Birthday Trap 6
Staring at the miasma reaching up to the heavens from his room’s window, Riley felt a deep sense of frustration. No matter how much he insisted that he should rush to the scene, the ministers ignored him.
Instead, they cast him disdainful glances as if to say, “Don’t disrupt the situation with your unnecessary remarks.” Since he could remember, Riley had been subjected to rigorous crown prince training. When his mother died when he was four, his father, Horatio, who had no intention of taking a new wife or concubine, secretly conducted the selection of a tutor with his grandfather.
Both his speech and behavior were held to uncompromising standards, despite his youth. If he spoke his mind, he was met with unrelenting scolding.
Once, on a sunny day, he had said, “It’s nice weather today.” He was five years old at the time. It had been an innocent comment.
However, his tutor at the time reprimanded him. Continued drought could lead to poor harvests, and in such times, even sunny weather was not “good” for the people.
As a crown prince, every action and word was observed and judged, and he was taught to consider every possible outcome. To think from various angles, he was assigned countless books to read.
At the time, he had no understanding of this. Just reading was a struggle, and he was disheartened by the demand to read difficult books. But, in the face of the relentless tutor, he disliked being scolded and completed the assignments perfectly.
Thanks to that tutor, Riley came to understand, if only vaguely, that he needed to think carefully about how his words would be received before speaking honestly. This understanding led him to a period where he didn’t want to speak at all, but silence could also lead to scolding. He learned that while silence could be beneficial, being taciturn was not permitted.
No matter how much he disliked it, there was no escaping it. In his early years, he had thrown tantrums, but by the age of five, he had realized the futility of that.
Since he could not escape his destiny as the crown prince, he had to do his best within the given constraints, as someone had taught him.
So, Riley gritted his teeth and endured even when he wanted to cry. He had listened to and admired his grandfather’s tales of heroism, and it was this admiration that helped him endure the harsh training.
He could not choose his friends and only had those assigned to him. To avoid negatively influencing Riley, only high-ranking noble youths who had received education equivalent to or slightly inferior to his own were around him.
Austin was one of them. However, due to not being of royal blood, Austin had a broader circle of friends than Riley. When Riley turned eight, he was shocked to learn that some children of lower nobility still threw tantrums and acted selfishly at that age. He also heard that some commoner boys enjoyed bullying girls who were reluctant. For Riley, who had been isolated from such children, it was a story from a completely different world.
The strict education Riley had received was all to support the Slibegrad Kingdom as the crown prince. Even if he could not become a hero like his grandfather, Riley thought that at ten years old, he should have been able to contribute more to the country and its people. Yet, things did not go as planned. Despite the rigorous training he had undergone, he was still treated as an insignificant child by the ministers and nobles attending the advisory council.
While he could not deny his own lack of ability, it was deeply frustrating to be looked down upon.
Despite this, some nobles, with an air of arrogance, complained to the attendants and knights about ensuring their safety, only adding to the chaos within the palace. His uncle, Duke Franklin Slibegrad, had grumbled as he left the venue, “I wish the monsters would rampage somewhere other than the royal capital. It’s an utter nuisance.”
Even though these nobles were of an age and status that allowed them to achieve much more, Riley felt a strong aversion to their self-preserving behavior. Of course, he was aware that he was venting his frustration. After all, there were things he could not do himself. He bitterly wished he could at least take up a sword and rush to the scene—but his position as crown prince did not permit that.
At that moment, he heard a knock on the door. When he granted entry, a familiar boy appeared. Riley couldn’t help but smile upon seeing him, who bore a resemblance to his closest fiancée candidate.
"Clyde, is it?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Earlier, Austin headed to the scene with the captain of the knights, the second squad, and two magicians."
"I see."
It seemed that Clyde was being dispatched as a messenger for the duke, yet he still managed to bring this information to Riley.
Although still an apprentice, Austin's swordsmanship was outstanding. He was only in the apprentice position due to insufficient time, but he would likely be officially knighted soon.
Riley nodded gloomily. Just moments ago, Nicholas Bergson, the head of the Department of Magic, had reported to the advisory council that the teleportation array for the knights could not be activated.
Setting up a large teleportation array capable of transporting knights was no simple task. Ideally, a magician skilled in arrays without predetermined destinations would rush to the scene with the array for the destination and wait for the knights to teleport. However, it appeared that the array’s spell formula had been altered, preventing the usual procedure. Consequently, the knights had to travel part of the way by horse and then continue on foot to the site of the monster stampede.
In the meantime, the damage was likely increasing. The miasma, visible through the window, had only grown denser. Moreover, if the teleportation array was unusable, the knights and magicians would have to cut their way from the outer edges of the monster stampede to the center. Since the monsters were most active at the miasma’s core, it would take much longer to carve through from the outside than to teleport directly to the center and deal with them all at once. It was inevitable that casualties among the extermination team would rise.
"I hope they’re safe."
"—Yes."
Even Riley could clearly see the poor handling of the situation. Clyde, too, seemed to understand, his usually impassive eyes showing a hint of bitterness.
The lack of coordination between the Department of Magic and the knights was glaring, and the palace’s decision-making process was dreadfully slow. Normally, the king would make a decisive command with a single word, but the current method of discussing and then relaying decisions through the advisory council was the cause of the delay. Since the final decision-making power lay with the prime minister, Riley momentarily thought that forceful action might be needed, but he reconsidered.
Duke Clark intended to focus on defending the capital and delay responses to the monster stampede. It was only due to the strong opposition from Duke Ealdred, one of the three grand dukes attending the birth festival, that Duke Clark had reluctantly accepted the knights’ deployment to the scene.
Riley did not know which judgment was correct. Perhaps there was no right answer. Yet, he couldn’t help but recall the prime minister’s exasperated words.
<Your Highness, if you attempt to save everything, you will lose everything. To save a hundred, you must be prepared to sacrifice one.>
These were the words Riley had been told repeatedly by his bedridden grandfather. For about two years, since he had heard of his grandfather’s "burden of legacy" from his father, Riley still had not found his path.
He furrowed his brow and looked down, even forgetting that Clyde was standing before him.
"Your Highness, I am summoned by my father, so if you will excuse me..."
Clyde’s words brought Riley back to his senses. He forced a semblance of a smile and answered calmly.
"Ah, that’s fine. I won’t keep you."
"Thank you. Please call for me if needed again."
Clyde bowed and began to leave, but before departing, he added, "Just one more thing, though this is a bit of a tangent." Riley, watching Clyde leave, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"
Clyde lowered his voice slightly. "My sister has fallen ill, and I am currently renting a room for her."
"Liliana—?”
Riley’s eyes widened. When the report of the monster stampede had come in, Liliana had appeared to be in good health. It must have been after that incident that her condition worsened. Suddenly feeling anxious, Riley asked in a low voice, "Where is she?"
Clyde quietly provided the location of the guest room and mentioned that a maid was attending to her. Riley nodded.
"I understand. —Thank you."
"Your words are too kind," Clyde replied quietly and finally left the room. Riley suppressed his restless heart and headed towards the room where Liliana was staying. The palace was still in an unsettled state. Most of the nobles who had attended the birth festival had returned to their respective places, bringing some degree of calm, but the ongoing emergency remained unchanged.
The room where Liliana was staying was a guest room relatively close to the royal family's private quarters. Riley frowned when he noticed there were no guards outside the door, but he reconsidered, thinking it was likely that they had been dismissed due to the emergency. Originally, neither Liliana nor Clyde was scheduled to stay at the palace, and since the Duke of Clark’s residence was not too far from the capital, they probably left their guards there.
"I would like to stay with her, but—"
It was unfortunate to ask the busy knights engaged in monster extermination for such a favor, and it would be highly inappropriate for Riley himself to stay there as a guard. Moreover, Riley was concerned about Duke Clark, who wanted to exclude Liliana from the list of potential fiancées. Riley himself was still uncertain and could not afford to make any mistakes.
Certainly, Liliana’s presence was the most calming, and conversations with her were enjoyable. She was also the person he respected the most. Her extensive knowledge and her innovative ideas were impressive. Particularly, during their recent visit to the dyeing special zone in the Duke of Clark’s territory, her concept of "patents" was revolutionary.
However, as the crown prince, he could not decide on a marriage partner based on momentary emotions.
Riley knocked on the door to Liliana’s room. When there was no response, he thought for a moment and knocked on the door of the adjacent small room. He expected to find a maid there, and indeed, he quickly received a reply. He had met Marianne, the maid attending Liliana, a few times, but this was the first occasion they had spoken. From their previous encounters, Riley had noticed that Marianne seemed to watch over his relationship with Liliana with a fond gaze. Marianne was six years older than Riley and eight years older than Liliana. She often looked at them with a loving gaze, as if she were watching over beloved younger siblings, even though she usually maintained a perfectly composed demeanor. However, the more time they spent together, the more likely it was for her façade to slip.
Marianne appeared surprised to see Riley but soon seemed to understand that he had come to see Liliana.
"I’m sorry, but the young lady is currently resting. Should I wake her?"
"No, if she’s asleep, it’s fine. I understand it’s not ideal, but—" Riley hesitated. "I heard from Clyde that she is unwell. I’d just like to check on her."
Riley looked at Marianne with a troubled expression, seeking her approval. Marianne, after some hesitation and observing Riley’s pale face, sighed and reluctantly agreed, "If it’s only for a short while."
Riley verified that there were no onlookers and entered the room.
"—This is—”
Riley gasped involuntarily. Marianne, unaware of this, had not noticed the soundproof barrier that had been set up. It was extremely well-crafted, making it difficult to detect its presence. Such a high level of skill was impressive.
Unaware of Riley's surprise, Marianne spoke toward the bulge in the bedding.
"Young Lady, His Highness is here."
However, the silver-haired head peeking from under the covers remained still. Marianne glanced apologetically at Riley, her eyes reflecting concern for her unresponsive mistress.
Having recovered from the shock of the soundproof barrier, Riley smiled reassuringly and nodded.
"I'm only here to see her face."
"—Understood."
Marianne, having nodded in agreement, moved to the edge of the room. Riley gently lifted the sheets, carefully revealing the face hidden beneath. Holding his breath, he peered through the gap to confirm what he had suspected. As he expected, there was Liliana, sleeping peacefully.
Though he had a vague premonition, the sight was still unsettling.
"She seems to be sleeping very well. Let's leave her undisturbed."
Riley replaced the sheets and whispered to Marianne with a nonchalant expression. Marianne, still with a worried look, nodded in agreement. Riley was now certain of his suspicions.
He offered Marianne some kind words, advising her to rest as well, and then left the guest room. His steps quickened as he headed toward his own chambers.
—So it was true.
He felt his intuition had not been mistaken. His suspicions about Liliana, which had started when he visited the Duke of Clark’s territory last year, had now been confirmed. Even if it was a coincidence once, it had become a certainty the second time.
—Liliana can use magic. Likely without incantations, and her ability is not limited by the attributes of the spell. Moreover, she can maintain high-level magic even when she is not present. She possesses an astonishing ability.
The soundproof barrier in the guest room that Riley had just left was set up by Liliana. The residual magical energy did not belong to Marianne or Clyde. Marianne had not noticed, but the figure on the bed was an illusion. The illusion was so sophisticated that it even mimicked Liliana’s breathing. Though illusions usually lack warmth, the sleeping Liliana felt warm.
Riley had almost been deceived at first. His suspicion and a stroke of luck had helped him. He had caught a fleeting fluctuation in the magic.
At this realization, Riley bit his lip.
Liliana was not in the guest room. Where could she have gone? She had disappeared without informing her brother or her maid. Given the timing, it was likely related to the monster stampede in some way. Whether she was alone or had accomplices was unknown. He felt he should have been informed, yet he couldn’t help but self-mockingly wonder why he thought he would be told, given the lack of opportunity or relationship.
Riley was not trusted by Liliana, and their relationship was too tenuous for him to predict her thoughts or actions. While he suspected she was an excellent mage, he had no idea of the extent of her abilities. This only fueled his anxiety and concern further.
As time passed and his realization deepened, Riley felt as if he might fall into a state of utter bewilderment. His eyes stung, but he gritted his teeth and endured. He clenched his fists tightly, not caring that blood began to seep from his palms. He steadied his breathing and desperately tried to suppress the raging emotions within him. If he did not, he feared he would be consumed by despair, feeling that he had no place among the nobility of the royal palace or the trust of his fiancée candidate, Liliana. Such feelings were unbecoming of a crown prince.
Therefore, Riley fought to calm himself. By focusing only on the facts and diverting his thoughts from emotions, he hoped to contain his fragile heart that was on the brink of breaking down.
"Did Father know about her abilities? No, that can't be."
If it had been known that Liliana possessed power that could make her one of the greatest—no, the unparalleled—mages in the kingdom of Slibegrad, she would have been confirmed as his fiancée from the start. Her abilities were so compelling that her status and origins alone would not suffice to explain her attractiveness. The fact that she was a candidate for engagement indicated that her magical prowess was not yet known.
"Of course, the maid and Clyde wouldn't know either."
If they did, Clyde would not have sent Riley to see her. Then, could it be that Duke Clark knew of Liliana's abilities and was concealing them? This possibility could not be dismissed. Duke Clark wished to remove Liliana from the list of fiancée candidates.
—Could it be that Liliana is keeping her magical abilities a secret from me because she also wants to withdraw from being a fiancée candidate?
The thought caused a severe pain in Riley's chest. The time spent engaging in candid discussions with Liliana was invaluable to him. The idea of losing that time filled him with a sense of loss and anxiety.
Lost in thoughts of problems that seemed impossible to resolve, Riley found himself arriving at his own chambers without realizing it.
—