Chapter 51
Blair, already aware that Kyle had come to his bed during the night, wasn’t surprised. Blair called out to Kyle.
“Yes, Blair. Are you awake?”
“Yes. Did you sleep well?”
Blair slowly got out of bed. Kyle’s appearance was too disheveled to pretend he had just come in early to wake Blair. There was no room for excuses.
“Mmm, I slept well. What about you?”
Blair didn’t bother to point out why Kyle was in his room in nightclothes with tousled hair. His swollen, bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face clearly showed that something had happened. Blair was just pretending not to notice, but Kyle was relieved, thinking Blair hadn’t caught on.
“I slept well too. Go wash up. You must be hungry, you need breakfast.”
Kyle nodded slowly. Relieved that he hadn’t been caught, Kyle hurried back to the guest room. The well-trained maids had prepared clothes and washing water in the empty guest room without showing surprise. Splashing cold water on his face brought his mind sharply back.
His thoughts returned to the dream he had last night. What was that dream? Kyle’s expression hardened. It was too vivid to be just a product of his imagination. In the dream, he was the Emperor, and Blair was his subject. If only it had been merely an amusing dream, but the negative and deep emotions—anxiety and sadness—that he felt toward the end of the dream still remained intensely. It seemed his feelings had merged with those of his dream self.
Kyle shook his head to clear away the idle thoughts. It was just a nightmare caused by experiencing an unpleasant incident in an unfamiliar place. There was no need to worry about it. Kyle decided to conclude it that way. After changing his clothes, Kyle peeked back into Blair’s room. Blair, who was buttoning his shirt, turned to look at Kyle.
“You came back quickly. It’s fine, come in.”
Blair welcomed Kyle with a gentle smile. Kyle, who had been carefully examining Blair’s expression just in case, relaxed and felt reassured.
With the owner’s permission, Kyle scurried inside. Having had such a strange dream made him feel awkward about facing Blair.
“Let’s go have breakfast. I’ve given special instructions, so the food should be plentiful.”
As Blair had guaranteed, breakfast was excessively lavish. The Count and Countess of Monetery and Theodore were at the table.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Kyle bowed to the Count and Countess who welcomed him. Whether it was worth the effort of touching his eyes while washing his face to reduce the swelling, the Count and Countess didn’t notice anything unusual about Kyle.
“Sit down too, Blair. You need to eat breakfast.”
“Yes. Where’s my sister?”
Blair asked as he pulled out a chair with a scraping sound.
“Clara slept at the guild building yesterday. She said she’d be back this afternoon.”
“I see.”
Blair nodded. She must have been busy handling what Blair had asked her to do. Blair’s eyes briefly met Theodore’s. Blair smiled slightly and nodded slightly. After exchanging glances with Theodore, Blair focused on the food in front of him. Once Clara secured the ledgers and a doctor, they could proceed with the plan immediately. Theodore, who had been staring at Blair, slowly shifted his gaze away.
“Please eat plenty, Prince.”
Blair pushed a plate toward Kyle.
“Yes. Thank you for the meal.”
Both Kyle and Blair, having not eaten properly last evening, were extremely hungry. At an age when they could digest even iron, there was no way they wouldn’t be hungry. Both began eating as if possessed.
After the meal, Blair, having escorted Kyle to the study, headed to the Count’s office. He had something to report to the Count.
“Welcome, Blair.”
The Count of Monetery, who was checking documents, welcomed his youngest son. Blair didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“Yes. You received the full account from the knights, right?”
“Yes, I heard. You did well.”
The Count of Monetery praised Blair. Blair had expected to be scolded for excessive handling, but that wasn’t the case. It was probably because Prince Kyle was involved.
“I’d appreciate it if you could pay more attention to the territory’s public safety.”
“I will see to it.”
“Yes.”
Blair nodded and left the office. The Count, watching Blair’s retreating back, became lost in thought.
“Even though he’s my son, I don’t know that child well. He was raised solely under my care. Could just two years at the Academy have brought such a big change?”
“Well, I have no children yet, so I wouldn’t know,” replied the Count’s guard who was standing in the corner.
“Haha, that’s right. But Theodore was never like that. Clara was also difficult to understand, but Blair seems to be on another level. Theodore was the type of child I could raise with a kick, but Blair and Clara are quite challenging.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not that the child has done anything wrong. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong. It’s just that he seems like a different person that I don’t know. Somehow, he feels a bit unfamiliar. It’s as if he’s suddenly become an adult.”
The guard silently nodded. A parent’s intuition was sharp. The Count of Monetery, who had been staring at the spot where Blair had left for a while, returned his focus to his documents.
Blair, who had left the Count’s room and was slowly walking down the corridor, sank into thought, organizing his future plans. Since Kyle was currently staying at the mansion, Blair should prioritize him but also not neglect progressing matters with Theodore.
Returning to the study, Blair addressed Kyle, who was quietly browsing books.
“You must have been shocked yesterday, so it would be better to rest at home today.”
Kyle nodded obediently. He too was somewhat tired. Tired both physically and mentally.
“The mansion is safe, so you can wander around freely. Of course, you shouldn’t go too far. If there are any books you want to read, feel free to look at them.”
“Okay. What about you?”
“I should stay with Your Highness.”
Blair answered calmly. Kyle’s face subtly changed at the title “Your Highness.” All those titles—”Your Highness,” “Your Majesty”—that the Blair in his dream had called him. Who was he in the dream, and who was that dream Blair? No, what was that dream about? Seeing that face, Blair startled. He seemed to think Kyle was upset because he had called him “Your Highness.”
“Ah, Kyle.”
Blair hastily corrected the situation.
“Anyway, please rest well today. When the sun goes down a bit later, you can go for a walk or ride a horse.”
“Okay. I will.”
“Father said he would strengthen security in the territory for the time being, so you should be able to visit the market again at least once before returning to the Academy.”
Kyle smiled brightly. Although he had experienced several unpleasant things yesterday, Kyle liked both the Monetery territory and its large market.
Kyle, feeling somewhat better, picked up a book and sat down. Continuing to think about the dream would only complicate his thoughts.
The Monetery Count’s library was enormous. Especially since Theodore loved books, there were several rare ancient books he had collected from various places. It was filled with books that were difficult to find even in the Imperial Palace. Blair, placing a fluffy cushion on Kyle’s knees, sat at the desk.
Blair began slowly organizing his thoughts on paper stamped with the family crest. With the quill pen, Blair started writing down the key elements with a scratching sound.
Princess Adriana, Yureho, Theodore, Blair, Kyle, the Imperial throne, Empress Spirenda.
Now that all the actors were ready, it was time to raise the curtain on the play.
* * *
The Academy’s short vacation quickly passed its halfway point. Kyle, of course, was still staying at the House of Monetery rather than returning to the Academy. The House of Monetery, which wouldn’t go bankrupt from having one guest stay for a long time, naturally welcomed Kyle’s extended stay with open arms. While life at the Monetery mansion was perfect, Kyle’s inner state, which Blair was unaware of, was extremely turbulent.
Ever since having that first prophetic dream, Kyle had been consistently having similar dreams. In his dreams, he was the Emperor of the Crassia Empire, and Blair was his subject. Blair, appearing much more mature than now, would speak to him. He was kind, handsome, and ideal. The end of all those sweet dreams was always the same.
‘Be careful, Your Majesty!’ Blair would warn, then he would be hit by an arrow, and the dream Kyle would break down in tears watching it. At first, Kyle only heard Blair’s warning, but as the dreams repeated, he gradually saw what happened afterward. The dream always showed different aspects of Blair, but the final scene was always the same.
At a hunting ground, he dies. In my place.
Left alone as Blair had stepped away, Kyle wore a serious expression. Each time he woke from the dream, an immense sense of loss and pain remained in his body. Every time he had the dream, the emotions of his dream self transferred to him. It was so sad and painful that he had woken up sobbing several times. Each time, Blair, sleeping beside him, had comforted him. Blair thankfully never asked why he was crying.
He couldn’t dream beyond Blair taking the arrow instead. Only those countless painful deaths repeated. Kyle was curious about many things. He wondered why the Blair in his dream took the arrow, and whether he himself continued to live properly afterward. But no one here could answer those questions.
[To be continued…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
