Chapter 155 Ch. 155: The Western Border [1]
As the first rays of light emerged from the horizon, painting the dark sky with vibrant hues of blue, a serene morning scene unfolded.
In the midst of this tranquil ambiance, a white-haired boy sat solemnly, savoring his breakfast.
Each spoonful of soup he consumed seemed to carry his thoughts away to a different realm.
His mind wandered to the detailed report he had received from Fredinand, revealing a disturbing truth.
The explosive devices discovered were not confined to the watchtower alone; they were scattered throughout the castle's surroundings, hidden in every nook and cranny near the sidewalks.
The sheer number of devices found was staggering, hinting at a malevolent intent to harm Aerilyn.
The identity of the perpetrator remained shrouded in mystery, leaving Adrian at a loss.
Despite his best efforts to piece together the puzzle, the motives behind these nefarious acts eluded him, leaving him with a deep sense of unease and apprehension.
However, Adrian held onto a glimmer of hope that a conversation with Nathaniel, would shed some light on the matter.
With this thought in mind, he quietly finished his breakfast, placing his cutlery down with a soft clink.
Taking a sip of milk from his goblet, he wiped his mouth with a napkin before turning to his head butler.
"What time is it?"
"It's 6.30 a.m., Your Highness."
Fredinand promptly replied.
"I see."
Without wasting another moment, Adrian rose from his seat, and Fredinand followed closely behind as they made their way out of Adrian's chamber.
As they walked briskly through the castle corridors, Fredinand couldn't help but voice his thoughts.
"Is Your Highness going to pay Prince Nathaniel a visit?"
"Yes."
The sooner he met with his brother, the better.
Adrian disliked being plagued by unanswered questions and unresolved issues.
After a few minutes of strides, Adrian arrived at the entrance of Nathaniel's chamber.
He turned to the guard standing in front of his brother's room and commanded.
"Announce my arrival."
However, to his surprise, the guard bowed respectfully and delivered unexpected news.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, Prince Nathaniel has not yet returned."
Adrian's brows furrowed in concern.
"Did he mention anything about his return?"
"I'm afraid I have no idea, Your Highness."
Disappointed but undeterred, Adrian turned on his heels and began to walk away.
As he did, he reached for his Telesphere, a communication device, and dialed Nathaniel's Telecode.
After several rings, Nathaniel's voice finally echoed through the device.
// Hello? //
Nathaniel's voice came through, slightly muffled.
Adrian wasted no time and got straight to the point.
"Nate, where are you?"
// Uh, I'm currently with Simone right now. We're training together. //
Nathaniel replied, his voice carrying a hint of distraction.
"I see."
Well, that explained everything and without further ado, Adrian continued.
"By the way, I wonder if we can meet and talk? There's something important I want to discuss."
Adrian knew that the matter at hand was too sensitive and intricate to be resolved over the phone.
A face-to-face meeting was necessary, and it seemed that Nathaniel shared the same sentiment.
// Uh, honestly speaking I have something to discuss with you too. How about we meet at the Imperial Seatbox at the Hastilude festival? //
The festival began at 10 a.m.
But, well, it seemed like a reasonable plan, as waiting until then was better than not addressing the matter at all.
"Alright."
Just as he was about to end the call, Nathaniel's voice resonated through the Telesphere once more.
// By the way Ian, I'm sorry I scolded and treated you badly last night. //
Nathaniel's voice filled with remorse and Adrian reassured him.
"No, it's alright. Maybe it's just some… misunderstanding."
// Alright then, see you. //
"See you."
With a sense of closure, their conversation came to an end.
"Baa! Baa!"
Adrian's footsteps came to an abrupt halt upon hearing a faint sound echoing through the hall.
He lifted his head and his eyes widened as he spotted a small figure crawling toward him.
It was Frey, the baby prince, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he locked gazes with Adrian.
The sight of the infant crawling alone in the vast hall sent a surge of concern through Adrian's veins.
Without wasting another moment, he rushed towards Frey and scooped him up into his arms, holding him close.
"Why are you here all alone? Where's the nanny?"
Adrian's voice was filled with worry as he searched Frey's face for any signs of distress.
But instead of answering, the baby prince giggled gleefully and hugged Adrian's neck, his tiny arms wrapping around him tightly.
Adrian couldn't help but smile, however, Frey's next action caught Adrian off guard.
The baby leaned forward and playfully nibbled on Adrian's cheek, leaving a trail of saliva in its wake.
"You can't do that."
He gently scolded, yet Frey's laughter continued, undeterred by Adrian's warning.
Soon, Ferdinand approached them and gently wiped Adrian's cheek, concern etched on his face.
"Your Highness, if you'd like, I could hold His Highness for you."
Ferdinand offered, his voice filled with sincerity but Adrian shook his head.
"No, it's alright. I'll take care of him."
Ferdinand nodded, respecting Adrian's decision, and stepped back.
Returning his gaze to Frey, Adrian suggested.
"Let's find your mother, shall we?"
Frey's laughter filled the air once again.
With that, the trio set off towards Charlotte's chamber.
As they made their way through the corridors, Frey continued to babble happily, his tiny voice filling the silence.
Nevertheless, Adrian couldn't help but be amazed at how content and comfortable the baby seemed in his embrace.
Apart from the occasional babbling, Frey showed no signs of discomfort, his calm demeanor putting Adrian's worries at ease.
As they approached the Consort's chamber, chaos unfolded before them.
The maids and butlers, who had been frantically searching for the missing infant prince, caught sight of Adrian with Frey in his arms and rushed toward them.
Their relieved voices filled the air as they exclaimed.
"His Highness Prince Frey has been found!"
Amidst the commotion, Charlotte emerged from the crowd, her face a mix of worry and relief.
She extended her hands towards Frey, but the baby prince had other plans.
He immediately turned his body and clung tightly to Adrian, his little hands gripping onto Adrian's clothing.
"Uh! Uh!"
Frey babbled as if asserting his choice.
Ignoring the baby's clinginess, Adrian's gaze turned cold as he directed his attention towards the maids and butlers, his voice filled with concern and anger.
"Can somebody explain to me how on earth this baby can crawl by himself? What if he falls down the stairs? Will you take responsibility if the Prince gets hurt?"
Adrian's words hung heavy in the air, causing the maids and butlers to lower their heads in shame, realizing their negligence.
Charlotte hurriedly interjected, her voice filled with urgency as she tried to ease Adrian's anger.
"Your Highness, please don't be angry. This is not the first time Frey has managed to escape when the maids and butlers are not looking. He's quite the little escape artist."
Adrian's gaze softened slightly as he turned his attention to Frey, who simply chuckled in response, seemingly oblivious to the commotion he had caused.
Adrian could already imagine the mischief and trouble Frey would cause as he grew older.
Returning his attention to the maids and butlers, Adrian continued, his voice firm.
"Despite this accident continuously happening, it seems that none of you have learned from your mistakes. I will report this to my father. The safety of the Prince is of utmost importance."
Charlotte bowed her head in defeat, acknowledging her failure as the Consort.
"I apologize, Your Highness. I will ensure that stricter measures are put in place to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future."
Brushing it off, Adrian prepared to hand Frey over to Charlotte, but the baby clung tightly to his neck, grunting in protest.
"Uh, uh!"
"Frey, His Highness must be busy. Let's play with mommy."
Charlotte gently coaxed, placing her hands on Frey's waist and attempting to pull him from Adrian's embrace.
However, the baby's cries only grew louder, his tiny hands gripping onto Adrian's clothing with determination.
Adrian's eyes softened as he looked down at Frey, a smile tugging at his lips.
"No, it's alright. I'm free anyway. I think I'll play with him before the Hastilude festival starts. We can spend some quality time together."
Charlotte removed her hands from Frey's waist and bowed respectfully.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness. I appreciate your understanding."
As Adrian and Frey shared a tender moment, Charlotte couldn't help but notice the genuine attachment the baby had developed toward the Second Prince.
Frey's laughter and smiles were more frequent in Adrian's presence, in stark contrast to his reaction when he saw Nathaniel.
This attachment had started when the princes first visited Frey, and it had continued to grow ever since.
At first, Charlotte had been skeptical about this favoritism, but the nanny had assured her that it was normal for a baby to show such preferences.
Still, Charlotte couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as she observed the bond between Adrian and Frey.
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.
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—Bang!
The clash of lances echoed through the arena as the two knights engaged in a full-contact joust, eliciting cheers from the spectators that reverberated throughout the grandstands.
Adrian, sitting in the Imperial Seatbox, briefly tore his gaze away from the thrilling duel to check the time.
Glancing at the watchpocket in his hand, he noted that it was 11:25 a.m.
His eyes scanned the room, searching for his brother Nathaniel, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Just as Adrian began to wonder about Nathaniel's whereabouts, the sound of the door swinging open caught his attention, and there emerged Nathaniel, stepping out from behind it.
"Talk about the devil."
Adrian muttered under his breath, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Nathaniel approached Adrian and settled into an empty seat beside him, his tired eyes betraying his exhaustion with dark circles beneath them.
"My goodness, you look like shit."
Adrian remarked, his tone teasing and Nathaniel rolled his eyes in boredom.
"Shut up."
However, a sense of déjà vu washed over Nathaniel, making him feel as if he had experienced this moment before.
"Where have you been?"
Adrian inquired, curiosity lacing his words.
"Initially, I just wanted to take a nap, but it seems I took it too far."
Nathaniel replied with a hint of sheepishness.
"I see."
"By the way, didn't you have something important to talk to me?"
Nathaniel asked, reminding Adrian of the impending conversation.
"Yeah..."
Adrian hesitated, contemplating whether it was the right time to discuss their misunderstanding.
Both of them needed to be in a clear state of mind, and Adrian didn't want anything clouding Nathaniel's thoughts.
"Should we find a more private area, then?"
Nathaniel suggested.
"I'd appreciate that."
With their mother's permission, Adrian and Nathaniel stood up and made their way toward the door, intending to find a quieter space to talk.
However, as the door swung open, they were greeted by the sight of a man with brown hair and piercing blue eyes.
It was Mathias Lancaster, Aerilyn's older brother, accompanied by a few knights.
They respectfully bowed and stepped aside, creating a path for the Princes.
Adrian and Nathaniel nodded in gratitude, acknowledging their presence, before exiting the Imperial Seatbox.
Mathias and the knights followed suit, entering the room.
Adrian suddenly halted his steps and urgently tugged at Nathaniel's cape, causing him to stumble backward.
"Ian—!"
Nathaniel exclaimed, a mix of surprise and annoyance in his voice.
"Ssh!"
Adrian quickly placed his index finger in front of his lips, signaling for silence.
Once he had Nathaniel's attention, Adrian discreetly pointed towards the Imperial Seatbox room, indicating that they should pay attention to what was happening inside.
While Duke Lancaster stayed at the Safonyx Castle to attend to the guests, Mathias was stationed at the western border.
And the fact that he was present here now meant that something urgent must have occurred.
Adrian's instincts told him that there was more to this situation than met the eye.
Mathias soon approached Graham and whispered something into his ear.
Graham's expression shifted from calm to surprise, and he immediately stood up, making his way toward Arthur, who was seated at the forefront.
Graham leaned in and whispered urgently into Arthur's ear, causing a similar change in expression.
Something was definitely happening.
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