Chapter 46
“First, turn that thing off.”
“Well, I’ve been wanting to do that since earlier, but…”
“But?”
“Why won’t it turn off?”
“……”
…Are you seriously asking me that right now?
Aserian looked at his younger brother with an expression that screamed, “How can anyone be this clueless?”
-Screeeeeeeeech!
No matter how much Chaian fiddled with the alarm device, its blaring noise showed no signs of stopping, almost as if it was malfunctioning.
“Chaian…”
“Haha, why won’t this work? I have no—!”
Smack!
Aserian, caught between frustration and relief, finally decided on silence as the only way to cope.
Chaian flinched as he felt the alarm device being snatched from his hands.
Bang!
Someone slammed the device onto the ground and stomped on it with full force.
-Screeeeeee…
Crash!
The alarm device emitted a faint screech before shattering into pieces and finally going silent.
“…It actually broke?”
Chaian looked dazed.
Why does this scene feel familiar?
“Brother, I’m sorry. I checked thoroughly, but it must’ve been defective.”
“Explain yourself clearly, Chaian.”
“No, I mean, think about it. How else could such a sturdy alarm device break after just a few stomps? It has to be a defect!”
Ignoring his panicked explanations, Aserian turned his gaze toward the person who had silenced the alarm.
It was none other than Ceres, her expression brimming with irritation.
“It was noisy.”
Her eyes, fixated on the shattered remains of the alarm device, reflected pure dissatisfaction.
Why did I have to listen to that awful noise all the way out here?
Chaian called out to her in a pitiful voice.
“Ceres.”
“What?”
“Is stomping on things a hobby of yours?”
First, it was the Recording Orb, and now the alarm device—both stomped to oblivion.
“And you? Is causing a scene your hobby?”
Ceres had overheard enough of Chaian and Aserian’s earlier conversation to piece together the situation.
She already knew Chaian was reckless, but to think he’d pull such antics even in the palace? He triggered the alarm just because he didn’t like what the nobles were saying?
‘Well, it’s not like I don’t understand the sentiment.’
Nobles spouting nonsense in meeting halls—it’s the same everywhere, past or present.
Even I’ve had moments when I nearly drew my sword on them.
Thud.
“Huh?”
At that moment, someone lightly tapped Chaian on the head and walked past him. It was none other than Kainel, the Grand Duke of Persia.
“…What was that?”
Chaian stared at Kainel with a slightly bewildered expression.
Was that a hit? Or a pat? He couldn’t tell.
Either way, someone touching his head should’ve felt infuriating, yet…
‘His hand…’
I thought it’d be cold as ice, but it was surprisingly warm. Almost strangely so.
Chaian looked at Kainel with a curious gaze.
“Seems like he likes you.”
“What?”
Ceres muttered as she cleaned up the remnants of the alarm device.
“Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
Kainel tended to ignore people he didn’t like entirely, treating them as invisible.
That habit of his hadn’t changed.
He always did things that could easily be misunderstood.
Even back then, he’d often pick on people he liked.
Only Arthia and I knew that about him.
‘Could Kainel actually like Chaian?’
Maybe he, too, was annoyed by the nobles’ nonsensical chatter and found Chaian’s disruption rather satisfying.
‘Or…’
Perhaps he sensed it, too.
That Chaian bore a striking resemblance to Arthia.
That fool used to pull similar stunts during imperial meetings.
“……”
Holding the broken remains of the alarm device, Ceres froze for a moment.
Kainel, who she thought had already left, was staring directly at her.
‘Did he overhear what I just said?’
But as soon as their eyes met, Kainel turned his head as if nothing had happened and walked away.
His aide, Del, followed closely behind, giving Ceres a subtle nod as he passed.
“Chaian, is she with you?”
Finally breaking the silence, Aserian turned to Chaian and asked about Ceres.
It was impossible not to be curious about someone who seemed to know Chaian so well.
“She’s my new secretary.”
“Temporary.”
“…Yes, temporary.”
Chaian pouted, clearly displeased with the emphasis on “temporary.”
“But, Ceres.”
“Yes.”
“Why have you been so formal lately?”
“Well, because you’re technically my superior at the moment.”
Ceres looked at him with exasperation.
I do know how to separate business from personal matters, you know.
“So, are you going to keep speaking formally to me?”
“Could you just shut up for a bit?”
“…Okay.”
Aserian observed their dynamic with growing interest.
What is this strangely close relationship?
“A new secretary?”
“Yes!”
As Chaian’s close friend, Aserian knew all about Luca’s habit of taking a vacation around this time of year.
Usually, Chaian would hire someone else to fill in temporarily. He thought this year would be no different.
“Her name is Ceres.”
“Ceres?”
Aserian turned his attention to Ceres, expecting an explanation, but she merely bowed slightly without saying a word.
“Ah! You’re both here!”
A voice called out from a distance, belonging to none other than Creel Ellsia, the head of the Ellsia family.
“So it was a false alarm?”
Looking at the shattered alarm device and the relaxed demeanor of everyone around, Creel chuckled.
“It seems the meeting can’t continue as planned. Chaian, could I trouble you for a moment? I have a request.”
“A request?”
“Yes. I’d like to submit a commission to the Mage Tower.”
“In that case, please visit the Mage Tower’s official reception desk. They’ll assist you with the submission process.”
“Yes, of course, but since I’m already here…”
“I’m not a walking reception desk. If it’s not my department, I can’t help you.”
“Still, I thought I might as well ask while we’re face-to-face…”
As Creel persisted and Chaian tried to avoid him, their conversation dragged on.
“……”
Meanwhile, Ceres’s gaze remained fixed on one thing: Creel Ellsia’s hand.
More specifically, the ring he was wearing.
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