Published: August 1, 2025
The Dirts Kingdom experiences early autumn twilight.
To prepare for the long night ahead, the custom in Dirts is to have a quick and simple dinner. Household chores are finished before the temperature drops too much, and then everyone relaxes in their rooms, waiting for dawn.
Granado Castle was completely quiet. There was no sign of people, only the bonfires and moonlight dimly illuminating the white walls.
At that moment, a white horse galloped up. Riding it was a man dressed entirely in black. When he reached the vicinity of Granado Castle’s gate, the man quickly dismounted. He crouched low, clearly trying to blend into the darkness of the night.
As the man approached silently, I raised my voice.
“Your Highness Lionel! You’d better not come any closer!”
The man jerked his head up as if startled. Beneath the deep hood, I saw his handsome face and silver hair.
“Cyrus Granado…”
As expected… Lionel.
Without surprise, I stepped away from the wall I had been leaning on. I cautiously advanced, making sure not to enter his striking range.
“We run a business here, you know. To guard against thieves, there’s always someone posted in the watchtower. If you come any closer carelessly, arrows will fly from the watchtower.”
That was my firm way of telling him to leave immediately. However, Lionel didn’t step back; he just stood there. I lowered my voice.
“What business do you have at this late hour? If you rush in like this, the attendants will be terrified.”
“Cyrus Granado. I will kill you.”
Suddenly hearing a death threat, I was taken aback. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Your Highness, please stop joking—no, I won’t indulge in that anymore. Lionel, I’m telling you, it’s really better to stop. This is a fortress; you can’t take it alone. Besides, my attendants are strong.”
“You… Weren’t you supposed to have left the kingdom?”
I shrugged.
“Yes, that was the plan. Marrying Marie requires royal approval. With all the chaos about who will be next king, if I waited until things settled, I might never get married. There’s no rush, but I want to put my wife’s mind at ease soon.”
“I am the next king.”
I snorted and took out a scrap of paper from my pocket.
“I’ve received all the messages from the church. You’ve been stripped of your right of succession to the throne and are supposed to be under house arrest for now. In that tower where the king was imprisoned…”
While speaking, I checked Lionel’s attire. The hooded cloak was made of fine fabric but was dirty and frayed in places. His shoes showed signs of being scraped by mud and gravel. I voiced my surprise.
“Impressive, you escaped from that height. Well done.”
“I will destroy everything important to you with my own hands.”
“…I wish you’d just talk.”
Half resigned, I shrugged.
Then, quietly, I let out a sigh of relief.
…It’s good that you came back.
During this recent turmoil, Lionel’s true intentions remained unclear. But regardless, the Crown Prince’s authority is immense. Even if he falls, there will always be those who try to rally behind him. Moreover, my wife Marie has a stain on her record. If malicious people dig up the crimes of Baron Chadelan, it could cause all sorts of trouble.
So— we’ll run away. Marie and I will cross to a foreign land, gain the protection of a king outside Dirts, and ensure that the royal family alone can’t tear us apart.
That should help Ruifeng as well. We’ll be in a safe place, free to act as we please. We’ve done everything possible within the country and will leave the rest to the attendants, then calmly step into the outside world.
But Lionel’s true intention, as Marie suggested, is personal grudge against me... That makes him the most terrifying threat. A man stripped of his position as Crown Prince and losing the wedge of self-preservation could do anything to my family.
Before leaving this country, we must settle this.
Concealing the nervous swallow I quietly made, I nonchalantly shrugged.