Wide-open eyes, round as if surprised, were a light blue like the sky after the rain.

“It was a familiar gaze, as if I had seen it somewhere before.”

Hadel absentmindedly comforted the cooing bird in his arms. Although the bird had the same gaze as the sparrow, it was probably because of his sensible nature that he couldn’t imagine them being the same entity.

Hadel covered his own mouth with one hand. The soft lips that had touched his and the sweet fragrance still lingered in the corners of his memory.

“Who could it be? While I was unconscious, who was the woman who secretly stole a kiss?”

As quick as lightning, he fled before the servant’s voice could be heard. There wasn’t enough time to ask for her name, let alone capture the contours of her face.

All Hadel was sure of was the sensation of touch. The body that had been held in his arms, and the lips.

“Your Highness? Is your fever rising again? Your face is very red.”

“…Not at all.”

Hadel cleared his throat and focused on the documents again.

From then on, his face would turn red from time to time.

It would linger for quite some time.

A swift hawk circled the sky. When a knight played a small pipe, the hawk swooped down fiercely and perched on the knight’s arm, which was carrying protective gear.

Attached to the hawk’s threatening talons like a hook was a small piece of paper. It was a frontline hawk trained to deliver letters.

The knight, after unfolding the paper, approached a man sitting in front of the group, his white hair tousled like a cloud. It was a mysterious sight, as if only his surroundings had stopped in time.

Without looking at the knight, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Read it.”

“Yes.”

The knight lowered his head, looked at the letter, and quickly read its contents.

“The battle with the demons is over. All seven individuals have been eliminated. Proceed as planned without worries.”

It was the story of the battle that almost triggered Hadel’s mana rampage.

After hearing the contents of the letter, the man turned his head forward, pulled his chin, and lowered it.
The eyes that looked down at the ground were as deep blue as the ocean. Like ripples in the water, his gaze flickered restlessly.

The man, who had been chewing his lips for a moment, finally spoke in a low voice after a long while.

“…There was an attack by demons, but you managed to repel them?”

It wasn’t just one demon; there were seven of them who attacked unexpectedly. Since Hadel couldn’t ride a horse, he was inside the carriage, so he must have detected the approach of the demons late. It would have taken time to prepare for the battle.

But still.

“Without any injuries.”

It was fortunate, but the man’s murmuring words sounded oddly significant. His subordinates didn’t know why the man was so impressed, so they exchanged glances among themselves.

The man, who had been bowing his head and looking at the ground for a while, stood up, tensing his legs. Then he smiled faintly and said,

“It seems my brother is much stronger than I expected. With a Duke guarding the North so strongly, won’t the kingdom be safe?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“That’s right.”

The knights chimed in with the man’s words a bit late. The man, who smiled and nodded, turned around.

His face was frozen like ice, as if asking when he had smiled.

‘I should have become a crippled idiot and been transferred to the royal capital.’

Hadel had always been a thorn in the side of the man.

But now, under the pretense of guarding the ‘Barrier’ in the distant North instead of the royal capital, he had become an even more annoying presence.

It would have been better if he had been kept under surveillance up close.

‘With this distance, various variables will come into play. Like a powerful flame.’

How could a presence be so annoying in every way? Just thinking about his name made Hadel’s teeth grind.

But the man didn’t show such inner thoughts and instead flashed a bright smile in front of his subordinates.

“I can’t wait to see my brother. We should hurry on our way.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll prepare for departure right away.”

In accordance with the man’s words, those who had been resting began to organize their belongings in an orderly manner. Watching them, the man brushed his clean silver hair back.

His name was Sael Taliesin.

He was the second prince of the kingdom and Hadel’s younger brother.