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After Idris and Leticia left.
The chaotic atmosphere of the banquet hall subsided as the orchestra resumed playing.
Except for Deon and Peytan, who were trembling with rage.
Azeph, sitting in the highest seat and looking down at the banquet hall with worried eyes, quenched his thirst with the wine brought by his attendant.
It was when his glass was almost empty that Idris arrived.
"Did you call for me, Your Majesty?"
My greatest concern of late appeared with his usual nonchalant face. Annoyingly so.
However, seeing that face, the scolding that had been building up to the tip of my tongue disappeared.
"Will you have a drink?"
"How could I dare refuse Your Majesty's command."
"Coming from someone who ignored the Emperor's personal letter for days, that's not something you should say."
The attendant who brought the filled wine glasses offered a glass to each of them.
Azeph raised his glass and began.
"Are you really thinking of marrying the Duchess, Idris?"
"I think you should call her Miss Chloe now."
Azeph, watching Idris feigning ignorance despite knowing why he had been summoned, sighed.
However, there were questionable aspects to Idris and Leticia's relationship.
The two had little contact until now, and Idris only scoffed at my suggestion to meet a suitable noble lady.
He had never even had a single scandal.
For Idris to suddenly have a woman?
Questioning this, Azeph considered the recent issues that had occurred with Idris and arrived at a hypothesis.
"It seems you deliberately fabricated a scandal to cover up the magic tool ignition incident... But even so, you chose the wrong person."
However, Idris gave an unexpected answer.
"What if it's not fabricated?"
"…What?"
"You kept telling me to hurry up and get married since I'm of age."
"Idris. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but the Duchess of Farnese is not someone suitable for you. That woman—"
"Has a husband. And isn't even divorced yet."
Idris continued before Azeph could add anything.
"But, brother."
Azeph stopped what he was about to say and looked at Idris.
When Idris called him 'brother' instead of 'Your Majesty,' even the Emperor and brother felt a sense of intimidation that he couldn't put into words.
"If I hadn't become a prince, Leticia might not have become the Duchess of Farnese."
"…What are you talking about?"
"If I hadn't become a prince, we wouldn't have had to separate, and we wouldn't have failed to recognize each other even when we were right in front of each other."
Azeph paused as the past was mentioned.
Idris was recognized as a prince and came to the Imperial Palace around the age of ten.
Having lost his mother at a young age and being oppressed by the Second Empress and Deon, Azeph was simply glad to have a brother in a similar situation to himself.
And the Emperor also cherished his talented youngest son, whom he had found late in life.
Enough to consider him for the throne.
…This is the story known to the citizens of the empire.
The truth, which no one, not even the people involved, knew, was revealed through the Emperor's confession before his death.
"I brought you in as a prince to protect Azeph from the Empress."
"……."
"I'm sorry, Idris."
All of the Emperor's love was a lie.
Not love for his youngest son, whom he had found late in life, but an act and a shield to protect his eldest son, who would inherit the throne in the future.
The Emperor finished his final atonement and left for a long journey with relief.
Did you ever think of me as a son, even once?
Leaving behind the questions and resentment of those left behind.
That truth did not completely break the brothers' relationship, but it remained as guilt for Azeph.
Just because he didn't know, didn't mean that the fact that he had survived thanks to Idris's sacrifice disappeared.
'So, the reason Idris never had a single scandal all this time was…'
Because there was someone else he was desperately looking for.
Only then did that question resolve itself.
Also, the reason why Idris never mentioned anything about the person he was looking for was.
Because he had to avoid the eyes of the Second Empress, who was constantly eyeing Idris.
If so, it meant that he also had a responsibility for Idris's failure to find Leticia earlier.
This was a problem that he couldn't interfere in, or rather, shouldn't interfere in.
Watching Idris calmly tell a story that he couldn't refute even if he resented him, Azeph couldn't say anything.
However, his 고민 deepened.
Because he was sorry for and cherished his younger brother, he wanted him to be happy without being slandered...
"If you have nothing more to say, I will take my leave. My partner is waiting."
Idris erased the serious expression from a moment ago, gave his usual leisurely smile, and paid his respects.
'What is truly the path for you, Idris.'
Azeph watched his younger brother's back as he turned and walked away, with a heavy heart.
"Where... is he?"
I've been searching for Ludian for 30 minutes.
I rummaged through the pond in the Imperial Palace, but only saw couples taking a walk.
In the process, I witnessed some embarrassing situations...
Moving quickly, I searched every nook and cranny of the Imperial Palace, but suddenly stopped.
At this rate, it seemed like it would never end.
'Instead of this, let's think, let's think.'
Where would Ludian be?
While contemplating for a moment, I recalled Ludian's reaction when I met him last time.
'Come to think of it, Ludian was very shy, wasn't he?'
If so, he wouldn't have come to a place with so many people walking around.
'Close to the Crown Prince's Palace, and far from the banquet hall.'
Was there such a place in the Imperial Palace? I retraced my memories for a moment, and with difficulty, recalled an old memory.
'It was the place where I first met Peytan at the debutante.'
It wasn't appealing because it was a place with memories intertwined with Peytan, but now wasn't the time to be picky about such things.
Following vague memories, I arrived at that pond.
And finally, the place I arrived at was...
'Ludian!'
Ludian, still alive, was there.
So that the child wouldn't be surprised, I deliberately made a lot of noise to reveal my presence and cautiously approached.
"Hello, Crown Prince?"
Ludian, finally sensing my presence, widened his eyes in surprise and quickly hid behind the bushes.
Then, he peeked out with only his eyes showing and looked at me.
With wariness in his eyes.
'He's shy after all.'
Still, seeing Ludian alive, I felt a sense of relief along with a cute feeling at the same time.
"I met you once before with His Majesty and my uncle. Do you remember me?"
Ludian stared at me intently for a moment, then nodded.
"Ung."
Oh, his shyness will be easily resolved?
Even if I was next to him, I didn't want to leave Ludian near the pond, which was the source of the ominous incident anyway.
So I was going to take Ludian and get away from the pond as soon as possible, but.
'...Huh?'
Ludian, who seemed to be approaching slightly, hid back in the bushes again.
"My nanny said not to follow strangers."
...It's not easy.
I tried to ease Ludian's wariness by giving him the most harmless-looking smile possible.
"I'm a friend of His Highness's uncle, so I'm not a stranger, am I?"
"My mother's friends, my father's friends, they said not to follow them all. So you shouldn't follow your uncle's friends either."
I paused at the rather sharp remark from the five-year-old Crown Prince.
'That's right... This is the typical line of kidnappers...'
Our Crown Prince is very smart.
He won't be easily fooled by bad guys wherever he goes.
But seeing such Ludian, someone completely opposite suddenly came to mind.
'Aria seems like she'd follow any handsome man.'
Remembering Aria, who immediately opened her heart and approached Idris despite being shy, I unconsciously burst into laughter.
Even though they're similar kids, how can their reactions be so different?
'Anyway, kids are cute.'
Seeing me smiling silently, Ludian's eyes narrowed as he looked at me suspiciously.
I stopped laughing before Ludian ran away.
"Ahem, sorry. Suddenly, I was reminded of a friend who is about the same age as His Highness."
"...Friend?"
"That friend wasn't afraid of people she met for the first time."
"I, I too... I'm not scared of you. I'm keeping my promise with my nanny."
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