I Was Told to Drink Poison, So I Drank It - 15 - The Third Prince of the Arcana Empire
Noah was not here right now, and General McGregor said he would return in a few days.
So, I decided to visit the fortress again later.
General McGregor offered to prepare a room at the fortress for me, but I kindly declined and headed back.
I had already booked a room in the town.
While we were walking, Louis behind me spoke quietly.
“Your Highness… you are not a loser.”
His voice was filled with frustration.
He must have been thinking about it for a long time.
That’s just like him—so serious and sincere.
I was happy for his kindness, but I replied:
“Thank you. But in truth, I lost in the political struggle. That’s a fact.”
“But still—”
“I know you’re saying this because you care about me. But the fact remains that I lost.”
I stopped walking there.
A little farther, we would reach the town gate.
Just down this slope.
Looking out at the town spread below me—I turned around.
As I expected, Louis had a sour expression. Seeing him, I smiled.
“Don’t make that face! It’s not like I regret anything or that I’ve given up, you know?”
Louis looked at me with doubt in his eyes.
His blue eyes were asking clearly, “Even though you were framed and almost executed?”
To that, I clasped my hands behind my back and slowly looked up at the sky.
Whoosh—the spring wind brushed through my hair.
My golden hair fluttered, and I held it down.
“…There are things I regret. But I don’t feel sorry for myself. Because I did everything I could. I really gave it my all.”
“Your Highness…”
“Right now, I’m just Chalize. Please call me Chalize, Louis.”
When I smiled at him, he seemed to choke on his words—or maybe he looked like he was about to cry.
Louis had helped me more than anyone.
That’s why I felt sorry for him, and even more than that, I was deeply thankful. I felt I needed to repay that kindness, that heart of his. I truly did.
Looking at the flowers and grass swaying in the wind, I spoke again.
“…It’s true I lost in the political battle. A loss is a loss. I won’t make excuses.”
At that moment, Louis opened his mouth to say something—then his blue eyes widened.
“…?”
Just as I started to wonder why, I heard footsteps stepping on grass behind us.
“I see. The Queen of Victoire is noble and graceful. Very impressive.”
“…Who’s there!?”
I quickly turned around, and before I knew it, a man was standing in front of me.
Louis stepped in front of me to protect me and drew his sword.
The man—he had silver hair and sky-blue eyes.
His eyes were a soft color, like today’s sky.
He wore many earrings on his ears.
But he didn’t seem flashy—maybe because he had a calm and handsome face.
I noticed one small mole under his left eye—it left a strong impression.
As he looked at Louis and me with caution, the man suddenly reached into his chest pocket, as if remembering something.
He was trying to take something out.
We became even more alert, but what he pulled out was… a pocket watch.
“A watch…?”
I muttered, and the young man nodded.
“I am Lawrence Arcana, third prince of the Arcana Empire. This is proof of that.”
He held the chain of the pocket watch with one hand and showed the back of the watch with the other.
On the back, the name Arcana and the national emblem were engraved.
“Arcana… Why are you here?”
I spoke in shock, and he replied while tucking the watch into the inside pocket of his jacket.
“I could have waited until things settled down in Victoire… but we decided it would be better to deal with this sooner.”
“…What is your goal?”
Louis was still on guard.
I also didn’t relax and asked the man.
The young man—Prince Lawrence—narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“You get to the point. As always, you are a sharp one.”
It was as if he already knew me.
Staying alert, I kept my eyes on Prince Lawrence and spoke carefully.
“…I believe this is the first time we’ve met.”
“Yes. That’s true. But, Chalize, you and I—we met fourteen years ago.”