CH 104

Meanwhile, Edmond, who came to his residence with the Crown Prince, stood tall on the spot as if he had hit a stake.

No, it wasn’t moving. This is because Philip whined busily, waving his arms when he saw that the crown prince’s uniform changed into a hunting suit when he wore a golden cape—spinning round and round.

“Wow, Duke of Jaxen, look! It changed at once!”

“Yes, I see.”

Responding soullessly, Edmond looked far out of the window. It was elementary to take a golden cape from the Crown Prince’s hand and replace it with a magical tool that changed the authentic costume. It was nothing to deceive Edmond’s eyes, who managed to rock against a dragon that would turn a man into ashes in a single stroke, but his opponent was a young Crown prince who was about ten years old. It was not common sense that the opponent should be sent when the business was over.

Prince Philip grabbed Edmond and changed his clothes, saying he would have to test it in front of him. Yes, he changed his clothes. Now that the magical tool demonstration is over, there is no need to stay any longer, and Philip circled Edmond, turned his clothes around, and repeatedly changed again.

“Look, the vest turned red! I can’t change it to a completely new outfit, but I think it’s possible to change just the color!”

“I guess so.”

“Did you know, Duke of Jaxen? You can only change the color!”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“What, you don’t know if you know?”

He means he’s not listening to him, the little boy.

Edmond, of course, smiled twistedly, pressing closely against his brow, which had begun to get wrinkled.

“I didn’t sleep well last night, and I was a little tired. I think I can hear the tinnitus.”

“The Duke of Jaxen, you look like a real villain!”

“When a person gets tired, they get a nasty expression.”

“But the villain of the nasty impression is just an extra passing by for a warrior level-up. A mighty boss is rather neat and decent looking.”

Just as Edmond was not listening to Prince Philip, so was the young Crown Prince.

“The Duke of Jaxen is handsome, but the expression is scary. There is no anti-war beauty if you have a face that says that you are a villain.”

“I don’t need any villain, handsome, twist, etc., so please let me leave like an extra.”

“Our story starts now!”

“Us, please don’t sneak me in.”

The Crown Prince circled Edmond, memorizing what difficulties the main characters of the hero epic he read went through and grew up (the crown prince described this as a level-up).

“So the warrior who pulled the legendary sword off the rock swung the golden cloak and defeated the dragon! Like this!”

Edmond didn’t even reply, but he repeatedly ‘transformation’ and ‘release’ by himself, playing the main character of the hero’s play.

‘I can’t wait to go back to Ezet’s side, but this tactless little boy!’

A demure Crown Prince who hates people and loves books.

… That was all a lie.

The crown prince just hated places where many people gathered, not people. He liked to talk about me with one or two fewer people rather than meet many people.

He would rather run away, refusing and saying that he had nothing to say if he wanted to ‘talk’ with those few people.

‘You are the audience who listens to my story!’

It was of no use in front of the opponent who claimed that.

The prince, who likes books, liked to imitate the book’s main character; he read in front of people and do a one-man play. So Edmond couldn’t escape until the play was over.

‘I shouldn’t have come to the Crown Prince’s residence.’

If he had taken him to the place where the emperor or empress was, he could have passed on the baby to his parents and quickly returned to his beloved wife.

‘Surely knock him out…?’

He bets there are no eyes. It’s a simple thing to knock the crown prince’s back out with his waist flaring around his neck. He was just holding it in because his opponent was a kid.

Edmond looked at the slow-wobbling pendulum of the wall clock and intended to put him to sleep without a mouse or a bird knowing the meaning of the Crown Prince until that additional ten times were shaken.

‘Of course, I didn’t mean to put it to sleep forever. 10, 9, 8, 7 ….’

As Edmond, who was quietly counting the sway of the pendulum, gathered his right hand with count one left, the door burst open, and the empress came in.

“Oh, my God, Duke of Jaxen. There you are.”

Edmond, who was quietly gathering momentum with the intention of jumping over obstacles, clicked his tongue inside when a more significant obstacle appeared. If he knew this would happen, he would have knocked the Crown Prince out and run away!

“Your Majesty…”

“That’s great. I have something to show the Duke of Jaxen.”

“To me?”

“You gave Philip a precious treasure, didn’t you? So my side has prepared a proper return.”

He didn’t need a return; he just wanted to go back… or not, Edmond agonized a thousand times.

* * *

“Edmond, he’s late…”

Ezet, who left the Marquis’ residence and was strolling down the hall looking at the flower pots decorated by the window, wondered that Edmond had not returned even after some time had passed.

Does it take a long time to fix the Crown Prince’s magical tools? Then it may be better to go back to the northern outer castle first. There’s still time until the dinner party, but she had to go back and check her dress and accessories in advance to avoid making mistakes like yesterday.