SLDS 20

Alexis burst out of the audience chamber door.

The meeting, which had lasted for about two hours, had been quite a pleasant atmosphere, but the Crown Prince’s expression as he walked out was not bright at all.

The attendants’ footsteps became hurried as they tried to keep up with his fast pace.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

“……”

Alexis moved his long legs without a word of reply. The place he was headed was the training ground.

“Your Highness!”

When the Crown Prince personally graced the training ground with his presence, Claude handed off what he was doing to a subordinate and ran over.

“Do you have time?”

“Pardon?”

“Draw your sword.”

Alexis abruptly requested a duel. His grim face looked as if it would explode if he didn’t release his anger right away.

Clang, clang! The sound of blades clashing rang out ceaselessly.

Although the purpose was not to kill, the Crown Prince’s longsword was imbued with sword energy. One wrong move and a limb could be cut off, so Claude had to give it his all.

Their skills were evenly matched, but Claude’s sword was unfortunately sent flying first. Claude swallowed a breath of despair and held up his open hands as a sign of surrender.

Only then did the worry on the Crown Prince’s face clear, and a smile appeared. When he offered a handshake first, Claude let out a disbelieving laugh and added a powerful squeeze to their clasped hands. Squeeze—

“Was it necessary to trample on my dignity in front of the knights?”

“Then should I have intentionally lost for you?”

“Never mind. How could I dare to win against Your Highness?”

Afterwards, the two men began to walk together as if they had never engaged in a fierce fight. Alexis, who had remained silent the whole time, opened his mouth once they entered a back path within the Saint Palace.

“It seems there’s a shortage of talent. There’s not a single person who satisfies me.”

“It seems today’s audience didn’t go well either.”

“The older ones are unusually stubborn.”

The young nobles lacked experience, and the experienced nobles had different goals than Alexis.

After all, the position of chief aide was not one that could be appointed simply based on work performance. It had to be a trustworthy person whom Alexis could believe in and entrust with tasks, and above all, their dispositions had to match.

The empire the Crown Prince sought to create had a clear goal. A place where everyone could display their abilities equally.

In order for the empire to prosper, the long-standing evil practices had to be shattered first. There was no way the greedy nobles would agree.

Claude, who was listening to the Crown Prince’s troubles, hesitantly offered an opinion.

“How about looking for a completely new person?”

“Do you know anyone?”

Claude scratched his forehead. Both he and Alexis had been away from the empire for a long time and were out of touch with the current state of affairs. There was absolutely no one that came to mind.

“From what I hear, it seems that the young people these days gather a lot at social clubs. They say they share political views and build friendships there… Shall I go and take a look around?”

“You, Claude, at a social club?”

Claude, whose social skills were close to zero, and a club. It was a completely mismatched combination. Alexis let out a chuckle.

“That would be great for me, but will you be able to go and make any friends? A social club is not a place that can be dominated by force, is it?”

“Yes, I’m not very confident either… but since Your Highness cannot go in person, shouldn’t I at least make a move?”

“Then I’ll ask it of you.”

Alexis readily gave his permission. He was sure Claude would bring back a talent that suited his taste.

“By the way, you haven’t been asking about Yuria at all lately.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

He had been so busy that he hadn’t even thought of Yuria. Alexis finally asked after her well-being belatedly.

“Is she doing well?”

“She is not doing well. I’ve hired a tutor for her to teach her etiquette, and she’s having a hard time. She despises even hearing the ‘ette’ in etiquette.”

“It’s hard, but she has to endure it, there’s no other way. There’s no other method if she doesn’t want to be looked down on by others.”

“Are you planning to bring her to the Imperial Palace later?”

“When the time comes, I’ll have to. It’s still too early now.”

Life in the Imperial Palace was no different from a battlefield. It was hard to survive without a reasonably strong mentality.

Alexis cared for Yuria very much, so he hoped that she would not get hurt. He had not the slightest intention of seating Yuria in the Imperial Palace, at least not until he had solidified his own position.

“I’ll be counting on you until then.”

Alexis said, putting an arm around his old friend’s shoulder. Claude could only nod his head and force a smile.

✽ ✽ ✽

It was a week later when Claude stormed into the Saint Palace again. He burst into the bedchamber, opened the door, and, forgoing any greeting, slammed the table. Thump. The teacup rattled along with his rude behavior.

“Do you know who I saw at the club?”

“I don’t know what you saw to make such a fuss.”

As if it were a common occurrence, Alexis replied with his eyes still fixed on his documents.

“No, really, that guy…!”

Claude, realizing his voice was getting louder, stopped talking and glanced around. Although he confirmed no one was there, he whispered as if relaying a secret.

“Cecil Adrian was there.”

Only then did the blue eyes look up.

“You saw Cecil at a social club?”

“Yes! I saw him clearly with my own two eyes.”

“What was he doing there?”

“What do you think he was doing! He was busy laughing and chatting, surrounded by men. The rumor that he parties debaucherously was widespread!”

“Cecil frequents a social club….”

He put down the documents for a moment and raised the still-warm teacup to moisten his dry lips. His pupils sank into a murky light as he tried to trace his thoughts.

“Who was he with?”

“It was mostly up-and-coming nobles. The problem is that a few of them happened to be talents I was keeping an eye on.”

Claude took a deep breath, calming his excited breathing.

“There’s a man named Tristan, and his reputation is very good. I went to a gathering to get an introduction to him, but who would have known that Cecil would be next to him. Thanks to that, I couldn’t even get close, let alone exchange names.”

Claude roughly wiped his face, finding the situation more and more absurd the more he thought about it. Lately, he had been skipping his swordsmanship training, so he thought he was finally free, but what do you know, he was off in some strange place, working his charms.

“That place, that club, can I go there too?”

“Pardon? Your Highness?”

At the unexpected request, Claude hesitated. Soon after, his eyebrows crumpled into a wretched shape.

“It is not a place worthy of your personal visit. There are security issues… and above all, rumors will circulate.”

“If a member of the imperial family visits, that social gathering would rather prosper. The security issue would be solved if you accompany me. And I have never been one to care much about what others say.”

Alexis was truly curious about Cecil’s purpose.

Was his intention really to enjoy a debaucherous night out, or was he, too, wandering around with some other ulterior motive?

“I’ll have to go and see for myself with my own eyes.”

The corners of the Crown Prince’s lips, hidden by the teacup, pulled taut.

✽ ✽ ✽

On a night when the moonlight was exceptionally bright, a black four-horse carriage stopped in front of the residence.

The exterior of the pitch-black carriage was large and magnificent even at a glance. Above all, the Vandel family crest engraved on the door glittered like a jewel itself.

The door swung open, and Claude got out of the carriage first. He politely extended his hand as if to escort someone, but the man who followed him down tapped the offered hand with the back of his own and stepped onto the ground. Thwack.

Alexis’s hair was a similar brown to Claude’s. As blond hair was a symbol of the imperial family and so bright that it could be identified even from a distance, a wig was an essential element for the safety of his person.

As if he really disliked the wig he was forced to wear, Alexis had been scowling the entire ride in the carriage.

“Please relax your expression. We came here to socialize, not to chop someone’s head off.”

“You have the nerve to say that after recommending such a low-class disguise.”

“Brown hair suits you quite well, don’t you think?”

Claude grinned. Even though the golden color was hidden, his dignified bearing could not be concealed.

The fortunate thing was that the Crown Prince’s portrait had not yet been completed, so those who could recognize his face were extremely rare. Claude, hoping that today would pass without any trouble, took the first step.

He walked to the entrance of the residence and handed the invitation to the head butler. The head butler, who had already known that the eldest son of the Vandel family had arrived from the moment the carriage stopped, bowed his head as if overwhelmed with reverence.

“Welcome, Lord Vandel. But who is the person who has come with you?”

“A distant relative. He’s been cooped up in the remote countryside and only came up to the capital a short time ago, so he doesn’t know the ways of the world. I brought him along thinking I’d let him experience a social gathering.”

From the side, a fierce gaze flashed. Claude ignored it and brazenly lifted his chin.

“A guest of Lord Vandel is always welcome. Please come in. The night air is chilly. I will escort you inside.”

The inside of the vast residence was exceptionally splendid even at a glance. Guided by the head butler, they passed through a long corridor and flowed deep into the interior of the residence, arriving at a large hall. This was the base of the social club.

As it was the height of the evening, the nobles who had arrived earlier were each engrossed in enjoying their pleasures. On one side, they were playing billiards, and on another, they were busy gambling in groups. Servants diligently went back and forth, refilling empty glasses with alcohol.

Alexis found a spot in a quiet corner where the light did not reach, leaned against the wall, and slowly looked around the interior. Just then, Claude came over with a champagne glass and handed it to him.

“What is your plan?”

“You’re impatient. We just arrived. Isn’t exploration the basis of any unfamiliar place?”

“It is because I’m afraid someone will recognize you.”

Alexis laughed silently. He wet his throat with champagne and keenly scanned his surroundings. Even in the darkness, his blue eyes glittered like a hawk searching for prey.

“It seems the person we’re looking for is not here today.”

“That can’t be. I’m sure I heard he was on the list of attendees.”

“Oh! Isn’t it Lord Vandel! I never expected to see you in a place like this. It’s a pleasure!”

Those who recognized Claude approached and spoke to him warmly. Unintentionally drawing attention, Claude deliberately left with the gentlemen. Alexis, now alone, finished his long search and began to wander around the hall as he pleased.

Red silk cloths hung down in various places throughout the large hall. Although it was a gathering for men, it was not entirely devoid of women. Gorgeously adorned courtesans, each showing off their charms, added a deep color to the pleasure.

Even while in the arms of other men, they would cast sidelong glances at Alexis. From his tall build to his looks, as if he had stepped out of a masterpiece painting. The man they had never seen before shone superiorly even within the hall.

At the courtesans’ temptation, Alexis responded with a false smile and slowly moved his feet.

Contrary to his leisurely pace, his eyes meticulously scanned the interior. Suddenly, his long legs came to a halt. His long, slender eyes narrowed in concentration.

In a deep corner, about half a dozen nobles were gathered. Among those engaged in idle conversation, a particularly eye-catching pale face could be seen.

Alexis, hiding his body behind a red cloth, muttered.

“Ha, partying debaucherously?”

How does that look like it, in any way.