CFCF 55

Episode 55

“Cough, cough! I’ll be back, Brother.”

“It’s something we could have managed by you using a separate palace with me, yet you’re going on a long journey for no reason.”

Rurik kept making remarks to hold me back until the very end, expressing his regret, but he was clearly pleased by my final farewell.

“I’ll write to you, Brother. I’ll write often.”

Except for Rurik, none of the Imperial family members, who feared the contagious disease, came to receive my farewell.
As for me, since I had no intention of ever returning to this Imperial Palace, towards them, it was a permanent goodbye.

‘It was disgusting to meet you, let’s never see each other again!’

Shouting cheers internally, I bid my farewell and headed towards the Imperial Palace Gate.

Ernst had left a day earlier for the Flavi Royal Castle to make preparations.

By my side were the dozen or so guards and servants assigned by Rurik, and Ren was with me too.

Of course, Ren had to return to the Imperial Palace after dropping me off to check on the Crown Prince’s condition.

“You said the Gate only goes as far as the Royal Castle?”

When I asked Ren, he nodded.

“I was worried it would be too burdensome for you to travel such a long distance by flame.”

Because Ren’s mood had been so low for so long after I fearlessly approached Rurik last week, I answered to humor him a little.

“Okay, I’ll do as you judge, Ren.”

But it seemed Ren quickly saw through my ulterior motive.

“It’s too late to pretend to be obedient now, Lu.”

What a sharp man.

I pretended not to know and beamed at him, linking my arm with his.
It was intended to lighten his mood, but the feel of his solid arm actually made me feel more secure.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

We stepped into the Gate together.

The strange sensation of the Gate, like being sucked into an unknown hole, was still there.
But with Ren there, I was no longer afraid.

“Erni.”

Ernst was dressed in a dazzling pink jacket, and whether he was enjoying the home-ground advantage or not, his handsome face shone even brighter than usual.
His bright golden eyes were transparent, and a sweet smile hung from the soft corners of his eyes.

When our eyes met, a glad blush spread over his porcelain-white cheeks.

‘And it hasn’t even been that many days since I last saw him at the Imperial Palace.’

He knelt on one knee, lowering his posture, and kissed my hand.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been to Flavi. Welcome, Your Highness.”

The hand holding mine was respectful, the lips touching my hand were affectionate.
Enough to make it impossible not to smile back.

However, from Ernst’s letters, I had already confirmed that Louise had visited the Flavi Royal Castle several times and was on friendly terms with the royal family.
So, a little caution was necessary here in this castle.

‘I mustn’t act like it’s my first time.’

Hiding my tension beneath a smiling face, I said:

“It was really hard to get away. Wasn’t it?”

Ernst straightened up and tilted his head slightly.

“Lu, are you okay? Your voice sounds a bit…”

His fine blond hair swayed gently above his straight forehead.
My gaze was momentarily stolen by it, making me miss the timing to answer.

Ren replied for me from beside us.

“She says her voice is hoarse from pretending to cough on purpose. Poor Lu.”
Then he asked Ernst:
“Can we move out immediately?”
“There’s no reason we can’t, but it’s a bit disappointing. You’ve come all this way, and I can’t even offer you a dinner.”

Just as Ren’s expression instantly turned fierce, Phoebe intervened appropriately.

“My apologies, Your Highness the Crown Prince. But given that even I have caught the contagious disease and am in need of urgent recuperation, having a dinner at the Flavi Royal Castle would look bad in the eyes of others.”
“Phoebe, matters in Flavi do not leak outside.”

Ernst answered discontentedly but soon nodded.

“…Then let’s go right away.”

Phoebe asked again.

“Would it be disrespectful to omit paying respects to His Majesty the King? We did skip seeing most of the Imperial family as well…”
After a moment’s hesitation, Ernst replied.
“I’ll explain it to him later. He will understand.”
Then he said to Ren:
“It would be best to use the fireplace in the library at the end of this corridor.”

But just as we were all leaving the Gate and heading into the corridor, a low voice suddenly came from the opposite hallway.

“Louise.”

…Did someone call my name?

I took a deep breath and turned around. A middle-aged man stood there.
Although the man was dressed in simple hunting attire, I could recognize his identity just by the beautiful golden hair swaying on his shoulders.

‘King Mariano.’

It was thanks to the Flavi King looking like my friend Ernst’s future self 25 years from now.

“I greet His Majesty the King of Flavi.”

Based on the letters, Louise had visited the Kingdom of Flavi at least three times, so perhaps she had built quite a friendship with the King.
I greeted him as politely as possible, but the King sighed in a deeply disappointed tone.

“…Oh dear.”

Not understanding why, I looked up. He wore a very hurt expression.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, must you treat your godfather so disappointingly?”

What? Godfather?

‘Wait, were they that close?’

The flower-middle-aged King, his brilliant golden eyes shining, asked another question.

“Were you planning to go straight to Edessa if we hadn’t run into each other?”
“Cough! Cough, cough, cough!”

As I started coughing, Phoebe also began coughing simultaneously.

“Cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”

While Len pretended to be startled and patted my back, I subtly signaled to Ernst with my eyes.
He finally made an excuse for me.

“Father, as I mentioned, Her Highness the Princess is gravely ill. She merely wished to go to Edessa quickly for recuperation due to contagion concerns; she had no intention of disappointing you.”

King Mariano still replied as if dissatisfied.

“Crown Prince, do not disregard this old body. Do you think a father would fear something like pneumonia and miss the chance to see the face of his beloved goddaughter who has visited after so long?”

King Mariano was my godfather?

‘Rurik never even arranged a godfather for me!’

Beloved goddaughter.
My attention was completely stolen by that title, which no one else seemed to pay mind to, but I replied pitifully nonetheless.

“Cough, I’m sorry… At the Imperial Palace, no one wished to receive greetings from the patient…”

Tsk, tsk. King Mariano clicked his tongue as if to chide me and firmly grabbed my hand, which clearly looked like that of a seriously ill person.

“Louise.”

So, it wasn’t just ‘quite’ a friendship between Mariano and Louise.

‘Just who decided they’d be this close?’

King Mariano continued.

“Sickness of the body can be treated. You have excellent physicians and even the Magic Tower Lord by your side; what is there to fear? Isn’t that right?”
“Cough…”

I coughed awkwardly, having to guess the correct response.

“You’re right, Godfather… I will recover quickly and, cough, return…”

King Mariano gently kissed my hand and stepped back.

“Escort her comfortably and come back.”
As he spoke, Ernst answered.
“I might return a little late, Father.”
King Mariano clicked his tongue.
“I had no expectation of you returning early in the first place, so don’t worry.”

“Come here, Lu.”

In front of the extinguished fireplace, Len affectionately took my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist.
It was plain to see Ernst frowning, but Ren, acting as if he saw nothing, kept a straight face and behaved nonchalantly.

“You collapsed at the monastery too. This is more taxing than a Gate.”

He wasn’t wrong.

As I reluctantly leaned against him, black powder scattered from Len’s grip.
The crackling sound of flames igniting followed.
Soon, I felt the sensation of the ground disappearing beneath my feet.

The hotel we arrived at was as splendid as the Flavius Royal Castle.