Declaration (9)

The round, protruding terrace was precariously open, with a railing only half a person’s height. Unreached by the music, a gentle stillness flowed here, where only a table with desserts and a couple of disarranged chairs were left forlornly. No one had touched the desserts, and the chairs were slightly dusty, as if they had been abandoned.

However, even in the seemingly untouched scenery of the terrace, a presence existed. A girl wearing a pure white dress like her own hair, incessantly fidgeting with her empty fingers. Amelda Cecilia. She leaned on the railing, looking out with a troubled expression. Her eyes seemed to be measuring the distance to the ground.

“Amelda.”

I called her name softly from three steps away. Amelda flinched in her back, then slowly turned around.

“Who are you?”

Her face, mixed with various emotions, turned coldly frosty as soon as she turned. She glared at me with a stark expressionlessness. However, the gaze didn’t last long. The memories of Astra, which she could never forget, shook her.

“Yujin?”

Her mouth dropped open, and she panicked, almost slipping over the railing. I used telekinesis to right Amelda, who was about to slip, and smiled brightly.

“Ah, uh. Th, thank you.”

Even so, she should know that I was coming. She was either so focused that she couldn’t hear the trumpet, or she was really trying to jump. I looked over the railing and measured the height.

“It’s not high enough to die.”

Maybe just a broken leg. There was a buffer zone right below, so it wasn’t that high. Unless she rolled down the slope. I playfully said to Amelda, who was calming her surprised heart.

“Planning to break a leg or something?”

“…I already tried it last time, so it won’t work. There are priests spread all around.”

She already did it. There were suspiciously many priests; it was because of Amelda. She dusted off the dirt on her body and mumbled.

“…Sorry for showing you such an unsightly sight. But why are you here?”

“Because I received an invitation?”

“Everyone goes to the invitation. But you have no reason to come to the Third Prince’s party. Lushellini is in the Fourth Prince’s faction… Weren’t you guys on good terms?”

“Shuriel-nim is here too. The trumpet was blown, but you didn’t hear it, I guess.”

“What did you say…?”

At my words, Amelda hurriedly turned her head towards the banquet hall. There was Shuriel-nim, sipping wine.

“……Oh my god. Are you out of your mind?”

“What’s wrong?”

“The Third Prince and Lushellini are on such bad terms that they’d draw swords at each other. Ah, damn it. Even now-“

• Kung.

The change came without warning. The sound of drums echoed through the banquet hall. The music changed. It was urgent and magnificent music, as if a lion was rampaging. At that drumbeat, the nobles who had been evenly distributed in the banquet hall split to both sides. Except for Shuriel-nim.

“There’s no time. Let’s go quickly.”

Amelda grabbed my wrist and hurriedly entered the banquet hall. I sensed that Kalsein, the Third Prince, had arrived and quietly moved my feet.

Kung, dudung. The drumbeat echoed incessantly, shaking my cochlea. The nobles lowered their heads slightly, waiting for the Third Prince’s appearance. And after a few minutes. A grand trumpet was blown, and a thunderous voice filled the banquet hall.

“The Empire’s brilliant-“

That’s when it happened.

“Enough. Skip that cheesy line. Didn’t I tell you before?”

A voice full of arrogance flowed into my ears. I subtly raised my eyes to look at the one presumed to be Kalsein. Golden hair, like a lion’s mane, stretched down to his waist. It was hair like a beast. If Shuriel-nim’s hair was a model blonde, Kalsein’s hair was wild.

“…”

Our eyes met.

I immediately lowered my eyes. He stared at me for a few seconds, then turned his head away as if he had lost interest. Kalsein began to look over the nobles who had visited this place and called out to them one by one. Rhodes, Floyd, Gavril… The nobles who supported the Third Prince were called out in order.

The atmosphere of the banquet hall was warm. Kalsein met the nobles and created a docile atmosphere by sharing the rewards of the transactions that had taken place, and gratitude for them. He was said to have a fierce temper, but he didn’t seem to be that way.

“Thank you for coming every time. Yes. Heinel?”

“Yes.”

“The equipment you sent is being used very usefully. It’s been praised all around. Especially the commander of the knights is head over heels! Haha!”

He had a very bright face, especially when meeting a man named Heinel. It was a smile that even felt benevolent.

“I’m honored that it was helpful-.”

But.

“But did you think I wouldn’t know you skimmed off a few?”

It didn’t even take a second to bare his teeth. Kalsein drew the sword hanging from his waist and held it to Heinel’s neck. The banquet hall, which had been mixed with small laughter and music, was instantly filled with terrible silence.

“I give you something, but you can’t do this. Did you put all those rubies and magic tools in your stomach? You even manipulated the ledger and hid it diligently? I’m very curious where the skimmed goods went… Surely not Hugo, right?”

“N, no!”

Hugo. It was the name of the Fourth Prince. Heinel shook his head, convulsing when Hugo’s name was mentioned. No, he said. Really not. But Kalsein’s sword was not withdrawn.

“Keup, keuek!”

• Kwak. He grabs Heinel by the scruff of the neck and lifts him up. Heinel, hanging in the air, coughed and struggled.

“-Everyone, listen!”

Kalsein shouted as he was.

“There is a traitor here! A hateful traitor who wore a mask and mocked us! I, Kalsein Leonhardt, will listen to your opinions and decide on his treatment! What should we do with this man?!”

Heinel even pissed himself and struggled. His face turned blue because he couldn’t breathe. But even in this unsightly appearance, there was no one to pity him. There were only those who shook their heads or despised him.

• Seureung.

Kalsein brought the drawn sword to his wrist as it was.

“Then I will show mercy and take your right wrist. Any objections?”

It’s a reasonable judgment. How dare we oppose it? The nobles muttered. He was only a baron at best. His neck was not worth mentioning.

“I was wrong! I won’t do it again! Please, please!”

“Hoo, if you didn’t do anything wrong, there would be no apology. Isn’t that right?”

“Euegeuk, it’s, it’s all Hairak! It’s because of that bastard!”

Hairak must have done something again. I didn’t really want to know. Anyway, he’s a man with a wide foot. And a big liver. He seems competent, seeing as he’s even trying to win over Cecilia… But isn’t it a bit dangerous?

Kalsein frowned when Lushellini’s name was mentioned. And at that moment, the sword was swung in the blink of an eye.

“I know too. That those bastards are up to no good.”

“Aaaagh-!!! Euek, kkeueuek!!!”

Chwaak. A chilling metallic sound passed, and a fishy smell of blood stung my nose.

“I’d like to cut off his head and take it to that bastard… But it doesn’t seem like there’s a need to do that.”

Hwik. Kalsein turns his head. There was Shuriel-nim. Shuriel-nim, still sipping wine.

Shuriel-nim did not follow when the nobles split to the left and right, but remained alone. However, he was sipping wine in a place that was not noticeable. Naturally, he couldn’t help but catch Kalsein’s eye. Kalsein roughly shook off the blood-stained sword and growled.

“Who let that bastard in?”

It was a voice that seemed to be holding back the desire to swing his sword. Shuriel-nim was not intimidated by the fierce tone and answered confidently.

“I greet the Third Prince Kalsein Leonhardt-nim, who is a little smaller than the Empire’s brilliant sun.”

“Did you come here because you wanted to die?”

“Surely I wouldn’t come here because I wanted to die. I heard that the Third Prince-nim wasn’t feeling well, so I stopped by to see his face.”

“It’s because of you. My stomach twists just looking at you.”

“That’s very unfortunate.”

Shuriel-nim did not back down. Frankly, it seemed reckless to me. Wasn’t the other party the Third Prince? A direct descendant of the Leonhardt royal family. And yet, to show such a confident attitude. How much backing does the Fourth Prince Hugo have to be like that?

“Your words are eloquent. Well, you’re going to die with the Demon anyway. This kind of entertainment wouldn’t be bad for you either.”

The Agent… Kalsein sneered, mentioning Shuriel-nim’s fate. It is said that the Agent had changed quite frequently until Shuriel-nim. There were more Agent candidates than I thought, and many died. It was just that Kalsein was extremely annoyed that all three Agents were in the Fourth Prince’s faction.

Shuriel-nim pondered for a moment at the word Agent and rolled the wine glass. Then he put it down on the table with a thud. He looked at Kalsein and said.

“Do you think I’m going to die with the Demon?”

“A half-baked Agent who can’t even handle divine power has a lot to say.”

Having said that, Kalsein threw the sword away with a thud. It was a will that he didn’t want to argue anymore. Anyway, as Shuriel-nim said, he would just show his face and leave. There was no need to fight an unnecessary battle.

“Well! Let’s start the banquet again! Hey! Come here and clean this up!”

At Kalsein’s command, the orchestra moved again. The stinging smell of blood disappeared, and Heinel, whose right wrist had been cut off, was dragged away and disappeared somewhere. The nobles treated Heinel as if he didn’t exist and melted into the luxury.

“You’ve ruined my mood on a good day.”

Kalsein turned his head and looked in my direction. He strode over, made a very greasy expression, and reached out his hand. I reflexively frowned and stepped back. But he wasn’t reaching out to me.

“Oh, my love. I’m sorry I didn’t come to you right away.”

Amelda Cecilia.

The pure white girl is dragged away by the lion.

“…Third Prince-nim. I am still bound to Astra.”

“Call me Kalsein instead of Third Prince.”

“Kalsein-nim.”

Amelda called Kalsein’s name and hesitated. Still, she didn’t have the courage to resist and was dragged away powerlessly. Kalsein frowned, as if he didn’t like Amelda’s passive attitude.

“Haa. Are you going to be like this too? I already feel dirty because that bastard crawled in.”

Strength enters his arm.

“Euegeuk… I, I’m still a student. Ah, not yet.”

“Not yet? So what? Are you going to break a leg and run away like last time? No. That won’t do. I’ve already finished talking with your father, so don’t even think about running away. Now, Cecilia. What should you answer when I say it?”

“……I underst, understand.”

The confident appearance she had shown in Astra had disappeared without a trace, and only a frail girl remained. Amelda mumbled with a pale face. It wasn’t very pleasant to see her trembling and unable to meet Kalsein’s eyes.

• Hel…

I carefully observed Amelda’s lips.

• Hel…p me.

I record and reproduce the movement of her lips.

• Help me.

She said to help her.

• Yujin.

To me.