Chapter Text
Alberu Crossman glanced in the mirror one last time, a stoic face looking back. Without a second thought, he donned his signature smile.
It was time for the gathering.
Alberu headed to the Palace of Joy.
Alberu was pleasantly surprised when Taylor Stan approached him with a smile on his face and a proposal in his hands.
"I'd ask how you knew about the Star of Healing, but there's one thing I want to know more." Alberu smiled as he stared into Taylor's eyes. "What would you like to give me in return?"
Taylor didn't flinch away from Alberu's piercing gaze, but merely stared back coolly for a few moments. He glanced behind him, meeting Cage's gaze as she nodded to him. He turned back.
"I promise," Taylor spoke, his words drowning in determination, "that the head of the Marquis Stan estate will never be anyone else other than me."
Alberu raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? If I recall, wasn't Venion Stan still a strong and popular contender for the heir position?"
Taylor wore a stoic face before a small smile broke out. "I guarantee you, Your Highness, Venion Stan would not be a problem." He laughed bitterly before adding an afterthought. "In fact, the main problem is just with these legs of mine, you see."
"I see," Alberu replied. He narrowed his eyes at the two people before him.
Cage, an excommunicated priestess of the God of Death, and Taylor Stan, a man thought to be out of the competition for the Marquis Stan Estate's heir position due to his lame legs.
Two people he would've never expected to approach him.
He was a bit curious how they figured out that he had the Star of Healing, but it wasn't like it was a deeply guarded secret.
Still, the situation seemed a bit weird.
Alberu took a second before brushing it off and smiling. "Still, that's not your full proposal, is it?"
Taylor and Cage smiled back.
The clock ticked. The hands reached exactly 5 pm. The door opened.
Alberu Crossman watched as the doors opened up to a large hall with all of the Roan noble representatives. He raised a hand to prevent the servant by the side from giving him an introduction.
He was sure he didn't need it.
The hall was silent as he elegantly walked to his seat. Everyone's eyes were on him; a type of experience he had long gotten used to.
He sat down comfortably in the highest spot in the hall; above the nobles, above the second and third prince. The door closed.
It meant that everyone was here.
Alberu glanced at everyone in the hall before speaking, a majestic smile on his face.
"Welcome. Thank you for responding to my invitation."
Alberu Crossman finished off another conversation with a noble before glancing around the hall again.
His eyes passed over a red-haired noble and was about to ignore him until he noticed something odd.
That glance of his... did he just glance at a hidden magic video recording tool?
He must be thinking too much.
Alberu brushed off the weird feeling that suddenly came over him and prepared to greet the next few nobles.
Coincidentally, it just so happened to be the Northeastern nobles that came up.
"Oh, our Northeastern nobles!" He greeted, welcoming them with a bright smile. He shook each of their hands as Eric Wheelsman greeted him back.
"Your Highness, it is great to see you," Eric said, a big smile on his face. "Eric Wheelsman greets his Highness for the first time in a while."
Alberu smiled a bit more genuinely. He had to admit that the Northeastern shoreline held great value to both the Northeastern nobles and the country itself.
Amidst all of the trouble brewing in the continent, he needed to find a way to guard against future situations. He thinks the shoreline had great value in a navy force. He wondered if the nobles before him felt the same.
Alas, he also knew that the quality and quantity of information and intel differed greatly between a crown prince and a lower noble. He knows he shouldn't expect too much from their proposal, but he'll still have to find a way to turn that shoreline into something better.
Before he let himself be carried away by his thoughts, he focused his attention on the red-haired noble nearing him.
Their eyes met.
Alberu's heart skipped a beat.
But he didn't notice as he held his hand out to shake Cale Henituse's hand, who slightly bowed his head in return.
Alberu opened his mouth.
"Mr. Cale of the Henituse family, that is responsible for the edge of our Northeastern region. It may be my first time meeting you, but, thanks to Count Deruth's good work, we are no longer afraid of the Forest of Darkness. You don't know how reassuring that is for me and everyone else."
It wasn't hard, really, to shower even a trash like Cale Henituse in praises. The words come too easily to him. His glib tongue was the result of years of efforts and experience of learning how to please everyone and getting the maximum benefits.
It was funny how a few words of praise went a long way. It only took a couple of words for someone to help him with what he wanted.
It sounded bad, but in the end, all he wanted was for the betterment of the kingdom.
He was sure that every noble knew by now that he had a glib tongue. Yet, he also knew that not everyone hated that fact. After all, to the nobles that were greedy for praise and glory, didn't acknowledgement from a status as high as the Crown Prince sound pretty sweet?
Which is why he couldn't help but be a bit surprised when Cale Henituse didn't react.
Alberu continued, using his glib tongue to the max. "I heard that Mister Cale is a very free spirit. I'm sure this is because the artistic souls of the sculptures in the Henituse territory have given you an epiphany? I feel like your free spirit makes your soul very pure."
Cale Henituse watched him in surprise. Internally, Alberu winced. Even he was shocked by how he had managed to say all of that without batting an eye.
Alberu waited for a response as he watched Cale grab his hand. And while he wasn't really expecting anything from his response, he can't say that he expected the following words.
With a confident, relaxed smile, Cale Henituse said to him, “I also felt something after meeting your Highness today. I realized that in addition to our current sun, his majesty, we also have you, the one who will shine over the night to watch over the citizens at night. It was a wonderful image for my eyes."
What.
A crack in his mask appeared but he quickly recovered. “... Is that so?”
He couldn't help but feel weird. He watched Cale continue on with a reverent look in his eyes as well as a sincere voice. "Indeed, your highness. I may not be able to sleep at night now that I have personally met you, the star in the mind of our citizens."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Alberu notices Eric's jaws dropping. He would find the sight rather funny, but even he was barely managing to keep up.
Alberu scrutinized Cale Henituse as he thought for a few seconds.
He dropped his hand.
“... Mister Cale seems to be a bit like me.”
This was interesting.