Ludwig welcomed an ordinary morning much like any other. Awakened by the chirping of birds, he sipped the cup of coffee brought by his butler.
The opened window was plastered with leaves, forming a dense wall that resembled a forest.
Stretching with a tousle of his hair, Ludwig caught the attention of the court knights and maids below, his slender physique and the muscles along his back almost sensually outlined with each movement.
Indeed, he looked more divine than human.
However, every morning he would sing what seemed like a religious ritual, but it sounded so much like a pig being slaughtered that it was agonizing to hear.
Once he started, the cacophony could last for hours, forcing everyone to endure the noise.
Moreover, his self-composed songs were not only self-praising but also completely off in pitch and rhythm.
“The birds flying by must be laughing at me—smitten by my dazzling beauty—wow, wow.”
“And so it begins,” said Robert, standing guard at the door, covering his ears in distress as Elias approached him.
“They’re training the knights at this hour, aren’t they?”
“I’ve told the deputy commander to yell as loud as possible.”
Elias nodded, looking troubled.
“Starting tomorrow, we should add the cavalry training at this time too.”
“Ha, even the future prime minister can’t stand it. Ludwig must have swallowed a live bombshell or something,” Robert said without restraint. He was both Ludwig’s subject and a friend from their days at the Imperial Elton Academy.
“He pretends to be elegant, noble, and everything he’s not, every single morning.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
Although Elias frowned, he refrained from saying more harsh words.
Ludwig, overhearing Robert’s muttering, quietly murmured to himself.
“…I hear it all. The Crown Prince is the face of the empire. He should know public from private matters.”
Standing in front of a full-length mirror, he savored his appearance from head to toe, a true textbook case of ‘prince syndrome’.
“As a royal, I am a treasure of the empire. In that sense, maybe I should try the perfume I got recently? And wear the bracelet studded with diamonds for a finishing touch.”
Ludwig pushed aside a bookshelf in his bedroom, revealing a hidden door to a treasure room. The treasury was filled with jewels, and Ludwig smiled contentedly at the opulence and beauty.
But the bracelet that was always in the same spot was missing.
“Robert! Elias!”
“What’s the matter?”
At Ludwig’s alarmed voice, the two rushed over.
“My bracelet is gone.”
***
Gale, Ariel, and Anna were descending a hillside in a carriage. The sunset outside the window bled into the sky like autumn leaves.
The carriage was so worn it was hard to believe it carried royalty.
Ariel looked no different from Anna, but Gale stood out. His attire, though not flashy, was wrapped in silk, showing a noble demeanor.
“Ariel, there’s an inn coming up. Let’s stop there for dinner and spend the night.”
“Okay, got it.”
Ariel responded with a bright smile.
Gale finally took a good look at Ariel, whom he hadn’t seen in years. He pretended not to know about the kingdom’s affairs, but seeing Ariel’s gaunt appearance troubled him deeply.
It was true that while he stayed at the Imperial Elton Academy dormitory, Gale had indulged in luxuries beyond his means.
“Damn it. I must find that swindler Alfred somehow…”
Alfred was the Crown Prince’s cousin and next in line for the throne after Ian, the head of the imperial magic tower.
Therefore, Gale had befriended the slightly older Alfred, who was of royal descent, during their time at the Imperial Elton Academy.
Their usual pastimes included gambling and extravagant parties, but they never engaged in anything truly morally questionable.
However, one day, they committed the enormous crime of stealing the Crown Prince’s bracelet.
Once Alfred had possession of the bracelet, he borrowed a large sum of money from the most prominent merchant of the Romanovs and disappeared.
Strictly speaking, while Alfred handled the disposal of the bracelet, it was Gale who had actually stolen it.
“Damn, I need to find that bastard Alfred first…”
Gale gritted his teeth, while Ariel, who was naturally optimistic, smiled thinking happy thoughts across from him.
“A prosperous empire’s maidservant is far more romantic than a princess from a declining kingdom.”
Gale looked at his only sister with these thoughts.
***
“Where is he? The head of the magic tower?”
Ludwig paced frantically between Elias and Robert, who had gathered the knights around.
“We’ve contacted the magic tower.”
“And why hasn’t he arrived yet? With his abilities, he should be here by now.”
“I suppose he’ll be here soon.”
“Soon? When is soon? How can you be so calm? Do you know what kind of bracelet it was? Are all these knights just for show?”
Ludwig’s eyes blazed with anger.
“Robert.”
“Yes, sir!”
“I won’t let this go. Not only will we find the thief and whoever commissioned the theft, but we’ll also thoroughly investigate and severely punish the knights of the Crown Prince’s Palace who should’ve been guarding him.”
Ludwig surveyed his confidants with a steely gaze, radiating an overwhelming presence.
He turned around with his shoulders tensed in anger, but the tension did not dissipate.
“Ah…”
As Ludwig headed towards the palace gardens, his heart felt so heavy it was suffocating.
It wasn’t just a simple piece of jewelry. The bracelet was an heirloom from his grandmother, capable of infinitely expanding to store objects and was zealously guarded by his mother.
It contained the imperial seal along with various important documents, symbolizing the Crown Prince’s authority.
Losing the bracelet could jeopardize his position as the heir.
“Who could it possibly be?”
The suspects were abundant.
The current emperor was the younger brother of the previous ruler, while the eldest son was the father of Ian. In the struggle for the throne, the current emperor, the father of Ludwig, had emerged victorious, but the process had been a bloody massacre.
Having witnessed that gruesome process, the Crown Prince trusted no one.
He was aware of the threat posed by two factions: the Ianites, who supported Ian’s claim, and the Charmant faction, centered around the Empress. Both groups were vehemently opposed to the Crown Prince.
For the Crown Prince to survive and successfully inherit the throne, his character could neither be too exceptional nor deficient.
He had to feign a bit of madness, a touch of intelligence. As a result, it was true that he somewhat exaggerated his self-presentation.
A Crown Prince who knew only how to love himself.
At first, it was just a facade, but soon he genuinely lost interest in anyone but himself.
Just surviving under the ruthless gaze of his biological father, the emperor, was already a heavy burden.
Especially since his mother’s death and with his stepmother, Queen Elaine, and his half-brother constantly eyeing the throne, it was critical that the loss of the seal did not leak to the outside.
“We need to find that bracelet quickly…”
***
The table was sparsely set with thin potato soup and black, hard bread.
Gale tapped the table with his fingers, displeased, while Ariel and Anna reluctantly spooned the soup into their mouths.
“Innkeeper!” Gale called out to the innkeeper with a tone of arrogance.
The busy innkeeper felt no obligation to respond to guests staying in the cheapest room.
“Innkeeper!”
Gale’s voice grew louder and angrier due to the innkeeper’s disregard, but the innkeeper merely glanced over and continued ignoring him.
“Innkeeper, what were you thinking serving us this abysmal food? Even the animals in the stable wouldn’t eat this!”
As Gail shouted, the other patrons snickered, looking at his attire and the food on the table. They knew that the quality of the food was determined by the class of the inn room.
“Just be quiet and eat your food. If the food really is that unbearable, the pretty young lady can come over here and join us.”
A man sitting diagonally across the table, who appeared to be a low-ranking knight, spoke up.
“What did you say?”
Enraged, Gale stood up and reached for the sword at his waist, ready to challenge the man to a duel.
A man from afar had been observing the scene. Realizing that it was time for him to intervene, he rose to his feet.
The man, covered in blood from battling creatures on the continent, had a golden leaf gently land on his shoulder. This leaf was a form of communication; by infusing it with one’s mana, one could transmit thoughts or spoken messages.
And the use of golden leaves for mana transfer was exclusive to those affiliated with the royal family.
—Brother, come quickly. Right now.
Ludwig’s message was simple. There was no mention of how urgent the situation was. However, the call from the Crown Prince could not be ignored, so he had to abandon the monster hunting and rush over.
The man, Ian, used a teleportation spell to his inn room.
After finishing his shower, he headed to the dining area to have his evening meal.
As he looked for a vacant seat, he noticed Gale and Ariel.
Ian had often had to clean up after Alfred’s messes, with Gale invariably involved, prompting Ian to investigate him further. He knew Gale was the prince of the kingdom of Charden and had an unacknowledged twin sister.
Ian had first seen Ariel on a warm spring day.
Ariel had been spinning around in the Charden gardens, holding a hose above her head like a child, laughing innocently as water sprayed around her like a fountain, sparkling in the sunlight.
The carefree laughter of the young girl in the midst of the glistening water made Ian smile involuntarily. That moment felt frozen in time, and the vivid impression was etched into his mind. From then on, Ian realized that the thoughts of the girl had gradually shifted from his mind to his heart.
Whenever he had the chance, he would visit the Charden Kingdom and secretly observe Ariel. And now, the very same girl was right in front of him.
Ian’s heart raced.
“Well, I’m busy, but I guess I’ll hang around here for a bit.”
Ian, appearing as a young man in his twenties with brown hair and green eyes, changed his appearance and approached Gale.
“Your Highness, what a surprise to see you here.”
🍉🍉🍉
