Chapter 734 — Pushing forward too rashly (4)
12 min read ·
Cale had headed for Alberu’s bedroom immediately after waking up and getting ready in order to act as the prince’s close confidant and only attendant.
However, Alberu was not there and Cale naturally searched around for him.
He was not in the bedroom, the study, and showed no signs of having left the palace.
As a result, he headed for the basement training ground. He came with a towel, a cold bottle of water, and a cup.
Cale was amazed at himself.
‘I’m working so hard.’
Wouldn’t crown prince Alberu who was probably standing outside the temple be touched if he knew about this?
Cale was proud of himself as he walked into the basement training ground when he immediately ran into Alberu’s viciousness.
‘…How much do you know about me?’
Alberu pulled back his spear and asked Cale what he was plotting after seeing the towel and bottle of water in Cale’s hands.
Cale stopped thinking about how things had ended up like this and looked at Alberu. What Cale had said just now…
‘Your highness. Your hand must not shake when you are pointing your weapon. You cannot show the enemy your fear.’
Alberu had stopped shaking, potentially because of that comment. Instead, Alberu’s eyes looked embarrassed for a moment before the emotion disappeared.
Cale looked around the basement training ground. This place was shabby and crude compared to the basement training ground that Cale knew about.
His nonchalant gaze headed toward Alberu.
“You should have hidden things a bit more thoroughly if you did not wish for me to see you like this, your highness.”
Alberu bit down on his lips.
On the other hand, Cale smiled brightly.
“However, I believe that you purposely lured me down to this basement training ground. Am I wrong, your highness?”
There had been no obstacles whatsoever for Cale on his way here.
Furthermore, the Dark Elf who was Alberu’s sparring partner and his weapon arts master was not in the basement training ground.
Alberu’s gaze changed. Emotion slowly disappeared from his face as if he had never been embarrassed nor bit down on his lips.
In return, the corners of his lips curled up almost mechanically.
“Your highness, you can easily ask me instead of resorting to means like this if you are curious about what I am plotting.”
Cale smiled and Alberu lowered the spear in his hand.
“Towel.”
Alberu reached out his other hand and Cale handed him the towel. Alberu wiped the sweat off his forehead as he spoke.
“Like this…”
He looked at Cale. Alberu cautiously continued speaking.
“It’s been a few years since I’ve seen an attendant pay so much attention to the First Prince Palace like this. That was why I was wary of you, but also curious.”
He peeked at Cale and let out a light sigh as he continued.
“It’s rare for something like this to happen to me. It’s been too long since someone thought about the palace and me, yes, a long time since anybody even did the basics.”
Alberu was tightly clutching the towel. He seemed to struggle to say the following.
“That is why I don’t know how to treat you. Should I trust you? I’m not in a situation where I can easily trust anybody.”
Cale started to speak at that moment.
“Please don’t lie, your highness.”
Alberu observed the man who was subconsciously smiling even though his eyes were serious.
“You do not trust me at all, and furthermore, you had no thoughts whatsoever to trust me, your highness.”
Cale poured some water into the cup.
“Your highness, you may be interested in me, but it is not a positive emotion and you are planning on getting rid of me if I am an obstacle.”
This first prince who lured the new attendant to the basement training ground to ask about his intentions when they were alone…
The first prince who was alienated by everybody in the royal palace and lived quietly could not hide the chaos in his heart as he debated trusting this attendant while asking about his scheme.
However, he was telling the attendant that he didn’t know what to do with the guy while looking as if he was contemplating it hard, to make it seem as if he wanted to trust the guy but he could not due to the situation.
‘This is fake.’
Cale held himself back from laughing.
It had not even been a full day. Cale had just arrived at the palace.
But Alberu Crossman, the guy who had lived his whole life in this palace was contemplating hard because he wanted to trust this attendant?
That would be looking down on Alberu who had survived on his own in this large royal palace.
Furthermore, he needed to have Dark Elves and dead mana by his side despite the negative views on both by the Western continent. But he was going to put an attendant who had been here a single day by his side?
‘Then this attendant could become a variable that could ruin everything.’
Alberu probably either wanted to kick Cale out of here as quickly as possible or keep him by his side to utilize as a pawn to hide himself from others.
Surviving as Alberu has done meant that it was difficult to easily trust someone.
“Your highness.”
Cale quietly spoke in the silent training ground.
“I will probably leave this palace quickly. It will be just as you wished.”
When Cale had first met this fifteen years old Alberu…
‘I’m curious to know when you will leave.’
‘I will leave soon, your highness.’
Alberu had scoffed in disbelief and sighed as he responded to Cale.
‘I hope you leave as quickly as possible.’
Alberu easily remembered that response when Cale mentioned it.
From the beginning until now… The prince looked at this attendant who kept saying that he was going to leave soon with an odd gaze. The attendant nonchalantly continued to speak as if he was responding to that gaze.
“And I plan on doing whatever I want until then.”
The prince did not hide his sneer.
“Are you sure it is not that you will be kicked out of the palace because you did whatever you want?”
Alberu was certain that if this attendant kept acting like this… He would get on the bad side of the Chief of Staff or possibly even someone higher and be kicked out of the palace.
“Pffft.”
Cale chuckled at Alberu’s sassy comment.
“Your Royal Highness.”
‘Again.’
Alberu couldn’t help but frown because this attendant called him your Royal Highness instead of first prince or your highness.
“Do you wish to know what my plan is?”
Cale thought about, not this Alberu, but the first time he met Alberu in person in reality. The person in front of him preferred deals and contracts more than trust and faith.
Cale would give Alberu what he prefers. Wasn’t that the proper mindset of an attendant?
“I believe that you will become the next sun, your Royal Highness.”
The fifteen year old’s face was stoic.
However, there was an instant of chaos visible on his face at what Cale said next.
“That is how it is meant to be.”
Meant to be.
Alberu wanted to ask if this guy knew what that phrase meant. However, he barely managed to hold himself back from asking.
Cale knew what Alberu must be thinking but feigned ignorance.
“Your Royal Highness. It is always darkest before the sun comes up.”
“…So are you telling me to overcome the darkness because the sun will rise soon? Is that what you are saying?”
Alberu sharply asked back.
“I’m not sure about that, your highness. I actually prefer the darkness.”
The attendant simply put on a sly smile with a clueless look on his face. However, he did not seem to be lying.
One step.
The attendant took another step toward Alberu.
He then spoke almost in a whisper. He spoke quietly despite nobody being there to listen to them.
“When you become the sun…”
The attendant did not hesitate at all while saying those words.
“Please think of me at that moment.”
One step.
Alberu took one step back extremely elegantly. He stood up straight and observed the attendant.
“Is what you just said your scheme?”
Alberu shook his head.
“I don’t think that is all.”
“That is for you to figure out, your Royal Highness.”
“For me to figure out.”
Alberu mumbled as if he was talking to himself and Cale slightly bowed after watching him for a bit.
“Then, I will get your breakfast ready, your highness.”
He then headed toward the training ground door. He heard Alberu’s voice behind him.
“Make it simple.”
Cale turned his head to see Alberu with a radiant smile on his face.
“Yesterday’s lunch and dinner was too much.”
“That is not okay, your highness.”
“Hmm?”
“Teenagers must eat a lot in order to grow.”
Cale sternly said what he wanted to say.
“Fifteen years old. You need a lot of nutrients at this time. Your breakfast must especially be hardy. I must now make my leave, your highness.”
Cale gave a short goodbye before efficiently leaving the training ground. He heard a sassy voice that sounded jovial behind him.
“I guess you really plan on doing whatever you want.”
‘Yes, sir. I plan on doing whatever I want.’
Cale wanted to give that response to Alberu and the person who came to look for him.
Cale had come out of the basement training ground and was heading out of the First Prince Palace to go to the King’s Palace when he ran into the Chief of Staff, who had rushed over here early in the morning.
“You bastard-!”
The Chief of Staff could not hide his anger and his fists were shaking. He almost stomped over to Cale before pointing at him and screaming.
“You stupid idiot! Do you know what the hell you have done?!”
The few attendants who had come with the Chief of Staff and the Dark Elves pretending to be royal servants at the First Prince Palace… All of them kept their mouths shut after seeing that the Chief of Staff almost looked blue.
Everybody except Cale.
“Yes. Yes, I do, sir.”
Cale responded cheerfully. That clueless bright smile was on his face.
“I worked hard to fulfill the responsibilities you assigned me, Chief of Staff-nim.”
“What? When did I-”
“Did you not tell me to do the basic necessities of the palace?”
Smile.
Cale smiled.
This was entertaining. The Chief of Staff looked as if he might have a stroke out of frustration.
“You little bastard, because of you, I!”
“What about you, Chief of Staff-nim?”
Cale tilted his head and asked.
“What is it? Was there a problem? I made sure to follow all of the rules.”
The Chief of Staff’s face turned red before it turned white at this trifecta of questions and he slowly opened his shaking lips.
“You, immediately-”
However, he could not finish his sentence.
“Chief of Staff-nim!”
An attendant urgently ran over to the Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff naturally did not respond as his eyes had rolled over from anger.
There had been chaos at the material goods department, designer, kitchen, pretty much everywhere because of the things this attendant in front of him had done. The problem was that the Chief of Staff might receive the blame for everything if things went wrong.
“Chief of Staff-nim!”
“Please! Later-”
The Chief of Staff tried to get angry as the voice called for him again. However, he couldn’t help but flinch after seeing the clothes of the attendant who had called him.
The attendant who had come to see him had the crest of the Third Prince Palace.
He was not a regular palace attendant, but a confidant.
“Chief of Staff-nim.”
The attendant spoke quietly to the Chief of Staff who was finally looking at him.
“You are being summoned.”
The Chief of Staff did not ask who was summoning him.
It was obvious that it was the third prince or the third prince’s backing since this person was from the Third Prince Palace. The Chief of Staff was more worried that it was the third prince’s backing.
“Huuuuuu.”
He let out a deep sigh before turning away from Cale.
“I’ll deal with you later.”
He then quickly started walking toward the Third Prince Palace. The rest of the attendants followed behind him while Cale chuckled after being left alone.
“Nobody who says, ‘I’ll deal with you later,’ is scary.”
He waved to the Dark Elf royal servants observing him and started walking.
“Hmm. Will he tell me to quit by tomorrow?”
Cale fathomed when he would be kicked out before thinking about what he could do for Alberu before that happened.
However, Cale was not kicked out for two days after that.
* * *
Cale opened his eyes and smiled while looking at the sky turn dark outside the window.
“I’ve finally arrived.”
A village in Viscount Tolz’s territory…
Cale opened his eyes in Viscount Tolz’s villa by the cave where Raon was imprisoned.
Although it was Viscount Tolz’s villa by name, it was realistically the House of Stan’s secret villa.
Venion’s back alley right hand man’s right hand man’s right hand man. He woke up in this body that he was now familiar with and started stretching.
He looked at the place that was full of lights unlike the darkness outside.
It was near the cave entrance.
This cave was naturally the cave with Raon.
“Hmm. I woke up right on time.”
Venion Stan was walking into the cave with a knight.
Cale’s eyes headed toward one side of the bed. He rummaged through his bag.
The two bottles wrapped in his sock…
He found out in the royal library that this was a paralysis poison.
Cale put the dagger, the long needles, and bottles in his pocket.
Boom boom boom.
He heard someone pounding on the door and shouting in an annoyed voice.
“Hey! Get out here now! Hurry up and get the booze ready! Do it before the young patriarch-nim gets angry!”
Cale had noticed in the carriage that was full of booze but the owner of this body was the person responsible for procuring alcohol and things for Venion Stan’s pleasure.
‘Alright, which should I mix into the alcohol?’
Cale thought hard about which of the two paralysis poison to mix into the drink to pull one over Venion Stan.
Creeeeeak.
“Hey, why are you so slo-, why do you have such a serious look on your face? Are you sick?”
Cale smiled as he responded.
“Not at all. I am in great condition.”
Cale truly was in great condition and was feeling refreshed.
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