They left the break room as if nothing had happened. The hall where the party had concluded was long empty, and quiet had settled in. The only thing left in the silent space was the massive head of Pethuamet, placed on a cart to be later transferred to the Sun Palace.
Yuder stared silently at the head, which cast a shadow as if a symbol of something.
Throughout the party, he had seen many who had avoided and feared that head. However, some people bravely approached it, inspecting it closely and even thanking the Cavalry or asking about events that had taken place in the west. A good number among them were either related to houses friendly to the Emperor or those who had directly benefited from the west being their homeland.
These were sights Yuder could not have seen during the Harvest Festival, when many had deliberately ignored the very existence of the Cavalry. It was proof that changes were happening continuously, even in places that were not directly visible to Yuder's eyes.
Although Yuder himself had contributed to killing the monster quicker and differently than in his previous life, he wasn’t responsible for the changes that followed. The ones shaking a world that had seemed set in its courses were Emperor Keilusa and Kishiar.
No matter how much people like Duke Diarca tried to suppress the existence of the Cavalry and the changing world, things would not roll along as they did in Yuder’s previous life.
‘For that very reason… the Emperor must survive,’ he thought.
"What are you thinking so deeply about? Are you perhaps regretful about leaving that behind?"
"No," Yuder replied, breaking his reverie and turning away. Kishiar, who had casually glanced at the head of Pethuamet, narrowed his eyes, emitting a sound of approval.
"Good. I was feeling quite relieved to leave it behind. It would have been slightly tragic if you were feeling regretful."
Yuder calmly refuted, stating that he, too, felt better about leaving the head behind. Kishiar burst into laughter, prompting Nathan Zuckerman, who was walking ahead, to turn around with a curious expression. Yuder thought his gaze was strangely similar to Kanna's.
Thus ended the grand party held to celebrate the Cavalry.
—---
"Sir Kiolle, what is that you're holding in your hand?"
"It's a symbol of an escort knight for His Highness," Kiolle responded, trying to maintain his composure as he heard the slow-rolling sound of the carriage wheels on the way to the Bright Palace. He had been holding it in his hand out of fear of losing it, surprised that it had been noticed and commented upon.
"Is it broken?"
"The pin fell off by accident earlier. I'm planning to have it repaired on the way back."
"Unfortunate. It seemed fine before you left your position. Did it happen on the way back?"
"Yes."
"There's a superstition among the escort knights that dropping your symbol brings bad luck for a while. Be careful."
"…Thank you for your concern."
He had been unaware of the superstition, but hearing it now made everything suddenly feel unfortunate.
'Then again, the whole situation is already unfortunate…'
The information he had heard from Yuder Aile today and the tasks he needed to focus on were already headache-inducing. And now, the Crown Prince, who had never shown an ounce of interest in him since he became an escort knight, suddenly struck up a conversation. Had he raised suspicions when he stepped away earlier? Even though Kiolle believed it unlikely, he felt extremely uneasy, as if he were sitting on a bed of thorns.
And as if sensing that discomfort and deliberately prodding at it, the Crown Prince opened his mouth again.
"But, who exactly is it?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm talking about the one you consider important enough to leave the party to meet, and with whom you've spent such an engrossing time that you've lost your emblem."
Kiolle was so surprised that he almost gasped for breath.
"Wha-, what do you mean? I don't quite..."
"I have ears too, you know. I've heard rumors that you've had a 'deep meeting' with someone during the previous party in the palace, enough to catch the eye of patrolling guards. Was the person you met today the same one?"
"..."
A pale Kiolle recalled Yuder Aile, whom he had encountered during the party on the last day of the Harvest Festival. That day, Yuder had grabbed Kiolle's collar and feigned intimacy to avoid the gaze of the patrolling guards. Kiolle had thought he'd successfully buried those rumors, so they wouldn't lead back to him. Had he not?
'No, more importantly, does he really not believe my excuse?'
Apparently, he didn't believe him, and he was correct in assuming that Kiolle had met the same person both previously and today. However, it seemed he didn't know that person was from the cursed Cavalry.
But the 'deep meeting' the Crown Prince was hinting at was absolutely, positively not the case between Kiolle and his companion. The emblem that Kiolle had lost wasn't because they had a deep relationship; it was a simple, unfortunate mistake. Checking the condition of an old emblem was the servant's job, not his own.
Meeting Yuder was a matter with not a shred of shame. Kiolle felt a slight guilt toward his father, but if things were sorted out, both his father and the Crown Prince would surely understand! It was an act full of sincerity and concern.
The Crown Prince was clearly deeply misunderstanding something.
'I'm not some sort of philanderer!'
But Kiolle couldn't figure out what to say to correct him.
Kiolle's slightly parted lips trembled. Yet, to the Crown Prince, that shiver seemed to indicate something else entirely.
"You seem surprised. I didn't mean to probe. It's just a little sad to think that even you, the Duke's most cherished child, might have secrets you can't share with your parents. Judging from the times you've left, I can roughly guess who this person might be."
"I... I..."
"It's fine. I have no intention of speaking about it elsewhere."
"..."
"By the way, I noticed you headed in the direction of the lounge when you left. Did you happen to see the assistant of the Cavalry Commander while you were tending to your business?"
"No!"
Kiolle reflexively raised his voice and shook his head. It was one thing for Prince Katchian to know he had lied to step out and meet someone; it was another matter entirely to reveal he had met Yuder. That had to remain a secret at all costs.
"As for that, I could hardly have seen a subordinate without his superior, secluded in the lounge. How could I possibly notice someone like that?"
"I see. That makes sense. Although the Empress was showing interest in him, I was just a little curious as to why he didn't appear till the end of the party.
"Why are you interested in such a person, Your Highness?"
Kiolle's face, flushed from his surprise, made it appear as if he was the one questioning Katchian's integrity. The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, maintaining his calm demeanor.
"Why? Is it so strange for me to take an interest? Are you going to tell the Duke that I asked about him?"
Naturally, Kiolle couldn't comply. As he kept his mouth shut, a faint smile spread across Katchian's face.
"I told you, I was merely 'a little' curious."
"…"
"Having seen a new side of you through today's party, I find myself more at ease, hence this frank discussion. I'm beginning to regret having found you difficult to approach until now."
Amidst the abrupt change in atmosphere, as Kiolle's head swirled in confusion, Katchian shifted the topic and made an unexpected proposition.
"Kiolle, would you care to join me tomorrow for a game of strategy while we await the arrival of the healers? It's been a long time since I've had an opponent for such a game."
What in the world was this? Was the situation saved or not?
'In any case, I need to learn more about those scamming healers… I guess agreeing would be the right move.'
"…Yes, I understand."
Kiolle nodded with a grimaced face. A fine smile appeared on Katchian's enigmatic and fluctuating visage.
"You made a good choice."
They left the break room as if nothing had happened. The hall where the party had concluded was long empty, and quiet had settled in. The only thing left in the silent space was the massive head of Pethuamet, placed on a cart to be later transferred to the Sun Palace.
Yuder stared silently at the head, which cast a shadow as if a symbol of something.
Throughout the party, he had seen many who had avoided and feared that head. However, some people bravely approached it, inspecting it closely and even thanking the Cavalry or asking about events that had taken place in the west. A good number among them were either related to houses friendly to the Emperor or those who had directly benefited from the west being their homeland.
These were sights Yuder could not have seen during the Harvest Festival, when many had deliberately ignored the very existence of the Cavalry. It was proof that changes were happening continuously, even in places that were not directly visible to Yuder's eyes.
Although Yuder himself had contributed to killing the monster quicker and differently than in his previous life, he wasn’t responsible for the changes that followed. The ones shaking a world that had seemed set in its courses were Emperor Keilusa and Kishiar.
No matter how much people like Duke Diarca tried to suppress the existence of the Cavalry and the changing world, things would not roll along as they did in Yuder’s previous life.
‘For that very reason… the Emperor must survive,’ he thought.
"What are you thinking so deeply about? Are you perhaps regretful about leaving that behind?"
"No," Yuder replied, breaking his reverie and turning away. Kishiar, who had casually glanced at the head of Pethuamet, narrowed his eyes, emitting a sound of approval.
"Good. I was feeling quite relieved to leave it behind. It would have been slightly tragic if you were feeling regretful."
Yuder calmly refuted, stating that he, too, felt better about leaving the head behind. Kishiar burst into laughter, prompting Nathan Zuckerman, who was walking ahead, to turn around with a curious expression. Yuder thought his gaze was strangely similar to Kanna's.
Thus ended the grand party held to celebrate the Cavalry.
—---
"Sir Kiolle, what is that you're holding in your hand?"
"It's a symbol of an escort knight for His Highness," Kiolle responded, trying to maintain his composure as he heard the slow-rolling sound of the carriage wheels on the way to the Bright Palace. He had been holding it in his hand out of fear of losing it, surprised that it had been noticed and commented upon.
"Is it broken?"
"The pin fell off by accident earlier. I'm planning to have it repaired on the way back."
"Unfortunate. It seemed fine before you left your position. Did it happen on the way back?"
"Yes."
"There's a superstition among the escort knights that dropping your symbol brings bad luck for a while. Be careful."
"…Thank you for your concern."
He had been unaware of the superstition, but hearing it now made everything suddenly feel unfortunate.
'Then again, the whole situation is already unfortunate…'
The information he had heard from Yuder Aile today and the tasks he needed to focus on were already headache-inducing. And now, the Crown Prince, who had never shown an ounce of interest in him since he became an escort knight, suddenly struck up a conversation. Had he raised suspicions when he stepped away earlier? Even though Kiolle believed it unlikely, he felt extremely uneasy, as if he were sitting on a bed of thorns.
And as if sensing that discomfort and deliberately prodding at it, the Crown Prince opened his mouth again.
"But, who exactly is it?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm talking about the one you consider important enough to leave the party to meet, and with whom you've spent such an engrossing time that you've lost your emblem."
Kiolle was so surprised that he almost gasped for breath.
"Wha-, what do you mean? I don't quite..."
"I have ears too, you know. I've heard rumors that you've had a 'deep meeting' with someone during the previous party in the palace, enough to catch the eye of patrolling guards. Was the person you met today the same one?"
"..."
A pale Kiolle recalled Yuder Aile, whom he had encountered during the party on the last day of the Harvest Festival. That day, Yuder had grabbed Kiolle's collar and feigned intimacy to avoid the gaze of the patrolling guards. Kiolle had thought he'd successfully buried those rumors, so they wouldn't lead back to him. Had he not?
'No, more importantly, does he really not believe my excuse?'
Apparently, he didn't believe him, and he was correct in assuming that Kiolle had met the same person both previously and today. However, it seemed he didn't know that person was from the cursed Cavalry.
But the 'deep meeting' the Crown Prince was hinting at was absolutely, positively not the case between Kiolle and his companion. The emblem that Kiolle had lost wasn't because they had a deep relationship; it was a simple, unfortunate mistake. Checking the condition of an old emblem was the servant's job, not his own.
Meeting Yuder was a matter with not a shred of shame. Kiolle felt a slight guilt toward his father, but if things were sorted out, both his father and the Crown Prince would surely understand! It was an act full of sincerity and concern.
The Crown Prince was clearly deeply misunderstanding something.
'I'm not some sort of philanderer!'
But Kiolle couldn't figure out what to say to correct him.
Kiolle's slightly parted lips trembled. Yet, to the Crown Prince, that shiver seemed to indicate something else entirely.
"You seem surprised. I didn't mean to probe. It's just a little sad to think that even you, the Duke's most cherished child, might have secrets you can't share with your parents. Judging from the times you've left, I can roughly guess who this person might be."
"I... I..."
"It's fine. I have no intention of speaking about it elsewhere."
"..."
"By the way, I noticed you headed in the direction of the lounge when you left. Did you happen to see the assistant of the Cavalry Commander while you were tending to your business?"
"No!"
Kiolle reflexively raised his voice and shook his head. It was one thing for Prince Katchian to know he had lied to step out and meet someone; it was another matter entirely to reveal he had met Yuder. That had to remain a secret at all costs.
"As for that, I could hardly have seen a subordinate without his superior, secluded in the lounge. How could I possibly notice someone like that?"
"I see. That makes sense. Although the Empress was showing interest in him, I was just a little curious as to why he didn't appear till the end of the party.
"Why are you interested in such a person, Your Highness?"
Kiolle's face, flushed from his surprise, made it appear as if he was the one questioning Katchian's integrity. The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, maintaining his calm demeanor.
"Why? Is it so strange for me to take an interest? Are you going to tell the Duke that I asked about him?"
Naturally, Kiolle couldn't comply. As he kept his mouth shut, a faint smile spread across Katchian's face.
"I told you, I was merely 'a little' curious."
"…"
"Having seen a new side of you through today's party, I find myself more at ease, hence this frank discussion. I'm beginning to regret having found you difficult to approach until now."
Amidst the abrupt change in atmosphere, as Kiolle's head swirled in confusion, Katchian shifted the topic and made an unexpected proposition.
"Kiolle, would you care to join me tomorrow for a game of strategy while we await the arrival of the healers? It's been a long time since I've had an opponent for such a game."
What in the world was this? Was the situation saved or not?
'In any case, I need to learn more about those scamming healers… I guess agreeing would be the right move.'
"…Yes, I understand."
Kiolle nodded with a grimaced face. A fine smile appeared on Katchian's enigmatic and fluctuating visage.
"You made a good choice."
