Chapter 10.7

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop saying strange things and answer properly now.” 

After lightly tapping her own cheek, Diashi resumed cooperation with the investigation, and the large hospital room instantly transformed into a crime investigation chamber.

At Garzen’s urging to say everything she remembered, Diashi did her best to recall her memories.

“Well… I can’t remember the face, but I recall a man. He had short hair and wasn’t very tall. Ah, I think he was about the same height as Lord Lusellion!”

“Lusellion is short, for sure. Lusell, come here.”

“Yes?”

As everyone turned their gaze to Lusell, he blinked and sighed.

“I’m not that short…”

Grumbling, Lusell walked over to Garzen and stood up straight. Garzen patted his back and turned his gaze to Diashi.

“About this tall, right?”

“Wait a moment.”

Diashi stretched out her legs off the bed and struggled to stand. She raised her hand in front of Lusell’s face to estimate the height.

“Yes, it’s about right. His head was under my eyes.”

Once Diashi nodded, Lusell stepped back. Glancing at Brienne, Lusell whispered quietly.

“I don’t feel great about this.”

“Don’t worry too much, Lusell. Miss Diashi is just tall.”

Brienne forced a smile to comfort the sullen Lusell. Meanwhile, Garzen and Diashi continued their conversation.

“Besides that man, did you meet anyone else? Focus and try to recall slowly. Even someone passing by is fine. Just mention anything so we can have grounds to investigate.”

“But, I really don’t remember…”

“If you can recall even one more person, I’ll give you a reward. Starting from twice a researcher’s salary.”

“Really?”

Diashi’s eyes sparkled, and she quickly grabbed her head. After a while of groaning, Diashi’s eyes snapped open.

Through the haze of her memories, there was another faint image of a man.

“…The library!”

“What?”

“I remember meeting someone in front of the library! He was a man too!”

“Really? What about his face? What did he look like?”

“Well, um…”

Diashi took a nervous breath and frowned.

Bang.

Suddenly, without warning, the hospital room door burst open.

“The great Second Prince of the Holy Kingdom of Roeta is here!”

With the knight’s booming voice, someone appeared behind him, walking slowly.

“Oh, someone arrived first?”

“…Perian?”

“To think I’d meet my dear brother in such a backward place.”

Brown hair and brown eyes. Striking, handsome features.

The Second Prince, Perian, wore a white suit adorned with a lavish corsage on his chest.

“Hah.”

Clicking his tongue in disbelief, Garzen approached him.

“You never lose that habit of making a fuss, do you? Brother, instead of arranging flowers, why don’t you train your knights properly? You barge in without knocking or knowing your place. Who do you take after?”

The knight shrank under Garzen’s glare. But he didn’t back down, raising his head at Perian’s gesture. It was a petty act, but the reason was obvious.

“What’s the point of pleasing the powerless Third Prince? Even servants know their master’s status. Just look, see how your dog behaves.”

“What?”

Garzen frowned and followed Perian’s nod. At the end of his gaze was Lusellion Bartshire, bowing perfectly to Perian.

Perian let out a cold, cynical laugh and asked maliciously,

“Third Prince, I’ve always wondered… Does that fellow bark if you tell him to? Is he house-trained?”

“What? How dare you say such a thing…!”

Garzen strode over and grabbed Perian by the collar. Lusell rushed over, grabbing Garzen’s arm.

“Your Highness, I’m fine. There are too many eyes watching. Please, calm down…”

“Lusell, stay out of this. I can’t stand anyone insulting you, especially outside the palace.”

Perian was always picking on Lusell whenever they met. Now that he’d started, Garzen had no reason to hold back.

But Lusell had other thoughts.

“I said I’m fine, Your Highness! I can endure this kind of insult.”

Lusell’s eyes pleaded with Garzen.

“Please, be calm and think rationally. The Second Prince is trying to provoke you. He wants to stir up trouble and get you thrown out—you know that.”

Your Highness, please. Hearing Lusell’s quiet plea, Garzen sighed and released his grip.

“Tsk, that temper of mine.”

Perian stepped back and dusted off his wrinkled shirt.

At that moment—

“…Truly, truly rude.”

Brienne, who had watched with a firm expression, stepped forward toward the Second Prince.

“Please, don’t insult anyone else in this room. This is a hospital for treating patients, not your tea party, Your Highness.”

“…And who might you be?”

Perian’s brown eyes glittered as his gaze slid over Brienne’s face.

His unreadable eyes scanned Brienne from head to toe.

Brienne met his gaze head-on, stepped forward, and knelt respectfully.

“I greet the Second Prince of the Holy Kingdom. I am Brienne Ford from the Rontiano Empire.”

“…Ah.”

Finally understanding the situation, Perian smiled and glanced at Garzen. He patted Garzen’s shoulder and approached Brienne.

“So you’re the young lady who received my brother’s admission letter? I hadn’t heard you were so beautiful. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Feigning gentlemanly manners, Perian kissed the back of Brienne’s hand.

Unable to refuse the greeting, Brienne’s face twisted slightly. But the Second Prince didn’t back away, even noticing her expression.

“My Lady, since fate has brought us together, why not join me for tea sometime? By the way, I’m asking you out.”

How could he say something so shameless?

Brienne’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Perian’s brazen face.

She recalled reading an article about him in the newspaper a few days ago.

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I believe you already have a fiancée. It would be best to refuse an invitation from someone who is engaged. I trust you know why.”

“Oh, you knew I was engaged?”

Perian, amused by Brienne’s firm stance, smiled and lifted her chin with his finger.

“Cute. Playing hard to get, but clearly interested in me, right? But innocent lady, you must not know—men are all like that.”

Perian slid his finger along Brienne’s jawline and poked her cheek, smiling brightly.

“When a man sees a beautiful woman, his body reacts first. Engagements and customs can’t beat physical instinct. So, Lady, you should understand me.”

“Perian…!”

Garzen frowned and stepped in.

But Brienne raised her hand to stop Garzen. She brushed Perian’s hand away and smiled coldly.

Her pale green eyes sparkled as she looked at Perian.

“From what I know, only beasts can’t control their physical urges. Based on what you just said, the one closest to a dog here is none other than you, Second Prince.”

“…What?”

The gentle tone removed the smile from Perian’s face.

“Your Highness, you must not know—I react instinctively to rude words. Customs and status can’t beat my instincts. So I hope you’ll understand me as well.”

Brienne bowed her head slightly, stepped back, and clasped her hands.

“And if you harass me again, I won’t hold back. I’ll refuse your invitation once more. Thanks to your insults to my friends, my opinion of you has dropped considerably.”

“Wow, this…”

Perian blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. After a while, he wiped away tears of laughter, genuinely amused.

“I wondered why you hung around Garzen. Turns out you’re quite bold.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“You think it’s a compliment, so you’re not as sharp as I thought.”

“Whether it’s a compliment or not, I judged that even as a prince of the Holy Kingdom, you can’t arbitrarily punish me while I’m here as a student from the Rontiano Empire.”

It’s not exactly pleasant, but it’s not wrong.

Perian nodded, intrigued, and stepped back, still smiling.

“…My brother, who never cared about women, suddenly making bold moves.”

Perian slowly turned his gaze to Garzen’s stunned face and laughed.

“She’s an interesting woman. And scary, too. Why do you always have people like this around you, Garzen? I’m really starting to want her.”

“Don’t even think about it, Perian.”

“Just joking.”

Perian raised his hands to Garzen, then smiled at Diashi.

“I actually came to see that mage, but I guess not today. I picked the wrong day—a terrifying gatekeeper is here.”

Shaking his head in regret, Perian placed his hand on Garzen’s shoulder.

“I’ll leave for today, Third Prince. But let me give you some advice—don’t trust everything you find out.”

“…….”

“I told you before—if you want to keep your life, just sit quietly. No matter how thirsty you are, don’t look into the well. Who knows what’s inside?”

Perian firmly patted Garzen’s shoulder and turned away, still cheerful.

“Good luck, pretty brother.”