The sudden proposal to take a walk was so strange it felt unsettling.
"If you are a guest of the Prince, you are also an important guest of the Imperial City, so I want to take care of you without any shortcomings. I've never brought my own person here before. As a result, I wonder what kind of person he is."
It was a proposal from the First Crown Prince, who handled most state affairs on behalf of the bedridden Emperor. There was no reason to refuse, and I didn't feel any desire to refuse. The beginning of a fight starts with identifying the enemy. Although Lorenz was not Kyle's enemy now, he was someone who would eventually turn against him or use him for his own benefit. Like sending an old chandelier to Blake's estate.
I'd bumped into Belial a few times, so I could predict his personality… But what about Lorenz?
[Outwardly, he is peaceful, but he is weak and timid compared to his birth.]
There was no more information than that. This meant that he was a character not well illuminated in the original Winter's Heart. Or, he might have been dealt with in more depth in the second half. Of course, that was a part I didn't read because I stopped midway through.
"I am…"
I hesitated for a moment, then was about to say, "I have to go in right away, but if you don't mind, I will."
"Shu."
Kyle gripped my hand tightly, as if he didn't want to let go, just like I was anxious.
"The time is ambiguous today…"
That was directed at Kyle. I patted my hand on top of his, as if to soothe him. His hands, which were full of scars and calluses, were desperately holding mine.
"Let's take a walk tomorrow. I can give up four hours for His Highness. Isn't that amazing?"
Kyle's expression relaxed slightly. Maybe he was trying to respect my judgment as much as possible to get something.
"You've been making all kinds of excuses and disappearing, and that's pretty unconventional."
"That's how much I think about Your Highness. Impressive, right? Now, let go."
Kyle was still dissatisfied, but he finally let go of my hand. I kept leaving him behind since last time. I was a little sorry, but it was still for his sake.
Lorenz watched us with interest. Then, as I pulled away from Kyle, he reached out to me again.
"Is the agreement over?"
"Yes, as you can see."
"Yes, go."
The thin leather gloves wrapped around my palm felt a little chilling.
"I'll wait."
Kyle said in a slightly louder voice. Perhaps he was worried that Lorenz would do something foolish, so he said it on purpose. His face was usually blunt, but he was subtly meticulous. Instead of looking back, I waved my hand. It was a bit embarrassing to show a smile, so I decided to meet him tomorrow.
"You look quite unique."
Lorenz said as he walked through the gardens of the main palace. It was a sudden interjection after he had been explaining the palace's layout and the types of flowers.
"I see."
I didn't feel any emotion. I thought it was pretty boring to bring him here just to state something so obvious.
"It means that I felt a sense of alienation from you."
I suppose so. First of all, he was quite different from what he was created to be. Not only did he look exotic, but he was the only companion Kyle Jane Meinhardt had brought with him. Was that all? He was also the one invited by Sen Lande, who was engaged to Belial tomorrow. Even though he was just a commoner and a demon mathematician.
Moreover, I was not familiar with the culture here. It would be unnatural to see myself acting awkward and new.
"Strange…"
I stared at the flowers that had bloomed. Still, I felt awkward that I had spent the winter in the North this year, and the colorful flowers that only bloomed in warm lands felt unfamiliar. Just as I looked at this flower awkwardly, Lorenz must have thought the same way about me.
"I guess it's because he lived in a cold land."
Lorenz responded with a gentle smile. "Archduke Blake is also a man who lives in cold lands. But he is different from you."
So what are you going to do? These nobles keep twisting their words, making people explode.
"Well, maybe it's because I don't know anything."
I graduated from university, but I wouldn't be recognized as an academic qualification here. He must have read my intention to skip the topic, but Lorenz was still persistent.
"Are you from a foreign country?"
I'm from another world, why?
"Let's put it that way."
"You mean your origin is unclear."
Anyway, I got something. He pretended to be gentle, but he was tenacious inside. He must want to know what he's curious about. However, Lorenz did not directly use his authority. It was still the same. He was waiting for me to answer his question. If he put pressure on me with his position as a prince, I would answer him for Kyle's sake. This kind of thing was quite sinister and dangerous. They pretended that they weren't, and that they were simply observing the situation, but that was just to maintain their own image.
What if this happens… Morsö tactics are the best medicine.
"Because I don't remember clearly."
There was no better medicine than this. How easy it was to say you didn't know and move on. It was also the method I used the most in my social life. They said they didn't know what they didn't know, and they said they didn't know what they knew. That way, life was easy.
"With no memory and nowhere to go, they took me away from Blake's estate. So I don't know much, and there must be some weird corners. Even if I'm being rude, the Prince will understand. Because he is such a rainbow worm, His Highness Kyle is also very worried."
It was because I was ignorant, so I didn't even dream of collective responsibility.
Lorenz, who was still accustomed to twisting speech, smiled. He didn't believe me, but he seemed willing to let me go anyway.
"There are many who don't have something, in the North."
"Who has everything would dare to live in that cold land? Those who don't need to work hard will go to the fertile land and live a pampered life."
I hoped he wouldn't treat someone's deficiency as something so trivial.
"It's not comfortable, but I still like it quite a bit. Not Blake, not His Highness."
This was serious. I liked it quite a bit. The atmosphere of helping each other as a matter of course, and the frightening and frugal grand sabotage. He was relentless to the demon beast that trampled on his home, but he was sympathetic to the whole atmosphere of the place, which did not ignore the injured beast. I wanted to say that it was quite nice for a place that one person devoted his life to, and I wanted to say it to someone who loved the land the most.
"Interesting."
Lorenz said as if chanting. Now I just wanted to run away. Now that was enough, I would stop going in.
"What is new to the one who has everything?"
"Oh, not the North."
"Yes?"
Shoot. There was a sound of water dripping. Before we knew it, we were back in place after walking around the garden. In the small courtyard leading to the banquet hall, there was a fountain with an elaborate pattern carved into it, and a stream of blue glowing water gushed out from it.
"You said you didn't remember anything, but you attached yourself to that barren land."
"What?"
I want you to talk about it in an easy-to-understand way. Someone please make me a translator for noble languages.
['The North is a trivial place.']
Instead of a translator, the system stepped in. It was quite plausible.
I don't know. To the future emperor, they may seem insignificant and poor.
In other words, this guy couldn't be used. If you wanted to take care of your country, you must first know how to take care of the poor and needy. How could he be so lucky that he was born as the Emperor's son?
"As I said before, it's a good place. Maybe it's because it's hard to live, and all the bad guys froze to death in the early evening."
I saw a small flying insect flying under the streetlight. I gestured to him and said jokingly, "It's so warm here. If the weather is too warm, the grass will laugh and there will be a lot of bugs."
['It's worth living because there is no one like you.']
No, don't interpret my words…
But it's true. Translator performance is good.
[(❁´◡`❁)]
"You seem to have simply forgotten the past. I wonder if something bad happened in the past."
['Looks like you're not smart.']
"How comfortable is it? A head that knows what bothers you and forgets about it. I'm sure I'll live a long time, Prince. So, don't get too angry if I sometimes ask you the same thing over and over again, like an idiot."
['I delete useless data on the fly, including you.']
"Haha, ahaha."
Suddenly Lorenz smiled. …What are you laughing at? Don't laugh. I don't think so.
"Yes, that's why Kyle favors you. He is a special person of the Grand Duke…"
Was it because of my mood? His moss-colored eyes seemed to glow dangerously. I took a step back. Lorenz shrugged his shoulders and took a step toward me.
"What do you think?"
['From now on I will test you.']
No, no. He understands that much. Rather, that interpretation is not important now!
"I think you can give me what I want."
Why are you doing this? Why come closer? Let's speak in our own words.
Lorenz came one step closer to me. It was a burdensome short distance. I walked away, sweating profusely, but Lorenz just smiled and came closer.
What is it? What the heck? For what? What do you want?
"Could you be Kyle Blake's weakness?"
Without a second to respond, Lorenz's arm stretched out to me. My shoulders were pushed hard and my body flipped backward.
"Oh…"
My vision was turned upside down. When I turned around, I saw that the sky was completely black with no stars or moon. Then, a bright blue stream of water poured down in front of me…
Oh, no way.
[!∑( 口 ||]
I was instantly pushed away and fell into the fountain.