#012

The dragon ignored Count Linden’s pointing finger and walked towards Cullen. The sound of its steps was inaudible. Approaching with elegant movements, it stood beside Cullen. His gaze fell upon a smooth jawline and a sharp nose. Golden hair flowed down along the sharp yet soft facial lines.

Why did you come here?

Cullen was also slightly flustered by the unexpected appearance. The dragon looked at Cullen and asked,

“Why are you lying?”

“It is not a lie.”

Cullen replied shamelessly with a blank expression. Then, the dragon’s expression changed. Its eyes narrowed slightly, like when it first spoke his mother’s name. Seeing the amused glint in its eyes, Cullen involuntarily held his breath.

This being is truly strange. It spoke like a god, but its expressions and emotions were far more apparent than Cullen’s.

“You are the most unpredictable among humans.”

As their conversation continued, Count Linden, completely ignored, flushed red. He turned abruptly and whispered to Duke Renon.

“Duke, summon the Royal Guard.”

The Duke nodded. Duke Renon approached Kihelene and whispered in a low voice.

“Your Highness, please keep your distance. I will summon the Royal Guard immediately. You, summon the knights.”

One of the nobles who received the Duke’s command hurried towards the door. Kihelene’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the dragon, then, as if realizing something, she said resolutely.

“Wait!”

But it was a little too late. The noble, who had rushed off without hearing Kihelene’s plea, was lifted into the air. The hall stirred at the sudden phenomenon.

A gasp echoed, and someone shouted, “A sorcerer!” They had no idea who he was at this moment.

Lasano had said that only the Emperor could see dragons. So, it was perhaps natural. Then how did his mother know about dragons? Did she sneak in like this?

“W-W-What sorcery is this! Let him down at once!”

The hall was now completely in an uproar. Count Linden, terrified, quickly backed away and shouted. For those who still hadn’t grasped the situation, Kihelene stepped forward.

“Everyone, calm down. This person is not who you think they are.”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

The dragon continued to ignore its surroundings. It spoke to Cullen in a peculiar way, disregarding the noble struggling in the air.

「I proposed a deal.」

His voice echoed in Cullen’s mind. No, it was more accurate to say it resonated. The dragon was not moving its lips. Cullen squinted slightly and looked up at him.

“I believed it was a closed matter.”

Despite the hall’s commotion, Cullen clearly perceived only the dragon’s voice. Kihelene’s gaze was fixed. As if she had an inkling, she moved her lips.

「No, I accept your deal.」

Cullen narrowed his eyes. This was also unexpected.

“For what reason?”

「It is none of your concern. You only need to answer one thing. Do you wish to make a deal with me, child of Ella?」

As Cullen’s solitary conversation continued, the surroundings became even more chaotic. Kihelene stopped Duke Renon, who was about to step forward again, with a gesture.

“Don’t interfere. This is the Guardian Dragon of the Empire. Duke, you are not someone who can dare to obstruct him.”

Kihelene, while looking at the dragon with a mixture of curiosity and caution, firmly restrained the Duke. The words “Guardian Dragon” cast a silence over the hall. Only the three elders quietly observed their conversation.

“Did you say Guardian Dragon?”

“But, Lord Dragon…?”

Many were confused, thinking thoughts not much different from Cullen’s. The dragon, as if not hearing anything, urged Cullen on, its golden pupils shining.

Cullen let out a low sigh.

He had already made his decision. He didn’t need the dragon’s help. He was enough on his own. As he always had been. It was comfortable, and it was the right way to do things.

However…

Cullen glanced around briefly. Count Cliff caught his eye. Achieving his goals through a deal was better than relying on someone who showed incomprehensible favor. His counterpart was a dragon. One that had been confined to the cage of the Imperial Palace for 1500 years to keep its promise.

At least, someone like that wouldn’t lie.

He wanted to believe so.

“What do you want?”

「You will know in due course. That is something to be discussed after I have granted your wish.」

The risk was high. Cullen didn’t know what the dragon wanted. But it had clearly stated it. It would grant whatever the dragon wanted.

In the worst case, it would be his life.

Cullen’s life had ended long ago. He didn’t care about anything as long as he could achieve his mother’s revenge.

The dragon gave him no more time to think.

「Do you accept, Cullen?」

It was dangerous, but the outcome would be certain. Cullen made his decision.

“……Very well.”

「Then, answer the truth now. I do not keep liars by my side. The council of elders will not stop. No one can leave here until you speak the truth.」

He felt no ill will towards Kihelene. He had no desire to steal her position.

But, borrowing it for a short while would be fine. There was no way out anyway.

“Oh, most beloved of the Goddess, have you finished speaking.”

The elder in the center said. At the respectful attitude of the council of elders, people finally seemed to believe that Kihelene’s words were true. The silence broke, and murmurs erupted.

“Yes.”

The dragon naturally lowered its tone and nodded. The council of elders bowed.

“Then, we shall ask the question again.”

The dragon stepped back. The three pairs of pitch-black eyes focused on Cullen.

“Cullen Larkan, tell us the day you received the goddess’s blessing.”

Kihelene also turned her head forward. She sat up straight and said quietly.

“Tell the truth, Cullen.”

As if a lie would be an insult to her.

Cullen held his breath. Despite having made up his mind, he still felt reluctant.

“I……”

It’s only for a short while, truly.

“I was born on the day when night does not come, in the year 1471 of the Imperial calendar.”

Murmurs arose. Everyone knew what kind of day that was.

Cullen’s birthday was the 0th day of February.

That day was the founding day of the Larciel Empire, and at the same time, it was a day when daylight continued for two days, a peculiar date that occurred once every 30 years. Cullen was born on a strange day that he could count only a few times in his life.

“You have spoken the truth.”

Before anyone could object, silver light bloomed in the eyes of the elders. The light, which surged like flames, shot up into the air and then gradually subsided. Cullen clenched his fists. The declaration was made.

“According to the ancient tradition of primogeniture, the next Imperial Throne shall be inherited by Cullen Larkan, who was born first.”

“No objections will be raised.”

“The judgment has been rendered.”

Just like Kihelene’s, Cullen’s name was etched into the air. Kihelene showed no reaction to the judgment. She simply looked forward, calm and dignified. It was the many nobles behind her who were enraged.

“It must be a lie!”

“This is absurd…!”

The commotion, which had been like a fire, quieted down with a single gesture from the dragon. With a casual wave of its hand, everyone fell silent as if by agreement. It dropped the noble who was still struggling in the air to the floor and looked down at Cullen, saying.

「Find me when the situation has settled.」

The one who had appeared silently and shaken everyone turned around, not even bothering to care about the aftermath. As it took a step, the door opened on its own and then closed.

The Imperial Palace was thrown into chaos by the dragon, which had revealed itself to the public for the first time. The most frequently heard topic was about its appearance. To those who didn’t believe, those present at the meeting that day relayed their eyewitness accounts.

In just three days, Cullen also became the center of attention. The news that the oracle’s protagonist had truly become the Crown Prince ignited opposition among the nobles.

The most prominent was Duke Refellon’s faction, who were close to Kihelene. They had reluctantly acknowledged Cullen due to the appearance of the council of elders and the dragon, but they continued to search for stories to discredit him.

“Then, Your Highness, are you saying you know none of these things?”

Cullen, who had been idly looking out the window, turned his gaze. In front of him was a scholar assigned by Duke Refellon.

“Yes, I know none.”

Duke Refellon was the one who commanded Count Cliff, and unlike the cold-looking Duke Renon, he was like a hearty general. He was also one of the only two Dukes remaining in the Empire.

Immediately after the council meeting ended, he, along with Cliff, came to see Cullen. Duke Refellon, who promised to help Cullen wholeheartedly, found several scholars within a day and assigned them to him. They were renowned individuals who had been responsible for the education of the Imperial Family for generations.

Cullen flipped through the book without emotion. The book he was currently reading was a etiquette manual. It tediously described how to walk, talk, and eat.

In reality, Cullen had shocked everyone at his first meal with Kihelene the previous evening. This was because he ate with the sound of clashing cutlery.

As he listlessly turned the pages, the scholar’s face turned bright red. Although Duke Refellon had assigned people with superficial kindness, it didn’t mean the scholars were kind to Cullen. They seemed astonished by Cullen’s ignorance every minute and second.

“Then, what are you confident about, Your Highness?”

Cullen slowly raised his eyes at the clearly accusatory tone. He had no hobby of persecuting the weak, but he felt the need to warn those who kept bothering him.

“There is one thing, are you curious?”

“Yes, I sincerely wish to know.”

It wasn’t because he was in a bad mood, but purely to set an example. Cullen rested his chin on his hand.

“I kill people well.”

“……What?”

“I kill people well. Do you want me to show you?”

Before the scholar could express his refusal, Cullen moved first. He leaned back leisurely in his chair and then lightly drew a small dagger he always carried from his waist and threw it.

The dagger, flying with a swish, narrowly grazed the scholar’s ear and struck the wall with a ‘thud!’ Just then, a maid who had come to serve tea shrieked and collapsed.

“There are many ways to kill them, too. If you prefer pain, I can peel off your skin first or cut your limb arteries and send you off slowly. How about it, do you want to learn?”

The scholar, with eyes wide as if they would burst, barely shook his head. Seeing his trembling body, he seemed so shocked that he was lucky not to wet himself. Cullen closed the book.

“That’s all for today’s lesson.”

He stood up and patted the frozen scholar’s cheek. He passed by, watching the flesh of his cheeks tremble without emotion. After pulling out the dagger stuck in the wall, Cullen brushed past the maid holding a tray to her chest and left the room.

However, Cullen’s freedom ended a few minutes later. The new palace assigned to him after becoming Crown Prince consisted of a study, an office, a reception room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. As he left the study, he ran into Duke Refellon. Beside him was an unfamiliar face.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Cullen sighed inwardly and opened his mouth. As expected, the position of Crown Prince meant he had precious little time to himself.

“Please dispense with the formalities.”

Then, Duke Refellon cautiously raised his head and spoke. He offered advice with great kindness and prudence.

“Your Highness, forgive my presumption, but you must get used to speaking informally. You are destined to ascend to the highest position in the Empire.”

“I will try.”

Shaking off the feeling of wearing ill-fitting clothes, he directly asked the purpose of their visit.

“So, what can I help you with?”

“A congratulatory banquet to welcome Your Highness is scheduled to be held in seven days. Although the time is rather short, given the exceptional circumstances, please grant us your indulgence.”

“I don’t need it.”

A banquet? Just hearing about it made him feel exhausted. Despite his firm refusal, Duke Refellon gently cajoled Cullen.

“If Your Highness truly dislikes it, you may make a brief appearance. It is a necessary event, so I would be grateful if you would consider it just once.”

Based on his experiences over the past two weeks, the people of the Imperial Family were persistent. Cullen concluded that it would be better to compromise vaguely rather than continue to have his time stolen.

“Alright.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The problem didn’t end there.

“This is Viscount Jules Grove.”

The man beside the Duke finally spoke. The man with bright blonde hair was a beauty with blue eyes similar to the dragon’s. He greeted Cullen with a soft smile.

“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

My premonition was not good at all.