Chapter 3, What A Foolish Life (3)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

A truly strange and unfamiliar day had passed.

 

Kalian thought perhaps upon opening his eyes, he would find himself back in Secritia or in the afterlife. But disappointing these expectations, Ian’s bell only served to wake him up, with nothing changed.

 

“Did you have pleasant dreams, Your Highness?”

 

Kalian sat up, enjoyed the morning tea Ian offered, then returned the empty cup to him. After washing up and thoroughly brushing his teeth, he stated, “I’m going to cut my hair.”

 

Hearing those words, Ian blinked his large eyes. Seeing how Ian clearly thought he had misheard, Kalian repeated.

 

“My hair. I said I’m going to cut it.”

 

Kalian’s two fingers made a cutting motion across his bangs. It was a gesture showing Ian that he had not misheard. Ian quickly set aside his bewilderment and responded, “Yes, Your Highness. I’ll prepare right away.”

 

Before long, the royal family’s dedicated hairstylist visited Kalian’s room. Carefully holding scissors in his hands, he asked Kalian, “Are you absolutely certain it would be alright to cut it?”

 

Kalian’s brows furrowed.

 

Like most Knights, he disliked having to repeat himself. So, having to repeat the instruction to cut his hair three times getting on his nerve.

 

[What is there to be so nervous about?] Kalian pointed to the scissors and repeated for the third time, “Do I need to cut it myself?”

 

“No, Your Highness. I apologize.”

 

Only then did the cutting begin.

 

After several snipping sounds, he was finally able to rid himself of the black hair that had been frustratingly covering half his face.

 

Kalian raised his eyes to look at his reflection in the mirror. At last, he could properly examine his face.

 

[Hoo?] A smile formed on Kalian’s lips.

 

He realized it was not a lie when they said he looked exactly like Freya Hwiteurin, who was said to be the reincarnation of a goddess.

 

[This face. Quite the excellent legacy left by Freya.] Kalian nodded with satisfaction.

 

“It truly suits you wonderfully, Your Highness.”

 

Ian spoke with an approving expression at the sight. However, Ian’s voice gradually grew quieter due to rising anxiety. “Though, I wonder if the Second Prince will let this pass quietly.”

 

“Given how he loses his temper upon mere eye contact, he probably won’t quietly let this pass.”

 

“That’s what worries me. How he’ll react at breakfast this morning…”

 

“You said it suits me well. That’s more than enough.” Kalian rose from his seat with a slight smile. “I can’t keep living foolishly just because someone dislikes it, right?”

 

To Ian’s eyes, it appeared as if he was grinning. Ian was surprised by his expression and words. It was so unlike Kalian.

 

What showed on Kalian’s face then was a confidence never seen before. Ian felt uneasy about Kalian’s sudden change. Of course, more than welcomed, but still.

 

“I’m just worried you might face even greater anger.”

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

Kalian reassured the fidgeting Ian as they headed to the dining room.

 

“I’ll handle it.”

 

After arriving and sitting in the dining room, before long Plants entered. With his characteristically clouded eyes, Plants’ gaze swept across the dining room, landing on Randel’s empty chair before moving to Kalian’s face.

 

Those narrowed green eyes stared down at Kalian’s red irises. Kalian did not avoid that gaze. With his face no longer hidden, he looked straight back at Plants.

 

An obvious sneer appeared on Plants’ face.

 

After that, Plants shifted his gaze away from Kalian’s face. Ian hastily erased his surprised expression. [That’s it? Just sneering and it’s over?]

 

Incredibly, Plants sat down in his place without saying a single word. And he did not look at Kalian again.

 

Kalian’s brows furrowed.

 

He shared the same thoughts as Ian. [The Mad Prince had quietly taken his seat? I don’t get it. How whimsical can he be?]

 

Just as the silence seemed about to break into chaos, Randel entered. As always, Randel acted as if he did not see Kalian’s face and sat down.

 

The meal was served and the three focused on their respective dishes without fail.

 

Just as Ian was beginning to feel relieved that breakfast might end without incident…

 

“…Hey.”

 

Finally, trouble broke out.

 

There was only one person here Plants would call out to like that. And that one person continued eating with perfect etiquette as if he had not heard anything.

 

When Kalian did not look at him, Plants’ lips twitched. It was the expression that always appeared right before his temper exploded. This time, Ian’s heart made a sound like it had dropped to his belly.

 

But the expression of Kalian, the person actually involved, could not have been more peaceful. His face suggested this had nothing to do with him.

 

“Hey. Blood-Eyes.”

 

Plants spat out words once more.

 

Kalian, who had been considering ignoring him again, looked at Plants after a slight delay. Just as Plants was about to say something to Kalian, Kalian spoke first.

 

“Kalian.”

 

After quietly stating his own name, Kalian pierced a piece of cut bread with his fork and continued in the same voice.

 

“…that is my name.”

 

The one who reacted to those words was Randel.

 

His steadily moving hands stopped abruptly. Randel raised his head to look at Kalian, who seemed to have changed his attitude overnight. However, that was all. He was not the type to consider intervening. Randel soon resumed moving his hands and continued eating.

 

“Huh?” Plants’ mouth twisted upward. He very slowly closed and opened his eyes, briefly considering how to react to what he had just heard. Then, looking at the knife in his right hand, he spoke in a low voice.

 

“Right. Should call you by your name.”

 

“Yes.” Kalian’s response came immediately.

 

As soon as Kalian began drinking water, there was a tap as the tip of Plants’ knife touched the table.

 

The color drained from Ian’s face. [Is this what you meant by handling it, Your Highness? How exactly does this constitute ‘handling’?]

 

Plants laughed once again.

 

A childlike laugh appeared, and for that reason, it was more chilling.

 

Then Plants threw the knife in his right hand straight at Ian.

 

*Swish!*

 

He was taking out his anger at Kalian on his servant.

 

In that split second, Ian’s arm started to rise to his face but stopped.

 

He realized that if he blocked it, Plants’ anger would next be directed at Kalian. Instead of covering his face, Ian closed his eyes.

 

At the same moment, Kalian’s arm moved.

 

*Clack!*

 

Setting down his water glass and extending his arm to firmly grasp the flying knife happened faster than Ian had been able to close his eyes.

 

Plants’ gaze lingered briefly on the water glass on the table.

 

Despite being set down hastily, the water was not disturbed in the slightest.

 

*Drip, drip, drip…*

 

Red droplets fell from the hand tightly gripping the knife’s blunt edge.

 

Seeing this, Plants said exclaimed, “Oh?”

 

Ian’s eyes moved like clockwork. He examined Kalian’s back, Kalian’s hand, the knife in that hand, the blood flowing down the knife, and Plants’ smiling face.

 

He felt dizzy. Not because of the flying knife, but because of fear that the current situation might spiral out of control.

 

Kalian stood up. He quietly placed the bloodied knife in front of Plants. Then he smiled back at Plants.

 

“It’s fine.”

 

The meaning of those words was truly ambiguous.

 

Whether it meant ‘fine’ as in do not worry about the injured hand, or ‘fine’ as in he would forgive Plants’ rudeness.

 

Or perhaps both.

 

A few drops of blood fell on Plants’ clothes.

 

Kalian walked out of the dining room just like that.

 

* * *

 

The afternoon passed while trying to console Ian, a seventeen-year-old boy crying his heart out about the Third Prince’s injured hand.

 

Having been told he could ride horses, Kalian came to the riding lesson enduring the sight of Plants – only to find a pony waiting. Seeing those round docile eyes looking at him, Kalian deeply furrowed his brows.

 

Kalian did not yet have his own horse. That was because the previous Kalian had too afraid of horses. As that memory surfaced, Kalian covered his face with his palm in embarrassment.

 

“Does it hurt your pride to ride that, My Little brother, Kalian?”

 

Plants.

 

Kalian looked in the direction of Plants’ voice.

 

Sitting atop a silver-white horse that was clearly of good breeding just by looking at it, Plants was looking down at Kalian. Kalian erased his expression and showed proper courtesy.

 

Plants’ eyes briefly scanned the bandage wrapped around Kalian’s hand. Then he smirked again. Seeing this, Kalian’s brows twitched, but he turned his gaze away to avoid falling for Plants’ provocation again.

 

Soon, a horse caught his eye. It was the second horse Plants had brought out. Having naturally examined the horse’s appearance, Kalian was greatly impressed.

 

[What an excellent steed.]

 

It was a black horse with white fur only on the ankle of its right foreleg. Its well-maintained mane and tail hair fluttered strand by strand. Its properly developed muscles and sleek build indicated it was an even better horse than the one Plants was currently riding.

 

“It’s such a stubborn beast that I was going to hand it back to the trainer.”

 

It was such a violent creature that it had never properly been mounted or dismounted. Yet, Kalian’s eyes would not leave the horse. Seeing this, Plants’ mouth corners rose again. He teased Kalian, “I’ll give it to you if you can ride it. But if you can’t, I’ll receive an apology from you for this morning’s incident.”

 

At this, Ian unconsciously stepped forward, worried about the possibility of the Third Prince falling.

 

Seeing this, Plants’ eyes sparked with anger once again.

 

It irritated him.

 

Both trying to block the knife this morning, and now trying to step forward before him. It was as if Ian were Kalian’s guardian, despite being a mere servant.

 

Noticing this, Kalian subtly moved to block Ian’s front. After drawing Plants’ gaze back to himself that way, he calmly answered, “Sure.”

 

Soon Kalian slowly walked toward the beast.

 

Kalian slowly approached the beast’s side. As if it had learned from Plants’ temperament, there was clear anger in the beast’s eyes. It showed firm resolve to never offer its back.

 

Seeing the beast like this, a deep smile formed on Kalian’s lips.

 

His gentle eye changed in an instant.

 

Killing intent!

 

It was a gaze containing the killing intent that only one who had taken countless lives could possess.

 

Such a chilling gaze that viewed him not as a single creature but as dozens of human portions was not something a three-year-old horse raised in good conditions could withstand.

 

The horse’s proud gaze wavered.

 

Soon, the beast’s eyes became round like the pony’s from earlier. Only then did Kalian’s eyes form gentle curves again.

 

In the end, the beast could not refuse when Kalian mounted the saddle. Only Plants, knowing the beast’s temperament, struggled to erase his incredulous expression.

 

Ian, who knew well that Kalian had never practiced horseback riding even the tiniest bit, thought with overwhelming emotion. [The Third Prince had learned how to ride from books!?]

 

Ian still believed that Kalian had read Knight novels. So, it would be more accurate to say Ian simply was no longer thinking anymore.

 

Patting the now docile horse’s neck, Kalian declared.

 

“Raven. That’s your name.”

 

Black and large crow.

 

Whether understanding the meaning of the name or not, Raven made a snorting sound at its new master’s words. Seeing this, Kalian grinned and turned to look at Plants.

 

“Thank you.” It was somewhat sincere. Regardless of how it happened, he had obtained such an excellent steed, after all.

 

In that good mood, Kalian added, “Older brother Plants.”

 

It was clearly intentional.

 

Plants’ face hardened.