Calian ascended on to the platform and smiled and waved at the throngs. He was grateful that that was all that was required of him. King Rumein gave a long welcome address to the crowd, thanking them for their visit. The following proceedings involved an awarding of knighthoods, the promotion of several noble titles, and the bestowance of wealth.
After the event at the square, Calian waved to the crowd again before returning to the palace.
He knew that people were murmuring themselves throughout the event. He had decided that he wanted to be more noticeable after all.
However, he never expected the words in their mouths to be about what a perfect princely image he was.
When he returned to his room, Calian ate the lunch that Yan had left for him. He hadn’t forgotten his promise to finish his meals, and afterwards he changed into a fresh set of clothes.
The next event was a tea party, not a banquet, and he had insisted on a simpler outfit to wear. However, as a flourish he added a decorative pin chosen with Marilyn’s help.
‘How about the smallest one.’
Calian fastened three rows of delicate chains that connected either side of his collar, with a small pendant in the middle of the shortest chain. Calian deemed the other ornaments too flashy for his tastes, so he decided to wear the other pins only with his other clothes.
Calian would not anticipate the reaction this ornament would bring.
Having finished his preparations on time, Calian left Chermil Palace and stepped into the carriage again.
I’m quite nervous,
he said, his face bleach-white.
Yan nodded, his face looking less vital than usual as well.
Assisting Calian today was as chaotic as a day in battle. It was fortunate that the luncheon had been cancelled.
Next they would go to the Ceignes Pavilion, where Calian had dinner with Viscount Brissen not long ago. Today, however, the pavilion would be host to a tea party, and the Calian and the other princes were to greet the other guests.
Yan, you said your family was also in Kailis?
Calian asked as he thought about the nobles he was about to meet.
While most nobles in Secretia lived on their own land, Kailisian nobles sometimes resided in the capital city for most of the year and had someone else manage their estates.
Yan’s family seemed the same, and he once told Calian that his family lived in the city. The sudden mention of the attendant’s family caused his eyes to go round.
You remember, My Prince. My sister and father are at home, and the rest of my family lives in the city.
Calian smiled awkwardly. He remembered this particular details from the old Calian’s memories, not from his own.
Then will they come to the palace today?
This time it was Yan who forced a smile.
If they’re invited, they will come,
he replied shortly.
He seemed reluctant to speak about them.
The servants who worked in the royal palace did not reveal their names, sometimes using false names or aliases instead.
When Yan first came to the palace, his name was checked and his background strictly investigated to determined whether he was trustworthy or not. After that, he never revealed his true name. Many of the highborn who worked as servants or maids do not want to mention where they came from, because they were a child from an unnamed family.
Knowing that Yan might be in such a situation, Calian nodded and didn’t pursue the topic further.
At last the carriage arrived at the Ceignes Pavilion. Calian descended from the carriage and Yan tidied up his appearance.
The prince straightened his posture once again and walked towards the banquet hall where the nobles were gathered. Calian nodded to the knight standing by the entrance, who opened the door and heralded his arrival.
The third prince, Prince Calian Rein Kailis, has arrived!
The nobles who did opted not to struggle in the crowd to see the king were all gathered for the 2 o’clock tea at the pavilion. Their eyes turned to one place, and all at once the same thought entered their minds.
‘The rumor was true!’
Those gathered here now were the most influential high-ranking nobles, known as the central nobility. As such, information traveled quickly among them.
There were two stories they had heard: that Franz had come to the venue under the influence of alcohol, and a few had confirmed seeing Franz as such.
– The third prince resembled Sispanian!
These were the other words came out of the people’s mouths after the event. When the rumor was passed along, the other nobles laughed. One could not make such grandiose statements about hair and eye color after a mere haircut.
The nobles could not have imagined the Calian that stood before them.
When Calian walked into the room after the knight announced his arrival, it was like the sky had turned upside down. The nobles all began to examine with astounded eyes every minor detail in his appearance.
The boy’s handsome face and bright crimson eyes trapped everyone’s gazes.
A regal smile graced his lips, and every footstep was taken with a dignified bearing. There was an inherent stateliness to him that did not just come from practice.
‘When did that happen…’
Calian was fully proving himself to be worthy of being a member of the Royal Family of Kailis. It was no exaggeration to say that with those eyes and hair, he truly did resemble Sispanian.
It wasn’t just his figure. The clothes that Calian was wearing caught their attention as well.
He wore pants and a shirt of the same white color, along with a fitted blue jacket that came down to the knees. There were no ornaments except a button on the long jacket, so that the focus was drawn instead to the jewel sparkling on his neck.
If it were not for that, the nobles would not have been so awestruck. Gracing his throat was a ruby pendant that shone exactly the same color of his eyes, a color that the original Calian would never have chosen.
It sounds like he’s saying he won’t live in hiding anymore.
That’s right.
They did not know that Calian was secretly pleased that Franz called him
bloody eyes
, or that his eyes were also the same color as rubies.
The noblemen, who grasped the statement of Calian’s clothing, felt a chill in their spine. Then, realizing that they had not yet greeted him, hurried to say hello. It was a sharp change.
Calian had turned into a perfect prince, and he looked directly into the eyes of the nobles as they gave their greetings to him.
Pleased to meet you,
he returned with a slight smile.
After this, he immediately sat down.
He didn’t give much after that, and he felt more relaxed after giving only a brief exchange.
However, his short remarks started to cause problems.
Pleased to meet you? I’ve never been spoken to like this before! What does this mean!
Soon the nobles began to try to dig into the hidden meaning of Calian’s short words with silent glances among themselves.
‘Acha,’ Calian blithely scolded himself.
He thought he would draw attention, but he didn’t expect it to be to this degree and had forgotten his proper greetings to the nobles.
It’s alright, Your Highness. I’ll deal with this!
Yan whispered reassuringly behind him.
If either of them had realized the situation, they would have known the true astounding worth of Kalisian rubies, found from Sispanian’s nests which had been empty for 500 years.
In addition, someone watching Calian would not be in a hurry to look away.
