Chapter 13
‘It’s supposed to turn pure white.’
But since my sacred energy hadn’t awakened yet, the black mana stone’s corruption wasn’t fully purified, which was a little disappointing.
The reason I hadn’t shown it to the adults the moment I picked it up was simple: it was too early.
If I recklessly revealed the black mana stone, and the villains’ actions deviated too wildly from what I already knew, it would be difficult to respond.
‘But as for Kuncha… he was just unlucky to pick up something the villains had abandoned and got used. He can safely be left out of the story from now on.’
In any case, I couldn’t carelessly display a mana stone that still had a trace of malevolent energy, so I decided to keep it tucked away in my room for a while.
“Adel, Tedric and Euclid are here.”
The next day, the First Duke and the First Crown Prince arrived at our palace sooner than expected.
“Welcome, Lord Tedric.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome, Rokshan.”
First Duke Tedric was a striking man with a clean, open demeanor, handsome features, and a pair of calm, green eyes.
The First Crown Prince, Euclid, stood beside his father with a composed, almost overly mature posture.
At first glance, the father and son only seemed to share their eyes in resemblance.
Perhaps because the First Crown Prince carried a more delicate, refined aura.
Still, up close, their facial features were unmistakably similar.
“Euclid, good to see you too. I heard you twisted your ankle during the banquet and had to summon the priest. Are you feeling better?”
“Hello, Fourth Duke. Thanks to your concern, I am feeling better.”
The First Crown Prince answered my father’s question with an air of maturity.
Tedric, gently ruffling his son’s hair as if he were cute, then turned to me, bending his knees slightly to meet my gaze and smiled.
“Adel, I heard you helped Yure. I stepped out for a moment and our little one nearly got into serious trouble. Thank you.”
The term ‘little one’ Tedric used for Euclid sent a shiver down my spine.
‘Little one… the cold-blooded First Crown Prince is called “little one”! My father doesn’t even call me that.’
The nine-year-old, who had been standing with a very solemn face, flinched in a way that mirrored my reaction.
Euclid’s earlobes turned bright red in an instant.
He quickly turned toward his father and whispered urgently, almost muffled:
“Father! I told you not to call me that outside!”
“Little one? What else would I call you? Perhaps embarrassed in front of your sister. Haha!”
But the boisterous Tedric didn’t so much as twitch at his son’s embarrassed glare.
Well, a child always looks like a baby to a parent… but still, it was jarring to see the First Crown Prince called that.
“Adel, Yure wants to say something to you.”
Tedric, still smiling, gently nudged his son forward toward me.
“At the banquet…”
The First Crown Prince hesitated, looking extremely reluctant to speak, but under his father’s gentle urging, he opened his mouth.
“Th-thank…”
But, as expected of someone who had never had to beg for anything, words didn’t come out smoothly.
“Thank… ugh.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and blurted:
“Thank you…! Anyway, if it weren’t for you that day, he might have been badly hurt.”
He added unnecessary detail, but at least he acknowledged my help.
I thought to myself: pay me back later if you can.
I also heard he hurt his ankle and wrist when I pushed him and had to summon a priest, but he didn’t seem to hold that against me.
Well, he’s not the Second Crown Prince—he isn’t petty like that.
“Hmm… it’s nothing. After all, isn’t life about helping each other?”
I met the First Crown Prince’s eyes, resting my chin lightly on his shoulder to apply silent pressure.
“So, if you really want to thank me, just help me out later.”
“Y-yeah.”
Perhaps moved by my humble words, both fathers and the First Crown Prince had subtly shifted expressions.
“Then Adel, we’ll be in the next room, so go play with your brother.”
A little later, the adults stepped out, leaving only me and the First Crown Prince in the room.
“Must be that they wanted to talk privately… seems like fathers have things to discuss.”
While the palace staff prepared refreshments, the First Crown Prince sat properly, drying his hands with a towel.
Everything about him was neat and orderly, but his slight awkwardness was apparent.
It was natural—two not-so-close siblings left alone.
“Oh, Tamarin went recently to a paternal relative’s home. One of the accompanying servants got slightly injured, so she’s staying there until fully recovered. I mentioned it at your birthday banquet, right? She wanted me to apologize for not attending.”
Geez… that’s awfully late.
Tamarin, the First Princess of Rozantina, was Euclid’s twin. She missed my birthday banquet because of the reason he just mentioned.
“I see. I hope the servant recovers quickly.”
I just nodded casually; too lazy to comment further.
The First Crown Prince, perhaps feeling the weight of being older, tried to keep the conversation going with a somewhat awkward greeting.
“How have you been since the banquet?”
I wasn’t particularly interested in bonding with him, so I let out a small sigh and replied casually.
“Living’s all the same, really.”
“Hmm… I see.”
The topic seemed exhausted, and the First Crown Prince went silent.
I thought: don’t bother trying so hard. Might as well make yourself useful to me while you’re here.
“You’re bored, aren’t you?”
“What? No…”
“Come outside with me!”
“Huh? Now?”
“Yeah, now!”
I leapt up, and the First Crown Prince hesitantly followed, rising from his chair.
“Where are we going?”
“Oh, just come along for now.”
All he had to do was follow—whatever I was doing, it was for both our benefits.
“Princess, Prince, where are you going?”
“We’re going to the garden! You don’t need to come since your brother’s with me.”
“Oh my.”
I said that to the staff at the door and grabbed the First Crown Prince’s hand to prove our closeness.
I thought he might resist, but he only twitched slightly and stayed put.
“Since it’s a secret just between us, don’t come until we call!”
Ignoring the staff who were watching us with amused expressions, I hurried out with him.
“You’re… holding my hand…”
The First Crown Prince spoke as he was dragged along.
Should I let go? Hmph, he really can’t wait long.
But I had no intention of letting go. I hadn’t held him out of affection in the first place.
“Let go. Okay?”
Once we were out of the staff’s view, I released his hand and walked ahead, leaving him to follow.
After a short moment, I could hear his footsteps behind me.
He muttered quietly: “…I didn’t mean that,” but I ignored him.
Outside, bright sunlight poured down.
I walked the green path, the First Crown Prince trailing behind me like… well, a small goldfish dropping.
He seemed a little uncomfortable and mildly displeased, but at least he followed without resistance.
‘Surprisingly obedient. Maybe because I saved him personally this time.’
In the previous two lives, I hadn’t rescued him at the banquet.
The first time, the possession chaos left me in a daze, so I didn’t even notice a beast attacking him.
He was badly hurt, and of course, there was no chance to build early goodwill between us.
The priest quickly treated his injuries, but he suffered mentally for a while.
I didn’t even visit him then. Why?
Because after possession, I was too absorbed in denying reality to care about anything else.
In the second life, I managed to rescue him in time, but it seems he didn’t acknowledge me as a benefactor.
Still, having some indirect help from him later proved partially useful.
‘Hmph. For now, he seems to recognize me as his savior, so I’ll be able to use that advantage later.’
At that moment, the First Crown Prince, still following silently, seemed to notice something odd and asked:
“But… where are we going? Didn’t you say we’d play in the garden?”
He only just realized I was heading toward a corner with a vine-covered wall, passing the main garden.
“Here, we’ve arrived!”
Finally reaching our destination, I parted the dense ivy before us.
