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~Chapter 26~
“You should be grateful you didn’t wake up in the underground prison.”
Young Lord Wellston gritted his teeth.
“Do you have any proof?”
Even though he’d been caught stealing, he looked at Elodie without any fear, acting bold.
Wellston had always been a thief.
When Elodie was a palace field mouse, she often saw him stealing things.
The prince knew about it. Once, when a knight whispered it to him, the prince said:
“Let him be. He’s always been like that.”
“Is that really all right?”
“Where could I find a servant as loyal and useful as the viscount? Of course I can put up with a little stealing.”
So the prince just used Wellston’s stealing as a weakness to control him.
And the more the prince let it go, the bolder Wellston became.
He would do anything to please the prince, no matter what the order.
Sometimes he’d even act on his own, just to please the prince.
The prince also sometimes used Wellston’s twisted loyalty for his own benefit.
“Your Highness, I have something for you.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s Silverstone. You said before it was rare and only found in the Sunset Hill family’s mine.”
“Thank you. Only you think of me like this.”
Because he was never punished, Wellston grew even more daring.
Would he really have just behaved and watched quietly in Valkyrisen, the only safe place for beastmen and humans?
Elodie doubted it—and she was right.
Wellston puffed out his chest and said,
“I believe you wouldn’t judge me only by this child’s words. You’re someone who’s fair.”
Then he gave Elodie a fake, pitying look.
“Most five-year-olds can talk better than that…”
“I hope she really knows what she’s saying.”
He wanted everyone to think Elodie was just a foolish child.
But Elodie answered right away, pointing at his jacket.
“It’s hidden in the inside pocket.”
When Aizen nodded, Howlf came over and started searching Wellston’s clothes.
Wellston smirked.
He realized they’d figured out there was a secret pocket, but no one could open it except him.
His cousin, who was famous at the magic tower, had made it.
This magic pocket could hold many things and would never show anything, even if the clothes were burned or cut.
You could only open it if you spoke a special sentence.
“See? There’s nothing. This little kid just wanted attention. How will she take responsibility for lying…?”
“Silumentarius!”
Click—
Elodie shouted, cutting off his sneer, and suddenly something unlocked and opened.
Wellston’s eyes went wide with shock.
“H-how did you…!”
Did he think she hadn’t seen him stealing a hundred times?
She saw it so much, she’d memorized everything.
Elodie clicked her tongue and lifted her chin.
“I can say it clearly, too.”
She still had to focus really hard to say it just right, but she could do it.
Out of the hidden pocket came something white and fluffy, like little balls of dust.
They bounced through the air.
It was “magic cotton.”
It looked like it was alive, but it was actually just pure magical energy.
If someone with no magic talent at all touched it, they could use simple spells.
It wasn’t a big deal for real wizards, but for nobles, it was priceless.
Even royalty found it nearly impossible to get.
But actually, magic cotton only appeared in the border region of Valkyrisen.
‘No wonder the prince could do magic, even though he never studied…’
So he’d been using magic cotton all along, acting like he was talented.
What a scammer.
“There’s nothing more to say.”
Aizen waved his hand, looking annoyed.
“Handle it by the rules.”
Howlf grabbed Wellston and began dragging him away.
“L-let me go!”
No matter how much Wellston fought, the difference in strength was too great.
He was dragged away, then shouted desperately,
“Y-your grace! Don’t I deserve to know what will happen to me? Please!”
“Didn’t you read the guide?”
Guide?
Elodie tilted her head. Aizen’s aide came up beside her.
When the huge eagle beastman got close, Elodie hid behind Aizen.
‘That eagle is huge…’
The aide stopped, not wanting to scare her, and spoke politely.
“It’s on the estate’s notice board. You didn’t see it because you came straight through the entrance.”
He handed her a paper with the rules:
23) Know the banned items. If you’re caught smuggling them, you’ll be banned from entering for three years. Second time, you’re banned forever. Third time… there isn’t one.
23-1) If you try to take out a protected item, your hand may be cut off.
Elodie saw magic cotton listed as a protected item and quietly mourned for Wellston.
“Y-your grace, I’m the prince’s closest friend! His Highness will pay any price to save me. P-please, just one chance to contact him!”
“Do as you like.”
Aizen was distracted, paying more attention to Elodie’s twitching ears.
Wellston desperately pulled out a video orb and called the prince, crying as he explained.
‘I can’t believe I have to see that face again.’
She hadn’t wanted to see the prince, even indirectly.
Elodie looked at the prince’s much younger face on the screen, her expression sour.
“Your Highness, please save me. I did something terribly wrong.”
—Ah, Young Lord Wellston.
The prince’s voice was still the same.
It was higher than Elodie remembered, but elegant, sweet, almost like singing.
—When did I ever ask you to do that?
“But you said you wanted to use magic, so I found out about the magic cotton in Valkyrisen and—”
—So you made plans and stole for me? Did you really think that’s what I wanted?
“But you liked the things I brought you, didn’t you? You were happy!”
—Don’t tell me all of them were stolen? If I’d known they were stolen, I never would have accepted them!
The prince only let Wellston steal because it was useful, and never asked where the gifts came from—just in case he needed to cut ties.
Elodie watched quietly, her eyes on the prince’s face.
—Duke of Valkyrisen… My servant has caused a huge problem. I’m sorry. I had no idea, but it’s my fault for not keeping him in line.
The prince put his hand on his chest and bowed his head.
His caramel-colored hair rippled down his forehead.
His long lashes cast shadows over his eyes like branches over a green lake.
—Please deal with him according to your laws.
