Chapter 40

✿

Whistle~

A man in a hood climbed over the large window with a light movement. When his feet touched the ground, he didn’t even make the usual little noise.

He entered a large room that looked like an office.

The man in the hood approached the wooden desk where the silver-haired man in a well-groomed suit was sitting.

“Baron.”

The man wearing the hood calls on the silver-haired man.

At his call, the man called Baron raised his head in surprise, and soon found him standing in front of him, and quickly got up from his seat.

“His Majesty the Prince…!”

In that voice, the man tilted the hood covering his face with a light gesture.

His exposed brown hair gradually changed from the roots to a dazzling silver color.

Baron’s silver hair changed to red at the same time.

It returned to its original hair color.

He held the sword in one hand and his chin rested on the desk.

Baron’s gaze, which had reached the scabbard following his hand, turned back to the real silver-haired man.

“You shouldn’t come out now!”

Soon, he frowned and cried out loudly.

At Baron’s fuss, the man smiled and stood obliquely at the desk.

“Was my pose going well? You look good in the uniform, too.”

Baron frowned at the man’s soft tone.

“You mean that? I’m glad no one came. It could have been dangerous!”

“It’s fine because no one’s here. I knew it in the first place, so I went out.”

The man shrugged his shoulders at the bruise of the small voice and responded calmly.

In response to that light answer, Baron pressed down on the crown and laughed forcefully.

“Haha! you’re two hours late than you were supposed to come. We don’t have much time to prepare.”

“There was a good reason.”

At the cry of his aide, the man remembered the face of the person he had just separated with.

Wheat, which matched her hair as well as her original hair, had straw-colored hair, a lively expression, and sweetly sparkling purple eyes.

“Sir Lian.”

Even the cheerful voice that called my name.

When he remembered the familiar but strange appearance at the same time, the corners of his lips went up faintly.

Seeing that, Baron doubted what he was seeing.

“That’s a real smile.”

A faint smile that contrasts with the subtle smile that the man always shows.

However, only that faint smile was a remnant of the man’s real feelings.

‘He said there’s a good reason for being late. Did he get any good information from the guild?’ Baron thought as he saw the man’s faint smile on his lips.

Since there was a request that he had entrusted to me in the morning, he said that he would take it personally, and that must be the only reason why he smiles now.

“Did anything good happen in the information guild?”

“I didn’t have much information.”

“Is that so? Because your Highness is smiling…”

At Baron’s words, the man gently stroked his lips with his long fingers.

He could feel the corners of his mouth rising weakly.

The man, who was rubbing around his lips for a while, smiled as if the wind was falling out.

‘Apparently, the time we spent together was better than I thought.’ The man thought to himself.

When the man laughed without saying a word, Baron sighed as if he had given up listening to the answer.

“Well, whatever makes sense. But you should always be careful about what you do. Even if it’s a changing appearance magic, it’s not all-around.”

“I know.”

“And as long as you’re back in the capital, you should pay attention to your Majesty’s surveillance…from the Empress… Until the end.”

At Baron’s words, the man’s eyes, who had been smiling a little while ago, fell low in an instant.

It was because of hearing the name of a person who was not pleasant to his ears.

“The Empress is so interested in my actions.”

“It’s because you’ve come back to the Empire. She’s keeping you in check.”

“Yeah. The thorn in the eye that she kicked out from the Imperial Palace 4 years ago is back.”

‘He really hasn’t changed at all.’ Baron thought at the man’s words.

The acrimonious content was hidden by the man’s elegant way of speaking, so it could have been mistaken for a casual conversation if a stranger saw it.

“First, you need to get ready first. The dinner is in 30 minutes, and if you’re late, she’ll find fault with you again.”

Hearing the aide’s words, the man breathed lightly and took off the black hood that reached over his ankles.

Then the plain clothes he’s wearing showed.

“It’s a uniform. I’ll call the maids after you change.”

Baron put the uniform he had prepared in front of him.

From a distance, it was a black clothing, a formal uniform for dinner.

“Hurry up and wear it. You need to get your hair done.”

At Baron’s urging, the man casually nodded his head and unbuttoned his shirt.

A rough top fell somewhere on the sofa.

The exposed man’s upper body was tightly woven, but there were several large and small scar spots.

These were the traces they got in return for navigating the battlefield.

“Is my brother coming?”

A man draped in a soft black shirt asked as he buttoned up his clothes. The straight finger stopped, leaving a couple of buttons at the end.

“His Majesty Thesis is also present.”

“I see.”

The man, who nodded his head unimpressed by Baron’s answer, picked up the black uniform jacket.

The uniform with neat yet colorful decorations was so dark that even if it was stained with blood no one could point it.

Dress in stark contrast to the man’s silver hair. But the look suited him terribly. When the man finished changing, several maids quickly entered.

At the same time, a warm smile appeared on the face of the man.

“We greet the Prince.”

The maids sand altogether. There must be some people who look down deeply on me.

‘The Empress’s tattle, reporting my every move.’

Contrary to his cold heart, the man kept a light smile on his face.

After a while, the hands of the maids who were carefully adjusting his clothes and hair stopped, and the man got up.

After completing all the preparations, he was the called the second Prince of the undeniable Empire, Callion Ruin Elber.

✿

The legs wrapped in black uniform pants strode forward.

There was not a single hesitation in Callion’s steps towards the Imperial Palace.

Eventually, he arrived in front of a large building where splendor and elegance coexist.

“My Majesty the Prince, I will take you to the banquet.”

“Please guide me.”

Callion smiled softly and nodded at the maid’s words.

Then the maid, who blushed for a moment, turned her back.

“Please, come this way.”

Callion followed the person who started walking in front and walked into the Imperial Palace.

“I don’t know if I’m late.”

“Your Highness, the first Prince was the only one who came first.”

The maid, who was walking ahead of Callion’s muttering, replied timidly in a slightly embarrassed tone.

“Haha, is that so? He’s also diligent.”

If the maid had listened carefully to Callion, she would have noticed that it was not a compliment, but unfortunately, the maid had already blushed at Callion’s smile.

She just thought that the second Prince, who had only been back to the Imperial Palace for a month, was as friendly as rumors say.

“Your Highness, the second Prince!”

The door to the heavy dinner hall opened with the voice of the servant.

Thud~

.

.

Stomping~

The sound of impeccable footsteps echoed across the marble floor.

Callion’s eyes, which approached the big table, caught the sight of the person who arrived before him.

“You’re trying hard to look good to the Emperor.”

The same would be true of him, but it was funny to see him arrive first.

His older brother, Thesis Ruin Elber, the first Prince, who closely resembles the Emperor’s blonde hair and the Empress’ gorgeous appearance.

He was seated in an elegant posture, dressed in a white uniform without a single speck of dust.

He wore a white uniform that contrasted with his black uniform.

Thesis always wore a white uniform. It was as if he thought that the clothes without a single stain were the same as him.

Callion raised the corners of his mouth again. It was a contrived smile, but it suited him as if he had drawn it.

“Long time no see, brother.”

If it were just between us, he would have ignored that greeting.

However, there were ten servants and maids standing here to serve.

As a person who obsessively cares about the eyes of others, he can’t afford to neglect his half-brother.

He won’t be able to abandon the image of the Crown Prince who has a good personality.

Thesis’ blue eyes reached Callion.

“Yes, Callion. Looking at your face, I feel relieved that you seem to have been doing well.”

Thesis’ voice in response to Callion’s greeting was that of his older brother welcoming him.

However, in the middle of his forehead, which had a slightly frowned for a moment, Callion felt an indescribable disgust.

He looks like he’s twisting his stomach when he tries to say something he doesn’t even want.

Callion sneered inwardly and spoke softly.

“Oh, thanks to you. I was so grateful for your concern.”

“…I know. Come on, sit down.”

“Yes, brother.”

Thesis coughed several times as if he were expressing an uncomfortable feeling, and then turned his head.

Callion sat in the designated seat, laughing enthusiastically at his appearance.

Thesis managed to hide the fact that he grew up as a noble and united with pride in legitimacy.

When Callion shut his mouth, there was silence between the two.

If I wanted to scratch, I could scratch more, but I didn’t want to ruin the good feeling that was improved by our unexpected meeting.

Callion gently rubbed the area near the handle of the elaborately carved chair.

A delicately engraved pattern was felt at the end of the hard finger.

The sound of the clock’s second hand moving clearly echoed in my ears.

A clock indicating that more than ten minutes have passed since dinner time.

‘I think he’s going to be late again this time.’

The Emperor’s thoughts were clearly visible. Often when he wanted to shut someone’s spirit, the Emperor used this childish method.

Unsurprisingly, Thesis’ expression wasn’t that good either.

Perhaps the Empress is waiting with the Emperor to act as a friendly couple.

Callion closed his eyes with a smile.

I was used to this kind of pressure, and unlike my arrogant brother, I was not impressed at all.

It was just funny to see the still disgusting and ignorant Emperor.