#008

Cullen opened his eyes. His back was damp and sticky with sweat. He gasped for breath, gripped by a despair as vivid as what he had experienced yesterday. A terrible melancholy washed over him. The lingering bitter taste in his mouth made him feel nauseous.

He had dreamed of that day again after a long time.

Perhaps it was because he had spoken with the Dragon about his mother. He felt awful. Cullen groaned and blinked. The ceiling that came into view in his red, dry eyes felt unfamiliar.

He stared at the lily-shaped pattern spreading in a spiral. This was not outside. He was in the Imperial Palace. The Emperor had told him to consider the Imperial Palace his home from now on.

Home.

Cullen quietly murmured the word. He moved his dry tongue. He felt nothing when he saw the dying Emperor. There was no sense of shared blood. Although the Emperor had similar outward features to his mother, he felt no kinship that one would naturally feel for family.

Was it a trait of the Imperial Family? No, that wasn’t it. It was probably because Cullen himself no longer wanted to feel anything.

He had lost his home and family twice. Once, his family. The second time, his mercenary group. Time was no help the second time.

The wounds, newly etched over old scars, were deep and showed no sign of healing even with time. As people age and grow into adults, they become weaker. They merely hide their wounds beneath a hard exterior, but do not heal them.

Instead of overcoming, they merely endure.

Cullen no longer needed to lose anything. Therefore, he did not need family. Nor did he need a home.

“Did you cough, Prince?”

Someone called him from outside the door. It was the voice of the red-haired maid who had attended him yesterday. He had heard her name but hadn’t bothered to remember it.

Cullen threw off the covers and stepped onto the floor. The white base was spread with gray, water-like streaks, resembling the white marble found only in the south. To make the entire vast Imperial Palace with white marble floors… how much money had they squeezed out?

Cullen recalled the villages recently destroyed by Demonic Beasts. The eastern region, where the Duchy of Jenix had fallen and its great barrier disappeared, as well as all border regions except the wealthiest capital and the south, were currently suffering from famine due to labor shortages.

However, the Larkan Dynasty had not yet presented any specific countermeasures. They had left most of the work to be handled by their respective noble territories. Like bystanders.

Even though it was the natural duty of the center that governed the vast Empire, no one dared to voice criticism. In people’s minds, the Larkan Imperial Family had always been the masters of rule. They had no other Imperial Family to compare them to.

Above all, Larkan was the master of the land imbued with the goddess’s power. The Emperor suppressed all dissent with his immortal army of Dragons. So, how could any noble or commoner dare to speak?

“…Wait a moment.”

Cullen replied with reluctance. He found it difficult to use informal speech because he had always been wary of the peculiar intimacy that came with dropping formalities.

He glanced around and saw a dark blue robe embroidered with gold thread. Picking it up, it flowed softly, like water. After draping the robe over his well-muscled bare torso, Cullen opened the door.

“To attend to your morning… Ah!”

The maid, who had looked up, widened her eyes and shut her mouth. Her gaze briefly swept over the gap in Cullen’s open robe. Her face instantly flushed red as she hastily lowered her head.

“Is there a problem?”

“N-no. I’m sorry, I was rude.”

“In what way?”

When he asked, unable to understand, the maid, in a terrified voice, knelt down.

“Please forgive me!”

He felt suddenly exhausted. The aftereffects of the nightmare were still lingering, making him sensitive. Cullen wanted to get rid of this bothersome presence quickly.

“Alright, get up and…”

He reached out to help the maid up. At the touch of his long, firm fingers on his arm, she flinched and cried out for forgiveness again.

Just as Cullen was about to react to the sudden situation, someone stopped him.

“Leave that child alone!”

Cullen’s and the maid’s gazes shifted to where the sharp voice came from. Cullen met piercing purple eyes. Without explanation, he knew who it was. As Lasano had said, the color of her eyes proved everything.

But there were other reasons. The woman looking at him angrily bore a strong resemblance to him.

“What are you trying to do?”

The uninvited guest seemed to have misunderstood the current situation. The woman placed her hands on her hips and asked.

Cullen squinted slightly, looking back and forth between the maid and the uninvited guest. The maid, her face pale, had her forehead pressed to the ground.

“I did nothing.”

“Then why is Lisa kneeling?”

That was probably her name. Cullen judged that this woman, whom he presumed to be his cousin, was not compatible with him, given that she knew the maid’s name.

“I would like to know the reason as well.”

The uninvited guest strode towards him. Her tall stature, far exceeding the average height of Imperial women, was striking. Although she was about a hand’s breadth shorter than Cullen, considering his own height, she was by no means small.

Her face was pale and slender, very small, and her eyes, though lacking double eyelids, were large and slightly upturned at the corners. She was a very haughty beauty.

“Lisa, speak comfortably. Did the Prince bother you?”

The uninvited guest, who had quickly approached the maid, asked gently. Given the title “Prince,” there seemed to be no need for self-introduction.

“No, Crown Prince!”

The maid quickly shook her head again. The word “Crown Prince” echoed softly in the corridor. Then, silence fell. The maid looked as if she wanted to die, and the uninvited guest, referred to as the Crown Prince, paused and looked at Cullen.

“All I did was open the door and come out.”

Cullen spoke calmly, ignoring the subtle tension. The Crown Prince, concealing her bewilderment, said to the maid.

“You should be careful with your words, Lisa.”

Her elegant voice contained a worried reprimand.

“Regardless of what happened, wouldn’t it be better to send this maid away for now? I don’t need morning service.”

At those words, the Crown Prince examined Cullen’s attire. Seeing his well-defined chest and the clear lines of his abdomen, she flinched back. Blushing like the maid, she covered her eyes with her hands.

“What is this attire, so unkempt!”

The Crown Prince, parting her fingers slightly, peered at Cullen through the gap and said to the maid.

“Lisa, you may go. I will find you later.”

“My apologies, Your Highness. I shall withdraw.”

As if she had been waiting, the maid left. Peace finally arrived. Cullen leaned against the doorway and stared intently at the Crown Prince, who still had her face half-covered.

“I can understand why Lisa was startled. It’s not good for a member of the Imperial bloodline to expose their bare body so openly. Servants are easily startled by even the smallest actions of people like us.”

“Is that so.”

Cullen glanced at his body. The women around him had never reacted that way. In fact, they might have touched him openly.

Cecil’s face, a comrade from the mercenary group, flashed through his mind. Recalling events from over five years ago, his mood sank. Cullen wanted to end this tiresome conversation.

“I know you’ve just arrived at the Imperial Palace. If I may offer unsolicited advice, you need to realize that you are no longer the same person you were in the past.”

The Crown Prince, finally adjusting, lowered her hands. She rubbed her flushed face.

“Forgive me for interrupting, but…”

Cullen said coldly, looking at her wide purple eyes.

“I haven’t recovered from my journey yet. What is the reason for your visit?”

An apologetic expression immediately appeared on her face. Her white face, which revealed her emotions so clearly, showed a naive innocence despite its cold impression.

“I overlooked that. I apologize.”

The Crown Prince extended her hand.

“I am Kihelene. My father calls me Helen. Since you are also my cousin, you may call me that.”

He looked at the elegant white hand extended towards him. He saw the fingertips, which looked as if they had never known hardship. Cullen suddenly recalled the Dragon’s white fingers. The Dragon had more beautiful hands than the Crown Prince before him.

Brushing away the sudden image, Cullen introduced himself. He did not take her hand.

“I am Cullen. So why are you here, Kihelene?”

Disappointed that Cullen didn’t call her Helen, disappointment flickered across her face. Cullen was convinced she had a completely different personality from her appearance, given the way her expression changed every second.

“I came to inform you about the meeting scheduled in ten days. And to greet my cousin who arrived yesterday. I originally wanted to go and welcome them together yesterday, but Silfir thought it would be better not to….”

This one will spill the beans before I even have to torture her. Cullen thought impassively.

“Are you talking about the meeting where the council of elders will participate?”

He remembered hearing about it. Kihelene nodded. Still unable to hide her flushed demeanor, she subtly scanned Cullen with a searching gaze. It was quite natural.

“Yes. I came to explain it because I thought you might not know what it is. It’s better to be fair.”

“Fair in what regard?”

Kihelene lowered her hand when he ultimately didn’t offer to shake it. There was no sign of embarrassment.

“You are heartless.”

Instead, she showed her displeasure again.

“It’s because I dislike being touched.”

“I understand. You said you were tired, so I’ll just deliver this message.”

She talks too much. She was like a chattering bird. Her appearance was like the famously beautiful blue-white plum, but inside, she was like a sparrow.

“The council of elders are the ones who hold the judgment rights for succession. It’s to decide the superiority between those born on the same day. The successor will be decided on that day.”

If they have been in the Imperial Palace for generations, do they know anything about his mother’s affairs? That was the only thing he thought of upon hearing Kihelene’s words. The word Prince didn’t even pique his interest.

“In case someone lies, the council of elders will ascertain the exact birthdate. If you become the Prince… Cullen, then it would be good to prepare well from now on.”

Kihelene straightened her back. Her previously merely cheerful posture instantly became dignified. Her purple eyes, the same as his, calmly met his.

“I have prepared for this position my entire life.”

Her confident voice echoed in Cullen’s ears. Finally, he clearly understood her purpose. Advice mixed with a suitable degree of goodwill. And simultaneously, a declaration of presence.

She had come to assert her claim to her position.

“Do not worry.”

Cullen said dryly.

“I have no intention of becoming the Prince.”

“……What?”

“So, you don’t need to fret about that and can just leave me be.”

“Are you serious?”

Kihelene asked, as if she couldn’t possibly believe it. Without replying, Cullen got to the point.

“Then please tell me other useful information.”

“……What kind of information are you referring to?”

“I want to know the locations of all the data archives in the Imperial Palace.”

Kihelene wore an openly bewildered expression. Cullen stared at her expectantly, as if urging her on, rather than adding any words. She asked in a reluctant voice,

“What is it you want to know?”

“I am curious about Dragons.”

Her purple eyes widened. Glancing around, she shook her head and leaned closer to him.

“Shh, don’t mention such things! Dragons are very dangerous beings. Did you perhaps go to find him? You shouldn’t, Cullen.”

“Well. Isn’t he a Guardian Dragon?”

“That’s correct. But Dragons don’t like us.”

Kihelene was serious. With a cautious expression, she advised Cullen.

“He hates humans. Stay away from Dragons, Cullen. I recommend you never visit him again. This is advice from someone who shares your blood.”

Though her voice was lowered, it echoed like a reverberation in the large room.

Never be used by a Dragon.