Chapter 46
“First, turn that off.”
“I’ve been wanting to turn it off too… but…”
“But?”
“Why won’t this thing turn off?”
“…….”
…Are you asking me that now?
Aserain looked at his younger brother with a gaze that seemed to say, how pathetic can you be?
- Kieeeeeeeek!
Something seemed to be malfunctioning. No matter how Cheyan fiddled with it, the alarm’s wailing continued without stopping.
“Cheyan…”
“Haha, why won’t this work? I don’t kno—!”
Clang!
Aserain felt a strange mix of pain and relief, an emotion impossible to describe in words, and chose silence in the end.
Cheyan, awkwardly smiling at his older brother who was desperately avoiding him, flinched as a hand suddenly snatched the alarm from his grasp.
Kwahng!
Someone threw the alarm onto the floor and stomped on it.
- Kiiiii…
Kwah-aang!
The faint wailing continued until the alarm was completely smashed into pieces. Only then did silence fall.
“…It actually breaks?”
Cheyan’s expression went blank.
I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before…
“Brother, sorry. I tried to inspect it thoroughly, but I guess it was defective.”
“Please explain it in a way I can understand, Cheyan.”
“No, I mean… there’s no way a sturdy alarm like this would break after just a few stomps, right?”
Ignoring his younger brother’s panicked insistence that the alarm was defective, Crown Prince Aserain focused his attention on the one who had destroyed it—Ceres, who wore a slightly annoyed expression.
“Too loud.”
Her gaze on the completely destroyed alarm was full of displeasure.
Why do I have to listen to this blasted alarm all the way here?
Cheyan called out to her in a pitiful voice.
“Ceres.”
“Yes?”
“Is smashing things with your feet a hobby of yours?”
Earlier, she had stomped on the video storage unit, and now even the alarm.
“And what about you? Is making a fuss your hobby?”
Having overheard part of the conversation between Cheyan and Aserain, Ceres had a rough understanding of the situation.
She already knew how reckless he could be, but she hadn’t expected such behavior even in the palace. Did he set off the alarm just because he didn’t like some noble’s opinion?
Well, I can understand that feeling…
Nothing had really changed; they were still spouting nonsense in the meeting room. She had nearly drawn her sword several times before.
Thunk.
“Huh?”
At that moment, someone lightly tapped Cheyan’s head. It was Duke Persha, Kainel.
“…What was that?”
Cheyan stared at Kainel with a slightly dazed expression. He couldn’t tell if the frozen man had hit him or just patted him.
Whatever it was, someone touching his head like that should have felt irritating…
The hand…
Cheyan had expected it to be icy cold, but surprisingly, it was warm. Amazingly warm.
He looked at Kainel with a curious expression.
Looks like he likes me.
“What?”
Ceres muttered under her breath as she cleared the alarm debris.
“Just… just saying.”
He was the type who treated people he didn’t like as if they were invisible.
And he was still good at causing misunderstandings. He’d always been like that—picking unnecessary fights with people he liked. Only she and Artia knew that.
Does he like Cheyan?
Maybe Kainel also disliked the nonsense spouted by the nobles. Perhaps he even liked how Cheyan had caused chaos in the meeting.
Or maybe…
He might have also noticed that Cheyan resembled Artia. Artia used to do similarly unpredictable things during royal meetings.
“…….”
Ceres, picking up the alarm fragments and lifting her head, paused. Kainel, whom she thought had already left, was staring straight at her.
Did he just hear what I said?
But as soon as their eyes met, Kainel casually turned his head as if nothing had happened and left. His aide, Del, hurriedly followed behind, silently giving a small nod to Ceres.
“Cheyan, is this your companion?”
At last, Crown Prince Aserain, who had been quietly observing, asked about Ceres. He couldn’t help being curious about her, as she seemed to interact naturally with Cheyan.
“My new secretary.”
“Temporary.”
“…Yes, temporary.”
Cheyan pouted slightly, seemingly displeased with the emphasis on “temporary.”
“But, Ceres…”
“Yes?”
“Why do you keep using honorifics?”
“Because you are currently my superior.”
Ceres looked at Cheyan with a hint of exasperation.
I can tell public and private matters apart, you know.
“So, will you keep speaking formally from now on?”
“Could you just be quiet for a bit?”
“Yes……”
Aserain observed their interaction with keen interest.
What’s with this friendly dynamic?
“Your new secretary, you say?”
“Yes!”
Aserain knew well that Luca, Cheyan’s close friend and secretary, always took leave around this time. Each time, someone else would temporarily take over. Naturally, he assumed it would happen this time too.
“Ceres.”
“Ceres?”
Cheyan offered no further explanation, prompting Aserain to turn to Ceres for a response. She merely gave a slight nod without saying a word.
“Ah! So both of you are here!”
At that moment, someone approached hastily from a distance. It was Creel, head of House Ellesia, thin and strikingly gaunt.
“So the alarm was just malfunctioning?”
Seeing the destroyed alarm and the calm conversation between the group, Creel laughed heartily.
“I don’t think the meeting can continue… Cheyan, if you have a moment, may I ask for your time? I have a request.”
“A request?”
“Yes. I want to submit a request to the Mage Tower.”
“I see. Then please visit the request desk in the Mage Tower. You can submit the request there.”
“Haha, yes, but since we met in person, I wanted to make the request directly…”
“I’m not a walking request desk. It’s not my responsibility, so I can’t respond.”
The playful tug-of-war between Cheyan, trying to walk away, and Creel, trying to make him listen, continued for a while.
“…….”
Meanwhile, Ceres’ gaze remained fixed on one thing:
Creel’s hand. More precisely, the ring he wore.
