Chapter 96

Even Louis, the eccentric mage, looked cautious when the Crown Prince was mentioned, just like any ordinary person. The sight felt oddly fascinating.

Agnes smiled as if it were no issue and nodded.

“Yes, it’s fine. Sir Sepion is a guest of Vasteron as well.”

“Then… there’s nothing I need to do for His Highness, right?”

“Ah, perhaps a greeting…”

“N-No!”

Thinking that, as someone working for the Imperial Palace, he might feel more at ease offering a greeting, Agnes had begun to suggest it. But Louis waved his hands frantically.

“I mean, ah, I’m fine. I’m not aiming for advancement or anything… and I’ve always had a habit of saying the wrong thing, so meeting the imperial family is a bit scary.”

“Ah.”

Agnes let out a short sound of understanding and had to turn her head slightly, pretending to look elsewhere to hide the expression that was on the verge of laughter. If she’d laughed in front of him, it would’ve been terribly rude.

He really was an unusually strange man.

Once she’d composed herself, Agnes returned to the elegant demeanor of a noble lady.

To put this transparent mage at ease, she spoke a little more honestly than usual.

“Whenever His Highness moves around, several knights will always accompany him, so you’ll be able to tell just by the sound of footsteps. If you make up your mind to avoid him, you’ll have no trouble doing so.”

Louis visibly relaxed and rubbed his chest.

“Phew, that’s such a relief. Truly.”

Agnes personally led Louis up to the second floor. Then she pointed to a maid waiting in the corridor.

“She’ll guide you to your room. Sir Sepion, you must be exhausted, so please get plenty of rest today.”

“Thank you, Duchess. Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Ah, please let young Master Overhen know that he’s welcome to visit anytime.”

“Yes, I will.”

Before leaving, Agnes stepped closer to Louis and leaned her head slightly, whispering as naturally as if exchanging a greeting.

“I’d like you to check whether there’s been any change in Noah.”

With that, Agnes straightened again.

Fortunately, Louis seemed to understand immediately, his eyes shining with determination.

After Louis entered the room assigned to him, Agnes met the eyes of a knight standing in the second floor corridor and nodded. The knight naturally moved to stand in front of Louis’s door.

Dylan must have already given the order.

To protect Louis as a guest, and at the same time to watch him in case he did anything suspicious.

The Crown Prince arrived shortly after sunset.

Just when it seemed he might arrive the next day since it was already late, a messenger came to announce that the Crown Prince would arrive before the day was over.

The knights and servants, already prepared to receive the Crown Prince’s party at any moment, grew even busier.

At last, the main gates of the Vasteron ducal residence opened, and a lavish carriage along with several knights entered.

The carriage, led by a large white horse, came to a stop. An attendant seated beside the driver placed a low step by the carriage door and opened it.

The Crown Prince, Vincent Harkvitz, who looked as though he’d grown a little taller, stepped out.

Agnes stood with Dylan at the front of the residence to receive Vincent.

“We greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

At the respectful greeting, Vincent approached with an awkward smile.

“There’s no need to be so formal. Aren’t you both elders of my family?”

Agnes slowly raised her head and met Vincent with a gentle smile.

He’d just turned fourteen, hadn’t he.

Like any Harkvitz, he was tall for his age, but he didn’t carry the same commanding presence as Cali or Dylan. Perhaps that was simply because he was still young.

What was clear was that he seemed more like a scholar than a warrior.

His pale skin, fine platinum blond hair, and red eyes gave him an impression that was more pretty than handsome.

Unlike Cali, who gave off the impression of a black panther even when smiling playfully, Vincent felt more like a rabbit.

Agnes smiled warmly at Vincent and gestured toward the annex.

“That way is the annex where you’ll be staying, Your Highness. It can’t compare to the Imperial Palace, but the Vasteron annex is close to the garden and truly beautiful. Especially from spring into summer, the scenery changes every day. Isn’t that right, Your Grace?”

At Agnes’s gentle question, Dylan nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re honored to show you the most beautiful season, Your Highness.”

“That’s wonderful to hear. It’s my first time in the North, so I’m looking forward to it even more.”

Vincent replied in a calm voice that didn’t sound like that of a child and walked in the direction Agnes indicated.

Maintaining a polite demeanor, Agnes guided him while closely observing her grand nephew and the Crown Prince she would be hosting and guarding for some time, a variable that required careful attention.

Once they entered the hall of the annex, a man who had followed like a shadow stepped closer to Vincent and whispered something in his ear.

The voice was too quiet for Agnes to hear what was said.

After listening, Vincent lightly waved the man back and turned to Agnes.

“His Majesty said that the relationship between the Duke and Duchess is remarkably good, and that I should learn from you both so I can someday find a good wife. I’d like to learn a great deal during my stay here.”

Agnes was briefly taken aback, but she quickly smiled naturally.

“I’m far from sufficient for His Grace. Still, thanks to his kindness, I’ve been able to enjoy each day, so it seems His Majesty has looked upon us favorably.”

“I know well how blunt the Duke can be. For you to have warmed his heart, His Majesty’s praise is only natural. I was surprised as well. I wondered if this was truly the man I knew.”

“My wife is the most gentle person I know.”

“Hahaha, I see the rumors were true. You really do get along well.”

At Dylan’s brief addition, Vincent smiled with clear amusement. Only then did Agnes feel as though she saw Cali’s smile reflected on his delicate face.

“I’d like to continue our conversation, but it’s quite late. Though I’m young, I do know it would be improper to keep newlyweds too long. Let’s retire for the night.”

It felt strange hearing such words from a boy who hadn’t even come of age.

“Yes, please rest well.”

Beside the perplexed Agnes, Dylan offered his greeting first. A moment later, Agnes lifted the hem of her dress and followed suit.

“Please have a comfortable night.”

Even as she followed the familiar etiquette, Agnes’s thoughts remained unsettled.

As far as she knew, Caron, the eldest son of Baroness Orwellin, was thirteen and close in age to Vincent. Caron was already calm and mature, but Vincent carried something beyond that.

The Crown Prince she’d seen during her previous visit to the Imperial Palace hadn’t seemed like this.

Had she simply not noticed because she’d only seen him briefly? Or did being away from his parents reveal a different side?

Or perhaps…

Agnes’s gaze fell on the man standing at the edge of Vincent’s shadow.

The man had dark blond hair, and eyes so dark they were nearly black. Most striking was his bronze toned skin, rare among people of the Empire.

Sensing Agnes’s gaze, the man glanced back briefly, then followed Vincent up the stairs.

The man looked barely around twenty and wore the same attire as the other knights. If so, he was likely the youngest among them, yet he was also the one guarding Vincent most closely.

Did that mean he was especially skilled? Swordsmanship wasn’t determined by age alone, so it was possible.

Still, when that man whispered to Vincent, Vincent immediately praised the harmonious relationship between Agnes and Dylan and asked how they lived together. It was as if the man had prompted him to do so.

Only after Vincent was completely out of sight did Agnes leave the annex with Dylan.

“Who do you think that man is?”

Dylan understood the brief question at once and replied.

“I’ve never seen him before either. But… he’s not a knight. His way of walking wasn’t that of a knight.”