Chapter 80

***

In the Kingdom of Klingate, it seems that even those of noble birth have the custom of sharing breakfast together. Claudia, during her stay in this country, would head to the luxurious dining hall used by the royal family every morning and have breakfast with them.

That morning, she sat at the table, opposite Lewis. When the king finally entered, Claudia and the others greeted him with their morning salutations.

"Good morning, Father."

"Good morning, Your Majesty!"

"Oh, good morning, Princess Claudia. Lewis."

The smiling king, while being seated by a servant, addressed Claudia first.

"How was your sleep, Princess Claudia? Did you rest well last night?"

"Yep! After eating, Claudia got really sleepy and slept a lot! Right, Noah?"

"Yes, the princess slept very well."

Noah, who stood beside Claudia, quietly agreed. In reality, he had been up all night, secretly moving about, but that was a secret.

However, the King of Klingate did not doubt Claudia and Noah's explanation.

"That's good to hear. Lewis, I hear you've been diligently practicing swordsmanship and magic since early this morning. Well done."

The king's smile was that of a good father. Lewis, looking a bit embarrassed but never letting his pride get the better of him, replied.

"This is just part of my daily routine. Besides, since I lost to Noah yesterday, I can't afford to slack off if I want to win next time."

"Haha! To think that Claudia's attendant is so skilled. I really wish I had watched your sparring match yesterday. What do you think, Noah?"

"Thank you for your kind words."

The king nodded and then instructed the servant.

"Let's start breakfast. ...Hmm."

His gaze fell on the empty seat next to Lewis, with a somewhat melancholic look.

"It seems Stuart is not coming out of his room again today."

"......"

At that moment, Noah glanced at Claudia, who was pretending to be clueless and smiling.

"Lewis, how was Stuart this morning?"

"As usual, he didn't respond. Since he often stays up late, he's probably still sleeping."

(Of course, he's not going to respond.)

While saying a prayer before the meal, Claudia thought to herself.

(Stuart is in Noah's room, not his own, and has been sleeping since last night.)

Last night, after Noah had knocked Stuart out, Claudia had decided to "kidnap" him.

"Now, we need to move Stuart out of this tower and hide him. His face looks so haggard."

She observed Stuart's face, nodding thoughtfully. The unhealthy appearance was not just due to his habit of looking down and having a hunched back.

"He seems to have been sleep-deprived for a long time. Should I cast a healing spell on him?"

"There's no need for such mercy. If he just needs sleep, let him rest."

"That's true. I'll cast a sleep spell on him. Alright."

Noah, who looked somewhat reluctant, asked, "Princess, where should we take this man?"

Claudia thought for a moment and looked up at Noah.

"Even though Stuart rarely leaves his room, it's better not to take him far from the castle. I'll have him sleep in my room for a while."

Noah's expression became even more sour.

"...I have a room in the Klingate castle. Take Stuart there, not to your room."

"But Noah's room is for attendants, isn't it? It's not very spacious, and Stuart might be in the way."

"He will be in the way, but it's not a problem at all. I will take him to my room, no matter what."

With that, Noah grabbed Stuart by the collar, and Claudia left it to him.

(This morning, Noah checked on Stuart, and he was still sound asleep. When he wakes up, I'll have a talk with him.)

When she told Karlheinz about everything, his usually expressionless face turned pale, and he pressed his forehead.

***

"Hey, hey, Your Majesty. Lord Lewis."

After the breakfast plates were cleared away, Claudia, while blowing on her tea to cool it, asked innocently.

"Why doesn't Lord Lewis's older brother come out of his room?"

The king looked a bit troubled at her words. As planned, Noah pretended to scold Claudia.

"Princess, such a question is impolite."

"It's fine. If the courtship goes well, Claudia will become a member of this royal family. It's natural for her to be concerned about the family."

"Claudia loves her older brothers, so if Stuart becomes her brother, she wants to get along well with him!"

Hearing this, the King of Klingate nodded in satisfaction.

"However, the truth is, Stuart himself has never explained the reason. But even without hearing it, I have a good idea."

"An idea?"

"It was when Stuart was ten. Lewis, who was only three at the time, had a severe fever."

Claudia looked at Lewis, who smiled at her with a mix of affection and concern.

"To be honest, I don't remember much..."

"It was a serious fever, and the magicians' healing spells weren't very effective. At one point, his life was in danger, and your mother, who was still alive then, was very upset."

The king sipped his tea, his eyes lowered as if recalling the past.

"At that time, ten-year-old Stuart was a good older brother and took good care of Lewis. The day before Lewis's fever, Stuart and Lewis had been playing in the garden when they were caught in a heavy rain. The queen, who was distraught over Lewis's condition, blamed Stuart for getting Lewis wet and severely reprimanded him as an older brother who had failed."

Claudia imagined the scene of ten-year-old Stuart being scolded.

"Feeling responsible for nearly losing his younger brother and being harshly criticized by his mother must have been very painful. ...After Lewis recovered and they met at breakfast, Stuart rarely left his room."

"Brother..."

Lewis whispered sadly, placing his teacup on the saucer.

"It's my fault, brother."

"I've told you before, Lewis. You are not to blame."

(I see.)

Claudia blew the last breath on her tea and thought to herself.

(Indeed, that was the turning point.)