~Chapter 109~
I sat on the bench for a while, chatting quietly with Eric.
Eric, back to his usual talkative self, kept the conversation light with his humor. By the time we finished, my heart truly felt much lighter.
“…I think we should head back now. People must be waiting.”
I didn’t know how much time had passed when Eric checked the time and said this. I nodded.
“Alright… oh, wait. Eric.”
I stopped him just as he was about to stand. He turned to me.
“You said earlier you were looking for me. That you had something to ask?”
“Ah, right. I almost forgot the main reason.”
Eric turned fully toward me, as if he had nearly let it slip.
“It’s about the divine beast.”
“…What?”
“Why are you the one keeping it?”
The sudden question caught me off guard. I scratched my head nervously.
“Ah… hahaha.”
As expected of a Holy Knight—of course he had noticed the chick was a divine beast. It wasn’t my imagination that he had been staring at it all along.
“Eric, you really are a Holy Knight. To figure that out so quickly…”
“If I couldn’t tell, I wouldn’t deserve the title.”
He looked at me steadily, waiting for an answer. I spoke.
“Well… during the train trip, it somehow ended up with me. But the full story is kind of long.”
“I see… is that so?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. Once the Saint appears, I’ll definitely return it.”
I didn’t explain in detail. It wouldn’t be long before that day came anyway. Once Emily awakened, by tomorrow at the latest, the divine beast would return to its true master.
“That’s strange. History says divine beasts only appear before the Saint.”
“…”
“Well, I understand for now. Please take care of it until the Saint appears.”
Eric frowned slightly, then whispered:
“If you don’t want to keep it with you, you can leave it with me. …History books say that divine beast has quite a nasty temper.”
“Really?”
I let out a small laugh. If only the chick knew its reputation was this bad! How badly must it have behaved for history books to openly stamp it with such an infamous label?
I smiled, thinking how much I wanted to tell it this later.
“Alright. Thank you for understanding, Eric.”
“Good. Then, shall we return to the party now?”
“Yes!”
I stood and followed right behind him.
My heart was racing in a pleasant way. It was a different kind of excitement than when I saw Fabian. It almost felt like Eric and I now shared a little secret just between us.
Eric added warmly:
“And about what the Princess said—don’t think too much about it. From what I see, it’s nothing to be that worried about.”
“Really… you think so?”
“Yes. If your despair today is because of the magic test results, that’s one thing. But if it’s because of the Princess’s words, then it’s even less worth worrying about.”
Thanks to Eric’s gentle words, I felt a little more at ease.
I was just about to nod with relief when—
“Alright. I’ll keep your words in mi—”
“What… did you just say?”
“!”
A cold voice cut me off. Both Eric and I froze, startled, and turned our heads forward.
Since when…? Albert stood there, brows furrowed, glaring at us.
I stopped in my tracks, wide-eyed. Eric, too, froze in shock beside me.
Albert stepped forward slowly, each step heavy and sharp.
“Say it again, Eric Hedderson.
What did my sister tell Irene?”
Albert was striding quickly through the palace.
He headed toward the Princess’s quarters, which were located in a quieter corner of the imperial palace.
He pushed open the grand doors without hesitation. The servants working inside jumped in shock at his sudden entrance.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince! What brings you here so suddenly…?”
“Where is Alicia?”
His cold tone was unlike his usual self, and the maids flinched.
“Ah, the Princess is in the library right now, reading alone—”
“Brother?”
Before the maid could finish, a thin voice rang out.
Albert turned to see Alicia stepping out of the library, looking at him in surprise.
“What is it, Brother? You came here without notice, all the way to my palace?”
“…Alicia.”
Watching his younger sister approach with a bright expression, Albert clenched his fists.
“Alicia. Did you meet Irene without telling me?”
“…What?”
Surprise flickered across Alicia’s face.
Albert’s mind replayed Eric’s earlier words.
[You’d better rein in the Princess, Albert.]
Eric’s cold, furious expression…
[I found Lady Irene in tears. It seems your sister told her to stop the treatment. How could she say that to someone already so wounded?]
[Either you failed to control things properly, or the Princess meddled where she shouldn’t have. It has to be one of the two.]
At first, Albert had only worried why Irene hadn’t returned for so long after saying she’d talk with Eric. He had wanted to find her, to comfort her about the magic test results, and to give her his own birthday gift.
But instead, he had overheard those shocking words—words that revealed Irene had secretly met Alicia.
It was something he had never known.
And Eric… Albert had never seen him so furious before. That alone showed how much Irene must have been hurt.
“The truth, Alicia. Did you meet Irene without telling me?”
“…”
Alicia looked at him, startled, then her expression slowly calmed. She folded her arms and nodded.
“Yes. I did.”
“…And what did you say to her? What words could wound Irene so deeply?”
“I only gave her advice. I told her not to hold you back with her treatment when you have greater duties to fulfill.”
Alicia’s tone was confident. Albert exhaled sharply.
“Didn’t I already tell you what kind of situation she’s facing? How could you say such cruel words to someone like her?”
“Was it cruel? You have been clinging to her treatment, haven’t you?”
Alicia tilted her head.
“Do you know how frustrating it is to watch from the side?”
“So you just went and said that to her face? Even though you know how much Irene means to me? Are you really that heartless?”
“I only did it for you—and for this country!” Alicia shouted back.
“Don’t you see? Everything I said was for your sake! If family strays down the wrong path, shouldn’t I be the one to correct it? Isn’t that what a loyal advisor should do?”
She truly didn’t seem to realize what she had done wrong.
Albert looked at his sister, feeling as though he had been struck. All strength drained from his body.
“…What I need is not someone to control my path, Alicia. What I need is an advisor who gives counsel, not orders.”
“…”
“And honestly, I don’t even know why I should listen to you at all.”
It was the first time Alicia had ever heard Albert speak in such a cold tone. She bit her lip hard.
“For now, I won’t be visiting. And I don’t need any more of your advice.”
With those icy words, Albert turned and strode out of the palace.
“…”
Alicia’s eyes widened sharply. Her slender hands clenched into tight fists.
She glared at her brother’s retreating figure with a gaze colder than ever before.
Her eyes were no longer those of a little sister, but of a rival burning with rage.
