Chapter 122
It was nice to see him after a long time, and Perez smiled so brightly.
His body is so big that I have to look up, his face now has a clear line, and his voice so low as if he was someone else.
There were many different things, but it was definitely Perez.
"Who are you?"1
I could see Perez embarrassed by my cold words.
I don’t care.
"I’m sorry, but I think you’ve got the wrong person."
I said and turned around.
"Tia."
With a perplexed look on his face, he gently grabbed my shoulder.
"It’s me, Perez."
"Perez? Come to think of it, I think I knew someone like that."
The red eyes looking at me were shaking finely.
It really seemed like he thought I had forgotten himself.
I said, staring hard at such a Perez.
"Ah, the Perez who spent almost six years without showing his face?"
"It"s..."
“Or are you talking about that Perez, who graduated early from the academy after 5 years and had no news for half a year?”
Now you understand what I’m saying.
Perez said in a low voice, slightly lowering his head.
"...Sorry."
You’re not sorry, are you?
Hearing the apology directly from him made me emotional and angry.
I slapped Perez on the shoulder with all my might with the bag in my hand.
"Bad boy."2
Like in his previous life, he graduated both in Civil Service and Military Service at the same time.
Perez also graduated early in five years by reducing one year.
He could stop me from hitting his arm with his eyes closed.
But, Perez only stood still.
"Let’s just say you were busy at the academy and couldn’t come back during the vacation. But how do you explain that I haven’t heard from you in the last few months?"
"That’s... I’ve been wandering around for half a year after graduation, so I couldn’t send and receive letters."
As soon as he graduated, I know he went on a quick trip with his friends.
As soon as Perez lost contact, I found out through Bate.
And it’s not like I’m worried or what.
It’s Perez, who had already used Aura at the age of twelve.
How many dangerous situations would such a person face while traveling the continent with the friends he met at the Academy?
However.
"You could send a letter ’I am alive.’ to Lombardy everywhere! A smart guy who graduated at the academy can’t even think of that much?"
Strangely, I get emotional.
But Perez’s face looked strange when he saw me angry.
It looks like he’s smiling or frowning.
After staring at him for a long time, he asked in a low voice,
"No way. Were you worried about me, Tia?"
He’s really.
"Then you don’t? It’s like a friend suddenly went missing...!"
Squeeze.
"...I’m glad."
Before I knew it, I was in Perez’s arms.
Something similar happened when I brought my grandfather to the palace to rescue him.
Compared to then, Perez is bigger now.
To the point where my whole body is completely trapped in his arms.
I blinked a couple of times in surprise and called Perez.
"Perez."
"Huh?"
"Let me go."
Then Perez obediently lowered his arm that had locked me up.
The sound of clashing between the fabrics rang clearly in my ears.
Looking up, Perez was smiling.
It wasn’t the faint smile he made just a moment ago.
The long black eyelashes were slightly curved.
That’s mean.
I can’t believe you’re trying to spill your beauty.1
I squinted as I pushed Perez out of my body.
"I’m not relieved of my anger yet."1
"Yes, I’m sorry."
He nodded and admitted obediently.
But, the apology was swift.
I suddenly felt Perez’s gaze looking down at me and muttered.
"You’ve grown so tall."
Before returning, it was just as it had been seen from a distance.
No, it’s prettier because you look brighter than before.
And the eyes are a little different.
He had very dry and cold eyes that looked down on the crowd who gathered to see him.
"Tia’s grown up a lot, too."
Perez in front of me was full of life.
He seemed to be happy somewhere.
Like.
"Big dog."
A big black dog wiggling its big tail slowly.
It sounds a little weird, but he’s already over the point of being called a puppy.
"Dog?"
"No, it’s nothing. What’s wrong with you, Perez? Aren’t you from the Palace?"
There’s no way Caitlyn and Kylus would let Perez out like this.
His messy hair and clothes are crumpled like the man who just got off the horse...
"Did you come to see me without going to the Palace?"
"Yes."
Yes, it is.
I can’t believe you came to see me without returning to the Palace.
I said as I brushed off my slightly disheveled clothes from being hugged by Perez.
"Go back to the Palace."
"...Okay."
I can feel Perez a bit sulky in my words.
But I said more firmly.
"Go and show everyone that you’re back. After five years of graduating from Civil Service and Military Service at the same time, Second Prince Perez is back."
"Ah...."
Perez replied with a soft smile around his mouth as if he understood what I meant.
"Yes, I will."
I waved my hand a little at Perez, then started walking towards the mansion.
Then, I looked back thinking of something I forgot.
He was still standing there looking at my back.
"Don’t be late tomorrow."
Perez, who was traveling, couldn’t have returned today for no reason.
I had a feeling that it was to attend my 18th birthday banquet.
Sure enough, Perez smiled, folding his eyes finely again.
"Yes. See you at the banquet tomorrow, Tia."
I waved my hand again and turned around, and my wrist is slightly sour.
It was the part where I hit his arm when I swung my bag at Perez a little while ago.
"I didn’t hit any rock."
I’ve never hit a real rock, but I thought it would feel like this.
I slipped my prickly wrist and took a busy step again.
* * *
Lignite, the second son of the Eastern family, Luman householder, doubted his eyes.
"Am I looking at something in broad daylight?"
He rubbed his eyes with that murmur, but the view from a distance didn’t change.
"Is Perez... laughing?"
Although he was the Prince of the Lambrew Empire, he became friends from the first day of the academy and was comfortably called by his first name in private.
Many followed Perez, but Lignite was the only one who could call Perez’s name.
But even such Lignite has never seen Perez smile.
Until today.
Spring has come, but it was this morning that he arrived in Lombardy by running his horse frantically through the frightening winds of the still biting north.
Lignite thought something was going on in the Palace because Perez said they had to arrive at the center of the Empire by today no matter what.
But Perez drove the horse to the wrong place.
No matter how much Lignite asks where he is heading, Perez insisted on ’If it is hard, I will go alone.’ so he cried and followed with sour.
And it was Lombardy that they arrived.
"Did he even know how to laugh?"
Seriously, Lignite thought Perez was out of order somewhere.
In particular, I have always questioned whether the part that controls emotions and facial expressions is functioning properly.
But Perez, who met a woman, was smiling.
He has eyes that seem to be dripping with honey.2
"Huh?"
Lignite jumped up from his seat.
It was because Perez gave her a big hug.
"This... If I tell other people, no one will trust me."
He’d be glad if he didn’t be kicked for lying.
Then there was something flashing in his head.
"By any chance..."
Lignite’s legs trembled with impatience.
Perez, who remained at the place where the woman left first, returned to the place where Lignite had been waiting only after her back became invisible.
"Now let’s go over to the Capital."
Perez, who approached with a big step while flapping his cloak, had returned to his usual expressionless face.
"Perez."
"What is it?"
Perez, who was checking if the horse’s saddle had been loosened, answered Lignite’s call roughly.
"She’s the main character of the letter, right?"
Perez, who was tying the knot tightly with his hand, stopped moving.
Also.
Lignite grinned.
"She’s the one you’ve been writing every time that you’ve never shown anyone?"
There were several hypotheses among colleagues about the recipient of the letter.
It is the maid of honor that came to bring something for Perez to use once a year.
No, it’s a report to the Emperor on his achievements at the Academy, seeing that he writes as thick as a report every time.
There were a lot of different hypotheses to say.
But the biggest laugh was what Lignite once said.
"Maybe Perez has a crazy crush on someone?"
The people who heard it laughed while holding their stomachs, saying it was ridiculous.
It was unimaginable that Perez liked someone that much.
By the way.
"As expected, I was right!"
Lignite shouted, clenching his fists.
And said to Perez teasingly.
"There are a lot of surprises? It looks like you only like bloody steaks. It’s also about eating sweet food."
Perez’s love of sweet food was famous at the Academy.
When asked, he said he didn’t like sweet food, but he always looked for something sweet once a day.
And when he held it in his mouth, Perez’s face, which had always been stiff, would loosen.
"Lignite."
"Why?"
"It’s noisy."
"Huh."
Perez was first on the horse.
Lignite followed and asked.
"Are we going to the Palace now?"
"No. I have one more to stop before that."
Perez ended it and started to drive again.
The place where the two stopped was the cemetery outside the Capital.
It was like a well-managed park, mostly where nobles were buried.
Perez, who tied the horsetail at the entrance of the cemetery, took out a small bouquet of flowers that had been in the saddle’s pocket for several days.
The flower had withered slightly, but Perez held it in one hand and headed deep into the cemetery.
The chatty Lignite also kept his mouth shut and followed in this place.
In time, Perez, standing in front of a well-decorated cemetery with marble and statues, carefully laid down the bouquet.
"I’m here."
Perez said so, sweeping the monument with a short inscription on it by hand.
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