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Chapter: 23
I sat on the edge of the bed and followed his gaze as I looked over the letter.
“Isn’t two days more than enough time to prepare everything needed to properly receive a guest who will soon become the next emperor? Of course, any well-mannered etiquette book would teach that a visit should be announced at least a month in advance, but still.”
“Hmm……”
Kagen, who had looked almost refreshed despite having driven me to the point of nearly fainting earlier, suddenly rubbed the corner of his eye with his fingers as if exhausted and let out a low groan.
“I’m told this is the first time the Crown Prince has ever visited Milra. The letter says it’s just a courtesy visit, but I wonder what the real reason is?”
There was no way the Crown Prince would personally travel to a provincial lord’s territory without a proper political reason.
“I don’t have anything concrete in mind either. But perhaps……”
Kagen paused, lost in thought while still not taking his eyes off the letter, then continued.
“It might be because of the captured magical beast from Arolz.”
Ah.
“Was it something serious enough for the imperial family to take interest?”
I asked quietly, hiding my unease.
Kagen shook his head calmly.
“He’s quite interested in magical beasts. He seems to think there might be a way to use them effectively—he even wanted to revive research that the imperial family abandoned long ago. It would be difficult to create an atmosphere where such research is supported now, but once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, it might be possible.”
In the empire, there was already a long history of using magical beast skins and bones as resources. Their meat was considered completely inedible even for livestock, so mainly their hides and bones were used for weapon crafting.
However, despite repeated attempts over a long time, there remained fields of research that had never succeeded.
“Research on using magical beasts……”
“He seems to admire the ‘mana’ they possess. It’s a desire anyone who has encountered them at least once might develop.”
It was about the mysterious power they held—mana.
“However, Lady Harbert also seems skeptical. She believes humans may be able to hunt magical beasts, but they will never be able to acquire their abilities.”
“I also think it’s impossible. Even ‘mist,’ which is far easier to handle than magical beasts, contains mana, yet research on that has produced very little progress with our current level of technology.”
Kagen stood up with a heavy motion and got off the bed. Then, right in front of me, he casually removed his robe and, completely bare, put his arms into his shirt.
It wasn’t the first time I had seen my husband’s back, but I still found myself sneaking glances before awkwardly looking away in embarrassment.
“To extract only mana from magical beasts—that belongs in science fiction. At least with current technology, it’s far out of reach. When even a failed attempt by a mage family whose lineage has already died out was abandoned, the imperial family also gave up. The closest feasible alternative was to domesticate magical beasts and use them like warhorses or war dogs, but that also failed.”
Dressed in a soft white silk shirt and dark blue trousers, he ran his fingers through his slightly disheveled hair.
I listened carefully, not wanting to miss even a single word from his unusually long explanation.
“Even if you can subdue them by force and capture them, they refuse to eat when under human control.”
I stared blankly at his eyes, illuminated by the afternoon sunlight.
My earring. The watery blue diamond I had chosen today shimmered with a mysterious glow. It was small and modest in design, but its color was strangely captivating—bluish with a faint green tint, somewhat reminiscent of Kagen’s eyes.
But the afterimage that came to mind when I looked at his eyes just now was, oddly enough, golden scales.
“Of course, there is no record anywhere of them eating bread offered by humans.”
Though, if anything, the scales of magical beasts seemed to shine with a much warmer light.
Kagen’s gaze pierced straight through me.
“…I know. People say the same thing.”
Without realizing it, my voice trailed off like a child being scolded.
Everyone agreed it was an inexplicable phenomenon. There wasn’t even a rumor of a magical beast ever accepting food from humans.
But to me, that wasn’t the strangest thing about them—I would argue there was nothing more unusual than the existence of that giant lizard-faced creature itself. They were bizarre beings to begin with. Why be surprised by anything they did?
Moreover, it had been captured after wandering near our knights instead of returning to its territory. Perhaps even among magical beasts, it was some kind of outlier?
“So the Crown Prince is visiting our castle because he’s interested in that unusual magical beast? Imperial rumors spread quickly these days. Their intelligence network is impressive.”
I climbed back onto the bed where Kagen had been lying and hugged my knees.
Still, it was a relief if this wasn’t something the imperial family would take issue with. On the other hand, could it be an opportunity for Kagen? He always said he preferred maintaining stability over rising in rank, but it was still better not to fall out of favor with the future emperor.
“Ah, I should go check whether preparations for the guest reception are going well.”
A Crown Prince. A being I had once thought I would never even see in my lifetime was coming here.
I abruptly stood up and took down the dress hanging on the rack.
Kagen was already ready to leave and had opened the door.
“May the Crown Prince’s interest remain only in magical beasts.”
He muttered it almost to himself, then gave me a slight bow.
“I will return by mealtime. Excuse me.”
I, covering my sheer chemise dress with an outer gown, bent my knees in a polite curtsy.
“Have a good day, Kagen.”
After spending time together on the bed in disarray, as if we needed no distance between us at all, it always felt strange to suddenly exchange formal greetings and go our separate ways.
It felt as though a cold breeze like dawn air was passing somewhere unseen, making me rub my arms as goosebumps rose on my shoulders—a very strange feeling.
“The Crown Prince Florian Zerus Enroak Taigaen has arrived,”
It was my first face-to-face meeting with the Crown Prince, who arrived accompanied by servants dressed in lavish frilled uniforms and a retinue of guards.
The first thought that came to my mind was this:
Come to think of it, even Prince Zeke had a long full name. The only time I met him, he had simply said, “I’m Zeke,” and immediately offered a handshake, so I had completely forgotten he even had a full name.
“I am his wife, Ruwan, Your Highness.”
“It is an honor to meet the Crown Prince.”
I bowed deeply, offering greetings that were not lacking in respect for the future emperor, recalling Mila’s advice that he was a highly authoritative and strict person and must not be offended.
“Hm. I have heard of the duchess’s piety.”
The Crown Prince accepted my greeting with a gentle smile.
“Though it is regrettable for the imperial family that you are an Ingistan rather than a Neoterian, just as Duke Wailiver, also an Ingistan, has faithfully fulfilled his duty as a loyal subject, I have no doubt that the duchess will do the same.”
Was he a deeply religious man?
In truth, while learning imperial history from Lady Harbert, I had never felt that the Taigaen imperial family truly worshipped a god. But if the person himself claimed his devotion, it was not something others could deny.
“My apologies, Your Highness. However, whether Old Faith or New Faith, I have been taught that all revere the Goddess Iokasa and serve her as a motherly figure. I am merely an ordinary believer striving, like others, to emulate the sincerity of our imperial family.”
“Hm.”
The Crown Prince lifted the corner of his lips in satisfaction. On his pale skin, his blood-colored lips stood out vividly.
“You have a proper disposition. To harmonize with all believers without prejudice—that is precisely what I, who will govern the empire, aspire to.”
Though in his forties, Florian—the emperor’s eldest son and heir apparent—narrowed his eyes with the expression of a young man dreaming of inheriting his father’s throne. His appearance, which looked closer to his early thirties, was somewhat surprising.
I led him to the dining hall.
“May I ask whether we should prepare the meal immediately? I heard Your Highness does not eat during carriage travel, so I was concerned.”
“We shall eat after changing clothes. I am grateful for the duchess’s concern for the Crown Prince.”
He smiled faintly at me with an expression as if looking at a young daughter, then crossed the reception room with a more relaxed stride.
I followed behind him and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Having been warned thoroughly by Mila in advance, I had expected someone extremely sensitive and difficult—but the reality felt somewhat different. Or perhaps it was because I had braced myself too much.
As I obediently followed behind him like a servant, I felt Kagen’s gaze beside the Crown Prince. It felt like a silent signal flickering in his eyes that only I could notice.
When I slightly lifted the corners of my lips, Kagen returned his gaze to the Crown Prince as if he had seen nothing at all. But his broad shoulders clearly rose and fell—it was obvious he was relieved after worrying about me.
Honestly, he worries about me too much.
“I hear you are raising magical beasts, Duke.”
The Crown Prince spoke his purpose immediately after the meal began. It seemed that was indeed the reason he had suddenly visited Wailiver.
“How fascinating. Even I, when I hunted magical beasts in Noska, attempted it several times, but those creatures are difficult to control.”
With slender, delicate fingers, he moved his knife and neatly cut the veal on his plate. After elegantly placing a piece into his mouth, he cast a meaningful glance at Kagen.
“Have you acquired a special beast tamer?”
