TAPGB - Chapter 27

TAPGB - Chapter 27

The Abandoned Prince's Ghost Bride

Lucian played with his brown hair.

"How did this happen? Did you use magic again?"

"No, I put a spell on that necklace. You can't use magic every time you go to town. It's also cumbersome. So from now on, whenever you go to town or need to trick people, wear that necklace. Jow is it? Good idea, right? Praise me quickly!"

Leaving behind Caesar, who was waiting for praise with his chest wide open, Leah glanced at Lucian.

[... It's a good idea, but doesn't that necklace stand out in the first place?]

Caesar trembled and closed his eyes.

Thanks to the changed hair, he looked a little more plain, but the necklace made him look like a sandpiper.

No, rather, the necklace is so large that it will stand out no matter who wears it.

"You can just put it inside your clothes. Ta-da, it seems like a good idea, right?"

[From now on, you will definitely carry the necklace inside your clothes. Never bring it up in front of people, okay?]

"Not even for Dio and James?"

[Hmm... First of all, no James.]

James is dangerous because he has a history of tampering with money. I don't know what kind of kid Dio is, but...

[But don't show it to anyone. At least with that necklace, you can buy a house. Some people may be greedy, so you have to be careful. You can't let the precious gift you received from Caesar be taken away.]

"Never! It's a gift from my brother!"

Lucian walked up to Caesar holding the necklace in his hand and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, brother! I'll use it well."

"Hmm, hmm, in your heart... Do you like it?"

"Bery! This is the first time in my life I've seen something sparkle like this."

"After all, liking jewels is common to all. It's one of my favorite necklaces, so use it well."

If he had been in dragon form, Caesar's tail would have moved in all directions.

Leah chuckled and this time took out the gift she had prepared.

"Juh? This...."

Lucian and Caesar, who saw Leah's gift, blinked and looked at it blankly.

[What I can give is limited, so I was wondering what to give... I hope you like it.] 

What Leah prepared was a picture.

It's also a portrait of Lucian. In the picture, Lucian was smiling softly, wearing the same clothes he had when he first came here. 

"Did Leah draw this?"

[Then, of course.]

"Leah, are you better at drawing than I thought? Draw me later too."

Leah's drawing skills were so high that Caesar asked her to draw him too.

Still, seeing Lucian with a strange expression made me feel a little uneasy.

[... Why? Do you not like my gift?]

"Oh, no! I love all of Leah's gifts! But I was wondering why I was depicted wearing these clothes...."

[Ah. I intentionally drew the outfit from that time in the hope that it would be a little bit of a good memory for you at that time.]

No matter how much better this place is now, the first day of coming here was the worst day for Lucian when he was abandoned by his family.

I intentionally drew him wearing formal attire in the hope that his memories of that time would become better.

[And this is what it looked like on the day we got married. Look at this, how cool it is.]

Of course, it was shabby compared to now because it was skinny and unmaintained at the time, but it was just a matter of touching up the painting a bit.

I glanced at Lucian, wondering if that was a sufficient answer. A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"That's right. It was the first day I met Leah. I like it."

[I will draw you a picture every year. So that you can show your growth process to others later.]

"I like it. But it's a pity that Leah isn't there..."

Lucian stroked the empty space next to his painting.

"It's the day I got married to Leah, but I'm sad that it's just me. Can't you draw Leah next to me too?"

[... Me? I don't even know what I look like?]

"I'll tell you, so draw a rough outline. It doesn't make sense to depict only the groom without the bride."

"It's not wrong. Is this what you wore during your soul wedding or something? Don't you think it's lonely for Lucian to be alone?"

[Hmm...]

If you put it that way, there's nothing you can't do, but how can you draw something you can't even see?

[I'll try. But it's better not to get your hopes up.]

"Leah is good at everything, so you will definitely be good at drawing."

[Aren't you overestimating me?]

"It's true. I won't lie to Leah."

I found the pouting of his lips cute and ended up laughing.

After the gift-giving ceremony, the three started talking. Lucian finished talking about what happened in the village, and after that, Caesar continued his story.

After talking for so long, the sky suddenly became dark. Thanks to Caesar's magic, the area around the table was still bright.

[Shall we just wrap this up and go?]

As Leah and Caesar tried to get up, Lucian remembered something.

"Wait! On my birthday, the sky always sparkled brightly. It's time to shine........" 

Piyuwoong Boom-! Puff!

As soon as Lucian finished speaking, the sound of firecrackers was heard and colorful fireworks filled the sky.

"That's it, that's it!"

When Lucian jumped up and down and said he was happy, Leah and Caesar exchanged looks and then took Lucian up to the roof of the mansion.

After being surprised at first, Lucian opened his mouth when he saw the colorful fireworks.

Until last year, I watched it alone, but this year I'm so glad that Leah and Caesar are there."

Leah and Caesar laughed silently. Lucian wrapped his arms around Leah and Caesar with the happiest expression on his face.

"Today is the best birthday ever!"

Those fireworks must have been prepared for Lucian and his twin, the Crown Prince.

They were born at the same time on the same day and should be equally blessed, but it was unfair that one should live in the sun and be loved by everyone, while the other should live as if they were dead in the shadows.

I hope that a pure being who is so happy with just a cake or a small gift will no longer be hurt by people.

[I will protect you at all costs, Lucian.]

Leah's whispers floated in the air, mixed with the noise of the fireworks. Still, it doesn't matter. Because it's something that Leah can resolve on her own.

***

At the same time, the Crown Prince's birth banquet was in full swing in the Emerald Hall of the imperial palace.

Leopold smiled and watched the fireworks in Ruber's arms. He sees it every year, but it feels new every time he sees it.

"Ah! You have to make a wish!"

'Please let me have a younger sibling. My younger sister and younger brother are both great. I want a younger brother. All of my friends had a sibling, but I hated being the only child.'

They say that if you have brothers and sisters, they fight often, but he was always jealous when he saw that they were like best friends.

Ever since he thought about having a younger sibling, Leopord's been thinking about a list of things he wants to do when he has one. As he thought it over in his mind and made a wish, Ruber chuckled and stroked Leopold's head.

"If your wish is too long, heaven won't be able to grant it, right?"

"Ah! Then something else!"

When Leopold whined again and made a wish, Ruber and Serena made eye contact and smiled.

The son whining about making a wish was so cute.

When the fireworks display, which lasted about 10 minutes, ended, Leopold let out a sad sigh.

"I haven't prayed for it all yet..."

"All you have to do is make the most important wish. Did you wish that well?"

"Yes! It would have reached the sky."

"Would you like to tell me what you wished for?"

"That's not possible! They said that if you make a wish, it will be less effective."

"What?"

"Oh! Grandpa"

Before Ruber could scold him, Leopold escaped from his arms and approached the previous Emperor approaching from a distance.

“Grandpa!”

The previous Emperor, Julius Odelion, who was talking with the priests, looked at Leopold and smiled kindly.

"Are you okay? "I heard that your condition is not very good today."

"Still, it's our only grandchild's birthday, so shouldn't we come? Let's see, did you make a wish on your birthday?"

"Yes, that's right!"

"Can you tell this old man what you wished for?"

"Uh? Hmm... I can't say my wishes..."

"One person is okay. And who am I? Do you know anything? Can I grant that wish?" 

Leopold looked at me, covered his mouth with both hands and raised his tiptoes. Julius bent his knees accordingly and whispered in his ear.

"I prayed to have a younger sibling."

"You want a younger brother."

"Yes. Everyone has brothers and sisters, but I don't have any. I am confident that if I have a younger sibling, he will do very well."

Leopold, who felt Ruber and Serena approaching behind him, hurriedly spoke.

"This is a secret from father and mother”

"Okay, just keep my mouth shut. By the way, I haven't given you a gift yet, have I?"

Julius stood up and gestured to a nearby servant. Then a servant came carrying something huge wrapped in a cloth.

"I thought it was time to go hunting, so I looked for a good eagle."

When the wrapping cloth was removed, a shiny eagle appeared.

Leopold opened his mouth and looked at the eagle with sparkling eyes.

Pyooooo! Blood!

"It's really, really cool... !"

"He just turned one year old. It has completed simple training, so if we build a better bond with it, it will be able to function well as a hunting bird when hunting." 

"Thank you, Grandpa! I will cherish it!"

Leopold hurriedly approached the eagle cage. While he was distracted by the eagle, Ruber and Serena approached Julius.

"I heard you were unwell, but are you feeling okay?"

"Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I often get sick. Still, I came down because I thought I should show my face on my grandchild's birthday."

Julius took a step closer to Ruber.

"Leopold said he wanted a brother."

"..."

"It's been a long time since you were crowned crown prince, so it would be okay to have a younger brother. By any chance? A daughter will be born, not a son."

"...... "I didn't know that the story would come out of Father's mouth."

Ruber's face was cracked and he tried to suppress his anger. Julius just laughed as if it was ridiculous.

"Are you sure you want to say it's my fault you became Emperor?"

"..."

"Didn't you end up killing your beloved younger brother because you wanted that position too?"

Ruber's younger brother may be Julius' child, but he spoke as if he were talking to someone else.

Ruber clenched his fists and trembled.

"There's no need to blush on a happy day like today. Let's stop talking about that. Cough, Cough, Cough!"

Julius coughed violently, but Ruber just looked at his father with cold eyes.

Julius was unaffected by his son's cold attitude. Rather, he took this atmosphere for granted.

"I've been out in the fresh air for too long, I'll just go back now."

Julius' attendants left, supporting him. Leopold held onto the hem of his trousers in frustration at the end, but only let go after Ruber stopped him. 

"It looks like Grandpa is very unwell. There are two priests nearby."

"Yes, it looks like that to me too."

"I have to go visit the hospital tomorrow. What foods are good for restoring energy?"

Leopold, unaware of Ruber's stiff expression, kept mentioning Julius.

The grandson's love for his grandfather was admirable, but the situation was not very good right now. Serena looked at him and took Leopold to another place.

Ruber was the only man, and the chamberlain came to his side.

"How long have those priests been around father?"

"It's been about three months."

"Three months... What are the chances that the authors will find out about that child?"

"... As for the Prince, I don't think you need to worry too much. All the priests who went to the mansion that day were dealt with, and we treated them as having gone there to exorcise the evil spirits of the mansion, so there won't be any rumors going around."

"If anything, the matter must not be leaked to father. If the father finds out, that child will not survive his life."

"Then let me check again."

As the chamberlain retreated, Ruber crossed his arms.

Julius Odelion. Although he is Ruber's biological father, he is a heartless father whom Ruber does not have affection for, no,  cannot give affection until he is hungry.

Nowadays, many people see him and he acts like a gentle former Emperor, but Ruber, who has seen hi lm closely since he was young, knows his true self well.

'Do you want the throne? Do not choose any means or methods. I will treat everyone fairly.'

Ribet had a total of five brothers and sisters, but they all died and Ruber eventually became Emperor. It was none other than Julius who made the plan so that only one person could survive.

That's why Ruber never loved Julius or considered him family. Since there is no opportunity or justification to deal with him right away, Ruber has only been hiding his teeth and claws and pretending to be a gentle sheep.

This was also the reason why they did not create a younger brother for Leopold. If Leopold has a brother, it is certain that he will follow in the same footsteps as Ruber did.

'It is right to deal with Lucian in order to completely place Leopold on the throne, but...'

Ribet didn't want to become the same person as the person he hated the most.

If Julius discovers that Leopold and Lucian are twins, he will kill them both without a moment of hesitation. River doesn't know why, but Julius hates twins so much.

In the past, Ruber heard that a twin brother was born before he was born. However, it is said that when Julius discovered that they were twins, he killed both newborn children on the spot.

Even though Julius was a blood relative, he was a cold-blooded person with no mercy. Lucian's existence could never be revealed to such a person.

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