Chapter 19

A few months later.

Alvis, who had become accustomed to performing the paperwork of a crown prince within the castle, initially struggled due to a lack of knowledge about the content of the documents. He had to gather experts and search for reference materials, which made the process far from smooth. Although he received advice from the elderly Yushofus, Alvis insisted on understanding everything himself before signing, and did not simply accept words at face value, which was one of the reasons.

One day, while he was spending his busy days like this, a message arrived for Alvis.

“Birth party? Whose?”

“... Yours, Prince Alvis. Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten, but I don’t need such a thing. I’m not at an age where I need to be celebrated.”

Eduard was exasperated, but Alvis, of course, remembered his own birthday. However, since entering the academy, he had not been celebrated in such a way, so he had not given it much special attention.

The academy was a boarding school. Birthdays that did not coincide with long holidays were not a reason to return home, and he only received congratulatory words from close friends. After graduating from the academy, he only received letters from his family, and it became even less special. At 20, he didn’t think it was necessary to hold a party.

“His Majesty’s birth party is held every year. Until last year, Sir Gerald also held one. The princess’s party is not as grand, but it is still held.”

“Gerald and the others are all in their teens, right? Kiara has just turned 10. It’s not surprising that they hold parties. Besides, my uncle is the lord of the country, so it’s natural.”

Kiara, the second princess and one of his cousins, had just turned 10 this year, still a child. It was frustrating to be compared to her.

“You are the crown prince, the second most revered position after the king.”

“... It’s a matter for after my uncle retires.”

Since becoming the crown prince, Alvis had not attended any parties. The closest event would be the Founding Festival, which was three months away. His focus was entirely on that, and he had not even included his birthday in his schedule.

“Prince Alvis... His Majesty has already started making plans for this. It cannot be canceled.”

“It’s still more than a month away. Besides, by then, the preparations for the Founding Festival will be approaching. Shouldn’t that be the priority...?”

Alvis, holding his head, understood that it was unlikely he could stop it, given Eduard’s tone. He could confront the matter directly, but Alvis knew that celebrating a royal birthday was a tradition, and he would have to yield. Still, the idea of a birth party made him feel embarrassed, as it had been since he lived at home. For a child like Kiara, it would be exciting, but unfortunately, Alvis was an adult.

He stood up smoothly and put on his jacket.

“Prince Alvis?”

“I need a distraction.”

“From the royal guards?”

“Yes.”

“... I understand.”

Since being forcibly taken to the royal guards’ training ground by Rakwell, Alvis had visited multiple times to clear his mind.

This time was a bit different, but when he was stuck or feeling uneasy, swinging a sword always cleared his head and lifted his mood. Today, it was to escape the reality of his upcoming birth party. Even though he knew it was an escape, he didn’t want to think about it. To somewhat justify these feelings, Alvis headed to the training ground.

The crown prince’s visits to the training ground had become so routine that no application or procedures were required. As he walked the familiar path, Harvey was standing at the entrance, observing the situation inside.

“Harvey?”

“? ... Prince Alvis. You’ve come again today.”

“... Yeah, just a bit.”

While it was true that he visited regularly, Harvey’s tone seemed slightly exasperated.

“Is something wrong?”

“No—”

“Prince Alvis just doesn’t like being celebrated on his birthday.”

Alvis was about to say nothing was wrong, but Eduard, who was standing behind him, bluntly relayed the information.

“Hey, Edu.”

“The royal guards are also part of the plan, I believe?”

“Yes. The captain is currently in a meeting.”

“So, it’s best to give up, Prince Alvis.”

“...”

Eduard showed no mercy to Alvis, believing it was his role.

Having been by Alvis’s side since childhood, Eduard had a long-standing relationship that was close to friendship, yet he never let their master-servant relationship falter. When Eduard entered the academy, they were apart, but he served Alvis until his graduation as a squire.

Alvis’s father appointed Eduard as his squire. Although Eduard was a distant relative of a baron, he had expressed a desire to become a steward of his family’s land. Initially, he was not enthusiastic about being a squire, but he agreed after hearing about his future. Despite this, he followed Alvis to the academy. When Alvis joined the knights, Eduard returned home, and their relationship seemed to have ended. However, when Alvis became the crown prince, Eduard returned to the capital to serve him again. This time, it was not at Rakwell’s command but his own volition, though Alvis could not understand the reason. Becoming Alvis’s squire at this point meant giving up the path to becoming a steward, a decision Eduard had not yet explained. Alvis only knew that Eduard believed serving him was natural.

Harvey and Eduard seemed to get along well, and Alvis, feeling no desire to argue, took off his jacket and threw it to Eduard before walking into the training ground.