311. Siblings Ep – Execution Ground

After the emotional reunion, Ksenia opened her mouth with, “You must be busy, so I’ll ask briefly.” Her question was about what they should do next.

Now that your existence is openly known, will you fight against Prince Eric de Yeriel, who has taken control of the Conrad Kingdom, or will you seek another path? Lean replied decisively.

“I have no interest in the throne.”

It was a statement emphasizing that he wasn’t approaching for any unscrupulous purpose. Lean truly didn’t care about the throne at all.

Ksenia looked somewhat relieved.

“Okay. I’ll relay that to our parents. Now… Lean, come on over to our house. There’s no reason to stay in this thug den.”

Lean shook his head.

“I think it’s better to stay like this for now. I don’t know what Prince Eric de Yeriel might do. It may sound odd, but it might be better for Count Peter’s family if our relationship is perceived to be broken.”

Ksenia pondered, then countered. Lean didn’t seem to want to provoke Prince Eric.

“Will it resolve the problem? Even if he becomes king, he will ultimately target you. I appreciate you risking yourself for our family, but I don’t want you to get hurt. Let’s face this together. And,”

She approached and whispered as if revealing a great secret.

“The cardinal of the Conrad Kingdom is actually my paternal grandfather. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but… anyway. He cares for me deeply. If he knows I’m in danger, he won’t just stand by.”

Ksenia thought this was the best course. If Prince Eric mobilized the Conrad Kingdom against Lean, her grandfather the cardinal would intervene. If not, and an assassination attempt were to occur (though it wouldn’t be easy), the forces of Count Peter and Baron Monarch could defend against it.

So, it seems wise to inform her grandfather that her future husband is Prince Lean de Yeriel and, here, to publicly declare that they haven’t broken off their engagement to reassure the nobles worried about the repercussions from the prince who was exiled from the Conrad Kingdom.

However, Lean gently stroked her cheek, as if to say not to worry.

“In the end, that will happen. What I mean is, we don’t need to do that right now. I’m prepared too.”

“What is that?”

“I have more friends than I look like.”

Lean smiled widely as he said that. He lifted his head and kissed Ksenia on the cheek.

Reb and Ray.

They are comrades who would absolutely support me. Moreover, with Ksenia by my side, life ahead wouldn’t be too hard.

“What is it?” — Lean didn’t answer her again as she asked again. Stumbling along, he explored her lovely jawline…

He got scolded.

*

Not long after that, the political scene of the Belita Kingdom froze.

Princess Chloe de Tatalia, who started a war by sharing a passionate kiss with Gilbert, stood in front of Prince Vivian de Isadora, creating incidents one after another.

This time the target was Toton Tatian. The son of Marquis Benard Tatian.

The princess and Toton, who had been stuck together in the banquet hall, disappeared somewhere and the next morning, the princess returned to the palace. The king did not punish her.

A message that was all too clear.

The silent king moved the princess to touch Count Forte, the leader of the Swordmaster faction, and Marquis Tatian, the leader of the royalist faction. However, the intentions weren’t clear.

Was he really going to wage an internal war ahead of the external war with the Aisel Kingdom?

The noble families had to take care of the aftermath. Count Forte announced that he would send his son to the monastery, putting the gaze of the nobles upon Marquis Tatian.

Depending on how he acted, the two factions might unite and silently overlook the king’s intentions… or clash.

Of course, most nobles speculated that Marquis Tatian had received some hint from the king. The royalists were anxious, while the Swordmaster faction awaited an answer.

Meanwhile, Marquis Tatian was

– Hic

Sipping alcohol in his office. The thoughts he entertained did not concern the nobles, the king, or his troublesome son.

They were about Lean de Yeriel.

Just as he said.

The marquis felt a complex headache. How could he have detected this in advance? Did he manipulate the princess? If the strange mirror Prince Vivian received ended up in the princess’s hands…? No, that was too far-fetched. Furthermore, he wouldn’t gain anything by causing this kind of trouble.

Wait. No, he could have calculated that I would think this way… but still, no. It’s too chaotic. Plus, something seems off with my son. He’s not the type to fall for a girl… Could it be that he conspired with Prince Lean? But they’ve never met.

Ugh. Benard pressed his finger against his forehead.

If this situation were truly a scheme by Count Hermann Forte working with his son to pull me down, then surely with Princess Tatalia involved.

He had thought that way before.

If the count pulled her in, then the kiss between Gilbert and the princess was likely his intention too. That means Count Hermann Forte intended to strengthen his political base through war while using my son to consume this Tatian marquis family. If successful, the kingdom would fall into his hands.

Ridiculous, yet it made the most sense. However, something felt off.

Count Forte wouldn’t unnecessarily wage war with the Aisel Kingdom. Even if divorced, the Aisel Kingdom is practically family to him.

Thus, it would be correct to deem Count Forte uninvolved in this matter.

So it seems,

– “From what you say, it seems you still can’t imagine why the king moved Princess Chloe.”

Starting with inviting Prince Vivian, King Caroman de Tatalia initiated all this.

His strange behavior was nothing new…

The marquis mulled Lean’s words.

– “Soon your son, Toton Tatian, will end up like Gilbert Forte. He will fall in love. The king will use the lovestruck Toton to force you and Count Hermann Forte to collide.”

He will fall in love, huh?

How could he say that?

Back then, he had not believed it and had absentmindedly overlooked his son’s relationship with Irène. But looking back now, the prince’s words sounded more like prophecy than mere speculation. There was a certain conviction behind it.

Toton was surely going to fall for Princess Tatalia. As if the king has a way to make it happen.

Magic? I don’t know…

There hadn’t been any movement from the sorcerers contracted with the Tatalia royal family. The same goes for the ‘Kamitz Magic Tower.’

Every move of the king is under my watch. Including Count Forte and the entirety of Orville.

…If that’s the case.

– Squeak

‘Something I can’t even imagine is happening.’

After rising from his seat, the marquis felt confident.

This Benard Tatian knew something. Otherwise, there was no way to make sense of the current events.

He looked up at the portrait of his deceased wife hung on one wall and murmured.

“It’s as strange as you dying so suddenly.”

In the quiet office, there was no reply. The marquis didn’t expect one.

*

Thanks to Princess Chloe de Tatalia’s incident, or perhaps because Count Peter covertly informed that his daughter and the prince hadn’t broken off their engagement, the flow of visitors seeking Lean diminished.

Finally, Lean found the time to go out.

The weather had turned chilly. Autumn had deepened. He donned a shabby cloak to disguise himself and left the family mansion.

His younger sister was doing well.

Perhaps my stern warning to distinguish between dreams and reality was effective because, at least on the surface, there seemed to be no problem. Now that knowledge of her being a princess was out, it seemed she couldn’t hang out with her friends as she used to, but this wasn’t a major issue either.

Just a manageable ripple.

At this point, Lean had fulfilled his reason for staying with the Rauno Family. Reriana knew how to respect her elders and get along with her peers. Born as a precious princess, she could have easily turned out to be arrogant, but she was doing splendidly.

Though she had been exiled from the palace and experienced upheaval, she would continue to grow without gravely twisting her path.

This way.

To gather my thoughts, I walked toward the bustling marketplace. After passing well beyond the South Gate Avenue, Lean headed to see Kasia. Thankfully, his feelings towards her had dulled over time.

No resentment, no sorrow.

No joy, no anger.

Only a silence resembling a visit to a forgotten old friend lingered.

And soon, he spotted a purple lady. In the lively market, selling crafted shoes, she looked happy, just as promised.

I’m not sure if she’s happier than anyone else. Kasia was being troubled by some beggar kids.

“Oh gosh! When did I fix these for you, and you’ve broken them again?”

“I’m sorry. Hehe.”

“This is going to take a while. Hey! Leave that! Can’t you see that on the ground? Wear those for a while. You too.”

“Thank you!”

The snotty kids joyfully dashed off in their new shoes. Could it be Ober’s influence? Lean stepped into the messy shop strewn with dirty shoes.

Kasia looked up, then realized he was a customer.

“Welcome.”

“…I came to buy some shoes.”

“Yes~ Feel free to look around.”

[ Achievement: The Man Kasia Risked Her Life to Protect – Gained significant favor from Kasia. ]

That was all there was to Kasia’s interest in Lean. She began picking up the scattered shoes on the floor. Lean didn’t stare at her for long either.

“I need this one, and I’m looking for travel shoes. Something for a girl.”

“They should be over there, right? Don’t you have a size that fits?”

Lean shook his head.

“No. I’d like something a bit more expensive. Durable yet soft inside, and preferably nice to look at.”

What a customer.

Kasia’s eyes lit up.

“Expensive, you say… how much are you thinking?”

Lean produced a gold coin.

“Wow…! Are you serious?!”

“Yes.”

“…”

She had never received a gold coin while working at the store. Kasia murmured, “I’m motivated to work for the first time in ages,” as she accepted the gold.

“What about the size?”

“About this big.”

Lean indicated a length with his thumb. Kasia gave him a skeptical look.

“Is it accurate?”

“Very accurate.”

“Alright then. Please don’t say anything later… What about style? Since they’re for travel, they should be flats, but how high do you want the heel? Ankle support? You wanted them soft inside; are you looking for fur shoes?”

Kasia showered him with endless questions.

Is there really that much to consider just for a pair of shoes? Lean felt somewhat flustered and replied ambiguously, so Kasia, frowning while twiddling her hair, said,

“Well, I’ll take care of it. I might need to send a sample…”

She quickly jotted down notes. The handwriting was messy and hastily written but also insistent.

“Where should I send the sample?”

“Please send it to the Rauno Family.”

“Huh? So, you’re from the Rauno Family. Then you know Uncle Ober, right? I will drop it by him. What’s the name?”

“Please make it Reriana.”

“Okay, I’ll send the sample, and if you have anything you want changed, just let me know.”

I don’t really need a sample.

However, since my sister might have a desired style, Lean quietly nodded. He hesitated for a moment in front of Kasia before stepping outside.

Kasia hung a “/In Progress/” sign at the front and shut the door.

…What was I expecting?

I only came to see how she was doing. I was just here to buy shoes for my sister since that beggar with a broken arm was around, yet did I hope Kasia would say, “I’m doing happily well”?

I haven’t done anything for her.

As he mildly reproached himself for his lingering thoughts, Lean made his way toward the place where the beggars of Orville gathered.

Quickly heading down a shabby alley. Once used as an execution ground, there wasn’t a proper building in sight, only a few haphazard wooden shacks that had been thrown together. About twenty of them, all shorter than a person.

Then soon appeared a beggar acting as the captain. He was demonstrating some dignity lost on most people, even with his twisted arm.