The Second Prince’s Seclusion (6)
Ever since the entrance ceremony, Iriel Eustia hadn't been able to sleep properly.
[Iriel Eustia, get lost.]
His words, spoken with a cold gaze, echoed in her mind.
Iriel shook her head, tugging at her hair in frustration.
Exhausted, she'd stuff her face with bread, barely managing to fall asleep. It had become a daily routine.
‘Is there something in this bread? It makes me feel better whenever I eat it.’
Her mood slightly improved, and Iriel drifted off to sleep. And as always, she dreamt of her childhood.
**
A boy with black hair followed his father into the lord's office.
The boy's face, a shadow trailing behind his father, was devoid of expression.
His eyes, as dark as night, held a deep sadness, and his clothes and hands were always stained with dried blood.
Young Iriel ran straight to the lord's office and flung the door open.
“Father!!”
“Ah, Iriel. What brings you here?”
“Who's that?”
She pointed at the boy, her curiosity piqued.
“Someone insignificant you don't need to know about.”
Despite calling him insignificant, her father never revealed the boy's identity.
She had asked a few more times, but her father only told her to drop it.
‘Hmph! You think that'll stop me!?'
Iriel Eustia, the most mischievous young lady ever born into the Eustia family, refused to let her curiosity die.
Whenever her father left the mansion alone, Iriel would wait until nightfall, hidden under her covers, before sneaking out.
Taking advantage of her small size, she moved swiftly, avoiding the watchful eyes of the patrolling guards.
‘I'm sure I saw him heading to the basement last time…….’
Two guards were always stationed near the basement entrance.
Hiding behind a statue, Iriel waited patiently, stifling a yawn.
“Hey, it's almost time for our shift change.”
“Yeah. Almost dozed off there.”
“Yawn. Hey, I need to pee.”
“Hold it. I need to go too. I'll go first, you wait here.”
“Let's just go together. The lord isn't here anyway. It'll only take a second, and the next shift will be here soon.”
As the two guards left their post, Iriel stood before the dark basement entrance, her brow furrowed.
It felt like the ominous maw of a terrifying monster, forbidding entry.
The basement was off-limits by her father's order, a place she had never set foot in.
However, not even his command could suppress Iriel's burning curiosity.
She crept down the stairs, finding herself in a narrow, prison-like corridor lined with doors on both sides.
Sparsely placed candles cast eerie shadows, and the far end was shrouded in complete darkness.
‘I, I'm scared. And there are too many doors……. Where is he?’
The thought of encountering a stranger if she opened the wrong door filled Iriel with apprehension.
As she stood there, arms crossed and deep in thought, a faint, savory aroma reached her nose.
Her eyes fell upon a trail of bread crumbs scattered beneath a nearby door.
“Oh! Bread!”
She dashed towards the crumbs, scooped them up, and popped them into her mouth.
Crunch.
The texture was rough, unlike any bread she was accustomed to.
Ptooey! Ptooey!
She immediately spat it out.
“Ugh. Disgusting.”
“Who's there?”
Creak.
The door in front of her creaked open, revealing the boy.
He stared down at the small girl with an impassive face.
His eyes widened slightly as they landed on Iriel's fiery red hair.
“L, Lady Iriel Eustia?”
“Yep! It's me, Iriel!”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. What are you doing here at this late hour…….”
“Just came to play!”
Without waiting for his permission, Iriel darted into the room.
A single candle flickered, casting a dim light on the boy's sparsely furnished room.
The walls were bare, painted a dull gray, and a lone bed occupied the space.
The atmosphere was gloomy and depressing.
Iriel hopped onto the bed, only to grimace at the stiff mattress.
“Ugh, you live here?”
“…….”
“It must be so boring with nothing in here. My room is full of fun things.”
“……Please leave. If the lord finds you here, he'll be furious.”
“And the bed is terrible. Mine is so pretty and soft and comfy.”
“……Please leave.”
“Heehee, nope~ Bleeeh~”
Iriel winked and stuck her tongue out playfully.
Sigh…
The boy let out a deep sigh.
Then, his expression suddenly hardened, and he growled.
“Iriel Eustia. Get lost.”
Gasp!
Iriel's eyes flew open as she sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. Her back was damp with cold sweat.
That nightmare again.
No, it wasn't a nightmare.
Those memories with Zeke couldn't be bad; they were precious to her.
But the reality was too hard to believe.
“You idiot……. You promised you'd protect me……”
Iriel mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest.
**
Since that day, Iriel had been gathering information about Zeke relentlessly.
However, she was too afraid of facing another cold rejection to approach him directly.
When she heard he was carrying a baguette around, a glimmer of hope ignited within her, a hope that he might come back to her.
‘That's our special memory.’
But all the news that followed was too outrageous to believe.
They said he cared about commoners.
That he beat up the Second Prince.
That he had connections to the First Prince.
That he ruthlessly trained his students regardless of their status during his demonstration class.
And Selena Yohaiden…….
Grit.
‘Zeke, don't tell me you fell for that airhead…!?'
Unable to believe the rumors, Iriel resorted to following him herself.
And what she witnessed was an unbelievable, no, an unbearable sight.
Zeke was walking with Selena in his arms, his expression uncharacteristically gentle.
‘No. Zeke. Not her. You, you're mine!!!'
It was as if the last precious piece of bread, or a cherished jewel, had been snatched away right before her eyes.
She imagined Selena Yohaiden, wearing a smug grin, snatching Zeke away from her.
‘What did I do wrong?’
Was it because she had been a brat all this time……?
No. He wouldn't change because of something like that…….
Or……. she couldn't be sure.
Five years had passed since he left the mansion.
And another five while he was away in the military.
The ten years they spent apart had sown seeds of doubt and insecurity in Iriel's heart.
She had written countless letters to the military, hoping to find him, to see him again.
But all that came back were rejections.
After she applied to the academy, determined to find a way to bring him back, his words from the past echoed in her mind.
I'm going to go far away someday when I have enough money. Somewhere no one knows me.
Because of those words, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake by transferring all his money to the military.
She had intended to return it all to him.
The unwavering loyalty she had always felt for him crumbled in an instant.
Iriel realized then, with a strange sense of clarity, that she had always taken it for granted that Zeke belonged to her.
‘I feel suffocated.’
Thump. Thump.
She pounded on her chest, but the suffocating feeling wouldn't go away.
Looking around, she found her room in disarray.
The half-eaten baguette from yesterday lay discarded on the floor.
Iriel rose from her bed silently and picked up the fallen crumbs from a corner.
Crunch.
* * *
At an upscale restaurant, chaos erupted before the evening rush.
“Hey, hey! Hurry! Make it fast! This order takes priority over everything else!!”
“What, why? What's going on? What's with all the fuss?”
“The Second Prince, Princess Yohaiden, and Princess Eustia just walked in!”
“What!?”
The chefs sprang into action, their movements a blur as they prepared the dishes with newfound fervor and the effort of a lifetime.
If even one of them wasn't satisfied, the restaurant might as well close its doors that very day.
“Th, this is, uh, steak made with veal……. Raised on a pasture with soothing music……”
“And this is cheese aged for three years in the snowy mountains……”
A waiter, forcing a smile on his face, explained each dish with a trembling voice as they were brought to the table.
Despite the rapid-fire succession of meticulously crafted dishes filling the table, an unsettling silence hung in the air.
‘Why the hell did he follow us here!?’
Rosnante gritted his teeth.
As an instructor, shouldn't he have the decency to read the atmosphere?
After the First Prince's visit to his room, Rosnante, who had been on the verge of giving up, felt a flicker of hope rekindled within him.
Of course, the current situation was far from ideal.
Those who had once supported him now viewed him with suspicion, and even his swordsmanship, his pride and joy, had been surpassed.
‘And, and that pants-wetting incident…….’
Rosnante cringed inwardly, trying to banish the humiliating memory from his mind.
But the individuals present at the table were:
Two young ladies from duke families.
A count's daughter, albeit associated with the First Prince.
And a commoner girl.
Setting aside the commoner, this was an opportunity too good to pass up, a chance to rebuild his power base.
He might even be able to amass a following larger than the First Prince's.
‘Right, I'll start over from here. They're all women. I'm bound to stand out.’
With renewed determination, Rosnante practically inhaled his kimchi stew.
He had proposed this dinner gathering to make his move, but Zeke Clayman, that damn instructor, had ruined everything.
However, fear kept him from voicing his complaints.
As the last dish arrived, Zeke finally broke the silence.
“Let's eat.”
At his words, the students picked up their forks and knives and began to eat.
Soi Spoon, having never been to such a fancy restaurant before, sn glanced nervously at the others, mimicking their every move.
As the silent meal continued, Iriel spoke up.
“Zeke……. What's that?”
“?”
Zeke looked at her with a puzzled expression. Iriel pointed her knife at something in Zeke's hand.
“That.”
She was referring to a small wooden spoon.
“You used to be so picky about those kinds of things.”
‘This body… Is it interrupting me every time I try to do something because of the original's habits?’
Despite Iriel's suspicions, Zeke maintained a poker face.
“We all use these in the military. I can't just use something else because I want to.”
“R, right……. Ten years. It's been ten years……”
Iriel's eyes trembled as she forced a smile.
Just then,
“Iriel Eustia. Why are you speaking informally?”
Rosnante interjected, unable to read the room.
‘This clueless bastard. This was my chance to extract some information about this body.’
Zeke glared at Rosnante.
“Zeke, you want me to speak formally to you too?”
Iriel asked, completely ignoring the Second Prince.
Zeke sighed.
“Fine, do as you please. But stick to formal speech within the academy to avoid standing out.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Iriel readily agreed to Zeke's words.
Meanwhile, Selena's heart burned with jealousy.
‘What is going on? Why is she looking at the instructor like that? Did something happen between them in the past!?'
Selena knew Zeke had amnesia.
And because of that, she had no idea what kind of relationship Iriel Eustia and Zeke Clayman had in the past.
Suddenly, Selena glanced around the table.
‘Not just Iriel Eustia……. What's with the ratio……’
Her gaze swept over each person present.
The commoner girl. The count's daughter. Iriel Eustia. And herself.
They were all incredibly beautiful, like something out of a painting!
‘How did this happen? Why……’
Despite the grueling training that awaited them, she found herself in this absurd situation, surrounded by three other women.
Selena sighed deeply.
Rosnante, once again, was completely forgotten.
**
As the meal progressed, Soi Spoon, feeling the pressure of the situation, accidentally applied too much force while cutting her steak.
Thwap!
Sauce splattered onto Zeke's clothes.
“Eep! I, I'm so sorry!”
“It's alright, Elise.”
Soi apologized profusely, her eyes squeezed shut.
“I'll go clean this up. Please continue your meal.”
With those words, Zeke rose from his seat.
The moment he left, the heavy silence descended upon the group once more.
Selena and Iriel, their animosity palpable.
Soi Spoon, feeling small and insignificant among the nobles.
Yuri Gilbert, who remained silent throughout.
And Rosnante Leonine, the Second Prince, was rendered speechless by Zeke's presence.
‘Finally!! The commoner girl did it! She actually did it!’
Rosnante rejoiced inwardly.
The moment Zeke was gone, he was a changed man, his voice regaining its usual arrogance.
“First of all, we're all students in the same academy, in the same year, taking the same classes. We'll be seeing each other for the next four years. How about we all drop the formalities and speak comfortably?”
Rosnante, aiming to bring everyone under his wing, decided to show generosity.
Of course, the thought of a commoner daring to speak informally to him was a little irksome, but considering her recent accomplishment of driving Zeke away, he decided to be magnanimous.
Before, it would have been an empty gesture, but this time, he meant it.
‘Yes, I've changed. I'm different now.’
“……Let's do that.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Y, yes! Let's!”
Nod.
Despite his benevolent offer, aside from Elise, the other girls responded with indifference.
To the daughters of dukes, the authority of a prince who wasn't even the crown prince was nothing more than an inconvenience. It held no real power over them.
Their minds were preoccupied with Zeke.
‘Well, at least the commoner knows her place.’
Rosnante turned his attention to Soi Spoon.
“You said your name was Elise?”
“Yes!? I mean, no, I, I mean yes!”
Rosnante chuckled at Soi Spoon's flustered response.
With Zeke out of the picture, the atmosphere had finally lightened up.
As he thought, that guy was all brawn and no brains, completely inept at this kind of social interaction.
‘I'll take the lead from here.’
“So, tell me, what are your favorite foods?”
“……Baguettes.”
“……Bread.”
Iriel and Soi Spoon answered almost simultaneously, their responses instinctive.
Their eyes met across the table.
“You like bread?”
Iriel was the first to speak, directing her question at Soi.
“Yes! My family opened a bakery. Have you tried it?”
“Where is it? I've tried most of the bakeries around here.”
“It's called Heilace Bakery!”
“!”
Iriel's eyes widened.
All the bread she had been enjoying lately came from Heilace Bakery.
To think that the person who made it was right here in front of her!
Iriel had been meaning to find the owner and compliment their baking.
Finally, a topic she enjoyed!
Talking about something she loved helped ease the anxiety that Zeke had stirred within her.
“You make that bread?”
“Yes! I make some of them, and so do my mom and sister. My little brother hasn't started baking yet.”
“Hmm, I must commend you. Keep up the good work.”
“Thank you! I'm glad you like it!”
As the two girls delved into a lively conversation about bread, the others felt a little left out.
‘This isn't right!’
Rosnante's eyes darted back and forth, desperate for an opportunity to interject.
“So, who makes the bread in the morning? It was especially delicious one day.”
“In the morning?”
“Yes.”
“Rock, paper, scissors.”
Finally seizing his chance, Rosnante unleashed his ultimate conversation starter!
“So, who's 'Rock Paper'? Is she a famous baker?”
Rock, paper, scissors...
Rock, paper, scissors...
Rock, paper, 'scissors'...
At first, the girls were confused, but as the meaning of his words sunk in, their expressions morphed into looks of utter disgust.
If not for his status as the Second Prince, they would have stormed out of the restaurant right then and there.
‘What? This usually kills at noble gatherings! What went wrong!?’
Rosnante broke out in a cold sweat.
**
Zeke returned to the table after cleaning up, expecting to find the students warming up to each other.
Instead, he was met with the sight of Rosnante being subjected to withering stares from everyone else.
‘What happened?’
He had a feeling asking the Second Prince would be futile.
He turned to Selena for answers, but she simply shook her head.
Iriel did the same.
‘As for Soi Spoon… It's no use asking her.’
She was already on edge, surrounded by nobles. There was no way she'd be able to explain coherently, especially if it involved something the Second Prince had done.
Zeke turned to Yuri Gilbert, the girl with black hair and black eyes.
“What happened?”
Yuri let out a heavy sigh and scurried over to him, whispering the whole story in his ear.
As Zeke listened, he couldn't help but close his eyes in exasperation.
‘What kind of an idiot… He's making those awful jokes here, of all places? Is this really the best the romance fantasy genre could come up with for a male lead candidate?’
What kind of writing could possibly redeem this imbecile and make him a believable romantic interest?
'Soi Spoon? Was that your type?'
He snuck a glance at her, only to find her struggling to conceal her disgust. It seemed she wasn't on board with Rosnante's antics either.
The original author of this novel must have been either incredibly talented or utterly impervious to criticism to even attempt to pass this guy off as a viable love interest.
“Rosnante.”
Zeke called out, his voice cold.
“Y-Yes?!”
“From now on, do everyone a favor and keep quiet during my classes. You're making our ears bleed.”
Zeke's words were met with sighs of relief and approving nods from everyone else at the table.
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