Chapter 65

"Your Highness..."

"What is it?"

"Um, a postcard has arrived from Her Highness the Crown Princess."

"A postcard?"

Dennis appeared before Jesarld, who was at the breakfast table, carrying a tray. However, from where Jesarld was sitting, he couldn't see what was on the tray. It was so small and thin. Naturally, since Dennis mentioned it was a postcard.

Jesarld picked up the postcard from the tray and furrowed his brow. Half of the postcard was filled with the address and the sender's name. The address was simply written as [Imperial Capital Clerina, Imperial Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince, Jesarld Eairas]. It was surprising that it had made it this far, but it was probably thanks to the sender's name and the seal. The sender's name was [Crown Princess Amaryllis Eairas, during her stay in Toisen], with a red seal stamped on it. The other half contained a bright and cheerful message.

[Your Highness, are you well? Thanks to you, I have recovered my strength considerably. I believe that if I stay in Toisen a little longer, I can return to the Imperial Palace. I am deeply sorry for causing you worry due to my insistence. I apologize. I look forward to seeing you again when I return to the Imperial Palace.]

After reading the message, Jesarld flipped the postcard over. On the other side, a beautiful illustration of the Hottar Mountain Range was depicted, with another message written on it.

[Here, I have the opportunity to observe the process of making stoneware, and I am surprisingly enjoying my time. Moreover, with the help of a skilled potter, I am even experiencing the creation of my own pottery. I am eagerly looking forward to the day when I can bring it back as a souvenir.]

Jesarld smiled at the various contents of the postcard. The fact that it was sent via postcard made him laugh out loud. Dennis, who was standing there, widened his eyes in surprise.

"Your Highness?"

"No, I apologize. It's just... so very much like Her Highness."

Jesarld's response surprised not only Dennis but also a young server who was about to clear the dishes. The young man almost dropped the plate, and he was secretly burning with a strange sense of mission to tell his coworkers about this major event. Sneaking a peek at Jesarld, he saw no sign of anger. The young man was determined to share this big news with his colleagues later.

At that moment, Conrad entered without knocking, and Jesarld let out a small sigh.

"Unusually early, Conrad."

"Yes, I stayed here last night."

Without changing his displeased expression, Conrad winked and smiled, and Jesarld didn't ask any further. It was clear that Conrad hadn't slept alone. Without permission, Conrad sat across from Jesarld and, upon seeing the postcard on the table, frowned again.

"Is that the postcard you were talking about?"

"The one you were talking about?"

"The entire palace is in an uproar. The postcard from Her Highness the Crown Princess to you was mixed in with the letters delivered by a regular courier this morning."

"Oh, that would certainly cause a stir."

"This isn't the time to be so calm. What is Her Highness thinking? Surely, in Freud, the nobles don't use regular couriers? And to send a postcard that can be seen by anyone!"

"It's not as if the content is something that would cause trouble if seen."

Jesarld, who usually remained silent, responded to Conrad's continuous stream of opinions. Conrad seemed surprised by this rarity but soon sighed in exasperation.

"It's not about the content, it's about the position. For the Crown Princess of the Eairas Empire to use a regular courier and send a postcard to the Crown Prince is unthinkable. And the content is just a simple status update!"

"So, you already know the content?"

"Of course, it's the talk of the palace!"

As he spoke, Conrad's voice grew more agitated. However, Jesarld remained calm, letting out a wry smile.

"You're as quick as ever."

"This isn't the time to be impressed! Jesarld should immediately send a messenger to tell Her Highness not to do this!"

"No... this is Her Highness's way of having fun. She has a bit of a unique personality. There's no need to get so worked up over her fun."

"I know she's unique, but I don't think this is a small issue. To maintain Jesarld's dignity, Her Highness should be reprimanded. Why didn't anyone stop her? Who is responsible? It's ridiculous..."

Jesarld's attitude made Conrad realize he had been too agitated. He tried to speak in a calmer tone, but he didn't notice Jesarld's slight frown. Deciding that further discussion with Jesarld would be futile, he grumbled and left. Jesarld sighed as he watched Conrad go, and Dennis let out a sigh of relief.

However, this matter did not end there. The next day, another postcard from the Crown Princess to the Crown Prince arrived. And the day after that, and the day after that. A new rumor from Toisen began to spread, confusing the palace staff. It seemed that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were very close, and the Crown Princess was alleviating the loneliness of their separation by sending a postcard every day.

Jesarld, who was usually expressionless, continued to go about his daily life without paying attention to the rumors, but he wrote a reply once. Of course, he entrusted it to a trusted servant and sent it as a sealed letter. Despite this, the news that the Crown Prince had replied quickly spread, and people began to speculate about the content. They imagined it was filled with words of concern and care for the Crown Princess.

However, there was one thing in Lirys's postcards that made Jesarld want to hold his head. She wrote, [This morning, I woke up early and saw a red star in the sky. It had a beautiful glow, just like your eyes, and I decided to call it the 'Dawn Star']. It seemed that Lirys hadn't given up on that nickname.

The story of the 'Dawn Star' spread throughout the palace, and as expected, the Emperor laughed heartily when he heard it. He even said he wanted to see it in person, but Jesarld firmly refused. Some people, like Conrad, were unhappy that the fear inspired by the 'Red Reaper' was fading, but the Emperor didn't seem to mind.

By the time Lirys's postcards had exceeded twenty, an imperial envoy from the Emperor was dispatched to Toisen.