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Milon, utterly baffled, responded with frustration.

“Do you even know who that man is?”

“He’s one of only three dukes in this country.”

“Then why—?”

“Just because he’s a duke, does that give him the right to eavesdrop like some rat?”

“……”

At that, Milon bit his lip. Ancelot was right. Wasn’t the duke eavesdropping the real problem in the first place? The bewilderment that had initially overtaken him soon turned into anger.

‘……Right. He’s the one in the wrong here.’

Duke Kairos was a Master. Of course, he must have immediately recognized who they were.

‘If it had been anyone else, would they have dared to behave that way?’

Milon shook his head without hesitation.

No.

They wouldn’t.

People like to say that appearance doesn’t matter; that inner qualities are more important than such superficial things.

‘Bullshit.’

But for those experiencing it, it was no laughing matter. How many times had he subtly been looked down on because of his kid-like appearance?

It was like women who say they hate guys with delicate features because they don’t seem ‘manly’, yet somehow always end up dating those same delicate-looking men……

‘……Damn it. Has he rubbed off on me?’

In hindsight, the analogy was strange. He hadn’t had any interest in romance, anyway.

He just wanted to make the point that appearance has a significant influence in life.

“Hey, even I can tell what you’re thinking.”

A voice broke through Milon’s thoughts.

“……?”

“You’re putting yourself down again, aren’t you?”

“……!”

Startled at having his inner thoughts exposed, Milon furrowed his brow.

“Don’t overthink things. You’re not the problem here, alright? It’s that bald guy who’s out of line.”

“……What?”

“I’m a prince, too, you know. It’s not just you here.”

“……Well, that’s……”

“So, from now on, just remember one thing. That bald guy’s a rat. Rats need to be dealt with.”

“……”

Milon stood there, mouth agape.

“‘It’s impolite to eavesdrop on others’ conversations.’ That’s something even toddlers know, right?”

“……”

Milon closed his mouth. The reasoning wasn’t wrong, although the conclusion seemed a bit off.

“So stop thinking about it and just beat him up. You’ve got to teach people without manners a lesson.”

“……You’re seriously insane.”

Maybe it was because they had been glaring at him for so long, but Duke Kairos had drawn near.

And.

“……”

His face looked quite fierce. Milon wore a look that said, ‘Surely not’.

“……Seems like he heard everything we said.”

“I didn’t say a word. You deal with it, you lunatic.”

“Hey, don’t be so cold. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends share their joy. And their suffering.”

“I’ve never considered a lunatic like you a friend! How old do you think I am, anyway?”

“What does age matter? As long as we’re like-minded, we’re friends.”

“Like-minded? You and me?”

“Deep down, you want to beat that guy up too, don’t you?”

“……”

Milon liked to think of himself as a logical person. He always tried to speak in a coherent manner. In that sense, there was nothing ‘logical’ about this lunatic’s words.

“……Heheheheh.”

But for some reason—

Why was he oddly convincing?

Suddenly, Milon found himself letting out a soft chuckle. A sort of helpless laugh that escaped him, because it was all just so ridiculous.

The problem was, he wasn’t even in a bad mood. At that moment, Duke Kairos, now standing right in front of them, spoke up.

“Prince Andrew, what kind of manners are these?”

“……Hold on. Who’s lecturing who about manners?”

“I take it they don’t teach in the Principality of Meeke that bad-mouthing others isn’t polite?”

“……!”

Marquis Milon narrowed his eyes as he watched. As expected, the duke had heard everything. Which was probably why his face was turning so red.

‘Not that he wasn’t already a notoriously ill-tempered man.’

While Milon was trying to figure out what to do—

“And eavesdropping on others’ conversations is acceptable in this country?”

“It’s not fitting to speak of ‘manners’ when someone of a higher rank happens to overhear a subordinate’s conversation.”

“Subordinate? You think I’m your subordinate?”

“Wasn’t your goal to abandon your homeland, become a knight in our country, and take a position in the Kingdom of Hart? With position comes responsibility. Surely you’re not trying to claim all the privileges while shirking the responsibilities, are you?”

As expected of a seasoned politician, Duke Kairos spoke smoothly.

“Make your choice. Return to your homeland or live on as Sir Ancelot of the Kingdom of Hart.”

“Sure, sure, as you say, Your Graceness.”

“……Tsk.”

Perhaps thinking it beneath him to argue further with a child, Duke Kairos didn’t bother engaging with the lunatic any longer.

“Milon, you’re one of the wisest nobles in this country. I’m sure you can discern right from wrong on your own.”

Milon silently glanced at Ancelot.

Logically, considering his relationship with the Duke, or even broader diplomatic concerns, it would be wise to ignore Prince Andrew.

After all, he was clearly a lunatic. Reason and logic both screamed at him to act otherwise.

‘But…… how strange.’

Despite that, why did he find himself so drawn to this lunatic? It was all so bizarre.

* * *

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[Proofreader – Abstract]

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* * *

Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to teach the rat a lesson.

“I’ve said my piece, so I’ll be going now.”

“……”

The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, then, without a word, both turned and walked away.

Just like that, Marquis Milon and Duke Kairos disappeared from my sight. It was a wise decision, befitting their noble status.

With that tension, a fight would’ve been inevitable.

“……Ah!”

At that moment, Arden, who had been nervously watching from the sidelines, suddenly snapped back to his senses.

He started to follow after Milon but then abruptly bowed deeply to me.

“Thank you!”

“Huh? All of a sudden?”

“……It was the first time.”

“The first time for what?”

“For someone to treat the Marquis without prejudice, to interact with him so openly, and for him to engage in such a long conversation with someone personally. It’s also the first time I’ve seen him in such a good mood.”

“You think that was him in a good mood?”

“That’s how it seemed in my eyes.”

Arden lowered his head again in gratitude.

“Thank you once again for caring about the Marquis.”

“……”

I gazed quietly at Arden before asking—

“Why are you so fond of the Marquis? You’re going to be dismissed when you turn nineteen anyway.”

“Because I understand him. I know how much being ‘different’ can hurt.”

“……You understand?”

“Yes! I was ostracized as a child. Because my eyes were like this.”

What about his eyes?

“They look perfectly normal to me.”

“In my eyes, the world is made up only of black and white. I’ve been like this since birth.”

“……”

As expected, Arden wasn’t an ordinary guy either.

“……So it really doesn’t bother you if you get dismissed?”

Arden nodded without hesitation.

“Of course! More than anything, the Marquis is my family’s benefactor. Without him, my family would have starved on the streets long ago. Even if I’m dismissed, all that changes is my role.”

“So, all the previous attendants who left are still working for the family?”

“Yes! They all work in other roles within the household!”

The more I learned, the more I liked this guy.

“If everything you’ve said is true, I definitely want to be friends with him. Since that means he’s someone who values loyalty.”

“……!”

Arden’s face lit up with joy.

“The prince will surely become a good friend to the Marquis!”

“In that case, let me ask you something.”

“Anything!”

“He’s looking for elixirs for the sake of his only younger sister, right? Is that true?”

“……Yes.”

At the mention of his sister, Arden’s face turned somber.

“Elixirs are a vital ingredient to achieve the Marquis’s lifelong goal. But of course, the experiment will likely fail again, and the precious ingredient will disappear into thin air, just like the hundreds of bottles that have already been used up.”

“Because he doesn’t want his sister to live like him?”

“No. Unlike the Marquis, I hear that Lady May’s life is in danger.”

Arden continued to explain. As it turned out, the accursed condition was a hereditary disease. One that inevitably led to death.

Everyone who had it died before the age of thirty. Milon had researched the curse for years and finally reached a conclusion.

“Maybe because of the small body, those afflicted with the curse have an extremely fast heartbeat.”

I started to understand the situation. A fast heartbeat would naturally have a negative effect on lifespan.

Milon likely used his ‘talent’ to overcome the curse, using the mana in his body to deliberately slow his heart rate.

However, the story was different for those who had no magical talent.

“He said she has at most three years left.”

Milon’s estimate of his sister’s remaining lifespan was three years.

“……He must have been through a lot.”

“Yes! That’s why, during my breaks, I’ve been diligently searching through rare books. Just in case I find something that might help the Marquis.”

I stared at Arden.

“Milon is one thing, but you’re quite something, yourself. You know how to repay your debts.”

A slight smile appeared on my face.

“If you do get dismissed, come to me. I’ll take good care of you.”

“……?”

Arden tilted his head in confusion for a moment, then smiled warmly.

“I sincerely appreciate the offer, but I wish to stay by the Marquis’s side until the very end.”

***

The day of the departure ceremony arrived.

“So, in the end, we’re going without the princess? She’s going to be very disappointed.”

I sighed lightly. But there was no helping it. That was the agreement.

“Too bad. How many chances in life do you get to go on a journey with a beautiful princess?”

“The princess…… I get how she feels. If I could, I’d help her in any way possible.”

“……There’s nothing we can do. Besides, I understand Duke Herman’s concerns. We’re not going on a vacation.”

Harun, Kirian, and Jan all chimed in one after another.

Just then—

Clip, clop, clip, clop.

“Are you all ready?”

“Oh!”

Marquis Foltaine approached, riding a brilliant white horse. Accompanying him were three hundred knights.

“You look good.”

Without realizing it, I gave him a thumbs up.

“Look good……? This cheeky brat always manages to say something that makes me want to punch him.”

By now, Marquis Foltaine and I had grown comfortable with each other. I was never one to care about others’ opinions, and Foltaine wasn’t the type to mind such things either.

Naturally, the nobles watching us began whispering.

“It’s surprising that Marquis Foltaine is supporting them, but can they really conquer Black Swan with so few people?”

“It’s not surprising. The Marquis is going to avenge his son, isn’t he?”

“That’s not the point. Isn’t the Marquis afraid for his life? Also, why hasn’t the Principality of Meeke, which shares the border, said anything?”

To the public, Marquis Foltaine was just an old merchant with no power. It was only a matter of course that most nobles were worried.

The few that knew the truth wore unreadable expressions.

‘No matter how capable the Marquis is, he can’t achieve his goal with this small group.’

Among them was Duke Kairos, watching from a distance.

‘Milon…… isn’t here.’

Duke Kairos smiled in satisfaction. It was a good thing he’d made his appearance that day. But at that moment, something he could never have imagined happened.

Clip, clop, clip, clop.

“……!”

Suddenly, everyone’s gaze focused on one person.

“Y-Your Highness?”

It was Winley, fully armored, riding a jet-black horse. Duke Kairos’s head snapped to the side.

“……Weren’t we internally informed that the princess’s departure wouldn’t be permitted without proper guards in place? Did I misunderstand something?”

Duke Kairos’s eyes were fixed on Duke Herman, who wore a troubled expression.

“U-Up there!”

“……!”

Just then, everyone saw something that left them speechless. Above the princess, floating in the air, was a child radiating an overwhelming presence.

“M-Marquis Milon!?”

“……”

It was none other than Milon, the kingdom’s greatest mage. He said nothing, but he made his intent clear.

Hummm!

A translucent shield appeared, covering both the princess and her massive black horse.

“How dare he……”

Duke Kairos’s face twisted in anger. Things were already taking a strange turn from the very start.

***