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Editor: _
The expression on Count Hale Latran’s face wasn’t very good. Because of Calian, all that he had accumulated could go to waste and with that thought, he had spent the night grinding his teeth in anger and soon, it was morning once again.
“I knew it from that moment he had sent the gift back – that arrogant bastard,”
The harsh language flowed out of him naturally.
Only in front of others’ eyes did he revere Calian as the Prince of Kyris, as if he was willing to take out his own liver if it so pleased Calian, however that wasn’t the case behind closed doors.
Those who don’t know may wonder if a Count with a single copper mine had enough momentum to act audaciously towards a Prince, but what Hale believed in was not his influence that came with the copper mine, but rather the connections he had accumulated with the central aristocrats of Kyris by spending a lot of that money.
Of course, among them, the best connection he had was Marquis Brissen.
He just barely managed to reach the top of the Brissen Merchantry by delivering copper cheaply to them. All of the money earned from one business or the other went to Marquis Brissen.
Thus, not long ago, he was promised a wealthy estate close to Kyrisis – but Silica caused issues with that by making a mistake when poisoning Calian.
They had calmed the issue down by saying he had caught a cold, but everyone who should know, knew the truth.
Hale, who recalled that incident, cursed Silica for a moment.
“Foolish bitch – if you’re going to kill someone, you should kill them properly,”
While Brissen was reeling from that incident, the fulfilment of their promise was postponed to the distant future.
In addition, the huge profits earned from the deal with the Brissen Merchantry were halved. As such, Hale came to the conclusion that what should have been a path paved in flowers, was still a dirt road because of Calian who had offended Silica into causing such an issue.
And in such circumstances, Calian showed up at his doorsteps.
And of all days, he had to show up on the day in which he had a transaction scheduled with Blue Warbler.
Before they had even met, Hale hadn’t liked him, but he showed up and scolded him as soon as they came face to face and used magic recklessly.
What he was willing to endure because Calian was a Prince was starting to exceed its limit so even the attitude Calian and Yan had showed towards the butler Malcolm was stoking Hale’s anger.
“He’s acting like he’s got the world in the palm of his hands just because he managed to get a mage on board. Seeing his arrogance from yesterday, he seems to think he’s on the same level as the other Princes. If either of them becomes King, then that is truly what it would look like to have a low-blood running around making a fuss without knowing their place,”
(T/N – I assume he’s talking about Randell and Calian since he’s tied with the Brissens?)
As he grumbled words that would have got him hanged for treason should anyone of  consequence have heard him, Malcolm knocked on his door.
“My lord, are you awake?”
“Oh, come in,”
At those words, Malcolm entered and carefully closed the door behind him – as soon as the door was closed, Hale asked,
“Did you manage to get back in touch with that punk?”
He was talking about Blue Warbler – he wasn’t able to meet up because of Calian and the time of their appointment had already passed. Upon hearing the question, Malcolm bowed his head and said,
“We haven’t heard anything as of yet. I will send contact from our end, so we should be able to schedule another meeting at night soon,”
When Hale heard that, he slammed his fist down on the table.
“It’s my fault, giving a brat like this the position of butler just because you were a priest. There probably isn’t anyone as foolish as you in this world!”
Malcom’s shoulders flinched. Hale’s hand slapped the glass on the window harshly, he drew attention to the fierce rain that still showed no signs of letting up.
“The weather is so bad, wouldn’t a commoner like that sleep here tonight?!”
Only then did the butler, who managed to grasp Hale’s intentions, bowed his head,
“Do you mean to postpone the meeting, my lord?”
“Right, since it’s like this anyway, let’s just deal with the Prince first, and then do the meeting comfortably once he’s gone,”
“Yes, my lord,”
After that, Hale glanced at the clothes that had been prepared for him to wear today. Perhaps because the dull colour resembled the gloomy sky, he didn’t like them.
“Are there no other clothes? Isn’t this too plain?”
Even as he watched Hale raise up the jacket with bright gold buttons and make such a comment, Malcolm replied calmly,
“I’ll ask for different clothes to be prepared,”
“Alright, take care of each matter thoroughly and calmly until they leave,”
Soon the maids entered the room with several pieces of clothing and Hale hummed as he began to choose what he would wear for the day.
–—
As soon as Calian had finished preparing to go down to breakfast, Yan brought him some freshly baked bread and a tray with iced black tea. Before putting anything down, Yan delivered the message from Yuran,
“Neither Count Latran or the butler went out all night, your highness,”
He had been thinking that would be the case, so Calian simply nodded, grabbing a slice of bread from the plate Yan was holding.
“And the Count has also requested that breakfast be slightly delayed today,”
“Why?”
Calian had asked without much of a change in expression but Yan was very upset and his expression had contorted to show as much,
“He says it’s because his physical condition isn’t the best because of the rain,”
“What condition – he’s probably just taking his time picking out his clothes,” Calian scoffed.
What Hale was actually doing, was protesting against what had happened last night,
The position of a Count was by no means low. And he had completely ignored Hale’s request to apologise after putting him to sleep at dinner last night – which meant he had made him uncomfortable.
However, Calian was not someone who was indulgent towards Hale, so he did not intend to accept such protests.
“Tell him no, proceed on time,”
“Yes, your highness,”
Soon, Calian began tearing up the remaining bread and scattering it on the table in front him. Yan stepped away from the table with the tea tray in hand and a moment later –
~ Flutter
With the small flapping of wings a white pigeon appeared from where Calian’s bed had been and settled on the table, and one by one, began to eat the bread that Calian had laid down.
When Yan saw the awfully attentive look in Calian’s eyes as he watched the bird eat, he carefully asked,
“Are you thinking of keeping the bird with you, your highness?”
Calian carefully picked up the pigeon that had now finished eating and said,
“No, I’m thinking of the best time to return it to its owner,”
Next to Calian’s bed was a large cage that Arsen had dropped off at dawn.
Calian opened the cage and placed the bird inside. It seemed to be used to it, since the bird hopped off Calian’s hand and moved into the cage on its own.
“No wonder a bird suddenly appeared – so there was a owner,”
Yan had been shocked to see the cage in the morning, so Calian nodded, answering,
“That’s right,”
He put a little more bread inside the cage for the bird to eat and put the remaining bread in his mouth.
Yan looked at him with an expression of ‘Why would you eat that?’
“You have to go to breakfast, why are you filling your stomach with that?”
Calian took the last slice of bread from the plate and ate it one bite, he then answered Yan’s question with his cheeks full, it was a sight that could never be seen at the royal palace,
“It’s good – besides, I can’t eat a lot at breakfast anyway,”
Yan figured it must be because sharing a table with Hale Latran was uncomfortable and didn’t think much of it.
He walked forwards to the bird cage to have a closer look,
“Oh, it’s a carrier pigeon,”
He had just now spotted the small barrel tied to the bird’s ankle, Calian replied as if it was a small matter,
“Yeah, so if we just opened the window, it will fly to its owner,”
To a more colourful, beautiful and dangerous bird.
Calian took a sip of his iced tea, looking at the carrier pigeon which had been caught by Arsen, on its way to pass information to Blue Warbler.