We are now heading towards the garden of the palace. When we are about to get close to the gazebo and see Nicolo sitting there alone while his other retainers are in the surroundings, Dean, the closest retainer to the prince suddenly stops walking.
He makes a gesture of making his way for us. "Lord Nicodeim and Lady Nicomaine, the prince is here," he said. He is showing his respect to us.
We didn't bother to answer him. Instead, we take a step forward and approach Nicolo.
It didn't take a long time for him to notice us and the moment he saw us, a wide smile suddenly appeared on his lips as he stood up.
"Nicodeim! Nicomaine! I'm glad you two visited me!"
We bowed our heads as we finally reached him. "Good day, Prince Nicolo," Nicomaine greeted him.
"Please take your seat," he said while still smiling. He sits first and we follow him. "Prepare some tea and sweets for my visitors too," he immediately orders one of his retainers.
When the retainer bowed his head and left, Nicolo looked at me. "I'm glad you joined Nicomaine visiting me today," he said.
I smirked at him. "Well, there are so many things I need to do that are more important than spending time with you but what choice do I have if my sister—"
Nicomaine's hands slammed onto the table, making the teacups rattle. "Oi, brother! Can you at least pretend to respect the prince? We're not kids anymore—act like it!"
Nicolo lifts his left hand as if he making my sister hush. "It's fine with me, Nicomaine. After all, he is the only person in this kingdom who treats me like a normal person. So please let me have this at least," he said while still smiling.
Nicomaine's glare turns into a worried face towards the prince. She opened and closed her mouth while clasping her hands at her legs but she couldn't find any words to say to the prince.
Of all people, my sister and I are the only people in this kingdom who know his true position here.
I lean on the chair while crossing my arms. "I told you, right? It's not fun to let other people order you from how you will live your life. You are a prince and soon to be the king, you must act tough in front of them."
Nicolo put his hand on the table while clasping it. "I hope it was easy as you say it, Nicodeim. But you know I can't do that," he said as he looked down.
He was smiling, but there was sadness in his eyes. His backstory was also shown in the original series. Nicolo faced immense pressure to meet the high expectations of being a future ruler of this kingdom.
But I'm not gonna lie, I envy the fact that he has a backstory while I don't have one! We are just both mob characters here and get killed by the villain from the start of the series. How is it this unfair?
I sigh and brush off my right hand. "You just make it sound complicated. Look at the king, he was not being controlled by the advisors. You should try to do it too," I suggested.
He didn't have the chance to answer me as Nicomaine suddenly tilted her head to interrupt our conversation. "Prince Nicolo, you know that you don't need to listen to everything that my brother saying," her voice sounds angelic whenever she is talking to the prince.
But when it comes to me, her brother, she is glaring as if at any moment she is ready to bite me. Her gaze shifted on me. "And you, brother," she said. "We are not here to give the prince more stress, you know."
I frowned at her as I put my hands on the back of my head. "Huh? I thought you would let handle the talking with him—aw!"
"Talking? About what?" Nicolo asked as he exchanged glances while frowning between me and my sister.
I scowled at my sister while holding my feet that she stomped a while ago. Nicolo didn't bother to ask because he was used to witnessing Nicomaine hit me that way since we were kids.
She looked at the prince while lifting her brows and smiling innocently. "Hm? It's nothing, Prince Nicolo. You know my brother always says weird things."
"Really?" he frowns. "If you have something to say, you can say it anyway. You know that I won't hold back if it is you two who talk to me."
My sister and I look at each other while I still holding my feet. We are both serious as if we are talking with that look and deciding if this is the time to start the plan.
When Nicomaine looked down, I turned my gaze to the prince. I cleared my throat and fixed my posture as I spoke seriously, "The real reason why we are here is because… we are worried about you, Nicolo," I said.
I saw his adam's apple come down as a sign that he swallowed hard. He knows that the moment I call him only by his name, I have something in my mind that is a very serious matter to discuss.
He keeps his hand on the table. But he looks down before speaking, "Was it because of the sudden move of the Rebels?"
Rebels are the faction that opposes the king and can't accept Nicolo as the next heir to the throne. Dreymore is one of them.
They oppose the Thorne Family continuing to rule the kingdom because there were some rules made by the current king that don't align with their beliefs.
I looked at Nicolo intensely. "If Rebels is making their move, I guess you should start to make your move too," I suggested.
Nicolo frowns at me. "What do you mean?"
The Rebels aren't just some group of power-hungry traitors. They have a point. Nicolo's got the same illness that killed my mother and Livius's mother. They don't want to crown a prince who might drop dead before even ruling.
I never break my gaze towards him. "Nicolo, I told you that you need to be firm. And by that, you can start with doing what you wanted to do."
Illness was not the only reason why rebels opposed Nicolo inhering the throne. The main reason is his lack of leadership and capabilities.
He chuckled as he spoke. "I'm already doing what I wanted to do, what are you talking about?"
"Is being bound by the fact that you are the son of the king so you should act as one— is the thing you wanted to do, Nicolo?"
Nicolo might be naive like what people used to describe him, but he is not stupid. I know from his expression of looking away and hesitant to speak is a piece of evidence that he understands my question.
"I admit, you are right," he said while his gaze remained on the ground. He even clenched his fist as he spoke. "But if I will act as how I wanted, not just the kingdom who will sue me, but also the king himself…"
He looks at me as he continues speaking, "How many times do I have to tell you that, Nicodeim?"
That is the problem. He wants to try to get out of his comfort zone but has no will to act because he is bound by his position as a prince. Therefore, there should be someone to push him to take a different path. And with that, of course, I know what to do.
I shrugged. "Well, it can't be helped. If you wanted to be like that until the end, then go ahead," I said.
I had no time to listen to his drama, I need to finish this matter as soon as possible as there is something more important I need to take care of than this.
Nicomaine tilts her head towards me. "Ugh, brother, could you be more useless? Seriously, what kind of pep talk was that?"
I crossed my arms and looked at my sister. "We are not in the position to force the prince to do what we told him to do just because we are viewing it as a good decision."
I also wanted to test if I could mold him into a different person compared to who he is in the original series that only follows what the advisor told him to do. What I mean is, instead of following those people, he should follow my suggestions instead.
Nicolo's a pawn that just needs the right push. If I mold him into something more useful, I can get him closer to Dreymore. And if Dreymore is the reason Kaiden wants to move to Eldermoor? Then I need to figure out what the hell is going on—before it screws with my plans.