred to think of him as family. If exchanging letters could make Uri feel better, Kenneth would do it.
"Then, for once, please allow me to help you prepare, Your Highness. You need thorough preparation before you embark on such a long journey."
"I understand. So, you can stop acting like a mother who is about to take her child out for the first time."
"I don't...."
Uri's words were cut short as he saw his prince start to chuckle. Ever since Emma had approached Kenneth and talked about King Ducan the whole time, Uri had noticed that Kenneth's face was more somber than usual. But right now, the prince had returned to his cheerful look.
For Uri, who had accompanied Kenneth since childhood, his prince's smile was his most precious thing. The servant unconsciously smiled, then no longer had the urge to continue his original sentence.