"Oh! Your Excellency, is that Duke Esclat?"
Escar's gaze followed the direction Sir Bashilian pointed at.
And indeed, the crimson head of his old friend stood out among the other notable nobles.
DRAP! DRAP!
Unable to call out verbally, Escar approached.
In front of him, his childhood friend, Duke Esclat, was leaning against a pillar in the meeting hall, arms crossed over his chest.
Next to him, as expected, was his loyal aide, Count Hellington.
The turquoise-eyed man stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought.
WHACK!
"Goodness!!! You startled me!"
"…."
Without feeling guilty for suddenly scaring Lewin Esclat, who was easily startled, Escar simply returned a friendly smile.
"Huh! Wait a minute …. Are you here for the gathering too, without any more detailed information?"
"…!" Escar nodded.
He asked Sir Bashilian for his special notebook and wrote down a reply.
SCRATCH~ SCRATCH~!
["Can you guess why we were called by the Crown Prince?"]
"That's about it? Hm, …."
Duke Esclat seemed to think for a moment.
"It seems like …."
Looking left and right cautiously, as if checking for eavesdroppers, Lewin leaned in closer to Escar's ear.
"… It's about the succession," he whispered, causing the Marquess Aschenford to widen his eyes in surprise.
"I know what you're thinking. It's true."
Lewin once again checked the surroundings before continuing to share the secret, "At this point, His Majesty the King is truly on his deathbed. He's just waiting to breathe his last."
"…!"
Initially, Escar closed his mouth, shocked.
A moment later, the silent Marquess went back to his special communication tool and showed his response discreetly.
["What's there to worry about? Isn't being the 'Crown Prince' itself enough to ensure his future reign?"]
"That's exactly what I was thinking! Now I understand why the Crown Prince suddenly gave me Princess Cherin as a gift, asking me to make her my wife."
["W-wife? You're getting married? A political marriage? With a Princess?"]
"Let's not discuss that right now. First, let's talk about what really matters."
["O-okay. So, why did he give Her Highness to you to marry?"]
"…."
Duke Esclat suddenly stopped whispering.
He stared straight ahead, his turquoise eyes growing sharper.
Naturally, this made Escar follow his gaze.
"…?"
As soon as the silver-haired man turned his head backward … Escar froze.
He quickly shut his notebook, pretending as if it had never been opened for conversation.
The Crown Prince had arrived in the hall!
And he looked … so very ….
"Father … F-father has …."
CRASH!
… Completely devastated.
"… Father has left me."
The Crown Prince collapsed.
He sank weakly to the cold floor, his blue eyes wide in disbelief, tears running down his cheeks.
"He has left us."
•••
SHPP!
The blonde girl, her hair's beauty further emphasized by the setting sun's light, sipped her favorite warm tea calmly in the study room.
"…."
Her sea-blue eyes, as beautiful as lapis lazuli, which had previously been focused on her book, now shifted toward the front.
Toward … the footsteps approaching, opening the door, and locking her gaze onto the person who had just entered.
"Princess."
The low voice flowed gently, hard to believe. For the soft words came from the mouth of someone who often spoke bluntly and loudly.
DRAP! DRAP!
The long legs swiftly moved, and thanks to the owner of those legs, the one with dark red hair and turquoise blue eyes, the one holding the Esclat title in this generation, and the one with a mansion like a second grand palace in the kingdom, was quickly approaching the destination.
Namely, to the princess.
"I already know what you're going to say."
Before the one who had come, none other than Duke Esclat, Lewin, could speak, the princess, Cherin Soultherns, spoke first, interrupting.
"If you've rushed back here, even though you just left the palace less than a day ago, … then you must have some shocking news for me, right?"
"…."
Lewin Esclat fell silent.
His turquoise eyes, which had widened in surprise because once again the princess had guessed his thoughts, now showed a more sorrowful gaze.
"Correct."
CLACK!
Princess Cherin placed her tea cup onto the saucer.
"Then, His Majesty the King, …."
Her fingers, still gripping the cup's rim, moved emotionally, tightening her hold.
She hid her beautiful face from the Duke by lowering her head, allowing her blonde hair to fall and cover each side of her face.
"H-His Majesty the K-King, …."
Her hands trembled. Her voice shook, as though holding back tears.
This only made her slender body seem even more fragile, shaking violently.
"H-he is, …."
SYUKK!
A large, warm, and sturdy hand suddenly wrapped around the princess's delicate hand, full of tenderness.
But that was not all.
SRUKK!
The hand's warmth lowered itself.
Lewin bent one knee, squatting beside the princess, who still refused to show her face, and gazed at her with intense eyes.
"My apologies," he softly apologized, unable to bear seeing the girl, who was supposed to be his future wife—so beautiful, elegant, and sweet when smiling—suddenly showing this painful side of herself.
"D-don't say that." Princess Cherin shook her head slowly. "It's not your fault. Why are you apologizing?"
Why? Lewin Esclat didn't know.
What was clear, though ….
"Princess."
… was that he wanted to lift the princess's spirits, who would certainly mourn the passing of His Majesty the King.
"Hey, …."
With care, Lewin raised his empty left hand and gently swept aside Cherin's bangs, doing so with the utmost caution.
"… Princess."
As gently as possible, like holding onto a fragile flower petal that could easily fall off, he brushed her cheek.
"My graceful princess."
The caress on her cheek, flowing like calm water, was subtle, until it turned Cherin's face towards him.
Ah, it turned out that what the princess had wanted to hide were the teardrops, like clear gemstones, that marked her cheeks and made her blue eyes drown in sorrow.
"It's alright. Such is life, there must be death."
It was hard to believe.
"There can be no end, if there's no beginning."
Even for Lewin himself.
"So, it's alright, okay? If you still want to grieve, then grieve."
How could he—someone who knew himself best, who was noisy, blunt, outspoken, and always spoke without thinking—suddenly become so gentle?
"I will stay with you."
He hoped that the news of the King's death would not make her sorrow drag on.
"…."
This was his first experience, after all! Speaking softly, gently, and with great care to a woman!
Normally, whether a woman or a man, he treated them equally!
"…?"
If they were wrong, he would scold them. If they cried, he would tell them not to be so fragile.
But now, for this girl, the one who somehow seemed to have knocked on the door of his heart … Lewin could not bring himself to scold her or tell her not to cry.
"… H-huh? W-wait a second. P-pardon me?"
Did Lewin Esclat's trivial attempt at humor succeed?
Considering that the princess suddenly wiped her tears roughly?
"Who is mourning the death of that decrepit old scoundrel?"
However, ….
"… Eh?"
What is this unexpected situation?!
Lewin Esclat's eyes widened, and he smiled awkwardly. His thoughts became disoriented.
"Wasn't it, …?"
"Haish~!"
SWOOSH!
Cherin Soultherns suddenly stood up from her seat.
This caused Lewin's hands, which had been directed toward offering some small comfort, to be knocked aside unintentionally.
"So this is what it feels like to be misunderstood? Disgusting!"
W-what's going on?!
The Duke didn't expect to see this other side of the princess.
He remained squatting near the table, wide-eyed, gazing upward, trying hard to process what had just happened.
"Listen!"
"…!"
Lewin was startled.
Princess Cherin, who had always spoken gracefully, had expressed herself calmly, and had a soft voice for the past five days, suddenly raised her voice, putting on a stern expression while standing with her hands on her hips, also, ….
"For 19 years of my life, it was impossible, and it will never happen, that I would ever feel the slightest sympathy for that scumbag who should have been killed a long time ago!"
… She cursed.
Now, Lewin could feel his whole body drenched in cold sweat.
It seemed he was a bit afraid to look directly into the princess's blue eyes.
So, ….
"W-why are you crying then?"
… He asked, not focusing his gaze on her.
SRUKK!
This time, it was the princess's turn to lower her body.
"…!"
Once again, she startled Lewin Esclat, who was easily surprised.
"Because I'm worried about my own life, of course."
She positioned herself to be at eye level with the Duke, even squatting down like him, staring into his turquoise eyes with a serious gaze.
"Don't you already know the reason why I was sent here, and why the Crown Prince called the prominent nobles today?"
"…!"
Ah! About that?
"I-it …!"
Lewin remembered his conversation with Escar.
"Correct."
It was a serious matter.
"I do hate that damn King, for making my mother suffer. But, unlike me, …."
The matter regarding the Crown Prince's anxiety ….
"He doesn't hate me. Instead, he's obsessed with gaining my attention."
… In case the throne would be passed to the King's beloved daughter, Princess Cherin Soultherns, at the time of his last breath.
"While staying at the royal palace, his attention, as if redeeming himself for what he did to my mother, … made my position threatened."
Thus, the Crown Prince had called many prominent nobles to be witnesses.
If possible, it seemed her half-brother, the Crown Prince, wanted to gain political support from the attending nobles.
"I've often been the target of assassination attempts by that cunning half-brother of mine, who always hides behind a friendly smile."
"…."
"No matter how small my position as a concubine's child is, it still seems like a threat. That's why he sent me to you, as the King's condition worsened."
Lewin couldn't find the words.
"My reason for crying is because … well, it could happen, right? Even after the King's death, or even now that I'm here, he still sees me as a threat?"
Not only because he didn't know how to react, but also because he was currently focusing his attention.
"I'm alone."
He focused on the princess, who seemed so lonely.
"There's no one I can call family."
"…."
"There's no place to return to, and no comfortable place I can call home."
Ah, Lewin felt uncomfortable.
"I …!"
The overwhelming sympathy that pierced his heart pushed the Duke, usually wild and hard to handle, to offer more comfort.
SYUKK!
"…?!"
Princess Cherin suddenly stopped venting when she felt her hand being enveloped by warmth.
"Who said you're alone?"
Yes, Duke Esclat extended his large hand once again, offering strength to the princess through his touch.
"Don't you have me now?"
The feeling transmitted through their hands then reached their hearts, causing a strong heartbeat for both.
"P-p—pardon?"
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, this time, it was Lewin who startled the princess, bringing his face a few centimeters closer to Cherin's.
"Shall we speed up the wedding day?"
"W-what …!?"
"I'm serious. Marry me, Your Highness."
Cherin's face, which had been a soft pink like a peach, now turned bright red like a cherry.
"That way, I'll become part of your family."
This made Duke Esclat want to laugh, reminded of Sir Bashilian whenever he was embarrassed.
"We can also start our own family."
"I-I—uh!"
Is the graceful Princess Cherin Soultherns blushing now? How cute!
"Ah, besides that, I'll also give you a guarantee."
Luckily, he managed to suppress his laughter, which usually exploded because of his silly sense of humor.
"As long as you marry me, I won't hesitate to risk my life."
"F-for what?"
Lewin smiled shyly.
"To protect you from any harm, …."
He took and pulled Princess Cherin's hand, then kissed the back of her hand with intensity.
"… My graceful princess."