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Chapter 38
“As I thought, I was right. He really must be awful. To think that such a nasty-tempered person is second in line to the Flannel throne. I worry about the Empire’s future.”
At Sasha’s words, Stefan shook his head and replied.
“Well, there’s the crown princess anyway. He’ll never make it to the Emperor’s seat, right?”
“That’s true.”
At that moment, Adrian furrowed his brows deeply and glared at Lionel.
“Do you judge people that easily just because you saw them once or twice when you were a kid?”
“Well. If he grew up the same way, wouldn’t he still be the same now? I’m of the belief that people don’t change easily.”
Lionel responded leisurely. Sparks seemed to fly invisibly between the two.
Oblivious Stefan, unconcerned with the increasingly chilly atmosphere, squeezed himself between them.
“Anyway, Prince Kaiser—wasn’t there a rumor he was attending Felodian Academy? Who could it be? If he’s got such a bad temper, he’d already be infamous at the academy. Ah! Now that I think of it, when it comes to bad tempers, our Adrian isn’t exactly mild either… right?”
Stefan burst out laughing and looked toward Adrian—only to meet his eyes directly.
Adrian raised one eyebrow, openly showing his displeasure. Stefan instantly stopped laughing.
“Ahem! Still, calling our Adrian ugly would be way off the mark. Haha. Sure, his temper’s bad, but he’s extremely handsome. Yes, yes. Great body, tall… ridiculously cool.”
He babbled whatever came to mind in a rush. It was impossible to tell if he was praising Adrian or insulting him.
Failing to smooth things over, Stefan quickly changed the subject. The shift was stiff and awkward.
“Uh! So then, was that rumor about the prince attending just baseless? There were so many rumors at the time of enrollment, but no one ever found out who it was. I even tried casually asking the admin office staff, but they said there’s no prince’s name in the records.”
“There is a prince though. From another country. That prince is enrolled in the Political Science Department. Wasn’t he the fifth prince of Jekallan? I’ve even taken a general ed class with him.”
At Sasha’s reply, Stefan scratched the back of his head.
“Oh, right. So the rumor must’ve been distorted then?”
“Quite possible.”
Sasha nodded in agreement.
After they toured the imperial gardens lined endlessly with fountains, Sasha led the group outside the palace.
“Let’s head out now. Time to eat.”
Once outside the palace, the group parted ways with Lionel. Sasha waved at him and called out:
“See you later! Once you’re done with your meeting, make sure to come back and join us. Take us with you when we return to the academy! Got it?”
“Got it. See you later.”
Lionel replied to Sasha’s farewell and left.
Lionel’s destination after leaving the group was a high-end restaurant in the district mainly frequented by nobles.
When he arrived, a neatly dressed waiter guided him to a private room that had been reserved in advance. His companion was already there.
“You’ve come.”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
“Yes. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Soon, the waiter brought in the dishes and withdrew. The meal began. The only sounds were the quiet clinks of cutlery.
The man sitting across from Lionel quietly set down his glittering crystal glass. His white, frost-like hair and deep golden eyes made him look like Lionel decades into the future.
He was Lionel’s father, Duke Eduardo.
“How is academy life treating you?”
“Fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“Good. If it’s you, I’m sure you’re excelling. Just this year left, then you graduate. And… is she still the same?”
Lionel dabbed his lips elegantly with a napkin before replying.
“Yes. She’s the same.”
“Things are becoming unstable these days. I’m keeping my senses sharpened as much as I can, but the crown princess moves too discreetly. It’s impossible to read her flow or know what she’s up to.”
“She’s a clever woman. She’s skilled at covering her tracks, too.”
“How’s the search for her confidants going?”
Lionel was secretly working to uncover the crown princess’s loyal aides hidden within the academy.
“No real results yet.”
“I see. It won’t be easy.”
“I’ll try expanding my range.”
“No. She has sharp instincts. Even a hint of probing will make her notice. You mustn’t do anything that could arouse suspicion.”
At his father’s words, Lionel suddenly thought of Jaeylin.
If he used her, he could more easily mask his own movements and intentions. Jaeylin definitely liked him.
So wherever he took her, she would surely follow without question.
Her gaze toward him was blindly pure, without a speck of doubt.
Whatever he did, she would follow without hesitation. He just knew it. He was certain.
Her clear, bright green eyes flashed in his mind—the kind that almost seemed transparent when their eyes met by chance. Suddenly, his throat tightened as if parched.
Adjusting his cravat side to side, Lionel lifted his glass and wet his throat.
“Yes. Understood.”
“Your safety is the most important thing. Don’t let your guard down just because you’re inside the academy. Always be cautious.”
“Yes. You too, Father. Please be careful.”
“Of course. The time is near. Just endure a little longer until then.”
At his father’s encouragement, Lionel only managed a bitter smile. He’d been hearing those words for a long time now.
He glanced at his own hand, fiddling with the crystal glass on the table.
Would the day truly come when he could bring them down with his own hands? He didn’t know. Exhaustion hit him hard. He just wanted it all to end soon.
He longed to drag the crown princess down from her seat as soon as possible—just to breathe. He wanted to escape from this crushing weight pressing down on his body, suffocating his every breath.
For Lionel, there was no choice. Until either the crown princess or Duke Eduardo’s house was destroyed, he couldn’t break free from this cage.
It was a future foretold long ago, the day the crown princess killed Duchess Eraarudo.
“Yes, Father.”
With Lionel’s final response, the secret meeting between father and son of House Eduardo ended within the private restaurant chamber.
“This is the famous place?”
A bewildered Stefan looked back and forth between the shabby building in front of him and Sasha’s profile.
“Yeah. They say it’s the most famous spot in the capital. Though I admit, I’m a bit hesitant to go in.”
Sasha frowned.
At the entrance, Jaeylin and the others hesitated, unable to step inside right away.
It was no wonder—the place looked so dilapidated it seemed like it could collapse any moment.
“Should we go somewhere else?”
“I’m hungry. Let’s just go in.”
Adrian strode inside, leaving behind the hesitant Sasha and Stefan.
And indeed, despite its shabby appearance, the inside was packed wall to wall with people, without even room to set foot.
They managed to find a tiny table and squeezed around it, barely fitting, to eat.
Jaeylin hunched her body as much as possible, making the smallest movements to pick at the food in front of her.
Despite the shabby exterior, Sasha had been right—the place really was the capital’s most famous eatery. The gnocchi was easily among the best food Jaeylin had ever tasted.
Stefan must have thought so too—after just one bite, he made a huge fuss.
“Whoa! This is incredible! I’ve eaten a lot of good food, but I’ve never had anything like this!”
“Well? How’s my guiding skill?”
Sasha puffed out her chest proudly.
“Sasha, you’re amazing. Seriously, the best.”
Stefan gave her a big thumbs-up, cream smeared all around his mouth.
The four of them emptied their plates clean and left the restaurant rubbing their full bellies.
At Sasha’s urging, they quickly headed to their next destination—Trafalgar Street, the capital’s busiest shopping district.
It was around then that Jaeylin started to feel worn out. Having been on the move since morning, her stamina was running low.
She glanced at her friends’ faces. Sasha was still bursting with energy as before. Adrian looked a little bored, but not tired at all.
Stefan, who had seemed drained after their meal, suddenly lit up the moment they entered Trafalgar Street. His face was brimming with excitement.
Jaeylin felt a twinge of betrayal. She’d thought Stefan’s stamina was closer to hers, but apparently not.
It didn’t take long for her to figure out the source of Stefan’s energy.
As soon as they reached the middle of Trafalgar Street, Stefan—eyes sparkling—pointed somewhere with an awkwardly contrived gesture.
“Whoa! Look at that! Rodrigo’s Shop! Let’s drop by for just a bit.”
He acted like he’d spotted it by chance, but it was obvious he hadn’t.
“No way! Today’s all about showing Jaeylin around the capital.”
Sasha shot down his request immediately. Stefan clung to her, whining and begging.
