By Zephyria 
“You’re the one who got caught in that, aren’t you?”
“Really… your ability to deceive people is growing day by day.”
“That’s one of my strengths.”
Cecile didn’t even blink.
Claude felt a surge of anger, his neck stiffening at the way Cecile received the mockery as praise.
Claude squeezed his eyes shut and took another drink.
In terms of physical strength, he was no match for Cecile, but somehow he always lost in verbal battles. He forgot that his opponent was of royal blood and let out a grumble.
“If only Cecile would speak nicely. It’s a shame to waste such a pretty face, isn’t it?”
“Are you saying I’m ruining my own looks?”
“Yes. Anyone who might have liked you would run away.”
“…That’s true. There’s no way anyone would like me.”
Cecile let out a small, bitter laugh. As he looked down at the railing, his face, muttering self-deprecating words, appeared lonelier than ever. It was only natural for Claude, who had been confidently mocking him, to feel flustered.
“…No, that’s not exactly—”
Claude chewed on his lips, unable to finish his sentence.
Not being articulate was quite a frustrating thing. He let out a long sigh, as if the ground had opened up beneath him. Then he poured more drink into Cecile’s empty glass.
“I just misspoke.”
“…….”
“In fact, the Imperial Knight Order members quite like you, Cecile. During the Roco Maxwell incident, for instance. Didn’t you raise your voice more than anyone else to protect him? Although they couldn’t express it, many knights were moved.”
Cecile snorted softly.
“I wasn’t worried about Roco. I did it for myself. It was a selfish act, as always.”
“It was a courageous act.”
“…….”
“All of us in the knight order regret it. We should have listened more to what you said back then. No, such a thing shouldn’t have happened in the first place. It’s just tragic that a precious life was lost…”
Cecile leaned against the railing, lost in thought. Was Roco destined to die by suicide? He couldn’t know everyone’s future.
Would things have changed if he had paid more attention to Roco, or would it have been better if he had pretended not to see when he witnessed the scene?
No matter how much he pondered, nothing would change. Roco was already buried in the ground. Frustrated, Cecile found himself drinking more and more.
As he emptied half of his filled glass, a hand reached out from behind his shoulder. Alexis took the glass from Cecile and said,
“Are you planning to show me your drunken state again? I’d rather not see that.”
Then he downed the drink that Cecile had been sipping.
Cecile found himself staring at Alexis’s throat as he swallowed. He was momentarily dumbfounded and swallowed the leftover wine in his mouth along with his saliva.
“Why are you here? I thought I was giving you some space.”
“I wasn’t comfortable with the two of you drinking together. I was worried you might fight. It seems my worries were justified.”
Cecile averted his gaze. He noticed the knight commander standing upright and blew air through his lips, causing his bangs to flutter.
“I was planning to wrap things up anyway. Drinking with Claude isn’t that enjoyable.”
“Wow….”
Claude trembled with betrayal. After all the nice things he had said, was this how he was repaid? If Cecile weren’t of royal blood, he would have stretched those annoying lips and complained.
“Is that so? Then shall we go for a walk?”
“A walk? At this hour?”
“Yuria wanted to walk, even if just for a bit.”
Only then did Cecile’s gaze shift sideways. He saw Yuria standing at the entrance, unable to step onto the balcony.
She had looked so happy earlier, but now her expression seemed somewhat stiff.
Was she feeling unwell after dinner? Cecile wondered but didn’t think much of it. After all, there were two others besides him who would take care of Yuria.
The Saint Palace was so vast that just walking around it was enough exercise. Especially the Sequoia tree-lined path that stretched on both sides was another highlight of the Saint Palace.
It would have been nicer to come during the day, but a midnight stroll had its own charm. The soft grass underfoot felt like a luxurious carpet, and the dark sky sparkled with jewel-like stars.
The starlight seemed particularly clear tonight. The cool breeze had stopped, and the air settled calmly.
Now that he thought about it, was today the day of the meteor shower?
As Cecile walked slowly, looking up at the sky, he suddenly recalled a past event.
He remembered the day of the meteor shower when he had left the Crown Prince in a difficult situation and enjoyed a toast alone. He had gazed at the mysterious trails visible outside the window, lost in an indescribable loneliness.
In his previous life, Cecile had been surrounded by more people than anyone else, yet he had felt lonely and miserable. Perhaps it was because there hadn’t been a single true ally among them.
But now it was different. Alexis was matching his pace beside him, and in front of him, Yuria and Claude were bickering as usual.
It felt strange and wonderful to be part of a group that always stuck together. One thing was certain: it was a pleasant sense of alienation.
“Look! I think a meteor is about to fall from the sky!”
Yuria seemed to have cheered up again, exclaiming in a bright voice. Turning back, she stretched her arms high and pointed at the dark sky.
Just as she said, a moment later, a faint streak of light crossed the night sky diagonally. Then another meteor, and another. They continued to appear, crossing the sky in increasing numbers.
“Wow….”
Cecile gasped in admiration. Had it always been this beautiful? Even though he had seen it before, it felt entirely different this time. He held his breath, gazing at the magnificent sight.
In front of him, Yuria was jumping with joy, and even the stoic Claude looked up at the sky in awe. Alexis, standing with his arms crossed, watched his people enjoying themselves and then turned to look down at Cecile.
Cecile’s eyes were filled with meteors. His green eyes, tinged with gold, were as beautiful as the night sky filled with falling stars, making it a joy to behold.
However, his expression was enigmatic. It seemed he was moved by the starlight, yet there was a hint of sorrow in his gaze. The moisture welling up in his eyes was a reflection of his feelings. Alexis carefully observed Cecile’s face and asked when the last meteor had passed.
“Are you crying?”
“…….”
“Why does your expression look like that while watching something beautiful?”
“I’m just happy.”
“Do you look like you’re about to cry when you’re happy?”
Cecile laughed lightly. Tears didn’t just obey his will. He scrunched his nose and wiped away the moisture lingering at the corners of his eyes.
“If it’s too good, I might cry.”
“It is beautiful, but I don’t think it’s enough to be that moved.”
“I’m just happy in this moment.”
The meteor shower scattered its fleeting light and disappeared, but this moment shared with everyone remained vividly etched in Cecile’s memory.
“It’s a night I won’t forget.”
Alexis chuckled softly. They say the mood changes when the moon rises, but Cecile hadn’t expected that for himself. He took a step forward, still with his arms crossed.
“Could it be that you’ve gotten drunk already?”
“I’m not drunk.”
“You’re such a good liar that I can’t trust you.”
“I’m really not drunk…!”
As Cecile hurried to catch up with Alexis, he tripped over his own feet and fell forward.
A member of the royal family, who always had to be cautious, had now buried his nose in the ground, causing even the nearby guards to gasp in surprise.
The most shocked was Alexis. Seeing Cecile sprawled on the ground, he quickly stepped forward with long strides.
“What happened? Did you trip over nothing?”
“…….”
When Cecile couldn’t say anything, Alexis thought he might have hurt himself badly. He slipped his hands under Cecile’s armpits and lifted him up, gently brushing the dirt off his face.
Cecile’s face was bright red. He was utterly embarrassed and couldn’t say a word. Realizing this, Alexis pretended to check on him and tugged at his prominent nose.
“It seems like your nose might be broken. That fall sounded pretty loud.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Did you bite your tongue when you fell? Your pronunciation seems off.”
“I’m just saying, don’t pull my nose like that.”
Cecile whined with a stuffy voice, pushing Alexis’s hand away. His face was now so red it looked like it would bleed if pinched.
He truly wanted to cry on the ground. Cecile knelt down, covering his face with his palms, while Alexis squatted in front of him, laughing heartily.
“How old are you, and you’re still tripping like this?”
“…It was a mistake.”
Cecile couldn’t understand it either. He wasn’t usually the type to be so careless, but lately, he had been tripping and getting hurt frequently.
It wasn’t like someone was doing it on purpose; it was all due to his own negligence, making it hard to blame anyone else.