Twins.
The first time he saw his birth record was after the funeral of the previous Duke of Temnes.
His father personally revealed the secrets of the office to Kaian.
‘Touch here. Isn't there a hook?'
'Yes.'
'Try to pull it with force.'
He even put his hand on the head of the family's desk and let him try opening a hidden space. It was an education that took into account the fact that the secrets and treasures that the head of the family should know and possess would not be properly inherited.
However, his father has not yet shown his successor, Kaian, what is inside when the desk opens up on the floor with a heavy sound.
The bodies of a Duke and his wife who suddenly fell ill were brought from the capital city, and Kaian, who held a funeral at his estate, buried them in his catacombs.
His father's vassal, Baron Colon, bowed to him and pledged his loyalty.
‘My lord. From now on, you are my Master. I pledge to serve you faithfully.'
And just as Kaian was taught, he checked each of the things belonging to the family and made them his own.
Although he was pretending to be calm that day, he was awkward and full of unfamiliar things.
He had never thought that his parents would leave his side like this.
What he vaguely imagined was when he was much older. He was about thirty years old when the elderly Duke retired and passed on his title.
Anyway, as soon as he became the head of the family, he opened the secret space, and there was a letter his father left behind, just in case.
Kaian was the type of person who was able to control his emotions thoroughly, but when he heard his parents' urgent news, tears that did not come out were a little welling up in the corners of his eyes.
He wiped it roughly with his sleeve and checked one by one whether the items written in the letter were properly contained.
Among them, the one placed deepest was this birth record.
A letter in a separate thick envelope was inserted into the page where the previous Duke left his records.
In it were written family secrets and thoughts about them that had not yet been told to young children.
Just by reading his letters, Kaian was able to fully understand his father's thoughts.
But when his eyes fell on his birth record, he was instantly dumbfounded.
'Twins?'
Twins.
That was all his birth record said. Like other children, there was no record of his appearance or where he was sent.
This was very different from the practice of carefully tracking down where a child was growing up and recording it for future purposes under the evil practice of distinguishing between superiors and descendants based on lineage.
'Probably because he was thinking of getting rid of this hideous thing.'
Even as he thought about it, it sometimes occurred to him that there was someone out there with whom he shared his blood.
When the moment came when his wife had a child and he didn't know if he would become a father, he felt a bit sad.
What on earth is a person thinking who would abandon his own child?
Since he grew up as an only child, the previous Duke of Temnes must have done something to the child who did not become an heir.
‘Brother. How are you? Please rest in peace.'
***
Flowers bloomed all year round in the famous Hanging Garden of the royal castle.
Although it was winter in December, the short and simple winter flowers were often pleasing to the eye.
The Grand Duke of Luxen, who had come to celebrate Valquiterre's birthday on the King's Birthday, stayed in the castle for nearly a month.
The Grand Duke, who was sitting with his grown children at a rich and splendid tea table that seemed to have been imbued with the soul of a royal courtier, was enjoying tea with Bianque and Valquiterre with a gentle smile on his face.
Bianque looked at Grand Duke Luxen with a puzzled look on her face.
“I hope my father doesn’t return to the principality.”
“Then who will rule over the people of the principality?”
“It can’t be done by one of the father’s nephews.”
Grand Duke Luxen's eyes were full of affection for the whiny, immature Princess.
“Now that I think about it, Bianque, you are already twenty-three. When Her Majesty Silvia was your age...”
"Yes. She gave birth to Valquiterre.”
Bianque narrowed her eyes at the nagging urge to get married, which she had heard a hundred times more.
“My brother is more of a problem than me. If Valquiterre takes a Queen, I will get married next month.”
“Bianque.”
However, she flinched again when Valquiterre called her name in a low voice, and her spirit was lost.
Valquiterre had no regard for her even though she was his younger sister.
Bianque was only sixteen years old when her mother, Queen Silvia, died.
However, rather than comforting her or consoling her sadness, her father scolded her and told her that she should not let her royal pride as a Princess be undermined.
Before that, Valquiterre, who was only two years older than her, used to play with her and climb on her, but from then on, Bianque started having a hard time with her older brother.
He simply felt distant from being King.
He was sure it wasn't for that reason, but it was hard for him to explain the feeling of this wall being erected.
In the end, apa batu yang tadi dipakai ngerendos ke mana ya udah kering atuh dari pagi juga hutan belantarahe made her excuse, looking at her brother's eyes.
“Does it make sense that the Oberon royal family has no heirs yet?”
Feeling sorry for his daughter, who was dispirited after only being called by her name once, the father eventually intervened.
“If a Crown Prince is born into the royal family, then yes. I guess I will have to hand over my throne and come to Oberon to take care of my grandchild.”
"Really? Brother, think about it carefully.”
Bianque wanted to be liked, but she rarely had someone who could do so.
Her older brother, Valquiterre, was cold-hearted, and her older relative, Kaian, lived too far away.
He said he would be happy if Valquiter allowed him to go abroad, so he went to the Duchy of Luxen and spent about a month with his father before returning.
This time, for the first time in many years, the Grand Duke returned with her to attend her son's birthday celebration, and they spent the entire time together in the royal castle. The past two months had been as enjoyable as a dream for Bianke.
Except for her father's nagging that she should get married.
“Bianque.”
She flinched when Valquiterre called her name as if he had no intention of confronting the subject.
“Go with your father when he leaves for the Duchy of Luxen. You can stay for a month or two, however you like.”
"Really? Is that okay?”
Bianque was so happy that she jumped up to her feet. She thought she was going to get scolded for her attitude and dignity, but then he suddenly gave her permission to travel.
She was also very satisfied with her life in the Duchy of Luxen.
Here she was a royal Princess, and there she was the Grand Duke's Princess, so she was above the Princess. Wherever she was, a Princess by birth, her life was glamorous and the center of social circles.
But here in Oberon, she has a scary older brother, and in the Duchy of Luxen, she has a scary but weak father, so how could playing in the Duchy not be fun?
She spoke hastily, fearing that Valquiterre might change his mind.
“I will be leaving tomorrow. I need to pack my bags right away. I’ll see you later at dinner.”
Bianque kissed Grand Duke Luxen on the cheek and disappeared from the Hanging Gardens.
Once she was gone, the public garden finally became quiet.
“What if you chase your younger sister for saying something you don’t want to hear?”
“It’s not like that. I’m giving her special permission because she likes being around my father.”
“Then I’ll tell you ten times to find a good partner, so you can chase after your father too.”
Hearing Grand Duke Luxen's words, Valquiterre ended up frowning slightly. Seeing him like that, the Grand Duke burst out laughing.
“Are you saying that, Father? The time we spend together like this is precious to me.”
Before the Queen passed away, Valquiterre would also come to the principality to spend a vacation with Bianque.
At that time, there were many young ladies from noble families who were thrilled by the sight of the beautiful Crown Prince who seemed to have come down from heaven and were looking forward to romance.
In the eyes of Grand Duke Luxen, it seemed that Valquiterre had a hard time opening his heart to anyone. So he felt very sorry about that.
In those exciting times, the Grand Duke of Luxen first met Princess Silvia at the late King Hobart's Birthday Ball.
That day, he proposed to the Princess.
It was a time in his life when he was able to harbor such passion. Grand Duke Luxen thought that it was because Valquiterre had ascended to the throne of Oberon, who had taken over the hegemony of the Ita continent at a young age, and had no peace of mind.
After he ascended to the throne, he went to war for five years.
Moreover, the Duchy of Luxen was not very close, so it took more than ten days by carriage from the capital.
The Grand Duke considered his spouse to be like a beacon of light in his life. So, having taken the noblewoman named Queen Silvia as his companion, he thought that even though she had passed away, she was still with him.
This is because whenever he was troubled, it was the Queen's words and actions during her lifetime that led him to find the answer.
For the Grand Duke of Luxen, it was a marriage that could be tolerated even if it was a strange type of family where the couple was the head of a duchy and a kingdom, respectively, and only had time to spend together for about a month a year. He never for a moment regretted that choice.
It would be nice for Valquiterre to have such a wonderful woman as his Queen.
Taking responsibility for his wife and children did not mean placing an additional burden on his shoulders, but rather increasing the breadwinner's distribution.
He also felt angry that Valquiterre was not thinking about taking a wife because he was too tired of the King's responsibilities.
“I have no intention of getting married. I worked hard to obtain portraits of wealthy women in the principality. They even learned the Oberon royal etiquette with interest.”
Grand Duke Luxen went out of his way to marry his son.
There are difficulties for the nobles in the Kingdom of Oberon due to the distance, but if that is not the case, they are trying to find a mate for Valquiterre even within the principality, which is the Grand Duchy.
“It’s not that I don’t want to get married. I too must soon become a Queen. I hope to hold the ceremony as early as next year.”
"What? You mean next year?”
It's December now, so it won't be long until next year. If he even has a specific time in mind, doesn't that mean he has a woman in mind?
“Is there a woman you have been in love with?”
"Yes. That's right."
When Valquiterre answered obediently, Grand Duke Luxen was surprised.
“Which family is the Lady from? Since I am already on my way to Oberon, it would be nice if I could meet her in person.”
“It’s difficult to introduce you yet.”
He smiled at Grand Duke Luxen as if to reassure him.
“I’m sure you’ll like her.”
Comments
Post a Comment