“…….”

Trascan stared at Hugrey with an inscrutable look in response to his provocation. In fact, that look in his eyes had been bothering him since last night. A look that was hiding something.

It was because of that very look that he had awakened his senses inside Clyne’s mother’s room last night, listening to the sounds coming from outside. But whenever Clyne tried to say something to Trascan, Trascan covered Clyne’s mouth. Because he knew that he could hear everything they were saying.

What meaning could that fact, which Calcus Trascan knew and which made him cover Clyne’s mouth yesterday, have for him?

Perhaps…… could it be that?

Well, anything related to Clyne Liden would be meaningful to him. But it doesn’t matter. Whatever that guy is hiding. He’ll end up knowing it anyway.

Though he wants to hear it from Clyne’s mouth, he’ll find out even if it’s not told. When it comes to Clyne, he’ll uncover even the smallest fact. Eventually.

Although he hadn’t heard the inn’s name in advance, finding Joyce wasn’t too difficult. Of course, Joyce had booked a room at the largest inn in downtown Voergen.

“Do you know a man named Calcus Tacan?”

Hugrey asked as soon as he saw Joyce.

“Ah! Yes! I know of him. I understand he’s the only close friend of the Liden siblings. It’s a name I heard several times when I was inquiring about Chloe Liden in Voergen last time, but I’ve never met him in person.”

As expected, Joyce had done his research diligently. If Joyce had actually met Calcus Tacan when he came to Voergen last time to look for Chloe Liden, he would have found out that he was Calcus Trascan.

By the way, for the people of Voergen to talk about the Liden siblings and Trascan together, it means their relationship was that close…….

Suddenly, a wave of unpleasantness washed over him.

“Calcus Tacan, that man is Trascan. Calcus Trascan. The missing First Prince.”

“Ah……! I thought the name sounded familiar, but to think they were the same person. So you’re saying Clyne is close friends with the prince?”

“It seems so.”

“Ah……! I hadn’t thought of that at all. Clyne and the prince. I had omitted it from my report thinking it wasn’t necessary information for finding a woman named ‘Chloe’, but was it important information?”

Joyce was visibly embarrassed to learn something he hadn’t known through Hugrey.

“No, I’m not reprimanding you.”

“Yes……. But why are you talking about that man? Did something happen at Clyne’s house last night? Was he there by any chance?”

Joyce was indeed quick-witted.

He had immediately figured out that I had stayed at Clyne’s house and the reason I brought up Trascan, without needing to explain the whole story.

Of course, he would never guess that I had confessed to Clyne.

“Yes. Trascan will probably be down in Voergen city now. Keep an eye on him until I bring Clyne tomorrow. Make sure he doesn’t return to Clyne’s house.”

“……Pardon?”

“Do as I say.”

Hugrey ignored the question, not wanting to go into more detail.

“Yes, understood.”

“His appearance should be easy to recognize. He’s from the Elaion clan, after all.”

“Ah! That’s right, blonde hair and golden eyes. When I was investigating before, I thought it was strange when I heard about it. The people of Voergen seem to think blonde hair and golden eyes are rare, but they don’t think as far as royalty. Well, I didn’t either.”

“Well, they probably thought he was a mutant. It happens sometimes.”

“It seems that because he’s been here since he was so young, they just think of him as a commoner youth with unusual looks. Besides, since all three people he hangs out with are blonde, the prince’s appearance alone didn’t stand out, I suppose.”

“Hmm…….”

Trascan had quite a striking appearance. Especially his golden eyes, which were practically a hallmark of royalty.

However, there were occasionally people with golden eyes like mutants. Even though they weren’t royalty. And people often regarded such mutants as ominous. It seems Trascan was treated as such an unusual case.

And Clyne was close friends with such a Trascan.

He vividly recalled Trascan’s blazing golden eyes looking at him. Until that bastard filled those golden eyes, which would have been shunned by people, with longing for Clyne, what memories and experiences might he have shared with Clyne…….

It seemed that the lion cub’s obsession with Clyne might be even stronger than he had thought.

“Then I’ll go out to look for the prince.”

“Try going towards Voergen Castle. He’s likely to have a special relationship with that lord.”

“Yes.”

He remembered hearing from Clyne before, when he asked him various things, that he worked as a servant at the lord’s castle. And the Empress was from Voergen. Since he disappeared from the imperial palace when he was very young, he would have had a hard time surviving without someone’s protection and care. And that someone was probably the Lord of Voergen.

There must have been a personal friendship between the Empress and the Lord of Voergen. Through that friendship, the Empress would have entrusted her young son Trascan to the Lord of Voergen.

It seemed that after Trascan became an adult, he disguised himself as a servant to stay there, so if Trascan didn’t return to Clyne’s house, there was a high possibility he had gone into the lord’s castle.

Joyce nodded slightly and was about to leave the room. As Hugrey was about to turn around, watching Joyce’s brown hair sway slightly, he suddenly paused.

“Wait, Joyce. What did you say earlier?”

“Which part, sir?”

“Didn’t you say earlier that all three people he hangs out with are blonde? What does that mean? Who are these three people you’re talking about?”

“Ah! I was referring to the prince, Clyne, and Chloe Liden. The siblings didn’t come down to Voergen often, but because of their strikingly beautiful appearance, many people in Voergen remembered them. I heard the prince’s appearance was also outstanding.”

“……What?”

“I heard that the sight of the three of them with their exceptional looks walking together was quite impressive to the people of Voergen. Because of that, I was able to hear stories about the Liden siblings from quite a few people, even though they didn’t appear in the city often. Actually, Clyne’s appearance…….”

“No! I mean! Are you saying Clyne was blonde?”

“Ah! Yes, sir!”

“……!”

It felt like being hit on the head with a rock. Blonde? Clyne was blonde?

Joyce examined Hugrey’s puzzled face and quickly began to add words as if to excuse himself.

“I apologize. I should have reported that too, it seems. I heard that Clyne was blonde. When I first heard it, I thought it was a bit strange, but I assumed he had dyed his hair. But is there a problem with Clyne being blonde…….”

“…….”

Why hadn’t Joyce reported such an important fact?

“Does this have something to do with finding the woman you slept with? I didn’t think it was particularly relevant. I’m sorry, sir.”

Not relevant? Well, looking at just the surface facts, that’s true. Yes, it could be, but…….

He suddenly recalled Joyce’s attitude, vehemently resisting the fact that his imprint target was a commoner human. It seemed Joyce had wanted to somehow exclude Clyne’s younger sister, Chloe, from being his imprint target. Judging by how he had omitted reporting small but potentially crucial pieces of information.

Given Joyce’s family history of imprinting on humans for several generations, causing the wolf’s blood to completely dry up, and considering his usual loyalty, he might have found it unimaginable that his imprint partner could be the younger sister of a menial servant.

But for now, it wasn’t clear exactly which parts were crucial, so it was difficult to reprimand him for omitting information from his report. Now that he knew the missing parts, he could try to put together the pieces of this unsettling puzzle.

“You said all three of them had strikingly beautiful appearances?”

“Yes! Clyne doesn’t seem to have a particularly striking appearance, but I think that’s what I heard because all the young people he hangs out with are blonde. The dyed hair probably for working as a menial servant…….”

Joyce continued to add something like excuses. But Hugrey’s ears no longer heard his words.

A strikingly beautiful appearance, and blonde hair…….

Of course, Clyne’s appearance was no longer important to him. Clyne was just Clyne. But no one would call his current appearance strikingly beautiful. He was too small and frail for a man, with his clumsy-looking clothes, shaggy hair, and cumbersome glasses. One might give him a second glance if they noticed his somewhat awkward appearance.

But in fact, he only recently realized that his appearance was unnatural. Until about a month ago, he hadn’t given any thought to Clyne’s appearance at all.

But blonde hair? Moreover, Clyne…….

He recalled Clyne looking at him this morning, lying on top of him with their bodies pressed together. Even the vivid sensation of where their bodies touched.

“Sir?”

“Why on earth, why on earth would he change from blonde to brown hair? Why…….”

Hugrey muttered as if talking to himself, lost in thought.

“Perhaps without much thought…….”

It’s not ‘without much thought’! That’s not it!

“Get out. For now, you go find Trascan and keep an eye on him.”

Hugrey cut off Joyce’s words as he mumbled with his neck flushed red, and ordered.

He must have missed something decisive. A very important fact. He needed time to think about what it was by himself.