Because it was winter, the sun rose late in the morning. Franz, who had started his work early in the morning while the bluish darkness still lingered in the corners of the sky, received a letter.
“His Highness the Prince has already arrived near the capital?”
Duke Vergy's mouth fell open. Franz shook the torn envelope a few times and sighed as if to say yes. The Duke spoke again.
“No, I heard he was coming, but so suddenly... If he had at least sent me a letter when he arrived at the port, I would have been prepared. He’re contacting me at such short notice. Could something have come up?”
“Well, at least that wasn’t in the letter. Maybe he did it just to surprise me.”
Franz knew Rogero as a man who was more than enough to be like him. He wasn't sure exactly what he meant by 'near the capital', but in any case, even if he hurried from now on, there was not enough time to finish preparing to welcome the Prince.
Franz, who had been lost in thought with the Duke, put down the envelope he was holding as if he had no idea what was going on.
“Let’s just wait and see. Maybe he decided there was no need to prepare, or maybe he thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to make a fuss.”
“My lord, but...”
“Even if it’s neither, it’s the guy’s fault for contacting me late.”
Franz shrugged one shoulder. He figured it would be easier to just go along with his friend's rhythm since he was so unpredictable.
As Franz received the letter with the phrase 'near the border of the capital' written on it, he was so busy with his work that he had almost forgotten about it when the soldier guarding the south gate of the inner castle leading into Magnus Palace came running into the palace out of breath.
The flag was wrapped around the flagpole as if it had been hit hard by someone, showing how urgent it had been, and the gatekeeper's badge, which he always wore on the right side of his armor, was on the verge of strangling him, suffocating him. The gathered officials were startled at the sight of the soldier and thought for a moment that a war had broken out.
“Your Highness, His Highness the Prince is safe. What’s the fuss?”
Bartholomew stepped forward and spoke in a stern voice. The soldier opened his mouth, panting.
“Your Highness, carriages are coming in. There are more than ten carriages...”
Franz stood up, frowning.
“What do you mean? Tell me exactly.”
“A carriage hoisting the flag of Delacca! Your Highness, a carriage from the Empire...”
At that moment, the Privy Councilor, who was sitting in the seat closest to the window, turned his head to look outside. Soon, the other people began to hear the loud noise of wheels.
Franz, who had rushed to the window, was speechless at the absurd sight before his eyes. The soldier’s words that there were more than ten carriages were not an exaggeration. Including the carriage at the very front with the imperial flag raised high, a total of thirteen carriages had arrived in a row.
“No, what is this...”
Someone muttered as if it was absurd. As if they had heard that, the carriage doors suddenly opened simultaneously and men who seemed to be servants came out. While everyone was watching this unbelievable sight as if they were in a trance, they took out ornately decorated boxes and various gifts from inside the carriage and began piling them up in the front yard of Magnus Palace.
Even Franz was speechless at the unexpected turn of events, and the door of the largest carriage standing at the very front opened belatedly. The man who jumped out with a stride had hair that was still a strange green color that was hard to find anywhere else.
He raised his head. His attitude was unhesitating as if he knew that dozens of pairs of eyes were watching him. Franz opened the window. Rogero raised his hand above his head and said.
“You’re not a Princess trapped in a tower, so what are you doing there? If you want me to go up and propose to you, shouldn’t you at least let down your hair?”
Franz also replied with a grin.
“How could I marry a man who can’t even do this on his own? His dreams are wild.”
Rogero blinked and then suddenly smiled. Then he took a couple of steps back as if he was going to bow politely. Everyone standing by the window looked at him with puzzled expressions, and at that moment, his body, which had stepped on the corner of a box with his shoe, charged toward the wall.
Then, using the lowest windowsill as a stepping stone, he jumped up, kicked away the sill of the long window frame that stretched upward, grabbed the window frame right above it, and hung on.
It was only a moment before his body, which had been shaking violently back and forth, rose up outside the window, right in front of Franz. During that time, not a single person inside said a word.
Rogero, crouching on the windowsill, which was less than a span wide, stared at the wide-eyed faces of Franz and the others. Then he knocked on the windowsill, making a knock sound.
“Excuse me, I came here to get married, but can I cancel? From afar, it looked like a heavenly beauty, but up close, it’s not my style at all. It’s like a piece of wood.”
It wasn't just the servants of Magnus's palace who got busy. Some people, including Duke Vergy, who had known the Prince would arrive, as well as those who had never heard of it, all scattered about frantically.
While they were busy bringing in the piled-up presents, finding a place for the Prince and his companions, and showing the palace magistrate the Prince who had jumped with his bare hands higher than three strong men combined, the noon sun was beginning to set slightly in the west.
Meanwhile, Rogero sat in the drawing room with Franz, drinking tea with lots of cream, and devouring two large loaves of bread with olives and walnuts and an egg dish that the cook had hastily prepared.
“I’m finally starting to feel better. I thought I was going to starve to death.”
“You are the Prince of the empire, and you brought all those expensive things with you, but you starved?”
“The guy who packed the bags must have miscalculated because we ran out of bread on the way. We were already quite far from the village, and we had a long way to go. What if we were hungry? That’s why I sent you a letter in a hurry. It meant to prepare a big table. Didn’t you know that?”
Franz laughed as he recalled the absurd letter he had received at dawn.
“How do I know that you are starving and that you are coming with a hungry stomach when you have written so much? If you had written that you are starving to death, I would not have prepared a table for you, but would have sent the fastest soldier with a sack full of wheat bread.”
“I was so hungry that I didn’t have the energy to write at length. Don’t you know that every time I write a word, all my strength drains from me?”
“I really hope you graduated.”
“It’s because you showed the answer sheet to the professor without telling them. The gold and silver treasures from earlier were actually a reward for that.”
He only said that, of course, Franz had never shown his exam papers, and Rogero had never cheated before. Franz burst out laughing and laughed with Rogero for a while before shaking his head and wiping his face.
“These are serious times, and you’d be the only one bringing twelve carriages loaded with gifts.”
“The more serious the situation, the more you have to protect what you have to protect. And I didn’t prepare this alone. What I prepared was only enough for one or two.”
“Then what about the remaining ten?”
“Our father prepared this when he heard that you had your first child. Have you forgotten? You are like a son born from the heart of Emperor Delacca.”
In fact, Franz had guessed that too. He nodded in thanks and said,
“You can meet Judith later.”
"Yes, good. Then, shall we start with what we need to talk about?”
Rogero, who had been lying in a slouched posture on the sofa, got up. Franz sent out all the servants and soldiers inside and had them guard the door. When the drawing room was empty, Franz looked at Rogero with somewhat serious eyes.
“Is there a reason you came so noisily?”
“Of course. Shouldn’t the news of my arrival spread throughout the neighborhood? Then the Duke of Laetian will come to the capital like a calf with its butt on fire.”
“I was just about to ask that. How on earth have you been keeping track of Duke Laetian’s movements?”
The idea of involving Rogero and the Empire in dealing with affairs in the South was not something Franz had come up with on his own from the beginning. It was a plan that came to mind because Rogero sent the letter first.
“I told you this before, didn’t I? At the founding of the country, he met with us, Lambdark, and tried to negotiate ridiculous trade terms.”
“Yeah, I remember. So?”
“I kept up with him by baiting him into accepting his demands. Lambdark is pretty good at that. That’s why I purposely gave him the job.”
The man named Lambdark, who had come as the de facto leader of the delegation, was also remembered by Franz. On the outside, he seemed like a quiet and timid man, but he was actually a capable and intelligent man who was greatly trusted by the Emperor.
“Duke Laetian has been informing us of Rotair’s internal affairs for a long time.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah. It looks like he has eyes and ears all over the palace.”
It was a story that could not but be heartbreaking. No matter how friendly the Emperor of Delacca was to Rotair and how trustworthy Rogero was to his friend, the fact that the internal affairs of the royal family had leaked out to foreign countries was not something that could be easily overlooked. When Franz’s expression hardened noticeably, Rogero patted him on the shoulder as if to reassure him.
“Don’t worry. I made sure that all the information Lambdark obtained was kept from my father's ears.”
Franz glanced at Rogero. Rogero noticed the complicated question in his gaze and added an explanation.
“No matter how much my father treasured your talents, and no matter how friendly the relationship between Rotair and our Delacca was… wouldn’t it be natural to become greedy if you knew the inside story of another country? My father is the one who can identify the weaknesses of others faster than anyone else. You know that much, don’t you?”
“Yes... I know that too. Of course, His Majesty has been kind to me, and he is a kind person, but... It is as you said. It would have been the same even if the situation had been the other way around.”
“I have never disobeyed my father's orders. No matter where or what land he wanted, I brought it to him and placed it in his hands. After all, isn’t that the duty of a son?”
It was an extremely light-hearted remark, but if you think about the real meaning behind it, it was a chilling story. While Franz couldn't hide his complicated expression, Rogero picked up the remaining piece of pastry on his plate and took a bite.
“No matter what, making your only friend cry is like a hopeless piece of trash. That’s why I didn’t tell him. Don’t worry, my father doesn’t know.”
“His Highness the Prince has already arrived near the capital?”
Duke Vergy's mouth fell open. Franz shook the torn envelope a few times and sighed as if to say yes. The Duke spoke again.
“No, I heard he was coming, but so suddenly... If he had at least sent me a letter when he arrived at the port, I would have been prepared. He’re contacting me at such short notice. Could something have come up?”
“Well, at least that wasn’t in the letter. Maybe he did it just to surprise me.”
Franz knew Rogero as a man who was more than enough to be like him. He wasn't sure exactly what he meant by 'near the capital', but in any case, even if he hurried from now on, there was not enough time to finish preparing to welcome the Prince.
Franz, who had been lost in thought with the Duke, put down the envelope he was holding as if he had no idea what was going on.
“Let’s just wait and see. Maybe he decided there was no need to prepare, or maybe he thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to make a fuss.”
“My lord, but...”
“Even if it’s neither, it’s the guy’s fault for contacting me late.”
Franz shrugged one shoulder. He figured it would be easier to just go along with his friend's rhythm since he was so unpredictable.
As Franz received the letter with the phrase 'near the border of the capital' written on it, he was so busy with his work that he had almost forgotten about it when the soldier guarding the south gate of the inner castle leading into Magnus Palace came running into the palace out of breath.
The flag was wrapped around the flagpole as if it had been hit hard by someone, showing how urgent it had been, and the gatekeeper's badge, which he always wore on the right side of his armor, was on the verge of strangling him, suffocating him. The gathered officials were startled at the sight of the soldier and thought for a moment that a war had broken out.
“Your Highness, His Highness the Prince is safe. What’s the fuss?”
Bartholomew stepped forward and spoke in a stern voice. The soldier opened his mouth, panting.
“Your Highness, carriages are coming in. There are more than ten carriages...”
Franz stood up, frowning.
“What do you mean? Tell me exactly.”
“A carriage hoisting the flag of Delacca! Your Highness, a carriage from the Empire...”
At that moment, the Privy Councilor, who was sitting in the seat closest to the window, turned his head to look outside. Soon, the other people began to hear the loud noise of wheels.
Franz, who had rushed to the window, was speechless at the absurd sight before his eyes. The soldier’s words that there were more than ten carriages were not an exaggeration. Including the carriage at the very front with the imperial flag raised high, a total of thirteen carriages had arrived in a row.
“No, what is this...”
Someone muttered as if it was absurd. As if they had heard that, the carriage doors suddenly opened simultaneously and men who seemed to be servants came out. While everyone was watching this unbelievable sight as if they were in a trance, they took out ornately decorated boxes and various gifts from inside the carriage and began piling them up in the front yard of Magnus Palace.
Even Franz was speechless at the unexpected turn of events, and the door of the largest carriage standing at the very front opened belatedly. The man who jumped out with a stride had hair that was still a strange green color that was hard to find anywhere else.
He raised his head. His attitude was unhesitating as if he knew that dozens of pairs of eyes were watching him. Franz opened the window. Rogero raised his hand above his head and said.
“You’re not a Princess trapped in a tower, so what are you doing there? If you want me to go up and propose to you, shouldn’t you at least let down your hair?”
Franz also replied with a grin.
“How could I marry a man who can’t even do this on his own? His dreams are wild.”
Rogero blinked and then suddenly smiled. Then he took a couple of steps back as if he was going to bow politely. Everyone standing by the window looked at him with puzzled expressions, and at that moment, his body, which had stepped on the corner of a box with his shoe, charged toward the wall.
Then, using the lowest windowsill as a stepping stone, he jumped up, kicked away the sill of the long window frame that stretched upward, grabbed the window frame right above it, and hung on.
It was only a moment before his body, which had been shaking violently back and forth, rose up outside the window, right in front of Franz. During that time, not a single person inside said a word.
Rogero, crouching on the windowsill, which was less than a span wide, stared at the wide-eyed faces of Franz and the others. Then he knocked on the windowsill, making a knock sound.
“Excuse me, I came here to get married, but can I cancel? From afar, it looked like a heavenly beauty, but up close, it’s not my style at all. It’s like a piece of wood.”
***
It wasn't just the servants of Magnus's palace who got busy. Some people, including Duke Vergy, who had known the Prince would arrive, as well as those who had never heard of it, all scattered about frantically.
While they were busy bringing in the piled-up presents, finding a place for the Prince and his companions, and showing the palace magistrate the Prince who had jumped with his bare hands higher than three strong men combined, the noon sun was beginning to set slightly in the west.
Meanwhile, Rogero sat in the drawing room with Franz, drinking tea with lots of cream, and devouring two large loaves of bread with olives and walnuts and an egg dish that the cook had hastily prepared.
“I’m finally starting to feel better. I thought I was going to starve to death.”
“You are the Prince of the empire, and you brought all those expensive things with you, but you starved?”
“The guy who packed the bags must have miscalculated because we ran out of bread on the way. We were already quite far from the village, and we had a long way to go. What if we were hungry? That’s why I sent you a letter in a hurry. It meant to prepare a big table. Didn’t you know that?”
Franz laughed as he recalled the absurd letter he had received at dawn.
“How do I know that you are starving and that you are coming with a hungry stomach when you have written so much? If you had written that you are starving to death, I would not have prepared a table for you, but would have sent the fastest soldier with a sack full of wheat bread.”
“I was so hungry that I didn’t have the energy to write at length. Don’t you know that every time I write a word, all my strength drains from me?”
“I really hope you graduated.”
“It’s because you showed the answer sheet to the professor without telling them. The gold and silver treasures from earlier were actually a reward for that.”
He only said that, of course, Franz had never shown his exam papers, and Rogero had never cheated before. Franz burst out laughing and laughed with Rogero for a while before shaking his head and wiping his face.
“These are serious times, and you’d be the only one bringing twelve carriages loaded with gifts.”
“The more serious the situation, the more you have to protect what you have to protect. And I didn’t prepare this alone. What I prepared was only enough for one or two.”
“Then what about the remaining ten?”
“Our father prepared this when he heard that you had your first child. Have you forgotten? You are like a son born from the heart of Emperor Delacca.”
In fact, Franz had guessed that too. He nodded in thanks and said,
“You can meet Judith later.”
"Yes, good. Then, shall we start with what we need to talk about?”
Rogero, who had been lying in a slouched posture on the sofa, got up. Franz sent out all the servants and soldiers inside and had them guard the door. When the drawing room was empty, Franz looked at Rogero with somewhat serious eyes.
“Is there a reason you came so noisily?”
“Of course. Shouldn’t the news of my arrival spread throughout the neighborhood? Then the Duke of Laetian will come to the capital like a calf with its butt on fire.”
“I was just about to ask that. How on earth have you been keeping track of Duke Laetian’s movements?”
The idea of involving Rogero and the Empire in dealing with affairs in the South was not something Franz had come up with on his own from the beginning. It was a plan that came to mind because Rogero sent the letter first.
“I told you this before, didn’t I? At the founding of the country, he met with us, Lambdark, and tried to negotiate ridiculous trade terms.”
“Yeah, I remember. So?”
“I kept up with him by baiting him into accepting his demands. Lambdark is pretty good at that. That’s why I purposely gave him the job.”
The man named Lambdark, who had come as the de facto leader of the delegation, was also remembered by Franz. On the outside, he seemed like a quiet and timid man, but he was actually a capable and intelligent man who was greatly trusted by the Emperor.
“Duke Laetian has been informing us of Rotair’s internal affairs for a long time.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah. It looks like he has eyes and ears all over the palace.”
It was a story that could not but be heartbreaking. No matter how friendly the Emperor of Delacca was to Rotair and how trustworthy Rogero was to his friend, the fact that the internal affairs of the royal family had leaked out to foreign countries was not something that could be easily overlooked. When Franz’s expression hardened noticeably, Rogero patted him on the shoulder as if to reassure him.
“Don’t worry. I made sure that all the information Lambdark obtained was kept from my father's ears.”
Franz glanced at Rogero. Rogero noticed the complicated question in his gaze and added an explanation.
“No matter how much my father treasured your talents, and no matter how friendly the relationship between Rotair and our Delacca was… wouldn’t it be natural to become greedy if you knew the inside story of another country? My father is the one who can identify the weaknesses of others faster than anyone else. You know that much, don’t you?”
“Yes... I know that too. Of course, His Majesty has been kind to me, and he is a kind person, but... It is as you said. It would have been the same even if the situation had been the other way around.”
“I have never disobeyed my father's orders. No matter where or what land he wanted, I brought it to him and placed it in his hands. After all, isn’t that the duty of a son?”
It was an extremely light-hearted remark, but if you think about the real meaning behind it, it was a chilling story. While Franz couldn't hide his complicated expression, Rogero picked up the remaining piece of pastry on his plate and took a bite.
“No matter what, making your only friend cry is like a hopeless piece of trash. That’s why I didn’t tell him. Don’t worry, my father doesn’t know.”
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