Chapter 3

Third Person.

That night.

Prince Lud was sleeping peacefully, or so it seemed, until that very moment.

He suddenly woke up, feeling a definite sense of loss.

He placed his hand on his chest, trying to figure out what it was, but he couldn't understand.

After a while, Lud, still in a daze, tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't.

That was because he received a terrible piece of news.

"The prince's gemstone has lost its shine! It's gone!"

The gemstone, a symbol of the royal family, had lost its shine. This was a major crisis.

If he had committed a sin, it would be a natural consequence, but Lud had no idea what he could have done. After all, he had just been sleeping.

The night guards noticed it, and in an instant, everyone in the castle looked up at the sky, speechless.

One of the gemstones, which usually shone brighter than the brightest star, had indeed faded.

What could have happened? An investigation was urgently needed.

Of course, Lud claimed he had not committed any sin that could cause this. He had always been careful not to hurt anyone due to his strength, so he had no idea what could have caused it.

"Then, did you meet your 'fated partner'? There was a case in the past where a prince lost both his 'fated partner' and the shine of his gemstone because he refused to acknowledge the 'fated partner.'"

The prime minister, who had returned from his home after receiving the news, asked.

There was a case where a prince had lost both his 'fated partner' and the shine of his gemstone because he rejected the one who claimed to be his 'fated partner.'

"There is no one pretending to be my 'fated partner'!"

There couldn't be anyone pretending. Lying would be a sin itself.

"If there was, I would remember... Ah..."

It was then that the sense of loss he had felt earlier returned.

When he focused, he could feel the loss in his chest.

"Such... It can't be..."

The queen, who was the first to be deeply worried, let out a thin, mournful cry.

Losing a 'fated partner' meant losing one's 'mate.' Everyone in the room, including the queen, knew the fate of a dragon person who lost their 'mate.' The atmosphere became heavy.

"No... It can't be... Because... It must be a mistake..."

The unpleasant pounding in his chest echoed within the sense of loss, and Lud clutched his chest.

The echo seemed to emphasize the enormity of the loss, confirming the reality of the situation.

"(Without knowing, did I meet my 'fated partner'?

---Moreover... Was I rejected?

---Rejected by my 'mate'...---)"

The realization alone made him feel like he was losing consciousness.

"Your Highness!"

"Lud! Pull yourself together!"

Called by the prime minister and his father, the king, Lud snapped back to reality.

"First, answer who you met yesterday. We will investigate to see if there is any other cause."

The king gave his instructions in a stern voice.

The people around him moved quickly.

The king, who had seen Lud off to be questioned, bowed his head in despair at the dire situation.

They spent the night questioning everyone Lud had met the previous day, checking each one thoroughly to see if any of them could be Lud's 'fated partner.'

The previous day, Lud had played with three young ladies.

Although the possibility was low, they were still questioned, hoping it was a mistake.

For example, one of those young ladies might be his 'fated partner' but, unfortunately, had not recognized it and mistaken it for just a crush.

However, Lud's words made them doubt this hope even before the investigation began.

"...I haven't met that many people..."

Not that many.

In fact, 333 days.

He hadn't met that many young ladies.

Lud, who had given up on finding his 'fated partner' early on, had been carefully selecting young ladies who were more compatible.

He had played with one after another, not crossing the line, but enjoying himself thoroughly.

When he got bored or when the other party became too serious, he would discard them.

So, the young ladies he met yesterday were just his recent favorites.

The result was different.

When asked if they were his 'fated partner,' they strongly hesitated and answered, "No."

The female servants in the castle were also questioned, but they all shook their heads, saying it was too presumptuous.

Usually, a 'fated partner' is a combination of a man and a woman. There are no cases of same-sex 'fated partners.'

When they suspected this might be the case, Lud, who had been holding his head, suddenly gasped and looked up.

"...Mu-Lan. I met Mu-Lan Leppard..."

He said the name with a pale face.

The atmosphere in the room froze.

Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of the Earl of Leppard, was rumored to be infatuated with Lud.

She came to see him every day, regardless of how harshly she was dismissed.

No matter how badly she was treated, she would come back the next day.

Could she be his 'fated partner'?

It was the only remaining possibility.

Lud's consciousness wavered, and he stumbled and collapsed.

Seeing this, the king, who was convinced of the high possibility, gave an order.

To urgently summon Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of the Earl of Leppard.

This happened at noon. When Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of the Earl of Leppard, arrived at the castle, she was reported to be wearing a simple dress, which made the king bow his head in pain.

It would be difficult to deny the possibility now.

"Lud. Wait in your room."

"!! Why, Father! It might be my 'mate'!!"

Lud, with a pale face, looked as if he was already in a state of complete despair.

"Exactly because of that. It's better to confirm the facts first."

"..."

The king's pressure implied that they should not meet, even if she was his 'fated partner.'

The fate of someone who lost their 'mate' was terrible. If it was his 'fated partner,' it might be better never to meet again.

Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of the Earl of Leppard.

Lud, pressing his chest to the unpleasant pounding, thought of her.

The young lady of the white leopard beast people.

He had met her about two years ago at a customary meeting.

At that time, she hadn't said anything special, and he hadn't felt anything special either.

But now, it felt different.

His chest felt like it was being torn apart.

What face had he made when she came to the castle every day to greet him?

What words had he said?

His senses were greatly shaken.

Lud, who was aware of how he had treated Mu-Lan Leppard, was now in a state where he could hardly breathe.

Given the urgency of the situation, the grand conference room was opened, and everyone from the elders to the scholars was present.

In the solemn atmosphere, the only one who stood out was the young lady in a simple dress, Mu-Lan.

However, she stood straight, looking forward, showing no fear, a white leopard beast person.

Her father, the Earl of Leppard, who accompanied her, was pale and slightly bowed his head, looking unreliable despite being a large white tiger beast person.

"Daughter of the Earl of Leppard. Even in an emergency, why are you dressed like that? Explain yourself."

The duke, a clean-freak eagle beast person, sharply questioned Mu-Lan after the formal greetings.

He frowned at her simple dress, which was inappropriate for a visit to the castle.

"I was about to leave the house, so I came as I was. In an emergency, I thought it was a waste of time to change. Isn't this a matter of urgency? Is it not?"

Mu-Lan remained calm and replied nonchalantly.

She kept her chin up, looked forward, and stood firm.

She was about to leave the house.

Mu-Lan's attire clearly indicated that she was "running away from home," causing a stir among the attendees.

The Earl of Leppard, who was the target of many stares, shrank back.

"Do you have any idea why you were summoned, Daughter of the Earl of Leppard?"

The prime minister asked.

"Yes. I understand that I was summoned because I wished for the dissolution of my 'fated partner' to the beast god last night."

Mu-Lan's straightforward answer caused a wave of shock.

Mu-Lan Leppard, the daughter of the Earl of Leppard, was indeed Lud's 'fated partner.'

And she had wished for the dissolution.

The Earl of Leppard, despite sitting, almost fell over.

"What have you done!!"

"Do you even know what you've done!!"

The elders began to criticize Mu-Lan.

"Silence!!!"

The king stopped them.

"The right to dissolve a 'mate' lies only with the individual. It is their decision, and no one else can interfere. You should all be well aware of this."

The king's authoritative voice silenced everyone.

The continuation or dissolution of a 'mate' could not be influenced by others. It was a matter of personal choice.

This was an absolute rule, decided by the gods. That's why there was a '333-day grace period' for the dissolution of a 'fated partner.'

"Still... I want to understand why this happened. Daughter of the Earl of Leppard, you must have cared for Lud."

A last desperate attempt.

The king asked, hoping to find a way to save the situation.

"Who said that?"

Mu-Lan asked in return.

"What?"

"Who said that I was in love with the prince?"

"..."

The king and others were slow to understand her question.

"I have never been in love with the prince."

Most people gasped or drew in a sharp breath.

"But I heard that you met him every day..."

Someone began to object but then realized the reason.

It wasn't because she was in love, but for another reason.

"I saw it too! No matter what he said, you always came to see him the next day!"

Someone who hadn't realized it yet said firmly.

"I only greeted him. It was also for the '333-day grace period,' but I never did anything more than that."

Hearing this, the Earl of Leppard felt a shock as if he had been hit in the head.

How many times had he heard Mu-Lan say this?

"I only greeted the prince."

He had heard it, but he hadn't believed it.

This was the result. He covered his mouth, feeling like he was about to vomit.

"Someone just asked me if I knew what I had done.

The answer is---of course, I know.

I met the prince 333 times. It's been almost two years. During that time, I struggled every day. I understood that my choice would cause such chaos, and I suffered deeply."

The weight of her words pressed heavily on the Earl of Leppard. He cautiously looked at Mu-Lan.

Their eyes met. Mu-Lan's cold, contemptuous gaze.

"Even my family thought that I, who only greeted him, was infatuated with the prince. It was very lonely."

The Earl of Leppard felt as if his heart was being crushed.

He didn't know.

He didn't know that his daughter was suffering so much.

He didn't know. It was unforgivable.

His daughter had already made her decision.

This was the result.

The prince had lost his 'fated partner.'

The royal family had lost the prince.

He had lost his daughter.

2024/02/02◇