Chapter 61: Erendil (2)

The princess maintained her gaze on Kallin and placed the teacup down with a graceful movement of her hand.

This was not the image Kallin remembered. Naturally, she looked younger by over a decade.

Still, it was definitely the same person. Her cheeks hadn't thinned, but it was a familiar face.

The cold dignity was also the same.

"Aunt! Sister!"

"You've come. It's been a while, and you've become even more beautiful. How have you been?"

"Yes!"

The queen and princess warmly welcomed the running princess.

After a brief embrace, their gazes naturally turned to Kallin. The queen's eyes were ambiguous.

'Was it right to assign a proper agent?'

Kallin was younger and more handsome than expected. She had heard he was young, but it was more than she had imagined.

His appearance was also the same.

While appearance and age were separate from ability, it was a kind of prejudice.

Kallin, as he had done with the king, placed the tip of his sword on the ground and knelt on one knee.

"I greet Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess."

Since he was not yet officially a royal guard, he did not use honorifics like 'honorable.'

It was also to avoid being seen through by the princess.

The queen's eyes momentarily sharpened, perhaps disapproving, but she couldn't show it.

The queen responded with a smile.

"Welcome. I've heard a lot about you."

Kallin responded with a slight smile and remained silent. The princess's gaze was still fixed on him.

The queen urged the princess in a whisper.

"Erendil, why are you standing there?"

"...I hope we can work well together."

It was a brief statement, a stiffness formed from being a royal bloodline since childhood.

However, there was dignity in her tone.

"Yes."

Kallin bowed his head again. The princess finally turned her gaze away.

"Go out. We'll talk later."

"Erendil."

"Merien is the priority now."

The princess didn't want to mix this joy with other matters, fearing it would fade.

The queen couldn't say anything more.

Her daughter, who was cold to others, was affectionate only to her and the Princess of Haisen.

Just from her tone, it was clear. Considering what was to come, she needed to give her daughter some leeway.

Kallin withdrew at the dismissal. He was somewhat disheartened but more worried.

The talk of a private meeting later seemed to imply a private audience.

The guards' gazes turned to Kallin again.

One was a middle-aged knight, the other a young one. The young one's gaze was hostile.

"You must be the new guard."

"Yes."

"You're too young. Skill doesn't come from age, though."

The older one spoke.

Unlike the other knight, he wasn't hostile. Concern was stronger than dislike in his tone.

Kallin knew he was a decent person. That concern was for the princess's safety.

Initially, he expected harsh gazes, but it might be better than expected.

'If I prove my ability, they'll be more favorable.'

Kallin's judgment was somewhat accurate.

Emit had been the princess's guard since she was young, almost like a daughter.

He had looked forward to the change in guards. Karzan was just a well-bred young man.

Moreover, he knew the name Karl Schurtaffen.

Among the knights, they often talked about other knights.

He had heard a bit about the knight from the southern kingdom who never removed his helmet.

'I thought I'd be better than Karzan.'

The stories he heard weren't extraordinary. Being in the empire, the evaluation was lower.

But to make a name with such an appearance meant he had some skill.

Combat experience was the same.

However, high expectations often lead to greater disappointment. He had his own prejudices, so their first meeting wasn't very positive.

"I'll show you later. If you have time, today is fine too."

Emit liked Kallin's confidence. The old knight chuckled.

"I hope it's not just bravado."

The conversation ended there. A guard wasn't in a position to chat.

An hour later.

They talked for so long. Just as Kallin was about to sigh from the familiar fatigue, the princess and the queen came out of the room.

The queen, having received a hint of a private meeting, only greeted and walked down the corridor.

The following Princess of Haisen quickly whispered to Kallin with a regretful look.

"I hope we can meet again."

"You should be able to see me often before you return to Haisen."

"I mean, after that!"

Kallin smiled, and the princess, with a serious face, ran after the queen. Inside the room, the princess stood.

Her gaze was cold.

"Come in."

* * *

The princess, seated, was silently staring at me. Our gazes crossed in the silence.

The atmosphere was strange, making me uneasy. Lying was meaningless in front of the princess, who held the 'truth.'

That was why I was nervous.

I hadn't decided how to approach the princess. It was my limitation, as I didn't know what kind of person the young princess was.

"Karl Schurtaffen."

The princess broke the long silence. From her gaze, I sensed something was off.

Did she notice something?

I first used the wind to soundproof the room. The palace's soundproofing was good, but one couldn't be too careful.

There were also the empire's dogs inside the windows on the lower floor.

I had felt it since stepping on imperial soil. My surveillance range, thanks to the wind, was beyond imagination.

Even if the queen's reason for calling me was fine, I expected the empire's suspicion. That's why it was a dangerous mission.

"Yes."

The princess, who called me, fell silent again. She seemed to be thinking about what to say.

In the silence, I could predict what the princess would say.

"Is that your real name?"

As expected. It was a direct probing question. She had already figured out the situation. Her insight was remarkable.

Or, she might have noticed something strange through the queen.

No, it must be the latter. Among the people the princess met, only the queen knew our plan.

I didn't have much time to think. I quickly made a decision.

"No. My real name is Kallin."

The princess's pupils dilated. The wind brushing her wrist also revealed her increased heart rate.

I didn't quite understand the situation.

What is it? My name was Kallin, so it wasn't a lie. Was she surprised by my honesty?

Even so...

It was strange for someone skilled in truth detection to be so surprised.

Is it because she's still young?

That was a plausible possibility. No one would openly reveal their secrets to her.

"However, due to others' gazes, I humbly request that you call me Karl Schurtaffen for the sake of Her Highness and myself."

"...I understand."

The princess answered a beat late. She seemed to have regained her composure with a brief moment of calm.

"Do you come to make me the emperor?"

"Yes. I am from the Haisen intelligence agency and have come here to make Her Highness the emperor."

There was no need to lie since she had already figured it out. It was a straightforward approach. It was a part I had originally struggled with.

Ambiguity is the worst.

Since I was going to reveal the truth anyway, it was right to be sincere. The princess frowned.

"I don't know much about this, but shouldn't you be more careful about saying such things?"

"You're right. Silence was the principle until further instructions."

"That was until my mother convinced me."

"Exactly."

The original plan was for the queen to convince the princess.

It made sense. The princess had already said she wasn't interested in the throne.

The queen had to convince her, not someone from a foreign country.

"Why? I don't understand why you revealed this on your own. You could have lied."

"I didn't want to lie to Her Highness."

The princess narrowed her eyes. Objectively, the princess was right.

I must be crazy. I did this because I knew about the princess's secret.

The reason was one: to leave a deep impression to maintain a long-term relationship with the princess.

I could lie and reveal the truth at the right time, but...

I judged that someone who only tells the truth would be rare to the princess, who sees both lies and truths.

I hadn't decided to reveal everything from the first meeting because it seemed strange.

"I swear my words are sincere. Even if it's not a mission, I hope Her Highness becomes the emperor."

"...I still don't understand. Why do you want me to be the emperor?"

"Because it's the way to save more people."

I couldn't talk about the devil and his followers, the prince, right away.

Originally, I thought the princess's composure would break at this point. This baseless statement would seem true.

I didn't expect her to be shaken from the moment I revealed my name.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't say yet."

"I, Erendil Gisturat, am asking you."

"I'm sorry."

The princess frowned elegantly. She was silent for a while, deep in thought.

After a long silence, the princess sighed. It was the queen's doing, and it couldn't be undone now.

"I understand for now. But it's hard to believe what you suddenly said. The idea of becoming the emperor is even more perplexing."

"You're right."

The princess's reaction was natural. I couldn't show that I had seen through the truth.

From a practical perspective, my words were also hard to understand.

"Go out. I'll skip the formal appointment ceremony. You can get detailed instructions from Emit outside."

"Yes."

The princess needed time to think. I bowed and withdrew.

Before I could speak to Emit, the face I saw earlier was right in front of me.

The queen's maid.

"Sir Karl Schurtaffen?"

"Yes."

"Her Majesty the Queen is looking for you."

I frowned inwardly. We should avoid meeting as much as possible. What could this be about?

It's a long-term plan, and I'm worried the queen might be getting impatient.

* * *

"...Why can't I see it?"

Erendil, the princess, tried to calm her complicated mind. It was because her secret wasn't working.

It was the first time since she obtained her secret. Her composure was shaken for the first time in a long while.

"Luine!"

At the princess's call, the maid waiting outside the door hurried in.

"What do you think?"

"Excuse me, what do you mean...?"

"I'm talking about the knight who just came and went. What did you feel about him?"

"I can't say much since I only saw him briefly, but he didn't seem like a bad person."

The truth. The princess realized her secret was still working and sighed in relief.

However, the confusion didn't disappear. The secret didn't work on the knight named Kallin.

Feeling a blank gaze, the princess snapped out of her thoughts and snorted.

"Is it because of his looks?"

"..."

The maid blushed. The princess waved her hand.

"That's enough. You can go."

What is he?

The princess's thoughts deepened. It was the first time she couldn't read someone's truth or lies.

She couldn't understand why he said those things to her.

The silent secret and the knight who suddenly revealed his thoughts continued to complicate her mind.

'They didn't send a madman from Haisen, did they...?'

Did he become fascinated during the investigation? It was a sudden thought.

It was a far-fetched guess, but based on her experience, it wasn't impossible.

The princess shook her head inwardly. She thought her ability to read people had deepened because of her secret.

There was no such desire in Kallin's eyes.

'He couldn't have said those things without knowing my secret.'

But that was even more absurd.

Erendil hadn't told anyone about her secret since she obtained it at age ten.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't understand.

It was a statement that only a madman could make, but if he were mad, he couldn't be her guard.

'So, this is how it felt back then.'

It was strange to ponder someone's words. She could see the truth and lies.

That's why she could always be confident and not be flustered.

It felt like the mask she wore had cracked a little.

Erendil turned her head to the mirror on the left. She looked unfamiliar to herself.