Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 303

303.

“Whew. Lady Alisa’s popularity is amazing every time I see it. At this rate, it’ll be hard for her to fall back to the central army.”

Asel muttered in admiration, and Crown Prince Raonhizen, who was beside him, glared silently. Unlike him, who was being considerate of the atmosphere here, his companions (especially Asel) didn’t seem to care much about his mood. Even with a face that clearly telegraphed his displeasure, Asel shrugged without backing down.

“What can we do? It’s not like we’re forcing her to stay. Her will to participate in the war is firm. It’s because she can’t betray the trust and faith of the people. She’s still young, but she has a strong sense of responsibility. Looking at the actions of the partner stars [individuals destined for greatness] recorded in history, they all demonstrated extraordinary talent from a young age. Isn’t she the spitting image of the partner star Your Highness has always wanted?”

“…I know. I don’t view partner stars’ political activities in a negative light. If this were her activities in her home country, I wouldn’t have made an issue of it.”

“Well, Lady Alisa seems to have already received a title here. So, we can consider her a person of this empire… Ah, I understand. I understand, so don’t glare at me like that. I’m too scared to say anything.”

Crown Prince Raonhizen stared intently at Asel, who immediately stuck out his tongue. Asel’s desperate attempt to avoid the gaze filled with interrogation was obvious.

“Asel, you. You seem to have become excessively friendly to this place lately. Is it just my imagination?”

“Have I? Well, I’ve met good people. And what’s wrong with being friendly? It’s not like they’re an enemy country.”

“They could become an enemy country.”

“Gasp! Are you out of your mind? What if someone hears you!”

Asel, horrified, quickly covered Raonhizen’s mouth with both hands. It was quite a bold action to take against the crown prince of a nation, but neither the one doing it nor the one being done to seemed to care much. Even the other attendants seemed to take it for granted, so it seemed like it wasn’t a rare occurrence.

“Please be careful. We are here because we are being shown consideration. It’s unusual for guests from another country to be staying in an army in the midst of a civil war. But no one is treating us badly. Isn’t that because His Majesty Isana is paying so much attention to us? Why would you want to tarnish that goodwill?”

“…Arad eosseunikka igeo chiwo [Alright, I understand, now take your hand away].”

Asel immediately took his hand away, as he didn’t intend to keep it there for long. The Crown Prince glared at him with a very dissatisfied face.

“What’s the problem?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Asel, you’re my aide.”

“…Technically, I’m a temporary aide. I’m only a temporary aide while I’m at the academy.”

“Nothing will change even after you graduate. When I return to the palace, you’ll be with me.”

“That’s just Your Highness’s wishful thinking. You know how my reputation is in the imperial palace. Do you want to hear people say that the crown prince has a madman as his close aide?”

“Your illness is all better now. I heard you’ve gotten a lot better. Isn’t that enough?”

Asel’s face briefly stiffened at his dismissive attitude. He made a complicated face and then sighed.

“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that I’m someone who is suspected of that. You know how important reputation is in the imperial palace. Why are you being like this? I’m just a commoner, not even a noble. They’re only leaving me alone now because they’re writing it off as a moment in my school days. Do you think His Majesty will just stand by and watch if you formally keep me by your side?”

“His Majesty doesn’t matter. I’ll decide who I need.”

“You’re really stubborn. Then keep this in mind too. I’ll decide where I’ll be.”

“Asel, you…”

“Your Highness, there are many eyes watching. Let’s talk about it later.”

Serium, who had been sending anxious glances as the atmosphere between the two became tense, intervened between them. The Crown Prince, who had obediently shut his mouth at those words, glared at Asel for a moment. ‘I’ll get back at you later.’ The meaning contained in that look was clearly conveyed even to me, who was watching from afar. And Asel responded by avoiding his gaze again.

At that moment, Asel, who was turning his head, found me. He smiled and waved his hand, but his face, which had been blank for a moment, quickly hardened as if he had realized something, and then slowly began to turn pale. I watched with a leisurely heart as he excused himself from his group and hurried over to me.

“E, El.”

“Yes. What’s wrong, Asel?”

“Have you been watching us the whole time? May I ask when you started watching?”

“Since Asel was whistling while looking at Alisa?”

“…You mean you’ve been watching from the beginning. You mean you heard all the conversations we had.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I can’t help but hear it, no matter how quietly you talk, at this distance.”

“How good is your hearing anyway…”

Even as he muttered in disbelief, he didn’t seem particularly displeased. Maybe it’s because I’ve shown him so many extraordinary (from his point of view) things. It seemed like he had already given up on trying to understand me to some extent.

* * *

“The Crown Prince seems to care a lot about Asel.”

“Well. He may seem stiff on the outside, but he’s actually very sentimental. He tries to take good care of his people.”

“But Asel finds that burdensome?”

Asel’s eyes widened at my playful words. He couldn’t hide his embarrassment and eventually laughed as if he couldn’t help it.

“Did I seem like that to you too, El?”

“It didn’t seem like you were by the Crown Prince’s side of your own free will.”

“Hmm, is that so? That’s not true… I am assisting him of my own free will. I’m a student at the academy, but I have a low social status and a history of mental illness, so the chances of getting a good job are slim. Moreover, to serve the Crown Prince is an excessive honor. I am very honored.”

“Hmm, it just sounds like you didn’t have a choice.”

“Well… wouldn’t anyone take a good opportunity if it came their way?”

“Well, that’s true. But at least one thing is wrong, right?”

“Yes?”

“Asel, you don’t have a mental illness.”

A loud gasp echoed. I had made an obvious point, but it seemed like it wasn’t for Asel. He had been confirming and experiencing the evidence for the past few days, but was it still not enough to realize it? He had a blank face, as if he had been hit unexpectedly.

“Well, I originally thought that it’s okay to have a mental illness as long as you get good treatment. But Asel, you don’t have a mental illness in the first place. You know everything now. Why do you keep talking as if you have a disease yourself?”

“Uh, um, but that’s what everyone around me knows.”

“So, Asel, are you just going to accept that kind of treatment? Even though it’s not true? Isn’t that strange?”

“…”

“Don’t do that. Act confidently. If anyone says anything, treat them like an ignorant person. It’s because they don’t know anything.”

“…Is that okay?”

“Of course. Speaking of which, why did you just stay still when the Crown Prince asked if your illness wasn’t completely cured? You should have corrected him and said that you weren’t sick in the first place.”

Asel gasped again. I thought he was annoyed by my nagging, but that wasn’t the case from his expression. He was smiling very relievedly as he looked at me.

“El, you really surprise me in many ways.”

“What is it?”

“I, actually, wanted to say that at that time. I was a little scared that you had read my mind.”

“Puhaha! Is that so?”

“Don’t laugh too much, it’s embarrassing. I’m asking out of concern, but you don’t have the ability to read minds, do you?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t have that ability.”

But my family does.

As I swallowed the last words and smiled, Asel openly showed his relief. It was an expression that stimulated mischievous anticipation, making me wonder what would happen if he met Troel later.

“What’s your dream, Asel?”

“My dream?”

“What do you want to do after graduating from the academy? You said that being the Crown Prince’s aide is a temporary position. Do you have a separate career path in mind?”

“Um, I just want to create a better world. There may not be a policy that perfectly satisfies everyone, but I hope that fewer and fewer people will experience unfair situations. I want those who are marginalized and the weak to be able to live safely. I want to contribute to creating such a country.”

“That’s great. Then you’ll have to go into politics. Wouldn’t it be good to continue working with the Crown Prince like you are now? The Crown Prince is actively recommending it.”

“Well. That’s the ideal picture, but I honestly don’t know. There are already many excellent ministers in the empire. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do among them.”

A deep shadow was cast on his faintly smiling face. It was the face of someone who had swallowed many complex emotions inside. He always had that expression when he was talking to the Crown Prince. He answered humbly, but in reality, he might be standing in front of a huge wall. A high wall of reality that only applies to him.

Come to think of it, just the fact that he was by his side was enough to worry about the Crown Prince’s reputation. The rumors about him might be worse than I thought. No matter how confident he becomes, it won’t be easy to break down the prejudices that have filled people’s minds. Especially if it’s a prejudice that has been built up for a long time since childhood. It will get better someday, but until then, it was clear that a thorny path would unfold wherever he went. There was no guarantee that Asel wouldn’t get tired first. So, without realizing it, I blurted out.

“What about this side if you don’t have anything to do there?”

“Yes?”

“Here, the Swalt Empire. Isana has a mountain of things to do in the future. He’s already in a chaotic situation, but he’ll be even busier after the war ends. He needs a lot of people to help him by his side. You’re about the same age, and I think you two would get along quite well.”

“Ah…”

I had made the offer impulsively, but now that I had said it, it wasn’t bad at all. When he returns to the imperial palace, Isana will have to distinguish between those who will be by his side and those who will be cut off. Since most of the central nobles have already gone over to the Grand Duke, there won’t be many who can remain by his side in the newly starting empire. As much as the vacancy will be emptied, there must be new talents to fill that position. The personal knights are good people, but they can’t be relied on in the part of managing policies. Duke Clamor couldn’t just put everything aside and stay in the capital. He needed a helper who could stick by his side more actively and help him. What if that person was from a foreign country?

I looked at Asel with a fresh feeling. If he’s attending the academy, he’s quite talented, and if the Crown Prince has noticed him, he seems to have good grades. He has a good personality, so he’s not bad. Listening to his ideal, he seemed like a talent suitable for the empire that Isana wanted.

‘The more I look at him, the better he is?’

Asel had a slightly bewildered expression. I couldn’t know his inner thoughts, but it was clear that it was a proposal he had never thought of before.

“Aren’t you interested in rebuilding a country devastated by civil war?”

But I couldn’t stop his eyes from sparkling at these words. He raised his head with a face that had unknowingly turned bright, and then quickly composed himself in surprise. I’m sensitive to signs, but it was a momentary change that ordinary people wouldn’t notice. Seeing his face quickly become calm as if nothing had happened even though he was interested, I thought he would be good at diplomacy. I chuckled.

“It’s just that there’s this path too, so think about it. There’s no law that says you have to live in the country where you were born until you die. If you want to pursue your dreams, it’s good to think more broadly, right?”

“…”

Like ripples on the water, his green eyes slowly rippled. I don’t know if what I threw was a small stone or a big rock, but it was clear that it had influenced him in some way.

I had a good feeling for some reason.

* * *

As the old saying goes, strike while the iron is hot, I went straight to Isana after parting with Asel. It takes two hands to clap. Since I had given leeway to one side, I needed to create a connection to the other side.

When I arrived, Isana happened to be alone after dismissing people. He was intently focused on his work, his eyes fixed on the documents. At his feet, there was already a pile of documents that seemed to have been reviewed. Nevertheless, there were still numerous documents piled up on the table that had not yet been processed. That scene reminded me of a scene I had seen in Elüen’s palace someday. The dizzying sight of the documents piled up like a tower filling the huge space, making it hard to breathe just by looking at it. Seeing this, it seems that not just anyone can handle a high position. I’m so glad that the Spirit King doesn’t have paperwork. A deep sense of relief welled up inside me.