Adrian's gaze lingered on the woman seated across from him, his eyes filled with indifference.
Long and dark blue hair resembled a night sky that cascaded down her back combined with a pair of sapphire jewels.
Charlotte Agnessa, a woman in her early twenties and his father's new bride.
Come to think of it, wasn't Arthur in his early forties?
But whatever, he didn't have a reason to care anyway.
In his previous world, during the medieval ages, there were numerous instances of young women marrying older kings for political, strategic, or diplomatic reasons, making it quite common.
"…I humbly extend my sincerest apologies for any rudeness I may have displayed previously."
"So, what is your choice?"
Despite Adrian knowing what answer he would receive, he asked anyway.
"After thorough contemplation, I have reached the resolute decision to accompany Your Highness to the Capital, with the sole purpose of fulfilling my father's directive."
Adrian nodded in acknowledgment.
"Very well."
"Thank you so much for your consideration."
"Is there anything else?"
Charlotte's eyes met Adrian's, and for a moment, they held each other's gaze.
Eventually, she shook her head and answered.
"There isn't, Your Highness."
As there was no need for further discussion, Adrian concluded the conversation.
"Very Well. Then we shall take our leave. I hope you enjoy your trip, Princess Charlotte. If you will, please excuse us."
Soon, they all stood up and Charlotte along with Leilla immediately curtseyed.
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Your Highness. We wish you a good day."
Adrian exited the room, with Nathaniel following closely behind.
However, just as Nathaniel reached the doorway, he paused and turned back to face Charlotte.
"Princess Charlotte, please do not take my brother's words to heart. He may appear cold, but he is kind at heart."
"I will bear it in mind."
"Thank you."
Nathaniel spoke sincerely and Charlotte responded, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"It is my pleasure."
With that, Nathaniel quickened his pace and positioned himself next to his brother.
Soon, Adrian removed his Telesphere and handed it to his brother.
"Could you please reset my Telesphere to its default settings? I need to call my mom."
Because his mother was undoubtedly sick with worry by now.
Although he had called her before Nathaniel changed the setting, informing her that he was going somewhere.
By now, she would have undoubtedly uncovered the truth about his escapade.
Nathaniel received it and explained.
"It will be completed before dinner, are you okay with it?"
"That's fine."
As long as it didn't require an entire day, he was okay with it.
—Ring! —Ring! —Ring!
Shortly after, Nathaniel's Telesphere began to ring.
He raised his wrist and saw Andrew's ID displayed on the screen.
Without hesitation, he answered the call.
Soon, a man's urgent voice greeted him from the other end.
// Boss, you need to come to the deck right away. There are three Imperial Patrol ships approaching us! //
Nathaniel and Adrian exchanged glances and quickly made their way to the deck.
"I understand. I'll be there immediately."
"Please do."
Ending the call, the two hastened their pace.
Unlike the previous timeline, where Nathaniel mostly moved alone before joining forces with Simone.
In this timeline, Nathaniel established a Mercenary Agency, which he considered to be a clever move.
Because this agency allowed him to gather information from all corners of the continent, providing valuable insights about the shitty organization he was up against.
However, Adrian couldn't help but wonder what had transpired in the original timeline that prompted Nathaniel to turn back in time.
Given that Nathaniel carried on with his life after the demise of his brother, Adrian doubted that was the reason behind his decision to turn back time.
Could be that shitty organization collects all the items and take over the Empire?
Or was it something else?
Arriving on the deck, a voice called out to them.
"Boss!"
They turned towards the sound and saw a man with maroon hair and emerald eyes perched on the crow's nest.
It was Andrew, Nathaniel's trusted companion and the manager of his Mercenary Agency.
"They are at 10 o'clock!"
Nathaniel and Adrian wasted no time, directing their gaze toward the mentioned direction.
Just like Andrew had stated, three galleons were rapidly approaching their ship.
"I saw many navy crew on the ships. I believe they're the real Patrol ships and not the imposters."
Andrew reported, providing them with real-time updates as he observed the approaching vessels.
When the ships drew nearer, a voice resonated through the air, amplified by a magical device.
"We have been sent here by the Emperor to accompany His Highness the First and Second Prince, as well as Her Highness the Fourth Princess of the Kearny Kingdom."
The unexpected announcement left Nathaniel with a perplexed expression.
If they were being mentioned, didn't it mean that Arthur, knew about their whereabouts?
Before Nathaniel could voice his thoughts, Adrian interjected.
"I think they discovered our location through the 'Surveillance System' near the Kearny-Aeon sea border."
Nathaniel immediately facepalmed, realizing that he had forgotten about it.
However, Adrian's next words caught him off guard.
"And I believe that woman also witnessed our battle there."
"…"
Nathaniel abruptly halted his actions and pivoted towards his brother, his expression growing grave as he comprehended the gravity of the situation.
"Tsk."
Adrian clicked this tongue in annoyance, realizing that the number of spies planted within the Empire by the organization was far greater than he had anticipated.
"At this point, I'm not sure who I can trust in the Palace."
"You know you can trust me."
"…"
Adrian turned his gaze sideways, meeting Nathaniel's sincere smile.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Adrian's thin smile emerged.
Of course, how could he forget about his brother, the protagonist of this world, the one destined to fight against the organization and save the world?
Although he was a bit annoying and sometimes acted overly dramatic, at least he was trustworthy.
"Yeah."
Adrian acknowledged, a sense of relief washing over him.
Nathaniel extended his hand and gently patted Adrian's head, a gesture of comfort and reassurance.
Shifting his attention to the crew, Nathaniel soon shouted.
"Drop the anchor!"
The crew swiftly carried out the order, securing the ship in place and Charlotte, who had heard the commotion, arrived on the deck.
Not long after, each of the captains of the Patrol ships boarded the ship and began introducing themselves one by one.
After exchanging pleasantries, they returned to their respective ships and eventually resumed their journey.
.
.
.
—Keow —Keow —Keow
Adrian's cerulean eyes followed the graceful flight of seagulls in the open sky.
His white hair and clothes gently swayed with the cool sea breeze, creating an ethereal image against the backdrop of the vast ocean.
Four days had passed since they successfully prevented the assassination of the Kearny Princess, and the situation had remained relatively calm.
However, despite the apparent tranquility, Adrian's heart was filled with uneasiness.
There was a reason for his growing sense of unease.
Over the past four days, Adrian had made numerous attempts to contact his mother, however, to his dismay, Aerilyn never answered his calls.
It was highly unusual for her to ignore him, and this raised concerns within Adrian.
Adrian asked Nathaniel if there was something wrong with his Telesphere.
After a thorough check, Nathaniel confirmed that his Telesphere was in perfect working condition.
This revelation only deepened Adrian's confusion.
If his Telesphere was functioning properly, then why was his mother not answering his calls?
It was a perplexing situation, one that seemed out of character for his usually attentive and caring mother.
Adrian pondered the possible reasons behind his mother's silence.
Was she deliberately avoiding him?
Had something happened to her?
The uncertainty gnawed at him, fueling his unease.
"All hands prepare to dock!"
The captain's commanding voice shattered Adrian's train of thought, jolting him back to reality.
He quickly redirected his gaze, and behold, the Capital Port emerged into view, revealing familiar figures standing in the distance.
They were none other than Lucia and his mother.
Wasting no more time, Adrian immediately called his mother's Telecode.
The anticipation built up as the call connected.
—Ring —Rii—
"Huh?"
However, to his surprise, his mother rejected the call.
Confusion and panic gripped Adrian's heart, causing it to race uncontrollably.
Adrian had no idea why, but his heart began to race in uncontrollable panic.
Even when Arthur sentenced him to a whole year of being grounded, he felt nothing.
But this... this was a whole different story.
Somehow, he felt… sacred.
As the ship drew closer to the port, Aerilyn's indifferent expression became increasingly vivid, and Adrian knew that he was fucked up.
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