Swoooosh! I heard the Imperial Crown Prince pull back his sword.

‘This extremely crazy bastard. Obviously all of the stats for his humaneness went to his face instead.’

“Haaa…………..”

I sighed in relief and hugged the red pandas that were trying to escape.

Although we were uninvited guests, we needed to be respectful as we were still guests.

I calmly asked the most important question on my mind.

“May I let the kiddos down, your Royal Highness?”

“……”

Crown prince Cédric angrily glared at me.

Others might think this was him saying no, but I was quite familiar with this punk’s speech and gestures.

Since he didn’t say something like ‘do you think it would be?’ This meant that it was okay.

I put the kiddos down and Rhea and Perry quickly ran over to the crown prince and dangled on his knees.

They seemed very happy to see him.

Seeing the two of them put a smile on my face but then I looked up to see that the crown prince had a slightly calmer look than earlier.

‘But he still looks like he has no intention of treating me as a guest.’

“Why don’t we first sit, your Royal Highness?”

I said that and slowly stood up.

My eyes got used to the darkness and I could decently make things out.

The embers were still crackling in the fireplace and there was a pot and some cups, so…… I’ll at least be able to make it look the part.

*

– Chhh……

I carefully poured tea into two cups.

There just happened to be a box of dandelion tea on the mantle in the next room, so I personally brewed it. Thankfully, I did not make any major mistakes.

It was smart of me to watch Benjamin and Ganael as they made tea everyday.

It would be great to have some cookies as well, but, unlike my room, this place did not have any snacks.

‘Well, it’s not good to eat so late anyway.’

I looked up and made eye contact with the crown prince.

He had quietly sat here while I turned on some candles, brewed the tea, and warned the divine beasts to be good.

Although I was not a Holy Knight, even my eyes could see that he looked edgy and unstable.

‘Is he properly getting ether?’

“That, mm…”

I looked toward the balcony while warm steam rose from the cup.

It was so that I could organize my thoughts before I started speaking.

The floating bridge I had crossed was on the ledge.

The three red pandas worked so hard to make it out of vines, allowing me to not step on the ground even once while crossing here from the balcony in Juliette Palace.

It was close, but the guards did not see me.

For reference, Percy played a big role in getting the vines to reach this far.

The chimney bird bit the end of the vines and quietly moved it here, allowing us to successfully create the bridge without any issues.

‘No, that’s not what is important right now.’

“I’m sorry, your Royal Highness.”

“……”

I immediately apologized. The crown prince silently observed me.

“I had no intention of running away or leaving without saying anything. I still don’t have such thoughts. At that time…… I don’t even know what was happening.”

I smiled bitterly. That was the only way for me to explain it.

It was a time when my instincts moved before any calculations and thought.

“However, I have never forgotten that I am your partner and Dame Sarnez’s partner. I have also not forgotten that I said that we would do things together.”

The crown prince’s orange eyes became calmer, looking closer to the color of night than day. I emphasized once again.

“I was not trying to hurt you, your Royal Highness.”

“An extremely shoddy houseplant.”

He bleakly commented. I blinked because I had no idea what he was talking about.

“A tiny little chair and just as tiny windows.”

“……”

“You wanted to go back to such a place?”

He was almost growling at me.

I was wondering what he was talking about before realizing that he was talking about the pot with the little grass doll and the fishing chair.

My jaws dropped on their own. ‘You saw our veranda as well……?’

“I understand how you were treated at your home castle.”

“Hold on, your Royal Highness.”

“You must not be used to the luxury and freedom of the Imperial Palace.”

“That is true, but…”

‘This is driving me nuts.’ I quietly mumbled.

I wanted to say that he was in a swamp of delusion but it was weird for me to say so, because I knew that Prince Jesse was a scoundrel in the Holy Kingdom.

We were not financially struggling, but our house probably looked like a barn to the crown prince of the Empire. ‘Mm.’

“Technically, what you said is not wrong, your Royal Highness. But…”

– Kiiiiiiiiiii, kiiiiiiiiii!

“Demy. You can’t randomly touch things when you go to a friend’s house.”

I peeked at the crown prince and urgently got up.

The little troublemaker, who had been roaming around the table, had started showing interest in the holy stones I had dropped earlier.

The punk used his round front paw to poke at the gold plate with the minerals.

I sat down supporting Demy’s chubby belly and apologized.

“I’m really sorry, your Royal Highness. As you are well aware, Demy is quite the curious creature……”

I then suddenly stopped talking.

I noticed that the holy stones on the plate all contained flame, water, or wind.

I was certain that the red, blue, and white ether respectively belonged to the crown prince, Christelle, and Sir Johann.

I had not noticed when I dropped them earlier because my mind was preoccupied.

My eyes opened wide and I looked at the man. My voice cracked a bit.

“Did you figure out how to stabilize the holy stones while I was unconscious, your Royal Highness?”

“Technically, what you said is not wrong.”

He used the same words I had said just earlier. I slightly glared at him when I heard his cold voice.

“Your blood.”

“Excuse me?”

“After absorbing a priest’s blood, the holy stones were able to be stable when storing the power of a Holy Knight.”

I got the chills for a moment. I recalled how these stones had sucked in the blood that I had coughed up.

I had expected priests to play an important role because the holy stones kept my ether contained without any leakage.

However, the only things I had considered were coating the holy stones with pure ether in advance or putting the two ethers inside at the same time. I had never even considered something as scary as blood.

Even the Empress of the Empire did not ask about such methods. I barely managed to get the next words out.

“Isn’t this the ones we were using to test things out, your Royal Highness? I believe that the holy stones used by Venetiaan during the Warring Era were much bigger than these.”

There were records of them putting holy stones ranging from the size of a person to a carriage on catapults to launch them.

The Late Emperor Romero’s Imperial troops were an overbearing force, however, they were unable to quickly gain victory because of the divine weapon filled with ether.

We made eye contact for a long time before the crown prince answered.

“They must have made it absorb even more blood.”

While even killing the priest if necessary.

He did not say that part but I could easily anticipate it.

It would have been difficult for the Holy Kingdom to avoid defeat or surrender without having such a vicious mindset.

Queen Liliane, the ruler at the time, was called the Iron-blooded Puppeteer.

She was such a cold-hearted strategist who even sent her only son, who was fifteen years old, to the vanguard to raise the morale of the troops.

It was totally possible for Liliane to shed the blood of priests to create weapons.

It was a dreadful thought.

Furthermore, the cause of the war was not some political or religious conflict but because of the love and sorrow of two lovers.

“……What did her Majesty say about it, your Royal Highness?”

I cautiously asked. Holy stones were currently being mined in Aightz Village, one of the Imperial family’s territories.

I knew that the Empress did not like war, but she might be inclined to create some weapons for a potential war.

One of the reasons she had accepted Sir Johann seeking asylum here was to have a Cardinal-Grade Holy Knight on her side.

“She scorned it.”

The crown prince responded. His tone was extremely unfriendly and it was just a short answer, but my face immediately brightened.

The current Empress truly was different.

Even as a politician who needed to consider numerous decisions, she seemed clear on the line she could not cross.

The fragrance of the dandelion tea tickled my nose and calmed me down.

I hugged Demy, sat down, and smiled.

“I really like the Riester Empire.”

A cool Empress, the Cardinal who supports her, and the place where the cheerful main character and my good friends can all be found.

“……”

“If possible, I would like to continue staying here. But these are all things I have already said to you before, your Royal Highness.”

“Sweet talk will not work.”

The crown prince sharply answered before burying his mouth behind the teacup.

He seemed to be thinking that I was talking up the Empire to please him. ‘I’m being serious.’

“Could you please let me meet my other friends as well?”

I slightly scoped him out.

It did hurt my pride that I had to ask permission to a punk who was four years younger than me.

However, this was not my first time dealing with such a situation since transmigrating here.

I looked at Rhea, who was climbing up to the crown prince’s neck, with a desperate gaze as I waited for his answer.

‘It would be bad if she falls and cries in pain.’

“Are you not scared?”

He asked back. ‘What is he talking about?’

“You have no powers right now.”

“Ah.”

‘That’s what you are talking about?’ I chuckled. On the other hand, the crown prince scowled.

“I’m sure you heard from her Eminence, but my ether is something that suddenly appeared. Your Royal Highness, I know you must have heard about how I was called a Superficial Archbishop in the Holy Kingdom.”

“……”

“That is why the current me is closer to the real me. Could I even be considered a Superficial Archbishop right now? My strength and defense are all at zero.”

I smiled after seeing that Rhea successfully climbed up onto the crown prince’s neck.

The little punk smiled back. ‘He’s excited to see a big bro he likes.’

“I do admit that I am a bit scared that my chances of falling into danger have increased. I will need to be helpful. But it will be fine because I lived close to thirty years without having any ether. You and many others around me are helping me.”

This was the truth in the real world as well. Our three siblings had a lot of good people around us.

My aunts from my mom and dad’s sides became best friends after taking turns looking after us and my parent’s friends, whom we’ve known for a long time, called us to check in very often.

We’ve also stayed in the same place for a long time, so we had a lot of neighbors we were close with as well.

Despite not having any superpowers, we were able to get through any difficult situations with the help of warm individuals around us.

“……What if your ether does not recover.”

The young man responded in a low voice. His orange eyes seemed gloomy.

“Then I am worried about you, your Royal Highness.”

I answered. I would be fine with it but I was worried about this punk, who had only physically grown up but not mentally.

Unlike Christelle, the crown prince had a critical weakness.

“You are one of only two Holy Knights in the Empire but your partner would not be able to do his part.”

“……”

“I will cultivate my soul daily, study hard, and do my best to keep myself healthy for my ether to return. Your Royal Highness, it might be best for you to find a new priest for the worst possible situation.”

– Boom!

He stood up from his seat. The chair fell and rolled on the ground.

Rhea and Perry got scared and quickly climbed down from the crown prince and climbed up my thighs.

I looked at him in shock.

His gaze was so hot that just looking at it made me feel like I would burn.

“I will keep you confined until your powers return.”

“Why are we back to the beginning……”

“Do not even think about escaping from life with an Imperial family member.”

Flames sparkled at his fingertips. The three red pandas raised their tails as if they were wary of it.

I was at a loss for words as I petted the three red pandas.

I finally felt as if I was experiencing the reason that the QNW cursed him so much.

The male lead had no hearing issues but you couldn’t communicate with him.

It felt bleak that the main character had to fix this guy.

“Your partner…… I am not saying I will not be your partner.”

‘Stay calm. It is because he didn’t get to socialize much when he was younger.

If I can fix this punk a bit right now, Christelle will suffer less later.’

“I am simply saying that you need to make a rational decision as the future heir to the throne, your Royal Highness. Especially if you are to get a Religious Partner, I would think you should look at the Archbishops-”

“There will be restrictions, but I will allow some walking and visitors.”

The crown prince commented. He gave the next order before I could even say anything.

“Escort the prince to Juliette Palace.”

“As you command, your Royal Highness.”

“Eek!”

I grabbed all three red pandas and gasped. David was now standing by the door.

The middle-aged man bowed to show his respect.

“How long have you been there, Lord David?”

“Since you asked if you could put the kiddos down, your highness.”

‘That’s from the beginning!’

*
……Although I was kicked out like that, I was able to go take walks in the garden starting the next day.

I was also able to have guests, despite having some restrictions.

They had to first request an audience with the crown prince and those who received permission could come see me.

I waited for the only person who passed the crown prince’s approval as I enjoyed my walk in the garden.

Benjamin and Ganael knew who it was, but I asked the two of them not to tell me. It was fun to guess.

“Male or female?”

“Male, your highness.”

“Holy knight?”

“No, your highness.”

“Mage?”

“No, your highness.”

Ganael was smiling as he walked on beat with Percy.

I was enjoying the colorful maple leaves and the outside breeze before I stopped.

‘If the person is not a Holy Knight or a mage, is it Sand?

I feel like Sand is the limit of who the crown prince would allow……’

“Here comes your guest, your highness.”

Benjamin gently commented and pointed toward the entrance of the garden. I quickly turned my head.

I couldn’t help but laugh because I was shocked but happy to see the person I had not expected at all.

“Gerrit! You came to see your uncle?”

The little boy, who was tightly holding Sir Johann’s hand, quickly ran over with a large bag on his back.

I lifted him up and gave him a hug.

The large mint-colored eyes of the young boy sparkled with the same emotion as mine.

I turned back to see that Sir Johann, who had not received permission to enter, was smiling from a distance.

—
Translator’s Comments

Aww poor Johann just in the distance.

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