The First Prince, Adrian (1)
“I’ve never been told in my life that I lack perception.”
Having lived as an assassin for nearly twenty years, if I truly lacked perception, I would have met my end long ago.
Kaiden simply gazed at me in silence.
[It seems there are no honest people around you.]
Hardly. The problem had always been that everyone around me was brutally, almost rudely honest.
I recalled the people I had worked with in the organization, then pushed the thought away.
[Or perhaps you simply struggle with self-awareness. At this rate, I may come to regret forming an alliance with you.]
On what grounds was he claiming I lacked perception or self-awareness? The one lacking perception was him, spouting nonsense without recognizing who I truly was—the former leader of an assassin guild.
‘Calm down, Kayla Angel. He is a king.’
I needed to exercise more patience than usual. If my inner thoughts slipped out, it would be troublesome.
I reflexively steadied my twitching eyebrows and answered politely.
“Do not worry. You will have no reason to regret it.”
Kaiden let out a soft chuckle.
[That confidence of yours is rather appealing.]
“If I obtain any new information regarding Angel’s Breath, I will contact you immediately.”
[I shall wait.]
“Then, if you will excuse me……”
As I moved to end the communication, Kaiden raised his hand in haste.
[Wait.]
“What is it?”
[There is one more favor I would ask of you.]
“What is it?”
At my question, Kaiden smiled meaningfully.
[Could you keep an eye on the temple personnel entering and leaving the imperial palace? Look for anyone suspicious.]
Temple personnel—did he mean the priests of the Leon Holy Kingdom?
Why the sudden interest in priests?
“I will do so. It is not a difficult task. However……”
I hesitated briefly before continuing.
“May I ask why you are making this request?”
[Regrettably, I cannot tell you just yet.]
Kaiden lifted one corner of his mouth.
[But if my suspicions are correct, you will naturally come to understand the reason soon enough.]
What exactly was he suspecting?
I gave him a puzzled look.
[It was a pleasure seeing your face, Lady Brown. I hope you remain well until we meet again.]
Before I could respond, the communication ended abruptly with Kaiden’s farewell.
I stared blankly at the now-darkened orb.
“……Hah.”
Only then did I realize he had cut the connection first, beating me to it.
* * *
The Imperial Central Library.
Attached directly to the Emperor’s Palace, it was the largest library in the empire, housing an immeasurable collection of books. Though grander than most palaces, it remained deathly silent.
Only members of the imperial family and permitted nobles could use it, so despite its size, the number of visitors was always few.
“It should be around here somewhere……”
It had been a long time since the Third Prince Edwin had visited the Central Library instead of the one attached to his own residence.
“The book Master mentioned……”
The prince was wandering through the vast hall in search of the book Sage had requested.
His master, still troubled by the mutant monsters that had appeared in Luxen, had asked him to borrow books related to monsters and mana stones.
“The librarian definitely said it would be this way……”
After passing dozens of towering bookshelves that reached the ceiling, Edwin turned the final corner.
“Ah.”
A soft exclamation escaped him before he could stop it.
At a wide table by the window sat someone reading a book.
It was the First Prince, Adrian.
‘Brother Adrian.’
Adrian Sapiens Ventrum, the First Prince.
The fifteen-year-old prince was a frail boy with red hair and ash-gray eyes.
His slightly drooping eye corners resembled the Emperor’s, but overall he took after the Empress, giving him the appearance of someone from the Crowner family even from a distance.
Yet unlike his uncle, Duke Crowner, he exuded a gentle and intellectual air.
‘Come to think of it, Brother was known as a voracious reader.’
Without realizing it, Edwin found himself staring at Adrian as he read.
Bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, the First Prince’s figure while reading had an oddly captivating quality.
‘Ah, I should greet him……’
Should he?
Edwin hid half his body behind a bookshelf, hesitating.
While he and the Second Prince Lloyd were bitter enemies, his relationship with the First Prince Adrian was far more ambiguous.
Neither particularly close nor distant.
For one thing, the First Prince had never shown the slightest interest in him.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Brother show interest in anyone.’
Adrian was equally indifferent to everyone.
Unless the Empress spoke first, he never greeted others or acknowledged them.
‘He always wears that expressionless face. I can never tell what he’s thinking.’
His perpetually calm and leisurely expression made it impossible to discern whether he cared or not.
Even when Empress Melanie drank poison in the Empress’s Palace, Adrian had remained as impassive as ever.
‘That must be the difference between someone destined to become crown prince.’
The noble faction strongly supported the Second Prince Lloyd as the next emperor, but families loyal to the Emperor, including Duke Crowner’s household, all wished for the First Prince to succeed the throne.
Aside from his weak constitution, his knowledge and refinement were impeccable.
‘Still, one thing is certain—he truly loves books.’
Adrian’s expression, focused on the pages before him, looked more at peace than usual.
Watching him, Edwin felt reluctant to disturb the First Prince’s reading time.
‘I should just leave quietly.’
Just as Edwin turned to go, a voice spoke.
“If you’re here, sit down.”
“Ah, yes?”
“You came to read, didn’t you? There’s an empty seat, so sit.”
He hadn’t come to read—he had come to borrow a book.
Flustered, Edwin fidgeted in place before grabbing a random book from the shelf.
He hesitantly pulled out the chair across from Adrian and sat down.
“……It’s been a while, Brother Adrian.”
Overcoming his awkwardness, Edwin offered a greeting first.
Yet despite having invited him to sit, Adrian’s response was utterly indifferent.
His eyes remained fixed on his book, offering no reply.
“……Ah, I should read too.”
Edwin forced an awkward smile and opened the book he had picked without even checking the title.
The Tale of the Scariest Mage in the World
Unfortunately, the book the Third Prince had chosen was a childish fairy tale meant for bedtime stories.
Of all times to pick something like this in front of Adrian.
Edwin’s face flushed with embarrassment.
He tried to flip through the pages as if nothing were wrong, but the further he went, the more illustrations appeared than text.
And they were grotesque ones—the scariest mage in the world boiling children alive in a cauldron.
“How unexpected.”
While Edwin debated whether to fetch another book, a voice came from across the table.
“I didn’t think you’d be interested in something like that.”
“……Pardon?”
“I thought you were interested in ancient civilizations.”
Ancient civilizations?
Edwin looked at Adrian in confusion.
“That book records the academic basis for how the Leon Holy Kingdom sealed away forbidden ancient magic that could artificially create the strongest mage in the world……”
Adrian’s face stiffened slightly as he rattled off the explanation.
He sighed quietly as he looked at Edwin’s still-bewildered expression.
“So you just grabbed it at random. I thought you shared my interest in ancient civilizations. If you’re not interested, then……”
“No! I am interested! In ancient civilizations!”
Edwin quickly interjected.
He had belatedly noticed that the mountain of books piled beside the First Prince were all related to ancient civilizations.
“So you’re also deeply interested in ancient civilizations, Brother! I had no idea!”
“……You really are interested?”
“Yes! Of course!”
In truth, Edwin had little interest in ancient civilizations.
Sage had mentioned them in passing during lessons, but that was all.
After all, knowledge of ancient civilizations was utterly unnecessary for becoming emperor.
“I found the stories about Atlan fascinating. A kingdom where people live underwater—how incredible.”
“You know about Atlan?”
“Of course! I told you I like it!”
Atlan was the name of an ancient underwater kingdom said to have vanished from the continent.
Merchants who traveled the continent claimed there was an island called Atlan at the edge of the western sea, inhabited by mermaids, though there was no way to verify the truth.
Thus, scholars studying the continent’s history had long concluded that Atlan was a kingdom that never existed.
Edwin himself would never have known of its existence if Sage hadn’t told him.
“……They say when someone changes suddenly, it means they’re nearing death.”
Adrian gazed at Edwin quietly before continuing.
“Do you think so too?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Edwin broke into a cold sweat.
For some reason, it felt as though the question was aimed directly at him.
“I don’t think so.”
Fortunately, Adrian answered his own question.
“I’m close to death, yet I’ve always remained the same.”