By Zephyria 
“What’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?”
“…….”
Cecile gripped the scabbard so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He needed to respond, but his mouth felt glued shut. He should be happy to receive such a precious gift, but no matter how skilled Cecile was at managing his expressions and controlling his emotions, it was difficult to hide his true feelings at this moment.
Even if it was in a past life, how could he smile upon receiving a gift that had caused his death? That would be too cruel.
“…No. I like it. I’m just surprised by such an extravagant… gift. I’m overwhelmed, really.”
Cecile forced himself to reply. However, the rising sorrow was impossible to contain. Even biting his lower lip tightly could not stop the tears from spilling out.
Silent droplets of tears hung at the tip of Cecile’s chin before soaking his hand and the dagger.
Cecile hurriedly wiped his wet cheeks.
“I’m still not feeling well. I need to lie down again.”
He pulled the blanket over himself and slowly slipped back into bed, placing the precious gift out of reach and hiding his wet face in the soft pillowcase.
Cecile cried quietly in that state. No matter how much he pretended to be asleep, the trembling shoulders and his thin back could not be hidden.
“Ha.”
Alexis looked at Cecile’s back and ruffled his hair. The unexpected reaction was simply absurd. Crying out of joy? It was obvious that it was a lie, but should he pretend to be deceived?
One thing was clear: Cecile was deeply sorrowful. Though he hid his face tightly, the pitiful emotions were still evident. He felt lost, unable to understand why this was happening.
Alexis sighed deeply and crossed his legs. He couldn’t just leave the crying Cecile behind, so he sank into the wing chair as if he were collapsing.
It seemed they would have to stay up all night. It was a dawn when no one could easily fall asleep.
* * *
The next day, the palace was engulfed in a truly ominous atmosphere.
The grandly prepared hunting competition had ended in disaster, so the mood was understandable. It was not just a simple accident; it was an attempted assassination of the Crown Prince.
The assassin had targeted Yuria, but since the attack occurred within the Crown Prince’s camp, it could be said that Alexis was also a target. Voices began to emerge calling for a ban on future hunting competitions due to this unprecedented incident.
Most of the assassins had died on the spot, and only one had been captured. Interrogations began immediately, with Crown Prince Alexis personally questioning the criminal.
Meanwhile, Sir Claude Van Dell and the Imperial Knight Order started investigating the scene of the incident. The assassins were so meticulous that they left no evidence behind. The only thing discovered was that they were foreigners, not citizens of the Empire.
Although it was known that Empress Elizabeth had ordered this, it was difficult to question her without evidence.
The Empress maintained a thorough silence, delegating all matters to the Crown Prince while receiving updates on the situation behind the scenes.
In the midst of this, an incident occurred in the underground prison where the captured assassin was being interrogated; he smashed his head against the stone wall and died instantly, causing the only suspect in the case to vanish.
“Really… things are getting complicated.”
Claude sighed and rubbed his tired face. Despite having lost sleep over the investigation for several nights, the results were frustratingly minimal.
“I wish I could search the Empress’s palace like a rat. Surely if we dig, we could find some evidence?”
“You underestimate the Empress. She wouldn’t leave any evidence behind in the first place. Even if she were caught, she would have created hundreds of escape routes.”
Alexis, sitting on the opposite velvet sofa with his chin resting on his hand, spoke calmly. Unlike Claude, who was trembling with frustration, he maintained his usual composure as if he had anticipated all of this.
However, it was true that the situation had become more difficult, so Alexis scanned the report with a sharp gaze once more. He was busy piecing together a complex puzzle in his mind, wondering if he had missed something or what else he needed to dig into.
“Have all those who attended the hunting competition been investigated?”
“Yes, without exception.”
“Then why did this Rowen give up on the competition? I’ve heard he’s quite skilled.”
“He fell asleep on his horse and ended up falling off. They say it was because he drank wine just before… In any case, he was definitely injured. I saw with my own eyes that his leg was fractured and he was bedridden.”
“Doesn’t that seem strange? Just falling asleep after drinking some wine?”
“I found that suspicious too and tried to investigate the circumstances….”
Claude rubbed his mouth. He found it difficult to speak freely to the Crown Prince, as he himself could not understand.
“They say the one who handed him the wine was Cecile.”
“…….”
“I don’t know how close they are to cheer each other on, but it’s certain that Rowen is associated with the Empress, so we should assume that Cecile is somewhat involved with him as well. However, it’s suspicious that Rowen fell ill after drinking the wine that Cecile gave him. I plan to clarify this part further.”
Alexis placed the documents he was holding on his lap. A fleeting smile appeared in his usually cold eyes.
“I know the reason.”
“Pardon?”
“Rowen must have been plotting something. Cecile must have noticed and stopped him.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you get it? Cecile Adrian has already turned against the Empress. By informing us of the plot in advance, he has completely rebelled. He has no interest in the position of heir. Rather, he wants to help me.”
“Are you saying that Cecile really has sided with Your Highness?”
“I’m certain of it. I’ve decided to accept Cecile.”
Claude murmured with a grunt.
“If that’s the case… we’ve gained a good ally. He’s someone who can keep a close watch on the Empress’s movements.”
“It’s essential for us.”
“I’m not sure if we can trust him. What happened at the hunting competition is undoubtedly appreciated, but… to be honest, I don’t fully trust him.”
“He can be reckless at times, but he’s much smarter than you think. He’s not someone to be underestimated just because he’s young.”
“Indeed, he’s someone I wouldn’t want as an enemy.”
Claude nodded in agreement. There was no better news than the bloodline of the enemy turning to their side.
Especially since Alexis, who was notoriously difficult, had publicly declared that he would accept him, Claude had no choice but to acknowledge Cecile as well.
Claude gently scratched his forehead. A somewhat awkward voice followed.
“I’ll have to treat him better from now on. He saved Yuria, after all… I owe him in many ways.”
Unlike the more amiable Claude, Alexis’s expression darkened further. Thinking of Cecile made his head throb again.
He leaned back in a slouched position and frowned as he spoke.
“I don’t know how to treat him better from here.”
“What’s the problem? That guy would follow you like a tail-wagging puppy if it’s you, Your Highness.”
“I thought so too, but….”
Alexis trailed off, his gaze fixed somewhere in the air. He calmly settled his mind and reflected on the memories from a few days ago, but there were still many things he couldn’t understand.
He had always coveted what was his, so he thought that receiving the precious sword, which was only inherited by the heir of the Empire, would be a special gift. However, instead of being happy, he had cried instead. In fact, he had cried very sorrowfully.
“It’s incredibly difficult.”
Alexis let out a sigh mixed with a laugh. He knew it was a difficult personality, but he never expected it to be this troublesome. It felt as if he had done something wrong.
He continued to ponder for a while. There were many pressing matters to attend to, but thoughts of Cecile took precedence, pushing everything else down the list.
Alexis clenched and then relaxed his fist as he asked.
“Typically… what do kids that age like?”
“Well, I guess it’s all pretty similar? The younger they are, the more they like to dress up… maybe sophisticated suits or luxury items from abroad. The younger ones who have recently joined the knight order seem to be really into perfumes.”
“Isn’t there something more special? He’s not just an ordinary twenty-year-old, after all.”
This was Cecile Adrian. It would be obvious that a child who had lived only with the most precious and best things would find suits and perfumes rather dull.
“Then how about jewelry?”
Alexis shot a glance at Claude, who seemed even less perceptive than himself.
“Are you serious? He must have an abundance of jewelry.”
“…Ah, right. But why are you trying so hard to prepare something for him?”
“I can’t just let it go. I want to give him a proper reward for helping me.”
“In that case, Your Highness would know better than I would. There aren’t many things that royalty would like, are there?”
“That’s why I gave him the Luminous Sword.”
“Pardon? What?”
Claude’s eyes widened in shock. The news that he had given a precious ancestral sword as a gift made it seem like his eyes were about to pop out.
“However, the reaction hasn’t been very good. No, rather, it seems he dislikes it.”
“That’s absurd… he must be spoiled. If that’s the case, why not just feed him dessert?”
“Dessert?”
“Anyway, even if you give him something precious, he’ll probably be indifferent, so why bother exerting yourself? That guy, Cecile, may seem picky, but his taste is like a child’s, isn’t it? He’d probably be happy with a few sweet treats.”
Claude said somewhat mockingly, but his words were quite persuasive.
Alexis rubbed his mouth in silence. Finally, as if he had grasped something, his blue eyes shone brightly.