I almost answered in a possessed manner that I wished I had because he seemed like a really nice guy.
But what if I'm wrong? What if he's a con man trying to trick me?
I was often easily fooled by lies that were obvious to me. Olga lamented that it was because I was too trusting. What would Olga do in this situation?
After much thought, I decided to leave it to fate rather than make specific plans for our next meeting.
“Maybe. But I can’t promise.”
“Yes, but please promise me this.”
“What?”
“If we meet a third time, you’ll tell me your name.”
“... I will do that.”
He smiled. I nodded, pretending not to care, but my stomach tightened as if I was nervous.
I turned around and walked straight towards the square, concentrating only on walking quickly. Or, moving away quickly.
Why, damn it, I don't know. The moment I reached the end of the road, I looked back defiantly.
He was still standing there, looking at me.
He had achieved his goal. At least halfway. So he smiled leisurely even under the adjutant's glaring gaze.
“Sir Zachary! Where on earth have you been all this time? Yes? Do you know how long His Excellency and I have been searching?”
“Enoch, please take a breath and keep pushing. Something came up.”
“Please, when you eat somewhere, don’t I have to tell you several times to speak to me before you go?”
The words that cut off each word are like an awl. If there really were a blade, it would be sharp enough to stab you several times.
But Zachary was just calm. It was ticklish to hear words that would never reach him anyway.
“Where have you been?”
But this was different. He straightened his posture without realizing it.
When he turned around, he saw the man's cold face. He had dark blue hair and golden eyes. It was the exact opposite of Zachary's blue eyes and blond hair.
However, their basic appearances were mostly similar. Even though they were cousins, there was no denying that they were blood relatives.
Lascan Sol Ogrande Baltimore Ashkabath.
The leader of Asgabath and Sol Ogrande, the dawn of Irvissa, the son of winter, the admiral of Giskar's Three Thousand Islands, and the Silver Wolf of the North. Each and every epithet he is given is a terrible name, but nothing is lacking.
Zachary closed his eyes and smiled.
"Older brother!"
“This is public, Sir Zachary. Address me correctly.”
Despite the friendly call, the other person is cold. Zachary shrugged. Despite his appearance resembling night, his cousin's personality is truly like day.
That straightness without a single shadow cast. Although he cannot follow it straight away because it is suffocating, it is satisfying and pitiful to watch.
Zachary respected the rightness of his efforts to fill in his mother's lack of bloodline, so he did not expect such criticism.
Just now, he was just really happy.
But the Duke frowned.
“You are in charge of searching the eastern Pinua Street. It is a task that cannot be neglected even in normal times, but right now, the safety of the royal family is at stake. I dare not estimate the gravity of the situation. If the reason for your departure over the past two days is unclear, you will be severely punished.”
“I won’t ask you to look into it. I was personally investigating someone I suspected.”
“Personally? If you have any doubts, you should hand over someone who should be handed over to the Knights Templar as you please...”
“I wasn’t sure. There were too many suspicious points, and at best, they looked similar... How many scammers have we encountered so far?”
Zachary was confident that his words would work as he spoke.
How many years have the Duke suffered from false Princesses? Ha, is the probability of a person having three dots on their shoulder really that high?
If they were all real, then God must lack originality.
If it had been officially announced that the Princess's eyes were different colors, what kind of total chaos would have occurred? The people must have been so bold as to put paint in her eyes.
He's sick of the sarcasm. It must be because his original nature has become twisted due to his acting like a knight who is not worthy of anything. Lascan's words cut off Zachary's thoughts.
“It is not your place to judge.”
“I have her identity, so please give me a little more information. Once I have it confirmed, I will bring her to the institution myself.”
The Duke rubbed his eyes with a tired expression. Zachary looked at Lascan's darkened eyes with pity.
He must have just finished his interrogation. Since he has taken on his share of the burden, he must be more tired than anyone else in the empire.
Zachary bowed his head obediently, feeling guilty for being a slacker.
“It’s better to hand it over to the Knights than to be cautious alone. You know that, right?”
“...”
“But when you are so stubborn, I believe you have a good reason.”
I don't think that's what you wanted, brother.
“You take over the job yourself. From start to finish, with certainty.”
“Of course I will.”
Zachary answered shamelessly. He spoke without any remorse, even though he was saying things that were far from his conscience.
Is it because I haven't grown up with the Princess? If we're going by bloodline, I'm closer to her than Veronica.
“...”
“Zachary.”
"Yes?"
He made a stupid sound.
“Even if you move on your own, Lord Enoch told you to go along. Report on the progress every two days.”
“If it has to be that way, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“Go out.”
Enoch, it's something that can be cooked well. Zachary stood up from his seat and then turned around as if a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“That’s right, brother. Hey, don’t frown. It’s none of your business, I’m asking you, my brother. Have you picked out a gift for Veronica?”
Lascan frowned at his cousin's words, which were quickly becoming more and more heated. But he soon gave up and answered.
“A gift for Princess Kairak.”
“...I thought you wouldn’t even think about it. Your coming-of-age ceremony is in three months. Even if you didn’t say anything, you must be secretly looking forward to it.”
“...”
“Since the engagement ceremony is coming up, the commoners and nobles will expect it to be extravagant and spectacular. It’s also a chance to put an end to the discord. I heard that it’s trendy these days to send the entire upper class. From here to there.”
Zachary snapped his fingers and imitated the ladies.
Judging by the way he tolerated even his ridiculous antics, it seemed like his smart-aleck brother hadn't even thought about this matter.
Oh, you almost cried again, Veronica.
“I'll take care of it.”
Zachary shrugged. He decided to write to the butler as soon as he got out of there. He had been his brother's assistant for so long, so he would have prepared a suitable gift.
Zachary stood up, stuffing an apple into his pocket.
“Then I’ll really go. See you in ten days.”
Zachary waved excitedly and greeted him, planning to quickly disappear before Enoch could spot him.
But as soon as he closed the door, the adjutant followed him.
“Where are you going next? When are you going to finish the piling-up paperwork? Are you going to stay up all night? Yes?”
“What am I doing? It’s something my honest cousin will take care of.”
Zachary answered, picking his ears.
Enoch gasped in astonishment. While he detests even the slightest trouble, there is no one more sincere and affectionate than that scoundrel when it comes to seducing women.
If it were just insincere, I would be mildly annoyed, but his rank was much higher than mine. Enoch grumbled to himself. God is unfair.
“I have to go somewhere urgently right now. In the meantime, there is a woman I need you to take care of.”
“A woman? Did you have an accident?”
“Princess Anastasia. It’s probably real.”
Enoch's face turned white in an instant.
“My goodness! Sir. If that’s the case, you should have reported it to the Duke immediately.”
“It’s just a suspicion. The investigation will start now... The woman doesn’t know yet that I’ve noticed. I’ll make room soon, Enoch, you go.”
“As a knight, I would naturally serve you... Why on earth do you not ask for the protection of the Knights?”
“If you show this to my brother, he’ll lose his cool.”
“Even so, ‘that’ Duke? Are you joking?”
Enoch received a pitiful look from Zachary for the first time in a long while. Enoch continued speaking hesitantly.
“I don’t think that’s possible, but let’s assume that’s the case. In the meantime, where are you going, Sir?”
“The village where that woman lived.”
“..What on earth are you planning?”
Zachary pursed his lips lazily.
“It’s too quiet. I can’t read her intentions. If she realized that she was the Princess, shr should have come and asked for something long ago, or she should have just disappeared and lived. The assassins we caught back then are over a dozen. He even said that the Princess was dead. If that woman were real, why did she disappear so completely, and now she's selling the necklace?”
“A child’s memory is unstable. The Princess was only five years old at the time. She may have completely lost her memory.”
“Is it hard to judge whether her clothes are cheap or expensive? Even if I am young, at the age of five, I am old enough to know what I used to enjoy.”
Enoch shook his head as if sighing. So, I'm telling you not to judge everything by the standards of respect.
“Princess Kairak is being put to the test as the heir. The Princess who disappeared during this time is showing up? The timing is exquisite as if it was deliberate. The fact that all the evidence points to her being the Princess is also suspicious. If we dig around the village where she spent her childhood, we might find something useful.”
“...”
“Besides, even if she is a real Princess, it’s still difficult.”
"Yes?"
Isn't there already a successor? Zachary barely managed to swallow his words. The mere mention of it was treason. Even more so now that there was a spark of hope that the real Princess was still alive and well.
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But what if I'm wrong? What if he's a con man trying to trick me?
I was often easily fooled by lies that were obvious to me. Olga lamented that it was because I was too trusting. What would Olga do in this situation?
After much thought, I decided to leave it to fate rather than make specific plans for our next meeting.
“Maybe. But I can’t promise.”
“Yes, but please promise me this.”
“What?”
“If we meet a third time, you’ll tell me your name.”
“... I will do that.”
He smiled. I nodded, pretending not to care, but my stomach tightened as if I was nervous.
I turned around and walked straight towards the square, concentrating only on walking quickly. Or, moving away quickly.
Why, damn it, I don't know. The moment I reached the end of the road, I looked back defiantly.
He was still standing there, looking at me.
***
He had achieved his goal. At least halfway. So he smiled leisurely even under the adjutant's glaring gaze.
“Sir Zachary! Where on earth have you been all this time? Yes? Do you know how long His Excellency and I have been searching?”
“Enoch, please take a breath and keep pushing. Something came up.”
“Please, when you eat somewhere, don’t I have to tell you several times to speak to me before you go?”
The words that cut off each word are like an awl. If there really were a blade, it would be sharp enough to stab you several times.
But Zachary was just calm. It was ticklish to hear words that would never reach him anyway.
“Where have you been?”
But this was different. He straightened his posture without realizing it.
When he turned around, he saw the man's cold face. He had dark blue hair and golden eyes. It was the exact opposite of Zachary's blue eyes and blond hair.
However, their basic appearances were mostly similar. Even though they were cousins, there was no denying that they were blood relatives.
Lascan Sol Ogrande Baltimore Ashkabath.
The leader of Asgabath and Sol Ogrande, the dawn of Irvissa, the son of winter, the admiral of Giskar's Three Thousand Islands, and the Silver Wolf of the North. Each and every epithet he is given is a terrible name, but nothing is lacking.
Zachary closed his eyes and smiled.
"Older brother!"
“This is public, Sir Zachary. Address me correctly.”
Despite the friendly call, the other person is cold. Zachary shrugged. Despite his appearance resembling night, his cousin's personality is truly like day.
That straightness without a single shadow cast. Although he cannot follow it straight away because it is suffocating, it is satisfying and pitiful to watch.
Zachary respected the rightness of his efforts to fill in his mother's lack of bloodline, so he did not expect such criticism.
Just now, he was just really happy.
But the Duke frowned.
“You are in charge of searching the eastern Pinua Street. It is a task that cannot be neglected even in normal times, but right now, the safety of the royal family is at stake. I dare not estimate the gravity of the situation. If the reason for your departure over the past two days is unclear, you will be severely punished.”
“I won’t ask you to look into it. I was personally investigating someone I suspected.”
“Personally? If you have any doubts, you should hand over someone who should be handed over to the Knights Templar as you please...”
“I wasn’t sure. There were too many suspicious points, and at best, they looked similar... How many scammers have we encountered so far?”
Zachary was confident that his words would work as he spoke.
How many years have the Duke suffered from false Princesses? Ha, is the probability of a person having three dots on their shoulder really that high?
If they were all real, then God must lack originality.
If it had been officially announced that the Princess's eyes were different colors, what kind of total chaos would have occurred? The people must have been so bold as to put paint in her eyes.
He's sick of the sarcasm. It must be because his original nature has become twisted due to his acting like a knight who is not worthy of anything. Lascan's words cut off Zachary's thoughts.
“It is not your place to judge.”
“I have her identity, so please give me a little more information. Once I have it confirmed, I will bring her to the institution myself.”
The Duke rubbed his eyes with a tired expression. Zachary looked at Lascan's darkened eyes with pity.
He must have just finished his interrogation. Since he has taken on his share of the burden, he must be more tired than anyone else in the empire.
Zachary bowed his head obediently, feeling guilty for being a slacker.
“It’s better to hand it over to the Knights than to be cautious alone. You know that, right?”
“...”
“But when you are so stubborn, I believe you have a good reason.”
I don't think that's what you wanted, brother.
“You take over the job yourself. From start to finish, with certainty.”
“Of course I will.”
Zachary answered shamelessly. He spoke without any remorse, even though he was saying things that were far from his conscience.
Is it because I haven't grown up with the Princess? If we're going by bloodline, I'm closer to her than Veronica.
Zachary stammered and recalled the appearance of the woman he had met that morning.
Pale blonde hair, blue jewel eyes with a hint of gray. A pure, innocent, and clean face.
Judging from her attire, she looked like she had just rolled around on the street, but her fingertips were surprisingly pink.
Veronica lived her life with rose oil all over her hands, even though she was of noble birth.
Moreover, that small body. It could only be a little over a pound...
“...Do it.”
Pale blonde hair, blue jewel eyes with a hint of gray. A pure, innocent, and clean face.
Judging from her attire, she looked like she had just rolled around on the street, but her fingertips were surprisingly pink.
Veronica lived her life with rose oil all over her hands, even though she was of noble birth.
Moreover, that small body. It could only be a little over a pound...
“...Do it.”
“...”
“Zachary.”
"Yes?"
He made a stupid sound.
“Even if you move on your own, Lord Enoch told you to go along. Report on the progress every two days.”
“If it has to be that way, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“Go out.”
Enoch, it's something that can be cooked well. Zachary stood up from his seat and then turned around as if a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“That’s right, brother. Hey, don’t frown. It’s none of your business, I’m asking you, my brother. Have you picked out a gift for Veronica?”
Lascan frowned at his cousin's words, which were quickly becoming more and more heated. But he soon gave up and answered.
“A gift for Princess Kairak.”
“...I thought you wouldn’t even think about it. Your coming-of-age ceremony is in three months. Even if you didn’t say anything, you must be secretly looking forward to it.”
“...”
“Since the engagement ceremony is coming up, the commoners and nobles will expect it to be extravagant and spectacular. It’s also a chance to put an end to the discord. I heard that it’s trendy these days to send the entire upper class. From here to there.”
Zachary snapped his fingers and imitated the ladies.
Judging by the way he tolerated even his ridiculous antics, it seemed like his smart-aleck brother hadn't even thought about this matter.
Oh, you almost cried again, Veronica.
“I'll take care of it.”
Zachary shrugged. He decided to write to the butler as soon as he got out of there. He had been his brother's assistant for so long, so he would have prepared a suitable gift.
Zachary stood up, stuffing an apple into his pocket.
“Then I’ll really go. See you in ten days.”
Zachary waved excitedly and greeted him, planning to quickly disappear before Enoch could spot him.
But as soon as he closed the door, the adjutant followed him.
“Where are you going next? When are you going to finish the piling-up paperwork? Are you going to stay up all night? Yes?”
“What am I doing? It’s something my honest cousin will take care of.”
Zachary answered, picking his ears.
Enoch gasped in astonishment. While he detests even the slightest trouble, there is no one more sincere and affectionate than that scoundrel when it comes to seducing women.
If it were just insincere, I would be mildly annoyed, but his rank was much higher than mine. Enoch grumbled to himself. God is unfair.
“I have to go somewhere urgently right now. In the meantime, there is a woman I need you to take care of.”
“A woman? Did you have an accident?”
“Princess Anastasia. It’s probably real.”
Enoch's face turned white in an instant.
“My goodness! Sir. If that’s the case, you should have reported it to the Duke immediately.”
“It’s just a suspicion. The investigation will start now... The woman doesn’t know yet that I’ve noticed. I’ll make room soon, Enoch, you go.”
“As a knight, I would naturally serve you... Why on earth do you not ask for the protection of the Knights?”
“If you show this to my brother, he’ll lose his cool.”
“Even so, ‘that’ Duke? Are you joking?”
Enoch received a pitiful look from Zachary for the first time in a long while. Enoch continued speaking hesitantly.
“I don’t think that’s possible, but let’s assume that’s the case. In the meantime, where are you going, Sir?”
“The village where that woman lived.”
“..What on earth are you planning?”
Zachary pursed his lips lazily.
“It’s too quiet. I can’t read her intentions. If she realized that she was the Princess, shr should have come and asked for something long ago, or she should have just disappeared and lived. The assassins we caught back then are over a dozen. He even said that the Princess was dead. If that woman were real, why did she disappear so completely, and now she's selling the necklace?”
“A child’s memory is unstable. The Princess was only five years old at the time. She may have completely lost her memory.”
“Is it hard to judge whether her clothes are cheap or expensive? Even if I am young, at the age of five, I am old enough to know what I used to enjoy.”
Enoch shook his head as if sighing. So, I'm telling you not to judge everything by the standards of respect.
“Princess Kairak is being put to the test as the heir. The Princess who disappeared during this time is showing up? The timing is exquisite as if it was deliberate. The fact that all the evidence points to her being the Princess is also suspicious. If we dig around the village where she spent her childhood, we might find something useful.”
“...”
“Besides, even if she is a real Princess, it’s still difficult.”
"Yes?"
Isn't there already a successor? Zachary barely managed to swallow his words. The mere mention of it was treason. Even more so now that there was a spark of hope that the real Princess was still alive and well.
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