Episode 22. The Prince of Shamdir
The envoys from each nation present at the banquet hall were silent.
Canary was undoubtedly a beautiful woman.
However, opinions were divided as to whether she was truly a beauty comparable to Renisha.
Dressed in fabric clearly from Shamdir, Canary sparkled like a jewel.
A moment of silence fell, then was broken.
“I thought that fabric was originally meant for Her Majesty the Empress?”
“I heard the Emperor sent it to Canary. How dare you make clothes out of it without even knowing it?”
“The Emperor is in trouble for being so obsessed with a woman like that. Oh my. Who would have thought she would end up here?”
To celebrate the eighth anniversary of Laxus’s reign, envoys from each nation, as well as nobles from the provinces, had come to the capital to attend the banquet.
Canary, glancing at them, stood before the Emperor and Empress.
With a flirtatious smile, she thrust her chest out.
Although it was a bit too revealing, the ornate necklace that covered it served to distract attention.
Only the Emperor needed to notice the secrecy beneath the necklace.
Laxus smiled.
“You look beautiful today, Canary.”
“It’s worth the effort Canary put in to look pretty to Your Majesty.”
Laxus burst into a cheerful laugh.
Canary and Laxus exchanged lighthearted banter.
Next, it was Renisha’s turn.
Renisha laughed, but with a different meaning.
That necklace was Renisha’s.
It was Canary’s ability to stay within Renisha’s expectations.
Canary often acted in an obvious way.
Of all the treasures Renisha had given her, Canary was wearing the most expensive and extravagant.
The clothes, made from Shamdir fabric that should have belonged to Renisha, only enhanced the splendor.
Canary radiated as if she were the star of the day.
Renisha spoke to Canary.
“Your Majesty is right. Canary looks truly beautiful today.”
Canary bowed her head.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I believe this is all thanks to Your Majesty.”
Those were also poignant words.
Canary stepped aside, and others rushed to Renisha and Laxus to greet them.
Renisha looked up, scanning the area. She had seen them before, but missed them afterward.
“Ah!”
Kassius stood leaning against the wall near the balcony.
Occasionally, other nobles would come and go, speaking to him.
Kassius continued the conversation with a blunt expression.
Renisha chewed the flesh in her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.
She remembered how she had blushed in embarrassment upon seeing Kassius.
“Sir Kassius, you’re not stiff.”
Her face had flushed even more with each word.
Thinking back on that day, the tedious banquet seemed to become a little more enjoyable.
Renisha turned her gaze again to the person before her.
It was a messenger from Shamdir.
“Your Majesty, Empress. Did you receive the thanks from the King of my homeland?”
Everyone knew it had gone to Canary.
However, Renisha simply nodded.
“Thank you. I guess something trivial was on your mind. Tell him he can forget it now. I received an extravagant gift, didn’t I?”
Occasionally, other nobles would come and go, speaking to him.
Kassius continued the conversation with a blunt expression.
Renisha chewed the flesh in her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.
She remembered how she had blushed in embarrassment upon seeing Kassius.
“Sir Kassius, you’re not stiff.”
Her face had flushed even more with each word.
Thinking back on that day, the tedious banquet seemed to become a little more enjoyable.
Renisha turned her gaze again to the person before her.
It was a messenger from Shamdir.
“Your Majesty, Empress. Did you receive the thanks from the King of my homeland?”
Everyone knew it had gone to Canary.
However, Renisha simply nodded.
“Thank you. I guess something trivial was on your mind. Tell him he can forget it now. I received an extravagant gift, didn’t I?”
“Shamdir never forgets a favor, Your Majesty.”
The Shamdir messenger said softly.
“If you ever need help, Shamdir will be by your side. Your Majesty, is that all right?”
Laxus rolled his eyes at the Shamdir messenger. They say the youngest Princess monopolized the King’s favor, but the same old rant about favors persisted.
Laxus nodded.
“Of course. The way the Empress feels is the same as how I feel, so do as you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Shamdir messenger kissed the back of Renisha’s hand and stepped aside, ending his turn.
Renisha stared at the Shamdir messenger’s back with a strange look. He was different from the one who had come before.
Something felt strange.
The man, with his stylishly trimmed black hair, had a rather handsome appearance.
The eyes that had never taken their gaze off Renisha were a strange olive color.
She became curious about the man’s identity and intentions.
As if sensing Renisha’s curiosity, Lindy lowered his head and whispered in Renisha’s ear.
"He's the Second Prince of Shamdir. He's in charge of all external affairs in place of the Crown Prince."
Shamdir was a monogamous kingdom.
Furthermore, the current King and Queen were happily married, and they had five children.
Except for the youngest, all were considered Princes.
Of them, the Second Prince was known to be as business-savvy as the Crown Prince.
"It seems he'll be staying in the empire for a while. I hear he's come to Hientri to expand his business."
Renisha nodded slightly.
Business.
Renisha had heard that the Second Prince, now estranged from the throne, was running his own business.
He was purchasing mining rights from all over the continent.
Originally, Shamdir had few mines.
The Second Prince purchased mining rights from the continent, shipped the mined ore to Shamdir, and resold the processed ore there for profit.
The Shamdirians were known for their dexterity, and their success was on the rise.
And she knew that the mined iron ore was also being sold to the Shamdir royal family.
'Mining...'
Renisha's eyes lit up.
She had a premonition that the Second Prince of Shamdir coming to see her was not a coincidence, but fate.
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
He's a handsome Prince.
Kassius glared at the Prince of Shamdir, who had blended in so naturally with the crowd at the banquet hall.
He didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable.
The moment the Prince kissed the back of Renisha's hand, Kassius's antipathy reared its head.
"What do you see? Oh, that Prince!"
A certain family's sage, who had been chattering beside Kassius chuckled.
"It's already a hot topic among the noble ladies. It's only natural that such a handsome Prince has come. They're all eager to catch his eye. In fact, my sister is also among them."
"You have to protect your sister's honor, Dale."
“She’s already thrown that honor away, so what do you think? Kassius. What do you think? That prince?”
Kassius glanced at the friendly man.
What do you think?
Kassius turned his head to look at Renisha.
Renisha had been looking at (assius a moment ago, but now she was looking at the Prince of Shamdir.
“...I don’t know what you mean by handsome,”
Kassius said sharply.
He definitely thought he was handsome, but he didn’t know why the opposite came out.
Kassius ran his tongue inside his mouth.
Strangely, he felt dissatisfied with the Prince. His relaxed smile, his elegant gestures.
“Huh... really? Well, Kassius could think that way.”
“What do you mean?”
Kassius turned his head to look at the man.
The man and his friends giggled and slapped each other’s shoulders.
He didn’t know what he was trying to say.
He thought Kassius was just pretending to know.
"What? They're saying Kassius is handsome! Do you know how many young ladies are waiting for you to be crowned? With their lofty pride, they can't speak to a knight without a title. But they're staring. Don't you see? The fervent gazes they're giving you right now."
Kassius looked around at the man's words.
It certainly seemed like many eyes were on him.
"Is that why we're here?"
"Shouldn't we at least make eye contact with the young ladies before we even shake hands?"
They were vulgar.
Kassius shook his head.
The young ladies who had been glaring at him turned their heads when they met Kassius's gaze.
And yet, they kept glancing.
"I'm handsome."
Kassius rubbed his cheek.
He'd never thought of such things.
It was natural, since he hadn't even washed properly on the battlefield.
There were no women to flaunt their plumage like a peacock and seduce.
So, he hadn't been aware of that.
Kassius opened his mouth unconsciously, as if possessed.
“Am I more handsome than the Prince?”
“What?”
The man and his friends burst into laughter.
They poked Cassius’s ribs. They seemed to think they had become close with him.
They’d come in a group and introduced themselves in such a mess that he couldn’t even remember their names.
“Oh. Look at how firm it is.”
“Then it’s like your flabby flesh?”
“Flabby flesh? You’re saying that because you haven’t seen my muscles!”
They said to Kassius as they were chatting.
"Depends on your taste. My sister says... Kassius, you're sexy."
Sexy? Kassius frowned.
"I don't know where she learned such a vulgar word, but that's what she said. You're the kind of man she'd want in her bed. My father would have been horrified if he'd heard that. He's my sister, but she's crazy. No, the ladies of the Empire are crazy. Most of them talk like that. Oh, and the Prince... he's like a flower on a cliff. Just watching him is nice."
The men burst into laughter again.
Eavesdropping on their conversation about the recent daring of ladies, Kassius glanced at Renisha.
Their eyes met.
Renisha smiled.
A man she wants in her bed. A sexy man.
The words he'd just heard lingered in his mind.
Dale had said most ladies of the Empire gave him that assessment.
'Does the Empress think so too?'
Kassius, who had been thinking that far, scowled.
He had clearly lost his mind.
The Shamdir messenger said softly.
“If you ever need help, Shamdir will be by your side. Your Majesty, is that all right?”
Laxus rolled his eyes at the Shamdir messenger. They say the youngest Princess monopolized the King’s favor, but the same old rant about favors persisted.
Laxus nodded.
“Of course. The way the Empress feels is the same as how I feel, so do as you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Shamdir messenger kissed the back of Renisha’s hand and stepped aside, ending his turn.
Renisha stared at the Shamdir messenger’s back with a strange look. He was different from the one who had come before.
Something felt strange.
The man, with his stylishly trimmed black hair, had a rather handsome appearance.
The eyes that had never taken their gaze off Renisha were a strange olive color.
She became curious about the man’s identity and intentions.
As if sensing Renisha’s curiosity, Lindy lowered his head and whispered in Renisha’s ear.
"He's the Second Prince of Shamdir. He's in charge of all external affairs in place of the Crown Prince."
Shamdir was a monogamous kingdom.
Furthermore, the current King and Queen were happily married, and they had five children.
Except for the youngest, all were considered Princes.
Of them, the Second Prince was known to be as business-savvy as the Crown Prince.
"It seems he'll be staying in the empire for a while. I hear he's come to Hientri to expand his business."
Renisha nodded slightly.
Business.
Renisha had heard that the Second Prince, now estranged from the throne, was running his own business.
He was purchasing mining rights from all over the continent.
Originally, Shamdir had few mines.
The Second Prince purchased mining rights from the continent, shipped the mined ore to Shamdir, and resold the processed ore there for profit.
The Shamdirians were known for their dexterity, and their success was on the rise.
And she knew that the mined iron ore was also being sold to the Shamdir royal family.
'Mining...'
Renisha's eyes lit up.
She had a premonition that the Second Prince of Shamdir coming to see her was not a coincidence, but fate.
Renisha narrowed her eyes.
***
He's a handsome Prince.
Kassius glared at the Prince of Shamdir, who had blended in so naturally with the crowd at the banquet hall.
He didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable.
The moment the Prince kissed the back of Renisha's hand, Kassius's antipathy reared its head.
"What do you see? Oh, that Prince!"
A certain family's sage, who had been chattering beside Kassius chuckled.
"It's already a hot topic among the noble ladies. It's only natural that such a handsome Prince has come. They're all eager to catch his eye. In fact, my sister is also among them."
"You have to protect your sister's honor, Dale."
“She’s already thrown that honor away, so what do you think? Kassius. What do you think? That prince?”
Kassius glanced at the friendly man.
What do you think?
Kassius turned his head to look at Renisha.
Renisha had been looking at (assius a moment ago, but now she was looking at the Prince of Shamdir.
“...I don’t know what you mean by handsome,”
Kassius said sharply.
He definitely thought he was handsome, but he didn’t know why the opposite came out.
Kassius ran his tongue inside his mouth.
Strangely, he felt dissatisfied with the Prince. His relaxed smile, his elegant gestures.
“Huh... really? Well, Kassius could think that way.”
“What do you mean?”
Kassius turned his head to look at the man.
The man and his friends giggled and slapped each other’s shoulders.
He didn’t know what he was trying to say.
He thought Kassius was just pretending to know.
"What? They're saying Kassius is handsome! Do you know how many young ladies are waiting for you to be crowned? With their lofty pride, they can't speak to a knight without a title. But they're staring. Don't you see? The fervent gazes they're giving you right now."
Kassius looked around at the man's words.
It certainly seemed like many eyes were on him.
"Is that why we're here?"
"Shouldn't we at least make eye contact with the young ladies before we even shake hands?"
They were vulgar.
Kassius shook his head.
The young ladies who had been glaring at him turned their heads when they met Kassius's gaze.
And yet, they kept glancing.
"I'm handsome."
Kassius rubbed his cheek.
He'd never thought of such things.
It was natural, since he hadn't even washed properly on the battlefield.
There were no women to flaunt their plumage like a peacock and seduce.
So, he hadn't been aware of that.
Kassius opened his mouth unconsciously, as if possessed.
“Am I more handsome than the Prince?”
“What?”
The man and his friends burst into laughter.
They poked Cassius’s ribs. They seemed to think they had become close with him.
They’d come in a group and introduced themselves in such a mess that he couldn’t even remember their names.
“Oh. Look at how firm it is.”
“Then it’s like your flabby flesh?”
“Flabby flesh? You’re saying that because you haven’t seen my muscles!”
They said to Kassius as they were chatting.
"Depends on your taste. My sister says... Kassius, you're sexy."
Sexy? Kassius frowned.
"I don't know where she learned such a vulgar word, but that's what she said. You're the kind of man she'd want in her bed. My father would have been horrified if he'd heard that. He's my sister, but she's crazy. No, the ladies of the Empire are crazy. Most of them talk like that. Oh, and the Prince... he's like a flower on a cliff. Just watching him is nice."
The men burst into laughter again.
Eavesdropping on their conversation about the recent daring of ladies, Kassius glanced at Renisha.
Their eyes met.
Renisha smiled.
A man she wants in her bed. A sexy man.
The words he'd just heard lingered in his mind.
Dale had said most ladies of the Empire gave him that assessment.
'Does the Empress think so too?'
Kassius, who had been thinking that far, scowled.
He had clearly lost his mind.
Kassius glared fiercely at Laxus.
As expected, this was all Laxus's fault.
Something bad had infected him, and Kassius was clearly unable to think normally.
Kassius questioned this vaguely.
Why was he associating everything with the Empress?
And how dare he think such absurd thoughts about Renisha...!
No, and what did it matter?
'So what, Kassius? The Empress will be your woman anyway. You're going to marry her, right?'
Something whispered to Kassius.
Kassius flinched. It was his own thought.
'Don't you know what marriage means? It means you'll share a bed anyway, Kassius.'
Kassius swallowed thickly.
Thoughts that didn't seem to belong to him continued to swirl.
'The Empress might want you in bed too.'
Kassius's earlobes secretly blushed.
"Kassius, what do you plan to do with the Empress?"
Where did such a blasphemous thought like "Laxus" come from?
Kassius roughly ruffled my hair. Only then did his thoughts cease.
As expected, this was all Laxus's fault.
Something bad had infected him, and Kassius was clearly unable to think normally.
Kassius questioned this vaguely.
Why was he associating everything with the Empress?
And how dare he think such absurd thoughts about Renisha...!
No, and what did it matter?
'So what, Kassius? The Empress will be your woman anyway. You're going to marry her, right?'
Something whispered to Kassius.
Kassius flinched. It was his own thought.
'Don't you know what marriage means? It means you'll share a bed anyway, Kassius.'
Kassius swallowed thickly.
Thoughts that didn't seem to belong to him continued to swirl.
'The Empress might want you in bed too.'
Kassius's earlobes secretly blushed.
"Kassius, what do you plan to do with the Empress?"
Where did such a blasphemous thought like "Laxus" come from?
Kassius roughly ruffled my hair. Only then did his thoughts cease.
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