Chapter 39: Demonkind, or a half-breed?

Lianus, who had been happily chatting about his close friend, was suddenly forced into the classroom by the unexpected arrival of the Chancellor.

Without any time to prepare himself, he found himself face-to-face with a pair of crimson eyes that burned like blazing flames.

He wished the class would just start quickly, but the Chancellor who had accompanied him was engrossed in conversation with another court official in the corridor, seemingly due to some urgent matter.

His half-brother, the First Prince Laurence de Harpens, with hair as dark blue as His Majesty’s and fiery eyes just like Queen Helia’s, approached first, his lips lined with a faint red.

“Lianus, come here quickly.”

“Yes.”

Lianus responded shortly, bowing his head as he took his seat. He couldn’t bear to meet those scarlet eyes. Above all, he had no desire to engage in a long conversation with his brother now.

Surely, there was a time when he would have been overjoyed if his brother spoke to him, but now, he couldn’t even recall why that had been the case.

It was simply uncomfortable.

“You’ve been attending classes alone for two days; it must have been lonely. Have you changed your mind again?”

At the mention of loneliness, Lianus gave a bitter smile that was uncharacteristic of him.

He was often ill, and whenever that happened, he would be bedridden for two to three days. Even when he dragged his ailing body to class or after returning from such bouts, Laurence had never once said things like ‘I was lonely’ or ‘I felt sad.’

Especially considering that they had taken the swordsmanship class together yesterday, it was technically only one day he had been alone.

Lianus no longer had the heart to be fooled by such kind words, nor did he harbor any flicker of hope.

He had a close friend who would wait for him, telling him to come quickly when he was bored.

Trying hard to relax the muscles of his stiff face, Lianus forced a natural smile. To be honest, he wasn’t sure if the corners of his mouth were cooperating properly, but he opened his mouth as if unaffected.

“No, Brother. The Chancellor said he would arrange the class division for royal studies as soon as he has time.”

Lianus wanted to tell his brother that he wasn’t lonely at all, that he had been happy the entire time.

That his close friend had nursed him when he was sick, played with him, eaten and slept alongside him, always staying by his side.

And that when he returned to the Palace, he would be warmly welcomed.

He wanted to ask if his brother’s play attendants welcomed him only for the sake of their lord, just like his own close friend did.

But he didn’t. Because his brother’s interest would be poison to his friend.

A subtle crack formed in Laurence’s usually serene smile as his scarlet eyes slowly scanned Lianus.

Lianus, who wasn’t looking at Laurence, was unaware of this. However, the Escort Knights who were constantly watching Laurence sensed the shift in atmosphere and tensed up.

“My mother is very curious about your close friend. You’ll be receiving an invitation soon.”

Laurence never called the Queen ‘Her Majesty’ or ‘Mother.’

He always said ‘my mother,’ as if to emphasize that Lianus was a complete stranger, someone who could never have such a thing.

Lianus flinched at the mention of the Queen but the unease didn’t last long. It was already expected, and his friend had assured him not to worry, so it would be fine.

“Yes.”

Lianus answered shortly again.

Though unintentional, his tongue felt as if it had frozen solid, and words didn’t come out smoothly.

He wasn’t good at hiding his emotions and was fully aware of this fact. He imagined his expression probably resembled a terrified mouse in front of a predator.

So, he tried to think of his close friend.

He took a quiet, deep breath, slowly releasing the tension gripping his body, and closed his eyes deliberately before opening them again.

He was trying to imitate even a little the proud and composed white beast who seemed indifferent and bored by everything but easily handled whatever came its way.

He wasn’t sure if he was doing it right, but he definitely felt a little better.

Laurence noticed the subtle change in Lianus’s demeanor and began to compose his expression again to speak, but at that moment, the door suddenly swung open.

A young man with warm, long brown hair tinged with orange light entered.

It was Abel Brigid Marquis, the Chancellor and their teacher.

“First Prince, you are here as well. I’m sorry for being a bit late due to some business.”

“Chancellor, you have arrived.”

“Welcome, teacher.”

Receiving two very different greetings simultaneously, Abel smiled gently and returned their welcomes.

“How have both princes been?”

Abel Brigid Marquis was not only the Chancellor but also a close friend who grew up alongside King Sedess.

Unlike the stoic and emotionally reserved Sedess, Abel was gentle and considerate, earning the favor of everyone.

He was also the only one who could scold Sedess, but today, since Nihil had scolded ‘the Prince’s older brother,’ Abel unintentionally became the only one left to chide him.

The class proceeded without any issues.

There was no further conversation between the two princes.

After the class ended, the Chancellor inquired about Lianus’s close friend.

“Second Prince, I hear you’ve made a new close friend?”

“Oh, yes, yes.”

“Are you getting along well with your friend?”

“Yes, yes, we are. Really, um… we’re doing very well.”

Lianus wanted to excitedly boast about his extraordinary close friend, but for some reason, since his brother didn’t leave and stayed put, he could only answer vaguely.

While he was in that awkward state, Evan returned.

Lianus greeted his returning Escort Knight with a bright smile.

“Sir Evan, where have you been?”

“I apologize. Since the Prince has been frequently ill, we decided to have a dedicated pharmacist, so I moved some herbs to the Palace. I will explain the details once we return. Also, His Majesty has invited the Princes to a meal; how would you like to respond?”

“His Majesty invited us?”

Lianus thought of Nihil, who was waiting for him alone at the Palace. But he couldn’t ignore His Majesty’s invitation, so he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

The crimson eyes briefly softened as they met his.

Though he hadn’t eaten yet, his stomach already felt uneasy.

***

King Sedess, who had extended the invitation for the meal, arrived a little late, seemingly busy.

The King and Chancellor continued their work-related discussion even during the meal. Especially Sedess, who had wasted the entire morning at the Second Prince’s Palace, had to keep working even after lunch.

“…And Chancellor, about that pirate ship from the Eastern Continent the other day.”

At the mention of the pirate ship, Evan, the only one who knew who had destroyed it, flinched in surprise.

The case had been progressing smoothly, so why was it being brought up again?

“It was a pirate ship disguised as a merchant vessel from the Eastern Continent, Your Majesty.”

Abel clarified as they ate, careful not to let the princes misunderstand.

The princes were invited to this gathering partly because the King wished to dine with them, but more importantly, so they could gradually understand the country’s current affairs.

Sedess was a very capable lord, quick and accurate in judgment, but honestly not the best leader for his subordinates.

His excellence meant he often failed to understand things his men did not, and they struggled to keep up with his pace.

Naturally, he couldn’t easily explain what he knew, so Abel took on most of the explanations.

“Anyway, a recent report just arrived. Have you confirmed it?”

“I heard briefly before class. The pirates were a pretty large organization, right? What if we handed over their identities as the Eastern Empire wishes and used that to facilitate trade?”

“Yes, I thought the same. But there’s one problem. There were faint traces of Demon Energy on the salvaged pirate ship.”

“…Demon Energy?”

Abel’s expression tightened slightly. Anything related to Magic Beasts or Demonkind fell under Grand Duke Diaborus’s jurisdiction. If those pirates were even slightly connected to Magic Beasts or Demonkind, their identities couldn’t be revealed recklessly.

“What is the Grand Duke’s stance?”

“He’s in a bit of a difficult position. There were traces of Demon Energy, but that was all. It’s possible a captured Magic Beast, mistaken for a rare animal, was caught in the explosion and died. But traces were found outside the explosion’s reach, and since it was a chemical explosion, the Magic Beast probably didn’t die instantly. There are two possibilities: someone killed the Magic Beast before the explosion, or a powerful Demonkind, strong enough to evade the Grand Duke’s tracking, was present.”

Sedess pressed his temples in frustration as he spoke.

After a moment’s thought, Abel shrugged and said,

“Isn’t the former more likely? The Grand Duke is known to be among the highest of Demonkind.”

“I thought so too, but none of the surviving pirates or the illegal slaves seem to know about the Magic Beast. They might just mistake it for an animal. Still, if someone had killed it, there would’ve been a commotion. Yet no one knows who detonated the ship, even though it wasn’t a natural explosion.”

Evan flinched again. No matter what else, the pirate ship’s destruction was certainly the work of that lynx. Could it be that it killed the Magic Beast?

Suddenly, rumors about Nihil wandering the Second Prince’s Palace came to mind—talks that he was a sophisticated magical doll made by Demonkind, or perhaps Demonkind himself…

He was sure Nihil wasn’t human, but still, no way…

Evan’s face grew rigid.

Could Nihil be Demonkind, or a half-breed? That might explain why he looked younger than his actual age and survived eating poisons.

If so, surviving being hit by a carriage might not have been mere chance. If he had unknowingly left traces of Demon Energy on the pirate ship… if that were true, what should they do? If the truth about him being Demonkind were revealed and he was taken to the Grand Duke for interrogation…!

Evan recalled the only time he had seen the Grand Duke—at the Prince’s fifth birthday.

With his long, pitch-black hair trailing on the floor and eyes that no human could have.

The very presence was intimidating, and when their eyes met, Evan felt as though his breath had stopped.

Evan imagined Nihil being accused as Demonkind and standing before the Grand Duke.

“……”

But was it a lack of imagination, or had two years passed and the pressure from that time faded?

The small, white beast held its head high against the terrifying black beast and spoke back insolently in a casual tone.

‘…It’s not just about interrogation, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was killed on the spot.’

No, no, it was too soon to jump to conclusions.

Evan shook his head, trying to calm himself.

The lynx was stronger and more knowledgeable than expected, so it might have quietly killed the Magic Beast with ease.

And even if, just in the very unlikely case, Nihil was Demonkind, they would carefully verify and make sure he never faced the Grand Duke.

They just had to manage it well.

…Right?