CHAPTER 78………………………………
. Another Birthday Approaches (3)
Ares lifted his chin even higher and answered arrogantly.
“Because I like Her Highness the Princess the most, I’ll give her the very best gift.”
“……”
At those bold words, Phobos covered his face.
You’re finished now, Ares.
While Phobos prayed for the fate of his house, Erebus fixed his gaze on Ares.
What an insolent child.
But he didn’t find it unpleasant.
It felt as though the boy had sensed the killing intent he himself had failed to restrain and was cheekily poking at it.
Or maybe he’s just plain insolent.
Erebus looked at Ares, then shook his head.
“You’re terribly rude and impudent.”
“Please forgive me!”
“Enough. Go back to training.”
Leaving the two boys behind, Erebus walked toward the Persen Palace.
Thanks to that shameless young lord, he’d managed to forget the surge of disgust he’d felt when seeing the human prince.
Phobos hurried after him, stammering.
“Your Highness! Please don’t mind the brat’s earlier remark!”
“I’m not angry, so don’t worry, Phobos.”
“Oh! Really? As expected of our Erebo—”
“After all, I’ll be the one to give the best gift.”
“……”
Phobos clenched his teeth and barely stopped himself from blurting, Ah, yes… in insolence.
When it came to his daughter, Erebus was as childish as his youngest brother.
Suddenly, Erebus turned his head to ask Phobos:
“When we were about Elysion’s age, what did we like? Do you remember?”
“Huh? Oh, me? I was into dragon hatchlings?”
“I was foolish to ask.”
“Your Highness! You’re always so heartless to me!”
Phobos whimpered, but Erebus brushed him off with ease.
“What did Ria like when she was little?”
“Ria? She was into pegasi, wasn’t she? Same with me or her, really.”
“……”
“She caused a whole commotion, insisting she’d catch one herself in the Halcyon mountains.”
“That… doesn’t sound right.”
Even as a rookie father, Erebus wasn’t so dense as to miss the way his daughter had recoiled at the mention of monster hunts.
That was definitely not her taste.
“Then, Your Highness—do you remember what you liked?”
“Me?”
“To me, the princess is Ria’s spitting image on the outside, but inside, she feels more like you.”
“Hmm. Really?”
Erebus cleared his throat, faintly pleased.
His daughter was lovely, taking after her mother…
Was I perhaps a little disappointed she didn’t resemble me at all?
With a touch of hope, he asked:
“What makes you say she’s like me?”
“Well, out of the three of us, she seems the most mature, but also the scariest, the most stubborn, and the one who causes the biggest messes.”
“……”
“And, well, I get the feeling she’ll make her suitors cry rivers too. That might be from you, Your Highness.”
“……”
“Isn’t that why Ria once ran away from home?”
Erebus turned a blank expression on his longtime friend.
Leaving alive someone who knew the black history of his youth was a mistake.
“Phobos.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Return to your duchy.”
“Aww, no! I want to give the princess a gift too!”
“Go back!”
Ares and Callion finally exhaled once the Demon King had left.
Putting away his sword, Ares grumbled:
“Phew. That scared the life out of me. Just popping out like that.”
“……”
“Hey, Blue Eyes.”
“Huh?”
Callion jerked his head up. He’d been too distracted by the sound of Erebus lingering in his mind.
Ares glanced between Erebus’s departing figure and Callion, then said bluntly:
“Don’t mind it. What just happened.”
“…Hmph. Like I don’t already know.”
Weirdly sharp for a guy like him.
Though Callion grumbled inwardly, thanks to Ares he was able to pull himself together.
Right. Getting recognized by the Demon King in one go is impossible.
He just had to be more patient.
Waiting was something Callion was better at than anyone else.
Then Ares, wanting to shift the mood, shouted loudly:
“Hey! We never finished talking about Xion’s gift!”
“Oh, right.”
“Arguing among ourselves won’t help, so let’s just go find him.”
“…Who?”
Callion frowned, genuinely clueless.
Seeing that, Ares smirked smugly.
“The brat from Iliod is coming soon, right? That little merchant lord.”
“…You do know you’re way younger than him, right?”
Between the heart of Kore and the Belled district.
This was a bustling street lined with merchant guilds.
And with the new year, the foreign trading houses began returning one by one.
The Creusa Trading Company was the first to return.
But to think a customer would come to us the moment we arrived.
Inside the Creusa building—no less grand than a noble’s receiving hall—Laocoön stared at his “clients.”
And rather dumbfounded at that.
The Demon Prince and the Prince of Alcyone had come, not to his mother, but to him.
Well, I suppose we’ve at least spoken before.
Then, the little ruffian-looking young lord spoke up first.
“Hey. You remember us, right?”
“Of course. How could I forget?”
Could there be two people more opposite?
One was like fire, the other like a lake.
The fiery little brat crossed his arms and demanded:
“You’ve got something in your guild worth giving to a girl, right?”
“…What?”
Callion groaned and pressed his forehead.
“You gnat! That’s not how you ask!”
Still, he too had been intrigued by Ares’s suggestion to visit Creusa.
So, with the Epikus sisters’ permission, the two had secretly come here without Xion knowing.
Callion turned to Laocoön.
“Heir of Creusa. You’re aware that Her Highness Princess Elysion’s birthday is soon, yes?”
“Ah, yes. I’m aware.”
“Then would you show us some gifts worthy of the princess?”
“Ah, I see…”
Laocoön placed his hand over his chest and smiled politely.
“Very well. Allow me to show you. I’ll bring out a special selection.”
It was time to weigh their “value.”
Ares was facing the hardest trial of his life.
Before him lay a tray spread with velvet cloth.
On it glittered various items.
Rings, talisman charms.
“Hmmm.”
Rete had always managed Ares’s and Callion’s allowances for them.
Since they’d never really needed to spend before, buying one gift for Xion posed no issue.
But Ares looked dissatisfied, which made Laocoön narrow his eyes with a smile.
“Not to your liking, I take it?”
“Yeah. Bring out something else.”
“Very well. Next.”
Despite Ares’s curt tone, Laocoön handled it smoothly.
A servant brought in another tray, this time with necklaces.
“Hm.”
The sound Ares made was a little different this time.
Not bad.
Having grown up surrounded by his sisters’ endless adornments, he instinctively knew what looked decent.
“Hm…”
Then his eyes locked onto one necklace.
“Ah, does this one catch your eye?”
Laocoön indicated a delicate silver necklace with a crescent moon pendant.
“…Not bad.”
Though he answered arrogantly, Ares truly liked it the most out of all he’d seen.
“I’ll take thi—”
But he suddenly stopped.
At some point in the past…
He remembered Xion quietly gazing up at the moon.
He had hated that sight. And feared it.
Like she might leave at any moment.
As though she longed to go somewhere far away, not here.
He didn’t want to give her a gift that reminded him of that fear.
“…No. I’ll pick something else.”
“As you wish.”
“Instead, uh…”
Ares turned his gaze elsewhere.
What caught his eye was a choker: a red rose pendant on a black velvet ribbon.
Yeah, this suits her better.
Xion looked her best bathed in sunlight, among flowers.
And hopefully, she’d smile brightly when wearing it.
Above all, he looked forward to her expression—how flustered she’d be at receiving a red rose pendant after having freaked out over a black one.
Grinning in anticipation, Ares declared:
“This one.”
“Haha. As expected—you have good taste.”
Laocoön said it sincerely, not just as flattery.
Impressive. Even at his age, he picked the one that required the most work.
Laocoön quietly gauged the Demon Prince’s “value.”
The way he naturally took command among noble youths.
The arrogance of his age, yet backed by substance rather than emptiness.
And above all, it shows how much he treasures the princess.
With a faint smile, Laocoön turned his narrowed eyes toward Ares.
Now then, let’s see what the other one chooses.
