Chapter 64

【Chapter 2】

The arranged meeting between Lewis and Claudia was scheduled to last for ten days.

Since there is a transfer magic, in reality, Claudia could have returned home every night without staying at the Clingate castle. However, as it was officially an arranged meeting, Claudia was to stay at Clingate Castle for the ten days.

Today was the second day.

Claudia, with her hair tied into twin tails and large ribbons on each, was walking around the afternoon garden.

"Lord Lewis, look!"

Turning around with a full smile, Lewis tilted his head with a gentle smile.

"What is it? Claudia"

"Look, there's a ladybug! It's so small and really cute."

Seeing what Claudia pointed at, Lewis agreed calmly.

"Really, it is cute. This small size must mean it's a male."

"Is this one a boy? How can you tell?"

"Male ladybugs are smaller. Look, the one over there is probably a female."

"Wow..."

Claudia's eyes sparkled as she looked up at Lewis.

"Lord Lewis, you're a ladybug expert!"

"Hehe. Not really, I just happened to read an encyclopedia when I had some free time."

"Do you like books? My big brother loves reading too, so you can be friends!"

The maids around them watched the exchange between Claudia and Lewis with smiles. A little closer, Noah, as a guard, waited quietly.

At the entrance of the garden, the king and Karlheinz were having a diplomatic conversation while observing them.

"Princess Claudia seems to have taken quite a liking to Lewis. She's really a very innocent and childlike princess."

"………………That seems to be the case."

The king apparently thought Karlheinz's expressionless face was due to his natural disposition. Without much concern, he continued speaking to Karlheinz.

"Let's leave the children to the maids and that young guard. How about it, shall we discuss the recent rapid development of magic technology in Abinoia over there?"

"……If I can answer your questions."

Karlheinz quietly replied and glanced at Claudia. Then, he and the king left the garden together.

(As planned, Karlheinz has distracted the king. The maids should be easy to fool.)

Pretending to chase butterflies, Claudia called out to Lewis.

"Lord Lewis, come here! We're making a secret place."

"A secret place? Sure, I'll come."

"The maids are adults, so they can't come! The secret place is only for children. Noah, come here too!"

The maids nodded and chuckled at Claudia's instructions.

The castle was enchanted with various spells to ensure the safety of the children. Therefore, the adults were not overly concerned and allowed the prince and the princess from another country to play.

This was convenient for Claudia.

(If I want to gather information about Stuart, Lewis is the most efficient source.)

Karlheinz's information gathering would primarily involve servants and officials. However, to learn about the prince who rarely leaves his room, it would be more effective to talk to the younger prince.

As the maids started chatting, Claudia led Lewis deeper into the garden, away from the adults' sight.

"Hey, Lord Lewis,"

She didn't neglect the conversation to gain his trust.

"Why do you read so many books?"

Lewis, who was walking closer to Noah than Claudia, smiled shyly and said:

"I admire someone."

"Admire!"

"Yes. This person is very knowledgeable, has a strong curiosity, and is a genius at using the knowledge they have. They are far ahead of me and are a wonderful person."

Then, Lewis continued in a small voice:

"I wanted to learn more from them while I could still talk to them."

"…Can't you talk to the person you admire anymore?"

"Hehe. No, I believe we will definitely have the chance. …But, it's hard to get that opportunity, and sometimes I feel a bit down."

"…"

According to Karlheinz's investigation, while Stuart tends to stay in his room, Lewis is the only one who doesn't give up and visits him every day.

It was probably time to start the conversation. After giving Noah a signal with her eyes, Claudia ran across the lawn.

"Princess Claudia, I don't understand the complicated talk!"

"Princess. Running like that, you might fall just like your brother did the other day."

This was a line they had planned in advance. Claudia smoothly replied as planned:

"Big brother was reading while walking, so he fell. Right, Lord Lewis! If you do that, you'll go 'thump'!"

"Yes, that's true. It's dangerous."

"That's why I scolded big brother. I'm more mature in my heart."

"Heart? Hehe, that's a funny thing to say."

Lewis laughed genuinely.

His smile was that of a beautiful young boy, somewhat sweet. If there were girls of the same age here, they would all be captivated by Lewis.

"But I love big brother and Lord Lewis!"

"That's good to hear."

"What is Lord Lewis's big brother like?"

When Claudia asked, Lewis put his hand to his mouth as if thinking.

"…Someone who is very talented but hasn't realized it yet, I guess."

"Hmm."

Deliberately giving an uninterested response, it seemed to make it easier for Lewis to talk. He chuckled and continued:

"Maybe it sounds disrespectful, but since I was about three, my brother hasn't come out of his room much, so I can't really describe his personality."

"Do you like your big brother?"

"…I want to talk to him more. I want to see his magic."

Lewis, who had been smiling perfectly until now, let the smile fade and spoke almost to himself.

"None of the potential friends my age or the teachers who came to teach magic ever went beyond my imagination. After reading all the books in the library, all the academic books seemed to say the same things."

"Lord Lewis…"

"Before, I wanted to go outside the castle, but my mother was very afraid, saying, 'What if you get sick outside and never wake up?' …My brother's magic was a 'beautiful thing' I hadn't seen in a long time, but even so…"

Lewis, at eleven years old, seemed much more mature.

Most of all, his face looked like he had given up on everything, and it was a sad expression.

"I always find it boring to just wait."

"……"

For the first time, Lewis spoke what seemed to be his true feelings.

So Claudia called out the name of her loyal servant.

"…Noah"

"Yes, Princess?"

Noah answered honestly, then frowned when he saw Claudia's smiling face.

"…I can't imagine you would ask me to use magic."

"Hehe, Noah is a good boy! You know everything about Claudia, don't you?"

Seemingly understanding everything from her words, Noah pressed his forehead and sighed. If he were to be told that his gesture was similar to Karlheinz's, what kind of face would he make?

"Lord Lewis, hold hands with Noah."

"…Claudia?"

"Hurry up, hurry up! Come on, hold hands!"

"I'm sorry, Prince Lewis."

"…!"

Noah, holding hands with Claudia, took Lewis's hand while still frowning.

"Wow…!!"

The magic that activated was a transfer spell.

After successfully landing at the destination, Claudia happily showed her smile.

"Wow. Noah, you're so good at magic!"

"……"

"…Where are we…?"

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Lewis swallowed hard.

"Could this be the town below the castle…?"

That's exactly what it was.

In front of Claudia and the others, the bright capital was bustling with many smiling faces and lively voices.